Wednesday, January 14, 2015

1880s Autograph Album of Louah M. Dix of Olcott, New York


1880s autograph album that belonged to Louah M. Dix of Olcott, New York.  She would marry Frank Mead Bradley, whose autograph album is the feature of another post.


The album measures approximately 7" x 4-1/4" and contains the sentiments of 28 of Louah's relatives, friends and schoolmates at Wilson Union School at Wilson, New York.  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 brief online research, hopefully correct:  [corrections and additions welcome!]

Louah M. Dix was born about April 1864, the daughter of Pardon Tillinghast Dix and Marie Antoinette (McKee) Dix.  Louah's maternal grandfather, Anthony McKee, inscribed a page in her album on April 26, 1882.  His daughter Martha A. McKee also inscribed a page.


Louah had, I think, five siblings.  Two of them inscribed pages in her husband Frank Mead Bradley's album.  Louah's sister Winnifred Dix, inscribed a page in Frank's album at Olcott, New York, on June 17, 1888.  Louah's brother Burt Tillinghast Dix of Olcott, New York, inscribed a page in Frank's album on March 4, 1888.  Interestingly, neither Louah nor Frank signed a page in each other's album.



As noted above, the presence of several pages signed by classmates at Wilson Union School indicates that Louah was a student there in the early 1880.  I suspect she was a member of the Class of 1882 along with Carrie Hutchings, who inscribed a page at Wilson, New York, on June 1, with no year written.  Carrie mentioned the Class of 1882 and described herself in relation to Louah as "friend and fellow sufferer in Botany".  


About 1888, Louah married Frank M. Bradley, son of George Henry Bradley and Fanny (Mead) Bradley. Tucked in the album is Louah's calling card bearing her married name.


Louah and Frank farmed at Somerset, New York, and raised five children:
  1. Marion Dix Bradley, born in 1889
  2. Ora Antoinette Bradley, born in 1891
  3. Winnifred Dix Bradley, born 1895; died young in 1903
  4. George Tillinghast Bradley, born in 1897
  5. Frank Dix Bradley, born in 1909.
The aforementioned Frank's album has contemporary writing on the inside front cover that mentions these children.


Louah died in 1952; her husband Frank Mead Bradley had predeceased her in 1930.  They're buried at the Somerset Cemetery at Somerset, New York.  

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.

One page was inscribed in German at Wilson, New York, on June 22, 1882.  If you can translate the page and provide the name and any relationship that might have been expressed, please leave a comment.  Could the name be Augustin F. Rummel or something similar?


E. M. Shaw inscribed a page on August 19, 1881 and expressed a cousin relationship.


Surnames in the Album

? [2]HS
BHewittShaw
BonesteelHillSherman [2]
Brown [3]HutchingsSmith
CLStout [2]
CarltonLewisSwick
Case [2]MV
CowanMcKee [2]Vincent
DNW
DixNortonWhitney
Doty

Signers in the Album      [Note: Given names within a specific surname may not be in alphabetical order.]
  • Jessie
  • Written in German, signed at Wilson, New York, on June 22, 1882. Name possibly Augustin F. Rummel
  • Jennie ?, signed February, 1883
B
  • Jessie Bonesteel, signed at Wilson, New York, on June 2, 1882
  • Jonas W. Brown, signed at Lockport, New York, on February 3, 1882
  • Joseph Brown of Ransom, Michigan, in Hillsdale County; middle initial L or S
  • J. Elmer Brown of Wilson, New York, signed on June 1, 1882 at the Wilson Union School.
C
  • Will Carlton; shared the page with Isabel Stout
  • Mattie Case of Wilson, New York, signed on October 16, 1882; Louah's schoolmate
  • Walter L. Case of Wilson, New York, signed on October 6, 1882
  • Sarah Cowan of Youngstown, New York, signed at W.U.S. on June 1, 1882; Wilson Union School
D
  • Louah M. Dix of Olcott, New York; album owner.  Tucked in the album is her calling card with her married name: Mrs. Frank M. Bradley.
  • Lena R. Doty of Lockport, New York
H
  • Ida M. Hewitt of Wilson, New York, signed on June 23, 1882
  • Hattie D. Hill of Lockport, New York, signed on February 19, 1887
  • Carrie Hutchings, signed on June 1 [no year written], at Wilson Union School, Class of 1882; "your friend and fellow sufferer in Botany"
L
  • Mary Lewis of Ransomville, New York, signed on October 17, 1882
M
  • Anthony McKee, signed on April 26, 1882; Louah's "grandfather and friend"
  • Martha A. McKee, signed on March 8, 1882. Sister of Louah's mother Marie Antoinette (McKee) Dix.
N
  • Florine D. Norton of Little Falls, New York, in Herkimer County, signed on July 28, 1888
S
  • E. M. Shaw, signed on August 19, 1881; Louah's cousin
  • Alice M. Sherman of Whitewater, Wisconsin
  • Mary L. Sherman of Lockport, New York, signed on September 23, 1881
  • Lillie Smith of Wilson, New York, signed on October 18, 1882
  • Isabel Stout, signed on February 2, 1885; shared the page with Will Carlton
  • D. E. Stout
  • Emma Swick, signed on June 22, 1882; Louah's schoolmate
V
  • Jennie E. Vincent, signed at Olcott, New York
W
  • Nellie M. Whitney of Wilson, New York, signed on December 6, 1882; Louah's schoolmate
Olcott, New York, and Somerset, New York


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