Lancaster city will not drop its red rose tonight, but Thaddeus Stevens will flip his wig.
Actually, Stevens’ wig will be flipped off his head by a fishing rod and line wielded by Ross Hetrick, president of the Thaddeus Stevens Society.
The Stevens Society, headquartered in Gettysburg, erected a statue to the famed statesman last April in front of the Adams County Courthouse in downtown Gettysburg. Stevens lived and practiced law in Gettysburg before moving to Lancaster and representing Lancaster County in Congress.
Hetrick plans to tug off the wig, placed only for this occasion, and the crowd will cheer.
“Everybody will count down to lift off,’’ says Hetrick. “Come out, enjoy the festivities and show your support for Thad.’’
The New Year’s Eve wig is not Stevens’ actual hairpiece but a prop. The real thing, a chestnut-colored specimen, remains in the collection at LancasterHistory. The historical society restored the artifact at a cost of $1,500 in 2013.
Stevens’ wig has a humorous history. He first wore it as a young man in the late 1820s after an attack of “brain fever’’ (probably typhoid) rendered him hairless. He had the wig cut the same length all the way around so he would not have to bother with placing it properly.
Stevens wore his wig until his death in 1868. Political enemies made fun of it, but at least one admirer, not knowing Stevens wore a full-headed wig, asked the congressman for a lock of his hair. Stevens handed her the whole wig.
Oh, about that red rose. In case you missed the news, Lancaster will not drop it tonight because the city says it has better uses for the money required to run the show.
When the New Year’s Eve tradition began 30 years ago, the red rose rose into the air, rather than dropping to the ground. In that respect, Steven’s wig flipping will be more in keeping with the original rose-raising spectacle in Lancaster.
Selecting a ‘star’
A century ago tonight, Miss Catherine LeFever won an opportunity to become a movie star.
The Three Links Association of Lancaster’s Independent Order of Odd Fellows held a Grand Gala Jubilee Frolic and Dance on Dec. 31, 1923, in the recently-erected Odd Fellows Hall in the 200 block of West Chestnut Street. (The current Masonic Center replaced that building in 1971.)
For unexplained reasons, the gala featured a number of silent film stars. They included Mary MacLaren, who was then appearing in “Under the Red Robe.’’
MacLaren and other actors served as “judges’’ of the young women dancing at the Odd Fellows Hall. They chose LeFever, a stenographer in the office of the county’s Recorder of Deeds Office, as the most likely to succeed in a film career.
“She is the ideal type for the movies,’’ said MacLaren. “She has a very pleasant personality as well as good looks. And such wonderful teeth. She should photograph well.’’
Whether LeFever ever acted in a movie is unclear. The next thing we know for sure is that she married Harold E. Slade, also formerly of Lancaster, in New York City on March 9, 1924 — a bit over two months after she won the Odd Fellows contest.
Eventually, the couple returned to Lancaster. Harold Slade, who served in both world wars and rose to the rank of Army major, died in 1964. Catherine LeFever Slade died in 1986.
Jack Brubaker, retired from LNP | LancasterOnline staff, writes “The Scribbler’’ column every Sunday. He welcomes comments and contributions at scribblerlnp@gmail.com.
