Today in History: Lew Hudson talked Thanksgiving – The Globe | Worthington, Minnesota

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WORTHINGTON — On Nov. 26, 1975, The Globe’s Regional Editor Lew Hudson went back in time to Worthington’s first Thanksgiving. He used quotes from an 1883 edition to describe the event.
Here is the complete story as it appeared in The Globe 50 years ago:
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First Thanksgiving was community-wide event to remember
Lew Hudson, Regional Editor
Back in 1872 winter started out just like this year. There was a sudden transition from Indian Summer to bitter winter with the first heavy snows and sub-zero cold arriving by the middle of November. Even worse things were in store later that winter but the first settlers at the pioneer village of Worthington didn’t know it as the time for Thanksgiving approached.
Those settlers didn’t know about the three-day blizzard which was due to strike in January. Had they known they might not have been in such good spirits.
The village had been started and optimism was running high. Folks began talking about a real celebration of Thanksgiving.
Those settlers were a close knit group and the suggestion that everyone gather for one big dinner, the first in the colony village, met with instant approval. Hardly had that been decided than someone suggested, “Why not invite everyone in the county.” That too was approved and the stage was thus set for Worthington’s first Thanksgiving.
The Worthington Advance in its issue of Nov. 29, 1883 recalled the festival in the quaint journalistic language of the day. Editor A. P. Miller described it in these words:
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“The first Thanksgiving in Worthington was an occasion to be remembered for a lifetime. Miller Hall has been completed and the citizens of Worthington thought it would be a capital project to invite the whole county and as many from surrounding counties as might chose to come to a grand free dinner.
“This was carried out successfully. Although the thermometer indicated 14 below zero, parties drove from points as far as the Graham Lakes. Nearly every part of the county was represented and parties were present from Jackson and Osceola counties.
“It was a magnificent dinner and a jolly time. At one time it was thought the committee would fail on turkeys as the whole county had been ransacked, but Captain Miller, clad like an “Esquimoux” jumped into his sleigh and drove 30 miles to Jackson. He loaded that sleigh so full of turkeys that he had to stick his feet outdoors and drove back in the night with his thermometer down to 12-14 below nothing.
“Such a time was never seen before (and never will be again.) The exercises consisted of a Thanksgiving sermon, then dinner, then toasts and responses, and a regular button bursting social in the evening. This was in 1872.
In 1873 there was another dinner for the whole county with appropriate exercises and a happy time but it lacked the novelty and zest of the first one although a success in every respect.
“Gov. Stephen Miller was president of the day. Invitations said in part, “The dinner of course cannot be a warm one but arrangements will be made for serving hot tea and coffee. Those who can contribute tea, coffee, milk or sugar are requested to bring a small quantity of each, or one, of the articles mentioned.”
After 1873 there is no further mention of community Thanksgiving dinners in Worthington. Apparently the close knit unity of the early settlers gave way to a desire to spend this holiday within family groups. Community observance of Thanksgiving turned to joint religious services among the city’s churches.
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