The record-union., 1899-11-30
Thanksgiving Days
Past and Present

Especial Correspondence Record Union.)
Nowadays as Thanksgiving APP
proaches, the mind of the good house
keeper turns instinctively toward the
connection of certain mince and pump
KIN pies, not forgetting the all impor-
tant turkey who in reality occupies
conspicuous place in the center of the
board.
The celebration of this day has long
and curious history. Days of thanks
giving date as far back as Bible times;
SUCH days were known to the Israelltes
and are mentioned in various places
throughout the Bible
Ihe first thanksgiving to be held IN
North America was conducted by an
English minister named Wolfau, IN
1913, ON the shores of Newfoundland.
This gentleman was among the first or
the English colonists to settle on these
shores, and this was in all probability
the first Christian sermon preached IN
North America A similar service was
held by the colonists settled on the coast
of Maine in August, 1907.
These however We're services Whlcn
included merely few hours of the
tally set apart for prayer and rejoicing
must be attributed to Governor Brad
ford. the first Governor of Massachu-
sets colony. In gratitude for the plen-
teous harvest of 1921, following upon a
period of great depression, he pro-
claimed the day of thanksgiving to be
observed on December 18th of that
year.
Having proclaimed the day the Gov
ernor at once sent out men in search
of game, and here first makes his APP
pearance our friend, the time honored
turkey. The sportsmen were success
full in their hunt and returned to the
colony laden with wild fowl but prin-
cipally turkey, sufficient to meet the
demands of the colonists for at least a
week. Then the housewives took the
matter into their hands and made up
all the good things they could think of
from their limited store of provisions.
AS the first gray streaks of dawn ap-
peared upon the eastern horizon that
eyentful day. one of the cannon crown
ing the hilltop doomed forth a salute.
Then procession to the meeting house
was formed with great solemnity, the
men walking three abreast, while the
elder, in his long preachers camelot
coat, walked beside them, bearing with
a gravity BETTING the occasion, the
great Bible, while the Sergeant in Coun-
sci and Governor Bradford brought up
the rear. After church services came
the dinner. In the midst of the fes-
tivities shout was heard and there
appeared as if by magic, ninety friendly
In rOif fl,a y
men bearing huge launches of venison
The one day heightened itself into
three, the feastings being varied with
the singing of psalms and songs, war
dances by the Indians and exhibitions
of military skill by Captain Standish's
we'll trained soldiers.
This was the prelude to frequent DAYS
of Thanksgiving in the years which fol-
lowed throughout the New England col
onies. Sometimes these days of thanks
giving occurred once a year, sometimes
twice, occasionally a year or two was
skipped according as reasons for thanks
presented themselves or not Some
times thanks was given for a victory
over the Indians, sometimes over .he
arrival of ship laden with supplies,
then again the reason was bountiful
harvest. The frequent appointments
for the last cause finally caused August
TO become the customary month Be-
ginning with 1854 the festival became a
formal one in Massachusetts, AMI was
soon followed by all the New England
colonies.
In previous thanksgiving times of
Rhode Island and Connecticut, venison
or boar's meat rather than turkey
graced the festive board. A newspa-
per account of a colonial thanksgiving
in 1713 given to the Governor and her
mabsty's Commissioners, states that
when the ven son was set upon the table
it was discovered that the deer from
which the venison had been taken, had