Discover the history of Thanksgiving on Nov. 14 at Lincoln Log Cabin State Historic Site in Coles County

SPRINGFIELD - Discover the history of an American tradition during Thanksgiving on Goosenest Prairie from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14 at the Lincoln Log Cabin State Historic Site in Coles County.

Visitors can step back in time and meet the Lincoln family as they prepare a mid-19th-century Thanksgiving feast at the home of Abraham Lincoln's father and stepmother, Thomas and Sarah Bush Lincoln.

The Goosenest Prairie Gift Shop, operated by volunteers from the Lincoln Log Cabin Foundation, will be open during the event. The shop offers a variety of holiday gifts, including locally sourced products and handcrafted items made by talented site volunteers.

In 1789, George Washington became the first U.S. president to issue a Thanksgiving proclamation. For decades, Thanksgiving remained largely a regional tradition, despite efforts by Sarah Josepha Hale, a popular author and editor of Godey's Lady's Book, to establish a national observance.

During the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln revived Washington's tradition by issuing a Thanksgiving proclamation in 1863, calling on Americans to observe a National Day of Thanksgiving and praise. The tradition endured after the Civil War, and Thanksgiving is now celebrated nationally on the fourth Thursday in November.

Lincoln Log Cabin State Historic Site, a gateway site for the Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area, preserves the 1840s home of Lincoln's father and stepmother. The site is located at 402 S. Lincoln Highway in Lerna.