The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1915-12-02
HISTORY OF THANKSGIVING.
Initial Presidential Proclamation Of
Day Made by Washington-Uni-
versal and Annual Custom.

Thanksgiving day is pre-eminently
a family festival. 1t is the one day
in all the year when the children and
the chlIuren's children love to gather
at the home table and live over again
the years of childhood. 1t is an old,
old custom and like many of our best
and happiest festivals dates back to
the Dutch. The first Thanksgiving
day of which we have any account oc-
CURED October 3, 1875, in Lyden,
Holland, the anniversary Of the de-
liverance of that city from siege. The
idea was derived from the Hebrew
| feast of tabernacles, or feast of in
gathering at the end of the year. In
1921, after the first harvest of the
Plymouth colonists, Governor Brad
ford called for a day of rejoicing and
thanksgiving. For many years it was
appointed in the various states by the
governor and there being no concert
of action between them, it would be
held at different dates, although al
most always on a Thursday. In 1859
thirty of the then thirty-three states
held their Thanksgiving holiday the
last Thursday in November, nor has
the date or month been changed. The
first presidential appointment of
Thanksgiving day was by Washing
ton, who on October 3, 1889, issued
a proclamation appointing November
&c, Thursday, day of Thanksgiving.
January l., 1895, after the suppress
sion of the whiskey insurrection in
western Pennsylvania, President
Washington issued another thanks
giving proclamation, appointing
nh :, dow Eohruorv "a tho dow RI
he observed.
Jefferson issued neither fast nor
thanksgiving proclamations, being
from principle opposed to so doing.
March 4, 1915, after the conclusion
of our second war with Great Britain
President Madison issued proclama-
ton, appointing Thursday, April 13,
la day of Thanksgiving.
April 10, 1862, President Lincoln
issued a proclamation recommending
that the people should, at their next
weekly assemblage for public wor-
ship, after the receipt of the proclaim
alton, render thanks for the victor
les which had been achieved. July Is,
1868, President Lincoln issued anoth-
er proclamation, appointing Thurs
day, August 6, day of thansksgiv-
ing for victories won by the union
forces, and on December Z; 1868, he
issued still another thanksgiving
proclamation in consequence of union
successes, recommending that the
people, on receipt of the proclama-
ton, should assemble at their places
of worship and render special homage
and gratitude for the victories which
had been achieved, October 3, 1868,
President Lincoln issued prOclama-
ton appointing Thursday, November
l2G, a day of thanksgiving, and this
was the first of the annual presiden-
tial proclamat atoms of this kind, a ma
tional thanksgiving day having since
that time been appointed every year
by the encumbent Of the presidential
Office II may be added that from
1777 to 1884, both years included, an
annual thanksgiving day was a ma
tional institution, being each year
recommended to the several states by
the continental congress-. The days
thus recommended and observed were
Thursday, December IS, 1777; We'd
nesday, December 80, 177S; Thurs
day, December 8, 1873; Thursday De-
cember Z, 1880; Thursday, December
Is, 1881; Thursday, November %,
1882; Thursday, December II, 1888.
and Tuesday, October 10, 1884. After
the last named Thanksgiving, there
was no national appointment of such
a day until the one in 1889 by Presi-
dent Washington. Since that time it
has been the universal and annual
custom.