Thanksgiving 1910
Some Thanksgiving History
"The manner in which Thanksgiving Day was first instituted as a national festival has special interest. During the War for Independence eight public and general thanksgivings were ordered by the Continental Congress, but after the general thanksgiving for peace in 1784 the proclamations were discontinued until 1789, when the first national Thanksgiving was proclaimed by President Washington, the time designated being the last Thursday in November.
"The special purposes, as recommended to congress was to give thanks for the adoption of the constitution. In 1795 the suppression of the whisky insurrection was recognized by a presidential call for a national day of thanksgiving."
And just below this article is the following.
"Billy’s got the colic. Jane’s an awful mess,
She spilled the brimming gravy boat upon her Sunday dress.
Jimmy came from football with plasters on his head.
Bess gave our ice cream to the cat, of course she went to bed.
Father talked all through the meal of aphthous fever milk,
While Olive pestered Uncle Jim for a raincoat made of silk.
I tore my brand new trousers in a fight with Butch McGlynn,
And Pete the cop, just told my pop he’d like to run me in.
When father said, 'Well, Mary, what thanks will we give dear?'
Ma said, 'Give thanks Thanksgiving comes only once a year.'"
[aphthous fever is also called foot and mouth disease]
Republican November 20, 1910
Photograph of Carl Stout-Everett Bedinhaus farm in 1951 in From the Darkroom.
Find this article at