Object Record
Images
Metadata
Object Name |
Dress |
Catalog Number |
1960.001.01 |
Description |
Brown silk dress with a two tired skirt, and bell sleeves that are fringe-trimmed. The dress has woven stripes and geometric patterns at the hems of the two skirt tiers. The waist is darted, tucked and pointed in front. Skirt has cartridge pleats, and is sewn to bodice. Lined with braid on hem of underskirt. |
Year Range from |
1850 |
Year Range to |
1859 |
Provenance |
Dress was donated by the great-grandchild of Rebecca Myrick. |
Owned By |
Rebecca Myrick, wife of Nathan Myrick |
Material |
Silk |
Dimensions |
L-37 inches |
Length (in) |
37.000 |
Dimension Details |
Shoulders: 16" |
People |
Myrick, Rebecca Ismon |
Subjects |
Clothing & Accessories |
Search Terms |
Myrick |
Notes |
The back of the bodice appeared to have been remade. Upon examination we found that a big chunk of silk had been cut out of the bottom layer of the skirt, where it doesn't show and used to remake the bodice. Featured in "Things that Matter" This brown silk dress has two tiers with bell sleeves that are fringe-trimmed. The dress has woven stripes and geometric patterns at the hems of the two skirt tiers. The waist is darted, tucked and pointed in front. And this dress dates from 1840-1859, which is when Rebecca was living in La Crosse. Rebecca's husband Nathan Myrick was born in 1822 in New York. He first came to La Crosse in 1841, and when he arrived to the area it is recorded that there were several hundred Native Americans already living in the area. He was a young fur trader, and he established the trading post in order to trade with the Native Americans. The actual city of La Crosse was established in 1842. While traveling back east to get supplies, he married Rebecca Ismon in 1843. Nathan had promised to marry Rebecca three years prior, before he left for Wisconsin. She was living in Vermont at this point, and after their marriage they quickly headed back to La Crosse. It took about four weeks for the couple to reach La Crosse. They were among some of the first white settlers in the area. While living in La Crosse, she had a number of children, and her dress is sized to accommodate her pregnancies. In total, the Myricks had eight children with three surviving to adulthood. Some of them were born in the La Crosse area and some were born in St. Paul. Due to financial and medical setbacks, the Myricks left La Crosse in 1848. They moved up to St. Paul, Minnesota so Myrick could continue and expand his trading ventures. In 1846, Myrick invested in a lumber mill that failed due to low river waters. It is also argued that the fur trade was declining in La Crosse at the time, which was another factor in the couple moving. Myrick kept some of his business interests in La Crosse, but he sold a majority of his interests to Timothy Burns. Rebecca died in 1901, and Nathan died in 1903. Many years later, the dress was donated to the Historical Society by the wife of Shepard A. Naylor, whose great-grandmother was Rebecca Myrick. In a similar manner, Mrs. Harry E. Cook brought the portrait of Rebecca down to La Crosse from St. Paul. She was the granddaughter of Nathan and Rebecca. They must have known the foundational history of the Myricks in La Crosse. This article was originally published in the La Crosse Tribune. Title: Rebecca Myrick's Dress Author: Ivy King Publish Date: March 10, 2018 |