This is just the beginning! Our collection holds over 300 years of history, including rare newspapers, obituaries, marriage records, birth records, and so much more—most of which you won’t find anywhere else!
This newspaper page contains 11 articles. Subscribers can read the full text of each article.
Newspaper
Riverdale Pointer
Location
Riverdale, Illinois, United States of America
Date
Nov 19, 1915
Page
7
A short verse in elegiac tone describes a veteran turkey bidding farewell to its family as dawn breaks and it points to the trees, asking the brood to roost high. The tone is mournful and reflective, with a gentle pastoral scene and a narrator observing the moment.
This piece traces Thanksgiving from its religious New England roots through Lincoln’s 1864 proclamation to a nationwide, though not statutory, observance. It notes the turkey’s emergence as the ceremonial centerpiece and lauds the holiday as a distinctly American institution blending religion, family reunions, and feasting.
The article notes that Thanksgiving was virtually unknown in the Southern states until around 1855 when Virginia Governor John urged observance in a letter to the legislature. The idea faced strong opposition as a New England superstition and any early gains were erased by the Civil War.
A cheerless character muses that Thanksgiving is fine but prefers a traditional Fourth of July. He argues fireworks are cheaper than a turkey, noting even ice cream at Obeldoble’s remains during winter.
The excerpt outlines the official annual statement for the Security Insurance Company of New Haven Connecticut and the Roone Island Insurance Company. It lists capital stock, total income and disbursements, and details on assets liabilities and admitted values. It includes officers names and sworn statement dates in January.
The document presents the 1915 annual statement of the Security Fire Insurance Co at Davenport Illinois. It lists total income 283727.44, losses paid 24054.44, expenses 2971.75, and total disbursements. ledger assets 429410.30 with real estate 44730.30 and bonds stocks 4900.00, liabilities 57255. premiums during the year 4168477. unpaid losses 8404. net unpaid losses Dialectal figures with dates and official signatories M Hinschi president and H Subscribed sworn January 1915.
The article explains twelve year cycles named after animals with the Rat as the first year and notes that Chinese record births by zodiac cycles. It mentions that a child is considered one year old at birth and that boys may be given girl names to deceive evil spirits, reflecting central beliefs and practices.
A compact survey traces Thanksgiving back beyond New England to antiquity. The practice appears in Egyptian, Jewish, Greek, and Roman traditions with harvest festivals tied to land, first fruits, and divine gratitude.
A short verse by William Brunton celebrates enduring friendships and gratitude. It reflects on a life shared with loved ones, noting the circle of love formed by friends near and far and concluding with prayers of thanksgiving.
A turkey mocks a peacock in the yard and the peacock explains pride. The turkey complains about being less valuable in nature and the peacock says he feigns admiration, noting Thanksgiving near. The fable ends with the lesson that beauty is skin deep but edibility matters.
The passage argues against the view that the Plymouth 1621 harvest festival was inspired by the Jewish Feast of Ingathering. It notes similar duration and harvest focus but emphasizes that Jewish rites centered on sacrifice and worship, which were absent in the Plymouth observance.
We want people to find what they are looking for at NewspaperArchive. We are confident that we have the newspapers that will increase the value of your family history or other historical research. With our 7-day free trial, you can view the documents you find for free.
People find the most success using advanced search. Try plugging in keywords, names, dates, and locations, and get matched with results from the entire collection of newspapers at NewspaperArchive!
You can also successfully find newspapers by these browse options. Explore our archives on your own!
Browse by location and discover newspapers from all across the world.
Browse by date and find publications for a specific day or era.
Browse old newspaper publications to find specific newspapers.