by Shannon Butler
Most of us have come to the conclusion that 2020 was a year for the books. For some of us, that book would be in the genre of horror, tragedy, and maybe even dystopian? Either way, the history books that will eventually be written about this year will be mostly hard to read. So we are all looking forward (perhaps nervously) to the new year and what possibilities 2021 might bring. Most of the celebrations for the coming of the new year are going to be cut-down versions of their former selves. So how have we celebrated New Year’s Eve in the past? Big parties, dances, dinners, and a bit of drinking, right?
As seen by the two newspaper articles on the right, it was a wild night on December 31, 1921, when everyone welcomed the new year here in Poughkeepsie. There were parties at various clubs, restaurants, theaters, and private gatherings. It should be noted that in 1921, the U.S. witnessed the beginning of the Prohibition era. This means that when people did manage to get their hands on some liquor, it was both illegal and not necessarily safe for consumption. Both of these articles are on page five of the Poughkeepsie Eagle News, and while one is a positive story of “merry making” the other talks of “grand larceny and intoxication.”
The party at #16 North Perry Street got a little out of hand when one guest accused another for stealing $30 and all were a bit, shall we say, under the influence. Julia Gilmartin (who was apparently already well known to the police in Poughkeepsie) was throwing a party when her guest Gustav Visotsky claimed that another guest, Arthur Ostrander, stole $30 from him. Julia pushed Gustav out of her house. When he went in search of help, the police he encountered noticed that not only was Gustav intoxicated, but so were Arthur and Julia. All three of them ended up being charged: Arthur for grand larceny and intoxication, Julia for assault and intoxication, and poor Gustav for intoxication.
Whatever you find yourself doing for New Year’s, please be safe!
Images:
01 – Image of article in the Poughkeepsie Eagle News – Jan 2nd 1922
02 – Image of article in the Poughkeepsie Eagle News – Jan 2nd 1922
03 – Image of New Year’s Party from the Library of Congress https://www.loc.gov/resource/ggbain.15029/
04 – Image of New Year’s Party from the Library of Congress https://www.loc.gov/resource/ggbain.10076/
