1880s Autograph Album with Signers from Gorham, New Hampshire

1880s autograph album with signers from Gorham, New Hampshire.  Sadly, a few pages here and there have been removed, including part of the first end paper which might have shown the owner's name.

The album is approximately 7-3/4" x 6" and contains only five signed pages, one of which has the signatures of three family members.  All of the signed pages are shown below.  Additionally, an alphabetical list of the signers appears at the end of this post.

This is the "Longfellow Album", with several illustrations of scenes from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poetry are interspersed throughout.  The other images appear below.

Fred C. Demond of Freeport, Maine, signed a page at Gorham, New Hampshire, on March 1, 1887.  He was Fred Clarence Demond, son of George Nelson Demond and Mary Emeline (Field) Demond.  He practiced law at Concord, New Hampshire.  See an article with his photograph here.

J. F. Brown signed a page at Gorham, New Hampshire, on April 5, 1888.  I wonder if he was a member of the Brown family that started the Berlin Mills Company at Berlin, New Hampshire.

Wesley Wight, his wife Salome (Willis) Wight, and their daughter Mary S. Wight, all of Gorham, New Hampshire, signed a page on July 8, 1889.

The last two signed pages are facing pages signed by J. F. Libby and Mrs. Libby.  Presumably, they are Gorham lawyer Jesse Felt Libby, son of Abner Chace Libby and Lucy Spofford (Felt) Libby, and his wife Eva Melissa (Young) Libby, daughter of Emery G. and Rosetta (Merrill) Young.  

Jesse Felt Libby was born at Locke Mills, Maine, in 1857, graduated from Bowdoin College in 1882 and moved to Gorham, New Hampshire where he was involved in a variety of businesses and utilities.  For more information, see here.

If you have additional information on any of the signers, please leave a comment or contact me directly. Thanks!

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

• J. F. Brown, signed at Gorham, New Hampshire, on April 5, 1888
• Fred C. Demond of Freeport, Maine, signed at Gorham, New Hampshire, on March 7, 1887.  From his 1939 New Hampshire Death Record: He was Fred Clarence Demond, son of George Nelson Demond and Mary Emeline (Field) Demond.  He practiced law at Concord, New Hampshire: see article and photograph here.
• J. F. Libby of Gorham, New Hampshire, signed on March 22, 1891.  Presumably Gorham lawyer Jesse Felt Libby, son of Abner Chace Libby and Lucy Spofford (Felt) Libby.  He was born at Locke Mills, Maine, in 1857, graduated from Bowdoin College in 1882 and moved to Gorham, New Hampshire where he was involved in a variety of businesses and utilities.  His wife Eva Melissa (Young) Libby signed the right facing page.  See article about Jesse Felt Libby at Political Graveyard site: http://politicalgraveyard.com/geo/NH/realestate.html
• Mrs. J. F. Libby of Gorham, New Hampshire, signed on March 17, 1891.  She was Eva Melissa (Young) Libby, daughter of Emery G. and Rosetta (Merrill) Young, and wife of Jesse Felt Libby, who signed the left facing page.
• Mary S. Wight, on a page shared with her parents Wesley and Salome (Willis) Wight and signed at Gorham, New Hampshire, on July 8, 1889
• Wesley Wight, on a page shared with his wife Salome (Willis) Wight and daughter Mary S. Wight, signed at Gorham, New Hampshire, on July 8, 1889
• Salome Wight, on a page shared with her husband Wesley Wight and daughter Mary S. Wight, signed at Gorham, New Hampshire, on July 8, 1889. She was Salome (Willis) Wight.

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