Wednesday, May 6, 2015

1880s/1890s Autograph Album of Berniece E. Allen of Centerville and Columbia Falls, Maine


1880s autograph album of Berniece E. Allen of Centerville, Maine, and Columbia, Maine.  The album was presented to Berniece by her teacher, R. C. Drisko on July 30, 1881.  He was Raymond Chandler Drisko.

Some records show Berniece' name as Bernice, and some of the inscribers spelled their town as Centreville, rather than Centerville.  Centerville residents voted to dissolve the town in 2003; it's now part of the Unorganized Territories.


The album measures approximately 6-1/4" by 3-3/4" and contains the sentiments of 70 of Berniece'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.


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

Berniece E. Allen was born August 22, 1871, the daughter of Ebenezer F. Allen, "Eben" and Julia M. (Smith) Allen.  Eben was involved in civic affairs and held several offices in Columbia Falls, Maine.   Berniece's parents inscribed pages in her album in 1886.



Berniece's brother Seth Allen inscribed a page in 1892.


I believe that Berniece had at least one year of post-secondary education, possibly at a teacher's college.  She owned a store at Columbia Falls.

Surnames of inscribers who expressed a family relationship with Berniece [and there were likely more]:  Allen; Haraden; Leighton; Look; Smith; and Wilber.

Surnames in the Album


?FPW
AFosterParker [2]White
AckleyHPeterson [2]Wilber [2]
Allen [12]Haraden [3]PlantWoodward
BIRWorcester [3]
Barton [2]Ingersoll [2]RugglesY
Bucknam [3]LSYoung
CLeighton [3]Smith [11]
ClarkLippincottT
DLook [3]Tabbutt
Drisko [2]MTenney [4]
DunbarMageeTibbetts [2]
Turner [2]

Inscribers in the Album

  • Unsigned, inscribed at Columbia Falls, Maine, on August 8, 1886
A
  • Mrs. Lucy A. Ackley of East Machias, Maine, inscribed at Columbia Falls, Maine, on February 2, 1887
  • Berniece E. Allen of Centerville, Maine; album owner
  • Clifford G. Allen of Centreville, Maine, inscribed on August 10, 1881
  • Seth Allen, inscribed on February 16, 1892; Berniece's brother
  • J. M. Allen, inscribed at Columbia Falls, Maine, in 1886. Berniece's mother Julia M. (Smith) Allen.
  • N. J. Allen, inscribed at Centreville, Maine, on October 20, 1881; Berniece's cousin
  • Eben F. Allen of Columbia Falls, Maine, inscribed on March 28, 1886; Berniece's father
  • Horace F. Allen of Columbia Falls, Maine, inscribed on April 4, 1886
  • Emma E. Allen, inscribed at Columbia Falls, Maine, in April 4, 1886
  • Willis H. Allen of Columbia Falls, Maine, inscribed on April 4, 1886
  • Miss Cassie I. Allen of Columbia Falls, Maine, inscribed on January 24, 1887
  • Bert N. Allen of Columbia Falls, Maine, inscribed on April 4, 1886
  • Eva P. Allen of Columbia Falls, Maine, inscribed on March 29, 1886
B
  • H. E. Barton of Columbia Falls, Maine, inscribed on February 4, 1887
  • H. Augustus Barton of Columbia Falls, Maine, inscribed on February 5, 1887. Henry Augustus Barton
  • C. C. Bucknam, inscribed at Columbia Falls, Maine, on September 30, 1886
  • Maud Bucknam, inscribed at Columbia Falls, Maine, on September 29, 1886
  • Julia M. Bucknam of Columbia Falls, Maine
C
  • M. L. Clark, inscribed on June 11, 1888
D
  • Raymond Chandler Drisko; he presented the album to his student, Berniece E. Allen, on July 30, 1881
  • L. B. Drisko, inscribed at Jonesboro, Maine, on November 20, 1881.
  • Susie H. Dunbar of Columbia, Maine, inscribed on January 28, 1891; Berniece's schoolmate
F
  • Katie Foster of Columbia, Maine, inscribed at Columbia Falls, Maine, on February 2, 1891. She wrote "High School" in a corner, so presumably she was Berniece's schoolmate.
H
  • Colin Haraden of Gouldsboro, Maine, inscribed at Centreville, Maine, on November 5, 1882.  His mother, Clara P. (Smith) Harraden, wife of Capt. Joseph N. Haraden, was the sister of Berniece's mother Julia M. (Smith) Allen
  • Oscar Haraden, inscribed at Columbia Falls, Maine, on October 4, 1885; Berniece's cousin.  His mother, Clara P. (Smith) Harraden, wife of Capt. Joseph N. Haraden, was the sister of Berniece's mother Julia M. (Smith) Allen
  • Bertha J. Haraden of Gouldsboro, Maine, inscribed on March 23, 1884.  Her mother, Clara P. (Smith) Harraden, wife of Capt. Joseph N. Haraden, was the sister of Berniece's mother Julia M. (Smith) Allen
I
  • F. H. Ingersoll of Columbia Falls, Maine, inscribed on February 8, 1887
  • Ella M. Ingersoll of Columbia Falls, Maine, inscribed in 1891
L
  • R. L. Leighton, inscribed on June 8, 1886; Berniece's cousin
  • S. A. Leighton, inscribed on October 15, 1881
  • Mabel Leighton of Columbia, Maine, inscribed on September 7, 1882
  • J. A. Lippincott of Columbia Falls, Maine, inscribed on November 28, 1883
  • Arnetta L. Look of Addison, Maine, inscribed on May 6, 1882; Berniece's cousin
  • Mary A. Look, inscribed at Addison Point, Maine, on September 9, 1882
  • Emery B. Look, inscribed at Addison Point, Maine, on September 9, 1882
M
  • Bertha M. Magee of Columbia Falls, Maine, inscribed on February 22, 1887
P
  • Mrs. R. A. Parker of Lewiston, Maine, inscribed in 1887. She was Mary Etta (Merrill) Parker, whose husband Ralph Almeron Parker inscribed the right facing page.
  • R. A. Parker, "Bates '88", inscribed on February 8, 1887. "Your teacher". He was Ralph Almeron Parker, whose wife Mary Etta (Merrill) Parker inscribed the left facing page.
  • Mabel A. Peterson of Columbia Falls, Maine, inscribed on January 20, 1887
  • Gertie F. Peterson of Columbia Falls, Maine, inscribed on January 24, 1887
  • Florence P. Plant, inscribed on February 7, 1887
R
  • Emily B. Ruggles
S
  • Edith F. Smith of Columbia Falls, Maine, inscribed on January 27, 1891
  • C. L. Smith of Jonesboro, Maine
  • Adin L. Smith, inscribed on August 25, 1881 [see the link for an image of the page signed by Adin L. Smith and more information on him]
  • Russell H. Smith, inscribed at Columbia Falls, Maine, on December 24, 1887; Berniece's cousin
  • Asenath D. Smith
  • Leonora E. Smith of Jonesboro, Maine, inscribed on August 28, 1881
  • Ella Smith; Berniece's cousin
  • Gertie L. Smith of Steuben, Maine, inscribed on August 7, 1882
  • David Smith of Columbia Falls, Maine, inscribed on February 2, 1887
  • Mrs. L. M. Smith of Columbia Falls, Maine, inscribed on February 2, 1887
  • Josie E. Smith of Columbia Falls, Maine, inscribed on February 1, 1891
T
  • Kate S. Tabbutt of Columbia Falls, Maine, inscribed on January 9, 1888
  • Mrs. W. T. Tenney, inscribed on February 13, 1887
  • Walter A. Tenney; sketched a scroll with Latin phrase "Vincit qui se vincit" - He conquers who conquers himself.  Son of inscriber Annie M. (?) Tenney, who identified herself as Mrs. W. T. Tenney
  • Belle Tenney of Columbia Falls, Maine, inscribed on February 9, 1887
  • May Tenney of Columbia Falls, Maine, inscribed on February 15, 1887
  • Annie C. Tibbetts, inscribed at Columbia Falls, Maine, on June 15, 1885
  • Ida M. Tibbetts of Columbia Falls, Maine, inscribed on June 19, 1885
  • Annie L. Turner of Columbia Falls, Maine, inscribed on January 10, 1888
  • Mabel C. Turner of Columbia Falls, Maine, in 1888
W
  • Lillian M. White
  • S. K. Wilber. She was Berniece's aunt, Sophia Ruggles Wilber, wife of Charles L. Wilber and mother of inscriber Minnie S. Wilber of Portland, Maine. Sophia was the sister of Berniece's father Eben F. Allen.
  • Minnie S. Wilber of Portland, Maine, inscribed on August 25,m 1881. Minnie's cousin, daughter of Charles L. Wilber and Sophia Ruggles (Allen) Wilber, sister of Berniece's father.
  • Bessie Woodward of Columbia Falls, Maine, inscribed on June 4, 1885
  • Elitha H. Worcester of Columbia Falls, Maine, inscribed on January 17, 1888; Berniece's schoolmate
  • Amy J. Worcester of Columbia Falls, Maine, inscribed on January 9, 1888
  • Clytie R. Worcester of Columbia Falls, Maine, inscribed in 1888. Clytie was the daughter of Samuel Cummings Worcester and Rosina (Reynolds) Worcester.
Y
  • Gleason Young of Columbia Falls, Maine, inscribed on February 5, 1887


1 comment:

  1. I love seeing things that you find and put out for others to see. Thank you! Ronie

    ReplyDelete