1857-1862 Autograph Album of Ellen Bickel of Jonestown, Pennsylvania

1857-1862 autograph album that belonged to Ellen Bickel of Jonestown, Pennsylvania, with some of the sentiments left by young women who attended the Linden Grove School, presumably Ellen's schoolmates there.

The album measures approximately 7-3/4" x 6" and contains the sentiments of nearly 40 of Ellen's relatives, friends and schoolmates.  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.

The album was published by Ross and Brothers of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and contains five engravings interspersed throughout.

Additionally, an inscriber whose initials were W. R., decorated two pages, one with acorns and another with flowers.

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

Ellen Bickel was born January 10, 1845 at Jonestown, Pennsylvania, the daughter of Samuel Eichelberger Bickel and Maria Ann (Rank) Bickel.  One page was signed by Papa, presumably Samuel Eichelberger Bickel.

As noted above, several inscribers mentioned Linden Grove and Rocheville Room.  One of these was Emma Grice - though I'm not sure of her surname and welcome readers' interpretations.   She mentioned Lancaster, so it's possible that Linden Grove School was located at Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  Two inscribers indicated they were Ellen's roommates: L. C. of Uniontown and Maggie Cummins "from Delaware".

I haven't found a record yet, but sometime in the 1860s, Ellen married Warder Morris Weidman, son of Jacob Barge Weidman and his third wife Elizabeth Chambers (Murray) Weidman.   Warder Morris Weidman may have inscribed the last page of the album, as that page appears to have the initials W. M. W.

 Ellen and Warder Morris lived at Jonestown, Pennsylvania, and Lebanon, Pennsylvania, and had at least two children, daughters Maria Weidman, born in 1867 at Jonestown, and Elizabeth Murray Weidman, born in 1869.

Warder Morris Weidman died in 1895, and Ellen (Bickel) Weidman in 1928.  They're buried at Mount Lebanon Cemetery at Lebanon, Pennsylvania.  If you have corrections and/or additions to the information above, please leave a comment or contact me directly.

Ellen's pastor, A. Romich, presumably Abraham Romich, inscribed a page at Jonestown, Pennsylvania, on November 2, 1857.

Ellen's teacher, I. S. or J. S., inscribed a 2-page sentiment on June 12, 1857.

Surnames in the Album

Unknown	B	C	E	F	G
? [13]	Bickel [2]	C ? [2]	E ?	Forrer	Grice ?
		Cole
		Cummins
H	L	P	R	S	W
Hess	L ?	Peel	R ? [3]	S ? [2]	W ?
	La Grassa		Rauch [2]		Weber
			Rice
			Romich
			Rupp

A reader has forwarded an image of the 1863 discharge document of Ellen's brother Henry Rank Bickel:

Inscribers in the Album   [Given names within a specific surname might not be in alphabetical order.]

• W. W. M., signed at Union Forge, Pennsylvania, in February 1859. If the letters are actually W. M. W., the inscriber could have been Ellen's future husband Warder Morris Weidman.
• Carrie, signed at Jonestown, Pennsylvania, on December 10, 1858
• Emma
• Josie, signed at Linden Grove on November 28, 1860
• Sydney of Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania. Presumably Sydney Ellen Keith who married Moses Aaron Brown.
• Josephine of Philadelphia
• Lizzie, signed at Jonestown, Pennsylvania, on January 6, 1860
• Lila
• Annie, signed at Linden Grove on November 28, 1860
• Annie, signed at Linden Grove on April 2 [no year written]
• Clara of St. Joseph, Missouri
• Amy
• Brotherly Love, H. A. B., W. M. W., signed at Jonestown, Pennsylvania, on July 28, 1862. Not sure of the H in H. A. B. Interestingly, Ellen's future husband was Warder Morris Weidman.

B

• Ellen Bickel of Jonestown, Pennsylvania; album owner. Her ownership page is dated June 8, 1857
• "Your affectionate Papa; Samuel Eichelberger Bickel.

C

• G. T. C., signed on June 10, 1857
• L. C. of Uniontown, Pennsylvania; Ellen's roommate
• Bella Cole, signed on September 24, 1860
• Maggie Cummins, signed on December 17, 1860; "from Delaware". Ellen's roommate.

E

• Lizzie B. E., signed at Rocheville Room, on April 1, 1860

F

• Kate Forrer; not sure of surname

G

• Emma Grice, signed at Linden Grove, Lancaster, Pennsylvania; Ellen's schoolmate. Not sure of surname

H

• Carrie Hess

L

• M. E. L.
• C. La Grassa, signed at Jonestown, Pennsylvania, on December 19, 1858; written in Italian

P

• Belle Peel, signed at "Rocheville", on December 4, 1860. Rocheville may have been a school building or dormitory.

R

• W. R., signed at Fairview, Pennsylvania, on June 6, 1857. Painted acorns and leaves
• W. R., signed at Fairview, Pennsylvania, on June 5, 1857; painted roses
• W. R., signed at Fairview, Pennsylvania, on June 5, 1857
• Aggie Rauch
• Emma L. Rauch, signed at Linden Grove, no state written, on December 14, 1860
• Lulu Rice
• Romich, inscribed at Jonestown, Pennsylvania, on November 2, 1857; "your affectionate pastor". Presumably Abraham Romich.
• Mary Rupp, signed at Jonestown, Pennsylvania, on December 16, 1858

S

• 2-page sentiment of Ellen's teacher I. S., or J. S., signed on June 12, 1857
• Hannie E. S., signed on December 5, 1860; Ellen's schoolmate. Not sure of given name.

W

• C. C. W., signed at Lebanon, Pennsylvania, on July 8, 1857; Ellen's cousin
• Laura Eugenia Weber, signed in 1860; page written in German.

Jonestown, Pennsylvania, and Lebanon, Pennsylvania

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