Tuesday, February 5, 2013

1890s Autograph Album of Martha Josephine Black of Putney, Vermont, and Greenfield, Massachusetts


1890s autograph album that belonged to Martha Josephine Black, "Mattie", who was born at Vermont, perhaps Putney, Vermont.  Her family later moved to Greenfield, Massachusetts.

The album, which appears to have been a Christmas present to Mattie in 1894, is approximately 5-1/2" x 3-1/2" and contains 34 pages signed by Mattie herself, her relatives and friends.

An alphabetical list of the signers appears at the end of this post.



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

Martha Josephine Black, "Mattie, was born in Vermont on 7 December 1883, the daughter of Hibbard C. and Addie F. (Perry) Black, who were born at Putney, Vermont, and Westmoreland, New Hampshire, respectively.

I believe the H. C. Black who signed a page in Mattie's album on 8 December 1898 was her father, so by 1898 the family had moved from Putney, Vermont, to Greenfield, Massachusetts.  In the 1900 Census of Greenfield, Massachusetts, Hibbard's occupation was listed as iceman.



Mattie's paternal grandparents were Horace and Betsey (Joy) Black.  Her maternal grandparents were George R. and Jane Melissa (Blodgett) Perry.

Mattie's older siblings Leone A. Black and George Black signed pages as well.  Leone dated hers 23 January 1895, at which time the family was apparently still living at Putney, Vermont.





At the time of the 1900 Census, Hibbard, Addie and their children Leone, George and Mattie were still together at Greenfield.  By 1910, George was out of the house.  By 1920, Mattie was the only child left in her parents' household.

On 5 February 1923 at Greenfield, Massachusetts, Martha Josephine "Mattie" Black married Frederick Sessler, son of Jacob and Franciska (Kerber) Sessler, German immigrants to Massachusetts.

Frederick was born 28 April 1859 at Greenfield, Massachusetts.  He was a widower; his wife Carrie A. Dean, with whom he had three children, had died in 1916.

Frederick died in 1926.  The 1930 and 1940 Censuses of Greenfield show Mattie and her sister Leone living in the same household at Greenfield, Massachusetts.  Leone was a nurse in a doctor's office.  No occupation was given with Mattie in either Census.

If you have corrections to the information above, or additions to it, please leave a comment or contact me directly.  Thanks!

Mattie's maternal aunt, Kate W. Perry of Westmoreland, New Hampshire, signed a page on 22 January 1897.



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


  • Walter R. Amidon of Putney, Vermont, signed 5 May 1896; age 12.  Born about May 1884, son of Ephraim and Marie A. Amidon
  • Corinne Bemis of Sarton's River, signed 10 November 1896.  Perhaps Corinne E. Bemis, born about 1873, daughter of David Josiah Bemis and Ellen Bemis.
  • Martha Josephine Black of Putney, Vermont and Greenfield, Massachusetts; album owner
  • H. C. Black of Greenfield, Massachusetts, signed 8 December 1898.  Perhaps H. C. Black was Hibbard C. Black, Mattie's father, who was living at Greenfield, Massachusetts at this time.
  • Leone A. Black of Putney, Vermont, signed 23 January 1895. "Your sister".  Born 1878
  • James Black of Greenfield, Massachusetts, signed 12 December 1898
  • George Black of Putney, Vermont.  Mattie's brother, born 9 May 1877 in Vermont, son of Hibbard and Addie F. (Perry) Black
  • Ethel Bruce of Brattleboro, Vermont, signed at Putney, Vermont, on 28 October 1895
  • Lena J. Clarke of Putney, Vermont, signed 4 May 1896
  • Harriette E. Davis of Putney, Vermont, signed 28 January 1895
  • Mabel Freeman of Putney, Vermont, signed on 30 December 1895
  • Harold M. Gale of Putney, Vermont, signed 7 February 1898.  Possibly Harold Marshall Gale, born 26 January 1886 in Vermont, son of Marshall and Anna Gale
  • Alice L. Gale of Putney, Vermont, signed 28 January 1895.
  • Frances M. Goodell of West Westminster, Vermont, signed at Putney, Vermont in November 1897
  • Mamie E. Graves of Putney, Vermont.  Possibly Mary E. Graves, born 29 November 1884, daughter of Dwight E. and Eva A. (Dawson) Graves
  • M. Etta Hobart of Townshend, Vermont, signed at Putney, Vermont on 1 May 1896.
  • Austin A Kerr of Putney, Vermont, signed 28 January 1895.  Born 13 August 1877, son of George and Emily (Miles) Kerr
  • Bertha Newcomb of Putney, Vermont, signed 28 January 1895
  • Sammy Pember of Putney, Vermont, signed 7 February 1897.  Possibly Samuel Milton Pember, born 18 June 1884, son of Milton H. and Freeda (Croft) Pember; married Leona Mary Williams
  • Freeda C. Pember of Putney, Vermont, signed 28 January 1895.  Freeda (Croft) Pember, mother of signer Sammy Pember (Samuel Milton) Pember, and wife of Milton H. Pember
  • Kate W. Perry of Westmoreland, New Hampshire, signed 22 January 1897.  Kate W. Perry was the younger sister of Mattie's mother Addie F. Perry, both daughters of George R. and Jane Melissa (Blodgett) Perry.
  • Julia E. Pratt of Greenfield, Massachusetts, signed on 6 July 1899
  • Chester Taft of Putney, Vermont, signed 8 November 1897.  Perhaps Chester Davidson Taft, born 8 December 1883, son of Homer Emory Taft and Harriet Laura (Blanchard) Taft
  • Mary L. Tefft of Putney, Vermont, signed 20 February 1895.
  • Edna Ward of Greenfield, Massachusetts, signed 2 December 1898.  Possibly Edna Martha Ward, born 1 March 1882 at Guilford, Vermont, daughter of Henry Houghton Ward and Lovina (Rice) Ward
  • Lucy Whitney of Putney, Vermont, signed 28 January 1895
  • Bernice Wilbur of Leominster, Massachusetts, signed in February 1901.  Perhaps the Bernice May Wilbur born 12 August 1892 at Framingham, Massachusetts, daughter of Albert E. and Nellie May (Trowbridge) Wilbur.
  • Artie O. Wilkins of Putney, Vermont, signed May 1896, age 11.  Birthday, March 11.  Artemas Orlando Wilkins, son of Artemas and Lina Wilkins.
  • Beulah Williams, signed 11 November 1896.  Beulah M. Williams, born 10 January 1887, daughter of Murillo G. and Mary A. (Patterson) Williams.
  • Finette Williams of Putney, Vermont, signed 11 November 1896.  Finette Ellen Williams, born 2 September 1888 at Mount Holly, Vermont, daughter of Murillo G. and Mary A. (Patterson) Williams; married James P. Meany
  • Daisy A. Wing of Putney, Vermont, signed 28 January 1895
  • Leslie Woodard of Putney, Vermont, signed 4 November 1895; age 13
  • Lula Woodard of Putney, Vermont, signed November 1895; age 10.  Perhaps Lula C. Woodard, daughter of Ella Woodard
  • Miss Ida A. Young of Putney, Vermont, signed 30 January 1895.    Born 18 July 1885, daughter of Willis F. and Eva (Slocum) Young; married Urban Leroy Howe
Putney, Vermont


Greenfield, Massachusetts


Thanks for stopping by!


1 comment:

  1. Oh, so many thanks as Martha is my Great Aunt: my mother was a Black. Visited Martha and Leone in 1953. Thanks, thanks.

    ReplyDelete