Thursday, December 27, 2012

Two 1880s Autograph Albums of Nellie McAllister of Kingston, Illinois


Two autograph albums that were kept by Nellie McAllister of Kingston, Illinois during the 1880s.  The autograph album whose cover is shown above dates to the early 1880s.  The autograph album below dates to the mid and later 1880s.



The earlier album measures approximately 6" x 3-3/4" and contains 59 pages signed by Nellie herself, her relatives and friends.  The later album measures approximately 5-1/4" x 3-1/4" and contains 39 pages signed by Nellie herself, her relatives and friends.  

Alphabetical lists of the signers, some of whom signed in each album, appear at the end of this post.

From online research, hopefully correct: [corrections welcome!]

Nellie Thankful McAllister was born 15 June 1869 at Kingston, Illinois, the daughter of Charles H. McAllister and Rebecca (Cameron) McAllister.  Nellie's mother and father signed pages in her earlier album.





Nellie's paternal grandparents were Charles and Thankful McAllister.  Her maternal grandparents were William and Sarah R. (Warbritton) Cameron.

On 18 June 1895, Nellie Thankful McAllister became the second wife of Sidney Edwin Butterfield, son of Solomon V. and Helen M. (Wales) Butterfield.  Their marriage did not last.  

In December of 1898 Nellie married Allen Mowers, son of Aaron and Margaret (Rickard) Mowers.  He was the widow of Allie (Countryman) Mowers.

I don't know if Nellie had any children or not, but there were none living with her in Census years.  Her second husband had had a daughter from his first marriage, but she died before the age of four months.  Her mother died later that same month.

If you have corrections to the information above, or further information on the McAllister, Cameron, Butterfield and Mower families, please leave a comment or contact me directly.

Alphabetical list of the signers in the earlier album:  [Note: given names within a specific surname may not be in alphabetical order.]


  • Tommie
  • Mary Ault, 1883; Nellie's schoolmate
  • J. A. Austin.  "Here's Shampaign for my friends and pain for my Sham Friends"
  • T. A. B. or J. A. B. or I. A. B., 1882
  • L. M. Bacon, signed at Kingston School, at Kingston, Illinois
  • Lora L. Ball, signed at Kingston, Illinois, in 1882
  • Ida M. Bean, signed at Kingston, Illinois, in 1883
  • Maggie Brinley of Kingston, Illinois, formerly of Spring Run, Franklin County, Pennsylvania; Nellie's schoolmate
  • Kittie Campbell, 1883
  • Ida E. Campbell, signed at school at Kingston, Illinois, in 1882; Nellie's schoolmate
  • Nellie Campbell, signed at Kingston, Illinois, 1883
  • Emma J. Cole of Kingston, Illinois, 1882
  • Walter L. Cole, 1882
  • Allie Cole, signed at Kingston, Illinois, in 1883
  • Phebe A. Crosby
  • Sarah A. Davis of Kingston, Illinois, 1883
  • Jennie Dick
  • Mary Ells of Kingston, Illinois, 1882
  • Carrie Ells of Kingston, Illinois, 1882; Nellie later added "Aug 28, 1886 married"
  • Dena Fager, signed at Kirkland, Illinois, in 1887
  • Fred Gardner of Kingston, Illinois, 1884
  • Kate M. Gardner, signed at school at Kingston, Illinois, in 1883
  • Myrtie Giliam, 1883.  Not sure of last name
  • Miss Hattie Gorham of Kingston, Illinois, 1883
  • Nora D. Grass of Mayfield, Illinois, 1883
  • A. B. Hancock of Fort Dodge, Iowa, 1883.  Possibly Albert B. Hancock
  • Fred H. Hancock of Kingston, Illinois
  • G. A. Harmes of Kingston, Illinois, 1883
  • Frank Heckman; Nellie's schoolmate
  • Lillian Hill; Nellie's schoolmate
  • Mary Hitchcock, signed at Kingston, Illinois in 1882
  • Laura Hitchcock, signed at Kingston, Illinois, 1882
  • Maud Johnson of Kingston, Illinois, 1883
  • Jennie Kerkman, signed at Kingston, Illinois, 1882
  • Emma Laverty, signed at Kingston, Illinois, 1882
  • Nellie McAllister of Kingston, Illinois, 1886; album owner
  • Rebecca McAllister.  Nellie's mother, Rebecca (Cameron) McAllister
  • "Your Affectionate Father", C. M. McAllister.  Nellie's father Charles M. McAllister
  • V. H. McAllister, signed at Kingston, Illinois
  • J. P. McAllister, signed at Kingston, Illinois, in 1882
  • Jennie McAllister, signed at Genoa, Illinois, in 1882.  Possibly the Jennie McAllister who was the daughter of Nellie's uncle James McAllister
  • May Northrop, signed at Kingston, Illinois
  • Maude Peake, signed at Kingston, Illinois, 1882; Nellie's schoolmate
  • E. Evalena Peterson
  • Ella Poust of Kingston, Illinois, 1882
  • Mary B. Poust, 1882; Nellie's schoolmate at Kingston, Illinois
  • Susie A. Quigley, signed at Kingston, Illinois, in 1883
  • Ella Rogers; Nellie's schoolmate at Kingston, Illinois
  • Maud Shadford of Kingston, Illinois, 1883
  • Jennie D. Sherman of Kingston, Illinois, 1882
  • Genie R. Sherman, signed at Kingston, Illinois, in 1882
  • Frank Shrader, signed at Kingston, Illinois, in 1882
  • Stuart Shrader of Kingston, Illinois, 1882
  • Lillian Thomson, signed at Clarion, Iowa, in 1886
  • Emma Thurlby, signed at Kingston, Illinois, in 1882; Nellie's schoolmate
  • Amanda Uplinger, signed at Kingston, Illinois, 1882
  • Emma Warnaca, signed at Kingston, Illinois, 1882
  • Charles Wells, 1883; Nellie's cousin
  • May Wells, 1883; Nellie's cousin


Alphabetical list of signers in the later album: [Note: given names within a specific surname may not be in alphabetical order.]


  • Ida, signed at Kingston, Illinois, in 1884; Nellie's schoolmate
  • Nell, 1886; apparently Nellie's schoolmate
  • Nellie's schoolmate who used initials I can't decipher; possibly  J. O. G.
  • Effie, 1886
  • Edward; 1885.  Sketch
  • Frank; signed at Kingston, Illinois, in 1884
  • Grace; signed at Kingston, Illinois, in 1884
  • Emma, signed at Kingston, Illinois
  • Hattie
  • Maud S.; appears to be Nellie's schoolmate
  • Charles, signed at Kingston, Illinois, in 1884
  • Minnie Boodle of Henrietta, Illinois, 1886
  • Maggie Brinley, signed at Kingston, Illinois, 1884
  • Allie Cole, signed at Kingston, Illinois, 1884
  • George Cowell, signed at Kingston, Illinois, in 1887
  • Irvin Crissinger, signed at Kingston, Illinois, 1884
  • Lillian Hill.  She signed in both of Nellie's albums
  • Grace Hitchcock, signed at Kingston, Illinois, in 1887
  • Maggie Hollearn, signed at Kingston, Illinois, in 1884; apparently Nellie's schoolmate
  • Maud Johnson, signed at Kingston, Illinois, 1884
  • Vernia Landis, signed at Kingston, Illinois, in 1884.  Alvernia Landis, sister of another signer, Henry Landis
  • Henry Landis, signed at Kingston, Illinois, in 1887; brother of another signer, Vernia Landis [Alvernia Landis]
  • Nellie McAllister of Kingston, Illinois, 1884; owner of album
  • Jennie McAllister, signed at Genoa, Illinois, 1884; she could be the Jennie McAllister who was the daughter of Nellie's paternal uncle James McAllister
  • John O'Brien, signed at Kingston, Illinois, 1887
  • R. L. P. of Leaf River, Illinois, signed at Kingston, Illinois, 1887
  • Mary Poust, signed at Kingston, Illinois, 1884
  • Em Poust, signed at Henrietta, Illinois, in 1887
  • E. G. Poust, signed at Kingston, Illinois, 1884
  • Susie A. Quigley, signed at Kingston, Illinois, 1884
  • Nora Saum, signed at Kingston, Illinois, in 1887
  • Harry Sherman of Kingston, Illinois, 1884
  • Genie Sherman of Kingston, Illinois, 1884
  • Stuart Shrader, signed at Kingston, Illinois, 1884
  • Alta Stuart, signed at Kingston, Illinois, in 1887
  • Kate Thurston of Kingston, Illinois, 1884
  • Carrie Thurston, signed at Kingston, Illinois, in 1884
  • Willie Whitney; Nellie's schoolmate
  • Alta Wyllys, signed at Kingston, Illinois, 1887


Kingston, Illinois


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