On a recent trip to Greenwood Cemetery in Orlando, Florida, I revisited the graves of my great grandfather, Harry Alexander Newell (Aug. 1862-1940) a music professor, his wife, Gertrude Sweet Newell (July,1862-1947), and their daughter Mildred (!890-1914) who died at the age of 24, just prior to completing an out-of-state (Julliard?) musical education in voice, that was expected to have lead to a promising stage career. (See obit dated May 4, 1914, Orlando Reporter-Star)
The
day and month dates for the deaths of Harry and Gertrude were not listed on
their grave markers, so I didn't have time to look up their obits, but I was
able locate Mildred's on micro film in the Orlando library. A quick spin through archival material of the
Reporter-Star helps to put the time of her death into something
of a historical time capsule. It was
reported that on May first, 1914, women in Harrisburg, Pa. opposed to women's suffrage, met in their first state convention in
a "vigorous campaign against the adoption of the suffrage amendment by the
next Legislation."
That same day, in New York, Upton Sinclair and four women were found guilty of disorderly conduct and fined $3 each, in lieu of a three day jail sentence, for parading in front of the Standard Oil Building posing as, "'mourners' protesting against John D. Rockefeller, Jr.'s policy in the Colorado mine war…" two of the women refused to pay the fine and Sinclair immediately launched into a speech before the court, and threatened to go on a hunger strike if jailed. The judge must have been unimpressed. The article concludes: "He was promptly locked up."
In that same year Harry and Gertrude would both turn 52, the First World War would break out in Europe, Mildred's older brother, Alex (0ct. 1985-1964), by now 28, would already be married, with children, and Mildred's little cousin, Sidney Newell* would win a blue ribbon at the Orange County Fair for his Guinea Pig collection.
Mildred's
death notice ran on page one of the May 4, 1914, Edition of the Reporter-Star, and was almost certainly
read by all surviving members of the family.
In that same issue, on page six, there was an ad that ran in almost
every issue: ELIJAH HAND FUNERAL
DIRECTOR AND EMBALMER all calls answered day or night, Hand Block, Residence
Upstairs, ORLANDO-FLA, Phone 639.
According to Bonnie Newell Greaves, the body was shipped back South, to Orlando, by train, but almost certainly Harry and Gertrude Newell, being musicians, and prominent members of the community would have been acquainted with the local undertaker. Other ads too, take on an evocative quality when you consider the size of Orlando at that time. The florist, the bicycle repairman, the grocers, and piano sales company, all of whom ran ads in the local paper would have all been known personally by virtually all of the people who read the news. [For the sake of economy I have attached part of page one (1) only, but if you are interested I can run copies of the whole paper for you. Examples of the ad copy and prices are a hoot: i.e. "$3.10 JACKSONVILLE AND RETURN via Atlantic Coast Line" or "Get Your Safety Razor Blades Sharpened at The Orlando Pharmacy" etc.
On a recent trip to Greenwood Cemetery in Orlando, Florida, I revisited the graves of my great grandfather, Harry Alexander Newell (Aug. 1862-1940) a music professor, his wife, Gertrude Sweet Newell (July,1862-1947), and their daughter Mildred (!890-1914) who died at the age of 24, just prior to completing an out-of-state (Julliard?) musical education in voice, that was expected to have lead to a promising stage career. (See obit dated May 4, 1914, Orlando Reporter-Star)
That same day, in New York, Upton Sinclair and four women were found guilty of disorderly conduct and fined $3 each, in lieu of a three day jail sentence, for parading in front of the Standard Oil Building posing as, "'mourners' protesting against John D. Rockefeller, Jr.'s policy in the Colorado mine war…" two of the women refused to pay the fine and Sinclair immediately launched into a speech before the court, and threatened to go on a hunger strike if jailed. The judge must have been unimpressed. The article concludes: "He was promptly locked up."
In that same year Harry and Gertrude would both turn 52, the First World War would break out in Europe, Mildred's older brother, Alex (0ct. 1985-1964), by now 28, would already be married, with children, and Mildred's little cousin, Sidney Newell* would win a blue ribbon at the Orange County Fair for his Guinea Pig collection.
Mildred's
death notice ran on page one of the May 4, 1914, Edition of the Reporter-Star, and was almost certainly
read by all surviving members of the family.
In that same issue, on page six, there was an ad that ran in almost
every issue: ELIJAH HAND FUNERAL
DIRECTOR AND EMBALMER all calls answered day or night, Hand Block, Residence
Upstairs, ORLANDO-FLA, Phone 639. According to Bonnie Newell Greaves, the body was shipped back South, to Orlando, by train, but almost certainly Harry and Gertrude Newell, being musicians, and prominent members of the community would have been acquainted with the local undertaker. Other ads too, take on an evocative quality when you consider the size of Orlando at that time. The florist, the bicycle repairman, the grocers, and piano sales company, all of whom ran ads in the local paper would have all been known personally by virtually all of the people who read the news. [For the sake of economy I have attached part of page one (1) only, but if you are interested I can run copies of the whole paper for you. Examples of the ad copy and prices are a hoot: i.e. "$3.10 JACKSONVILLE AND RETURN via Atlantic Coast Line" or "Get Your Safety Razor Blades Sharpened at The Orlando Pharmacy" etc.
*
Sidney was the son of George Rippard Newell, Atty. (Harry's Brother), See attachment (2) with
the illustration of a house, and read the text.
About attachment
(2) using
attachment (3) (Map of Orlando) for reference:
I
found what I thought was the original George R. Newell house circa 1885
(pictured) at the corner of Lake St. and
Agnes St., facing East out across Lake Cherokee. Painters were at work in the house so I
invited myself in and began to interview the painters. They said that the original house had been
built along what is still called Honeymoon row, a string of upscale Victorian
houses built in the late 1800's by young newly-wed couples. According to the painters, there had been a
movement afoot some time in the mid 1970's to preserve the old house, but sometime in the night it was
mysteriously leveled by a bulldozer.
Another house with a remarkable resemblance to the old one has been
built on the same site. The current
owners, a Mr Lotz and his wife were described as "artists," with Mr.
Lotz being on the faculty at U.C.F. in the Art Dept.
About attachment
(3): Map
of Orlando, showing the sites of Harry and George Newells' homes. Harry Newell's home, on Robinson Ave., facing
Lake Eola, is the site of a down town high-rise insurance building now.
About attachment
(4): Harry, (bottom left) and George (upper left)
Newell in tennis garb on the porch of Harry's house (?) from attachment (2).
See caption.
About attachment
(5): Harry A. Newell with baritone horn
from frontice piece of Orlando the City
Beautiful, (no caption or date)
identified by Bonnie Newell Greaves.
About attachment
(6): Harry and Gertrude (the most beautiful
woman in Orange County). See caption, with Alex Newell (?) seated bottom left
cornet.
About attachment
(7): Harry and Alex Newell circa
1911. See caption.
About attachment
(8): Orlando Cornet Band with Harry Newell. See Caption.
About attachments
(9) and (10): Taken from Orlando the City Beautiful, but also carried in Orlando:
a Centennial History Volume I, which identifies the third rider from
the left, as Harry Newell, that would make Alex Newell a candidate for the boy
on the handlebars; however, the man on the bicycle, third from the right looks more like the Harry Newell
in the other pictures. If the photo had
been flipped on the back at the time the names were recorded, that might
account for getting the names backwards.
 |
| Professor Harry and Gertrude Newell (far right) in their Orlando home early 1900's and their son Alex (seated far left) with coronet |
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