Friday, January 5, 2018

1883-1890 Autograph Album of Mary Larson, "Mae", of Earlville, Illinois, or Earl, Illinois


1883-1890 autograph album that belonged to Mary Larson, "Mae", of Earlville, Illinois, or Earl, Illinois.  Mae penned a welcome page.


The album measures approximately 7-3/4" by 5" and contains the sentiments of about 50 of Mae's relatives, friends and schoolmates.  An alphabetical list of the inscribers, together with any personal information they offered, appears at the end of this post.

Tucked in the album:

  • Feburary 10, 1909 handwritten letter from I. L. Lockhart Hardware & Stoves at Sandwich, Illinois, to Mr. A. L. Anderson at Leland, Illinois.  
  • February 17, 1909 personal letter from C. A. Anderson, staying with C. F. Gillette or O. F. Gillette at Amboy, Illinois, to his son and daughter-in-law or daughter and son-in-law at Leland, Illinois; possibly the A L. Anderson noted above.




Surnames in the Album

? [6]KKelleyQQuam
AAnfinson [3]KinneyQuinn [3]
BBrownKnudson [2]RRicholson
Burgeson [4]LLarson [4]Rigden
CCurrierMMarkusenRogne
DDanielsonMeltvedtSSawyer
DunavanOOaklandSpeir [2]
GGilmerOlsenSteen
GudmunsenOlson [2]TThomson/Thornson
HHarter [2]PPark
Hull [2]Peterson
JJameston

From brief online research, hopefully correct - corrections and additions requested:

Mary Larson, "Mae", was born about 1867 in Illinois, the daughter of William Larson and Tarber [Thorborg or Tarbor or  ?] (Newton) Larson.  Three of Mae's sisters inscribed pages in her album:

Carrie Minnie Larson inscribed her page at Earl, Illinois, on December 15, 1884.  Carrie would marry inscriber Osman M. Danielson in 1885.


Winnie Larson inscribed at Earlville, Illinois, on January 14, 1885.


Bertha Larson; Mae's sister inscribed a page.


On January 19, 1888 at Earlville, Illinois, Mary Larson, "Mae", married Cornelius Anfinson, who inscribed a page in the album at Norway, Illinois, on January 20, 1884.   Mae's name was listed as May in the record in Illinois Marriages, 1815-1935, which gives the place as Earlville, Illinoisbut as Mae in a record in U.S., Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Church Records, 1826-1945, which gives the place as Leland, Illinois.


Mae and Cornelius had a daughter, Lydia Delia Anfinson, born March 10, 1889.  Sadly, Cornelius died in 1890, and Mae on February 19, 1891.  Mae is buried in the Little Indian Creek Cemetery at Leland, Illinois Cornelius is buried in the Fox River Cemetery at Serena, Illinois.

Lydia lived with her mother's siblings: Lewis at the time of the 1900 Census and Carrie Minnie (Larson) Danielson at the time of the 1910 Census.


February 17, 1909 letter from C. A. Anderson, who was living with C. F. Gillette or O. F. Gillette at Amboy, Illinois; addressed to "My Dear Son & Daughter & Family"

Other inscribers who expressed a kinship with Mae [or Cornelius]
  • Emmerson; inscribed at Earlville, Illinois, on August 17, 1890; Mae's cousin
  • Hannah Harter; inscribed at Ancona, Illinois, on October 5, 1884.  Hannah's husband Samuel Harter inscribed the right facing page.  Hannah Elizabeth (Newton) Harter was a sister to Mae's mother Thorborg (Newton) Larson, "Tarber".
  • Burton W. Olsen of Freedom, Illinois; inscribed on March 13, 1885.  Mae's cousin.  Burton W. Olsen was the adopted son of farmer Ole K. Olsen and Julia (Jensen) Olsen
  • John Olson of Lee, Illinois; inscribed on January 7, 1884.  Mae's cousin
  • Barney Olson; Mae's cousin

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.

The  page inscribed by Samuel M. Sawyer at Earl, Illinois, on January 22, 1884:


Inscribers in the Album
  • Inscribed in 1883 at Earlville, Illinois in code, using some numbers for letters.  i.e., 21rlv3ll2 3ll for Earlville Ill.
  • Effie S.; inscribed Ancona, Illinois, on October 4, 1884.  In addition to her sentiment, she wrote on the side: "How soon are you going you know where"
  • Emmerson; inscribed at Earlville, Illinois, on August 17, 1890; Mae's cousin
  • T. C. L.; inscribed at Ottawa, presumably Ottawa, Illinois, on January 5, 1885
  • ?; inscribed at Concord, Illinois.  Looks like "W V S 4 N"
  • Rastus of or inscribed at Ottawa, Illinois
A
  • Cornelius Anfinson; inscribed at Norway, Illinois, on January 20, 1884
  • Cornelius Anfinson of Sheridan, Illinois; inscribed on October 20, 1886
  • Josiah Anfinson; inscribed on September 6, 1887
B
  • Lou E. Brown of Wenona, Illinois; inscribed at Earl, Illinois, on September 5, 1884
  • Mary Bergeson; inscribed at Earlville, Illinois, on April 3, 1884
  • Julia Bergeson; inscribed at Earlville, Illinois, on April 7, 1884
  • Sam Burgeson of Earl, Illinois; inscribed on May 31, 1885
  • Rachel Burgeson; inscribed at Earlville, Illinois, on April 1, 1884
C
  • Nellie Currier of Earlville, Illinois
D
  • O. M. Danielson, inscribed to "Dearest Sister Mae".  He was Osman M. Danielson, husband of Mae's sister, inscriber Carrie Minnie (Larson) Danielson
  • Clarence Dunavan of Leland, Illinois, inscribed on January 20, 1884
G
  • Mary Gilmer; inscribed at Garfield, Illinois, in 1884
  • Gudmun Gudmunsen of Leland, Illinois; inscribed there on January 15, 188x, hard to decipher last digit
H
  • Hannah Harter; inscribed at Ancona, Illinois, on October 5, 1884.  Hannah's husband Samuel Harter inscribed the right facing page.  Hannah Elizabeth (Newton) Harter was a sister to Mae's mother Thorborg (Newton) Larson, "Tarber".
  • Samuel Harter; inscribed at Ancona, Illinois, on October 5, 1884.  His wife Hannah Elizabeth (Newton) Harter inscribed the left facing page.
  • Mamie Hull of Wenona, Illinois; inscribed on December 5, 1884
  • Mrs. Jennie Hull of Wenona, Illinois, inscribed on October 4, 1884
J
  • Laura Jameston; not sure of given name; inscribed at Ottawa, Illinois, on August 24, 1884
K
  • J. Susie Kelley; inscribed at Earl, Illinois, on February 23, 1885.  Mae's schoolmate.
  • Georgie L. Kinney; inscribed at Earl, Illinois, on May 10, 1884
  • Dan Knusdson; inscribed at Leland, Illinois, on March 21, 1884.  I couldn't find this surname; perhaps he meant to write Knudson
  • Elsie Knudson; inscribed at Earlville, Illinois, on March 22, 1884
L
  • Mae Larson; album owner Mary Larson of Earlville, Illinois.  She penned a welcome page.
  • Carrie Larson; inscribed at Earl, Illinois, on December 15, 1884.  Mae's sister Carrie Minnie Larson, who married inscriber Osman M. Danielson in 1885
  • Winnie; inscribed at Earlville, Illinois, on January 14, 1885.  Mae's sister Winnie Larson
  • Bertha Larson; Mae's sister
M
  • Mary Markusen; inscribed at Earl, Illinois, on March 24, 1884
  • Andrew Meltvedt of LeGrand, Iowa; inscribed at Earl, Illinois, on March 2, 1884
O
  • T. S. Oakland; inscribed at Lee, Illinois, on February 24, 1885
  • Burton W. Olsen of Freedom, Illinois; inscribed on March 13, 1885.  Mae's cousin.  Burton W. Olsen was the adopted son of farmer Ole K. Olsen and Julia (Jensen) Olsen
  • John Olson of Lee, Illinois; inscribed on January 7, 1884.  Mae's cousin
  • Barney Olson; Mae's cousin
P
  • L. W. Park or S. W. Park; inscribed at Earl, Illinois, on February 12, 1884; nice bird sketch.  Possibly Lincoln W. Park
  • Thomas M. Peterson; inscribed at Norway, Illinois, on January 20, 1884
Q
  • John Quam; iscribed at Sheridan, Illinois, on October 20, 1886
  • Katie A. Quinn; inscribed at Garfield, Illinois, in LaSalle County, on October 4, 1884
  • Annie M. Quinn; inscribed at Osage, Illinois, on October 5, 1884
  • Agnes Quinn; inscribed at Garfield, Illinois, on October 5, 1884
R
  • D. O. Richolson of Lee, Illinois; inscribed on December 25, 1888.  Perhaps Daniel O. Richolson
  • Anna Rigden of Ottawa, Illinois, inscribed on May 8, 1884.  "No. 5 Earl"; possibly referring to a school district
  • Knute Rogne; inscribed at Earlville, Illinois, on March 22, 1884
S
  • Samuel M. Sawyer; inscribed at Earl, Illinois, on January 22, 1884.  He sketched a beautiful design of a rose, rose buds and scroll
  • Lottie Speir; inscribed on June 18, 1884
  • Ella R. Speir of Earlville, Illinois; inscribed on June 18, 1884
  • William Steen; inscribed at Ancona, Illinois, on October 5, 1884
T
  • Ella Thornson, or Ella Thomson; inscribed at Leland, Illinois, on May 11, 1884




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