Browsing in Our Archives: Christmas at AshlandBy James J. Holmberg |
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Letters describing past holidays provide an important source for researchers about these special days in American culture. What were Christmas, Thanksgiving, Independence Day, and other holidays like years ago? How were they celebrated? In “browsing” through our collections, a number of letters, notes, cards, photos, and other items can be found describing these festive occasions. One such letter is in the Jacob-Johnson Family Papers and describes Christmas of 1856 at Ashland, the Clay family home in Lexington, Kentucky. For Christmas of 1856, Thomas Prather Jacob visited his sister Susan and her family in Lexington. Susan married James Brown Clay, son of the famous Henry Clay, in 1843. Following the Great Pacificator’s death in 1852, James purchased the family home. Thomas, Susan, and their other nine siblings were the children of the prominent and wealthy Louisvillian John J. Jacob. They apparently were a rather close knit clan; corresponding and visiting with one another regularly. For Christmas of 1856 there were three Jacob siblings at Ashland. Kate Jacob was living with her sister at that time. The letter’s recipient was their sister Lucy. She and brother Charles were in Cambridge, Massachusetts, at the time attending school. Upon arriving back home in Louisville, Thomas wrote Lucy relating news of Christmas morning at Ashland and presents being sent to her and Charley. Louisville 1 The three boys mentioned were the Clays’ three oldest children: James, Jr., John, and Henry. Four more boys were apparently too young to be considered eligible for “premiums.” They were Thomas Jacob, Charles Donald (both named for two of Susan’s brothers), George, and Nathaniel. Susan was pregnant at the time with her eighth child, born in 1857 and named for their sister Lucy Jacob. Susan Jacob and Lucretia Hart would round out the ten children born to the Clays. 2 Richard Taylor Jacob (1825-1903) was sibling number five, between Susan (1823-1905) and Thomas (1827-1889). Kate (1835-1864) was sibling number nine, followed by Charles (1838-1898; a future mayor of Louisville), and Lucy (1840-1870). Richard lived at his estate Clifton on the Ohio River in Oldham County. During the Civil War he served as colonel of the Ninth Kentucky Cavalry (Union) and lieutenant governor of Kentucky, 1863-1866. |
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