The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-01-08
THANKSGIVING DAY.
A Short History of the Origin and Growth
of the Holiday.


of the Holiday.
Many writer's have sought to make
the observance of Thanksgiving day an
American institution, originating among
the early settlers of New England, but
historically this opinion can not be sus-
tanned, for the idea was formulated
many years before our continent was
discovered. Many think it is simply a
copy of the old Hebrew ordinance of
the feast of tabernacles, or feast of in
gathering at the end of the year AS
early as the reign of Elizabeth of En-
gland it was expressly ordered that on
Thanksgiving day no servile work
should be performed, whilst severe
penalties were attached to violations of
the order. In Holland the first ami
versary of the deliverance of the city of
Leyden from the seige, October 8, 1873,
was kept as a religious festival of
thanksgiving and praise.
The earliest account we have of a
regular Thanksgiving day in this coun-
try locates the celebration at Mohegan,
near the Kennel bee river, Maine, where
on August 8, 1907, old style, it is stated
in an old chronicle, Chaplain Seymour,
a minister of the church of England.
delivered a sermon ION giving God
thanks for happie meetynge and safe
ARRIVAL into the countrie" The exam
pie here set was followed by the Plym-'
outh brethren in the autumn of 1921,
when they had collected their first har-
vest, which consisted of twenty acres Of
corn and six of barly, oats and peas,
enough to keep them supplied with food
for the coming year. Gov. Bradford
appointed the day, and in order that
the occasion should be observed
with good cheer sent hunters
out to forage the country to
procure a plentiful supply OF good
things needful for a dinner. The men
returned with water fowl, wild turkey
and venison. The great Indian chief,
MGssasoit, and ninety of his warriors
Wore invited to the feast, which lasted
three days.
The next Thanksgiving celebration
u which we have any authentic record
wsss two years afterward, when, how
sVsc it was observed, not in the
sstua4n, but in July, and the occasion
was manifestly furnished by the timely
arrivai of a ship from England laden
with provisions when the settlers were
~ tea verge of starvation. During that
sans year day of fasting and prayer
in the midst of drought was changed to
day of Thanksgiving by the coming of
rain during the prayers.
In 1882 Gov. Winthrop of the Massa-
chusetts Bay colony recommended
day of thanksgiving on accound of the
favorable action toward the colonies
of the British 'privy council. Dur
ing the revolution day of nation
al thanksgiving was annually rec
commended by congress, and at the
adoption of the constitution, 1879,
Washington was strongly urged by
congress to appoint day for thanks
giving. In 1895 proclamation of
thanksgiving was issued fof the sup
preston of instruction. President
Madison in 1915 appointed day for
national thanksgiving.
It is only within the last thirty years
that Thanksgiving day has assumed
the character of fixed annual occur
renee, its origin being traced to the
proclamation of President Lincoln,
dated July IS, 1863. The day chosen
by President Lincoln on this occasion
for national thanksgiving, praise and
prayer was August of that year. In
the two following years the date of the
observance was left to the discretion of
the president, but during the past
twenty-five years the last Thursday in
November has been set apart for the
holiday. Free Press.