Granny’s Trip to the
Beach
By: Ellouise Schoettler
By: Ellouise Schoettler
Actually I grew up hearing stories
about Wrightsville Beach from my grandmother. I lived at 2001 East 7th Street
in Charlotte and I would walk one block and two houses to East Seventh Street
anytime we wanted to. She told me this story when we were sitting on the couch
in her living room. It happened in 1904 and Granny was just 16.
“It was really hot in Charlotte that
summer and a bunch of girls wanted to go to the beach. But in those days it was
not proper for respectable young women to go on their own - and it would have
been a scandal for us to stay in a hotel by ourselves.
We were all working at Ivey’s Department Store and one day we talked it over among ourselves and fixed on the idea that Miss Annie Grose would be just the right person to go with us. She was a milliner at Ivey’s - that’s hat maker in case you don’t know - and we all liked her - and most important she was a fine up-standing, church going spinster lady - - real respectable.
We were all working at Ivey’s Department Store and one day we talked it over among ourselves and fixed on the idea that Miss Annie Grose would be just the right person to go with us. She was a milliner at Ivey’s - that’s hat maker in case you don’t know - and we all liked her - and most important she was a fine up-standing, church going spinster lady - - real respectable.
Well it took some doing but we
persuaded her to go with us as out chaperone. We rode the train from Charlotte
to Wilmington and then we had to take another electric trolley car out to the
beach. We got off at Station One and found out hotel - The Kitty Cottage.
Oh, it was fine. There was a big
porch that went all the way around it and the men and women staying there were
sitting in white rocking chairs on the porch just relaxing, talking and
enjoying the cool ocean breezes.
We just had the best time. We went
swimming in the ocean right in front of the Kitty Cottage and then we dressed
real nice for dinner in the dining room. After that we strolled down the
boardwalk to the Casino where there was dancing. Oh, my, it was so fine. And we
were just enjoying ourselves - to tell you the truth we were having so much fun
dancing one evening after dinner that we did not want to go in from dancing
when Miss Annie said we should.
So after she went to her room and we
went to our room - two of us got up and put our clothes back on. We climbed out
the window onto the roof of the porch. It was pretty high up so we could not
jump down - but there was a trellis at one end. We hiked up our skirts and
climbed down it and went back to the Casino for more dancing. We thought we
were pretty smart and we had a good laugh over how we had fooled Miss Annie.
But when we came in two hours later
- we were the one that got the surprise. Miss Annie was sitting in the hall
right outside our door waiting for us. And, she was not laughing. Let me tell
you she had plenty to say about what we had done.
So, Ellouise - you just remember
this - you might thing you are pulling the wool over somebody’s eyes but when
you get right down to it - you’ll find out - you are not as smart as you think
you are."
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