Clayton News Daily

Thanksgiving in the 19th century

It was 1839, and not a single Kroger, Publix or Ingles grocery store was in site. There were no cars, airplanes, paved roads, electricity, cell phones, telephones, TVs and most of the other convenient facilities of today’s society. The Stately Oaks Plantation, a historical site in Jonesboro, was built in 1839, said Ted Key, a volunteer for Historical Jonesboro/Clayton County Inc. Whitmell Allen was the original founder of the property. Key said, typically, in the 19th Century, preparations for Thanksgiving dinner started weeks before the holiday. “There were no stores and shopping centers, of course, at the time,” he said. “So, whatever they wanted to eat, they had to grow it or kill it.”

This is a typical set up of a kitchen back in 1839. The kitchens during ...

Volunteer Elizabeth Whitley, of Historical Jonesboro/Clayton County Inc., places a bread basket on the dining ...

Volunteer Elizabeth Whitley, of Historical Jonesboro/Clayton County Inc., looks outside the window of the outdoor ...

Volunteer Elizabeth Whitley, of Historical Jonesboro/Clayton County Inc., prepares a meal using an original pan ...

A typical dining table for Thanksgiving meals showcased, bread, cheese, celery, a center piece and ...

Volunteer Elizabeth Whitley, of Historical Jonesboro/Clayton County Inc., sits where a wife would sit at ...

Volunteer Elizabeth Whitley, of Historical Jonesboro/Clayton County Inc., looks outside the original kitchen of the ...

Volunteer Elizabeth Whitely, of Historical Jonesboro/Clayton County Inc., opens up a cob oven that was ...

Volunteer Elizabeth Whitley, of Historical Jonesboro/Clayton County Inc., serves tea at the original dining room ...

Volunteer Elizabeth Whitley, of Historical Jonesboro/Clayton County Inc., holds the bucket at the well at ...

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Thanksgiving in the 19th century

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