Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Autograph Album/Mini Scrapbook of Fuller, Snow & Dean Families of Maine and Lawrence, Massachusetts


This interesting autograph album appears to have been passed to a succeeding generation, as well as having done double duty as a scrapbook.

I believe it first belonged to Julia Adelia Fuller and was then passed to her children, perhaps Clarence, as one of the later autographs is inscribed to Clarence, from a Clarence.  This was either an Uncle Clarence Dean or perhaps young Clarence Dean to his older self, as it contains a humerous glimpse into the future.



The album contains a four page prospectus for a work entitled The Snow Family History, 1623-1939by William B. Snow, whose address was 75 Dexter Street, Malden, Massachusetts.  Julia Adelia Fuller was the daughter of Asa Coombs Fuller and Mary Jane (Snow) Fuller.  Below is the first of the four pages.



The album also contains a single page with a photograph of William Hyslop Fuller, who apparently wrote a genealogy of the Fuller family and was advertising prints of his photographs of family members.  



The earliest autographs are from the early 1880s.  The latest item might be the Snow genealogy prospectus.

The album is approximately 7" x 4" and contains 17 autographs in addition to ephemera and photographs.  An alphabetical list of the signers appears at the end of this post.

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

Julia Adelia Fuller was born 26 January 1855 at Thomaston, Maine, daughter of Asa Coombs Fuller and his first wife Mary Jane (Snow) Fuller.   After Mary Jane's death, Asa married Mary Jane's younger sister Anna Baxter Snow.

Tucked in the album, a carte de visite of Asa Coombs Fuller:





Julia's paternal grandparents were Samuel and Nancy (Hey or Hay) Fuller.  Her maternal grandparents were Elisha and Mary (Sawtelle or Sartelle) Snow.

About 1876, Julia Adelia Fuller married John R. Dean, son of Thomas and Margaret (Moore) Dean.  They raised a family of four children at Lawrence, Massachusetts:

  • Clarence William Dean, born 6 October 1882.  One of the autographs in the album was inscribed to him, possibly by himself; married Carolyn Fellows
  • Isabel Dean, born 13 January 1885; several of the enclosed newspaper clippings concern Isabel
  • Ruth May Dean, born 18 January 1887; several of the enclosed items concern Ruth; m. Charles Wheeldon Burtt
  • Walter E. Dean, born 25 January 1893; an enclosed clipping shows him in his 1918 military uniform; m. Kathyrn Louise Cragin, "Kit"
If you have corrections to the information above, or additions to it, or information on any of the signers listed below, please leave a comment or contact me directly.  Thanks!

Newspaper clippings in order of appearance, not necessarily chronologically [omitting many clippings of poems and conundrums]:
  1. Husking Bee of a chapter of Tau Theta Club at North Andover; mentions the Dean girls
  2. Ladies Aid Society of Wood Memorial Church; held at the home of Mrs. John Dean
  3. Wedding of Miss Emma Louise Bixby and Frederick Edward Dean
  4. Obituary of Mrs. Annie B. Fuller
  5. Walter Dean, recently elected captain of the Lawrence Canoe Club
  6. A page containing the death notices of four people: Rev. Samuel A. Fuller; Mrs. Margaret (Moore) Dean; Mrs. Nancy Libby [Nancy H. (Fuller) Libby]; Fred Rae Libby, son of Fred and Nancy H. (Fuller) Libby, who drowned in the Merrimack River at age 13
  7. Instructor Vose's recital, in which Miss Dean had a part
  8. Costume Party, in which some of the Burt and Dean children participated
  9. Miss Ruth Dean was injured while boarding a car at Canobie Lake Park in New Hampshire
  10. Surprise party at home of John Dean at which his son Clarence was presented a gold watch
  11. Lads and Lassies Gathered at Mrs. Valpey's Last Evening
  12. Wedding of Miss Carolyn Fellows to Mr. Clarence W. Dean
  13. Three obituaries of Mrs. John R. Dean [Julia Adelia (Fuller) Dean)]
  14. Three obituaries of Otto F. Kless, husband of Lizzie Josephine (Fuller) Kress
  15. Three articles abou the death of John R. Dean
  16. Wedding of Miss Frances Ruth Burtt to Walter E. Sweeney.
  17. Two articles about an accident involving the Lawrence Fire Department in which John R. Dean and two others were injured
  18. Two obituaries of Anna Belle (Fuller) Hay, one of which has a photograph
  19. Clipping that describes a series of accidents on an icy stretch of road involving cousins Isabelle Dean and Frances Burtt, who were lucky to escape unharmed.
  20. Death notice of Miss Grace M. Lang
  21. Bridal shower of Helen I. Hilse
Also included was the unofficial marriage record of Julia Adelia Fuller and John R. Dean, dated 21 February 1882.  John R. Dean was the son of Thomas and Margaret (Moore) Dean.  


In addition to the CDV of Asa Coombs Fuller, three other photographs were pasted into the album.  

Unidentified tintype:



Isabel and Dad [John R. Dean] aboard the SS California on their way to Bermuda in 1931:


And a photograph of John R. Dean in his fireman's uniform:


Several others items, including clippings from magazines were also pasted in the album.

If you have corrections to the information above or additions to it, or information on any of the people, listed below, who left autographed pages in the album, please leave a comment or contact me directly.  Thanks!

Alphabetical list of signers in the album: [Note: given names within a specific surname may not be in alphabetical order.]
  • Initials, possibly W. I. F. of Lawrence, Massachusetts, signed on 29 January 1882; especially not sure of middle initial
  • Miss Winifred Burtt, 12 Cambridge St., South Lawrence, Massachusetts; daughter of Charles Wheeldon Burtt and Ruth May (Dean) Burtt; signed two pages
  • Page signed in 1910 by Mrs. Emma L. Burtt, with names also of Charles Burtt, Henry Burtt and Winifred Burtt
  • Page with names of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Burtt, former residence 12 Cambridge Street, 1911
  • Isabel Dean of Lawrence, Massachusetts.  Daughter of John R. Dean and Julia Adelia (Fuller) Dean, born 1885; there's also a New Year card signed by her
  • Ruth M. Dean, daughter of John R. and Julia Adelia (Fuller) Dean; born 1887; she signed two pages
  • Calling card of Carrie Dean
  • Ida Dean; cousin of Julia Adelia (Fuller) Dean
  • Clarence Dean, to Clarence.  Possibly an uncle to Clarence Dean or a message signed by young Clarence to his future married self.  "When you are married, and taking tea, Kiss the old lady once for me."
  • Walter E. Dean, son of John R. Dean and Julia Adelia (Fuller) Dean.  A newspaper photograph of him dated 1918 in what appears to be his World War I uniform is pasted on the page.  Another page has two of his colored illustrations.
  • Anna B. Fuller of Lawrence, Massachusetts.  "Your mother".  Assuming this was directed toward Julia Adelia Fuller, Anna Baxter (Snow) Fuller would have been Julia's step mother and aunt, as Julia's mother, Mary Jane (Snow) Fuller, first wife of Asa Coombs Fuller, was Anna Baxter (Snow) Fuller's sister.
  • Mark I. Fuller of Lawrence, Massachusetts, signed 29 January 1882 or 1892 [strikeover].  The page also has the concluding paragraphs of a newspaper clipping about the funeral of Mark's older half sister, Julia Adelia (Fuller) Dean, Mrs. John R. Dean, of Lawrence, Massachusetts. The previous image contains the beginning of that newspaper item.
  • Sylvester H. Fuller of Charlestown, Massachusetts; younger brother of Julia Adelia (Fuller) Dean
  • Calling card of Lillie Holland
  • John S. Snow, signed on 29 January 1882.  He may have been the John S. Snow who was a brother of Mary Jane (Snow) Fuller and Anna Baxter (Snow) Fuller.
Lawrence, Massachusetts


Thanks for stopping by!






2 comments:

  1. I loe looking at these old books. Thank you again for this blog and for posting all these treasures! I sent a link to this particular posting to a 4th cousin of mine who has the Snow family in her genealogy.

    BTW, I lived for several years in Salem, NH back in the late 50s early 60s when it was still know as Salem Depot. My father was Assistant Manager of the Sears store in Lawrence and I was a member of the Lawrence YMCA for a few years. I used to go into work with my Dad on Saturdays and he would drop me off at the Y, which was just across a small city park from the Sears store, I'd meet him for lunch and then drive home with him after a day of swimming, games and movies. Good times, good memories!

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  2. Thanks for your kind comment, John. I remember going to Lawrence years ago to visit a man who was a dedicated amateur archaeologist, with a special interest in Maine, where he summered on Cobscook Bay. His collection is at Peabody Museum, I think.

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