According to the National Archives, Abraham Lincoln (in 1863) was the president who established the final Thursday of November to be Thanksgiving Day. The holiday had existed since George Washington’s presidency, but prior to 1863, the president was left to choose the date. Perhaps that date flexibility explains why, in 1859, Territorial Governor Steel proclaimed December 29, 1859 to be A Day of Thanksgiving.
It certainly wasn’t destined to be a foodie holiday. That was the settlers’ first winter in the area, and the diet was still heavily tilted to dried and preserved foods.
To the Governor’s proclamation, the December 21, 1859 Western Mountaineer replied
We are certainly very grateful to His Excellency for appointing Thanksgiving day, but the questions will keep forcing themselves upon us in our bachelor apartments. Where are we to get a turkey? Where the plum pudding and pumpkin pies? and O, where the cranberry sauce ? Echo answers, mockingly, cranberry sauce….
Thank you to Wendy Weiman for sponsoring Golden History Moments for the month of November.
