DFH Volume 1 Issue 7
Jessie [White] Dayton, my grandma and wife of Wilber Thomas Dayton, Sr., was a very attractive young woman. In 1902, she was a 22 year old, single, and working in a nearby hotel (see news article at above). A dam was being built in the area (Spier Falls Dam between Corinth and South Glens Falls, built from 1900 to 1903 and 15-20 miles from Hadley Hill) At the time, it was the largest hydroelectric dam in the world1. Men from outside the area were hired to work on the construction of the dam. Many probably stayed at the quarry hotel referenced in the news item at the left. Jessie would more than likely have been a chamber maid, although she could have also been a waitress. Either way, she had plenty of interactions with men who had not been with a female for many days or weeks. Can you imagine how many times she was propositioned? She must have been under a great deal of pressure with many tension-filled emotional moments. We’ll never know for sure, but I’ve got to believe she remained chaste. She was a very religious woman. Thank you, Grandma, for knowing right from wrong, and for taking that summer off. She married Grandpa two summers later (21 Aug 1904). Family folklore has it that grandpa had proposed to her about 6 years before they were married. She declined the offer, but later realized how much more of a true man my grandpa was. He was a man of good intentions and good, honest character. I imagine she learned that from observing the men at the quarry hotel..
______________________
1SOURCE: Wikipedia.com
Dayton Family History 