Little White School Museum 
Thanksgiving Greetings
Thanksgiving Greetings
Thanksgiving greeting cards began debuting in the late 19th century. For many, exchanging Thanksgiving greeting cards became a tradition much like that of holiday and Christmas cards. Postcards emerged from this tradition and for established companies like Raphael Tuck & Sons, the far reach of their high crafted, quality artwork and printing placed these pieces of art in the homes of country cottages to wealthy estates. A few of these Thanksgiving greetings passed through Oswegoland in the early 1900’s, with the patriotic turkey often at the forefront of well wishing! Enjoy the beautiful greetings and artwork along with some Thanksgiving history and facts this holiday.
Gobble up a slice of history with the postcards from the collection served alongside a few fun facts!
Thanksgiving Joys
For What We Receive This Thanksgiving Let Us Be Thankful
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Fun Facts
Thanksgiving Greetings
Football and Thanksgiving have a long tradition dating back to 1876 when Yale and Princeton first played on that day. At that time football was a hybrid of rugby and what is known as American football today.
Author of “Mary Had a Little Lamb”, Sarah Josepha Hale has been dubbed the “Mother of Thanksgiving” for her efforts in advocating for a national day of thanks in November and working tirelessly to promote unity within a divided nation prior to and during the Civil War.
The original Macy’s Day Parade route spanned six miles.
Due to an overestimated purchasing error in 1953 resulting in an abundance of frozen turkeys, Gerry Thomas, an innovative salesman at C.A. Swanson & Sons, ordered trays, created a dinner, established an assembly line operation and a success with the T.V. Dinner debuting in 1954.
Learn & Explore Opportunities
- KidCitizen – Connect the past to the present through primary sources and engaging interactive activities for kids of all ages.
- Midewin At Home: #AllInIllinois Webinar Series – Gain information on natural resources & conservation topics with ties to the prairie.
- National Archives – Experience U.S. History through a variety of resources for research, learning or fun.
- Outdoor I Spy Heritage Park– Stroll through the park at the museum and try to see what you can spy with your detective eye!
- Smithsonian Digital Volunteer – Help transcribe historical documents and data while learning and making your mark in history!
- Smithsonian’s History Explorer – Dive into history from daily life to pop culture through through video, activities and more.
- Twisted Timeline – Untangle the historic events listed and match them with the correct year.
- Tour – Historic Downtown – Explore downtown Oswego virtually or by foot.
- Tour – Stonehouse Walking Tour – Discover local stonehouses virtually or by foot.
- U.S. Military Veteran photographs of Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie
History from Home – Virtual Visits
Little White School Museum Gallery
- American Battlefield Trust
- Anne Frank House
- Google Arts & Culture
- History of Science Museum
- Little White School Museum Gallery Tour
- The Museum of Flight
- NASA
- National Museum of African American History and Culture
- National Women’s History Museum
- Oswegoland Remembers Those Who Served
- The Olympic Museum
- Smithsonian Museum of American History
Fun First Facts!
- Do you know when the first traffic light was installed in Oswego? How about the telephone? First business? Discover fun facts and interesting info in our Oswego Firsts Brochure.
Local History Resources
- Kendall County GenWeb (excellent local history site)
- Kendall County Historical Society
- Oswego Public Library
- Aurora Historical Society
- Illinois Trails History and Genealogy
- Batavia Historical Society
- Geneva Historical Society
- Naper Settlement
- St. Charles Heritage Center
- Joliet Area Historical Museum
- History on the Fox