Never seen again. Like she vanished into the air after she said goodbye to one of her friends that she saw on the street after buying the book and chocolates. Dorothy told her friend she (Dorothy) was going to take a shortcut through Central Park.
So the shortcut would lead to the dress shop or lunch place or no?
I was under their impression she wanted to go to the park to walk or sit or some such but not sure why I thought that.
I can I guess why her father would think something happened to her there and I've had similar thoughts. If she is so well known/the family is, and there was no further sighting, no dress purchased, etc. then it would be as likely as anything. One would think others of prestige would recognize her on 5th Avenue, the shops area. IF that's where she was headed with the shortcut?
Since she was to meet mom for lunch and did not, I assume this was all in the morning. I just looked it up to see and December 12, 1910 was a Monday. I'm not saying that means a darned thing but I was simply wondering if it was a weekend day, etc. Nothing would have been opened Sundays though back then. Nothing was where I lived even in far later years back when. NY shops may have been different but I somehow doubt it. It just was how things were. You observed Sunday, church and family day.
So a friend saw her and it is known she bought chocolates and a book and so she was alive that day and the story of shopping was true at least to that point... A male or female friend, do you know?
I was thinking the entire story could have been false but apparently that's out.
So then I wonder if she bought a book and chocolates where she was but then needed to head through Central Park for the dress or lunch that the book and chocolate shop/s were not on 5th Avenue unless Central Park somehow lies in the midst of it. Not familiar at all with it. May look it up one day. I'm not even sure I knew such was around that far back lol. Maybe I did, from novels, can't recall.
Or does the shortcut lead somewhere else entirely? Did she tell the friend she was going to lunch and shopping still...? Would the shortcut take her near the train station?
Also if the friend was a male, he'd be on my suspect list...
If she just kind of vanished with no more sightings, I'm also leaning to Central Park since she was probably so recognizable.
I just googled and found that the decade of 1910 to 1919 as revolutionary for the car industry. There were about 500,000 cars operating in America. I'm going to guess there were still horses iand carriages in those early days. I tried to Google for that specifically for 1910 but long day and didn't come up with it specifically but ran into this article. Even though a lot of it is about horse manure, lol, it is still pretty interesting, very, imo and there are some good photos in it of 5th Avenue and more. It's not real long and it's big print.
There are times when the solution to a specific problem becomes a revolution, although not necessarily a positive one. This is the case with the inventi...
smartwatermagazine.com
The reason I am wondering about cars and carriages, etc. is how she could have disappeared and not be seen. I imagine they searched the park well I'd think and no body. And if one was every there, it would have been found in time. So that would seem to be out. I'm also going to guess no cars in the park allowed probably at that time and perhaps never. I am pretty sure though they did go for horse and carriage rides in the park if I recall novels the likes of which I haven't read for decades correctly. And that is IF she made it to the park and the shortcut. Was she close to there when she saw the friend I wonder.
I do NOT want you looking but am asking if a newspaper ever did a map showing her stops and where she saw the friend, the park, the shortcut, etc. and last sighting by the friend, and so forth. Even where the train station was...
You know if she was cutting through the park to go to the dress shop, that would mean something because it would seem to show she had no intent of disappearing and was going to continue her plans. That's why I'd like to know where she was taking the shortcut TO. Of course she could have lied to the friend.
I'm also starting to rule out some criminal in the park if he had no carriage or car because again her body would have been found I'd think. And that would bring me back to meeting a man and going off with him. Or as youi lean towards, taking a train but you'd THINK SOMEONE would remember her if she did that.
If the friend was a male and knew she was going to walk along through the park, even if they were seen parting, he could have then followed her but that doesn't seem likely either as again, there's have to be a mode of transport to take her out of the park...
Then there is the abortion thing. But would you dress like that to go to something like that...Another question (and don't feel you have to answer them all) is was she having a dress made or buying one 'off rack"? I have no idea what 5th AVenue was like in that year, etc. She may have put on a certain dress because she wanted the same fit or liked something about it to let a dressmaker size it from that dress or even copy something on it, etc.
I guess I'm looking to determine if she had every intention that day of doing what was planned, stated, lunching with mom and going home. if she did, then foul play occurred somewhere along the way imo.
How would you even meet up with a man you know in that day and age. I gather there were telephones but heck we had a party line yet in the 60s and the only phone was probably in their home, I assume they had one but who knows if any man she was interested in did. Perhaps but you'd really have to take care to not get caught out. I remember our neighbors listening in, it was a popular pastime I'd even go so far as to say especially for nosy and gossipy types. The operators as well lol. Just watch some Andy Griffith, far later than 1910 lol.
So I'd think you'd almost have to plan your meeting spot on some regular basis. Say every Monday morning in the park? And then make plans from there for your next time or just keep a weekly meeting time, etc... No cell phones, no texting, no emails... I'd imagine even pulling off the week with George had to be difficult.
I set out to do just a short response but the case intrigues me and I didn't even realize until talking it out that I think a few thoughts I had can likely be ruled out, most likely anyhow.
We know she was secretive in like the hidden week with George, we know pregnancy is a GOOD possibility. And THAT is another thing if she was to get fitted at a dressmaker, I mean we all know you don't show too much early on but it may have been something she wouldn't have wanted in the event it was a regular dress maker or fitter who knew her measurements. Can't have scandal for the family after all. It may sound dumb but could this be part of it? She knew she needed a dress for her sister's Deb ball and she couldn't miss it... If the dress was being made, she'd know she wouldn't fit it later on... When was the ball to occur? Shortly after the shopping or much later...? I also thought it maybe just a perhaps unusual she didn't go shopping with her mom or sister and I still find her being out and about alone someone unsafe or odd for that time period but perhaps the area she was in was considered safe, I don't know, and not so unusual. I think it is though.
This would also come back to abortion or leaving with someone or going to someone, like the aunt.
The thing is George would have likely been the one responsible for the pregnancy and you'd think she'd turn to him to help pay/help her out... And perhaps that's part of his statement that he'd marry her, as he knew she was PG and still refused to...
I need to stop but like I said, thoughts kind of rolling a bit now.
One last thing is the reading material she picked IS pretty interesting. You'd think you'd read it first though and then make your plan but who knows...Was she carrying another single solitary thing with her other than chocolates, the book, and probably a purse of some type...?
You know in 1910, she isn't going to be able to like apply for a job via internet, text someone she knows in say California (if anyone) and ask to stay with them, and so on. Or email. Etc. And calling long distance man was expensive even decades later and not even sure what the capability was then. Or France. Or New Orleans. She'd need help or this was a coverup by family as well...
Pregnancy seems to come in number one to me. In that day and age if some young unmarried girl went off and a story was given, it was often the case or the man married her and they hid the date of birth, etc.
They'd hate me sharing this as their kids did not even know until they died, but my grandparents were well thought of all their life, very well thought of. When my grandpa died, the oldest son in their things found out his birthdate was incorrect, what he had always believed to be his birthdate. I'm unsure what they came across, I was a child so my uncle and all of us were there, my aunts, uncles, my parents, my cousins over at my aunt's house and they were going through some of his things and letting people take mementos and such. They'd hid this their entire LIVES right up to his end, she died younger, he was in his 90s. And he was born in 1894. I don't know their marriage date but that's besides the point.
Then, and I don't recall how this was found out, when or know for sure, it came out at some point that he had a son by another woman who he did not marry, before my grandma. All in the same little rural area and small nearest town. I mean when I first heard this the grown son would have been in his 40s or 50s probably, again don't recall.
She married someone else and I don't recall this either but I am guessing that accepted the kid and hid it as their own or maybe she was shamed and then married, I have no idea what happened on that end. Someone in my family probably does.
I haven't quit have I? SOOOO I guess my point is people as we know sure covered such, it was shameful and this here was a very prominent family. And if George refused to marry her, IF she was pregnant, clearly my grandpa didn't do that with the one woman, and don't think bad of him, they were SUCH good people their entire lives, and thought very well of, then their options are hard. And this was before that time by a long number of years. Her choices would have been to turn to a man who would accept the child, have an abortion, go to a home for unmarried mothers, etc. with a cover story, go to her aunts, the aunt even to raise it as her own or something on this order. This family sounds to me as a type that wouldn't even do a cover story like she moved or is on vacation in France or something because imo people knew what this often meant even if that game is played and they wanted no one knowing, that is IF they even knew. Or she could feel like she'd cause them such scandal if they knew. They also very well could have helped her...Get to her aunt's etc. Either/or Knew or did not know.
And preferred her to be though of as just gone missing. But that doesn't seem likely because even that's unwanted attention really.
Here's the other thing about that first unknown son of my grandpa, people did know. We didn't, I don't believe any of my aunts and uncles, many, big family my grandparents had, etc. but some did in the area. Way way years later, my BIL's mom said oh you didn't know that kind of thing, she had known, to my sister I believe. Of course by then these things weren't so shocking as they had used to be. My grandparents though would be morified had they thought anyone knew or told.
I say that to say that I do think it POSSIBLE her family wouldn't have just wanted some cover story and to send her off because people still usually knew or could guess BUT then that's all they needed to. No scandal, they married and lied about pregnancies and things like that and everyone just whispered about it.
Even though long, I was point on all about Dorothy in this post but am sidetracking a bit now. I should be in bed. I never learn lol. I was so tired at work today I should have went early tonight. to bed.
I hope something somewhere I said gives you some thoughts or stirs some.
I think my sum up to all of that is pregnancy was absolutely the biggest reason a woman went missing in those days but generally it was with a cover story. But this COULD still be one...They made sure she was seen that day and then whisked her off...
But now I'm repeating myself but more unlikely maybe the family knew nothing...
Just because I've had this thought throughout but don't think I said it, I'll add one more. She clearly as we know lied to cover like a week with George. Seems maybe a bit adventurous? I'm just thinking that this was a Monday and so a pretty educated guess would be she stayed at home all day Sunday with the family, Sunday dinner, probably church as far as going out. And maybe by Monday morning, needed a plan and way to get out of the house and was a bit stir crazy and it's winter who doesn't get that way although at my age I prefer to go nowhere, at that age, it would be different. I mean you are 25, have a bf or did, and can't be with him every moment and are living with your parents...
I'm leaning a bit more your way, not sure as to what scenario but if she saw a friend, was headed to go through Central Park and never seen again, I'm thinking she met up with someone and left with them... She never made it to another shop or they'd know her, recall her, have a charge on her dad's account from her, etc...
Thinking about cars and carriages led me to likely no foul play in Central Park by a stranger anyhow. You aren't going to haul a body into your car the way they were then and I don't think they were allowed in the park or your carriage and drive to the Hudson River or something and dump a body. I just can't picture that. They were slow, roads weren't the same, I doubt people were even doing many like out of state or cross country trips in cars to dump elsewhere. So that thought which I had at first, a stranger attacking and murdering her in the park, just seems unlikely. And no body ever found there.
I've went on too long but thanks to you am getting some more info I didn't know and starting to see a bit more and rule some thoughts I had most likely out. I even see how in frustration her dad went to she was in the water at Central Park (even though frozen I guess) because what it is sounding like is that is where she was last headed, last seen and then vanished.