Peek Into Panola
By Vina Lee
Happy Thanksgiving!
The Thanksgiving Timeline compiled by the Library of Congress says the first Thanksgiving in what now is the U.S. took place in May of 1541 at Palo Duro Canyon in the Texas panhandle. Some 1,500 men led by Spanish explorer Francisco Vasquez de Coronado participated in a Thanksgiving celebration after marching north from Mexico City in search of gold. (WorldNow)
In doing research on early Thanksgiving practices in East Texas, I also found this reference to Bill O'Neal in Carthage who wrote a history on Thanksgiving in Texas.
Bill O'Neal is an American author who has written forty-two books and more than three hundred articles and book reviews on the American West, including gunfighters, lawmen, and ghost towns; Country music, with emphasis on Texas artists; baseball, such as his study of the Texas League, and children's books, including one on the first Thanksgiving held in Texas.
In 2003, O'Neal retired as a history professor at Panola College in Carthage. However, he continues to teach at Panola College periodically and maintains his prolific writing career. A member of the Western Writers of America, he has appeared in television documentaries on Turner Network Television, The History Channel, the British Broadcasting Corporation, the Discovery Channel, Turner Broadcasting System, and the Arts and Entertainment Channel. (Wikipeida)
Historian Bill O'Neal addressing the
West Texas Historical Association
meeting in Odessa (April 2014)