Thursday, February 22, 2018

1879-1910 Autograph Album of Ida M. Harvey of Wisconsin & Illinois, Before & After Marriage to Luther D. Wright


Autograph album kept from 1879 to 1910 by Ida M. Harvey of Wisconsin and Illinois, before and after her marriage to Luther D. Wright.

Inscribers hailed from:
  • Carpentersville, Illinois
  • Chicago, Illinois
  • New Hampton, Iowa
  • Sibley, Iowa
  • Bristol, Wisconsin
  • Cypress, Wisconsin, presumably the village in Bristol, Wisconsin
  • Oshkosh, Wisconsin
  • Wilmot, Wisconsin

It appears that the first few pages of the album are missing, and thus possibly any title, ownership or welcome pages.

Clues to Ida's identity included a pages inscribed by her father, Samuel H. Harvey, and her daughters Cora May Wright and Gertrude Wright.  Below, the page inscribed by Ida's father.


The album measures approximately 7" by 4-1/4" and is in fair condition, with re-sewn binding and the unknown number of missing pages, as noted above. I don't believe there are many missing pages, however.  The album contains the sentiments of nearly 60 of Ida's relatives and friends and apparently came to light one day, with the Ida's daughters taking their opportunity to inscribe one or more pages.

An alphabetical list of the inscribers, together with any personal information they offered, appears at the end of this post.

Surnames in the Album

AAndermanLLamberson [2]Sherman
BBlakeLaneShortliff
BuckMMastersShumway
BurtonMooreSmith [6]
DDunton [2]PPatrie or PatricSovereign
GGardner [2]PriceStegeman
HHapgoodRReadWWardlow
HardscrabbleRileyWilson [2]
Harvey [4]RobertsWright [3]
Hegemann
Hewitt
Hinman

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

Ida M. Harvey was born in Wisconsin about January 1863, the daughter of Samuel H. Harvey, who inscribed the page above, and Martha Ann (Penney or Pinney) Harvey.

The only inscriber to call Ida "sister" was "Sue" who inscribed a page at Chicago, Illinois, on December 17, 1879.  Sue, however, I believe, was the Susan Elizabeth (Biddle) Harvey, the wife of Ida's brother Edward Smith Harvey.



On May 1, 1883 in Kane County, Illinois, Ida M. Harvey married Luther D. Wright, son of Luther D. Wright and Julia A. (Bradley) Wright.   Ida and Luther lived at Dundee, Illinois, and later moved to Washington State.  They had, I believe, three children, and these three left sentiments in Ida's album.  Cora inscribed three pages, with two shown below, and Gertrude two.

Cora May Wright of Carpentersville, Illinois; Ida's daughter 

Cora May Wright; inscribed on March 20, 1909.  Ida's daughter

Gertrude; inscribed at Carpentersville, Illinois, on March 13, 1895.  Ida's daughter Gertrude Wright. 

Gertrude; inscribed at Carpentersville, Illinois, on  November 24, 1897.  Ida's daughter Gertrude Wright

The Will who sketched an amazing vignette of a naughty Ida may have been Ida's son William D. Wright, or perhaps a brother-in-law.


Ida died in 1844, and Luther in 1949.  I'm not sure if they're buried in Washington or in Wisconsin or Illinois.  Perhaps a reader will weigh in.

Other inscribers who mentioned a kinship [there were likely others who did not express a kinship]:

  • Lizzie; Ida's cousin, who presented the album to Ida, at Chicago, Illinois, at Christmas in 1879
  • Edgar; Ida's cousin
  • Ed. S. Hinman; inscribed at Oshkosh, Wisconsin, on January 2, 1880.  Ida's cousin
  • Emett S. Wilson; inscribed at Cypress, Wisconsin, on April 7, 1880.  Ida's cousin.  Cypress was a village in Bristol, Wisconsin.
  • Josie E. Wilson; inscribed at Cypress, Wisconsin, on April 7, 1880.  Ida's cousin.  Cypress was a village in Bristol, Wisconsin.

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.

Inscribers in the Album
  • Lizzie; Ida's cousin, who presented her the album at Chicago, Illinois, at Christmas in 1879
  • Joe; inscribed at Chicago, Illinois, on December 21, 1879.  Ida's cousin
  • Hattie; inscribed at Cypress, Wisconsin, on May 19, 1881.  Cypress is presumably the village at Bristol, Wisconsin.
  • Lizzie; Ida's cousin, who presented the album to Ida, at Chicago, Illinois, at Christmas in 1879
  • Bertha; inscribed at Cypress on May 7, 1881.  Cypress was presumably the village at Bristol, Wisconsin.
  • Edgar; Ida's cousin
  • Nellie ?, possibly Nellie Mizelle; inscribed at Wilmot, Wisconsin, on March 10, 1880
  • Carrie; inscribed at Wilmot, Wisconsin, on February 1, 1880
  • George N.; Frank
  • Claud; inscribed on September 19, 1880
  • Jennie S.; inscribed at Carpentersville, Illinois, on October 17, 1880
  • ?, possibly Elsie; inscribed at Carpentersville, Illinois, on March 28, 1881
  • Herman Anderman; inscribed at WIlmot, Wisconsin, on April 6, 1881
  • E. L. Blake of Chicago, Illinois; inscribed on May 7, 1881
  • Minnie E. Buck; inscribed at Carpentersville, Illinois, on May 30, 1880
  • ? Burton; possibly H. Burton or W. Burton; inscribed on October 1, 1882.
  • A. M. Dunton; inscribed at Carpentersville, Illinois, on November 13, 1881
  • Mary E. Dunton of Sibley, Iowa; inscribed at Carpentersville, Illinois, on November 13, 1881
  • Kittie Gardner; inscribed at Wilmot, Wisconsin, on March 4, 1880
  • Willie Gardner; inscribed at Wilmot, Wisconsin, on March 22, 1880
  • Lillie Hapgood; inscribed at Wilmot, Wisconsin, on March 30, 1880
  • John Hardscrabble
  • Ed; Ida's brother Edward Smith Harvey
  • Ida M. Harvey of Wisconsin and Illinois; presented the album by her cousin Lizzie at Chicago, Illinois, at Christmas in 1879
  • S. H. Harvey; inscribed at Wilmot, Wisconsin, on January 1, 1880.   Ida's father Samuel H. Harvey
  • Sue; inscribed at Chicago, Illinois, on December 17, 1879.  Called herself Ida's sister, but perhaps sister-in-law Susan Elizabeth (Biddle) Harvey, wife of Ida's brother Edward Smith Harvey
  • Louis Hegemann; inscribed on April 6, 1881
  • Carrie Hewitt; inscribed at Cypress, Wisconsin, on 5-9-1881.  Cypress was a village in Bristol, Wisconsin.
  • Ed. S. Hinman; inscribed at Oshkosh, Wisconsin, on January 2, 1880.  Ida's cousin
  • Tillie Kern
  • D. H. Lamberson.  Perhaps David H. Lamberson of Chicago, Illinois
  • F. Lamberson.  Possibly Frank Lamberson of Chicago, Illinois
  • May Lane; inscribed at Cypress on May 7, 1881.  Cypress was presumably the village at Bristol, Wisconsin.
  • Eddie Masters; inscribed at Carpentersville, Illinois, on December 6, 1880
  • Frank Moore; inscribed at Carpentersville, Illinois, on September 12, 1880
  • Sarah Patrie or Sarah Patric; inscribed on February 3, 1880
  • Kate Price; inscribed at Carpentersville, Illinois, on September 15, 1881
  • Austin Read; inscribed on October 14, 1882
  • Will Riley; inscribed at Carpentersville, Illinois, on March 15, 1883
  • Josie Roberts; inscribed at Carpentersville, Illinois, on October 13, 1880
  • E. Sabin; inscribed in February 1880
  • Sarah E. Sherman of New Hampton, Iowa; inscribed at Carpentersville, Illinois, on October 13, 1884
  • Laura Shotliff; inscribed on May 20, 1881
  • Clara E. C. Shumway of Bristol, Wisconsin, inscribed on May 20, 1881
  • Elmer C. Smith; inscribed at Carpentersville, Illinois, on March 28, 1881
  • Fannie Smith; inscribed at Carpentersville, Illinois, on February 20, 1881
  • Irving Smith; inscribed at Carpentersville, Illinois, on November 21, 1880
  • Martha E. Smith of Carpentersville, Illinois
  • May Smith; inscribed at Carpentersville, Illinois
  • W. R. Smith; inscribed at Carpentersville, Illinois
  • Bell Sovereign of Bristol, Wisconsin; inscribed at Cypress, Wisconsin, on April 2, 1881
  • Mary Stegeman; inscribed at Wilmot, Wisconsin, on April 6, 1881
  • George Wardlow of Carpentersville, Illinois
  • Emett S. Wilson; inscribed at Cypress, Wisconsin, on April 7, 1880.  Ida's cousin.  Cypress was a village in Bristol, Wisconsin.
  • Josie E. Wilson; inscribed at Cypress, Wisconsin, on April 7, 1880.  Ida's cousin.  Cypress was a village in Bristol, Wisconsin.
  • Cora M. Wright; inscribed three pages, including dated ones on March 20, 1909 and October 4, 1910.  Ida's daughter Cora May Wright.
  • Gertrude; inscribed at Carpentersville, Illinois, on March 13, 1895.  Ida's daughter Gertrude Wright.  She also inscribed the following page on November 24, 1897.
  • Will Wright, possibly. Also, initials C.H.H.  Wonderful sketch of Ida as a little girl sitting on a log.



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