Jack, First Presidential Pardon Turkey
Hartford, Connecticut
A sculpture walk along the Connecticut River, sponsored by an insurance company, pays tribute to Abraham Lincoln with 16 different works of art. Our favorite is Jack the Turkey, sculpted by Philip Grausman in 2006. Jack was the first turkey "pardoned" by a President, way back in 1863. He was destined for the Lincoln Christmas dinner table when son Tad tearfully pleaded for its life. Abe issued a handwritten "pardon" to the cook, and the turkey was spared.
This one-time event was relegated to the history books for over a hundred years until 1989, when George Bush began the tradition of the annual formal "Presidential Pardon" of a Thanksgiving turkey. The idea had been suggested as a joke (but never carried through) by his former boss, Ronald Reagan.