A Thanksgiving greeting from The Casper Herald in 1926
Later this week, Wyomingites and others across the U.S. will celebrate Thanksgiving in a variety of ways. Many will gather with family and friends for a meal of traditional food, giving thanks for all they have. This could lead one to wonder how long we have celebrated this holiday. Time to consult the informative databases on GoWYLD.net!
According to the Thanksgiving article found in the Encyclopedia of Food and Culture, Vol. 3, which can be found in GoWYLD’s Gale in Context U.S. History database, the first national Thanksgiving was declared by the Continental Congress in 1777. This was followed by an ebb and flow of presidential Thanksgiving proclamations, but Thanksgiving was not established as a national holiday until 1941.
In 2024, people often celebrate Thanksgiving by sharing a meal with loved ones, traveling to see family and friends, playing games, watching football, going to see a newly released movie, or shopping for that perfect holiday gift. So many things have changed in the past century, but how has Thanksgiving changed?
Front page spread in the 1926 Casper Herald Thanksgiving Day issue
Let’s take a peek at how Wyomingites celebrated about 100 years ago. How, you may ask? With the Wyoming State Library‘s Wyoming Digital Newspaper Collection, of course! Our collection dates all the way back to 1849 and includes 327,216 issues comprised of 4,927,966 pages and 167,273 articles from Wyoming Newspapers. For the purposes of Thanksgiving-related primary source research, let’s look at some clippings from the The Casper Herald, Volume 8, Number 11, November 25, 1926, which was published 98 years ago on Thanksgiving Day.
Clippings from the “Around Town” social column
As shown in the clippings to the right, traveling to visit family has been a Thanksgiving tradition for at least a century. Although most contemporary newspapers no longer publish the travel details of their local residents, many families travel to different cities and states for Thanksgiving to visit relatives or close friends. Several news sources, including an article from NPR, estimate close to 80 million Americans will travel this Thanksgiving by car, plane, and train.
Restaurant advertisement for Thanksgiving dinner
Although many families prefer to cook their own Thanksgiving dinner and have their own special dishes they prepare for the celebration, others choose to purchase food prepared or catered by a restaurant or other source. Clearly, this was an option back in 1926, as well. An advertisement in The Casper Herald advertises several special Thanksgiving dinner menus offered by local restaurants, ranging in price from 75 cents to $1.25. One such offering includes relishes, soups, fish options, salad, roasted meat options, vegetables, and desserts at the Saddle Rock Cafe from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. for $1.00 per meal. Although the price for such a meal would be quite a bit higher now in 2024, food remains an important part of many people’s Thanksgiving traditions, whether it’s prepared and enjoyed at home or elsewhere.
Advertisement for a Thanksgiving football game in Douglas, Wyoming
For many, football plays an important role in the rituals of Thanksgiving. Some devoted fans choose to brave the often unpredictable weather and watch the games live from the stadium, but most view them in the comfort of their own living rooms on television. Football has evidently been a part of Thanksgiving in Wyoming for nearly 100 years, as shown by the advertisement for a football game between Douglas and Casper at the Douglas State Fairgrounds with a kickoff at 2:30 p.m. and varying prices for reserved seating and general admission tickets. Whichever team you decide to cheer on this year, you’re keeping the Thanksgiving tradition of football alive here in Wyoming.
Movie showtimes for the Rex Theater for November 25, 1926
Many blockbuster films premiere each year around Thanksgiving, so many families choose to go see a movie as part of their celebration. Movies were a popular form of entertainment in the mid-twenties of the last century, as well. Several movies were showing at the Rex Theater in Casper, Wyoming, on Thanksgiving Day and the weekend following, including the last showing of “The Cowboy Cop;” “The Mad Race,” a comedy film; “The Whirlwind Driver,” a western film; and “The Ramblin’ Galoot,” a film starring Buddy Roosevelt. Only time will tell what the most popular movie this season will be, but it’s certain many moviegoers will enjoy some theatrical entertainment this Thanksgiving, and hopefully, some popcorn, too!
An advertisement for a Thanksgiving dance at the Arkeon, a dance academy in Casper, Wyoming in the 1920s
After dinner and time with family, many students and others returning to their hometown for Thanksgiving will meet up with old friends and classmates to reconnect. Back in 1926, the Arkeon, a dance academy in Casper, Wyoming, hosted a dance including a “Novelty and Confetti Party” the evening of Thanksgiving for people to meet up with friends, mingle, and have a good time. Fun and frivolity with friends was a part of Thanksgiving festivities a century ago, just as it is now.
Hardware store ad from the 1926 Thanksgiving Day issue of The Casper Herald
The day after Thanksgiving, sometimes called “Black Friday,” is now the official kickoff of holiday shopping season. In some recent years, businesses even hosted sales on Thanksgiving Day, but that trend seems to have passed. Most stores are once again closed for Thanksgiving to allow employees to spend the holiday with their families. Many businesses have special sales and deals to entice holiday shoppers to do their shopping at their store the Friday following Thanksgiving. Holiday closures and special sales are nothing new, as an ad from the 1926 Thanksgiving issue of The Casper Herald for a hardware store shows.
Some people call Thanksgiving “Turkey Day.” No one knows when or how this silly nickname for the holiday started, but this ad shows it must have been prior to 1926.
How ever you decide to spend your Thanksgiving, be sure to take time to be thankful for the special people in your life, and to express your gratitude for all the things that make life beautiful, including (but not limited to) family, friends, football, films, fun, and festive shopping.
Happy Thanksgiving to all from the Wyoming State Library! We are thankful for our Wyoming libraries who provide amazing resources and service to Wyoming citizens all year long, as well as the patrons they serve, and we hope you have a wonderful, fun, and safe holiday!
Check out our GoWYLD databases for information on holidays or any other topic, and find answers about days past using the wealth of primary source material found in the Wyoming State Library’s Wyoming Newspaper Collection.