Mrs. Elizabeth J. Kelly

We’ve discovered a lot of very interesting things about Mr. & Mrs. Kelly while doing our research. Like, Mr. Kelly owned the lease on both the bar and the cigar stand at the Read House (for almost the entire 1890’s). We were thrilled to discover an image of Mrs. Kelly in her later years in a throwback article published in 1918.

Notable Chattanoogans

By Henry M. Wiltse Chattanooga TImes Sunday, September 29, 1918

. . . Mrs. Kelly was a woman of decided character and a conspicuous element of reserve which made her interesting without aid from her geniality and kindliness of disposition. In the seventies she was well-known to the simple society of the time, one of the most popular functions of which was the card party. Euchre and whist were the most favored games.

She is distinctly recalled as having been on friendly terms with the Ponds; Mr. L.A. Pond, if the initials are correctly recalled, and his wife. The Ponds were very intimate with the Milo Pratt family.

Mrs. Kelly, with that characteristic reserve of hers, was naturally not all effusive. If there was a bare suggestion of hauteur about her it was well subjected to general kindliness of disposition.