With her time on the witness stand near ending on Valentine’s Day 1934, perhaps Evelyn Hazen reflected on the holiday and where she currently sat. Her heart balm suit against Ralph Scharringhaus had shared her romance with everyone and now on a day dedicated to romance and love, she was on the witness stand again reliving a failed love. The past two days she had been questioned at length during cross-examinations by John Jennings, Jr., Ralph’s defense attorney. While lovers and sweethearts exchanged romantic gifts and glances at home, Evelyn detailed forlorn memories of her ill-fated affair with Ralph, denied repeated accusations of infidelity, addressed long-ago written love letters and defended her choices after threatened; all the while interjecting statements that exasperated Jennings, brought warnings from the bench against volunteering statements, and once even drew laughter from the courtroom. “This witness is smart,” complained Jennings, “and she is interjecting things that she knows are incompetent.” Miss Hazen did not seem to care. The last three images are rediscovered photographs from the Cincinnati Post taken 90 years ago today of Miss Evelyn on the stand! Evelyn was unrepentant and cast barbs until finally excused from the stand. At one point, when questioned about whether she hadn’t kissed a certain man, Evelyn quipped: “I never kissed a man in my life. They had to kiss me.” After nearly four and half days on the stand and fifteen years engaged, Evelyn M. Hazen decided to give something spicy and a little sour, rather than something sweet that Valentine’s Day. #MabryHazenHouse #herstory #womenshistory #knoxvillehistory #historichousemuseum #ValetinesDay #otd

Kiss me near the golden Sunsphere Nightly, beside the green, green grass Swing, swing, swing the spinning step You wear those shoes and I will wear that dress, oh So Kiss Me in Knoxville, Tennessee! (...or something like that! We're trying! 😅) We've reproduced this ca. 1915 Knoxville-centric, Valentine appropriate postcard just in time to ask someone to kiss you in Knoxville, Tenn. You can pick up one in our gift shop starting tomorrow to give to your Valentine and hopefully get a few smooches from your Knoxville cutie in return! These will run more than sixpence, but someone will be richer for it. Thank you and credit to Chris Comer for finding this postcard and sharing it with us. #MabryHazenHouse #knoxrocks #Knoxville #vintagepostcards

All human societies, and even many animal ones, have always had courtship rituals to attract others or develop romantic bonds. But they have not all had dating. A male bird of paradise does some dramatic, colorful, and often eccentric dances, but it does not date. And neither did Americans until about 1900. The story of dating began when women left their homes and moved to cities where they took jobs and mingled with men on a daily basis. In fact, the word “date” did not appear in print in the sense we now use it until 1896! American writer, syndicated humorist, and playwright, George Ade dropped it in a weekly column he wrote for The Chicago Record. The column was called “Stories of the Streets and Town.” His stories used street language and slang to describe the daily life of working class Americans. For middle-class readers, it offered a glimpse into the everyday experiences, social situations, and mannerisms of working class life. In this particular fable, the protagonist is a young clerk named Artie. He suspects his crush, Mamie, has been losing interest and seeing other people. As Mamie cleans off a store display, Artie confront hers stating, “ I s’pose the other boy’s fillin’ all my dates?” In another serial published a few years later, Artie blurts out about another girl’s popularity, “Her Date Book had to be kept on the Double Entry System.” Dating culture was its infancy when Ade first published his humorous works about Artie and was mostly a societal marker for those working in factories, mills, and shops. For those like the Hazen daughters, the system of courtship and “calling” still followed an elaborate set of rules. You can learn more about these rules and how dating became mainstream next week during our special Valentine’s Day tours, Rated R for Risqué! More information can be found in the link in our bio. Image: ca. 1910 Magic Lantern Image of a young Edwardian couple in the midst of a romantic forest rendezvous #MabryHazenHouse #valentines #historyoflove #dating

“Mildred, I don’t think you understand why the whole symphony must be played all through in one evening. It is absurd that people think you can sample Beethoven willy-nilly like he’s some penny-opera! You wouldn't believe…” Curious how dating has changed and how much has stayed the same? Join us for what we hope is a far more interesting evening than poor Mildred is enduring! Our Rated R for Risqué: Courtship, Romance, and Intimacy in the Hazen Household tours will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 14, and Friday, Feb. 16, from 6-7:30pm. Enjoy Valentine's stepping back in time. See books and artifacts that taught and helped them be "good ladies," and hear their own words about their experiences courting, dating, and loving. Wine and light refreshments will be available. Tours start at 6:00pm and will last about 75 minutes. To purchase tickets and more information, visit the link in our bio #valentinesday2024 #865life #womeninhistory #knoxville #womenshistory

#OTD, 90 years ago, Evelyn Hazen walked into the Covington, KY courthouse to commence her breach of promise against her former fiance, Ralph Scharringhaus. Seeking $100,000 in damages, Evelyn wanted monetary compensation for her lost affections due to Ralph breaking his promise to marry–a legally binding contract in the eyes of the court. Such trials were increasingly rare by the 1930s due to high-profile stories about such "heartbalm” claims being abused. Evelyn nevertheless pursued Ralph for personal vindication. The money would be a welcome follow-up. But the monetary cost was simply lawyer and court fees. "Miss Hazen" was risking her reputation. Two Knoxville socialites uncovering all the sordid details of their love life was too enticing for newspapers to avoid. Their story was immediately a front page, top-line story at the Knoxville News Sentinel, and the paper sent special correspondent Steve Humphrey to wire back the latest reports. Scharringhaus v Hazen essentially was given live coverage for the 1930s. It wasn't long before the Associated Press and other major news outlets printed it for prying eyes. Amid the worst years of the Great Depression, the tea spilled between the two proved a welcome distraction. Yet, it became a significant clash between men and women over traditional or contemporary values. That was all to come because, on February 7, a different court case delayed proceedings. By the afternoon, though, jury selection began. In Kentucky, Men AND women would be drawn from a lot to serve. Tennessee would not permit women to serve on juries until 1951! As for Evelyn's Kentucky trial, no woman would serve "to pass on her plea" because the courts could not find an unbiased woman. The next day, Evelyn would take the witness stand and make her appeal to an all-male jury. We'll share more of Evelyn's story over the following weeks on social media and at two upcoming programs. Join us at Maple Hall on Tuesday, February 13, at 6pm for "A Woman Scorned," presented by the Knoxville History Project. Then, on February 14th & 16th, we'll host our Rated R for Risque tours! More information is in our bio.

Passed by Congress February 26, 1869, and ratified February 3, 1870, the 15th Amendment granted African American men the right to vote. The last of the Reconstruction amendments appeared to signify the fulfillment of promises made to Black Americans. In retrospect, it marked another step in the struggle for equality that would continue for more than a century before Black Americans could begin to participate fully in American public and civic life. Tennessee was the first Southern state to enfranchise Black men, doing so in 1867, and the first in the country to hold elections with massive voter turnout by Black Americans with nearly 40,000 Black men registered to vote that same year. Yet, ironically, Tennessee would not ratify the 15th amendment until 1997! In Knoxville, the Black community was deeply involved in politics by the 1870s and eager to participate, nominating and electing Black men to represent them. Between 1869 and 1879, eight Black men were elected to the board of alderman and two others served on the Knox County County Quarterly Court. Yet as Black political activism was surging, efforts were in motion to restrict their involvement and power. Even as the 15th amendment arrived for ratification, state lawmakers were trying to figure out how to reverse their own granting of suffrage to Black men. Despite the intensifying opposition, Black Knoxvillians including Wiley Mabry held a parade in April 1870 to celebrate its addition to the Constitution. His involvement represented a movement by Black people to actively reshape their lives after emancipation and fully exercise their rights as citizens. His deeper beliefs and hopes may be lost to time, but these few sources glean a man politically active in pursuit of his rights. By the end of the decade though, backlash among white voters who feared the number of Blacks suddenly in positions of authority, had sent legislators who would restrict Black political power, setting the stage for Tennessee’s Jim Crow era and decades of activism and struggle before these laws were reversed. #BlackHistoryMonth #MabryHazenHouse #tellthefullstory

In recognition of Black History Month, Mabry-Hazen House is excited to announce a new talk and the development of new interpretative signage at the museum! We celebrate this month as it allows us to talk about stories, histories, and experiences of people that have often gone overlooked, unseen, or intentionally left out. Throughout February, we’ll share stories and artifacts associated with Black inhabitants of Mabry-Hazen House. On February 22, 2024 from 6-7p, join Patrick Hollis, our executive director, for The Value of a Man: Wiley Mabry and His Mark on Knoxville. The story of Wiley Mabry offers a celebratory yet sobering tale of the lengths enslaved African-Americans took to obtain their freedom. Only fragments exist from Wiley's life, yet an 1872 Southern Claims Commission report reveals a fascinating and powerful detail about him: Wiley Mabry bought himself. Since discovering this fascinating story, more details about Wiley and his experiences after his self-emancipation have emerged. From political activism to marriage, family, and beyond, hear the wider story of Wiley Mabry, learn about Black life in Knoxville during the 1870s, and understand Hollis's research process into the fragmentary evidence sketching Wiley's life. Admission is FREE! You may have seen our post about working to open up the bottom floor of the house to better tell the stories of Elizor, Fanny, and others enslaved. Along with these efforts, we are creating a new interpretive sign listing all documented individuals enslaved by Joseph Mabry. The sign will be installed in the kitchen of the house. Our interpretive mission aims to tell an inclusive, full history of everyone who inhabited Mabry-Hazen House and while we only have slivers of the experiences on the bottom floor, we hope this sign will give more voice to those living alongside the Mabrys. Once the final design is completed, we’ll be sure to share it! You can support this project by making a donation on our website. #MabryHazenHouse #blackhistorymonth #visitknoxville #tellthefullstory

“You can go as far as you like with me In my merry Oldsmobile.” In 1905, the chorus of the risqué waltz, “In My Merry Oldsmobile,” ends with an open and scandalous invitation. The automobile offered young couples an escape from the old courtship, parlors, and watchful eyes of their parents. Couples could “spark” in the “old dark park.” And, while church and marriage were still in the picture, Sunday morning drives were rarely the top priority. The automobile is one example of the rapidly changing romantic conventions and challenges at the turn of the 20th century. We'll cover couples sneaking away in their new cars and more during our tour: Rated R for Risqué: Courtship, Romance, and Intimacy in the Hazen Household on Wednesday, Feb. 14, and Friday, Feb. 16, from 6-7:30pm. Enjoy Valentine’s Day by stepping back in time. See books and artifacts that taught and helped the Hazen women be "good ladies," and hear their own words about their experiences courting, dating, and loving. Visitors must be 18 or older, or 16 or older accompanied by a parent or guardian older than 21. This program will discuss topics such as sexual trauma and harassment and could be triggering for those sensitive to such issues. Wine and light refreshments will be available. Tours start at 6:00pm and will last about 75 minutes. Tickets are $15 per person, and pre-purchasing is encouraged as tickets at the door are not guaranteed. Space is limited to eighteen visitors. To purchase tickets and more information, visit www.mabryhazen.com/ratedr "In My Merry Oldsmobile." Timely Waltz Song. sourced from The Lester S. Levy Sheet Music Collection at Johns Hopkins University #historyoflove #valentinesday2024 #valentines #new2knox #865life

The #museumlife soots us! With snow now in the rear view, we busied ourselves with important work cleaning and refurnishing the original kitchen of Mabry-Hazen House. The kitchen and bottom floor of the home was where enslaved people like Fannie, Elizor, and Lewis and later domestic workers like the Jones family would have labored and resided. We are working to open up more of this area to better interpret their experiences and lives in the house. The staff had a rare chance to stick their heads in the hearth and got down and dirty to see decades of soot in the chimney, built up from cooking food and heating water for laundry. So while we may be closed for our winter season, our hands certainly aren’t idle. We can’t wait to show the progress when we reopen for regular hours in March! #mabryhazenhouse #historichousemuseum #tellthefullstory #knoxrocks

It started out with a kiss...how did it end up like this? It was only a kiss! What's in a kiss? Well time, place, and history play a lot more than we often think! A heart doesn't play by rules, but romantic love has its own rules and demands! The who, what, when, and how are molded by context and complexities of time and place and are always subject to change. Join Mabry-Hazen House for a Rated R for Risqué: Courtship, Romance, and Intimacy in the Hazen Household on Wednesday, February 14th and Friday, February 16th from 6-7:30pm to learn about the act and attitudes around love in the early 20th century! Preserving the stories of three generations of women, this Mabry-Hazen House tour will explore romantic conventions and challenges of falling in love at the turn of the 20th century. Learn how each generation thought about romance -- the good and the bad -- and how it changed across the decades. Beginning with the courtship of Alice and Rush Hazen, visitors will learn how Victorian conventions of romance evolved into the more familiar ideas of dating in the age of Gibson Girls and flappers. The story of Evelyn Hazen and her ill-fated fifteen year engagement to Ralph Scharringhaus and subsequent "heart balm" lawsuit will offer visitors an intimate glimpse into the thoughts and actions of a couple falling in and out of love during the Jazz Age. See books and artifacts that taught and helped them be "good ladies," and hear their own words about their experiences courting, dating, and loving. Wine and light refreshments will be available. Tour starts at 6:00pm and will last about 75 minutes. Tickets are $15 per person and pre-purchasing is encouraged as tickets at the door are not guaranteed. Space is limited to eighteen visitors. To purchase tickets and more information, visit the link in our bio! #mabryhazenhouse #knoxrocks #new2knox #historyoflove