Sunday, March 4, 2018

1878-1883 Autograph Album of Emily A. Ray, "Emma", of Shabbona, Illinois


Autograph album kept by Emily Ray, "Emma", of Shabbona, Illinois, from 1878 to 1883.

Inscribers hailed mostly from Illinois towns:
  • Aurora
  • Bristol
  • Cornton - an early name for Shabbona
  • Hinckley - a village in what is now Squaw Grove
  • Lee
  • Ludlow
  • Newark
  • Oregon
  • Paw Paw
  • Rantoul
  • Sandwich
  • Shabbona
  • Somonauk
  • Stillman Valley

Other inscribers came from Iowa, Missouri and Pennsylvania.


The album measures approximately 5-1/4" y 3-1/2" and contains the sentiments of over 90 of Emma's relatives and friends.  An alphabetical list of the inscribers, together with any personal information they offered, appears at the end of this post.

Surnames in the Album

? [17]JJones [2]TTerry
BBailey [5]LLeysonThomas
BaryLoucks [2]Tilton
Beitel [2]MMaliaTucker [2]
BousloughMcInnesTuttle [2]
BurgerMorse [3]WWaters
CChallandMullinsWernick
DDavis [2]PPatrickWormley
DawsonPierce [2]YYetter [3]
FFarnsworthRRay [6]York
GGregg [2]SScottYoung [2]
GridleySewardYounggren [4]
HHalseySmith [2]
HelmStahl
HeritageStewart
Hicks [2]Stocksleger [2]
Hitz [2]Streeter
Holderness

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

According to her Illinois death record, Emma A. Ray was born February 10, 1859 at Shabbona, Illinois, the daughter of John A. Ray and Elizabeth (Enders) Ray, both natives of Germany.  Some records during Emma's lifetime give her name as Emily.

Emma had several siblings, at least four of whom inscribed pages in her album:
  • B. F. Ray, "your Bro.", inscribed at Shabbona, Illinois, on February 16, 1879.  Emma's older brother Benjamin Franklin Ray.
  • George; inscribed at Shabbona, Illinois, on February 16, 1879.  "Your naughty Brother".  He was George A. Ray, Emma's brother.  His was the first inscription in the album, shown below.
  • E. Hattie Ray, "your affectionate sister".; inscribed at Shabbona, Illinois, in September 1878.  Emma's sister Esther Harriet Ray, "Hattie", (1861-1948), who would marry Murray Stevens and have a son and daughter.  
  • J. P. Ray; inscribed at Shabbona, Illinois, on July 10, 1878.  Emma's brother John Peter Ray.


I don't believe Emma ever married, assuming she is the Emma Ray who died in 1947 and is buried with relatives in the Rose Hill Cemetery at Shabbona, Illinois.

Other inscribers who mentioned a kinship or one was obvious:
  • C. ?; Emma's cousin; inscribed at Sandwich, Illinois, on June 25, 1882.  Possibly C. H. I.
  • Emma Gregg; inscribed at Ludlow, Illinois, on August 25, 1878.  Emma's cousin Emma (Hitz) Gregg, whose husband Samuel inscribed the right facing page.  [Note: other people named Hitz inscribed pages - see the list of inscribers at the end of this post.]
  • Lizzie A. Ray of Shabbona, Illinois, inscribed on January 7, 1880.  Presumably Elizabeth A. Ray, daughter of Imogene (Loucks) Ray and William Henry Ray, who was Emma's oldest brother

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.

Sources
  • U.S. Censuses
  • Illinois, Deaths and Stillbirths Index, 1916-1947
  • FindaGrave.com
Inscribers in the Album
  • "Your Friend"
  • Maggie; inscribed on April 3, 1881
  • Laura; inscribed at Paw Paw, Illinois, on May 11, 1878
  • C. ?; Emma's cousin; inscribed at Sandwich, Illinois, on June 25, 1882.  Possibly C. H. I.
  • "Saucy Kate"; inscribed on May 31, 1879
  • W. W. R.; from or inscribed at Jerseytown, Pennsylvania; on December 17, 1878
  • 1878 inscription too faint to decipher name and place
  • E. ? W.; inscribed at Shabbona, Illinois, on August 3, 1878.  Middle initial might be O or B or ?
  • G. S. P.
  • Ella; inscribed at Lee, presumably Lee, Illinois, on August 2, 1879.  "Emma Ray is your name and single is your station..."
  • Mollie
  • E. H. S., or E. K. S. or E. ? S.; inscribed at Paw Paw, Illinois, on May 10, 1878
  • W. W. W.; not sure of last initial; inscribed at Shabbona, Illinois, on September 21, 1878
  • E. A. ?; inscribed at Shabbona, Illinois, on February 4, 1879.  Possibly E. A. Fort or Fost or Ford or ?  The surname might have been longer but any additional letters, if present, too faint to detect
  • Heinrich ?, "your German Friend".  Surname possibly Vacker, Vasher, or ?
  • Jim C. of Old Shabbona, Illinois; inscribed on June 11, 1881
  • Mamie S.; inscribed at Shabbona, Illinois, on April 3, 1882
B
  • Asa Bailey, "Aged 81", inscribed at Shabbona, Illinois, on July 12, 1878.  His second wife Esther (Schauber) Bailey inscribed the right facing page.
  • Asa Bailey; inscribed on February 27, 1880
  • E. S. Bailey; inscribed at Shabbona, Illinois, on July 12, 1878.  Presumably Esther (Schauber) Bailey, whose husband Asa inscribed the left facing page.
  • Jennie Bailey; inscribed at Shabbona, Illinois, on July 11, 1878
  • Mrs. Cyrenius Bailey; inscribed at Shabbona, Illinois, on July 18, 1878.  She was presumably Jane A. (Morey) Bailey.
  • Emil B. Bary; presumably Emil Benjamin Bary (1855-1939), minister, railroader.  Very faint inscription from 1880.
  • Agnes E. Beitel of Hinckley, Illinois; inscribed at Shabbona, Illinois, on July 1, 1881.  Presumably Agnes Emma Beitel (1854-1940).  Hinckley is or was a village in Squaw Grove, Illinois
  • Bertha Beitel; inscribed at Hinckley, Illinois, on March 6, 1882.  Hinckley is or was a village in Squaw Grove, Illinois.  Bertha Louise Beitel (1861-1938)
  • M. M. Bouslough of Shabbona, Illinois, inscribed on June 21, 1879.  Possibly Mary M. Bouslough
  • Emma Burger of Cornton, Illinois.  Cornton was an early name for Shabbona, Illinois.
C
  • Addie Challand; inscribed at Shabbona, Illinois, on October 27, 1881
D
  • Col Davis or Cot Davis or ?
  • Lee Davis; inscribed at Cornton, Illinois, on October 26, 1878.  Cornton was an early name for Shabbona and perhaps still indicates a section of it.
  • Ermina Dawson of Clear Lake, Iowa; inscribed on October 9, 1882
F
  • Wallace B. Farnsworth; not sure of middle initial; inscribed on 2/14/1882
G
  • Emma Gregg; inscribed at Ludlow, Illinois, on August 25, 1878.  Emma's cousin Emma (Hitz) Gregg, whose husband Samuel inscribed the right facing page.
  • Samuel Gregg.  Samuel Mason Gregg, whose wife Emma (Hitz) Gregg inscribed the left facing page.
  • Estella Gridley; inscribed at Newark, Illinois, on March 23, 1882
H
  • Lillie Halsey
  • Ezra A. Helm
  • Ella Heritage; inscribed on March 4, 1878.  Written along the edge: "Rainy day Oct 25th 1883"
  • E. W. Hicks; inscribed at Shabbona, Illinois, on July 17, 1880
  • Ella M. Hicks; inscribed at Shabbona, Illinois, on July 2, 1880
  • Addie Hitz; inscribed at Rantoul, Illinois, on August 27, 1878
  • F. A. Hitz; inscribed at Rantoul, Illinois, on August 27, 1878.  Possibly Frank A. Hitz
  • Letta Holderness; not sure of middle initial, possibly J or G or ?; of Lee, Illinois; inscribed on August 29, 1979
J
  • David Jones of Shabbona, Illinois; inscribed on February 23, no year written
  • Libbie Jones
L
  • H. H. Leyson of Shabbona, Illinois; inscribed on July 27, 1879
  • Henry Loucks of Somonauk, Illinois
  • J. S. Loucks
M
  • Ella Malia; inscribed at Lee, Illinois
  • H. F. McInnes of Oregon, Illinois; inscribed on 9/5/1879
  • Althia Morse; inscribed at Shabbona, Illinois, on September 25, 1881
  • Emma Morse; inscribed at Shabbona, Illinois, on September 18, 1881
  • Jessie G. Morse; inscribed on September 18, 1881
  • Essie Mullins; inscribed at Shabbona, Illinois, on March 27, 1878.  Sadly, the left facing page contains two clippings about Essie's death from scarlet fever.  According to one of the clippings, Essie was born in West Shabbona, Illinois, daughter of Robert Mullins. Funeral sermon preached at the West Shabbona church by Rev. J. F. Kellogg. Research shows that Essie died on February 26, 1881.
P
  • F. D. Patrick of Rock Falls ?; inscribed on April 8, 1878
  • A. E. Pierce.  Mrs. M. E. Pierce inscribed the right facing page.
  • Mrs. M. E. Pierce; she wrote upside down on the page.  A. E. Pierce inscribed the left facing page.
  • S. V. Pierce
R
  • B. F. Ray, "your Bro.", inscribed at Shabbona, Illinois, on February 16, 1879.  Emma's older brother Benjamin Franklin Ray.
  • E. Hattie Ray, "your affectionate sister".; inscribed at Shabbona, Illinois, in September 1878.  Emma's sister Esther Harriet Ray, "Hattie", (1861-1948), who would marry Murray Stevens and have a son and daughter.  https://www.newspapers.com/image/126569468/
  • Emily Ray, "Emma", of Shabbona, Illinois; album owner
  • George; inscribed at Shabbona, Illinois, on February 16, 1879.  "Your naughty Brother".  He was George A. Ray, Emma's brother.
  • J. P. Ray; inscribed at Shabbona, Illinois, on July 10, 1878.  Emma's brother John Peter Ray.
  • Lizzie A. Ray of Shabbona, Illinois, inscribed on January 7, 1880.  Presumably Elizabeth A. Ray, daughter of Imogene (Loucks) Ray and William Henry Ray, who was Emma's oldest brother
S
  • Mamie Scott; inscribed at Aurora, Illinois, on 4-2-1878
  • Eugene W. Seward; from or inscribed at Gorham, Kansas, on February 11, 1882
  • F. M. Smith; inscribed at Bristol, Illinois, on 2/7/79
  • Jesse L. Smith; inscribed on September 18, 1882
  • E. W. Stahl
  • Ella Stewart; inscribed at Hinckley, presumably Hinckley, Illinois; on March 1, 1880
  • Etta Stocksleger; inscribed at Bristol, Illinois, on February 10, 1879
  • Mary Stocksleger; inscribed at Bristol, Illinois, on February 10, 1879
  • Mary Ann Streeter of Shabbona, Illinois; inscribed on April 4, 1878.  Her inscription spans facing pages.
T
  • Lincoln Terry of Shabbona, Illinois; inscribed on October 19, 1879
  • Viola Thomas of Shelbina, Missouri
  • Augusta Tilton; inscribed at Stillman Valley, Illinois, on August 23, 1880
  • C. E. Tucker; inscribed at Cornton, Illinois, on April 2, 1880.  Cornton was a former name of Shabbona, and may still have been the name of a part of town.
  • Laura Tucker; inscribed at Shabbona, Illinois, on April 2, 1880
  • Cora Tuttle; inscribed at Shabbona, Illinois, on June 2, 1878
  • Mrs. G. W. Tuttle
W
  • Clara Waters; inscribed at Lee, Illinois, on September 26, 1879
  • Henry Wernick; inscribed at Somonauk, Illinois
  • Carrie M. Wormley; inscribed on June 1, 1879, or June 7, 1879
Y
  • C. T. Yetter.  Presumably Charles Thomas Yetter (1860-1937)
  • J. P. Yetter; not sure of middle initial; inscribed a Steward, Illinois, on February 12, 1878.  Possibly John P. Yetter (1858-1934)
  • Lena Yetter
  • H. A. York
  • Eva Young; inscribed at Lee, Illinois
  • Dr. G. M. Young; inscribed at Lee, Illinois, on August 17, 1879.  Presumably Rev. and Dr. Gottlieb Matthias Young (1827-1881)  https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/20957862
  • Gus Younggren; inscribed at Lee, Illinois, on October 8, 1879
  • Jennie Younggren; inscribed on February 28, 1878.  Written on the side in pencil: "Jennie Baker, Bennet, Neb."  Presumably Jennie Cecilia Younggren, who married Albert J. Baker (Backer, Bacher) and lived at Lancaster, Nebraska, where Bennet is a village.
  • M. C. Younggren; inscribed at Lee, Illinois, on September 22, 1879
  • Rudolph Younggren of Lee, Illinois, inscribed on October 7, 1879

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