Mrs William Astor and Mrs Paran Stevens Dominate New York Society
A profile of how Mrs. William Waldorf Astor shaped New York society for decades, rivalries with Ward McAllister and Harry Lehr, and how Mrs. Paran Stevens wielded power through pioneering Sunday receptions. The piece recounts debuts, feuds, and the shift of social leadership toward the Astors and Stevens while noting the eras of influence and notable events.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
William Astor
Paran Stevens
Ward McAllister
Harry Lehr
Hay
New York
America
Four Hundred
Mrs. Astor
Lowell
Judge Reed
Boston
Miss Stevens
Vanderbilt
France
Stevens
Notable figures in New York Society Rise and fall
The piece traces the rise of Mrs. Stevens and Ward McAllister shaping New York society in the 19th century. It highlights Minnie Stevens, the Pagets marriage, and Mrs. Astor’s enduring influence, alongside entertainers Lehr and others shaping social rank. It notes potential successors like Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt and Mrs. Stuyvesant Fish in the evolving social order.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
William Astor
Caroline Schermerborn
Knickerbocker
Astor
New York
Delmont Co’s
Ward McAllister
Freddie” Gebhardt
James J. van Alen
Elisha Dyer, Jr
Cornelius Vanderbilt
Europe
Ogden Mills
Belmont
From printer's devils to national prominence in print
A historical portrait of William Dean Howells and Horace Greeley rising from humble printer's devil beginnings. It traces Howells' poverty and self education, Mark Twain's early career, and Greeley's stubborn ascent to editor of the New York Tribune, illustrating how raw toil forged household names.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Mark Twain
Horace Greeley
William Dean Howells
Silas Lapham
Howells
Hamilton (D
William
James Russell Lowell
Atlantic Monthly
Mr. Howells
Samuel Langhorne Clemens
Orion
Artemus Ward
Sydney Smith
Dean Swift
John Hay
Peck
Bad Boy
Greeley
Northern Spectator
East Poultney
Erie
New York
Vermont
New York Tribune
John G. Whittier
Franklin
United States
Scotch Guide A Spying Atop the Hills
A writer recalls learning to use a telescope while stalking a stag with seasoned Scots who describe a distant deer as a shootable beast. The narrator, mocked as a muff, finally identifies a vague signal of horns over a mile away, judged at over 14 stone.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Davie
Donald
Quote on virtue and easy tasks from Westminster Gazette
A concise quotation notes that writing blank verse is as easy as being virtuous on a desert island, illustrating a view of effort and moral conduct drawn from the Westminster Gazette.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Westminster Gazette
Squelched by the Waiter at Downtown Hotel Cafe
A young man, wealthy and self confident, creates a scene in a major downtown hotel cafe. He demands a large rare steak in twenty minutes, arguing it is too long, while the waiter offers a quicker breakfast steak. The room shows little concern beyond the confrontation.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Providence Tribune
Horace Quote on Change and Pursuit Across the Sea
A reflective line contrasts altering the sky with changing the mind. It warns that busy idleness drives the quest for happiness through travel and transport, yet the desired object remains elusive and present.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Horace
Off the Beaten Track by a Wharfside Captain
A retired seaman observes artists painting the sea at the wharf. A woman walks by and circles the scene, stepping back until she falls into the water. The captain notes they fished her out and she finally painted contentedly.
The Stronger Sex at a Woman's Club
In a scene at a women’s club two members discuss a husband who carries a latchkey. One explains she lets him carry it to humor him, noting he enjoys showing it off to friends and pretending independence, while the key still fails to fit the door.
Keeping House in Mexico.
A correspondent in Taxco, Mexico, describes life in a small Spanish town, noting vivid skies, colorful houses, and many bells. She recounts daily chores, including washing on stones, water filtration with a cone, fresh eggs and live chickens sold door to door, cheap produce, and meat costs without ice. Milk comes straight from the cow, despite a few stray spiders.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Prince Henry
Victor Herbert
Mrs. Astor
United States
Mexico
Taxco
Confused Emotions About a College Boy
Farmer Corntes sel comments on his son who topped his class yet finished last in a foot race. The Washington Star notes the mixed signals of pride and concern in rural family life.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Farmer Corntessel
Washington Star
Barkson and Miss Plunkley Mock Run Away Plan
A witty exchange from Puck questions Barkson and Miss Plunkley about elopement. The speaker coolly notes Barkson is too cold to act and that his own prejudices would not run away with him.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Barkson
Miss Plunkley
Puck
Hannibal Alps Riddle Echoes in Tribune
A playful exchange about why Hannibal crossed the Alps and the hen crossing the road appears in a Chicago Tribune snippet. The dialogue hints at simple reasoning and a light conundrum between a prepared teacher and a new pupil.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Hannibal
Alps
Chicago Tribune
Also Mentioned on This Page
Ness
William Waldorf Astor
England
J.coleman Drayton
Waldorf Astors
Mr. Drayton
Ciety
Mrs. Stevens
Twenty-eighth Street
Fifth Avenue
Prince of Wales
London
Minnie Stevens
Arthur Pagets
Nan
Savannah
McAllister
Newport
Fish
Lehr
Baltimore
Yparan Stevens
Printer’s Devils
Mark
Horace Bixby
Twain
Bixby
Gen
B. B. Bunker
Candia
N. H
Gen. Bunker
Clemens
Aurora
San Francisco Union
Ells
William Lloyd Garrison
Garrison
Newburyport Herald
San Francisco
BCLE
Chpolus Lurams
Southern
Ohio
Hocking
Cink
Ickels CIA
W. H. Fisher
Ceneral Paesenger Agen
Columbub, O
Cincinnati
Louisville
Chattanooga
J. A. Williamson
Toledo
D. G. Edwards
Cincinnati, O
F. & D. Railway
Defiance Atenee
Ar Deshier
Wtree
Deshier
Leipstere
Otttawa
Columbus Grove
Fas
Lima
Wapakoneta
Sidney
Piqua Wee
Dayton Eeselll
Hamilton Eee
North
Amam
Neinnati
Ly Hasliton
Dayton Satan
Piqua
Wapakoueta
Ottawa
Leipsic
Deshler
Bill Heads
This is just the beginning! Our collection holds over 300 years of history, including rare newspapers, obituaries, marriage records, birth records, and so much more—most of which you won’t find anywhere else!