December 28, 1890 A Surprise Wedding

The June 1991 "Between the Lakes" newsletter of the Interlaken Historical Society featured an article from the January 3, 1891 Farmer Review.

Picture if you will, the evening service at the local church proceeding in its normal manner, until near the end. Instead of the final hymn being announced, the organist begins a familiar piece of music, but not what one would expect on a December evening.

“The congregation at the Baptist Church last Sunday evening witnessed something not in the usual order of services there. Immediately after the sermon, Prof. Chadwick struck up with full force upon the Wedding March, and people began to look at one another in wonderment, only a very few knowing what was to happen.” So begins the newspaper announcement.

Then the main feature of the story, “The pastor left the pulpit at the same moment the hall doors opened, and Mr. and Mrs. E. C. Foote and Mr. and Mrs. C. F. Case marched down the center aisle followed by Mr. Delos T. Bennett and Miss Anna H. Abbott. Rev. Dr. Halsey met them at the altar and spoke the words which made them man and wife.”

Delos T and Anna Abbott Bennett with daughter Edna.
Interlaken Historical Society photo #2009

“The happy couple took the evening train south for a brief trip. Mr. and Mrs. Bennett are among the most popular young people of Farmer Village and all unite with the Review in wishing them a happy and prosperous voyage together upon the sea of time.”

The story ends with, “One of the audience depicts the wedding in rhyme, as follows:

THE SURPRISE

And the people sat and wondered,

While the organ pealed and thundered

The sermon it was ended

And the short prayer had been said

So the people took their hymnbooks

But -- the last hymn was not read.

For the organ’s tones were pealing

And the people gazed in wonder

For there was a general feeling

That SOME ONE had made a blunder.

When the organ had been playing

Oh - for quite a little while,

Lo three couples came a straying

Slowly, up the center aisle.

And the Parson rose to meet them

Keeping step in perfect time

And they met before the altar

And the meeting was sublime.

When a few short words were spoken

Then they bowed contritely down

While the preacher prayed for blessing

On the pair to be made one.

And they rose up and he made them

One “in Wedlock’s holy rite”

And the people went home smiling

From the Baptist Church that night.

O.R. (Old Rye)

Farmer Village, Dec. 30, 1890

As a side bar to the newsletter article, was an Editorial note, asking, “What possible interest is a wedding in 1890 to 1991 Society members?” He then identified some of the people involved and tied them to recognizable people of the 1990s.

Some of those names might be recognized today, but I will try to add to them.

Delos T. Bennett, the groom, is the son of Alton Platt and Maranda Covert Bennett. He was born March 9, 1866, and died September 23, 1921. Anna Helen Abbott is the daughter of Aaron J and Christiana Acker Abbott. Anna was born in 1861 and died December 31, 1933.

“Prof Chadwick” is John Chadwick, leader of the 3rd Brigade Band of Civil War fame, a professional musician, and grandfather of member Louise Chadwick Brown.” The Chadwick/Brown connection continues today with Carolyn Young, great-granddaughter of Prof. Chadwick. Mrs. Young and her family continue to summer in the area. She visits the museum several times a year, often bringing with her a treasure to be preserved for the future. Most recently, a lovely table cloth and napkins, and a set of homemade blocks of many shapes, which fit very carefully into the storage box.

Dr. Lewis Halsey was a community leader of the era, minister of the Baptist Church from 1874-1892, president of the Farmer Village Board of Education for ten years, author of a history of the Seneca Baptist Association...

Mr. and Mrs. Bennett, after the death of a daughter, adopted Edna Taylor, a sister of Marion Kellogg. Edna Taylor Bennett married Ronald Stinnard and Edna gave the Society the lamp which sits on the table by the door. It is made from a fire nozzle with a tiffany style lamp shade.

Dewitt’s Diary, Tuesday, December 28, 1926

Fair today temperature 33 today.

Began to snow some late today.

Uncle Charley P [Peterson] went home from the store and found Aunt Olive dead. She was lying down on the couch where she must have had a heart attack. Uncle Charley feels very bad; was an awful shock to him.

Editor’s note: Aunt Olive is the former Miss Olive Williams, who kept a diary as a young women in the 1870s. That diary forms the basis for Nancy Schultz Radloff’s book, So Good A Time. Copies of the book are available from the Interlaken Historical Society.