Tuesday, July 26, 2011

1883 Autograph Album Presented to Ora Spratt Jordan of Otis, Maine, by his Father



Small autograph album presented to Ora S. Jordan by his father at Otis, Maine, on Christmas Day in 1883.

[Note: See another post that features the 1879-1895 autograph album of Sarah Alexander (Colby) Crabtree of Hancock, Maine, who inscribed a page in Ora's album.]






Ora was not yet two years old, having been born on 9 April 1882.  Apparently the intent was for relatives to sign his book for his future enjoyment.


He was born in Maine, the son of Louis Stuart Jordan and wife Augusta Wood (Kingman) Jordan, born in Otis, Maine, and Hancock, Maine, respectively.  


His paternal grandparents were Lewis and Abigail Gray (Blaisdell) Jordan.  His maternal grandparents were Joseph Morrison Kingman and Charlotte Christiana (Colby) Kingman.


On 1 December 1911 at Ellsworth, Maine, Ora Spratt Jordan married Amy Belle Stratton, who was born about 1892 at Hancock, Maine, the daughter of Charles E. and Fannie Belle (Foss) Stratton.


Her paternal grandparents were Elijah and Elizabeth (Mercer) Stratton.  Her maternal grandparents were Edmond N. and Eliza Jane (Stratton) Foss.


The couple made their home at Hancock, Maine.  I didn't find any children living with them in the 1920 or 1930 Censuses of Hancock.


The autograph book contained a small label with the name of Mrs. S. L. Jordan, Mt. Desert Ferry, Maine, November 1926.


Ora's father signed the first page after the presentation page (at top, above), on 25 May 1884:




His mother, Augusta Wood (Kingman) Jordan, signed the facing page:




Ora's paternal grandparents, Lewis and Abigail Gray (Blaisdell) Jordan signed adjoining pages:






As did Ora's maternal grandparents, Joseph M. and Charlotte C. (Colby) Kingman:






Ora's father's brother, Humphrey M. Jordan and wife Elizabeth Della (Stratton) Jordan signed adjoining pages:





Ora's father's sister, Ida May (Jordan) Roberts and her husband Daniel Webster Roberts signed adjoining pages:






Also in the album are pages signed by three children of Daniel Webster Roberts and Ida May (Jordan) Roberts:  Abby M,  born about 1870; Charles F., born about 1872; Mary J., born about 1874.







Ora's mother's brother Hudson Barzilla Kingman, born 28 October 1851,and his wife Julia Evelyn (Tracy) Kingman signed adjoining pages.  Julia Evelyn (Tracy) Kingman was born 25 September 1858 at Slatersville, Rhode Island, daughter of Lewis and Phebe (?) Tracy:






Farther along in the book are adjoining pages signed by Julia Evelyn (Tracy) Kingman's mother and brother.






Ora's mother's sister, Arvilla S. Kingman, signed at Waltham, Maine, in February 1884:



His paternal great aunt Alvonia R. (Blaisdell) Kingman and her daughter Adelaide Mary Kingman signed adjoining pages below, though I have the order reversed:

[Alvonia Recardo (Blaisdell) Kingman was born 24 October 1837 at Dedham, Maine, the daughter of Alfred Metcalf Blaisdell and wife Judith Howard (Gray) Blaisdell and married Eben Homer Kingman.  Their daughter Adelaide Mary "Addie" Kingman, born 9 August 1864, would later marry George W. Jellison in Holden, Maine, in 1898.]



His mother's brother, Winslow Herbert Kingman, born 29 September 1853, and wife Ella, a Massachusetts native, also signed adjoining pages:



I believe the C. O. Blaisdell of Otis, Maine, whose page is below, is Charles Osgood Blaisdell, brother of Ora's paternal grandmother, Abigail Gray (Blaisdell) Jordan.  Charles Osgood Blaisdell, born 15 December 1832 in Dedham, Maine, married Martha Levitt Warren and raised a large family.


The signed page below is that of Aaron Luther Colby, born 30 September 1830, brother of Ora's maternal grandmother Charlotte Christiana (Colby) Kingman.  Aaron married Pauline Smith and raised a large family.


Edmund Harvey Colby, another brother of Charlotte Christiana (Colby) Kingman, and his wife Elvira J. (Cushman) Colby, possibly a Saint John, New Brunswick native born about October 1848, signed adjoining pages.  They married in Tuolume County, California, in 1863. [Sounds like an interesting story].  I had to enhance Elvira's faint handwriting.



Asa and Sarah Crabtree signed adjoining pages.  Sarah (Colby) Crabtree was a sister to Charlotte Christiana (Colby) Kingman, Ora's maternal grandmother.



Signing adjoining pages in 1885 were Cousins Johney and "Fronia" from Crested Butte, Colorado.  There was a Sophronia Colby, born in 1851 whose father Samuel Alexander Colby, older brother of Ora's maternal grandmother Charlotte Christiana (Colby) Kingman lived at Crested Butte, Colorado, at one time. This Sophronia married George B. Gross in 1869.  Whether she is the Fronia who signed the page below, or it was her namesake from a succeeding generation, I don't know.  Perhaps a reader can clear up the mystery of Ora's cousins Fronia and Johney.



Adjoining pages in the autograph book are signed by C. E. Brimmer and wife A. J. Brimmer, who refers to herself as Ora's "loving Aunt".



Cousin Annie B. Wilbur, Ellsworth, Maine:


Pages signed by sisters Laura M. Crabtree and Cora S. Crabtree of Mt. Desert Ferry, Hancock, Maine.



Page signed by Lew A. Spratt of Otis, Maine:


Page signed by Flora Jellison of Mount Desert Ferry, Maine:


Page signed by 88 year old Job Lawton, who was likely a friend of the Tracy family in Rhode Island:



If you have any corrections, additions or insights regarding the information presented here, please leave a comment or contact me directly.  Thanks!

More information on Ora Spratt Jordan and wife Amy Belle (Stratton) Jordan.

A map of Hancock County, Maine:


Thanks for stopping by!


6 comments:

  1. Wasn't it a neat idea to give him this autograph book when he was barely over a year old, when many of his older relatives were still alive and able to sign a page in it!

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  2. Do you still have this? Annie Wilbur was my mother's relative. I think I can find the direct descendants who would treasure this.
    Robin

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  3. Thank you for sharing! It was such a blessing to read over this. Ora Augusta Spratt was my great-grandfather. Charlene

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