Thinking that it was a turkey for dinner, the First Lady opened the crate and found a beautiful raccoon; such animals were viewed as a southern delicacy at the time. Attached to the crate was a recipe for smoked raccoon with sweet potatoes.
The quandary was, the first couple wanted to be seen in
public appreciating the gift, but did not want to eat the raccoon they fell in
love with.
The day after Thanksgiving, President Coolidge spoke about
the unusual gift which they could not eat because they found her to be quite
charming, and asked the public to help him name her because he and the First
Lady wanted to keep her as a pet and add her to the bulging menagerie of dogs,
cats, and canaries.
Once named, President Coolidge made a point to stroll
Rebecca, the raccoon, on a leash, for a few minutes every afternoon across the
White House lawn.
Rebecca was, hands down, the most unusual pet ever at the
White House.
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