1870s autograph album of Flora Maria Holbert of Homer, Minnesota. Many of the signers were attending Normal School at Winona, Minnesota, as I imagine Flora herself was. The Normal School is now known as Winona State University.
The album is approximately 5-3/4" x 3-1/4" and contains the sentiments of over 50 of Flora's relatives, friends and classmates. An alphabetical list of the senders appears at the end of this post.
From online research, hopefully correct: [corrections and additions welcome!]
Flora Maria Holbert was born 31 December 1857 at Homer, Minnesota, the daughter of George Edward Holbert and Mary Jane (Rogers) Holbert, who were born in Pennsylvania and New York, respectively. No other Holberts signed in the album, but three of Flora's maternal uncles, brothers to her mother Mary Jane (Rogers) Holbert, signed.
William P. Rogers of Homer, Minnesota, signed on May 18, 1874. He was the older brother of Flora's mother Mary Jane (Rogers) Holbert.
An A. T. Rogers signed twice in the album; I believe he was Albert T. Rogers, younger brother of Flora's mother Mary Jane (Rogers) Holbert.
Another page, faint and hard to read, was signed by G. N. Rogers, who was presumably George Nelson Rogers, the youngest brother of Mary Jane (Rogers) Holbert.
About 1874, Flora Maria Holbert married Reuben C. Norton, son of Howell Buell Norton and Margaret (Cross) Norton. Reuben, a carpenter, was born 15 February 1838 in Michigan. He is presumably the R. C. Norton who signed two pages in Flora's album.
Flora and Reuben lived at Rockford, Illinois, and raised, I think, three children. Flora died at Rockford, Illinois, in 1938. Reuben had predeceased her in 1920.
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!
Surnames in the album [Some appear multiple times.]
Alling
Baker
Banker
Barber
Bishop
Bohn
Brink
Castle
Claghorne
Cooley
Curtiss
Dettmering
Doughty
Dudley
Foreman
Garland
Gordon
Gould
Grant
Holbert
Howe
Kempton
Lang
Ledstrand
Markham
McClary
McGregor
McNibb
Nind
Norton
Palmer
Payne
Phelps
Rogers
Sailsbury
Sharpe
Shenton
Smith
Stougton
Tibbets
Tucker
West
Wheeler
Signers in the album [Note: given names within a specific surname may not be in alphabetical order.]
?
- Henry ? ?, 720 ? Avenue South, Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Joe. "Within the Mississippi Valley on Minnesota's fertile soil, Was where we learned to love each other, And for each others lives to toil. And we will not forget our love But will hope to meet above."
- ?, signed at Winona, Minnesota, in April 1874; see Irsinger/Ursinger, below
- ?, signed at Winona, Minnesota, in 1874
- Ida Alling of Homer, Minnesota, signed on January 5, 1874
- Edward L. Baker of Red Wing, Minnesota
- Anna B. Banker of St. Paul, Minnesota, signed on May 13, 1874
- R. D. Barber of Worthington, Minnesota in Noble County
- Frank Bishop of ?, Minnesota, signed on April 1, 1874
- Anna Bohn, signed at Winona, Minnesota, on January 19, 1874
- James T. Brink of Winona, Minnesota, signed on December 18, 1873
- Henry A. Castle of St. Paul, Minnesota, signed on April 14, 1874
- M. A. Claghorne of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts
- J. O. Claghorne of Chicago, Illinois, signed on January 1, 1874
- Mary A. W. Cooley of Winona, Minnesota
- C. C. Curtiss, signed at Winona, Minnesota, on April 16, 1874
- Alida Dettmering of Pine Island, Minnesota, signed on March 7, 1874
- Lillie Doughty, signed at Lake City, Minnesota
- Alma Dudley, signed at Eyota, Minnesota, on December 27 [no year written]
- Susie A. Dudley of Eyota, Minnesota, signed on January 23, 1874
- Josie Foreman, signed on December 18, 1873 at Winona, Minnesota
- Silas E. Foreman, signed on December 17, 1873
- Mattie F. Garland of Rochester, Minnesota; G.A.W.J. R.E.N.
- Florence D. Garland of Rochester, Minnesota
- Florence Garland; not sure of given name
- James Gordon
- O. B. Gould, signed at Winona, Minnesota, on December 18, 1873
- Jennie Grant, signed at Winona, Minnesota, on May 13, 1874
- Flora Holbert, album owner
- Gracie Howe of Rochester, Minnesota
- Clara B. Howe of Rochester, Minnesota, signed on July 7, 1874; R.P.S. F.S.N.S.W.
- A reader has deciphered a signer as possibly Rouard Irsinger or Ursinger. This signer inscribed the page at Winona, Minnesota, in April 1874. "Men apt to promise are apt to forget". Das schreib die hinters Ohr. Winona, den 30sten April 1874"
- Lydia D. Kempton; possibly the Lydia D. Kempton of Winona, Minnesota
- Charles H. S. Kempton
- H. D. Lang, signed at St. Paul, Minnesota, on April 1, 1874
- Timie Ledstrand, signed at Winona, Minnesota, on January 27, 1874; F.S.N.S.
- D. James Markham
- Fannie McClary or Fannie M. Clary
- Victoria McGregor, signed on March 29, 1880
- Jennie E. McNibb of Medford, Minnesota
- Emma Nind, signed at Winona, Minnesota, on January 25, 1874; presumably Emma Aince Nind, born in 1857 in Illinois; moved to Winona, Minnesota
- R. C. Norton
- R. C. Norton
- K. F. Norton
- J. C. Palmer
- Nettie A. Payne of Winona, Minnesota, signed on February 26, 1874
- William F. Phelps, signed at the State Normal School at Winona, Minnesota, on January 20, 1874
- William P. Rogers of Homer, Minnesota, signed on May 18, 1874. He was the older brother of Flora's mother Mary Jane (Rogers) Holbert
- A. T. Rogers; perhaps Albert T. Rogers, younger brother of Flora's mother Mary Jane (Rogers) Holbert
- A. T. Rogers; perhaps Albert T. Rogers, younger brother of Flora's mother Mary Jane (Rogers) Holbert
- A. S. Rogers
- Very faint, but appears to be G. N. Rogers; presumably George Nelson Rogers, youngest brother of Flora's mother Mary Jane (Rogers) Holbert
- Frances Sailsbury of Winona, Minnesota
- Miss France Sharpe of Winona, Minnesota; not sure of her given name.
- E. W. Shenton of Kasson, Minnesota, signed on December 17, 1873
- Carrie V. Smith, signed at Winona, Minnesota, on January 20, 1874
- Willis G. Stoughton
- Allie Tibbets of Dover Centre, Minnesota, signed on December 20, 1878
- Ella Tucker, signed at Winona, Minnesota, on June 26, 1874; F.S.N.S.
- A reader has deciphered a signer as possibly Rouard Ursinger or Irsinger. This signer inscribed the page at Winona, Minnesota, in April 1874. "Men apt to promise are apt to forget". Das schreib die hinters Ohr. Winona, den 30sten April 1874"
- I. E. West
- Mira Wheeler
Homer, Minnesota
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