Trying to keep the "Society" crowd in line in 1868.

This morning I was reading the January9, 1968 issue of the Tallow Light from the WCHS collections and ran across these entries from the Marietta Register:

“It is announced that the Ladies of the Executive Mansion at Washington — Mrs. Patterson and Mrs. Stover — will be ‘at home’ Monday evenings, till further notice. Marietta ladies who wish to ‘call’ will govern themselves accordingly.”

“It is stated from Washington that social parties in that city, this winter, begin at 7 1/2 o’clock in the evening - - a new reform movement. Sensible! We have known people to go to social parties in Marietta after 10 o’clock at night; and whoever staid for refreshments must of necessity remain until near midnight, and to leave at that hour even, to go home to “the children”, must shoot out of the house the instant through with the refreshments! A little quiet “reform” here as in Washington, would not be out of place.”

I am a little confused by the first bit. Is it saying that Marietta ladies should stay home on Mondays like the ladies in Washington? That seems more likely that advising Marietta ladies to act like they have some sense when they go to Washington, to me.

Also, it appears that the upper crusties in Marietta liked to party late. Who knew? Maybe they were making too much noise getting home so late and bugging the neighbors? Kind of like the idiots that rip around town in their loud trucks today? Hmmmm.

As always, these little bits from the Tallow Lights create more questions than answers for the curious history buff. Soon we will be opening the Archives and Collections back up post-covid on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Come on down and dig through our extensive collection of Washington County records. Watch our Facebook page for more details.