Thanksgiving in Dayton, 1882

Thanksgiving Day 1882 marked the 100th anniversary of the signing of the peace treaty between the United States and Great Britain after the Revolutionary War.  This gave Daytonians something else to be thankful for.  At the time, a Dayton paper published, "We were about to mention the fact that today, November 30, 1882, is the centennial of the treaty of peace by which American independence was acknowledged."  This story was ran again by the Dayton Daily Newspaper 50 years later in 1932, adding what Dayton's forefathers had to be thankful for and how they expressed their thanks.  This article was complied by DDN reporter Howard Burba, who searched through old Dayton newspaper files from 1882 for these stories.  Most of the articles discuss the traditional Thanksgiving meal, while others tell a bit more about Dayton at the time.  Here are some of my favorite quotes from the articles selected:

"We sincerely hope there will be no stomach ache in Dayton tonight or tomorrow, yet it is not our intention to give advice on the subject of diet."

"If a man drinks too much whiskey he either makes a fool or a criminal out of himself, but if he eats too much turkey and mince pie he simply contracts for disagreeable dreams and maybe to pay 50 cents for a prescription."

"It would not hurt our readers before unfolding their dinner napkins to attend some church service this morning and join devoutly in the singing and listen to an elegant summary of the blessings of the Divine Providence."

"Spiritually and socially, let every man answer for himself, and give thanks accordingly."

A Coast Guard crew about to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner in the late 1800s.

One writer was thankful for the "warm winter and cool summer" that kept Daytonians comfortable that year, but called the recent Democratic victory the "great catastrophe and epidemic" of the times.

Burba learned from his research that on even this historic day in 1882, Thanksgiving was typical, similar to the one he would be celebrating that year in 1932.  He notes that church was typically attended, but not all churches were open for service.  Burba also mentions football, a Thanksgiving tradition most Americans enjoy today.  In 1882, "Football hadn't come on to monopolize attention on the national feast day, though it was not wholly unknown as a sport."  Instead of football, Daytonians on Thanksgiving day 1882 enjoyed clay pigeon shooting held at the Miami Shooting club on Prairie Street.  They even enjoyed a good show at the Music Hall, now known as the Victoria Theatre.  The Thanksgiving Day offering at the Music Hall was the great Salvini in The Gladiator.

Like the picture we saw in class, these children are dressed up for Thanksgiving.

It is clear from reading the quotes Burba included in his article that dinner was the big feature of the day.  "The turkey was then as now the piece de resistance."  Wild turkeys were quoted at a Thanksgiving market in 1882 at $3 to $3.50 each.  Homegrown turkeys were sold at 12 to 15 cents per pound.  Cheaper meats were used by some families, like chicken or pheasant.  "Rabbits were poor man's eating and so plentiful that there was no market for them." It was customary in 1882 for the man of the house to enjoy a nice glass of bourbon after his hearty meal.

After reading this article, it is clear to me that Thanksgiving traditions and celebrations have not changed much in Dayton since 1882!

Source:

http://www.daytonhistorybooks.com/thanksgivingburba.html