ANNOUNCEMENTS
According to History, the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast in 1621 that is acknowledged today as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies. From the time of the American Revolution until the time of Lincoln, the date Thanksgiving was observed varied from state to state.
In 1827, noted magazine editor and prolific writer Sarah Josepha Hale – best known as the author of the nursery rhyme “Mary Had a Little Lamb” – launched a campaign to establish Thanksgiving as a national holiday. For 36 years, she published numerous editorials and sent scores of letters to governors, senators, presidents and other politicians.
President Abraham Lincoln granted her request in 1863, at the height of the Civil War. He scheduled Thanksgiving for the final Thursday in November, and it was celebrated on that day every year until 1939, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt moved the holiday in an attempt to spur retail sales during the Great Depression by extending the holiday shopping season. In 1941, he signed a bill making Thanksgiving the fourth Thursday in November. And the rest is history.
In observance of the Thanksgiving holiday, there will be no road closures on the Bridge Project from Thursday, November 22 through Sunday, November 25. On behalf of the entire Bridge Project team, have a happy and safe Thanksgiving holiday!