CHS Newsletter September 2016 Here are some scenes from previous years’ annual buffest and Charlie the Butler’s Ghost Parties. Please read information about this year’s events inside this newsletter. Photographs by Our next meeting will be on Sept. 20th at 6 pm in the Sprague Mansion. It will be our annual buffet combined with a birthday party for Gov.William Sprague who was born on Sept. 12, 1830. BOARD OF DIRECTORS Katy Cabral Stepney (Social Media) OFFICERS Martha Cornell (Gift Shop) Frank DelSanto (Program) Sandra Moyer Steven Frias (Finance) President David Griswold (Publicity) James Hall (Curator) Tom Worthington Fred Joslyn (Ways and Means) Vice President John Lonardo (Hospitality) Gregg Mierka (Property Management) Mary Mierka Secretary Mary Mierka (Events and Rentals) Sandra Moyer (Endowment) Tristan Poirier John O'Leary (Nominations) Treasurer Lydia Rapoza (Joy Homestead) Herbert Zakrison (Buildings and Grounds) Directors at Large Ed Garcia Eleanor Sasso The Cranston Historical Society's mission is to protect, document, interpret and expand understanding of Cranston history. 1351 Cranston Street Cranston, RI 02920 (401) 944-9226 www.cranstonhistoricalsociety.org email: [email protected] facebook: www.facebook.com/cranstonhistoricalsociety President's Note By Sandra Moyer th This month’s issue has as its theme the 186 birthday of Gov. William Sprague (1830-1915). Since two men who lived in the Sprague Mansion share that same name and political office, let me clarify that I am speaking of the second William Sprague to become governor. He is also the one that served heroically in the Civil War and married Kate Chase, the daughter of President Lincoln’s Treasury Secretary. Within these pages, you will read a biography of his life by Kathy Cyr Sprague and a recounting of his Civil War exploits by Gregg Mierka. James Hall has an informative article on the Sprague Bedroom set that we own and Mary Mierka wrote on the history of birthday cakes. I wrote an article describing the type of clothing that the Sprague children would have worn to a birthday party. Since we are combining our annual meeting/buffet with a birthday celebration, cake will supplement the delicious dinner that features Italian and American dishes prepared by Ralph’s Kitchen. For more information on the buffet, please refer to the calendar. The autumn will also be the time for two fundraisers. The first is a new event that will encourage you and your friends to support the Cranston Historical Society at the same time that you add some stylish new clothes to your fall wardrobe by shopping at Talbots’ in Garden City from 5 to 8 pm on September 16. Talbots offers classically styled fashions in sizes from 2 to 24 for petites and women. Although they only carry women’s clothes, we want to remind our gentlemen members that it is not too early to start thinking of Christmas presents for the women in your life. Talbots is generously giving us 10% of the money they take in during those hours. Our second fundraiser will be our annual Charlie the Butler Ghost Halloween party on October 21. For just $15 per person you will see Rory Raven’s amazing mind reading presentation. The three floors of mansion will once again be decorated in a spectacular manner by Adam Florio and refreshments will be served. Miss Debb and Miss Michelle will also be in attendance to reveal your personal future for a separate fee. Costumes are optional but we ask no masks be worn. Membership By Mary Mierka Membership Dues If you have not sent in your dues yet, please forward it to us soon. Welcome New Members Holly Monroe - Cranston Linda & James DiPaola Family - Exeter A Cordial Thank You: Liberty Tree: For tree work in August Home Depot-Johnston: Providing 4 impressive Antique-looking black Mansion front entrance urns Scituate Rotary of RI Inc.: Donation for Mansion fireplace restoration Herb and Sandy Zakrison: Generous donation to fix air conditioning system Please support our Other Business Supporters and Donors: All The Answers, Inc.,-Warwick, Mailing & Printing Services alltheanswersinc.com Climate Controlled Systems Inc.-Cranston, A/C & Heating Services climateri.com CWS Gases Co. (Cranston Welding Supply)-Cranston Since 1946 cranstonwelding.com EMC (Energy Management & Control Services)-Cranston, providers of building control/ energy & integrated facility management systems emccontrols.net Forest Hills Nurseries Inc.-Cranston, Retail/Wholesale plants/nursery foresthillsnurseries.com North-Eastern Tree Services-Cranston northeasterntree.com Parmelee Poirier & Associates, CPA parmeleepoirier.com Rhode Island Civil War Round Table-RIs premier Civil War discussion group ricwrt.com Rhode Island Dental Arts-Cranston, All dentals services ridentists.com Stiller Distributors-Cranston, Distributor of commercial/residential flooring stillerdistributors.com TreePro Services-Coventry treeprori.com Calendar Meetings & Events September 16 Friday 5:00 to 8:00 pm in Talbots in Garden City Shopping Center Please join us for this exciting fundraiser event. The management of Tabots has generously offered the Cranston Historical Society 10% of the money they take in from our members and friends during these three hours. September 20 Tuesday 6:00 pm in the Sprague Mansion General Membership meeting and buffet to celebrate William Sprague’s birthday. The cost will be $18 for a delicious buffet provided by Ralph’s Kitchen of Post. The program will feature Sprague related artifacts in our collection. Please RSVP by September 15 by calling 944-9226. October 21 Friday 7:00 – 9:00 pm in the Sprague Mansion Charlie the Butler’s Ghost party featuring New England mentalist Rory Raven. $15 will include light refreshments; tour of decorated rooms and for a separate charge, have your future revealed. October 25 Tuesday 7:00 pm in the Sprague Mansion Board of Directors’ Meeting November 15 Tuesday 7:00 pm in the Sprague Mansion General Membership Meeting – Volunteer of the Year Award and New Members’ Reception November 25 Friday 3:00 – 5:00 pm in the Sprague Mansion Decorating the Christmas tree. Bring a signed ornament to add to our collection. December 4 Sunday 1:00 to 4:00 pm Sprague Mansion & Joy Homestead Christmas Open House featuring music, decorations and refreshments. Lifestyles Victorian Children’s Clothing By Sandra Moyer If the younger members of the Sprague family were going to William’s birthday party what would they have worn? With very young children, both sexes would wear long flowing dresses. By the time they turned five or six, the styles for the two sexes would have been different. Girls continued to wear dresses, but the length of the garment would change with the wearer’s age. The older the girl, the longer the dress. Therefore, a four year old would wear a knee length dress while her ten year old sister’s hem would go to mid-calf. By the time the girl was sixteen, her dress would be a modest ankle length. The style also would have changed. Young girls wore simple, high waisted, empire style dresses like the type popularized by Kate Greenaway in her book illustrations. The older girls’ garments looked more like their mothers’ clothes Boys also transitioned from short pants to long pants that resembled their fathers as they grew older. Where the girls’ clothes got more elaborate as they aged, the boys’ garments became simpler. Young boys of wealthy families often wore the type of frilly clothes made of rich fabrics that were associated with Little Lord Fauntleroy and after the publication of his story even became known by his name. In 1872, when the Spragues were at the pinnacle of their success, Willie Sprague, son of the Civil War governor and then Senator would have been seven years old. In this photo, he is wearing a suit made of velvet with a jacket and pants that just covered the knee. There are ruffles at the neck and sleeves as well as around the hem of the pants. We do not have Willie’s suit in our textile collection at the Governor Sprague Mansion. However, we do have two similar outfits that were worn by his male cousins. The suits are threadbare, but you can see the care with what they were made. They had ivory pipping around the sleeves and collar, pewter buttons and were silk lined. Of Long Ago The Birthday Cake Story “Many Happy Returns of the Day” By Mary Mierka In ancient times, breads and cakes were at times used in religious ceremonies. Specific shapes such as round/circle symbolize the “cyclical nature of life” or the “sun or moon”. Some historians believe the first reference to “birthday” cakes were honey cakes in ancient Greece; others think the tradition can be traced to Germany in the 1400s where it was called ‘sweetened bread’, a celebration of life. During early times, sugar, various spices and nuts, as well as dried fruit were expensive and it was an honor to receive a cake at a special occasion, such as a birthday. Cakes of the late 1800s were mainly decorated with sayings as "Many Happy Returns of the Day" with the person’s name. It was not until approximately 1910 that Happy Birthday actually appears on cakes, based on the tune “Happy Birthday to You” (Song by the Hill sisters published in 1893.) Ancient cultures thought smoke from blowing out candles carried prayers to the heavens. It was believed in 1700/1800s that on German children’s birthdays they were susceptible to evil spirits. Family would gather to protect the child, keeping candles lit on the cake all day until after the dinner meal when the cake was served. Candles were also thought to carry one's wishes up to God. This observance was brought to colonial Pennsylvania, later reinforced by the influence of Queen Victoria's court.