Tag Archives: Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving in Davenport, 1857

On November 26, 1857, the Right Reverend Henry Washington Lee, Bishop of the [Protestant Episcopal] Diocese of Iowa, delivered a Thanksgiving [1] sermon [2] at the recently-constructed St. Luke’s Church on 7th and Brady Streets in Davenport. In “The True … Continue reading

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Turkey Notes: Ode to Bill Wundram

It’s Turkey Note time again. Our annual tribute to this uniquely Quad Cities tradition. These three- or four-line poems traditionally wrapped in colorful paper, rolled, and tied on each end with fringed edges were created for Thanksgiving. They brought laughs, … Continue reading

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Happy Thanksgiving! Another serving of Turkey Notes, please!

‘Tis the time of the year to warm our fingers, loosen our tongues and sharpen our minds to craft a delightful turkey note. Turkey notes are an annual tradition in the Richardson-Sloane Special Collections Center. Like many activities observed and … Continue reading

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Mayflower 400: The Wampanoag and the Myth of the First Thanksgiving

The story of the first successful harvest and the celebratory feast that followed is told by Edward Winslow in a letter he wrote to a friend in 1621. This letter is part of a pamphlet that was published in London … Continue reading

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Turkey Notes for 2020

Large family gatherings for Thanksgiving may be canceled this year, but Turkey Notes will trot on forever! Here is our annual batch of poultry poems submitted by subscribers of our bi-monthly eNewsletter. Turkey gobblerTurkey stuffedTurkey, I sayGobble you up! from … Continue reading

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Turkey Notes: The 2019 additions

Please type the words Turkey Notes into the search bar on the right to find past Turkey note blogs. Thanksgiving is fast approaching so we thought we would try to get in the holiday mood this week. For those individuals … Continue reading

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Turkey Notes 2018

We cannot believe it was ten years ago on this date that we published our first Turkey Note blog! Our blog, and many Thanksgiving tables, would not be complete without this local tradition. Our co-worker, Sarah, gave the best explanation … Continue reading

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Turkey Notes: A Living Memory View

It’s time! It’s time! It is Turkey Note time! Yes, we get very excited in the Richardson-Sloane Special Collections Center right before Thanksgiving as we prepare for our annual Turkey Note blog. If you haven’t heard about this fun Quad … Continue reading

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A December Thanksgiving in Davenport, 1865

One hundred and fifty years ago this coming week, on December 7, 1865, Davenporters observed a memorable National Day of Thanksgiving. In the words of Iowa Governor William M. Stone’s proclamation, printed in the Davenport Daily Gazette on the 6th, … Continue reading

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The St. James Thanksgiving Feast: 1891

We have located another wonderful hotel menu printed in a local newspaper highlighting the amazing Thanksgiving feast awaiting hotel patrons at a local establishment. This year’s selection is from the Davenport Daily Leader, published on November 25, 1891 on page 5. The … Continue reading

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