1880s Autograph Album of Jessie Estella Parker of New Haven, Michigan

1880s autograph album of Jessie Estella Parker, "Stella", of New Haven, Michigan.

The album is approximately 7" x 4-1/4" and contains the sentiments of about 70 of Stella's relatives, friends and schoolmates.  An alphabetical list of the signers appears at the end of this post.

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

Jessie Estella Parker was born 21 August 1864 at Columbus, Michigan, the daughter of John Sanford Parker and Helen Augusta (Farrar) Parker.  Her parents signed pages in her album.  John S. Parker signed his page at New Haven, Michigan on January 2, 1881.

Helen Augusta (Farrar) Parker of New Haven, Michigan, signed a page on March 26, 1880.

Helen's parents, Manson Farrar and Sybil (Smith) Farrar, signed facing pages, Sybil at Lenox, Michigan, on December 21, 1880.

Stella's sister Delia Sybil Parker signed two pages, one at New Haven, Michigan, on February 8, 1892.

Stella's mother's brother, Uriel S. Farrar, his wife Alice M. (Chapman) Farrar and their daughter Mary Farrar of Detroit Junction, Michigan, signed a page on July 8, 1881.

On 22 February 1894 in Macomb County, Michigan, Jessie Estella Parker married Walter S. Lowell, son of Henry and Sarah (Warwick) Lowell.   Walter was born 3 October 1865 at New Haven, Michigan.

Stella and Walter farmed at Columbus Township, Michigan.  Later, they lived at Lenox, Michigan, where Walter worked as a hardware salesman, and then at Richmond, Michigan.

They had, I believe, four children:

1. Jessie Lowell, born 10 June 1895 at Columbus, Michigan
2. Mary Lowell, born 4 April 1896 at Columbus, Michigan
3. Smith E. Lowell, born 23 March 1899 at Columbus, Michigan
4. Manson P. Lowell, born 28 February 1901 at Lenox, Michigan

Jessie Estella (Parker) Lowell and her husband Walter S. Lowell died about a month apart from each other in 1960, having outlived their son Manson, who died in 1937.

If you have corrections and/or additions to the information above, or information on any of the signers listed below, please leave a comment or contact me directly.  Thanks!

A few of the pages:

If you can decipher the page below, please leave a comment.  The name might be Benjamin Eshor.  There was a Chicago lawyer by the name of Edward Benjamin Esher.  However, The Genalogue found references to a Benjamin Eshos of Persia who was giving lectures in the United States during the time frame of the album.  The Fort Wayne Daily Gazette of Indiana reported in July 1881 that Eshos had given a lecture on the "Manners and Customs of Persia".  Perhaps Stella had attended one of his lectures or had met him some other way.  He died at Chicago, Illinois, on 4 April 1896.

Sarah F. Kenfield, M.D., of Richmond, Michigan signed a page on December 18, 1880.

One page is dated February 11, 1891, the day after a Prohibition Convention was held at New Haven, Michigan.

One page had a sad note, probably written by Stella herself, giving the date of death of Mary Lefurgey, who died January 8, 1881.

The last two signed pages in the album were signed by a man whose name I believe was M. A. Peeso or M. O. Peeso, who was apparently affiliated with the Hubbard Voice Company of New York.

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

• Name is possibly Benjamin Eshor, page of writing in Greek or other language or combination of languages
• Aunt Toots, signed on December 25, 1888
• Maggie J. or S.
• Ella, signed at Richmond, Michigan, on April 25, 1881
• "A Friend"
• Very faint.  Given name Lawrence; surname looks like Juskney or Tuskney.  Mount Clemons, Michigan
• ?, signed on 30 January 1881.  Possibly Voilet
• Canada
• J. E. P.
• Someone, presumably Stella, wrote on the page: "Mary Lefurgey died Jan. 8, 1881"
• Too faint
• Faint, possibly signed by Elmer D. Wier, but not sure of given or surname
• Possibly M. A. Peeso or M. A. Preso or M. O. Peeso or M. O. Preso, signed on May 6, 1884.  The signer was presumably associated with Hubbard Voice Company of New York, the name written on the facing inside back cover.
• Flora Bates of New Haven, Michigan, signed on January 21, 1881
• L. Bingham, signed on May 1, 1882
• T. G. Blanchard of New Haven, Michigan, signed on February 12, 1881.  Presumably Thomas G. Blanchard
• Sarah H. Breese, signed at Columbus, presumably Michigan, on August 25, 1881
• Andrew Burleigh of New Haven, Michigan, signed on March 4, 1881
• Kittie Carl, signed at New Haven, Michigan, on January 25, 1881
• William Clancy of Memphis, Michigan, signed on December 27, 1884.  Not sure of surname
• D. H. Clark of Fort Wayne, Indiana
• Rowland Crandall of ?, possibly Leeman, Macomb County, Michigan
• J. S. Crandell of Riley, Michigan, in St. Clair County, signed on January 17, 1881   [See reader comment, below, for more information on J. S. Crandell]
• Minnie Duval of New Haven, Michigan
• May Fairchild of Richmond, Michigan
• Manson Farrar, signed on December 22, 1880
• Sybil Farrar, signed at Lenox, Michigan, on December 21, 1880; Stella's maternal grandmother Sybil (Smith) Farrar
• Uriel S. Farrar of Detroit Junction, Michigan, signed on July 8, 1881; shared the page with his wife Alice M. (Chapman) Farrar and daughter Mary Farrar
• Alice M. Farrar of Detroit Junction, Michigan, signed on July 8, 1881; shared the page with her husband Uriel S. Farrar and daughter Mary Farrar
• Mary Farrar of Detroit Junction, Michigan, signed on July 8, 1881; middle initial could be I.  She shared the page with her parents Uriel S. Farrar and Alice M. (Chapman) Farrar
• Mrs. Freeman and Maggie Freeman, 5 years old [signed by Mrs. Freeman]
• Fannie A. Fry, signed at Springwells, Michigan, on July 8, 1881
• Clarence Fullerton of New Haven, Michigan, signed on February 2, 1883; Stella's schoolmate
• Joe Gilbert, signed at Memphis, on July 30, 1881.  There is a Memphis, Michigan, in the area of most of the signers.
• Mary A. Gilbert, signed on Christmas Day in 1880; Stella's cousin
• Lizzie Gilmore
• Hattie Gould, signed at New Haven, Michigan, on February 12, 1881
• Letta Grover, signed at New Haven, Michigan, on April 25, 1881
• Agnes, signed on February 1, 1883.  Name could be Agnes Guinn
• Jen M. Haire, signed at New Haven, Michigan, on February 2, 1883.  Not sure of given name
• L. Horn of Newark [initials that look like N.Y., and there is a town in New York called Newark, but could be the New Jersey Newark], signed on October 24, 1884; intricate sketch
• Cicely Howell, signed on April 25, 188[x].  She may have penned the left facing page, which is unsigned but appears to have similar handwriting.
• Compliments of Hubbard's Voice Company of New York, May 6, 1884
• W. Irving Hunt, signed at Columbus, Michigan, on August 25, 1881
• George W. Kenfield of Richmond, Michigan, signed on December 21, 1880
• Sarah F. Kenfield, M.D., signed at Richmond, Michigan, on December 18, 1880
• Lottie Kerr
• L. C. Kerr, signed at New Haven, Michigan, on June 8, 1881
• Vastie Lefurgey, signed at New Haven, Michigan, on March 15, 1881.  Presumably Vashti Lefurgey
• Mana A. Luttenbacher of New Haven, Michigan, signed on April 2, 1881; many memories on the page
• Mrs. S. E. McGregor, signed at New Haven, Michigan, on December 27, 1881
• Will McGregor, signed at New Haven, Michigan, on December 14, 1881
• W. McGregor, signed at New Haven, Michigan, on December 21, 1881
• Alvro M. Mintonye of Mount Clemons, Michigan; I found records for an Alvero M. Mintonye
• May Newcombe of New Haven, Michigan, signed on July 21, 1881
• Mary E. Olds, signed at Sandusky, Ohio, on September 6, 1888
• Stella Parker of New Haven, Michigan; album owner.  She was Jessie Estella Parker, daughter of John Sanford Parker, Jr., and Helen Augusta (Farrar) Parker
• John S. Parker, Jr., signed at New Haven, Michigan on January 2, 1881.  He was John Sanford Parker, Jr., father of Jessie Estella Parker, "Stella", album owner
• Mrs. Helen A. Parker of New Haven, Michigan, signed on March 26, 1880 [not sure of last digit].  She was Helen Augusta (Farrar) Parker, Stella's mother
• Delia, signed at New Haven, Michigan, on February 8, 1892; Stella's sister Delia Sybil Parker; she signed another page as well.
• Hattie A. Parker, signed at New Haven, Michigan, on March 16, 1881; Stella's paternal cousin
• Eva Robinson, signed at New Haven, Michigan on January 21, 1881
• Enoch Saunders, signed on April 17, 1881
• Will W. Secord, signed at Detroit, Michigan, on August 20, 1883.  Presumably the W. W. S. who signed the left facing page.
• Nellie A. Sullivan, signed at New Haven, Michigan, on February 21, 1883
• Metta C. Van Horn, signed at New Baltimore, Michigan, on December 25, 1880
• Nellie E. Van Horne, signed at New Baltimore, Michigan, on December 25, 1880
• Emma Walker, signed at New Haven, Michigan, on January 20, 1881
• J. F. Whitmyer of Detroit, Michigan, signed on April 17, 1883

New Haven, Michigan


View Larger Map

Thanks for stopping by!