Imagine the pioneers building log cabins and forts in the cool November air when they settled onto the land that would become known as Greene County. Originally part of Washington County, Greene didn’t become its own entity until February 9, 1796.
By Thanksgiving Day during those early celebratory events, what was left of the autumn orange-red leaves could be heard rustling in the cool breeze, while dinner was being made by the hard-working women, mostly of Scots-Irish and German descent.
While they worked diligently to prepare turkey and what was called mash-filling, which was a mashed potato and stuffing dish, they would listen to the men hammering wooden pins into place for barn raisings and other building events that would help strengthen their tight-knit communities.
After the hard work was finished, families would join together to celebrate the harvest season. When dinner was over, that’s when the real fun began.
Corn liquor was passed, and the men would challenge each other to various tests of strength, such as wrestling, running contests, and an old Greene County special, which was log rolling.
Log rolling would showcase two men on opposite sides of the log, rolling it vigorously as they tried to toss the other in the water while not being dumped in for a cool drink. It became extremely popular amongst the hard-working lumberjacks of the 1800s. It was a good way to wind down after the dangerous, hard work of sawing lumber, and gave them a chance to enjoy the end of their days.
But there were threats afoot, as the Native American people (mostly Lenape and Shawnee) were not far from earshot as they could be seen in the fields and woodlands that surrounded the pioneers. One can only imagine the indigenous people watching their new neighbors with uncertainty and curiosity.
There are no stories like the shared Thanksgiving celebration of the Pilgrim and Wampanoag story at Plymouth Rock in 1621. However, there was trade between the indigenous and settlers of the late 1700s in Greene County. Unfortunately, there was also conflict. The massacre of the Crow Sisters is one of the most tragic incidents of those hard times of mistrust and struggle.
A general day of Thanksgiving was first proclaimed a national holiday by George Washington in 1789. However, Congress left the celebrations largely up to the states because some objected to the government being involved in a “religious holiday,” and Southern states did not want to take part in what they saw as a New England tradition.
Finally, in 1863 Abraham Lincoln signed a proclamation making a national day of “Thanksgiving” on November 26. In 1941, Franklin Roosevelt attempted to extend the Christmas shopping season by moving the date back to the third Thursday in November. Some states refused, so a joint resolution of Congress in 1942 finally settled on the fourth Thursday, which is not always the last one of the month.
The Greene County Historical Society has much more information on those early days of Thanksgiving, and a trip to the time-period log cabin that served as Greene County’s first courthouse is a treat in itself. It is one of the oldest in the nation that still rests by its original construction.
