1880s Autograph Album with Signers from Oil City, Pennsylvania, and East Palestine, Ohio

1880s autograph album that contains pages signed mostly by people in Oil City, Pennsylvania, and East Palestine, Ohio.  

Several of the signers were Methodist Episcopal ministers, so the unidentified owner of the album may have had a connection to that denomination.  Perhaps the owner was a minister or family member of a minister who had lived in both cities.

The album is approximately 7" x 4-1/4" and contains 17 pages of sentiments.  An alphabetical list of the signers appears at the end of this post.

A Chas. H. Cookson and a C. H. Cookson with similar handwriting signed pages in the album, one of the pages on 10 April 1886.  I believe he was the Charles H. Cookson who was then or became a physician at Oil City, Pennsylvania.

E. C. McMullen signed a page at Oil City, Pennsylvania, on 15 April 1886.

Two signers were, I believe, Methodist Episcopal Rev. Peter G. Edmonds and his wife Nellie.  They signed pages at East Palestine, Ohio, on 17 March 1887 and 27 May 1887 respectively.

A. W. Butts of East Palestine, Ohio, signed a page on 28 September 1886.  He was presumably Methodist Episcopal minister Rev. Anthony W. Butts.

William T. Smith of South Oil City, Pennsylvania, penned a page on 6 April 1886.  He sketched an intricate bird and worked his name into it.

J. P. Foraker signed a page on 25 August 1887.  He was presumably either the Ohio governor of that name or his son.

Oscar L. Jackson, a U.S. Representive from New Castle, Pennsylvania, signed a page on 25 August 1887.

Robert E. Hileman of South Oil City, Pennsylvania, sketched a scroll on 6 April 1886.  He may also have penned the left facing page which has similar handwriting.

If you have information on any of the signers of pages shown above or in the list of signers below, please leave a comment or contact me directly.  Thanks!

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

• Charles H. Cookson.  He may have been the C. H. Cookson with similar handwriting who signed another page.  Perhaps the Charles H. Cookson of Oil City, Pennsylvania, who was or would become a physician?
• E. C. McMullen, signed at Oil City on 15 April 1886.  Presumably this was Oil City, Pennsylvania, not the town of Cygnet, Ohio, formerly known as Oil City.
• Nellie L. Edmonds of East Palestine, signed on 27 May 1887; presumably East Palestine, Ohio.  I believe she was the wife of signer P. G. Edmonds, Rev. Peter G. Edmonds, of East Palestine, Ohio
• A. W. Butts of East Palestine, Ohio, signed on 28 September 1886.  Presumably Methodist Episcopal minister Rev. Anthony W. Butts
• William T. Smith of South Oil City, Pennsylvania, signed on 6 April 1886.  He included an intricate sketch of a bird.  Perhaps the William T. Smith of Oil City who was a Produce Merchant at the time of the 1900 Census.
• P. H. Cribbs, of South Oil City, Pennsylvania, signed on 17 April 1886; brother of signer Eva Leone Cribbs.  Parke Hudson Cribbs, at the time of signing or later, operated a retail grocery as the P. H. Cribbs Co. with his father and brother George.
• Robert E. Hileman of South Oil City, Pennsylvania, signed on 6 April 1886; he drew a scroll for his name, town and date.  It may have been Robert who wrote on the facing page
• James Cookson of South Oil City, Pennsylvania; middle initial might be M or N
• P. G. Edmonds, signed at East Palestine, Ohio, on 17 March 1887.  Methodist Episcopal minister Rev. Peter G. Edmonds.
• J. B. Foraker, signed on 25 August 1887.  Presumably Joseph B. Foraker, governor of Ohio, or his son.
• Jno. W. Toland of Canton, Ohio, signed on 23 May 1887.  Presumably John W. Toland, presiding elder of the Methodist Episcopal Conference
• Oscar L. Jackson of New Castle, Pennsylvania, signed 25 August 1887; presumably the US Representative from PA in the 1880s
• Leone Cribbs of South Oil City, Pennsylvania, signed on 23 April 1886; sister of signer Parke Hudson Cribbs.  Eva Leone Cribbs
• Mollie B. Chaney, signed at Wellsville, Ohio, on 14 August 1886
• Cora Hileman of South Oil City, Pennsylvania, signed on 26 April 1886
• Mame Woods, signed at Washingtonville, Ohio, on 10 July 1886
• Zella M. Bushong, signed on 10 July 1886

Oil City Pennsylvania, and East Palestine, Ohio

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