Tribune Tuesdays: Death Stopped Wedding

From: The Oakland Tribune, 18 May 1904

DEATH STOPPED WEDDING
Dr. Whitfield Passes Away on the Eve of Wedding

A romance which promised to culminate in the marriage of Miss Alice Atwood of 587 Merrimac street and Dr. Whitfield has terminated sadly with the sudden death of the young groom elect in Los Angeles. A few weeks ago the pretty home on Merrimac street was the scene of busy preparation for the coming wedding and gifts and good wishes poured in upon the young bride-to-be. The marriage was to take place at the home and the relatives and young friends of Miss Atwood were bidden to the ceremony when the telgram came to E. N. Atwood, the father of the young girl, telling the sad news of Dr. Whitfield's death, just three days before the date set for his marriage to Mr. Atwood's daughter.

Early that day Miss Atwood had received a letter from her fiance intimating that he was not feeling as well as usual, but full of hope and promises to be in this city the next day. Following close on the wake of that hopeful message came the sad tidings of death, and the first shock of grief. Mr. Atwood and his daughter left for Los Angeles to attend the funeral.

Dr. Whitfield was a bright and promising young physician whose home was in England, but who had traveled extensively on this continent. During his visit here he met and wooed the American girl, who was to accompany him to his home as his bride.

Dr. Whitfield had been an interested tourist in the southern part of California and at the time of his death was visiting Monrovia, the pretty suburb of Los Angeles. The young physician's mother is in England and the news will come as a heavy grief to her. She was expecting her son with his young bride.

Miss Atwood is now in Los Angeles, and seems overcome with the sad calamity which has befallen her. Plans are in progress, however, for her to accompany her father to the East, and it is hoped that travel and changes of scene will lessen the great grief which has clouded her life.

Update 04 November: You can read about the follow-up research I did on this story in another post.

Slave History, Poetrized

Finding inspiration in the most interesting of places...

The poet Bill Grimke-Drayton has uncovered long lost papers connected to slavery during the 18th and 19th centuries that were stored in the attic of his family home the United Kingdom's county of Cheshire.

The College of Charleston, South Carolina in the United States has decided the papers are of significant historical value and recently paid the Grimke-Drayton family $60,000 for the right to retain the papers for research and preservation.

The papers may never have come to light were it not because of Grimke-Drayton's research for his latest collection of poetry titled, Freedom Reclaimed (Poetry by Bill Grimke-Drayton), in which he explores his family's connection to the slave trade in the United States' Deep South region, and at the same time deals with his own deeply-felt experiences with racism.

Read more at: Working Writers Newsletter: English Poet Uncovers Slavery Papers Worth $60k

CA History in the News 26 June - 03 July 2010

* The Coast Guard and the town of Ferndale, CA are tussling over custody of a 142-year old lighthouse lens

* The town of Arcata, CA is undertaking the survey of its historic buildings

* The Old City Cemetery Committee had a very cool tour of a Sacramento historic cemetery recently. What a great idea!

* UC Santa Cruz is trying to restore an historic barn on campus.

* Big news in California as Sierra No. 3, famous rail star, returns after an image rehab and full-scale makeover.

* Finally, a short visit to California Hill in Nebraska, one of the many points of struggle for westward-bound pioneers:

CA History in the News 20 - 26 June 2010

* A San Diego museum is building a replica of the ship that brought explorer Juan Cabrillo to California in 1542.

* A Washington Post review of a new book on the Hoover Dam. The dam's construction helped fuel massive growth in California cities like Los Angeles.

* A new book has been published on the history of Knott's Berry Farm

* Amador County is celebrating its 156th birthday this year

* A bit on the history of Palm Springs' tram to the mountain.

CA History In the News 13 - 19 June 2010

* A historic locomotive is back on the tracks in a small town near Modesto.

* A bit of garden history in Monterey, from the SF Chronicle.

* A video on San Diego's Cosmopolitan Hotel was uploaded to YouTube

CA History In the News 05 - 12 June 2010

* Almaden Quicksilver Park, from the Morgan Hill Times. The article discusses the area, which is now a park, and the Hidalgo Cemetery.

* A bit about the history of Santa Monica's Palisades Park, from the Los Angeles Times.

* A Peek at SF's Sheriff's Sword from The SF Chronicle. An 1861 commemorative sword visits SF City Hall.

* A Walk through Bankers Hill from The San Diego Union-Tribune

* On Orange County's lima bean industry, from the Dana Point Times. They're what put the Irvine in the area, don't you know.