Thursday, December 12, 2013

1880s/1890s Autograph Album of Ara May Woodman of Fairfield, Maine


1880s/1890s autograph album of Ara May Woodman of Fairfield, Maine.  

[See other posts for the autograph album of Ara's future husband Granville Earl Barrows, compiled while Granville was a student at Oak Grove, and that of Granville's first wife, Mary E. Hunt.] 

Ara's middle name was spelled as Mae on the inside front cover of the album and May on the first end paper.  The second image shows that the album was presented to Ara by Mell or ?, possibly by Ara's older brother Ernest Melvin Woodman.




The album is approximately 7" x 4" and contains the sentiments of 33 of Ara's friends and at least one teacher.  An alphabetical list of the signers appears at the end of this post.

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

Ara May Woodman was born in August 1879 at Fairfield, Maine, the daughter of Frederic S. and Helen A. (Wood) Woodman, who were born at Fairfield, Maine, and Palermo, Maine, respectively.

The 1910 Census of Fairfield, Maine, shows Ara living in her parents' household and working at a shirt factory.

On 11 June 1919 at Waterville, Maine, Ara became the second wife of Granville Earl Barrows, son of William H. and Eliza Matilda (Davis) Barrows.  Granville's first wife, Mary E. Hunt, "Mae", had died in 1917.  Granville was an Express driver.

I don't believe Granville and Ara had any children together, but Granville had a son, Stanley William Barrows, from his first marriage.  

Ara's teacher, M. A. Wetherell, signed a page at Fairfield, Maine, on June 7, 1892.




The last signed page in the album is a poser, but I believe the signer was Hattie L. Nye who wrote her name backwards.  She was the mother of another signer, Cora E. Nye of Fairfield, Maine.  What do you think?



Some of the pages in the album have preprinted designs.








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

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

  • Buddy
  • Name looks like Eittah L.E.Jen, but I think it's Hattie, who wrote her  name backwards.  It's possibly Hattie L. Nye of Fairfield, Maine, wife of William R. Nye and mother of signer Cora E. Nye.
  • Carrie Bates of Fairfield, Maine, signed on June 20, 1892; middle initial is possibly L.
  • Louise Bradbury of Fairfield, Maine, signed on June 10, 1892
  • Kate Bradbury of Fairfield, Maine, signed on June 15, 1892
  • Given name partially obscured.  Possibly *nice H. Brewer, signed on July 15, 1890
  • Mabel A. Emery of Fairfield, Maine
  • Christine N. Fogg of Fairfield, Maine, signed on March 15, 1892
  • Clara E. Fuller of Unity, Maine, signed on July 10, 1891
  • Mrs. Ellen Gifford of Oakland, California, signed on October 15, 1889
  • Edith M. Gray of Fairfield, Maine, signed on June 14, 1892
  • Kate Ella Hay of Portland, Maine, signed on September 12, 1891
  • Lucia Grace O. Hussey of Albion, Maine, signed on February 22, 1889
  • Lillian Crie Kelley of Fairfield, Maine, signed on November 11, 1890
  • Maud Kenrick of Fairfield, Maine, signed on March 28, 1892
  • Alice M. Lawrence of Fairfield, Maine, signed on June 10, 1892
  • Cora E. Nye of Fairfield, Maine, signed on September 14, 1888
  • L. M. Nye of Fairfield, Maine, signed on September 14, 1888
  • Delia C. Page
  • Josephine Pearson of Fairfield, Maine
  • Mrs. L. C. Pettee of Portland, Maine, signed on February 19, 1891
  • Burton Pray of Fairfield, Maine
  • Marion Stuart Reed of Benton, Maine, signed on June 6, 1892
  • Caroline G. Rice, signed at Fairfield, Maine, on March 19, 1892
  • Miss Sadie E. Robinson of Fairfield, Maine, signed on June 10, 1892
  • Levi Savage of Fairfield, Maine, signed on March 12, 1891
  • Lizzie M. Savage of Fairfield, Maine, signed on December 4, 1889
  • Delia E. Scammon of Fairfield, Maine, signed on August 31, 1888
  • Hattie M. Taylor of Fairfield, Maine, signed on March 12, 1891
  • Ethel L. Totman of Fairfield, Maine, signed on June 13, 1892
  • Harry Tozier of Fairfield, Maine, signed in 1892
  • M. A. Wetherell, signed at Fairfield, Maine, on June 7, 1892; Ara's teacher
  • Eva C. Wilson of Fairfield, Maine, signed in 1888
  • Ara Mae Woodman of Fairfield, Maine; album owner.  On one page her middle name was signed as Mae and the other as May.  The album was presented to her by Mell or Will or ?
Fairfield, Maine  [Note Waterville, Maine, next down the Kennebec River]


Thanks for stopping by!



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