Friday, February 27, 2015

1880s/1890s Autograph Album of Ella J. Oban of New Hampshire and South Dakota


[February 28, 2015 - post amended to included information from a reader; amendments in bold.]

1880s/1890s autograph album that belonged to New Hampshire native Ella J. Oban whose family moved to Loyalton, South Dakota, then in Dakota Territory, which attained statehood on November 2, 1889.

Most of the inscribers lived at West Lebanon, New Hampshire; and the Dakota Territory towns of Vermont City and Ipswich, both located in South Dakota.   From the reader:  "Vermont City and Loyalton are the same city. There was much "discussion" over the naming of the area at the time it was being settled. The Oban's were part of the delegation from Vermont who moved to settle the area... The town of Loyalton was dissolved on May 27, 1982."  

It's interesting how New Englanders moved West, made new homes for themselves - and frequently gave their new homes a New England touch in name and appearance.


The album measures approximately 5-1/4" by 3-1/4" and contains the sentiments of 57 of Ella's relatives, friends and schoolmates.  An alphabetical surname list and an alphabetical list of the inscribers, together with any personal information they offered, appear at the end of this post.

The title page has the handwritten word "Acconite" on it; perhaps the writer meant aconite, a poison and sometime medicinal.


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

Ella J. Oban was born October 21, 1869 in New Hampshire, the daughter of Israel and Sarah (Little) Oban.  The surname Oban derives from "Aubin dit Lambert"; other family members anglicized the name to Oben.   Ella's paternal uncles Henry Oban and Nathan Oban, both of West Lebanon, New Hampshire, inscribed pages in the album.

I believe Ella had five siblings, three brothers and two sisters.  Sadly, one brother, Arthur Washington Oban, born in 1874, died in 1880, presumably before Ella starting collecting sentiments in this album.

Brother Walter Edward Oban of Comit [Comet?], Montana, inscribed a page on March 26, 1897.  He was born in 1877.


Brother Thomas Israel Oban inscribed a page at Vermont City, South Dakota, on December 26, 1887.  He was born in 1872.


On October 2, 1892 at Livingston, Montana, Ella J. Oban married David O. McClanahan, son of David and Mary (Wilson) McClanahan.  David was born in Illinois about October 1863.   Ella and David would have, I believe, three children.
  1. Perley Oscar McClanahan, born March 13, 1893 in Montana.  Sadly, he died in 1921 in Lane County, Oregon as the result of a swimming accident.  Read an account of the accident here.
  2. Isaac Lorenzo McClanahan, born February 27, 1894 in Montana
  3. Howard A. McClanahan, born about 1903 in Montana
The family later lived in Washington and Oregon.  Ella died in California in 1949.  If you have corrections and/or additions to the information above, or information on any of the inscribers listed below, please leave a comment or contact me directly.

Surnames in the Album


?DHOT
ADavis [2]HallO ?T ?
AlexanderDodgeHeywoodOban [5]W
BEHoodPW ?
BealsEstabrookHurlbuttPorterWest
BentsonFHutchinson [3]SWilley [3]
Bliss [3]Fletcher [2]LSinclairWood [5]
BowenFolsomLansingSouleWright
Bowman [2]GLovejoySpaulding
CGriswold [2]LundyStearns [2]
ChamberlainMStockwell [2]
Macomber
Moses

Inscribers in the Album   [Given names within a specific surname might not be in alphabetical order.]
  • Irina F?, M.B..  Page written in German
A
  • Addie Alexander of Vermont City, Dakota Territory
B
  • Mrs. T. M. Beals, signed at Ipswich, Dakota Territroy on March 9, 1888; not sure of first initial
  • Mrs. Minnie Bentson of Dakota Territory
  • Mattie E. Bliss of Lebanon, New Hampshire
  • May E. Bliss of Lebanon, New Hampshire
  • George S. Bliss of Lebanon, New Hampshire, signed on February 10, 1886
  • Russell Bowen of Vermont City, Dakota Territory; Ella's schoolmate
  • Laura F. Bowman of Vermont City, Dakota Territory, signed on June 5, 1887; Ella's schoolmate
  • Mrs. Bowman, signed on June 5, 1887
C
  • Emma A. Chamberlain of West Lebanon, New Hampshire, signed on March 2, 1885
D
  • Anna C. Davis of Athens, Vermont, signed at Vermont City, Dakota Territory
  • Mrs. Ellen C. Davis
  • Minnie Dodge, signed at Vermont City, Dakota Territory on October 5, 1886; Ella's schoolmate
E
  • Herbert H. Estabrook of West Lebanon, New Hampshire, signed on January 1, 1885, District No. 4
F
  • Emma Fletcher of Vermont City, Dakota Territory, signed on June 22, 1887; Ella's schoolmate
  • Bertha M. Fletcher of Vermont City, Dakota Territory, signed in 1887
  • Ethel M. Folsom of Vermont City, Dakota Territory
G
  • Mrs. L. M. Griswold of Vermont City, signed on April 20, 1889 at Ipswich, D.T., Dakota Territory
  • Mrs. H. Griswold, signed at Ipswich, Dakota Territory on February 25, 1888
H
  • Ada L. Hall of West Lebanon, New Hampshire, signed in 1885
  • Frankie N. Heywood of West Lebanon, New Hampshire, signed on January 3, 1886
  • Moses S. Hood of West Lebanon, New Hampshire
  • Hattie E. Hurlbutt of West Lebanon, New Hampshire, signed on December 19, 1885
  • Marg Hutchinson of Vermont City, Dakota; Ella's schoolmate
  • Mary Hutchinson of Vermont City, Dakota, signed on June 4, 1887; Ella's schoolmate
  • Harry D. Hutchinson of Vermont City, Dakota Territory, signed on June 2, 1887
L
  • Mrs. Alice Lansing, signed at Aberdeen, Dakota Territory on June 18, 1889
  • E. M. Lovejoy of Vermont City, Dakota Territory, signed on October 5, 1886. He mentioned South Royalton, Vermont.
  • Mary Lundy, signed at Ipswich, Dakota Territory, on February 12, 1888
M
  • Eva M. Macomber of Ipswich, Dakota Territory. She also mentioned Loytalton, Dakota Territory.
  • May Moses
O
  • W. Oareng [?], signed at Loyalton, Dakota Territory, on October 2, 1887
  • Ella J. Oban of Loyalton, Dakota; album owner
  • Uncle Henry Oban of West Lebanon, New Hampshire
  • Nathan Oban of West Lebanon, New Hampshire, signed on December 28, 1884; Ella's uncle
  • Walter E. Oban of Comit, Montana, signed on March 26, 1897. There is a ghost town named Comet, but it does appear that he dotted the letter. Walter Edward Oban was Ella's brother.
  • T. I. Oban of Vermont City, Dakota Territory, signed on December 26, 1887. He was Thomas Israel Oban, Ella's brother.
P
  • Miss Porter, signed at Roscoe on March 10 [no year written]. Perhaps Ella's teacher?
S
  • Tommie S. Sinclair of West Lebanon, New Hampshire, signed in 1885
  • Mrs. G. W. Soule of West Lebanon, New Hampshire, signed on October 12, 1885
  • Carrie E. Spaulding of Vermont City, Dakota Territory, signed on October 14, 1886. She mentioned Burlington, Vermont.
  • Abbie L. Stearns of West Lebanon, New Hampshire, signed on October 7, 1885
  • Mabel H. Stearns of West Lebanon, New Hampshire, signed on February 22, 1886
  • Willie A. Stockwell of West Lebanon, New Hampshire, signed on January 1, 1885
  • Nellie L. Stockwell of West Lebanon, New Hampshire
T
  • W. M. T., signed at Ipswich, Dakota Territory on March 15, 1889 [not sure of last digit]
W
  • H. J. W., signed at Ipswich, Dakota Territory on February 27, 1888
  • Mrs. Etta M. West of Montpelier, Dakota Territory, signed in July 1886
  • Mabel Willey of Ipswich, Dakota Territory, signed in 1889
  • Flora M. Willey of Ipswich, Dakota Territory
  • Leon H. Willey of Vermont City, Dakota Territory, signed on October 14, 1886
  • William Wood, signed at Meriden, New Hampshire, on February 14, 1886; middle initial possibly P.
  • Alban P. Wood, signed at Plainfield, New Hampshire, on February 14, 1886. His wife Rhoda T. (Eaton) Wood inscribed the right facing page.
  • Mrs. Rhoda Wood, signed at Plainfield, New Hampshire, on February 14, 1886. She was Rhoda T. (Eaton) Wood, whose husband Alban P. Wood inscribed the left facing page.
  • Alma H. Wood, signed at Plainfield, New Hampshire, on February 14, 1886
  • Hayden Wood of Lebanon, New Hampshire, signed on February 23, 1885
  • May J. Wright, signed on January 26, 1888
West Lebanon, New Hampshire; Loyalton, South Dakota; Madison, Montana; Excelsior, Washington [in Tacoma ?]; Portland, Oregon; Burbank, California


Thanks for stopping by!

6 comments:

  1. Pam, thank you for posting this autograph book of my Great-Great Aunt Ella J. Oban (married name McClanahan.) I hope the updates I have provided help as well.

    Mary Ann Gabriel Greene
    mgreene9 (at) carolina (dot) rr (dot) com

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    1. Thanks so much for providing additional information and for confirming information I had found online. What an interesting life Ella had, from New England to the prairies to the Pacific.

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  3. Thank you for sharing Ella Oban’s autograph book. I was doing a search for information about Walter Edward Oban, my great-grandfather, and was delighted to find his inscription in his sister's autograph book. I visited the LDS Family Center in Bellingham, WA today. The researcher who helped me found some newspaper articles--local papers in the Blaine-Bellingham area--that provided details about the Oban’s lives in the 20s and 30s. I would be glad to share any details, and would love to know more about the Oban farm in Excelsior, WA. One of the newspaper articles mentions that Sarah (Little) Oban left the farm to her children. I believe Walter E. ended up as the owner, though he apparently sold it later and moved to Blaine with his wife, Bertha (Messenger) Oban and his children, Edward Walter and Matilda (Mattie).Thanks, Melanie Austin

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    1. So happy that you came across this page so that you could see the inscriptions of your ancestors/relatives! When you finish your sketches or sketches, I'd be happy to incorporate them here, with credit, or link to them.

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  4. Thank you all. I have struggled to find any information about brother Henry J., Israel's brother, my great grandfather. But there is nothing about Israel's parents.

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