Friday, May 17, 2013

1870s/1880s Autograph Album that May Have Belonged to Theophilus Huntington Root of Framingham, Massachusetts


1870s/1880s autograph album that may have belonged to Theophilus Huntington Root of Framingham, Massachusetts.  He signed the first page after the title page.



The album is approximately 8" x 5-1/8" and contains 77 pages signed by many students at Framingham High School and other schools.  An alphabetical list of the signers appears at the end of this post.



If the album did indeed belong to Theophilus Huntington Root, one of the pages was signed by his sister Elizabeth Brodhead Root, "Lizzie", but she didn't indicate a relationship with the album owner.



The album contained a page signed by Yang Sin Nan of Canton, China at Whately, Massachusetts, on 31 July 1876.  He painted a chrysanthemum.



I found an article online entitled "American Educated Chinamen" in a digitized Parsons' Memorial and Historical Library Magazine issue of 1885, an article that first appeared in the "Boston Advertiser".  Yang Sin Nan had graduated from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1884.  After graduation, he became a midshipman on the flagship vessel Yangwu and died on 23 August 1884 during a disastrous day for the Chinese during the Sino-French War.




Annie E. Hartwell of Framingham, Massachusetts, signed a page in February 1875.  She indicated, as did many other signers, that she was a member of the W. M. F. P.  There was a fern sprig included between this and the adjoining page signed by Laura L. Brooks of St. Johnsbury, Vermont, on 6 February 1880.  I don't know if the sprig was originally inserted in these two pages or if it fell out at some point and was put back in the album at random.




Theophilus Huntington Root, the possible album owner, was the son of Dr. Oliver D. Root, a Navy surgeon who participated in Civil War action at Galveston and New Orleans and who died in Louisiana in 1863.  His parents were Abner and Christiana (Hall) Root.

Theophilus' mother was Mary Elizabeth (White) Root, daughter of Captain Luke Brown White and Mary (Wells) White.

It doesn't appear that Theophilus ever married.  He graduated from Harvard and spent his life as a minister in Rhode Island, Vermont and possibly elsewhere.  He died in Vermont in 1933.

If you have information on any of the signers in the list below, please leave a comment or contact me directly.  The first list gives surnames, only once, though many are repeated.

Surnames
Baker
Barber
Batchelder
Blake
Blood
Brooks
Brown
Bucknam
Caldwell
Chaffee
Chapman
Chenery
Clark
Damon
Eckley
Ellenwood
Emerson
Esty
Fales
Foster
Freeman
Gamwell
Graves
Harrington
Hartwell
Hastings
Hayward
Hemenway
Howe
Jenkins
Karr
Kendall
Kingsbury
Knowlton
Mahon
Manson
Mason
McCleery
McFarland
Moore
Parsons
Praag
Purington
Rice 
Richardson
Root
Stickney
Stone
Thompson
Twichell
Twombly
Wells
Wetherbee
White
Whittemore
Winch

Alphabetical list of signers: [Note: given names within a specific surname may not be in alphabetical order.
  • Y. I. B. of Lowell, Massachusetts, signed on 30 June 1880  "Yours respectfully"
  • Yang Sin Nan of Canton, China, signed at Whately, Massachusetts on 31 July 1876
  • Helen R. Baker of Revere, Massachusetts, signed at Framingham, Massachusetts, in March 1881
  • Elbridge C. Barber of Framingham, Massachusetts, signed on 10 February 1876.  "Something to rhyme with dough Was said to be a sound called low.  I guess it is made by a horned creature And was mentioned by the teacher."  He drew a cow with "Feb. 3" on its body.
  • Hattie S. Batchelder of Framingham, Massachusetts, signed on 13 February 1878 "F.H.S." "To thine ownself be true. And it must follow as the night the day That thou canst not then Be false to any man."
  • Grace A. Blake of Framingham, Massachusetts, signed on 29 February 1876 "F.H.S." "Will you give this to the elder Miss W.?"
  • Carrie L. Blood of Framingham, Massachusetts, signed on 31 January 1876
  • Laura L. Brooks of St. Johnsbury, Vermont, signed at Framingham, Massachusetts, on 6 February 1880.
  • Frank T. Brown of Framingham, Massachusetts, signed on 17 April 1875  "W.M.F.P." "E.M.R." [not sure of last initial]" "Souvenir"
  • Millie Bucknam of Arlington, Massachusetts "Sept. 8, 1878"  "Es ist immer gut etwas zu wissen." [In English: "It is always good to know something."]
  • Abbie G. Caldwell, signed at Framingham, Massachusetts, on 23 January 1876
  • Maud I. Chaffee of Whately, Massachusetts, signed on 21 August 1875  "Your friend"
  • Nellie W. Chapman of Framingham, Massachusetts, signed on 17 February 1875 "W.M.F.P." "Remember your true friend"
  • Fannie Chapman of Framingham, Massachusetts, signed on 17 February 1875 "Reading"  "W.M.F.P."  "F.H.S."
  • Gertrude L. Chapman of Framingham, Massachusetts, signed on 17 February 1875  "Ever your friend"
  • Willie E. Chenery, signed in January 1876
  • Florence Clark of Framingham, Massachusetts, signed on 11 May 1875  "Please write in this album." "May baskets" "H.S.P."
  • Emma E. Damon of Framingham, Massachusetts, signed on 3 March 1875 "W. M. F. P." "Souvenir"
  • Emma Eckley of Framingham, Massachusetts, signed February 1875  "Remember me always as your friend."  "N.M.F.P." "Souvenir" "Remember Pulling Candy"
  • Jennie A. Ellenwood of South Framingham, Massachusetts, signed on 15 February 1876
  • Mabel H. Emerson of Framingham, Massachusetts, signed on 21 January 1878 "Your friend"
  • Lizzie M. Emerson of Framingham, Massachusetts, signed 17 February 1876 "F.H.S."
  • Alex N. Esty of Framingham, Massachusetts, signed on 4 March 1875
  • C. C. Esty, signed in 1882
  • Katherine M. Esty of Framingham, Massachusetts, signed on 20 March 1875
  • Henry T. Fales of South Framingham, Massachusetts, signed on 11 February 1876 "F.H.S." "Yours, etc."
  • Annie Regina Foster, signed at F.H.S. on 17 February 1876  "Votre amie et camarade d'ecole"
  • Dora Freeman of Wakefield, Massachusetts, signed on 3 July 1879
  • Alice Freeman of Wakefield, Massachusetts, signed on 3 July 1879 "Farewell, everyone!"
  • M. L. Gamwell of Framingham, Massachusetts, signed on 28 January 1876
  • Elwood F. Graves of Whately, Massachusetts, signed on 12 August 1876
  • Willie W. Harrington of Framingham, Massachusetts, signed on 18 January 1876 "F.H.S." "I think that we had better keep on." "All hands round"
  • Annie E. Hartwell of Framingham, Massachusetts, signed in February 1875 "Sociable" "W.M.F.P." "Souvenir" "Walks" "Remember your friend" Has a sprig of fern enclosed.
  • Alice W. Hastings of Framingham, Massachusetts, signed on 18 February 1876 "F.H.S." "Don't you forget it!" "Where are your mottoes?"
  • Lemuel S. Hastings of Framingham, Massachusetts, signed on 1 February 1878
  • Lillian L. Hayward of Framingham, Massachusetts, signed on 23 January 1876
  • Elberta H. Hemenway of Framingham, Massachusetts, signed on 17 January 1876  "Swing Partners"  "F.H.S."
  • Waldo V. Howe of Framingham, Massachusetts  There's something written in lower left hand corner but I can't make it out
  • Gertrude Howe of Framingham, Massachusetts, signed on 18 February 1876  "Your friend" "F.G.S." "dancing"
  • Belle J. Howe of Pepperell, Massachusetts, signed at Framingham, Massachusetts in August 1880  "Boating"
  • Alma Jenkins of Charleston, South Carolina, signed at Framingham, Massachusetts, on 18 April 1881  "Very truly your friend"
  • Genevieve Karr of Hartford, Connecticut, signed at Framingham, Massachusetts, on 20 January 1882 "Very sincerely your friend"
  • Jennie M. Kendall of Framingham, Massachusetts, signed on 5 April 1875  "F.H.S."
  • Willis A. Kingsbury of Framingham, Massachusetts, signed in January 1876
  • Walter H. Knowlton of South Framingham, Massachusetts, signed on 9 February 1876 "Pictures"
  • Will L'E. Mahan of Ann Arbor, Michigan, signed 26 August 1878 "F.L.C." "U. of M. 82, D.K.E." "Surprise Party"
  • Henry S. Mahon of Ann Arbor, Michigan, signed at Framingham, Massachusetts on 26 August 1879  "Surprise Party"  "F.D.C."
  • Jane C. Mahon of Framingham, Massachusetts, signed on 26 August 1879  "Count that day lost whose low descending sun Sees from they hand no worthy action done."  "Surprise party"  "Picnics in the evening"
  • Effie C. Manson of Framingham, Massachusetts, signed on 1 March 1875 "F.H.S." "W.M.F.P." "Souvenir"
  • Anna M. Mason of South Framingham, Massachusetts, signed in January 1876 "Your friend and school-mate in F.H.S."
  • Elizabeth McCleery of Sewickley, Pennsylvania, signed at Framingham, Massachusetts, on 1 December 1879 "W '80"
  • Corey F. McFarland of South Framingham, Massachusetts
  • Mary C. Moore, signed at Framingham, Massachusetts, on 3 February 1876 "The mind's the measure of the man."
  • E. Percy Moore of Framingham, Massachusetts, signed on 5 April 1875 "F.H.S."
  • Pascal O. Parsons of South Framingham, Massachusetts
  • Judah van Praag of Framingham, Massachusetts, signed on 13 May 1875
  • Fred A. Purington of Framingham, Massachusetts, signed on 12 February 1875 "Our Walk" "Exploring"  "F.H.S."
  • Frank E. Rice of Framingham, Massachusetts, signed on 25 February 1875  "Always Your Friend" "F.H.S." "Souvenir, Down East, Double Rummy, One Saturday"
  • H. A. Richardson of South Framingham, Massachusetts "Alter amicus ipse"
  • Theophilus H. Root of Framingham, Massachusetts, album owner, who signed a page in December 1874
  • Lizzie B. Root of Framingham, Massachusetts, signed in February 1875  "Squabbles"  "O.M.S." "C.L. & S.L. [not sure of these initials]" "Desert 'Valentine'" "W.M. F. P. Souvenir Club"
  • Cora Stickney, signed at Great Falls, New Hampshire, in July 1880
  • Arthur K. Stone of Framingham, Massachusetts, signed on 19 February 1875  "B.B." R.B." "W.M.F.P." "Votre ami et comarade"
  • William H. Thompson of Sudbury, Massachusetts, signed on 14 February 1876 "Amicus" "Remember Feb. 5th and 585 Washington St."
  • Edgar S. Twichell of South Framingham, Massachusetts, signed on 23 February 1876
  • Minnie C. Twombly of Framingham, Massachusetts "All that you do, Do with your might. Things done by halves Are never done right."
  • Herbert C. Wells of Boston, Massachusetts, signed on 26 March 1875
  • Susie A. Wetherbee of Ellsworth, Massachusetts, signed at F. H.S. on 22 February 1876  "How do you like dancing?"
  • Fannie H. White of Whately, Massachusetts, signed in 12 August 1876
  • J. Avery White of Framingham, Massachusetts, signed in 1876
  • Luke B. White of Whately, Massachusetts, signed at Framingham, Massachusetts, on 30 June 1880  "Long walks"
  • Emma E. White of Holliston, Massachusetts "After the billows of the stormy sea, Sweet is, at last, the Haven of repose."  "The week in Framingham  "One Summer"
  • Helen P. White of Whately, Massachusetts, signed on 29 July 1875
  • Edgar W. Whittemore of North Framingham, Massachusetts, signed on 21 January 1876 "F.H.S." "When in need of a friend, call on the undersigned."
  • H. W. Whittemore of Framingham, Massachusetts, signed on 18 January 1876  "F.H.S." "Dancing" "Your friend, H.W.W."
  • Alice F. Winch of Framingham, Massachusetts, signed on 29 February 1876 "F.H.S." "Remember your friend and class-mate" "Was it me?"
  • Lena M. Winch of Framingham, Massachusetts, signed at High School on 28 February 1876




Thanks for stopping by!


2 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Yes, the album is for sale. See the email address under Inquiries in the right margin, near the top.

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