Alright, let’s talk about them fancy folks in New York, the high society, you know, the ones with all the money. I heard tell of their history, so I’ll tell ya what I know, the way I know how.
Them Rich People and Their Beginnings
Way back when, before all them big buildings and fancy cars, New York was different. But even then, some folks had more than others. They started makin’ money, lots of it. Some were bankers, you know, the money lenders. Lawyers, them talkin’ fellas, they got rich too. Then there were the brokers, buyin’ and sellin’ stuff, makin’ a pretty penny. And don’t forget the railroaders, buildin’ them tracks and chuggin’ along, makin’ a fortune.
- Bankers
- Lawyers
- Brokers
- Real Estate folks
- Railroaders
They say there was even an editor, a fella who wrote for the newspapers, and a publisher, the one who printed them newspapers, and some artists, them paintin’ pictures, and even a couple of architects, the ones who draw up the plans for them big houses.
“Nobs” and “Swells”
Now, within this high society, there were different types. Some were called “Nobs,” I reckon that’s the old money, the ones whose families had been rich for a long time. Then there were the “Swells,” the new money, the ones who just got rich. They all wanted to be at the top, you see, like chickens peckin’ at each other to be the head hen.
Mrs. Astor and Her List
And who was the head hen? Well, they say it was this Mrs. Astor, Caroline somethin’-or-other was her name. She was the queen bee, the one who decided who was in and who was out. She had a list, they called it “The Four Hundred,” and if your name wasn’t on it, well, you weren’t nobody in high society. Can you imagine? Just 400 folks mattered. It was during this fancy time, they call it the “Gilded Age”, lots of gold and shinin’ things, but underneath, maybe not so pretty.
Fifth Avenue and Big Mansions
These rich folks, they lived on Fifth Avenue, in big, huge mansions. Imagine houses bigger than our whole farm, with more rooms than you could count. Servants runnin’ around, cookin’ fancy food, cleanin’ all day long. These rich people, they had it all.
Electricity Comes to Town
New York, it was a big city even then, and it was changin’. They started gettin’ electricity, can you believe it? No more oil lamps and candles, but bright lights everywhere. This fancy New York society, they were the first to get all that new stuff, the electric lights and all. They lived in the middle of it all while the rest of the country was still in the dark, you could say. They say New York was where all that electricity stuff started for the whole country, imagine that!
Hard Times Hit
But things don’t always stay good, do they? Hard times came, they called it the Great Depression. Folks lost their money, even some of them rich ones. Some of them big mansions, they were left empty. Nobody could afford to live in ’em anymore. Some of ’em fell apart, just rotted away. Others, they turned ’em into schools or museums, places for regular folks to go.
Guided Tours and Remnants of the Past
Now, they got guided tours, you know, where someone takes you around and tells you all about the history. They take you down Fifth Avenue, show you where them big mansions used to be, tell you stories about the rich folks who lived there. It’s like lookin’ at bones of a dead animal, you see the remnants, but the life is gone.
New York High Society Today
So, what about today? Well, there’s still rich folks, still high society, but maybe it’s different. I reckon it ain’t just about the money, though that still matters, it’s about bein’ famous, bein’ in the newspapers, on the TV. It’s a whole different game now, but the wantin’ to be better than everyone else, that’s probably still the same. People always wantin’ more, wantin’ to be on top. Human nature, I guess.
Mrs. Astor and the Gilded Age Legacy
But back then, Mrs. Astor, she was the decider, she held the cards. The Gilded Age, it was her time, and the Four Hundred, they were her people. It’s a part of New York’s history, a story of money and power, of fancy parties and big mansions, of good times and hard times. And it all started with them bankers, lawyers, brokers, and railroaders, makin’ their fortune and buildin’ a world for themselves, a world separate from the rest of us, I reckon.
Final Thoughts
Well, that’s the way I see it, the way I heard it told. The history of them high society folks in New York, from way back when to now. A story of money and power, fancy livin’ and hard times. It’s a different world from ours, but it’s a part of the story, a part of how things got to be the way they are today.
