July 23, 1892 – Shopping in New Bedford
Lizzie is questioned about where she bought her dress goods on July 23rd in New Bedford. She does not recall the street name but mentions the same street as Hutchinson’s book seller :
““Q. Did you buy a dress pattern in New Bedford?
A. A dress pattern?
Q. Yes.
A. I think I did.
Q. Where is it?
A. It is at home.
Q. Where?
A. Where at home?
Q. Please.
A. It is in a trunk.
Q. In your room?
A. No, sir; in the attic.
Q. Not made up?
A. O, no, sir.
Q. Where did you buy it?
A. I don’t know the name of the store.
Q. On the principal street there?
A. I think it was on the street that Hutchinson’s book store is on. I am not positive.”
“It was a bookseller dating back to the Civil War. Ownership went from Sylvander H. Hutchinson to his son Henry S. Hutchinson then in 1919 to Robert C Saltmarsh and in 1951 to his son Robert J. Saltmarsh.” Apparently today it is a Family Dollar store- but we do know now which street Lizzie was talking about. There was a very large dry goods store on the same side of the street at 182 Union St. which sold cloth by the yard and notions called Knowles & Company- perhaps this is where Lizzie shopped.
4 Comments
Anonymous
Union Street also being the street she was incarcerated before trial.
Shelley
I think Lizzie stayed at the Ash Street jail in New Bedford just before her June 1893 trial. The courthouse is on County St.
Kate Lavender
So that’s the store that Lizzie walked in to buy a dress pattern that she talked about in her Inquest? Thanks so much for showing this, Shelley.
Shelley
She mentions the dry goods store was on the same side of the street as Hutchinson’s Bookseller. Just looking at the 1892 directory for dry goods stores that would qualify, Knowles & Co. seems the likely candidate based on the address of 182 Union St., just down the street a little , same side as Hutchinson’s at 194 Union. The devil is always in the details 🙂