Page 42 - Galveston Monthly March 2019

islaNd hisTOrY | GALVESTON LOST

out his stores on the Strand and Avenue h, too ill to tend The following year, her sister Margaret died after a long
to his businesses. illness, leaving her son an orphan, and in 1893, Sallie,
he was sent to live in Boerne to battle the disease, but still single, became the administratrix of her sister’s
the change in location did little to ease his suffering, and estate, and the legal guardian of her nephew. She rented
he died in July 1884. his remains arrived in Galveston by the family home - complete with furnishings - to a Mrs.
train, and a funeral was held in the frosh home. he was kohler, who occupied the mansion for at least two years.
laid to rest at Trinity Episcopal Cemetery. Sallie sold some of her father’s land holdings to George
The frosh’s daughter, Margaret, had married William Sealy in 1896, and, rented the vacant mansion to a group
McCall a few years earlier, but by 1880, she and their son, that called themselves “The Bachelor’s Club.” A small
frank Charles, were living in the frosh family home. No silver placard on the door with the club name in black
mention of what happened to William can be found. enamel letters caused so much talk around town that the
Within several years, fire claimed several of the frosh Galveston Daily News investigated the group.
family’s business properties and rental cottages, causing far from the scandalous stories that had been
large financial losses. in february 1870, fire destroyed circulating, the group was merely a gathering of single
the Dargan & Tobyn building on the Strand, which sat on young gentlemen who held cotillions for themselves,
property owned by Mrs. frosh, who had about $20,000 their dates and chaperones.
in losses. Dargan & Tobyn built a replacement, which still Just one year later, the fully furnished home, described
stands on the same lot. as one of the most desirable residences on the island,
Sallie, who had received a higher education at hollins was available for rent again.
university, virginia’s first chartered women’s college, in 1899, the then 42-year-old Sallie married William Images courtesy of Rosenberg Library
held a highly regarded place in Galveston society and Thaddeus Conklin, nine years her senior, and the couple
even performed soprano concerts in the 1880s to rave took up residence at the family mansion. That same year,
reviews. But with the death of her mother in July 1891, her older brother, John, died.
management of the family’s finances fell to Sallie. At the turn of the century, two major events impacted

42 | GALVESTON MONTHLY | MARCH 2019