1880s Autograph Album of Lina (Burlew) Meyers of New York and Ohio

1880s autograph album of Pauline "Lina" (Burlew) Meyers of Ohio.

Several signers in the album indicated a cousin relationship with Lina, which sent me on a lot of wild goose chases.  As it turns out,  some of them were spouses of people who were cousins to Lina's husband George Franklin Meyers, rather than blood cousins to Lina herself.

The album is approximately 7" x 4-1/4" and contains 37 pages signed by Lina's [future] husband George Franklin Meyers, relatives of his who signed after their marriage, Lina's friends and Lina's daughter who signed in 1902.  The album is interspersed with plates of butterfly and floral scenes.

An alphabetical list of the signers appears at the end of this post.

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

Pauline "Lina" Burlew was born 19 November 1865 in New York, perhaps at Ulysses, New York, the daughter of Van Renssalaer Burlew and Cynthia (Milliman) Burlew.

On 18 June 1885, Lina married George Franklin Meyers, son of Peter and Susan (Mowery) Meyers.  George was born 5 March 1864 at Stoutsville, Ohio.  It was George's maternal Mowery line that connected him to the several cousins who signed pages in Lina's album.

George worked as a railroad agent.  Perhaps early in his railroad career, he happened to meet a young lady in New York. Or they met because Lina's family moved progressively west from New York, after the enumeration of the 1880 Census.  Van Rensselaer Burlew died in Missouri in 1897.

Lina and George lived at Greenfield, Ohio, and Columbus, Ohio, and raised three daughters, one of whom, the eldest Edna Alice Meyers, signed a page in Lina's album in 1902.

If you have corrections to the information above, or information on any of the signers listed below, please leave a comment or contact me directly.  Thanks!

Alphabetical list of the signers: [Note: given names within specific surnames may not be in alphabetical order.]

• Maggie Bray, signed at Lynnville, Tennessee, on 22 May 1887
• Tara Bray of Lynnville, Tennessee
• Mollie Bray, signed at Lynnville, Tennessee on 22 May 1887
• Olive Willson Brown, signed on 9 March 1898
• Pauline "Lina" Burlew; album owner, born in Pickaway County, Ohio.  She married George Franklin Myers
• James T. Burton of Norwich, New York, "Dutch"; not sure of surname
• Viella Crites, signed at Elida, Ohio, on 22 June 1885.  She was Viella (Anderson) Crites, wife of William W. Crites, who signed the facing page.  Her husband William was a cousin to Lina's husband George Franklin Meyers through their shared Mowery line.
• W. W. Crites, signed at Elida, Ohio, on 21 June 1885; William W. Crites, husband of Viella (Anderson) Crites who signed the facing page.  "Dear Cousin".  He was actually the cousin of Lina's husband George Franklin Meyers through their shared Mowery line.
• J. D. Crites, signed at Elida, Ohio, on 27 June 1885.  John D. Crites, brother of signer William W. Crites and husband of signer Lida Crites, who signed the facing page. "Your cousin", though he was actually the cousin of Lina's husband, George Franklin Meyers through their shared Mowery line.
• Lida Crites, signed at Elida, Ohio, on 22 June 1885.  Wife of John D. Crites, who signed the facing page. "Your cousin", but the cousin relationship is actually that of her Lida's husband to Lina's husband, George Franklin Meyers, through their shared Mowery line.
• Harriet B. Crooks, signed on 2 December 1884
• Ella Crooks, signed on 11 December 1884
• T. P. Earl, signed at Tiffin, Ohio, on 4 June 1884
• Katie E. Eschman, signed at Dresden, Ohio
• Rosa Hoffman, signed at Circleville, Ohio, on 30 October 1885
• Sadie E. Jones, signed at Jackson Ohio, on 26 November 1887
• Addie May Lane of Dresden, Ohio, signed at Ellis College on 2 November 1886
• Mrs. A. H. Madry of Lynnville, Tennessee, signed 7 July 1887; Mrs. Alphonso H. Madry, the former Elizabeth Jamison Inman.
• A. H. Madry, M.D., signed at Lynnville, Tennessee, on 7 July 1887; Dr. Alphonso H. Madry.  His wife, Elizabeth J. (Inman) Madry signed a preceding page.
• George F. Meyers, signed at Heidelberg College, on 25 February 1884.  George Franklin Meyers would later marry the album owner Pauline "Lina" Burlew.
• Edna A. Meyers, signed in 1902; "Lina's eldest", Edna Alice Meyers, Lina's daughter with husband George Franklin Meyers
• W. M. Miller of Tiffin, Ohio, signed on 20 August 1884
• Lou J. Miller, signed on 3 September 1884
• Louise Needy, signed at New Central House on 16 November 1885.  Mentions New Lexington, Ohio,  Not sure of spelling of surname
• Lucy Neff
• Ida O'Brien, signed at Tiffin, Ohio, on 14 June 1885
• Olive C. Pool of Stoutsville, Ohio, signed on 5 September 1885
• J. C. Rickenbaugh, signed at Tiffin, Ohio, on 22 May 1885.  "I like the passion and surge of life"
• Laura A. Stout, signed at Circleville, Ohio, on "8/4/85"; Lina's "cousin".  I believe Laura was actually the cousin of Lina's husband George Franklin Meyers, through their shared Mowery line
• E. D. Stout; Lina's cousin Edson D. Stout,  "Your cousin"; I believe the cousin relationship was actually to Lina's husband, George Franklin Meyers, though their shared Mowery line.
• F. M. Stout, signed at Circleville, Ohio, on "8/5/'85"; Lina's "cousin".  Frank M. Stout was actually a cousin to Lina's husband George Franklin Meyers through their shared Mowery line.
• Milton M. Strong of Tiffin, Ohio, signed on 8 May 1885
• S. E. Valentine, signed at Stoutsville, Ohio, on "10/4"/1885"
• Hattie Valentine, signed at Stoutsville, Ohio, on 29 October 1885
• Emma Valentine, signed at Stoutsville, Ohio, on "10/4"1885"
• Lillian R. Vegiard of Providence, Rhode Island.  Also the name Lillie Burton
• B. D. Zahm of Tiffin, Ohio, signed on 22 September 1884; not sure of surname

Pickaway County, Ohio

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