One hundred and eighty-five years ago, Juliana MacLachlan Gardiner (1799-1864) was on vacation in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., writing to her younger daughter, Margaret Gardiner (1822-1857), and voicing the eternal anxieties of a parent waiting to hear from a child. In the mid-19th century, Saratoga Springs was one of the most popular resorts in the country, and much of Juliana’s letter focuses on the social scene there.
Juliana indicates that she, and presumably her other daughter, Julia Gardiner (1820-1889), along with possibly her husband, David Gardiner (1784-1844), would proceed to New York City on Saturday and stop on Staten Island, before continuing home to Long Island. Juliana’s family owned significant property on Staten Island, and she describes this stop as an obligation.
Despite missing her family, Juliana writes that it’s been “nothing but hops & balls here,” listing a number of friends and acquaintances they had seen or expected to see in Saratoga. Much of her commentary on their social interactions focuses on the appearance or reputation of those she sees, both male and female, especially those she describes as part of the dating scene.
Her interactions included prominent political figures such as Henry Clay and members of the Clinton and Van Buren families. She also mentions two of Margaret’s acquaintances, a Miss Kellogg and a Miss Angelica Livingston, “a very pretty young lady, and one Julia is very much pleased with.”
Juliana’s letter hints at the challenges of mothering Julia, Margaret’s social-butterfly sister, expressing many of the same concerns parents voice about teenagers today. She writes of Julia’s escapades, among them riding with a Mr. Hammerly. Juliana confesses she expected Julia to end up on a runaway horse like another young woman but describes herself as “agreeably disappointed” when Margaret’s sister returned without mishap.
Andrea Meyer, a librarian and archivist, is head of collection for the East Hampton Library’s Long Island Collection.
