Driving the Turkeys to Boston - A Minor
This tune was written in 2014 by Cambridge NY recorder and whistle player Caz Lewis It was inspired by a Vermont Edition radio show that described the 19th century practice of driving turkeys from Vermont to Boston. Farmers would group their flocks together, to drive at least 1,000 and often 7,000-10,000 turkeys at a time. Progress was limited to 10-15 miles per day and about 10% of the turkeys would be lost along the way to foxes, drowning in rivers, and theft. Sometimes the turkeys' feet would be dipped in warm tar to create a protective coating, in order to make them less prone to soreness. At night and on dark days the turkeys would stop walking and refuse to continue. Inside a long covered bridge they could stop until they were carried out into the sun again. At night they would roost wherever they were located, in such numbers that they caused the collapse of buildings.
Ref: https://www.vpr.org/post/thanksgiving-travel-vermont-turkeys-used-walk-boston
Ref: Collected from Author
| Am | DmE | Am | DmE | ||
| Am | Dm | E | Am | ||
| Am | DmE | Am | DmE | ||
| Am | Dm | E | G7 | ||
| : | C | FC | C | AbG | |
| C | F | G | C | : |