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Croquet on the Lawn
A game of croquet on the front lawn of Perry Guile's house in Milo. The house still stands, though the front porch has been removed, and the picket fence is long since gone. Croquet was a very popular game during the 1870s, as women could play even in their confining clothing, and it was decororous enough for mixed company.
The picture is one of those in the 1876 Ensign, Everts & Ensign Centennial Atlas of Yates County. Besides maps of each town, village and hamlet which show lot lines and property owners, the Atlas contains dozens of delightful drawings of houses, farms and other buildings. Nearly all of them show the inhabitants at their daily business, and richly reward close scrutiny.
Notice the windows shuttered against the sun, the lace curtains on the parlor window, the "casual" clothing of the ladies and gentlemen, the small shade trees and even the total absence of foundation plantings to obscure the handsome lines of the house.