Behind the Names: The Ethel Market Tote and Hattie Zipper Pouch

At Grit Mercantile, we name our products to honor ancestors, family and friends who have displayed true grit in their lives.

Grit: courage and determination despite difficulty. (Cambridge Dictionary)

Without further ado, we present the stories of mother and daughter Ethel and Hattie.

Hattie

The Hattie Wristlet Pouch is named in honor of Amanda's second great-grandmother, Harriet. Nicknamed "Hattie", she moved from her birthplace of Henry, Indiana, to Fulton, Illinois, a journey of about 375 miles, by the time she turned three. Her father passed away when Hattie was three. Her mother, Margaretha "Mary", who had traveled from Pennsylvania to Kansas, Iowa, and Indiana before Hattie's birth, was the head dressmaker of Marshall Field's department store with 200 employees under her. Hattie married and had three children, the eldest of which was Ethel.

Shop the Hattie Wristlet Pouch here.

Ethel

The Ethel Market Tote is named in honor of Amanda's great grandaunt, Ethel. Ethel was born in Chicago and lived within Cook County for her entire life.

Shop the Ethel Market Tote here.