Thanksgiving '73 came at a time of great change

by Duane Smith

Article Last Updated; Sunday, November 01, 2009 1:46AM

Duane Smith

Durangoans paused in 1973 to enjoy a holiday and "crammed" themselves with turkey and all the holiday "goodies." Then they could sit back and enjoy football, friendship or just take a nap. Maybe they briefly pondered the Herald's advice that it "was time to plan for the state's 1976 centennial." Not that there were no problems to worry them. What was going on in Washington? The vice president had resigned, and a senate committee had approved Gerald Ford as the new vice president. The Watergate scandal seemed to be growing and spreading. Almost every issue of the newspaper carried a story.

President Richard Nixon, after his sweeping 1972 victory, found himself more and more isolated in the White House. Americans already indicated, by those ever popular polls, that he should resign.

Meantime, foreign affairs were not going well, even if we now had pandas because of China. The various troublesome situations in Vietnam, Korea, the Middle East and eastern Europe kept diplomats and reporters busy.

Back home in Durango, shoppers found grocery prices had gone up since last Thanksgiving. Turkeys cost 60 cents per pound, yams 15 cents, carrots 11 cents, and potatoes 5 cents. A housewife could substitute a chicken or two for 39 cents a pound.

Durangoans also were worried about gas prices, because the problems in the Middle East had found the oil producing Arab nations unified in raising the price of crude oil. Gas topped $1 per gallon. Supposedly, a truce had been arranged in the Middle East war, yet "cease fire violations" were being reported.

For the youngsters and the skiers, it snowed Thanksgiving night. Three inches fell at Purgatory, which allowed it to open on the weekend. That was fine, but for travelers, all area passes were snow packed and sanded.

It being the first serious snowfall of the year, drivers were not as yet in their midwinter driving form. The Herald reported the icy roads caused a dozen "snow related accidents." Not all the locals appreciated a "rash of window" break-ins. Initially, two youngsters were apprehended, but still more windows shattered. This led to two more arrests, this time of 19-year-olds.

The prices of homes had been rising steadily since early in the decade. To the surprise of many, the average price reached the $30,000-$40,000 range. It seemed like only yesterday the high teens were considered nearly the top of the line, and many wondered where this all might end. More than a few locals blamed it all on the newcomers "flooding" the town.

The traditional Thanksgiving Herald editorial caught the moment perfectly, as Americans stopped to give thanks.

As Americans pause to celebrate Thanksgiving this year, many may wonder what they are giving thanks for - soaring inflation, growing shortages, political trauma and a world that still has not learned how to exist with itself peacefully.

If we look beyond the immediate, however, it's possible to find a great deal to give at least a quiet thanks for. It's been more than 350 years since that first Thanksgiving on the cold and primal margin of a vast continent. The Thanksgiving then was not only for the immediate - survival against such odds - but for the future. It was a challenging and promising future.

In America today, we still stand on the edge of a future of great promise. We also know there is a great deal left for America to achieve. What more can we want?

It seems like a long time ago doesn't it? "Time is fleeting" many have observed, and, while most Durangoans probably did not stop to speculate what might be coming, their world would seem to continue to change at an even faster pace.

Duane Smith is a Fort Lewis College history professor. Reach him at 247-2589.