The early local papers recorded Thanksgiving in a way that shows the traditions of the season through everyday details. Here is a timeline of articles, advertisements, and local announcements that show how Thanksgiving was observed and celebrated in the Copper Country between 1896 and 1913.

Click on any photo to see the item within its full newspaper page.

Thanksgiving spread on the front page of The Copper Country Evening News in Calumet.

Transcript of “Thanksgiving Hymn”:

We thank Thee, O Father, for all that is bright,
The gleam of the day and the stars of the night;
For flowers of springtime and fruits of the fall,
We thank Thee, O Father, who givest us all.

We thank Thee, O Father, for all that is drear,
The sob of the tempest, the flow of the tear;
For never in blindness, and never in vain,
The soul that has sorrow has lived without gain.

We thank Thee, O Father, for song and for feast,
The harvest that gladdens the toil of the least;
For everything joyous and healthful and pure,
For bountiful blessings that ever endure.

We thank Thee, O Father, for all that is sad,
The griefs that bereave us, the trials that make mad;
For never in shadow, and never alone,
The heart hath a sorrow that lifts it not home.

We thank Thee, O Father, for work and for will,
For the spirit that questions and dares to fulfill;
For strength to accomplish, for patience to wait,
For all that is human and all that is great.

The Copper Country Evening News

Sat, Nov 21, 1896 · Page 5