1899 Wedding at Union Mills

A wedding this spring on the lower lawn at the Union Mills Homestead echoed a wedding held at the site in September long ago, back in 1899. Both weddings were held in the shade of willows alongside the millrace at the historic site, just below the historic footbridge over the race. The Union Mills Homestead is blessed to have a large collection of material related to the 1899 wedding and the happy couple, thanks to the generosity of their descendants.

The 1899 Wedding: “No Prettier Nuptial Ceremony”

On Wednesday, September 14, 1899, Winifred Shriver of Union Mills married the Rev. H.M.J. Klein, pastor of Grace Reformed Church, West York, PA. As set out below, the couple’s wedding following a lengthy, long-distance courtship, during which they wrote often. Correspondence between the two provides for much of the story that follows.

News reports help provide detail on the wedding itself. As reported by the Baltimore Sun, “the wedding took place at the old Shriver homestead at Union Mills, Carroll county, established by the great-grandfather of the bride more than a hundred years ago, which has since remained in possession of the Shriver family and is now occupied as a residence by the bride’s parents.”

The wedding made front page news in the York Gazette, on Saturday, September 16, 1899. This news story is clipped to the right. According to the Gazette, “No prettier nuptial ceremony in which York people were interested has taken place in a long time. Every appointment was perfect.”

The Sun reported that “the bride was dressed in a white French muslin gown, with train. Her veil was of white tulle, and she carried a bouquet of heliotrope.” Bridesmaids wore white organdy, with pink ribbons.

Prof. Fritz Gaul of Baltimore played the wedding march, as the bridal party moved from the Shriver Homestead and across the footbridge over the millrace, to the lower lawn. There the couple married, under a floral arch beneath a large willow.

The bride’s sister, Bessy Shriver, served as the maid of honor. Bridesmaids were Helen Stevenson, of Baltimore; Sarah Lanius, of York; Madeline Shriver, of Union Mills (the bride’s cousin); and Katherine Shriver, also of Union Mills (another sister).

After the ceremony, a wedding breakfast was served in the Shriver Homestead for the guests in attendance. The guest book reflects a “who’s who” of Shrivers in the area.

The footbridge at the historic site remains today, a regular feature in weddings still held at the Homestead. The bridge crosses the millrace, which has provided water to the Shriver Grist Mill since it was built in 1797.

 

 

Six-Year Courtship

The couple met in 1893. At that time Winifred, known as Win, was 18 years old and a student at Linden Hall in Lititz, PA. Win would later graduate from Linden Hall in 1895. Klein, affectionally known to Win as Hal, was 20 years of age and a student at Franklin & Marshall, from which he graduated in 1893.

Based on their letters, the two met when students from Linden Hall attended a debate in Lancaster. The couple subsequently exchanged many dozens of letters. One of them reads as follows:

The Mills
Monday evening
[October 11, 1897]
Dear Mister Klein,
Where have you been keeping yourself all summer? From what you told my mother at Pen Mar I thought that sure you would have turned up at Union Mills before this. Do you think you could put it in a few days down here any time after this week. We would be very glad to see you. I would meet you at Littlestown with a pony and chariot and take you home that way unless you should prefer your iron steed. But even in that case I should meet you anyway on my iron steed! However, when you say when you are coming we’ll decide upon how you will get here. It will be no trouble to meet you with the buggy and I should think it would be more agreeable for you to come that way!
My sister has just returned from her visit to York and has given us a glowing description of her good time there. Have you been away this summer? And how is your church? I have had a splendid time. Been away quite a good deal for me. By the way do, you know anything of Miss Garrett’s whereabouts? With kind regards from all & hoping to hear from you soon saying you will come to the Mills. Believe me very sincerely, Winifred Shriver.

Some of the letters shed insight onto the complexity of the couple’s budding relationship, and uncertainties of their courtship. A letter from Winifred later in 1897 reads in part:

All things considered, I really think it is best that you wrote to me. Do not regret your letter, for don’t you see, Mr. Klein, if you have misunderstood me at this early day, where would you have been a year or two later. This may sound cold & very inconsiderate of our feelings. It is in consideration of you that I say it. I would not willingly cause you any pain, and that is the reason why I am glad that you wrote as you did. Now we know where we stand. You may feel sure I appreciate your generous letter, do not think of me regretting that matters are as they are. I like to think you have a good opinion of me, but I am not an angel by any means. Of course, you don’t think me an angel, I know, but I certainly have more than one bad fault. I assure you. You must not think that I consider you unworthy. My answer couldn’t have been otherwise, because ————– I[f]- there is someone else, and that is the “circumstance.” And as I said before, there has been someone else for years. That will surely prove to you that you yourself are not to blame, does it not. My one hope is that you will not let this little “affaire de Coeur” have any disheartening influence upon your life, but it is foolish of me to think that it will. Don’t you remember what I told you when I took you to Littlestown – that affection was a secondary matter with men! If I thot that you were going to prove an exception to that rule, I wouldn’t write to you or do anything to keep myself in your memory. You will think me a conceited prig! I do hope you will understand that all I have written you is with the sincerest intentions. It is so hard to be misunderstood. People so often misunderstand me (That is not personal, if you should chance to think so.) Maybe you would like me to make you something else than a photoframe? If you would tell me what, and I’ll try to make it for you, for friendship’s sake. I wish I had had the souvenir to send you today but it was absolutely impossible. Do write to me soon and forgive me for not writing sooner. But you may not have been looking for one. That would be hard on me. I think this will prove to you that you will always find a friend in Winifred Shriver
Thursday Evening Dec 9-97.

In January 1898, they pledged their love, and Hal sent Win a school pin. From then on, Win’s salutations changed from “Dear Mr. Klein” to “My Dear Boy,” or “Sweetheart.” Their wedding followed in September, 1899.