I will describe then as if they are in three horizontal rows, from top to bottom, from left to right.
1. Lanciers EASTER PARTY at Empire Hall, April 25th, 1878. I haven't yet found details of this event in the number of New York newspapers I've searched. I'm not certain if the word "Lanciers" refers to a family, title, individuals, or a society. Of course, just to confuse the issue, a lancier is also a dance! In addition, Empire Hall is not found as a building - and I'm wondering if it is a hall inside the Empire State Building? **See below for additional information - it's in Syracuse! And the "Lanciers" also refers to a series of parties held there.
2. Arion Masquerade Ball, Gilmore's Garden, Feb. 21st, 1879 This was apparently a huge ball, written up in a full column & a half in the New York Times the next day. For details, click through - it starts on the top left column. "Last Year's Great Ball Eclipsed. Gilmore's Garden banked with flowers and ablaze with lights -- Fifteen thousand persons present -- A magnificent Procession -- Scenes and Incidents" and much more. It's very entertaining reading about the masquerade ball and the variety of activities in the festival. Note that Gilmore's Gardens was on the site of the (later) Madison Square Garden.
3 & 4 (2 tickets for same event). Seventh Regiment National Guard Military Promenade & Civic Concert [at] Academy of Music, Thursday Evening April 8th 1869. Below the date you may be able to see my great-great-grandfather's signature: James Terwilliger, Esq Note that this clearly is James M. Terwilliger, who would have been 44 yrs old; his older son, James "Grove" Terwilliger would have been only 13 yrs.
5. Annual invitation POLICE PIC-NIC and GAMES of the First Platoon, 18th Precinct, at Sulzer's Harlem River Park, Friday, June 16th, 1882. Once again, this ticket would have been for the senior James Terwilliger, as he was working for the Police Commission at this time. The Pic-Nic and games included a "Prize Shooting" event, as well as dancing. All members of the New York Police Force were free to enter the Pic-Nic and Games events. The Park was at the foot of 126th Street, E.R. [E.R. means East River; the Harlem River Park is still there, at the foot of the Third Avenue Bridge]
6. Reception and Grand Annual Festival of PALESTINE COMMANDERY No.18 Knights Templar, New York City. Academy of Music and Nilsson Hall, Wednesday Evening, February 15, 1882. Music by Gilmore's Band. Tickets were for Five Dollars Each. Hmmm. $1 in 1882 is equal to at least $20, so this is not a small sum.
7. Seventeenth Annual Reception, B.P.O. ELKS, New York Lodge No 1, Madison Square Garden Thursday, February 14th, St. Valentine's Night. Although there is no date on the ticket, research shows this is in 1884.
I hope you enjoy reading about these activities and events in the late 1800s. My great-great-grandfather James M. TERWILLIGER, and his elder son, my great-grandfather James Grover "Grove" TERWILLIGER, and their families, clearly enjoyed social events and societies.
If you have further information or comments, do let me know below in the Comment section, or email me via calewis at telus dot net.
**Albert Riezebos (Thank you!) found information on Empire Hall - in Syracuse NY.
Googling "Empire Hall" brought up this, The seventh annual convention of the Woman's Belief Corps, Department of New York will be held at Empire Hall, Syracuse, Tuesday and Wednesday. http://bit.ly/1bBV0ef
...which led me to this: "It was in 1856 that the building was extensively enlarged and improved, and in 1857 that it passed to Horace and Hamilton White. it was then Sprague & Gage were the landlords and it was given the position of canal collector of Syracuse, Capt. William C. Gage became the landlord. In the Empire, upon the reconstruction, was built the Empire Hall, an auditorium which in its time became quite famous for social gatherings, small conventions and church festivals." http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nyononda/hotels/empirehouse.html
See newspaper account - middle of 4th col.:http://bit.ly/1bFzsgH
