"Fun? Well Rather" The Diary of Virginia Clay McClure - part of the Sesquicentennial Stories Series

January 28, 1911

A big day in the history of the Junior girls.  We had talked for a long time about having a party for the Junior boys, and at last it came off.  We sent out these cards to about seventy-five boys, but not over thirty came.  

*Inserted invitation that reads, “ The Junior Girls, At Home, Patterson Hall, Sat. Eve, Jan 28, ’11, 8 to 10.”

We had a lot of fun fixing for it.  The Junior room looked too dear for words.  The hall was fixed cute too, and the Seniors left up their decorations in the parlors.  We put up red paper, red candles etc., and it was awfully attractive looking.  Addie and I went to town and ordered the “eats”, and we all made sandwiches in the afternoon.  We served coffee (awfully good), three kinds of sandwiches, and pickles.  The Senior girls were the only ones invited to our party.  We had music, games, etc.  Played “potato”, scattered “beans” everywhere, played “blindfold”. Everybody had a good time, at least we think they did.  The boys each had a card with their names pinned on their coats.  We thought we wouldn’t have enough cards, so the girls didn’t have them, but there were some left so I got one for a souvenir. 

*Inserted card that reads “Virginia McClure”

Mr. Kohn wrote my name on the back of his card so that he could remember who I was, and every time he’d see me he’d look at the card.  “Aunt Jessie” was awfully good to us – made the best coffee – gave Cleo and me some potatoes, and helped with the sandwich dressing.  Mrs. Wallis was so nice to us and seemed to enjoy the party.  She played blind-fold too.  Miss Hamilton sent us two dozen red carnations, and lent us some more flowers.  Mrs. Barker gave us some white roses for the night and offered us the use of her sitting room, and Judge Barker sent us a big box of candy.  We cleaned up the next morning though it was Sunday, and Mrs. Wallis said our party was so nice and we cleaned up after it so nicely that we might have another party.

Halloween Traditions

Barker Hall / Buell Armory, old gymnasium, Halloween party -- Nollau photographic print collection 1998ua0001:167_0008

Early students at UK were a rowdy bunch. "Town and Gown" relations often suffered in the wake of practical jokes or pranks which got a little out of hand. In the Board of Trustees minutes from December 11, 1906, President James K. Patterson recalls his surprise on November 1st to learn that "some of the students had endeavored to obstruct the street car service and had thus come into collision with the police, that a riotous demonstration had occurred on the grounds of Patterson Hall ... Six or eight of those participating in the riotous proceedings were arrested ... Their trial was postponed for ten days pending the recovery of a policeman said to have been seriously injured by stones thrown by the rioters."

However, it was not until the late 1920s that the school instituted a Halloween Dance in an effort to curb the annual displays of violence and destruction.

[DAS and JC]

Halloween Fun -- Underwood and Underwood photographic collection, 1913-1915 80PA103:0138

Couple in costume -- James Edwin "Ed" Weddle photographic collection, 1948-1981 1997AV27_0017