Then & Now
by Highlands Historian Stella Bailey
Although Thanksgiving is now a national holiday it is celebrated on different days in several countries. It may have begun with the Pilgrims as the day to give thanks and blessings but, in the past, it morphed to a day off; football, parades; shopping and feasting. Historians suggest that since pilgrims had no ovens and very little sugar there were probably no pies, cakes or desserts as we know them and which is now a must.
In 1817 New York officially adopted a Thanksgiving holiday to be celebrated on different days. In 1827 Sara Josephina Hale, who wrote “Mary Had A Little Lamb” campaigned for establishing Thanksgiving as a national holiday and was then known as the “Mother of Thanksgiving”. In 1863 Abraham Lincoln backed up her request asking “To heal the wounds of the Nation” which seemed very appropriate at that time, and even now. In 1939 Franklin Delano Roosevelt moved the holiday up a week to spur retail sales during the depression. This brought up the name “Franksgiving”! It was met with great opposition so in 1941 the holiday went back to the fourth Thursday in November. Now we compensate with “Black Friday” sales. The President, whomever he is, is still supposed to pardon turkeys and send them to retirement! This information and much more interesting and pertinent articles, you can find on the internet.
In 1920 The News of the Highlands, November 27th issue indicates that most things went about as normal. The North End Meat Market advertised Sirloin Steaks for 42 cents a pound and Fresh Ham for 32 cents a pound, but no mention of Turkey or Chicken. Holiday over! Maybe they sold out. However, the Highland Falls Bakery of Kopf & Fremgen on Schneider Avenue listed FRESH EVERY DAY cakes; pies; rolls and sanitary wrapped bread.
If you have had enough of politics and elections you probably don’t care that a hundred years ago The Republican County Committee spent $9097.12 and the Democrats only $3000 on the election. Hamilton Fish set a precedent by being the third member of one family to take a seat in the House of Representatives. The paper states that within a few minutes he introduced a resolution directing the Secretary of War to have a “shrine of patriotism” containing the body of some unidentified soldier erected in the rotunda under the Capitol dome or in Arlington National Cemetery.
The postmaster, Jacob Hicks said that the sending of holiday mail and parcels had increased and to insure safety he advised to mail early, wrap securely, address carefully, giving street number, etc. These two gentlemen were ahead of their time with giving correct information and ideas.
With the present pandemic continuing to cause havoc all around the world, curtailing many activities we once held dear, we hope all families will adhere to the safety regulations so our future holidays will be as always, a family treasure.
