#TBT in the Archives 11/16/17: Thanksgiving

Turkey Day is just around the corner! As Shippensburg students get ready to take a few days off, see family, eat delicious meals, and give thanks, we thought it would be fun to explore past Thanksgiving celebrations on campus.

Students attending Cumberland Valley State Normal School in the early 20th century liked to save napkins from special dinners and events on campus. Several in the archives are from trips to Washington D.C., and others are connected to dinners and dances. The person who saved the napkins often wrote the date of the event and the occasion, and in some cases, had their friends sign. A Thanksgiving napkin at the archives is decorated with cherries and greenery and is dated 1906.

A napkin from the 1906 Thanksgiving dinner.

Much like today, the campus came together at the end of each November to enjoy a formal Thanksgiving meal. Though turkey and gravy were always on the menu, the vegetables and pies offered each year tended to change.


Mashed potatoes, celery, creamed onions and candied sweet potatoes were the side dishes in 1922. The meal closed with a mince pie a la mode. "Saratoga Flakes," listed next to the salad, is a type of frosted flake cereal.

Ten students signed this Thanksgiving menu from 1923.  Some side dishes disappeared this year, and the dessert was apple pie with ice cream. 

Dessert changed again to peach pie in 1924, and sweet potatoes returned to the menu. Also offered were buttered peas.

The economic turmoil of the 1930s meant the 1931 Thanksgiving menu was not printed in an ornate pamphlet. However, students still ate their fill of traditional Thanksgiving dishes, including buttered carrots, and pumpkin custard pie a la mode.

Not only did Thanksgiving mean food and friends, but Shippensburg students also celebrated with football games and theater. In 1924, Shippensburg battled Slippery Rock on the gridiron, and students could watch for just 50 cents.

1924 football ticket.

Dramatic plays were also on the menu, with students playing starring roles.


 A cast photo for "Stop Thief," performed November 27, 1919.

The cast of "Green Stockings," presented in November 1921.

Whether it be football, theater, or food, Shippensburg students have always made the most of the Thanksgiving holiday. What are your plans for Thanksgiving 2017?


Sources:
Class Files, Shippensburg University Archives & Special Collections, Shippensburg, PA.
Oversize photographs, Record Group 31, Shippensburg University Archives & Special Collections, Shippensburg, PA.
Photographs, Record Group 30, Shippensburg University Archives & Special Collections, Shippensburg, PA.