Olympia’s Civil War Thanksgiving
A local service in the new Presbyterian church raises funds to support the Sanitary Commission's war relief efforts.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
We unintentionally omitted in our last issue to notice the Thanksgiving service on the 6th inst. The day was quite generally observed. Services were held in the new Presbyterian church, with Rev. Mr. Whitworth officiating. A contribution was taken for the benefit of the Soldiers' Relief fund. In relation to this, we publish the following: Olympia, Aug. 12, 1863. To the Standard: For the information of contributors and others, I would state that the amount collected on Thanksgiving day for the benefit of the Sanitary Fund was $7.50 in coin and $80.50 in currency, with which a check on the Assistant Treasurer of New York was purchased for $90.50 and forwarded to Dr. Bellows, President of the Sanitary Commission. Yours respectfully.
“The amount collected on Thanksgiving day, for the benefit of the Sanitary Fund, was $7 50 in coin and $80 50 in currency.”
This article highlights the direct connection between Olympia's civic life and the national trauma of the Civil War. While modern Olympia is secular, the practice of residents organizing community-wide fundraising for humanitarian crises remains a foundational civic impulse in the capital.
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