The Debutante, The Dancer and Mr. Draper
By Mike Cyr
Imagine if you would, Hopedale and Franklin 119 years ago.
The Draper Corporation was at an apex. The owners and powerful businessmen lived in elegantly designed and carefully crafted homes. Back then displays of wealth were subtle; well-tailored but conservative clothing. It was important to keep tradition over novelty. Those of us who lived in Hopedale in the Post Draper period saw the hallmarks of this lifestyle. We know a lot about the Draper Family and the infamous broken engagement of Bristow Draper and Alice Marjorie Ray. We don’t know very much about the jilted Miss Ray. The other thing we don’t realize is how really a big deal this breaking of the engagement was for Gilded Age, Victorian Society.
Franklin Massachusetts 1907. Meet the Ray Family. The Ray family is to Franklin what the Draper family was to Hopedale.
The Ray family dominated 19th and early 20th century Franklin. The family owned and operated numerous textile and textile related mills, with 14 mills in Franklin alone. In 1876 they established The American Woolen Company. Then in 1884 the family opened and operated the Franklin Water Company and in 1901 Ray Fabric Mills.
Senator Ray, Chairman, is in the middle.
So just to be clear, this was not an engagement of two crazy kids whose parents are well off. This was a power merger, a US Gilded Age style of 14th Century European arranged marriages.
The wedding was to be performed at The Draper Memorial Church in Hopedale in June 1907. Preparations were extensive -trousseau, gifts, wide social attention. The couple had already approved plans and had begun construction on their Back Bay Mansion.
Then came March of 1907. The weather was typical spring, March the 1st was 14 while by the end of the month it was 71 with the winter’s snow lingering in small piles. Bristow Draper is in New York, no doubt conducting some business. Enjoying New York City entertainment away from the overbearing eyes of being in leading Boston Industrial and Political circles, Bristow found himself at Wallack’s Theater at 30th and Broadway and catching Sam Bernard’s Revue with a lineup of gorgeous female dancers including Miss Luana Queena Sanford. She used Queena as her stage name. The troupe would travel between NY, Boston and Chicago.
Was this a chance after show meeting? Or was this something that had been going on for a while?
This just has all the Hallmarks of a 1930’s movie, perhaps the basis of the movie “The Broadway Melody of 1929”. Remember Bristow and Alice did have an extended engagement.
Queena was born in Greenwich (Fairfield County) Connecticut on May 8th, 1885. Her parents were Frederick W Schnautz and Delia Caulfield.
Queena had joined a Vaudeville Group whose lead was Sam Bernard’s Revue. Sam Bernard was a major stage comedian from the 1890s to 1910s. He worked with the big show producers of the day like Flo Ziegfeld Jr.
The show that Bristow was seeing was this trip was “The Rich Mr. Hoggenheimer,” a musical farce about a wealthy comical character navigating through high society. Can anyone see Bristow in the character?
The scandal erupts! That last week in March 1907 Telegrams went out. Bristow is announcing that the wedding to Miss Ray of Franklin and Boston High Society is off and he has wed Miss Luana Queena Sanford of Vaudeville Fame and they have eloped! Imagine the shock, the shame.
The news went out over the wires all over the east. The scandal was nationwide!
Error above. Bristow was the son of Gov. Draper, not Gen. Draper.
Our two star-crossed lovers were not welcome to come back. They were banished to Seattle. Living in a “small cottage” and keeping out of the headlines.
After a fair amount time had passed the couple were allowed back to Hopedale and for those in Hopedale who knew Queena, she was always fondly spoken of for the kindnesses she showed during the Depression.
Alice Marjorie Ray seems to have just faded into obscurity. There were no future wedding announcements. It may take a trip to the Franklin Public Library to find out. As for Bristow, not only was he forgiven by his family, but he also eventually became the president of Draper Corporation.
As you saw above, Mike thought a trip to the Franklin Library would provide answers to what became of Alice Margery Ray. However, in spite of having been built by the Ray family and originally named the Ray Memorial Library, they had nothing on Alice and very little of the rest of the family. Mike continued his search online and fortunately found a good deal about her life after Bristow. You’ll see that in the ezine for June.
Another Bride, Another Groom,
Another Sunny Honeymoon
The Debutante, The Dancer and Mr. Draper
Part Two
By Mike Cyr
When we were last discussing the broken engagement of Mr. Bristow Draper and Miss Alice Ray, we talked about how the “Broken Betrothal” caused quite the Social Uproar. Before continuing with part two of our story, I really need to tie up some loose ends with Bristow and Queena.
In part one I had indicated that they had gone to Seattle. This gave rise to a few recollections that Bristow had only travelled as far as New Hampshire, where he worked as a regular floor operative. Indeed, both might be correct. If you noticed the final Newspaper article we included in part one near the end it was mentioned they were at the Savoy in Seattle. That article was from The Hagerstown Morning Herald Hagerstown MD on June 5th, 1907.
Dan has been doing some sleuthing work and found some references from The Woonsocket Call, where the couple headed west, undoubtingly, to let things cool down. They also tracked the couple down to NH or perhaps VT.
Here’s what some research has found. The Draper family did have ties to Seattle. Bristow’s younger brother, Eben Sumner Draper Jr. and some college friends joined an exploration vessel out of Seattle and headed for the Aleutian Islands and Alaska. Later in life, Eben explicitly returned to the city to marry a Seattle resident, Hazel Marjory Archibald, in 1926.
Quite often, when eastern high-society figures were suddenly disowned and traveling across the country during a scandal, they heavily relied on newly opened, premier luxury high-rises like the Savoy Hotel, which was actively marketing its modern amenities in 1907, as temporary residences or transit hubs before securing a more permanent housing arrangement.
Because of the intense media circus surrounding their March 1907 elopement, a trip to Seattle is about as far from Boston as you can get. The old saying that, “time heals all wounds”, may apply here. A short stay in Seattle, perhaps moving back a little closer to family while inching back into good graces. This appears to be the plan which Bristow and Queena carried out.
After a short time, the Draper’s moved to Burlington, VT. They took up residence within Burlington’s Hill Section, right near downtown. The address is 67 Buell Street. This was a typical Mill House for employees of a mill. The mill he was working for was Queen City Cotton Mill.
One of those interesting back stories is that Queen City Cotton Mills was a major customer of Bristow’s family business. In August 1894, the Draper Corporation shipped 729 of their revolutionary, newly invented “Northrop Looms” from Hopedale, Massachusetts, straight to the Queen City Cotton Mills. The Mill opened at 128 Lakeside Avenue in January 1895.
The Northrop looms were twice as productive as earlier looms, churning out sateen and cotton twill. To add to the drama, Bristow’s father was an actual corporate director and major investor in the Queen City Cotton Company! Somehow, Bristow managed to blend in entirely unrecognized by the local management.
Bristow to his credit worked as a regular laborer and mill hand. He spent over three years walking from his Buell Street home down to Lakeside Avenue, wearing overalls and jeans, carrying a lunch basket. He worked a 12-hour shift usually 6:30 AM to 6:30 PM for a weekly wage of $10.00 per week. The Burlington Sentinel noted that he managed to become a highly reliable spinner at the mill, despite starting with zero manual labor experience.
While living in anonymity in Vermont, Bristow and Queenie gave birth to their first child, Benjamin Helm Bristow Draper Jr., in early 1908.
Somehow news of the birth of a Grandchild reached Governor Eben Draper. In April 1909, The Governor made a surprise visit to the Buell Street home. Meeting his 15-month-old grandson broke the ice and initiated a slow family healing process. The Boston Sunday Post of April 25, 1909, wrote about the meeting with some literary license.
The unannounced arrival happened on a spring afternoon, Queenie was sitting on the “little vine-clad porch” of their rented cottage at 67 Buell Street, gently rocking her 15-month-old son, Benjamin Helm Bristow Draper Jr.
A carriage pulled up to the curb and out stepped the Governor of Massachusetts—a formal, imposing industrial tycoon. Queenie, who had been completely vilified by Boston high society, suddenly found herself face-to-face with her powerful father-in-law right on her own front porch. According to archived news dispatches preserved on hope1842.com, the initial meeting on the porch was incredibly tense. Governor Draper had originally vowed never to look at Queenie.
However, the sight of his grandson changed the dynamic. The group moved inside from the porch into the tiny, four-room cottage just as Bristow returned home from his shift at the mill, still wearing his grease-stained work clothes. It was here that the “Coo” That Ended the Feud occurred.
With the family gathered around the baby’s cradle, the 15-month-old baby looked up at his grandfather, smiled, and made a happy, unintelligible “baby coo” noise. The stiff, formal Governor leaned over the small crib. The ice broke entirely. Governor Draper and his wife reportedly burst into tears, immediately reached out to Queenie, and “rained kisses” on the baby.
Governor Draper publicly declared that by enduring years of hard, manual labor without complaining, Bristow had “proven his manhood.” The Governor officially blessed the marriage, restored Bristow’s inheritance, and welcomed Queenie into the family elite.
In June 1910, after more than three years of hard labor in the Vermont mills, Bristow was officially forgiven by his parents. The couple left Vermont and moved into the luxurious Westcott Cottage back in Hopedale, Massachusetts. Bristow rejoined the family business, eventually rising to become the President of Draper Corporation.
Now we must ask, “Whatever happened to Alice?” That question will be answered in the Hopedale history ezine for July.
Set narrow end to the street, this 2½-story, five-bay-façade, center-entrance Georgian Revival house with slate hip roof and hip-roof dormers takes its design cues from Mid-Atlantic late 18th-century prototypes. Early American houses from all of the original colonies were seeing increasing publication in the professional architectural press in the second and third decades of the 20th century, and borrowing ideas from other regions became increasingly common.
Alfred Potter (1880-1936), Brown University, Class of 1902, worked for the family jewelry firm, E.A. Potter & Co. before joining Gorham Manufacturing Co. in 1918, where he served as vice president until his death. He also served as a director of Rhode Island Hospital Trust Bank, Hope Webbing Co. and B.B. & R. Knight Manufacturing Co., founded by his relatives. In May of 1911, he married Alice Marjorie Ray, and here they reared their three children; Helen, Edward, and William.
– 2011 Festival of Historic Houses Guidebook
Another Bride Another Groom
Another Sunny Honeymoon
The Debutante
Part Three
By Mike Cyr
Now we must ask, “Whatever happened to Alice?”.
Recalling her background, Alice was a member of the core Ray Family of Franklin. The Ray family were Textile Barrons, owning and operating many textile mills.
We’ve been unable to find any information about Alice from the time just after this unfortunate turn of events. However, it would not be unusual for someone of Alice’s Social Standing to perhaps take an extended European Vacation and let the embarrassment pass. Perhaps Switzerland or the South of France. However, we can only surmise.
Where we do pick up on Alice’s activities, we find that she has stopped using Alice and is more than likely starting to use her middle name Marjorie. It’s now May of 1911.
Marjorie is marrying one Mr. Alfred Knight Potter of THE Providence Potter’s. Boston had Brahmans. Providence had its “Old Guard”. The Potter’s and the Knight (Alfred’s middle name) Families were Old Guard Providence. By the time of the Wedding, Alfred’s Parents had passed away as had Majorie’s father William.
Mr. Potter
Alfred Knight Potter was born in 1880 to Mr. and Mrs. Edward A Potter. Alfred graduated from Brown University in 1902.
After graduation, he cut his teeth in the jewelry trade by running his family’s jewelry manufacturing firm, E.A. Potter & Co., before Gorham recruited him.
He was recruited by Gorham Manufacturing, the leading Silversmiths in the country. He started out as a Clerk in accounting and eventually rose to VP and Treasurer by 1918, a post he held until his death. Additionally, he was on the Board of Directors of several Providence Companies and was heavily involved with many Civic Activities.
I began to wonder, how did these two meet? Considering the distance from Franklin and Providence, a four- or five-year difference in age, and that the families were engaged in totally different industries, where the connection between the Ray and Potter Families may have occurred.
Look no farther than Brown University 1902. There we find that Alfred was engaged in many extracurricular activities such as Zeta Psi Fraternity, The Glee, Banjo and Mandolin Clubs. He also was an Editor for the School Newspaper, The Brown Daily Herald.
In one of these clubs, The Cammarian Club, we find both Alfred Knight Potter and Charles A.R. Ray (Class of 02). Charles A.R. Ray was also the captain of a newly formed Basketball Team. In 1902 they went 5-15 but two of those victories included defeating Harvard 35-33 and Boston University 36-31. Charles just happens to be Marjorie Ray’s brother.
Charles Ray stayed in the Providence Area and either managed or owned dome textile manufacturing in the East Providence area, so it stands to reason he would have maintained contact with his Cammarian Club friend, Alfred.
By 1907, Alfred would have been solidly established in Providence Professional and Social circles. Most certainly, being a mature bachelor, would be “one fine catch” (to use an early 20th Century term) for the woman with the proper social upbringing and circles.
Enter, Alice Marjorie Ray, the recently available Debutante and sister of his Brown University friend. They became engaged and married on May 16th,1911.
Alice, as would be expected, was extremely active in Providence Civic and Society Groups. She was the President of the YWCA during the 20’s and 30’s. President of The Rhode Island League of Women Voters.
She actively worked raising money for the United War Fund during WWII. She was active in the Maternal Health Association; she also actively promoted the Community Fund that became United Way. She also engaged in the Agawam Hunt. I’m sure you are asking, what is The Agawam Hunt? In the 1920s, Agawam Hunt was an exclusive, Patrician private country club in Rumford, Rhode Island, that served as a major athletic and social hub for the state’s wealthiest families.
Though originally founded in 1897 as a foxhunting and “drag hunting” club (where hounds track an artificial scent rather than a live animal), the 1920s saw the club focus heavily on racquet sports and golf. However, it still maintained its equestrian roots; in 1921, the club voted to allow members to keep saddle horses in the club stables
Alfred and Alice had three children and remained married until Alfred’s death on February 19th, 1936.
Alice lived a good long life and saw her children marry and enjoyed having grandchildren. She passed away on May 26th,1974 at the age of 90.