Tuesday, February 18, 2014

1880s Autograph Album of Albert Smith Ventres of Canton, Maine; compiled while he was a student at Hebron Academy


Late 1880s autograph album of Albert Smith Ventres of Canton, Maine, compiled while he was a student at Hebron Academy at Hebron, Maine, in the Class of 1888.  It appears that the album was a Christmas present in 1887.


The album is approximately 7" x 4-1/4" and contains the sentiments of 85 of Albert's relatives, friends and classmates.  An alphabetical list of the signers appears at the end of this post.  The album is interspersed with nine illustrated pages.


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

Albert Smith Ventres was born 12 September 1868 at Hyde Park, Massachusetts, the son of Rev. William Hosmer Shailer Ventres and Eliza (Murdock) Ventres, who were born at Haddam, Connecticut, and Brookline, Massachusetts, respectively.   The family was living at Canton, Maine, in the late 1880s, as Rev. Ventres was a minister there.

Rev. Ventres' obituary appeared in the Harvard Graduates' Magazine, Volume 21, 1912/1913.  Click on the image to enlarge it.


Both of Albert's parents signed pages in his album, Rev. Ventres on January 29, 1888, and his wife on January 30, 1887.



Four of Albert's siblings signed pages in his album.  William Robinson Ventres and his wife Martha Ellen (Goding) Ventres, "Mattie", of Port Allegany, Pennsylvania, signed facing pages.  Mattie dated hers November 25, 1888.



Albert's brother Jonah Warren Ventres of Peru, Maine, signed a page on January 28, 1888.  His wife Sophronia Lany (Boynton) Ventres, "Fronia", signed a page at Port Allegany, Pennsylvania, on October 17, 1892.



Albert's brother Edward Chase Ventres of Brookline, Massachusetts, signed a page.


Albert's sister, Mary Eliza (Ventres) Goding of Port Allegany, Pennsylvania, signed a page on January 2, 1889.


As noted above, many of the signers were students at Hebron Academy, mainly from the Classes of 1887 and 1888.  Refer to the list below.  See a commencement program from 1887 here.

On 8 October 1903, Albert Smith Ventres married Lucy Fuller Harding, "Lou", daughter of Captain Robert Libby Harding and Elizabeth Orr (Davis) Harding, who were born at Wellfleet, Massachusetts, and Topsham or Brunswick, Maine, respectively.  Lou was born 27 February 1864 at Wellfleet, Massachusetts.

According to the Census of 1910 of Portland, Maine, Albert was by then divorced and was working as the bookkeeper at a wholesale grocery.  By 1920, Albert had moved to Corinth, Maine, was living alone and not working.  Interestingly, his parents had moved to Corinth for Rev. Ventres' last ministerial post.  Albert's mother died in 1900; his father married Marietta (Herrick) Eldon in 1905.  Rev. Ventres died in 1912.

Perhaps Albert had inherited their home at Corinth.  I lost track of him after 1920, though I assume he was the Albert S. Ventres mentioned as the owner in 1924 of this summer home on Peaks Island.  In fact, there's an archive of Ventres papers relating to Peaks Island.

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!

Signers in the album:  [Note: given names within a specific surname may not be in alphabetical order.]

?

  • William E. ?, signed at Hebron Academy on April 4, 1887
A
  • Herbert M. Adkins of Turner, Maine, signed at Hebron Academy on November 19, 1887
  • A. W. Alley of Hartford, Maine, signed at Hebron Academy, Class of '86; Arthur Williams Alley
  • James A. Ames of Sumner, Maine
  • Katie M. Ames of Sumner, Maine, signed on December 19, 1887
B
  • W. A. Bicknell, signed at Hebron Academy, on March 24, 1887.  Class of 1888.  Presumably William A. Bicknell of Paris, Maine
  • W. Lowell Bonney of Turner, Maine, signed at Hebron Academy, Class of '86; William Lowell Bonney
  • Myra A. Brackett of North Berwick, Maine, signed on March 2, 1889
  • C. L. Buck of Snow's Falls, Maine, signed at Hebron Academy on September 19, 1887.  Presumably Charles L. Buck.  Snow's Falls is on the Little Androscoggin River between South Paris and West Paris.
  • Grace E. Bumpus of Hebron, Maine, signed on June 18, 1888
C
  • H. S. Chenery of Portland, Maine
  • Gertie Chesley of Hebron, Maine; Albert's classmate
  • Luella B. Clark of South Berwick, Maine, signed on November 8, 1889.  Frank J. Clark also signed the page.
  • Hattie E. Clark of Berwick, Maine, signed on November 2, 1889
  • Cora A. Corbett of Sumner, Maine, signed on January 7, 1888
  • Bertha H. Cushman of North Paris, Maine, signed at Hebron Academy on June 11, 1888; Albert's classmate
  • Mabelle Cushman of North Paris, Maine, signed on June 11, 1888 at Hebron Academy, Class of 1888
D
  • Mary Alice Denning, Class of 1887
  • Fannie E. Denning of Mechanic Falls, Maine, signed at Hebron Academy, Class of 1887
  • Delbert J. Dyer, H. S. Melcher Company; on a page signed by 4 people on December 14, 1901; other signers were Miss Lottie Wilson; Fred M. Mitchell; and Jessie H. Wilson
E
  • Annie J. Earle, signed at North Berwick, Maine, on March 4, 1889
F
  • Leroy R. Flye of Sedgwick, Maine, signed at Hebron Academy on March 11, 1887
  • F. F. Foster of Buckfield, Maine, signed on April 20, 1887; Fred Fenton Foster
  • Grace M. French of Turner, Maine, signed at Hebron, Maine, on June 1, 1888
G
  • Kittie O. Goding of Port Allegany, Pennsylvania, signed on October 23, 1892
  • Mary E. Goding of Port Allegany, Pennsylvania, signed on January 2, 1889.  She was Mary Eliza (Ventres) Goding, sister of Albert and wife of Izates Charles Goding
  • Orissa W. Gould, "Cosmopolitan", Maine, signed at Hebron Academy, Class of 1888
H
  • Edgar I. Hanscom of Lebanon, Maine, signed on December 31, 1888
  • Oscar E. Hanscom of Lebanon, Maine, signed on December 31, 1888
  • Mary A. Hanscom, signed at Lebanon, Maine, on December 31, 1888
  • Alpheus Hanscom of Lebanon, Maine, signed on January 1, 1889; "G. G. O. M."
  • Lila Harden, signed on April 17, 1888
  • Winogene Harden, signed at Hebron Academy on March 19, 1888
  • C. E. Harden of Hebron, Maine, signed on April 18, 1888
  • Abbie S. Harden
  • Gertrude Harlow of Hebron, Miane, signed at Hebron Academy on "4-12-87; Class of 1888
  • Abbie LeB. Hibbs of Hebron, Maine, signed on June 8, 1888
  • Edward A. Hodge of Amesbury, Massachusetts, signed on January 3, 1891.  "A.D.C."
  • S. Ethel Hodge of Amesbury, Massachusetts, signed on December 28, 1890  "A.D.C."
  • Freeman E. Hodge of Amesbury, Massachusetts, signed on December 28, 1890
  • Alice M. Hodge of Amesbury, Massachusetts, signed on December 28, 1890
  • Susan A. Hodge of Amesbury, Massachusetts
  • C. H. Howard of South Paris, Maine, signed at Hebron Academy on March 6, 1888; possibly Charles H. Howard
J
  • Mary E. Jordan of Promised Land, Maine, signed on April 22, 1887.  Promised Land was a village in Poland, Maine.
  • Abbie S. Jordan of Upper Gloucester, Maine, signed at Hebron Academy, Class of 1887
L
  • Florence L. Ladd of North Livermore, Maine, signed on November 28, 1886
  • Howard A. Lincoln, signed at Hebron Academy in the Spring of 1888
  • W. E. Lombard or H. E. Lombard of Turner, Maine; not positive of first initial.  There was a Willie E. Lombard at Turner, Maine, about the same age as Albert.
  • P. E. Lowell of Buckfield, Maine, signed on April 22, 1887.  Class of 1887 at Hebron Academy.  Percival Ellsworth Lowell.
M
  • Fred M. Mitchell, Shaw Business College; on a page signed by 4 people on December 14, 1901; other signers were Miss Lottie Wilson; Jessie H. Wilson; and Delbert J. Dyer
  • James E. Moody of Turner, Maine, signed on June 22, 1888; "an 88er"
  • Ernest Morse of Turner, Maine, signed on September 19, 1887
  • George R. Morton of South Paris, Maine, signed at Hebron Academy on March 11, 1887.  George Randall Morton
  • May I. Murray of Lebanon, Maine, signed in January 1889
  • Lewis Murray, signed at Lebanon, Maine, on January 23, 1889
  • A. G. Murray of Lebanon, Maine, signed on February 2, 1889
N
  • G. H. Newman, signed at Dixfield, Maine, on October 14, 1888.  Presumably George Henry Newman, husband of Josephine Malvina (White) Newman, who signed the right facing page.
  • Josie M. Newman, signed at Dixfield, Maine, on October 14, 1888.  Josephine Malvina (White) Newman, whose husband George Henry Newman signed the left facing page.
  • Vina G. Newman of Dixfield, Maine, signed on September 23, 1888
P
  • Jennie W. Packard of Hebron, Maine, signed in the Summer of 1888
  • Annie I. Parsons of South Paris, Maine, signed at Hebron Academy on June 21, 1888; presumably Annie Isabella Parsons, born 30 December 1869 at South Paris, Maine
  • Clarence W. Peaslee of Amesbury, Massachusetts, signed on June 8, 1892
  • George P. Phenix, signed at Hebron Academy on April 19, 1888
  • Anna M. Proctor of North Raymond, Maine, signed on June 2, 1888; Albert's classmate
R
  • Albert A. Richmond of North Paris, Maine, signed at Hebron Academy on "1-6-1887".  He signed the page upside down.
S
  • Maude Saunders of Ellsworth, Maine, signed at Hebron Academy, Class of '88
  • E. E. Simar of Port Allegany, Pennsylvania, signed on October 24, 1892
  • C. W. Skillings of North Auburn, Maine, signed on April 2 [no year written].  Hebron Academy '87.  He was Charles W. Skillings, who gave the Class History at the 1887 Hebron Academy Commencement: http://heirloomsreunited.blogspot.com/2011/05/1887-commencement-exercises-program.html
  • F. W. Snell of South Paris, Maine
  • L. C. Sopher of South Poland, Maine, signed during Spring Term in 1887.  Perhaps Curtis Levi Sopher
  • Mary Emily Spear of Freeport, Maine, signed on June 27, 1888
  • Edna M. Storer of West Poland, Maine, signed on February 22, 1887 at Hebron Academy
T
  • E. L. Torrey, Classmate of '88, Hebron Academy.  Presumably Eugene L. Torrey of Dixfield, Maine 
  • Hortense Torrey of Dixfield, Maine, signed at Hebron Academy on June 12 [no year written}, but she she called herself Albert's classmate of 1888
V
  • Albert Smith Ventres of Canton, Maine; album owner.  It appears that this was one of his Christmas presents in 1887
  • Father, signed on January 29, 1888.  He was William Hosmer Shailer Ventres, a minister, sawmill owner. Read more about him here: http://phys.org/news/2014-01-evidence-nordic-grog-scandinavia.html [The Harvard Graduates' Magazine, Volume 21, 1912/1913].  From The History of Peru, in the County of Oxford in the State of Maine, from 1789 to 1911:  Rev. Mr. Ventres and sons ran the sawmill a few weeks to accommodate a few customers. He could do most any kind of work well. He was a good brick mason, and was not  above work; was always busy out of the pulpit. He contributed much labor in painting and reshingling the old meeting-house during his pastorate here with the Baptist church, three years or more.
  • Mattie E. Ventres of Port Allegany, Pennsylvania, signed on November 25, 1888.  She was Martha Ellen (Goding) Ventres, wife of Albert's older brother William Richardson Ventres, who signed the right facing page.
  • Will R. Ventres of Port Allegany, Pennsylvania.  He was William Richardson Ventres, Albert's older brother.  Will's wife, Martha Ellen (Goding) Ventres, signed the left facing page.
  • Fronia Ventres of Port Allegany, Pennsylvania, signed on October 17, 1892.  She was Sophronia Lany (Boynton) Ventres, wife of Albert's older brother Jonah Warren Ventres.
  • Mrs. E. M. Ventres, signed at Canton, Maine, on January 30, 1887; presumably Eliza (Murdock) Ventres, Albert's mother.
  • Edward C. Ventres of Brookline, Massachusetts; presumably Albert's older brother Edward Chase Ventres
  • J. Warren Ventres of Peru, Maine, signed on January 28, 1888.  He was Jonah Warren Ventres, Albert's older brother.
W
  • Arthur P. Wedge of Everett, Massachusetts, signed on November 18, 1887
  • Nellie L. Whitman of South Paris, Maine, signed at Hebron Academy, Hebron, Maine, in April 1887; she was Preceptress and instructor of Mathematics and Bookkeeping
  •  Miss Lottie Wilson, Mitchell House; on a page signed by 4 people on December 14, 1901; other signers were Fred M. Mitchell; Jessie H. Wilson; and Delbert J. Dyer
  • Jessie H. Wilson, Dairy Lunch; on a page signed by 4 people on December 14, 1901; other signers were Miss Lottie Wilson; Fred M. Mitchell; and Delbert J. Dyer


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