When Ada Green married William McMillen in Dayton on March 10, 1881, the Free Trader’s account of the ceremony included something that was common for that day, but unusual today. In addition to a description of the ceremony, the remarks made by the pastor, and the wedding dinner, the next paragraph gave a list of the wedding gifts and their donors.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are some examples of the types of wedding gifts of the time:

a sugar spoon

 

 

 

a cake basket

 

 

 

 

 

engravings

 

 

 

 

 

a salt and pepper castor

 

 

 

 

napkin rings

 

 

 

 

a pickle castor

 

 

 

 

a spoon holder

 

 

 

 

glassware

 

 

 

 

This was very definitely a family wedding – of all the donors listed only a half-dozen are not members of the Green family.