“We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.” –Thornton Wilder
“Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.” – Cicero
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – More than 150 years ago, when it formed from Napa County, in 1861, Lake County was just a shadow of what it is now, population-wise. Now, Lake County has around 64,000 residents.
The pioneers of Lake County, such as those who resided in our famed Stone House in Middletown constructed in 1853-54 by Robert Sterling, whose wife, of which the State Registered Landmark No. 450 plaque pronounces “was the first white woman in Coyote Valley” may not have even celebrated Thanksgiving.
Whether or not our local pioneers celebrated Thanksgiving is debatable, however most cultures past and present give thanks for a good harvest in the fall, whether it is within the context of a religious ceremony or as a cultural celebration.
Our country's Founding Fathers observed Thanksgiving as a day to feast and give thanks. The specific date to honor the harvest varied up through Lincoln's time.
President Lincoln determined, through presidential proclamation, that Thanksgiving be celebrated on the same date in all states. It took until after the Civil War for the proclamation to stick, into the 1870s.
Then in 1941 President Franklin D. Roosevelt worked with Congress to ensure that the holiday was honored on the fourth Thursday in November.
Farther back in history, the pilgrims at Plymouth Colony feasted, to be sure, but the main focus was a goose or duck instead of the now popular turkey.
Along with waterfowl they consumed wild turkeys, venison, corn bread, porridge and shellfish like lobster and mussels.
The typical turkeys, cranberries and pumpkin pies that have become staples of the holiday were made popular due to the New Englanders' abilities to grow and harvest these regional foods.
Apple cider was a popular beverage for the colonists. New Englanders consumed around 35 gallons each year, since it was believed that cider was more healthful – and cleaner – than water.
Wild turkey was enjoyed, along with the aforementioned venison and shellfish and was surely a welcome addition to the meal since the colonists' new digs were so foreign and taxing that first winter.
Since a variety of cranberry grows in some areas of Europe, the food may not have been a novelty to the colonists. Native peoples cultivated and consumed the ruby berries which were grown in a marsh, or bog, throughout history.
Boiled cranberries to which sugar was added with a side of boiled onions became popular as side dishes to the feast since before 1796.
Eating sweet potatoes with marshmallows became popular in the 1800s. That was when folks in the North discovered what those who lived in the South knew all along – that sweet potatoes provide a good accompaniment to a meal.
The creative culinary connoisseurs from France found that if the roots of the marshmallow plant, althaea, were combined with sweetened egg whites, it was a pairing extraordinaire, and that so sweet potatoes with marshmallow became de rigueur.
The colonists were well-versed in filling pie crusts with meats or fruits, so it was not a long segue for them to include pumpkin in those crusts.
The tradition of breaking the wishbone goes back well over 2,400 years, to the Etruscans. The Romans also wished upon chicken bones for good fortune. Pilgrims arriving at Plymouth Rock continued this custom with the abundant turkeys they hunted.
Kathleen Scavone, M.A., is an educator, potter, writer and author of “Anderson Marsh State Historic Park: A Walking History, Prehistory, Flora, and Fauna Tour of a California State Park” and “Native Americans of Lake County.” She also writes for NASA and JPL as one of their “Solar System Ambassadors.” She was selected “Lake County Teacher of the Year, 1998-99” by the Lake County Office of Education, and chosen as one of 10 state finalists the same year by the California Department of Education.