"Ken McCutchan is a life-long resident of Vanderburgh County, Indiana, descended from pioneer families that entered the area in the early 1800s. He is veteran of WWII, having served with Army Corps of Engineers in both North Africa and Europe. He holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English Composition and Modern Language from the University of Evansville, a certificate in French Language and Culture from the Sorbonne in Paris, and an Honorary Doctor of Letters Degree from the University of Southern Indiana. His other books include: The Adventures of Isaac Knight, From then Til Now, Saundersville, An English Settlement, At The Bend in the River, and Dearest Lizzie. Mr. McCutchan's books may be purchased at Willard Library in Evansville, IN.

High on Their Wedding Day    - History

by Kenneth McCutchan

At 3 p.m. on March 10, 1906, an estimated 7,000 people attended the marriage of Ora D. Williams to George P. Lenfers.

The great crowd gathered in the streets and alleys around Main and Division streets, and even on rooftops, to witness the ceremony that took place on top of the newly constructed gas company smokestack, 222 feet high.

It was the most unusual wedding Evansville had ever seen and the curious crowd began to gather hours before the ceremony.

Shortly after 2 p.m. the young couple arrived, accompanied by their minister, the Rev. Chas. Armentraut of the Immanuel Presbyterian Church. The bride, dressed in black, pinned her skirts above her ankles before she entered the base of the smokestack to begin the long climb up the narrow wooden ladder to the dizzying height.

Hundreds of binoculars were trained on the top to watch for the bridal party to emerge.

There, on a platform that measured about nine feet in diameter, beneath a large American flag that fluttered gently in the breeze, the ceremony was performed.

When the minister pronounced them man and wife, Lenfers placed a long kiss on the lips of his new bride while the factory whistle blew a long blast in salute, and the crowd roared.

The bride leaned over the railing and waved her handkerchief, which brought up another cheer from the gathered thousands.

Then began the long descent, which took about 25 minutes. At last, when the bride emerged from the base of the shaft, a near riot broke out. Hundreds, mostly women, rushed to greet her with hugs and kisses.

Hats were knocked awry and dresses torn in the melee, which got completely out of control.

Finally the police managed to tear the bridal party away from the clutches of the mob and herd them into the offices of the gas company.

The bride was greeted by her new mother-in-law, who helped her change from her cement-smudged dress into a fashionable blue traveling suit.

Then it was with no little difficulty that the police were able to get the party out of the building and into a cab, as the fanatical crowd still surged in the street.

Finally, behind a team of galloping horses, they escaped down an alley and over to the Acme Hotel.

Later, a sumptuous supper was served there, attended by friends and family, officials of the gas company, the major and other dignitaries.