Benjamin Stephenson will continue to be an important part of the history of Edwardsville. He was born in Pennsylvania and then moved to West Virginia later on in his life. He married Lucy Swearington, daughter of an “Indian” landowner, and they had a daughter soon after. The young budding family moved from Kaskaskia to Edwardsville, with Major Stephenson working for Ft. Russel nearby. He originally served in the Illinois militia and moved up in rank. Once he moved to Edwardsville, he became an integral part of establishing the town. James Madison, President at the time, appointed Gen. Stephenson public money for being a merchant of a small convenience shop he owned. Not only did he own a business and work in the military, but he also aided in drafting the Illinois constitution. He was relatively healthy up until his death on October 10, 1822, at age 54. Gen. Stephenson died with a particular illness,
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Those who work for the house display the family’s mourning customs in order to bring light to what they experienced. In image one, the photo pictured is of braided hair of the deceased within a necklace or a broach. This was worn during the mourning process and after the death, in order to carry a piece of the lost with them at all times. It served as a comfort, and also as a small fashion statement due to the intricate braids within the piece.
The clothing styles and color choice from the period are similar to now, as we still wear the color black when we mourn. In image two, this is a diagram of the clothing styles throughout time woman wore to mourn their lost loved ones. The dresses changed over time and they were usually made out of bombazine, a very expensive fabric with a drape-like structure. Silk was too shiny and inappropriate to wear, so they opted for a duller fabric. It was also expensive in bulk, so the men wore black armbands in their mourning
Those who work for the house display the family’s mourning customs in order to bring light to what they experienced. In image one, the photo pictured is of braided hair of the deceased within a necklace or a broach. This was worn during the mourning process and after the death, in order to carry a piece of the lost with them at all times. It served as a comfort, and also as a small fashion statement due to the intricate braids within the piece.
The clothing styles and color choice from the period are similar to now, as we still wear the color black when we mourn. In image two, this is a diagram of the clothing styles throughout time woman wore to mourn their lost loved ones. The dresses changed over time and they were usually made out of bombazine, a very expensive fabric with a drape-like structure. Silk was too shiny and inappropriate to wear, so they opted for a duller fabric. It was also expensive in bulk, so the men wore black armbands in their mourning