Thanksgivings Past by Pete Zizka 11-19-2022

Last year, our Thanksgiving week article was about a beloved Thanksgiving Day tradition – the Windham vs. Manchester Football Game. But did you know that long before that, there was another traditional football game on that day? This week, we’ll take a look at some Thanksgiving Day activities from the past. Newspaper stories from the 1870s through 1910 mention Thanksgiving Day football games that were played at Windham Field (today’s Memorial Park). Depending on the year, the game could feature two Willimantic teams, such as the 1910 game in which the Windham High team played against the Congregational Church’s GREX Club, or could be a Willimantic team such as the YMCA team against an out-of-town group. In 1901, the game pitted the YMCA team against the Connecticut Agricultural College team. The Chronicle commented, “Except for those who are infatuated with ball playing, Thanksgiving Day is likely to be a quiet affair”. From year to year, it appears that many events took place on Thanksgiving. The most common, of course, was the “Union Service” which was a religious service held at different churches in town but in which clergy from all the churches participated. In 1907, for example, the service was held at the Methodist church where the Reverend Louis Flocken preached but other ministers were present as well. (This week’s photo, taken by Rev. Flocken, shows the church’s interior.) One of the features of many of the services was the reading of the Governor’s annual Thanksgiving Day message. But in 1884, a minister took exception to the proclamation. The Chronicle, with its usual editorial candor and without regard for political correctness, told the story. “Rev. Mr. Hubbell refused to read from the pulpit either the national or state Thanksgiving proclamation. He sends a card to a local paper and says: "As to the proclamation, allow me to say that all of such papers hitherto sent me have invited the clergy to meet with their people in their usual places of divine worship. But now the Governor ignores the clergy and addresses the people - thus intimating that he does not wish us to participate in the service. Accepting this view, many besides myself have declined reading the proclamation and have held no Thanksgiving service. If the omission by the governor was intended as a rebuke to those who preach patriotic sermons on such occasions, this is to be regretted, for those sermons are generally free from partisan politics, and are both broad in their statesmanship and high in their moral tone." The Governor invited the people of this state to assemble and worship on Thanksgiving Day. Mr. Hubbell did not consider himself included in that invitation. If he is not of the people, what is he? Judging from the above letter we should say he is an ass.” Since the Chronicle always followed church schedules closely, it provided detailed information about the upcoming services. Of course, just as today, Thanksgiving was a day for reunions with extra trains coming into the Willimantic depot bringing “many college students, teachers and all those who reside away from home”. The mills and most stores were closed although the Post Office was open for a half day along with some stores which supplied, ”some of the forgotten necessaries of the day”. The Chronicle’s 1880 message says it best. “To-morrow is Thanksgiving day. It is hardly necessary to remind our readers what they have to be thankful for. Those who have a just appreciation of the ways of Providence cannot fail to find many blessings for which they must be grateful. Even the most unhappy can find some blessing. But the merely being thankful for blessings if of slight importance compared with the duty, so especially proper at this time of bringing blessings into the lives of others. No man is truly thankful who does not show his thanks by his works. If we have plenty, let us give of that plenty to those who are less fortunate. If we have little, that little will be blessed to us by imparting of that little to those who have none. The going to church and eating a fine dinner on Thanksgiving Day is all very well in its way. Perhaps our dinner would taste better if, while eating it, we were conscious of having done some poor neighbor a kindly and charitable deed. There is no better way to show thankfulness than by giving others cause to be thankful.”

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