Day of Public Thanksgiving and Prayer November 23 at Lincoln Log Cabin

LERNA - Lincoln Log Cabin State Historic Site will host Day of Public Thanksgiving and Prayer on Friday, November 23 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event is free and open to the public, and features free parking.

Governor Thomas Carlin issued the first Thanksgiving proclamation in Illinois in 1842, prior to Abraham Lincoln's proclamation in 1863 of an annual national day of thanksgiving in November. It was customary in New England states to set aside a day near the close of the year to publicly recognize their dependence upon God for protection, and to express their gratitude for all of the blessings that they have received.

In the early 19th century, Thanksgiving usually began with a morning church service followed by a large afternoon meal. After dinner was over, the men, including the elders, would go into the fields to play ball, pitch horseshoes, or throw barrel hoops over a stake. Other games included Blind Man's Bluff, Fox and Geese, Hunt the Slipper, Twirling the Plate, and several indoor games as well.

During the November 23 event Lincoln Log Cabin will explore the traditional New England roots of Thanksgiving. Stephen Sargent, a New Hampshire native, would have observed the day of Thanksgiving more than others from Illinois, and therefore all of the activities will take place at the Sargent Farm. These will include hearth cooking and a period interpretation of Thanksgiving Day the way that it would have been celebrated by some in Illinois in 1845.

Lincoln Log Cabin State Historic Site, administered by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency (www.illinois-history.gov), is an 86-acre pioneer farmstead that was the last home of Thomas and Sarah Bush Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln's father and stepmother. It is located eight miles south of Charleston, and is open Wednesday through Sunday for free public tours. For more information on the Thanksgiving event call (217) 345-1845 or visit the website at www.lincolnlogcabin.org.