Tuesday, December 2, 2014

1893-1906 Autograph Album of Oda E. Clingerman of Elkins, West Virginia Area


1893-1906 autograph album that belonged to Oda E. Clingerman, "Odie", of the Elkins, West Virginia area.  Her mother, Maggie (Smith) Clingerman gave the album to "Odie G. E. Clingerman" on her first birthday, March 20, 1893.


Maggie inscribed two additional pages in the album, the first one and the last one, both on March 20, 1893, and she may have been the M. E. Clingerman who inscribed another page.



Odie's father, Abraham Clingerman, also inscribed a page in the album and may have inscribed another as A. Clingerman.



The album measures approximately 6-1/4" x 4" and contains the sentiments of nearly 30 of Odie'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!]

Oda E. Clingerman was born March 20, 1892 in Hampshire County, West Virginia, the daughter of Abraham and Maggie (Smith) Clingerman.  Maggie's father and mother, or stepmother, inscribed pages in their granddaughter Odie's album, as W. P. Smith and Mrs. W. P. Smith.



Sadly, it appears that Abraham and Maggie's marriage did not last.  By 1900, Odie was living with her mother and a servant at Leadsville, West Virginia.  In October 1900, Abraham married Bertha Ellen Iliff and had at least four more children with her, though two died in childhood.

In 1909, Oda married Edward Lee Finn.  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.

Surnames in the album - a few people may have signed multiple pages.

?  [4]
Brinkman  [2]
C ?
Clingerman  [5]
Dossey
Gabert
Goode
H ?  [2]
Hedges
Kline
Leighty
McCloud
Riley  [2]
S ?
Sharp
Smith  [2]
Swick
Taylor
Wolfe

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


  • "Your Friend"
  • A Friend
  • V or H or ?
  • Leora; she called Oda "Bill's little Pet"
B
  • Miss Gloda Brinkman - though I think she was the Golda Brinkman who signed another page.
  • Mr. T. I. Brinkman or T. J. Brinkman
  • Golda Brinkman
C
  • L. C., signed on January 16, 1907
  • Oda E. Clingerman, "Odie", of Elkins, West Virginia; album owner.  She inscribed a page near the end of her album on December 15, 1906.
  • Maggie (Smith) Clingerman, Odie's mother, who presented her with the album on her first birthday, March 20, 1893.  She inscribed two other pages in the album and may have been the M. E. Clingerman who signed another.
  • A. Clingerman, signed on November 30, 1898. Presumably Odie's father Abraham Clingerman.
  • Odie's father Abraham Clingerman
  • M. E. Clingerman; perhaps another page signed by Odie's mother.
D
  • Florence Dossey, signed on March 20, 1893
G
  • Eugene Gabert, signed at Elkins, West Virginia, on April 27, 1896
  • Frances Goode
H
  • L. H. ?, signed at Elkins, West Virginia, on December 1, 1898. Surname looks like ?awfford
  • W. G. H., 7235 or 4235 Heritage St., Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
  • ? Hedges, signed at Elkins, West Virginia, on December 4, 1890
K
  • A. Kline
L
  • T. W. Leighty, signed on December 4, 1898. Perhaps Thomas W. Leighty
M
  • William McCloud
R
  • Nellie Riley
  • Grace Riley
S
  • M. A. Sothen or M. S. Suthern or ?
  • Lena Sharp, signed on December 3, 1898
  • Mrs. W. P. Smith; presumably Odie's maternal grandmother or step grandmother.
  • W. P. Smith, signed at South Elkins, West Virginia, on December 31, 1899; Odie's maternal grandfather.
  • Arrinda Swick; wrote two dates: July 17, 1896; and December 31 [no year written]
T
  • Blanch Taylor, signed at Elkins, West Virginia, on November 21, 1904
W
  • Vallie Wolfe, signed at Elkins, West Virginia
Elkins, West Virginia


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