Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1885-07-29
HOUSE IN WHICH GRANT WAS MARRIED.


The house where Col. Dent lived, and III which
the marriage was celebrated, now stands on the
southwest corner OF Fourth and Cerre streets,
st. Louis
There is very little now in the grimy and
dtlapidated exterior of the house to suggest the
elegance that characterized IL in the days when
1t was the city residence of the Dents.
Mrs. Pitcher, q very Obliging lady, answers
the Old-style bell and admits the caller TO a
spacious hall, from which very precise stair
way leads to the floor above, with one abrupt
, and Incorporating turn at the middle of the
ascent. The stairway affords the first strong
trace of the oldtime richness. Its balusters are
exceedingly plain and straight, and its sharp
cOrncred newell post Is innocent of carving, but
all the parts are of mahogany and the top of the
post is inlaid with pearl The double parlors in
which the wedding occurred open of the hall to
the left, They are commodous rooms of about
lexis feet in dimensions, and separated by very
heavy sliding doors. The door facings and win
Ing or moldng, and are painted white just as
they were in their days of glory The knobs of
the doors are of solid brass, and perfectly
smooth, as was the fashion when the house was
built The fireplace Is surmounted by wooden
mantel, and is faced bv an ornament
ed sheet-iron front, which has escaped
any serious detaooment or injury all
these years. The most notable fea-
ture, however, is the chandelier, which
is the same that lighted the memorable bridal
festival. IL Is a very uniQue affair I'm bronze,
with three burners and three supporting rods,
between which latter Is a handsome knightly
figure. The wonder is that such a souvenir ms
lllh mas Icllldlntu safely IUEOuHu All lIc nuld-
tons to which the house has been subjected.
The front room IL now sleeping-room: the
back parlor is q dining-room. There is nothing
In the general plan of the house to call for spe
cal mention, as IL is ordinary dwelling place,
with three large rooms on each of the three
tioors and a ballroom additional on the second
/ floor.
u would appear that the days of this relic are
ready numbered, M 1t lies directly in the line
u the proposed route of the elevated road which
Is To connect the Iron Mountain Road with the
Union Depot
The bridal couple did not make this house
their home, but after wedding trip they re-
turned to St Louis, and lived for some
time with Mrs. Grants parents out at the
farm, on the Gravois road Young Grant
resigned his army commission in 1851 and
located with his family out on the Dent farm,
MIR. Dent having made his daughter present
Of eighty acres and four slaves They lived
there very nicely, but Grant did not find the life
congcnial The chief farming he did was To
haul cOrdwOod TO town and sell IL, on which oc
cason the very familiar costume which clad his
gaunt form was Jeans pants, gray wooden
shirt, one or two "gallusos," pair of raw-hidc
boots, SLOUGH hat, and an untrimmed beard a
blacksnake whip made him conn lcte.
firing completely of farm lIfc he moved into
town, and at first occupied for time house at
the southeast corner of Seventh and Lynch
* now numbered zoos Barton street. His en-
ployment was the real estate business but he
did not prosper, and i'm 1857 moved to Galena,
ILL.,, where he went into business with his father
as n tanner. Soon aftcrward the war broke cut,
and Grant was not long in discovering that
there was at least one way in which he could
earn living, and earn 1t noby