Elleda Wilson: In One Ear: Thanks, George

Nov. 24—In 2013, the Today Show featured a story noting that an original copy of the proclamation that President George Washington signed on Oct. 3, 1789, declaring Nov. 26 the first national day of Thanksgiving, went up for auction at Christie's.

At the time, the document had last sold in 1977 for $3,800, but was expected to fetch $8 to $12 million at the auction in New York because of its rarity.

Washington did not sign many documents, for one thing. And, although it is presumed there were originally 13 copies (sent to the original states) only two are known to still exist — and one of them is in the Library of Congress.

Nobody bought the document on that go-around, but in January 2015, Keno Auctions in New York announced that the proclamation, which had been offered for $8.4 million, was sold to a private collector, who requested that his name and the amount he paid remain confidential.

"It has been a great honor to have exhibited this iconic manuscript," Leigh Keno noted. "The fact that it sold to a collector who believes in sharing with the public is the icing on the cake." Just how the collector is sharing the document is unknown.

By the way, on Oct. 3, 1863, 74 years after Washington signed his proclamation, President Abraham Lincoln declared the fourth Thursday in November as a national day of Thanksgiving — the date still used to this day.