Wild turkeys have long been important to people in the Americas. Native American people used turkey meat as an important food source and also used their feathers as adornments. European colonists also hunted wild turkeys, which later became associated with Thanksgiving. Domestic turkeys descend from birds bred by indigenous Mesoamerican peoples around 2,000 years ago, primarily for their feathers. Turkeys were imported to Europe in the 16th century to be raised for meat, and many distinctive breeds were developed in America and abroad. In the United States, the most popular breed is the Broad-breasted White, which grows large very quickly to produce meat considered attractive to shoppers. That emphasis led to one breed dominating production, while turkey breeds as a whole were developed in a wide variety of color patterns and body types reflecting the needs of different communities, cultures, and time periods; these are called heritage breeds. Bourbon Red turkeys, originally bred in Bourbon County, Kentucky, are known for their rusty brown and white coloration and flavorful meat. Popular in the early 1900s, they declined after the development of Broad-breasted turkey breeds for the meat industry, but like many heritage breeds they tend to have longer, healthier lives and superior-tasting meat.