1893 - Henrietta Williams

Tan silk wedding dress, 1893

…a tan silk gown having a double-breasted bodice trimmed with black and tan stripe wide lapels, lower part of leg-of-mutton sleeves and bottom of bodice. Wide tan satin ribbons and large paisley buttons also embellish bodice. The five-gore A-line skirt is cartridge pleated center back and trimmed with a gathered self-fabric band at hem which sweeps asymmetrically up to another satin bow on left front of skirt. 1893

 Henrietta Williams wore this dress at her marriage to Daniel Beem Merrill on October 5, 1893 in Jersey, Ohio.

Henrietta Williams was born February 20, 1872, the second of Robert and Martha Williams’ three daughters. Robert, her father, was a farmer.

Daniel Merrill was born December 20, 1867 to Oliver and Jerusha Merill in Jersey, Ohio. Daniel was the youngest of five children. His father, worked as both a famer and a merchant. Daniel’s two older sisters, Rosa and Libbie, worked as a store clerk and a dressmaker respectively.

At the time of Henrietta and Daniel’s marriage both of Henrietta’s parents had passed away. This may explain why she chose to wear a nice day dress rather than a white dress just for that occasion. Henrietta’s dress is fashionable for 1893 and a typical ‘good’ dress for a farmer’s daughter or working class woman that would also be worn for special occasions such as going to church on Sundays. These dresses were often worn as wedding dresses because not all levels of society had the economic wherewithal to afford a special white wedding dress that would be worn only once. Henrietta’s economic background and the lack of parental support at the time of her marriage probably led her to choose this dress for her wedding.

Daniel and Henrietta moved to Columbus after their marriage and Daniel would work as a real estate dealer and a carpenter. The couple had six children, one of whom became a physician and another, a dentist.

Donated by bride’s granddaughter, Marlea Pietenpol.

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