Published in the Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper on May 5, 1866, the Town Gossip column gives observations and commentary on local New York happenings like the health hazards that street vendors present, reviews of new plays, and the passing of Thomas Downing. Downing, known as the “Oyster King of New York,” owned and operated the Oyster House, one of the most successful eating houses and catering companies in New York during the nineteenth century.
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