The New York City Socialite Heiress Who Went to Buy a Dress and Was Never Seen Again
Dorothy Arnold was a young woman from a prominent family who had a lot going for her, but she mysteriously vanished more than a century ago
Thousands of people vanish without a trace every single year. Some are ultimately located, dead and alive, and many others are never heard from again. On December 12, 1910, a young New York City socialite heiress left home to buy a dress and vanished without a trace, leaving behind a trail of unanswered questions and speculation that have persisted for more than a century.
Dorothy Harriet Camille Arnold was born on July 1, 1885, into a prominent New York City family. Her father, Francis R. Arnold, had made a fortune importing fine goods, and her sister Harriette married U.S. Supreme Court Justice, Rufus Peckham.
Accordingly, she grew up enjoying the privileges of that wealth and social status, attending prestigious schools and participating in a vibrant social circle. Described as intelligent, vivacious, and ambitious, she harbored aspirations of becoming a professional writer. She even hoped to rent an apartment in Greenwich Village in order to concentrate on her craft, but he father forbade her from doing so, instructing…
