Saturday, January 3, 2015

1885-1936 Autograph Album of Rowene M. Brooks of Catskill, New York


1885-1936 autograph album that belonged to Rowene M. Brooks of Catskill, New York.   An earlier post featured Rowene's 1881-1884 autograph album.


The album, which has puffy velvet covers, measures about 7" x 4-1/4" and contains the sentiments of 35 of Rowene's relatives and friends, including two of her granddaughters.  An alphabetical surname list and an alphabetical list of the signers appear at the end of this post.  Some people, as you would expect, left sentiments in both albums.

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

Rowene M. Brooks was born in September 1868, the daughter of John Morrison Brooks and Mary Jane (Chase) Brooks.  About 1892 Rowene married William Webber, who was presumably the William Webber who inscribed a page in Rowene's album at Catskill, New York, on May 4, 1886.


Two other people named Webber left sentiments in the album: Herman Webber, who called himself Rowene's brother, so was presumably William Webber's brother, in 1893; and Clara Webber in 1886.  Clara also inscribed a page in the other album.

Rowene and William farmed at Coxsackie, New York, and had two children.  One of them, Robert Brooks Webber, married Wilda Vern Fosdick.  They had daughters Morrell Fosdick Webber and Adrienne M. Webber, who both left sentiments in the album in 1936 when it apparently came to light.



Rowene's niece May L. Brooks inscribed a page at Saugerties, New York, on July 27, 1895.  She was the daughter of Rowene's older brother Egbert D. Brooks and his wife Elizabeth Mary (Banks) Brooks.


Rowene's cousin, Pearl C. Day, inscribed a page on September 4, 1896.  There may have been other relatives who left a sentiment but didn't specify a family relationship with Rowene.

William Webber died in 1943.  Rowene, a centenarian, died in 1970.  They're buried with Brooks and Webber family members at the Town of Catskill Cemetery.  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.

Perhaps a reader will recognize the initials and provide an identity for Rowene's teacher, I. V. D. A., who inscribed a page at Catskill, New York, on November 20, 1885.  I may have misinterpreted two of the initials.


Surnames in the Album

?HP
AHalePerry
AyersHeath [2]Puffer
Brooks [2]Hover [could be Stover] [2]S
BulkleyJSalisbury
CJonesShaler
ChittendenKSmith
Cooper [2]KingStory [2]
CrainLStover [could be Hover] [2]
DLaymanT
Day [2]LohmannTownsend
FOW
FooteO'BrienWebber [5]
Wynkoop

Signers in the Album      [Note: Given names within a specific surname may not be in alphabetical order.]
  • I. V. D. A., signed at Catskill, New York, on November 20, 1885; Rowene's teacher
A
  • Florence E. Ayers, signed at Catskill, New York, on January 5, 1886
B
  • Rowene M. Brooks; album owner. She dated her ownership page "9-10-1885", but there was an earlier inscription than that, unless that one should have been 1886.
  • May L. Brooks, signed at Saugerties, New York, on July 27, 1895; Rowene's niece, the daughter of Rowene's older brother Egbert D. Brooks and wife Elizabeth Mary (Banks) Brooks.
  • Julia F. Bulkley of Catskill, New York, signed on May 7, 1886
C
  • Meribah Chittenden of 203 Seventeenth Street, Brooklyn, New York, signed on September 4, 1896
  • Russel A. Cooper of Linlithgo, New York, signed on February 10, 1887
  • Castella Cooper of Linlithgo, New York, signed on February 1, 1887. "Columbia Co. Ghosts"
  • Emma W. Crain, signed at Catskill, New York, on April 14, 1886
D
  • Arthur W. Day of Brooklyn, New York, signed on August 12, 1893
  • Pearl C. Day, signed on September 4, 1896; Rowene's cousin
F
  • May Foote, signed at Catskill, New York, on January 20, 1886
H
  • Mary L. Hale, signed on "12-7-1885"
  • Alice Heath of Catskill, New York, signed on February 18, 1885; Rowene's schoolmate
  • Orliff T. Heath, signed on March 11, 1886
  • J. J. Hover, or J. J. Stover, signed at Linlithgo, New York in 1887; not sure of surname
  • C. A. Hover, or C. A. Stover, signed on February 4, 1887
J
  • Nellie L. Jones, signed at Catskill, New York, on December 17, 1885
K
  • Marguerite King of Lowell, Vermont; middle initial might be A.
L
  • Florence M. Layman, signed at Catskill, New York, on December 22, 1885
  • Laura Lohmann, signed on May 10, 1886
O
  • Annie O'Brien, signed at Catskill, New York, on January 22, 1886
P
  • Mary M. Perry of Catskill, New York, signed on April 29, 1886
  • Josie M. Puffer, signed at Jefferson, New York, on March 30, 1888
S
  • Edward Salisbury of Catskill, New York
  • B. W. Shaler of Catskill, New York, signed on April 12, 1886
  • Josie Smith, signed at Catskill, New York, on November 30, 1885
  • John Story of Catskill, New York, signed on April 16, 1886
  • Mary Story of Catskill, New York, signed on January 8, 1886
  • J. J. Stover, or J. J. Hover, signed at Linlithgo, New York in 1887; not sure of surname
  • C. A. Stover, or C. A. Hover, signed on February 4, 1887
T
  • Arabella Townsend, signed at Linlithgo, New York, on January 27, 1887
W
  • Morrell, signed in September 1936; Rowene's granddaughter, Morrell Fosdick Webber, daughter of Rowene's son Robert Brooks Webber and wife Wilda Vern (Fosdick) Webber.
  • Adrienne, signed in July 1936; Rowene's granddaughter Adrienne M. Webber, daughter of Rowene's son Robert Brooks Webber and wife Wilda Vern (Fosdick) Webber.
  • William Webber of Catskill, New York, signed on May 4, 1886; presumably the William Webber who would become Rowene's husband
  • Clara Webber of Catskill, New York, signed on May 4, 1886
  • Herman Webber, signed at Catskill, New York, on September 3, 1893; Rowene's "brother"; actually her brother-in-law, the brother of her husband William Webber.
  • Gillett Wynkoop of Catskill, New York, signed on April 24, 1886
Catskill, New York


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