Rose and Fred Ketchum married in a furniture store window 100 years ago

Rose Herman, a resident of Litchfield, Ohio, in 1910, married Fred Ketchum, who lived all his life in Elyria, Ohio, were married in the display window of the Harry H. Smith Co. furniture and home furnishings store in Elyria on July 4, 1910.

Storeowner Harry H. Smith devised the wedding-in-a-window as a promotional gimmick. The Ketchums, both in their 20s, were chosen for the holiday event after answering an ad that promised free furniture to a couple who would get married at the store in front of thousands of folks who spent part of Independence Day in downtown Elyria following a parade.

The couple also had to ride in the parade on the furniture store's float -- a horse-drawn wagon, specially decorated for the occasion.

Fred Ketchum died Nov. 10, 1964. Rose followed on Jan. 15, 1967.

A fuller account of this unusual holiday story appears in the July 4, 2010, edition of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram. Click here to read all about it.