The Old Farmer and the Child Bride
A 50-year-old farmer and a 12-year-old girl enter a marriage that ends in a messy, litigious divorce in the Seattle courts.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The matrimonial troubles of Joseph Schoenbachler were at last brought to an end by a divorce granted by Judge Humes in the superior court. The old farmer, who lives on a ranch near Lake Union, told the court how he was won by the young girl, Hattie McKay, who seems to have done most of the courting. Schoenbachler claimed his 12-year-old wife had abandoned him and conspired with her parents to defraud him of a five-acre tract of land valued at $10,000. Hattie, through her cross-complaint, alleged that her husband treated her as a slave, forcing her to pick berries without rest and denying her contact with friends. After hearing the testimony, Judge Humes granted the divorce.
“In broken English he told how little Hattie McKay was working in his berry patch one hot July day... how she longed for a home of her own and a manly protector of middle age.”
This case highlights the grim reality of legal childhood marriage and domestic control in the 19th century. While laws have drastically evolved to protect minors, the story serves as a stark reminder of how young women were frequently treated as property in the eyes of both spouses and the legal system.
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