A Little Edwardian Fashion

Lately I've had this fascination with vintage fashion and have been researching some of the trends from the early to mid 1900s when my grandparents were posing for pictures. All four of my grandparents were born within an eight year window, 1901-1909. Many pictures in my collection have no dates, names, or places recorded on them, but, those that do have been helpful in figuring out time periods for the ones that do not, sometimes based on clues taken from the style of dress, a hat the subject is wearing, or a location.  I know that this is definitely not an exact science since I, and I am sure you too, have favorite outfits that are so yesterday but I have to say that generally I don't wear them when I know that I am going to have my picture taken, so I am going to surmise here that I can date (approximately) some pictures based on fashion when weighted against the other clues in a photograph. I've got a grandmother (pictured as a child below) that was always the picture of fashion, you will see more of her and her awesome outfits to come this summer!

I've got a date on the picture of the brothers below, you've seen this one before in The Story of the Peach. The next picture had to have been taken around the same time or just a little earlier based on the birthdate of the subject. So, here are a couple of kids in Edwardian style of dress that was popular in the early 1900s. 

Youngest standing in the front of the picture (my maternal grandfather):
Daniel Claude Thomas
Born October 10, 1905
A note on the back of the picture says Daniel was two years old.

Lena May Stockton (Abbott)
(my paternal grandmother)
Born June 2, 1901

A couple of questions beg answers here:

1. Seriously? My grandfather, in a dress?

First of all, the little boys in dresses question. It was not at all unusual to see the little dudes running around wearing "gowns" until they were potty trained. Yep, it is as easy as that. Families were big, mothers were busy and it was just easier than dealing with all of the clasps and buttons in the pre-snap age of clothing. The bow? Sailor inspired outfits were popular for children during this time period as well. Maybe the bow is a southern Georgia mom's nod to the sailor style? The little guy behind my grandfather is definitely sporting the sailor look as well! A boy's first pair of trousers indicated that he had come of an age where he was considered a man and ready for work, and, that was MUCH younger than today!

2. Black stockings and black shoes with a white/light colored dress?

Yep, as much as we would cringe these days at that combination, it was quite popular to clothe little girls in dresses like these that mimicked adult fashion and to pair them with black woolen stocking and black shoes. Dresses with long sleeves, high necks and lace were the most popular for little girls. This style is definitely not the most comfortable for playing and cavorting about but just perfect for tea parties and the quiet, passive, entertainment expected for young ladies in the early 1900s. The dress, the shoes, and the stockings are all "give aways" for giving this picture a date around 1905 give or take a couple of years.

3. So what exactly is "Edwardian" style and why is it called that?

For those fans of Downton Abbey think back to early episodes, pre-WWI and you've got it, Edwardian style. Named for England's King Edward VII, Edwardian reflects the opulence and optimism of the early 20th century (1901-1910).  The formality of the Victorian era gave way to a more relaxed and carefree time during the reign of King Edward. Styles were just a little more relaxed, especially for women and children. America had turned the corner from the difficult years of reconstruction after the Civil War and there was unbounded hope and a more carefree lifestyle. European country homes were popular for the upper class and in Amercia we see the Rockefellers, Vanderbilts, and others building huge empires. Europe was the leader in fashion trends. Even though independence for America from England was one hundred and twenty five years before, the fashion world was still (then and now!) largely influenced by our former homeland from the east.

Happy Birthday Lena May!

Thanks to my awesome Aunt Ginny I have this beautiful picture of my grandmother. Today is her birthday!

Lena May Stockton (Abbate/Abbott) was born on June 2, 1901, in Green Township, Ohio. She was raised by a single mother in the early 1900's. That could not have been easy but I do believe that Lena May and her mom made the best of a tough situation. Oletha Williams, Lena May's mom, was ever optimistic and from stories I have heard it sounds like their life together was always an adventure for better or for worse!

I can still hear my own mom say, "You are just like May!" She said that often when I was dressed in my "power, professional" woman suits in the 1990's, complete with matching scarf or brooch and more recently when I whined that I was running late for work AGAIN because I was having a hard time finding the right coat or a specific pair of shoes/snow boots to match my outfit. Yep, this Floridian still struggles with the fashion nuances of living in the west and with remembering that is it more about function than style especially when the temperature is low and the snow is blowing.

Oh yeah, one more thing, my mother always said I reminded her of Lena May when I was displaying my fiercely independent side. I am pretty sure that my mom secretly admired that independent streak even though it sometimes "drove her to her bed" as she would say! May was an independent lady and self-sufficient when necessary, both qualities that I admire.

I remember Grandma Abbott mostly later in her life when she and my grandfather lived in Austin, Texas, after their retirement. They were happily retired and enjoying their leisure time after years of working. Visiting Texas last summer I talked to an old neighbor of hers. The neighbor was a young girl when Lena May lived on her block. She remembered Lena May giving the children in the neighborhood homemade cookies and Kool-Aid and she remembered the day that Lena passed away. "She was such a nice lady, we were all so sad."

Happy Birthday Grandma Abbott, how I would love to sit down and have a cup of coffee and chat!

Lena May Stockton (Abbate/Abbott) and Angie Abbate (Mood)
Santa Monica, California
Summer, 1965
And, yes, Lena May put together my perfectly matching cowgirl outfit!

Theodore Stockton, 160th Ohio Infantry

This week, looking towards Memorial Day, I'll give some background on the men in our family tree who served in the United States Civil War. Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, was established to honor those who died while serving in either the Union or Confederate armies.

THEODORE STOCKTON

REGIMENT: 160th Ohio Infantry
COMPANY: K

ENLISTMENT DATE: May 2, 1864
AGE AT ENLISTMENT: 18

Theodore was mustered in to a brand new regiment of Ohio volunteers in Zanesville, Ohio on May 2, 1864. The regiment was sent immediately to the Harper's Ferry area and enlisted to guard supply trains at Martinsburg, West Virginia. Harper's Ferry was a strategic location on the railroad in the northern Shenandoah Valley which changed hands eight times over the course of the War. With the capture of 12,419 Union troops by the Confederacy, Harper's Ferry represented the largest capture of United States troops until the Battle of Baatan in World War II. One hundred and fifty four years ago this week, the 160th Ohio was encamped in Newtown, still guarding the Union supply trains. They continued to support operations in and around the Harper's Ferry area during the summer of 1864, living in and working out of the Harper's Ferry trenches. By the summer of 1864, Harper's Ferry was firmly back in the Union grasp where it remained for the duration of the War. The entire regiment was mustered out September 17, 1864 and sent home. *


BORN: January 14, 1846
DIED: April 29, 1899

PARENTS: Delos Sharp Stockton and Rua Malott

SPOUSE: Sarah Jane Winner

CHILDREN: Stella J. Stockton (1869-
                Myrtle Stockton (1874-
                Owen Delos Stockton (1879-1940)
                Carrie Stockton (1883-
                Rosy Stockton (1887-

RELATIONSHIP: Angie Abbate Mood
                               Victor James Abbate, Sr.
                                  Lena May Stockton (Abbate)
                                    Owen Delos Stockton
                                      Theodore Stockton

*Regimental history from the National Park Service

Tombstone Tuesday: Sarah J. Stockton

Sarah Jane Winner Stockton was my great-great grandmother and is buried in Bloomrose Cemetery in Sterling Township, Brown County, Ohio.

The visible side of the headstone is engraved:

Sarah J. Stockton
Born
Aug. 24. 1849
Died
Feb. 20, 1915

A pretty impressive headstone if you ask me! More about Sarah another day but for now, enjoy this picture taken by my aunt and uncle when they visited long lost relatives in Ohio. Oh yeah, and, that is another story you'll just have to keep reading to learn!

Here's her connection to our family. Sarah was the mother of Owen Delos Stockton, who was the father of Lena May Stockton (Abbate) my grandmother. And we thought that Lena May was an only child.....

Fearless Females: Wow, I did not know that...

Women's History Month Fearless Females blog prompt: Have you discovered a surprising fact about one of your female ancestors? What was it and how did you learn it? How did you feel when you found out?

Oletha Williams
1879-1965

It was definitely an interesting find when I asked my aunt what happened to my great grandmother's second husband. Her response, "I don't know the name of Grandma Baum's second husband, or her third. Mr. Baum was the fourth and they never divorced. According to my mother, he just 'disappeared."  

So, how did I feel? Here's my response to learning that tidbit, "So, today, I think that if she continued to marry she must have spent her life looking for her prince charming, only to be disappointed over and over again, how sad."

It was not all "doom and gloom" however for Oletha Williams (Stockton, Unknown, Unknown, Baum)! Pictures show a vibrant lady who knew how to have fun. She was a single mom, not an easy position in those days, but she thrived. According to family she was always optimistic and a very interesting woman. 

Oletha J. Williams was born in Jackson Township, Ohio on August 23, 1878. She grew up in Ohio and had two older brothers, Cassius Cerine Williams and Emmet Williams. Her parents were Cyrenius Williams and Nancy Jane Estill. Oletha married Owen Delos Stockton on December 26, 1899 in Brown County, Ohio. In the 1900 US Census they are shown living with Owen's widowed mother, Sarah Winner (Stockton) in Ohio.  In 1910 (US Census) Oletha and her daughter (Lena May) are shown as living with Oletha's mother and Owen is no longer in the picture. They divorced at some point in the early 1900s as Owen remarried in 1916. 

In her adult life, Oletha owned a chicken farm, raised mastiffs, and invested heavily in the real estate market in Florida in the 1920s. If you know Florida history then you know that was a huge gamble and her investments went bust like most everyone else's in those days. The 1940 US Census lists her occupation as a hotel maid.  

There is a 30 year gap in my research on Oletha. She disappears from US Census records after 1910 until 1940. I surmise that she spent most of this time bouncing back and forth from Ohio to Miami with a possible side trip to New York where her daughter Lena May lived with her husband Vito/Victor Abbate.  Finding her during this period is going to require some major research since we do not know the names of her 2nd and 3rd husbands...not deterred however, the search continues! 

Oletha's only child, Lena May Stockton (Abbate) was my grandmother. Pictured to the left are Lena May and her mother Oletha and Lena's children, my aunt Virginia Lee Abbate (Thompson) and my father, Victor James Abbate. The picture was taken not long after the family moved to Miami, Florida from New York in 1936.

Oletha died in Miami, Florida in October 1965, she was 87 years old.

Oletha and her mastiff companions.

Oletha on Miami Beach.

Oletha and friends on Miami Beach.

Oletha and daughter Lena May Stockton (Abbate).

My great grandmother, Oletha and I, April 1960.

Fearless Females: Working Girls!

Women's History Month Fearless Females blog prompt: Did your mother or grandmother work outside the home? What did she do? Describe her occupation.

We Abbate siblings were fortunate to have our mom, Jane Thomas Abbate, at home during our "growing up" years. In the 1950s, before children, she worked at the Dade County Courthouse in the evidence department. She always told us the most graphic (and awful, for me, the squeamish child!) stories about the morbid pictures and items that she catalogued and stored for future court proceedings. She loved that job and I am pretty sure that started her love for reading murder mysteries too!

My paternal grandmother, May L. Abbott, was a stenographer and worked at the Department of Immigration in Miami. This is a photo of a page in one of her course books. The book, titled, Expert Shorthand Speed Course, was printed in 1945 and featured the "Gregg" method of shorthand. Interestingly, all of the pictures in the book feature men working in offices and demonstrating the proper posture, etc. for taking dictation. I suppose that it was not as common for women to work in those days, but then, my grandmother was no ordinary young lady!

My maternal grandmother, Mildred Silas Thomas, worked in the "Infants Department" at Jackson's/Byrons Department Store in downtown Miami after our grandfather passed away. She spent many years working there and I remember that she always rode the bus, come to think of it, I don't ever remember her having a car! I searched all over the internet for a picture of the Jackson's/Byrons logo but found nothing but this more current picture of the building where the department store was located. I did find several articles recounting the Jackson's/Byrons lunch counter and its role as a "ground zero" location during the Civil Rights demonstrations in Miami in the 1950s. Fortunately times have changed a lot since then!

Fearless Females: How'd they meet?

Today's Fearless Females blog prompt: Do you know the story of how your parents met? Your grandparents?

I'll have to go to grandparents on this one and it is a story told on my very first blog post, She's A Solid Lady. The "how they met" story that I know is of my paternal grandparents. First, however, let's get their names straight!

Grandpa: Born Vito Carmello Abbate, grandpa went by Victor after arriving in America. Sometime during the early to mid-1930s he changed his last name to Abbott. From that day on he was known as Victor C. Abbott.

Grandma: Born Lena May Stockton, grandma preferred to use her middle name for a first name and her first name initial as a middle name. Got that? She went by May L. Stockton. When she and grandpa were first married they used the last name Abbate but she too decided to "go by" Abbott. From that day on she was known as May L. Abbott.


So, when I asked my aunt (their daughter) how they met, here's her response:

"How did Lena May and Victor meet? I believe they met in Miami on vacation. It was the "in" thing to do for the Ohio crowd to visit Miami during the winter months, and Victor must have done the same. Somewhere there are photos of them hanging out at the beach. Other members of Victor's family must have been in Miami too, because my mother told me they were never allowed to date as a couple. One of Dad's sisters always had to be along!"  

Victor and May Abbott
Austin, Texas
July 1972

Carefree Days in Miamuh!

Mildred and D.C. Thomas
Miami Beach, FL 

"Miamuh," if you've got any history there then you will recognize that pronunciation of the word Miami, the crown jewel of South Florida in the 1920s and 30s. That's how the old-timers and natives (not many left I'm afraid) still pronounce it. All four of my grandparents were transplants to the Magic City. On the maternal side, a young couple from rural south Georgia who, in the mid-1920s wanted to leave the farming communities of their ancestors behind for life in the "big city."  On the paternal side, around 1935, the striking Sicilian whose family had settled in New York after arriving at Ellis Island and his wife, the fashionable young lady from Ohio, along with their two children. Both couples moved to Miami to establish their homes which, in the end, happened to be just one block from each other.

These photos of carefree days in Miami Beach were taken during the days after the 1926 hurricane, after the bursting of the real estate bubble in Miami, and after the Great Depression. These were fun times when dreams for young people like my grandparents were beginning to come true again!

Daniel Claude Thomas
Bayshore Confectionery
Miami Beach, FL
circa 1934

Daniel Claude Thomas
Miami Beach, FL

Lena May Stockton (Abbate) on right
Miami Beach, FL

Lena May Stockton (Abbate) (top right)
Miami Beach, FL

L to R:
Victor James Abbate
Victor Carmello Abbate
Virginia Lee Abbate (Thompson)
Miami Beach, FL

She's A Solid Lady

She’s a solid lady, beautiful, warm, and dignified, meant to be cherished.  When she was young she was a picture of fashion and in her later years she still has grace and style.  Her presence brings character and beauty to the places she’s called home. She has watched the stories of generations unfold and has been at the center of her family through celebrations, grief, laughter, tears, joyful announcements, plans that often, but not always, came to fruition, and through life changing decisions that left scars that will never completely heal.  The years have taken their toll and her appearance is more tired and worn these days.  Some would say that she needs a makeover, but truly, to erase the evidence of the years of wear and tear would simply strip away too many memories of who she was, is, and is yet to be.  She was lovingly created by a master, created to be passed down through the generations, and indeed, she has fulfilled that expectation.  

She was fashioned in Gardner, Massachusetts at the Nichols and Stone Company, "Makers of fine Windsor furniture since 1857" along with her six companions, the two arm chairs, two side chairs, and the two extensions that allowed her to embrace her families during the “quiver full” days and to create intimacy during the empty nest years. Her exact acquisition date is not known but here's what I do know: the table and chairs bounced across the country from Massachusetts to California where they they graced the Los Angeles apartment of the couple who had reconciled and found true love again. In the summer of 1965, I was a shy six year old who had experienced her first "airplane ride" across the country to get to know my grandparents, Victor and May Abbott (Abbate). It was at that table that I first tasted and was allowed, by my grandfather, to eat pretty much as many sugar cubes as I wanted! They took the table and chairs with them to their retirement home in Austin, Texas, and again as a young teen we were reunited.  It was around that same table that my Sicilian grandfather taught me that butter and Parmesan cheese were an acceptable alternative to “the sauce” when one was not feeling well.  When Victor and May were gone, the set was moved to reside with the next generation, their son Victor James and his wife, Jane, and their family, in Hialeah, Florida.  It was here that three more generations lived, loved, and were anchored to her as she provided the gathering place for them in the center of the family home. Years later the set was once again moved with Jane, the one who cherished her the most, to an apartment in Miami Lakes, Florida. They were not connected by the bloodline but by an heritage, a past, that represented all that Jane had loved.  There they spent the hours and days together while Jane pondered life, its blessings and its challenges.

And now, to Farr West, Utah to reside with us, the third and fourth generations, a new family home.  Here she graces yet another room with her flaws and wear and tear for all to see so that they too will remember that she’s special, she's got history. Fifty years later she is still a solid lady, beautiful, warm, and dignified, fashioned by a master and meant to be cherished by the generations.

Victor Carmello Abbott, Lena May Stockton Abbott 
 and Maria "Mary" Abbate Fuca "at the table" in
Los Angeles, California

Angela Abbate Mood "at the table" in
Los Angeles, California, 1965

Victor James Abbate "at the table"
Hialeah, Florida

Victor James Abbate, Jr. and Sarah Mood Lyons
"at the table" in Hialeah, Florida
Christmas Morning, 1986

Jane Thomas Abbate "at the table" in
 Miami Lakes, Florida
September 2006

Angela Abbate Mood "at the table" in
Farr West, Utah
January 2013

My grandfather (the original owner of the dining set in the story) Vito Carmello Abbate was born to Angelo and Luigia (Forte) Abbate in Salemi, Trapani, Sicily on March 2, 1903. He was six years old when he and his mother and siblings, Agata (Agnes), Maria (Mary), Salvatore (Sal) and Amalia (Molly) boarded the Principe de Piemonte in Palermo, Italy and began their voyage to America. His father and uncle had already immigrated to the United States and had worked and established residency so that they could bring their wives and children to the U.S. They arrived at Ellis Island on April 22, 1909 with 2,331 other passengers after a two week voyage. It is said that the children were very sick throughout the entire crossing. After arriving in the United States Vito lived with his family in New York. Vito married Lena May Stockton in 1927.  At some point in his adult life, Vito changed his name and began to use the "American-ized" version, Victor C. Abbott.  He lived with and is buried using that name.


From Virginia Abbate Thompson (daughter of Victor and Lena)

"How did Lena May and Victor meet? I believe they met in Miami on vacation. It was the "in" thing to do for the Ohio crowd to visit Miami during the winter months, and Victor must have done the same. Somewhere there are photos of them hanging out at the beach. Other members of Victor's family must have been in Miami too, because my mother told me they were never allowed to date as a couple. One of Dad's sisters always had to be along!"

Victor and Lena lived in New York for many years.  They moved to Miami, Florida in 1935.  At some point they separated and Victor moved to Los Angeles, California where several of his siblings were living.  In the early 1960s Victor and Lena reconciled and remarried.  They lived together in California until the 1970s when they retired and moved to Austin, Texas where Victor's brother Andre and his family were living.  Victor was the father of two, Virginia Abbate Thompson and Victor James Abbate.  He lived to enjoy six grandchildren and, as of this post he has nine great grandchildren. Victor died in Austin, Texas on February 3, 1976 at the age of 73.  He is buried at Vista Memorial Park in Hialeah, Florida. 

Do you have stories or memories to share about Vito Carmello Abbate? Please post a comment!