1880s Autograph Album of Caroline LaFountain of Montgomery, New York

1880s autograph album of Caroline LaFountain of Montgomery, New York; several family obituaries, none of which have show the year of death, are tucked inside.

The album is approximately 5-1/4" x 3-1/4" and contains the sentiments of 51 of Caroline's relatives and friends.  An alphabetical surname list and an alphabetical list of the signers, together with any personal information they offered, appear at the end of this post.

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

Caroline LaFountain was born 10 May 1852 at Montgomery, New York, the daughter of Alexander and Ann Eliza (Decker) LaFountain.  The Lafountain name has variants of LaFontaine and others.  Caroline's siblings, except for Alexander LaFountain, Jr., inscribed pages in her album.

Her sister Clarissa F. (LaFountain) Comfort inscribed a page at Montgomery, New York, on April 4, 1881. Clarissa had by that time married Reeve Comfort.  Her obituary and that of their son William Reeve Comfort are tucked in the album.  The obituary mentions that William's mother's name was Grace, but the writer had apparently confused William's wife with his mother.

Caroline's sister Margaret Ann LaFountain inscribed a page; hers was one of the obituaries tucked in the album.  She never married.  One of her survivors was mentioned as sister Mrs. George White, who was Emeline (LaFountain) White.   Caroline was not mentioned as one of the survivors but wasn't necessarily deceased.

Caroline's sister Mary Catherine LaFountain inscribed a page in the album; her obituary is tucked inside.  She also never married.  In her obituary, the survivors are mentioned as siblings Robert LaFountain and Caroline (LaFountain) Ryan.  I don't know if Margaret Ann had predeceased Mary or that her name was simply omitted.

Caroline's sister Emeline LaFountain inscribed a page in the album.  She married George White and raised a family at Crawford, New York.

Caroline's brother Robert W. LaFountain inscribed a page in the album.

Many relatives and in-laws, members of the Bookstaver, Comfort, Cox, Decker, Homan, LaFountain and Scofield families, and probably more, inscribed pages in the album; refer to the list below.

In 1904, Caroline married Alexander Ryan, son of Alexander and Mary Ryan.  He was born September 1, 1856 in Canada.  I don't believe they had any children.  Alexander's obituary of 1917 is tucked in the album.

One page was signed by Mamie C. Fulton of Diamond Valley Institute, for which I couldn't find a reference, other than that there was a school at Diamond Valley in Orange County, New York.

Surnames in the album

B	F	M	W
Bookstaver [3]	Fulton	Miller	Weller [3]
C	G	O	Wood
Carsden	Gunsoley	Osterhout [4]	Wyatt
Comfort [2]	H	R	Y
Cox [2]	Homan [3]	Riley [2]	Young [2]
Crist	K	Ryan
D	Kells [2]	S
Decker [6]	L	Samuels [2]
Dewater	LaFountain [8]	Scofield [3]
Dubois [2]		Sherwood [3]
		Sinsabaugh

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

B

• Absalom B. Bookstaver of Montgomery, New York
• Joseph Bookstaver of Du Quoin, Illinois, in Perry County, signed on February 28, 1881
• Hiram J. Bookstaver, signed at Montgomery, New York, on April 7 [no year written]

C

• Samuel W. Carsden, signed at Newburgh, New York, on August 16, 1883
• Clarissa F. Comfort, signed at Montgomery, New York, on April 4, 1881; Caroline's sister Clarissa, wife of Reeve Comfort.  Her obituary is tucked in the album.
• Obituary of William Reeve Comfort, son of Reeve and Clarissa F. (LaFountain) Comfort
• Mary E. Cox of Crawford, New York, signed on June 25 [or 23], 1881.  Caroline's cousin Mary Eliza Cox, daughter of Oliver Cox and Margaret A. (Decker) Cox, who was a sister to Caroline's mother Ann Eliza (Decker) LaFountain
• Margaret J. Cox, signed on June 18, 1881.  Caroline's cousin Margaret Jane Cox, daughter of Oliver Cox and Margaret A. (Decker) Cox, who was a sister to Caroline's mother Ann Eliza (Decker) LaFountain.
• Georgie A. Crist

D

• Charlie Decker, signed on August 2, 1881; Charles Decker
• Emeline Decker.  Presumably a sister to Caroline's mother Ann Eliza (Decker) LaFountain.
• 3 page sentiment by M. Ella Decker, signed at Searsville, Montgomery, New York on November 27, 1880; Caroline's cousin Mary Ella Decker, daughter of Joseph and Mary E. (Sears) Decker. Joseph was a brother to Ann Eliza (Decker) LaFountain, Caroline's mother.
• Josietta Decker, signed at Searsville, Montgomery, New York on November 27, 1880.  Caroline's cousin, Josietta was the daughter of Mary E. (Sears) Decker and Joseph Decker, who was a brother to Caroline's mother Ann Eliza (Decker) LaFountain.
• Sarah F. Decker, signed at Searsville, Montgomery, New York, on November 17, 1880.  Caroline's cousin Sarah Frances Decker, daughter of Mary E. (Sears) Decker and Joseph Decker, who was a brother to Caroline's mother Ann Eliza (Decker) LaFountain.
• Wesley Decker; in the 1880 Census, he was living in the household of Oliver Cox and Margaret A. (Decker) Cox.
• Louisa Van Dewater
• Mary E. Dubois, signed at Newburgh, New York on November 12, 1880
• Sarah J. Dubois, signed on November 12, 1880

F

• Mamie C. Fulton, signed at Diamond Valley Institute

G

• Miss Martha Ann Gunsoley of Searville, Montgomery, New York

H

• Mary Homan; Caroline's cousin.  Mary C. Homan was the daughter of Sarah (LaFountain) and Hiram Homan.  Sarah was a sister to Caroline's father Alexander LaFountain
• Mattie B. Homan, signed at Coldenham, New York, on September 20, 1881.  Caroline's cousin Martha B. Homan, daughter of Sarah (LaFountain) and Hiram Homan.  Sarah was a sister to Caroline's father Alexander LaFountain.
• James H. Homan, signed at Coldenham, New York, on September 20, 1881; Caroline's cousin, James Hiram Homan, who was the son of Sarah (LaFountain) Homan and Hiram Homan.  Sarah was a sister to Caroline's father Alexander LaFountain.

K

• L. Kells
• S. Ella Kells

L

• Caroline LaFountain of Montgomery, New York; album owner
• Robert W. LaFountain of Montgomery, New York; Caroline's brother
• Mary C. LaFountain; Caroline's sister Mary Catherine LaFountain.  Her obituary is tucked in the album.
• Emeline LaFountain; Caroline's sister
• M. A. LaFountain; Caroline's sister Margaret Ann LaFountain, whose obituary is tucked in the album.
• Aunt Arminda LaFountain of Newburgh, New York; her husband James LaFountain signed the right facing page.
• James LaFountain of Newburgh, New York; his wife Arminda signed the left facing page.  He was presumably a brother to Caroline's father Alexander LaFountain.
• Obituary of Mrs. Thomas LaFountain, who died at Danbury, Connecticut, survived by her husband, two sons and two daughters.  Daughters are Mrs. Minnie Ambler and Mrs. Belle Lowerby of Danbury.

M

• Agnes Miller, signed at Montgomery, New York on September 6, 1883

O

• J. Petrie Osterhout of Walden, Montgomery, New York. He would die in 1886.
• Mary Osterhout, signed on June 5, 1882
• Julia Osterhout of Walden, New York, signed on June 4, 1882
• I. D. Osterhout of Walden, New York, signed on "6.3.82".

R

• M. E. Riley, signed on February 28, 1881
• Henrietta Riley
• Obituary of Alexander Ryan, whom Caroline had married in 1904. He was born in Canada in 1856, son of Alexander and Mary Ryan.  Caroline and his brother Edwin survived him.

S

• Mamie E. Samuels
• Ada C. Samuels of Montgomery, New York, signed on June 20, 1881
• Helen C. Scofield of Newburgh, New York, signed on August 27, 1881. Caroline's cousin Helen Cornelia Scofield, daughter of Samuel Scofield and Caroline (LaFountain) Scofield; Caroline was a sister to album owner Caroline's father Alexander LaFountain
• Virginia W. Scofield; Caroline's cousin Virginia Wheaton Scofield [though the middle initial looks more like an M.] daughter of Samuel Scofield and Caroline (LaFountain) Scofield; Caroline was a sister to album owner Caroline's father Alexander LaFountain
• A. Carrie Scofield, signed at Newburgh, New York, on August 29, 1881; Caroline's cousin Anna Carolina Scofield, daughter of Samuel Scofield and Caroline (LaFountain) Scofield, who was a sister to album owner Caroline's father Alexander LaFountain.
• Alfred Sherwood
• H. S. Sherwood
• Libbie Sherwood of Cronomers Valley, New York; Cronomer Valley
• Emma Sinsabaugh, signed on December 6, 1883

W

• Emma J. Weller
• Augustus Weller; he was Augustus Bookstaver Weller, whose wife Mary Augusta (Smith) Weller signed the right facing page.
• Mrs. M. A. Weller. Mary Augusta (Smith) Weller, wife of Augustus Bookstaver Weller, who signed the left facing page.
• Mary Wood; middle initial might be F or T or ?
• A. C. Wyatt of Cronomers Valley, New York, signed in March 1885; Cronomer Valley in Montgomery, New York; presumably the A. C. Wyatt who signed two or more other pages.

Y

• Obituary of Mrs. Alonzo Young, formerly Maria Jane Couser.  Husband, Alonzo Young; sons Hiram, Louis and George; daughter Mrs. Hiram Comfort
• Obituary of Clarence F. Young

Montgomery, New York

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