Thanksgiving Celebrations Throughout Pelham in 1925
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I awoke this morning with a devout thanksgiving
for my friends, the old and the new. Shall I not
call God the Beautiful, who daily showeth himself
to me in his gifts?
Ralph Waldo Emerson, "Friendship" in Essays, First Series (1841).
Happy Thanksgiving dear Pelham!
Pelham may have been a very different place 92 years ago in 1925. Yet, were we to be transported back in time to November 26, 1925, we would recognize the warm and sincere giving of thanks and the many celebrations of Thanksgiving held in our little Town that Thanksgiving week. Indeed, Pelham's Thanksgiving celebrations of today remain rich with tradition and look much like the Thanksgiving celebrations of Pelham in 1925.
College students flooded into Pelham to gather with their families for the holiday. Pelham families hosted out-of-town guests for the celebration. A surprising number of Pelhamites attended the Army-Navy football game at the Polo Grounds Thanksgiving weekend. Some Pelhamites traveled elsewhere to spend the holiday with out-of-town families and friends.
Throughout Thanksgiving week there were grand gatherings and parties, particularly on Thanksgiving Eve (Wednesday, Nov. 25, 1925). For example, that Wednesday night, the Liberty Engine and Hose Company hosted a massive "fancy dress carnival" attended by 400 people at the firehouse on Fifth Avenue. Prizes for best costumes included, among other things, a fifteen-pound turkey. A six-piece orchestra provided music for a ballroom dance until midnight when the costume party attendees were unmasked. Then, three additional musicians helped provide music for continued dancing that lasted until 3:00 a.m. Thanksgiving morning.
At the same time on the same evening, the Pelham Country Club hosted its own Thanksgiving dinner and dance. Neighbors and friends reserved tables together and enjoyed a massive Thanksgiving celebration.
Even Town Justice Anthony M. Menkel got into the Thanksgiving spirit on that Thanksgiving Eve in Pelham. He held a Town Court session that evening. When Thomas Grivffre of Mount Vernon appeared in Court to answer for an unspecified infraction, the Judge fined him $10. When the poor fellow emptied his pockets, he only had $8. Judge Menkel, in the spirit of Thanksgiving, reduced the fine to $8.
The Manor Club, in turn, hosted its annual "Thanksgiving Feast" on the evening of Friday, November 27, 1925. The annual Manor Club Thanksgiving celebration was the hottest ticket in town each year. Seating was limited to 150, so tickets had to be bought for the event. The Manor Club clubhouse was decorated in "Harvest" decorations for the traditional turkey dinner and the grand dance that followed.
Thanksgiving celebrations began as early that week as Sunday, November 22. For example, that day the Young People's Society of the local Congregational Church hosted a lecture by Catharine Garber on the subject of "Thanksgiving Day" in which she "contrasted the spirit in which it was first celebrated and the way we celebrate it today." Additionally, Dr. William Milton Hess explained to the audience "the difference between the Pilgrims who came to America for complete religious independence and the Puritans who came later and founded Massachusetts Bay Colony although they were not determined to entirely separate from the English church. . . ."
Thanksgiving Day in 1925 dawned bright and brisk. The Young People's Society of the Congregational Church sponsored a pre-Thanksgiving dinner hike. The group and guests hiked to Scarsdale and back before sitting down to their tables for a turkey feast.
At mid-day, Pelhamites throughout the Town sat down to their own turkey feasts with family and friends. It was the height of the Roaring Twenties and the price of turkeys was up that year. The Pelham Sun reported as follows:
"Pelham residents were just as anxious to buy their gobblers for the annual feast despite the fact that the price was about 5 to 10 cents higher [per pound] than last year. Most of the turkeys came from Maryland and Ted's Market, People's Market and Pelham Heights Market reported that the price ranged from 40 to 65 cents per pound. Although the majority of Pelham people wanted the usual Thanksgiving delicacy all markets reported a brisk demand for ducks and geese. The prices for cranberries and the rest of the makings were correspondingly higher this year but that fact apparently made little effect on the Thanksgiving buyers."
The Pelham Sun lamented what it viewed as a decline in the nature of the Thanksgiving holiday spirit. In an editorial that week, the newspaper stated:
"[W]hen the first bountiful harvest came and a few of the Indian savages showed their friendship, [the Pilgrims] were certain that God had smiled on their religious venture and they hastened to give thanks. The tables were heaped high with game from the forests and corn from the fields. All feasted that day in a manner befitting a people who recognized the fact that their God had seen fit to treat them well. Today this holy day has degenerated into little more than a mechanical holiday and the true fervor of the Thanksgiving spirit is experienced by few. It is a day of rest and amusement from the tasks of the previous weeks instead of a day of prayer for the escape from dangers past."
Pelham, it seems, celebrated Thanksgiving in grand style in 1925 just as it is doing this day, ninety-two years later.
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"Good Turkeys Were Higher This Year
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Demand for Ducks and Geese in Advance of Last Year's and Higher in Price
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Pelham residents were just as anxious to buy their gobblers for the annual feast despite the fact that the price was about 5 to 10 cents higher [per pound] than last year. Most of the turkeys came from Maryland and Ted's Market, People's Market and Pelham Heights Market reported that the price ranged from 40 to 65 cents per pound.
Although the majority of Pelham people wanted the usual Thanksgiving delicacy all markets reported a brisk demand for ducks and geese. The prices for cranberries and the rest of the makings were correspondingly higher this year but that fact apparently made little effect on the Thanksgiving buyers."
Source: Good Turkeys Were Higher This Year -- Demand for Ducks and Geese in Advance of Last Year's and Higher in Price, The Pelham Sun, Nov. 27, 1925, Vol. 18, No. 39, p. 3, col. 2.
"THE MANOR CLUB. . . .
THANKSGIVING FEAST
One of the most important, and certainly one of the most enjoyable social events of the Manor Club season is the Thanksgiving Feast which will take place tonight at the club house. The attendance has been limited to 150 and that number of tickets is reported as having been sold for some time past. Each year the club members look forward to this event, when a feast is served in the old-fashioned way and followed by music and dancing to bring in the modern note. The club will be attractively decorated in Harvest atmosphere and those of the members who are fortunate will enjoy one of the most delightful affairs that the Manor Club program has to offer. . . .
AT THANKSGIVING FEAST OF MANOR CLUB
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One of the tables at the Thanksgiving feast at the Manor Club this evening will be occupied by Mr. and Mrs. William Currie, Mr. and Mrs. Julius A. Migel, Mr. and Mrs. Ralph C. Angell, Mr. and Mrs. Lockwood Barr, Mr. and Mrs. Roger Hull, Mr. and Mrs. Herber Elliott, Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Hess, Mr. and Mrs. S. J. Cutting and Mr. and Mrs. Sidney Tuttle and Mr. and Mrs. Theodore H. Dauchy."
Source: THE MANOR CLUB, The Pelham Sun, Nov. 27, 1925, Vol. 18, No. 39, p. 7, cols. 4-5.
"Four Hundred at Annual Ball of Liberty Hose Co.
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Over four hundred attended the annual dance and fancy dress carnival of Liberty Engine and Hose Company at fire headquarters on Wednesday night. Mrs. Jennie Pickard won first prize, a silk umbrella, for her Santa Clause costume. Miss Katherine Tully was awarded a silver compact for her costume. William Heisser won a fifteen-pound turkey.
A six-piece orchestra supplied music until midnight when the unmasking took place. After midnight the orchestra was augmented by three extras and dancing kept on until 3 a.m."
Source: Four Hundred at Annual Ball of Liberty Hose Co., The Pelham Sun, Nov. 27, 1925, Vol. 18, No. 39, p. 1, col. 7.
"CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH Y. P. S.
Catharine Garber gave a talk on the subject of 'Thanksgiving Day' Sunday night at the meeting of the Young People's Society at the Congregational Church in which she contrasted the spirit in which it was first celebrated and the way we celebrate it today. Dr. William Milton Hess explained the difference between the Pilgrims who came to America for complete religious independence and the Puritans who came later and founded Massachusetts Bay Colony although they were not determined to entirely separate from the English church. . . ."
Source: CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH Y. P. S., The Pelham Sun, Nov. 27, 1925, Vol. 18, No. 39, p. 7, col. 3.
"HIKED TO SCARSDALE FOR THANKSGIVING APPETITE
The annual Thanksgiving hike of the Young People's Society of the Congregational Church was held Thursday morning when a small band of determined spirits walked ten miles in the bracing autumn air before coming back to attack the gobbler and fixings. Dr. William M. Hess was with the party and they got as far as Scarsdale before turning back."
Source: HIKED TO SCARSDALE FOR THANKSGIVING APPETITE, The Pelham Sun, Nov. 27, 1925, Vol. 18, No. 39, p. 1, col. 5.
"Judge Reduces Fine on Account Of Thanksgiving
Judge Anthony M. Menkel gave Thomas Grivffre of Mount Vernon something to be thankful for Thanksgiving eve at Town Hall where Grivffre's fine was reduced from $10 to $8. When the fine of $10 was first announced, Grivffre searched his pockets and was able to gather only $8. Judge Menkel thereupon declared the fine $8."
Source: Judge Reduces Fine on Account Of Thanksgiving, The Pelham Sun, Nov. 27, 1925, Vol. 18, No. 39, p. 4, col. 4.
"THANKSGIVING
'A solemn day set apart wherein we return glory, honor, and praise with all Thanksgiving to our good God' -- that was the first Thanksgiving Day according to that redoubtable religious leader of Massachusetts, Governor John Winthrop, who wrote down this interesting commentary in his diary in 1623. In those days it was a heartfelt giving of thanks, for hostile Indians lurked in the shadowy forests and it was with great difficulty that the little hands of the settlers raised enough food to last through the long and bitter winters. Plague and pestilence combined with the savages and grim hunger to make their lives a hard and disappoint trial.
Consequently, when the first bountiful harvest came and a few of the Indian savages showed their friendship, they were certain that God had smiled on their religious venture and they hastened to give thanks. The tables were heaped high with game from the forests and corn from the fields. All feasted that day in a manner befitting a people who recognized the fact that their God had seen fit to treat them well.
Today this holy day has degenerated into little more than a mechanical holiday and the true fervor of the Thanksgiving spirit is experienced by few. It is a day of rest and amusement from the tasks of the previous weeks instead of a day of prayer for the escape from dangers past."
Source: THANKSGIVING, The Pelham Sun, Nov. 27, 1925, Vol. 18, No. 39, p. 2, col. 1.
"NEWS AND PERSONALS
Miss Edith Jackman of 545 Fowler avenue, Pelham Manor, will be home for Thanksgiving vacation from Russell Sage College, Troy, New York.
Miss Winifred Leo of Benedict Place had several out-of-town friends as her guests at the Thanksgiving dinner-dance at the Pelham Country Club on Wednesday evening. Her guests were Miss Elizabeth Stirling, of Montclair, N. J., and Mr. Monroe Dreher and Mr. Charles Durr, of Newark.
Mr. and Mrs. William Currie of the Esplanade will attend the Army-Navy game on Saturday.
Mr. James F. Wilkinson, of Rochester, N. Y., was the guest of Mrs. Washington Cockle and Miss Anna Secor at their home on the Boston Post Road over the holiday.
Mr. and Mrs. L. H. Junker and family, formerly of Mount Vernon are now residing in Pelbrook Hall.
Robert and Lloyd Brook are spending the Thanksgiving recess with their parents, Mr. and Mrs. John T. Brook, of Monterey avenue. They arrived from Amherst on Wednesday.
Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. Coulson of Witherbee avenue entertained at the dinner-dance at the Country Club on Thanksgiving Eve. Their guests were Mr. and Mrs. Sherman Shipman, and Mr. William B. Warner of Pelham, Mr. Lewis Calder, of Greenwich, Conn. and Miss Mary Berke and Mr. Charles Lovering, of New York City.
Mr. and Mrs. Charles Lyon, Jr. formerly of New York City, have taken up their residence in Peldean Court.
Mrs. R. Rice of the Esplanade is in Elmira, N. Y. for the Thanksgiving holidays.
Miss Mary Beutell of the Esplanade returned today from The Castle, Tarrytown-on-the-Hudson, to spend the week end with her family.
Mr. and Mrs. J. Odell Whitenack of Monteret avenue are in Washington, D. C., where they are spending the holidays with their daughter, Janet, a student at National Park Seminary.
One of the tables at the dinner-dance at the Country Club on Wednesday evening was occupied by Mr. and Mrs. A. S. Maxwell, Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Dodge, and Mr. and Mrs. R. H. Passmore.
Miss Winifred Leo of Benedict Place will attend the Army-Navy game tomorrow at the Polo Grounds with a party of friends from Washington, D. C.
Miss Katherine King, of the Esplanade, is home from Wells for the holiday season and will attend the Army-Navy game on Saturday with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. E. C. King, and her brother, Seymour.
Mr. and Mrs. Dennis J. Kennedy, formerly of New York City, now made their home in The Peinord.
Miss Elizabeth Doherty has returned to her home in East Orange, N. J. after spending a few days as the house guest of Mrs. Walter Browne, of Pelham Manor.
Mr. and Mrs. Dwight E. Wheeler and Mrs. E. L. Wheeler of Storer avenue left on Wednesday to spend the holidays in Trenton, N. J. with their children, Miss Dorothy and Mr. Clarence Wheeler.
Mr. and Mrs. William L. Bradley of Elderwood avenue have as their house guests Major and Mrs. William E. Larned of Watervilet Arsenal arrived for Thanksgiving and will remain over the week end, attending the Army-Navy game with Mr. and Mrs. Bradley tomorrow.
Mr. and Mrs. Northrup Dawson of Pelham Manor Road will be among those from Pelham who will witness the Army-Navy game at the Polo Grounds on Saturday.
Mrs. Harry B. Swayne of Monterey avenue was hostess to a number of friends at her home on Friday afternoon. Mrs. S. L. Hale of Winchester, Mass. was the guest of honor. Two tables of bridge were arranged, the players including Mrs. William L. Bradley, Mrs. Northrup Dawson, Mrs. Louis Carreau, Mrs. W. B. Holton, Jr., Mrs. A. Baker, Mrs. H. A. Wyckoff, and Mrs. John Duncan.
Dr. and Mrs. E. A. Schminke of Fourth avenue entertained a number of relatives over the holiday.
Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth L. Peck of Suburban avenue, and Mr. and Mrs. Leslie Clark of Scarsdale will attend the Army-Navy game tomorrow.
Mr. Frederick B. Davies of Storer avenue leaves on Saturday for an extended southern trip.
Mr. and Mrs. Harry S. Abbott of the Esplanade entertained on Thanksgiving Day at a family dinner. Mr. and Mrs. Alpheus M. Geer of Clay avenue will be among those present.
Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Loney of Pelhamdale avenue will attend the Army-Navy game with Mr. and Mrs. Grenville Keogh of New Rochelle.
Mrs. Robert C. Black of Pelham Manor will leave for Palm Beach on December ninth. Mrs. F. Rice leaves on the sixth.
Mrs. Walter B. Parsons has returned to her home on Bolton Road after a visit to Syracuse, N.Y.
Mrs. Dawson Furniss of Corlies avenue will attend the Army-Navy game, she will be accompanied by her young son, Harry, and his friend, Bill Parks.
Mrs. S. D. Hines has returned to her home in Bowling Green, Ky., after having spent two weeks as the house-guest of Mrs. Lockwood Barr of Highbrook avenue.
Mr. and Mrs. William B. Randall of Pelham Manor are leaving in the week for their home on Christopher street, New York City, where they will pass the winter.
Mr. and Mrs. L. D. Waters of Monterey avenue spent Thanksgiving Day as the guests of friends in Forest Hills, L. I. Miss Betty Waters will spend the week end at home and Miss Jane will be in Philadelphia for the holiday season. Both are students at National Park Seminary, Forest Glen, Md.
Lieut. Frederick E. Phillips and Mrs. Phillips, Mr. and Mrs. Edward McGee, Mr. and Mrs. W. S. Crowell and Mr. and Mrs. Frank Knight of Mount Vernon and Miss Marian Johnson and Miss Alice Bentley are among those who will be present at the Army-Navy game tomorrow.
Mr. and Mrs. D. Gleason and Mr. and Mrs. Thomas O'Rourck were the guests of Mr. and Mrs. Carl Engerud and Mr. Louis Engerud on Thanksgiving Day at their home in The Peldale.
Miss Helyn McGovern of Haverstraw, New York, was the week end guest of Miss Evelyn Lahey of Pelham Manor.
Mr. and Mrs. C. Emmons Pervear of Pelbrook Hall motored on Wednesday to Pawtucket, R. I. to spend Thanksgiving with Mr. Pervear's mother, Mrs. C. E. Pervear.
Miss Floy Anderson of Pelbrook Hall is spending the holiday season at the home of her brother, Ross Anderson of East Orange.
Mr. and Mrs. Claude Joslin of Fifth avenue, North Pelham, and their daughter, Alice, and her fiance, Mr. William Frederick, of Westfield, N. J., were among the guests at a family gathering on Thanksgiving Day at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Darby of Brooklyn, N.Y. Mr. and Mrs. William Weber of Philadelphia, who were also guests of the Darby's, accompanied Mr. and Mrs. Joslin home and are spending the week end with them.
Mr. and Mrs. William Wind of Mamaroneck are spending a few days with their daughter and son-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. H. Hermanson of Fourth avenue.
Mr. and Mrs. Edmund Schulte and Miss Charlotte Schulte of Bronxville and Mr. and Mrs. Clinton Woodward were the Thanksgiving dinner guests of Mr. and Mrs. S. E. Shanks, of Wolf's Lane.
Mr. and Mrs. C. Constable of New York City are spending the holiday season with Mr. and Mrs. Victor G. Beutell of the Esplanade.
Mr. and Mrs. E. O. Trohe of Syracuse, N. Y. and their daughter, Mary, and son, Edmund, are spending Thanksgiving and the week end with Mr. and Mrs. Melvin Early of Pelhamdale avenue. On Saturday they will attend the Army-Navy game with Mr. and Mrs. Early, their son Melvin, Jr., and Raymond McNeil, of Nyac avenue. Melvin Early, Jr. and Raymond McNeil are home from Colgate for the holiday and will motor back with Mr. and Mrs. Trohe on Sunday.
Dr. and Mrs. Ken G. Hancher, of Pelbrook Hall and their children are in Elwood City, Penna., where they are spending the Thanksgiving holidays with Dr. Hancher's parents.
George Cottrell of Prospect avenue is spending the week end with Mr. and Mrs. Walter Cook, at their Belleport, L. I. home.
Mr. and Mrs. William A. Rose, and their sons, Herbert and Kenneth, and daughter, June, spent Thanksgiving with Mr. and Mrs. Charles Abel of Hartsdale, N. Y.
Mr. Paul Bosse of Storer avenue, has returned from a hunting trip in the Canadian woods.
Mr. and Mrs. J. Monel of Mount Vernon were the dinner guests of Mr. and Mrs. Emile Ericson of Benedict place on Thanksgiving Day.
Mr. and Mrs. John N. Young of Highbrook avenue, entertained Mr. and Mrs. Bryon Benton and family of Milford, Conn. on Thanksgiving.
Mrs. B. F. Jacobs of Peldale, and her daughter, Miss Betty, are spending the holiday season with Mrs. Folger Framingham of Boston."
Source: NEWS AND PERSONALS, The Pelham Sun, Nov. 27, 2017, Vol. 18, No. 39, p. 7, cols. 1-3.
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For more Historic Pelham articles about the celebration of Thanksgiving in Pelham over the years see, e.g.:
Thu., Nov. 24, 2016: An Important Thanksgiving Sermon Delivered in 1865 at Christ Church at the Close of the Civil War.
Thu., Nov. 26, 2015: Thanksgiving in Pelham 75 Years Ago.
Thu. Nov. 27, 2014: By 1941, Most Pelhamites Celebrated "Franksgiving" Rather than "Republican Thanksgiving."
Thu., May 08, 2014: Thanksgiving Day Football Game in 1895 Between Pelham Manor and Mount Vernon Teams.
Labels: 1925, Celebration, Holiday, Manor Club, Masonic, Masons, Pelham Country Club, Thanksgiving, Turkey
posted by Blake A. Bell @ 5:21 AM
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