With Thanksgiving on our doorstep (along with assorted friends and relatives) and the 2018 cranberry harvest coming to a close, it seems appropriate to turn our attention to what the Algonquin Indians called sassamenesh and the Wampanoags called ibimi,: the wild cranberry. We are fortunate to live in the state that produces most of the U.S. domestic crop, and we can observe the annual fall harvest spectacle simply by stopping by any of the many bogs that dot our area. Beginning in the 1930s, cranberry festivals, celebrating the sour but healthful fruit, became popular here in Massachusetts, as well as in the states of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Oregon, and Washington. Highlights of these festivals included harvesting and cooking demonstrations, craft sales, family entertainment, and of course, the opportunity to purchase a variety of cranberry jellies, sauces, breads, pies, and muffins.
Many festivals also featured the crowning of the local Cranberry Queen, who would then represent her town in the National Cranberry Queen competition. Although the popularity of the Cranberry Queen event seems to have hit its peak in the 1950s, some cranberry festivals, such as the 2018 Festival in Seneca, PA, have updated this tradition for the 21st century by crowning a Cranberry King as well. The newspaper photo above shows Barbara Weaver of Marion, who was crowned Queen of the Wareham Cranberry Ball in 1955, and her predecessor, Sandra Castaldo of Wareham. Click here to read the accompanying article from the SHS archives about Barbara Weaver’s 1955 cranberry coronation, along with a description of her dress, the food served at the banquet, a list of Barbara’s attendants, and the local celebrity who escorted her into the ballroom. Long live the Queen! Long live the Cranberry!
Happy Thanksgiving!