1963: James Lavelle, 11, hugs the 30-pound white Thanksgiving turkey which was awarded him at the Portland Boy’s club. James is an Emerson School fifth grader.

1959: Stuffing the turkey.

1960: The Westbrook High School student council sponsored a canned food drive to be used in the distribution of food to needy families in the Westbrook area. Left to right, Leah Heath, Robert Webb, representing the mayor, Diana Blake and Susan Daly. Presentation of the food was made at a Thanksgiving assembly.

1960: Decorating for the holiday

1937: Preparing Thanksgiving food, probably in a school.

1937: Giving thanks in church are, left to right, David E. Gyger, John A. Skillin, Marian Hill, Anne Austin, Richard H. Hill and Virginia Hay. The church is not identified.

1939: Thanksgiving turkeys looking at the calendar.

1955: Eleven-year-old Peter Whitman of Falmouth Foreside was among the many who had to wait an extra two hours for their turkey on Thanksgiving Day when the power went off in North Deering, Cumberland, Falmouth and Yarmouth.

1945: Portland High School football starting lineup for Thanksgiving.

1939: Four-year-old Paul Brown of West Falmouth, gives his man’s-size axe a keen blade in preparation for the chopping block at the farm of his neighbor and friend F.E.Shaw while the condemned birds look on.

1939: School children in Thanksgiving play.

1943: The caption that ran with this photo reads: Mr. Gobbler has strutted off to war, helmet, bayonet and all and many families will not be able to carve him on this Thanksgiving Day but few tears are being shed by these youngsters whose eyes shine with faith that the pig will taste just as good. Leo Campbell, 8, and his sister Mary, 7, watch Adelbert Wentworth, head waiter at the Cumberland Club, demonstrate how a pig will look on the table.

1939: Schoolchildren outside for thanksgiving

1941: A Portland youth receives the materials for a good Thanksgiving dinner for his family from Frank E. Walker at the Volunteers of America. At the left are some of the 75 bags which were distributed by the charitable organization.

1945: Family group at Thanksgiving dinner table.

1949: Ann Burns,left, who arrived in this country this week to become the adopted daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James A. Entwistle of Old Orchard Beach, helps Carol Ann Entwistle fix the traditional hard sauce for the Turkey Day English pudding. It was the eight-year-old English girl's introduction to American plenty. Her mother was killed in a wartime air raid.

1954: The Edwards family of Pownal will celebrate their first Thanksgiving Day since Hurricane Edna shattered their world by taking the lives of Mr. and Mrs. George Edwards, leaving 11 children orphaned. With the help of the Press Herald, which told the plight of the family, the house was fixed up and money was donated by the Bruce Roberts Fund to feed and clothe the family. A Brunswick woman gave the family a 30-pound turkey that she won in a raffle. Watching Leroy Edwards' wife make squash for the meal are left to right, Charlotte, Barry, Bonne, Leroy Jr., Winona, Clayton and Linda June, only part of the family.

1954: Albert W. Hartley, Jr., standing, as Elder Brewster, represents the spirit of the Pilgrim Thanksgiving against a background of contemporary times represented by Mr. and Mrs. Walter K. Hall and children Heather and Alan in the Woodfords Congregational Church’s dramatic presentation for Thanksgiving.

1956: Susan Ott is given a taste of the butter she is making by her twin brother, David. The children were among the pupils of the Hill-Top Kindergarten in Westbrook who churned their own butter in preparation for the holiday. It was an annual Thanksgiving custom at the school.

1959: It’s a birthday bird as well as Thanksgiving feast for Martin Piacitelli, 6, and his brother John, 1, of Portland. Thanksgiving Day was Nov. 26 of the respective years of theirs births and rolls around again on that date for their double celebration. Martin was named for an uncle who was born on Thanksgiving Day in 1913. Joining the family group will be the boys’ cousin who is 13 on - you guessed it - also on Thanksgiving Day.

1962: A successful high school Thanksgiving canned food drive.