Sunday, July 27, 2014

1878-1880s Autograph Album of John Franklin Wadsworth of Massachusetts: Fall River, Holliston and Somerville


1878-1880s autograph album that belonged to John Franklin Wadsworth, "Frank", who was born in Maine and reared in Massachusetts.  The album contains autographs from two areas, the Holliston, Massachusetts, area, and the Fall River, Massachusetts area.  Many of the signers indicated they were in the Class of 1879, some if not all at Holliston High School.

See another post that features an autograph album kept by John Franklin Wadsworth from 1875 to 1877, with signers from the Somerville, Massachusetts area; the Holliston, Massachusetts area; and the Fall River, Massachusetts area.  And yet another post features the 1880s autograph album of Frank's sister Ella M. Wadsworth, or Mary Ella Wadsworth, as her Maine birth record indicates.

As noted on the ownership page below, the album was apparently a Christmas gift.


The album is approximately 7-3/4" x 5" and contains the sentiments of 116 of Frank's relatives, schoolmates and friends.  An alphabetical surname list and an alphabetical list of signers, complete with any family relationship, school affiliation or residence information, appears at the end of this post.

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

John Franklin Wadsworth was born 15 May 1862 at New Sharon, Maine, the son of John and Elizabeth (Leonard) Wadsworth, who were born in Maine and Massachusetts respectively.  The Elizabeth Wadsworth who signed at page at Holliston, Massachusetts, on May 7, 1880, was presumably Frank's mother Elizabeth (Leonard) Wadsworth.


Frank's father John Wadsworth did not sign a page in this album but he did sign a page, with his wife Elizabeth (Leonard) Wadsworth in the album of Frank's sister Ella M. Wadsworth.  You can see the similarity in Elizabeth's handwriting.


Four of Frank's siblings signed pages in his album.  An earlier John had died the year of his birth.  There also may have been a Frederick who did not survive to adulthood.

Brother Charles T. Wadsworth, who was born 23 December 1855 at Braintree, Massachusetts, signed a page at Holliston, Massachusetts, on May 7, 1880 and wrote "Colby '83" in one corner, presumably Colby College at Waterville, Maine.  He had also signed a page in Frank's earlier album at Fall River, Massachusetts, on June 13, 1875.


Brother George Melvin Wadsworth, who was born 4 April 1857 at South Weymouth, Massachusetts, signed a page, also on May 7, 1880 at Holliston, Massachusetts.  George's future wife, Elsie L. Warfield, also signed a page.



Brother Arthur Leonard Wadsworth, born 4 January 1864 at New Sharon, Maine, signed a page, also on May 7, 1880, at Holliston, Massachusetts.


Frank's sister Ella M. Wadsworth, or Mary Ella Wadsworth, signed a page on February 4, with no year written, and mentioned that she was in the Class of 1879; she also signed on a page shared with 14 other students in the Class of 1879.



Signers on the group page above: 1) Ella Cushing; 2) Della M. Draper; 3) Mary Driscoll; 4) Eva M. Eames; 5) Effie L. Fiske; 6) Lucy B. Nichols; 7)  Ella Wadsworth; 8) Lizzie F. Barber; 9) Annie Blake; 10) W. H. Stevens; 11) Ed. Rawson; 12) T. T. Sheedy; 13) P. F. Gahan; 14) M. M. Parker [One or both M could be a W]; 15) Lizzie Wilder.

On 26 March, 1881 at Fall River, Massachusetts, John Franklin Wadsworth married Addie Louise Lake, daughter of Joseph and Amy (Thurston) Lake.  Addie was born 11 March 1864 at Fall River, Massachusetts.  Frank and Addie made their home at Fall River, Massachusetts, and raised, I believe, five children:
  1. Lucena Elizabeth Wadsworth, born 13 August 1883 at Fall River, Massachusetts; married Frank Blaine Tew
  2. George H. Wadsworth, born 31 August 1885 at Fall River, Massachusetts; died 21 December 1890
  3. Elsie Wadsworth, born about 1888; died 1932
  4. John Franklin Wadsworth, Jr., born 24 December 1889 at Fall River, Massachusetts; married Charlotte J. Childs
  5. Arthur Lorenzo Wadsworth, born 25 January 1892 at Fall River, Massachusetts; married Elsie (Gray?)
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

Abbott
Barber     [4]
Barrows
Bartlett
Beaman
Blake     [2]
Booth
Bragg     [2[
Brown
Clark     [6]
Cole
Coles
Conger     [2]
Crocker
Cushing     [3]
Darling
Davis
Dillingham
Draper     [2]
Driscoll     [2]
Eames     [3]
Evans
Fiske     [3]
Freeman     [3]
French
Gahan     [2]
Gay
Greene
Harrison
Hillis
Howard
Hussey
Keith
Kelley
Locke
Lowd     [2]
McKinnon
Millard
Mosher
Munroe
Nichols     [3]
Nightingale
Parker     [3]
Pond
Potter
Power     [2]
Pratt
Rawson     [2]
Ray
Reeves     [3]
Rice
Rider
Riley
Rockwood
Sager
Sanderson
Sawyer
Sheedy     [2]
Simmons     [3]
Slocum
Stafford
Stetson
Stevens     [2]
Stubbs
Taft
Tuell
Wadsworth     [7]
Warfield
Whiting     [2]
Wilder     [3]
Williams     [2]

Signers in the album          [Note: Given names within a specific surname may not be in alphabetical order.]

A
  • Winnie A. Abbott of Pawtucket, Rhode Island, signed on October 31, 1879
B
  • Lizzie F. Barber; signed on a page shared by 14 others
  • A. Barber or A. Barlow, signed on March 28, 1881; not sure of surname
  • Lizzie F. Barber of Holliston, Massachusetts, signed on February 13, 1879; "Class of 1879"
  • Emma E. Barber, signed on June 19, 1879
  • Mela I. Barrows of Middletown, Connecticut, signed on September 22, 1879; presumably Mela Isabel Barrows. She signed on September 30, 1879 in the album of Mary Ella Wadsworth, sister of John Franklin Wadsworth as Mela Barrows Bennett, reflecting her recent marriage to Alfred A. Bennett.
  • Thomas E. Bartlett of Newton Centre, Massachusetts, signed on September 29, 1879
  • Willie W. Beaman of Westboro, Massachusetts, signed on July 28, 1882
  • Annie Blake; signed on a page shared by 14 others
  • Annie Blake, Class of '79, signed on May 20, 1879
  • Surname is Booth; first initial might be F.
  • Lottie A. Bragg of Braggville, Massachusetts, signed on February 19, 1879. Braggville was located in or near Holliston, Massachusetts.
  • Aaron C. Bragg of Braggville, Massachusetts, signed on May 16, 1879. Braggville is in or near Holliston, Massachusetts.
  • S. W. Brown of South Carthage, Maine, signed in June 1879. Possibly Scott W. Brown, born about 1866, son of Samuel Dennis Brown and wife Clara P. Brown
C
  • Bertha L. Clark of Pawtucket, Rhode Island, signed on October 30, 1879
  • Fred H. Clark of Holliston, Massachusetts, signed on March 15, 1880
  • Daniel A. Clark; his wife Mary Smith (Bliss) Clark shared the page.
  • M. S. Clark of Pawtucket, Rhode Island, signed on October 31, 1879. She was Mary Smith (Bliss) Clark, whose husband Daniel A. Clark shared the page.
  • M. Belle Clark of Pawtucket, Rhode Island, signed on October 31, 1879
  • Alice R. Clark, signed at Pawtucket, Rhode Island, on October 30, 1879
  • Clarence M. Cole, signed at Fall River, Massachusetts, on March 27, 1881
  • James Coles of Holliston, Massachusetts; signed at High School on May 14, 1879; intricate sketch of bird and scroll in colors of black, red and blue.
  • James W. Conger of Holliston, Massachusetts, signed on March 15, 1880
  • Addie L. Conger of Holliston, Massachusetts, signed on "3-8-1880"
  • Henry Crocker of Central Falls, Rhode Island, signed on October 20, 1879
  • Ella Cushing; signed on a page shared by 14 others
  • Ella Cushing, signed at Holliston, Massachusetts, on February 20, 1879; "Class of '79"
  • Louise A. Cushing, signed at Holliston, Massachusetts, on March 9, 1880. "Dark Night Mar. 3rd"
D
  • William B. Darling of Fall River, Massachusetts, signed on November 2, 1879
  • Winnie L. Davis of Fall River, Massachusetts, signed on April 24, 1880
  • G. Dillingham of Fall River, Massachusetts, signed on November 20, 1879
  • Della M. Draper; signed on a page shared by 14 others
  • Idella M. Draper, signed at Holliston, Massachusetts, on February 7, 1879. "Class of '79"
  • Mary Driscoll; signed on a page shared by 14 others
  • Mary E. Driscoll, signed at Holliston, Massachusetts, on March 11, 1879; "Class of '79"
E
  • Eva M. Eames; signed on a page shared by 14 others
  • Herbert E. Eames of Holliston, Massachusetts, signed on June 12, 1879
  • Eva M. Eames of Holliston, Massachusetts, signed on March 1, 1879. "Class of '79"
  • W. H. Evans of Holyoke, Massachusetts, signed on October 12, 1879.
F
  • Effie L. Fiske; signed on a page shared by 14 others
  • Effie L. Fiske, signed at H.H.S., Class of '79. Presumably Holliston High School, Holliston, Massachusetts
  • James F. Fiske of Holliston, Massachusetts, signed on March 15, 1880
  • D. W. Freeman of Holliston, Massachusetts, signed on October 10, 1879. Presumably Daniel W. Freeman, whose wife Marion A. (Olcott) Freeman signed the right facing page. Their daughter Bertha A. O. Freeman also signed a page. Read more about Daniel W. Freeman here: http://www.nextech.de/ma15mvi/Roster/index.htm?ssmain=p134.htm;
  • Marion A. Freeman of Holliston, Massachusetts, signed on October 10, 1879. She was Marion A. (Olcott) Freeman, whose husband Daniel W. Freeman signed the left facing page. Their daughter Bertha A. O. Freeman also signed a page.
  • Bertha A. O. Freeman of Holliston, Massachusetts, signed on September 10, 1879. Daughter of signers Daniel W. and Marion A. (Olcott) Freeman. (Unless she was the daughter of Marion's first husband Newton Jabez Wellman)
  • Stella French of Westboro, Massachusetts, signed at Westborough, Massachusetts, on October 16, 1882
G
  • P. F. Gahan; signed on a page shared by 14 others
  • P. F. Gahan of Holliston, Massachusetts
  • Amey I. Gay of Holliston, Massachusetts, signed on February 21, 1879
  • Willie F. Greene of Holliston, Massachusetts, signed on June 4, 1879
H
  • Annie B. Harrison of Fall River, Massachusetts, signed on November 21, 1879
  • Eliza M. Hillis of Fall River, Massachusetts. "Remember the visit to Warren, R.I. March 26, 1881"
  • Emma Howard of Westborough, Massachusetts
  • A. C. Hussey of Grafton, Massachsuetts, signed on October 5, 1879
K
  • Edith L. Keith of Brockton, Massachusetts, signed on June 21, 1892
  • Mary F. Kelley, signed at Fall River, Massachusetts, on November 5, 1879
L
  • George W. Locke, signed at Fall River, Massachusetts, on November 19, 1879
  • Clara A. Lowd of Holliston, Massachusetts. She was Clara A. (Stuart) Lowd, whose husband Albert Leavitt Lowd signed the right facing page.
  • Albert Leavitt Lowd of Holliston, Massachusetts; his wife, Clara A. (Stuart) Lowd signed the left facing page.
M
  • Edith McKinnon, signed at Westborough, Massachusetts, on September 1, 1882
  • Annie Millard of Fall River, Massachusetts, signed on October 24, 1879
  • Augusta Mosher of Fall River, Massachusetts, signed on May 27, 1882
  • Foster H. Munroe of Fall River, Massachusetts, signed on December 7, 1879
N
  • Lucy B. Nichols; signed on a page shared by 14 others
  • Lucie Nichols of Holliston, Massachusetts, signed on March 7, 1879. "Class of '79"
  • George L. Nichols of South Framingham, Massachusetts
  • R. A. Nightingale of Fall River, Massachusetts, signed on April 12, 1881. Perhaps Robert A. Nightingale, born 9 November 1855 in England, son of John and Elizabeth H. (Ferriman) Nightingale; died 11 July 1912 at Fall River, Massachusetts. He wrote a musical notation.
P
  • M. M. Parker [One or both M could be a W]; signed on a page shared by 14 others
  • M. M. Parker, signed at High School, Holliston, Massachusetts, on April 2, 1879
  • M. J. Parker of Holliston, Massachusetts
  • Warren N. Pond of Holliston, Massachusetts, signed on March 15, 1880
  • Medora O. Potter of Fall River, Massachusetts, signed on November 20, 1879
  • Mr. John F. Power of Fall River, Massachusetts; signed at Fall River on April 5, 1888
  • Sarah A. Power of Fall River, Massachusetts, signed on April 5, 1888; not sure of middle initial - could be S or ?
  • ? Pratt. Can't make out initials.
R
  • Ed. Rawson; signed on a page shared by 14 others
  • Edward C. Rawson of Holliston, Massachusetts, signed on March 12, 1879 "Class"
  • Jennie F. Ray of Fall River, Massachusetts, signed on April 24, 1880
  • Anna W. Reeves of Fall River, Massachusetts, signed on July 30, 1880
  • Walter M. Reeves of Fall River, Massachusetts, signed on November 2, 1879
  • M. T. Reeves of Fall River, Massachusetts, signed on November 2, 1879. Perhaps Milton T. Reeves, born about 1865, son of Mark and Elizabeth Reeves. Sadly, Milton T. Reeves died on 13 June 1880 at Fall River, Massachusetts.
  • Nellie S. Rice of New Bedford, Massachusetts, signed on January 3, 1880
  • Isaac M. Rider, signed on February 18, 1881; presumably the Isaac M. Rider of Fall River, Massachusetts
  • Nellie Riley, signed on April 5, 1888
  • Lizzie P. Rockwood of Holliston, Massachusetts, signed on May 6, 1879
S
  • H. H. Sager of Pawtucket, Rhode Island, signed on October 31, 1879. Presumably Henry H. Sager.
  • Esther A. Sanderson of Fall River, Massachusetts, signed on September 24, 1890
  • Susie A. Sawyer of Fall River, Massachusetts, signed on January 7, 1880
  • T. T. Sheedy; signed on a page shared by 14 others
  • Thomas F. Sheedy of Holliston, Massachusetts, signed on March 15, 1879. "Class of 79"
  • Katie C. Simmons of Fall River, Massachusetts
  • Lizzie H. Simmons of Fall River, Massachusetts, signed on October 26, 1879
  • Charles E. Simmons of Fall River, Massachusetts, signed on October 28, 1879
  • Lyman F. Slocum of Pawtucket, Rhode Island, signed on October 31, 1879
  • Annie C. Stafford of Fall River, Massachusetts, signed on November 23, 1879
  • Vira T. Stetson of Holliston, Massachusetts, signed on February 27, 1879
  • W. H. Stevens; signed on a page shared by 14 others
  • Warren H. Stevens of Braggville, Massachusetts, signed on March 13, 1879 "Class", H.H.S., presumably Holliston High School at Holliston, Massachusetts. Braggville was located in or near Holliston.
  • Lizzie M. Stubbs, signed on July 31, 1885
T
  • Luella E. Taft of Holliston, Massachusetts, signed on February 27, 1879
  • Sarah Abbie Tuell, signed at Fall River, Massachusetts, on November 19, 1879
W
  • John Franklin Wadsworth, Christmas 1878; album owner
  • M. Ella Wadsworth of Holliston, Massachusetts, signed on February 4, Class of 1879; "Votre Soeur" John Franklin Wadsworth's sister Mary Ella Wadsworth.
  • Ella Wadsworth; signed on a page shared by 14 others [possibly John Franklin Wadsworth's sister Mary Ella Wadsworth or another Ella Wadsworth]
  • Elizabeth Wadsworth of Holliston, Massachusetts, signe don May 7, 1880; Elizabeth (Leonard) Wadsworth, mother of album owner John Franklin Wadsworth [based on similar handwriting in another album in which both she and her husband John Wadsworth signed a page.]
  • Arthur L. Wadsworth of Holliston, Massachusetts, signed on May 7, 1880. Album owner John Franklin Wadsworth's brother Arthur Leonard Wadsworth
  • George M. Wadsworth of Holliston, Massachusetts, signed on May 7, 1880. Album owner John Franklin Wadsworth's brother.
  • Charles T. Wadsworth of Holliston, Massachusetts, signed on May 7, 1880. Album owner John Franklin Wadsworth's brother.  He wrote "Colby '83" in a corner.
  • Elsie L. Warfield, signed at Holliston, Massachusetts, on May 5, 1880
  • Waldo B. Whiting of Holliston, Massachusetts, signed on March 9, 1880
  • Elbridge C. Whiting of Holliston, Massachusetts, signed on March 15, 1880
  • Lizzie Wilder, signed at Holliston, Massachusetts, on February 8, 1879
  • Lizzie Wilder; signed on a page shared by 14 others
  • Rufus G. Wilder of Holliston, Massachusetts, signed on March 15, 1880
  • Allie Williams of Fall River, Massachusetts, signed on April 17, 1882
  • Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Williams of Fall River, Massachusetts, signed on "9.2/80"



Thanks for stopping by!

2 comments:

  1. How exciting! I'm researching John "Frank" Wadsworth and his wife Charlotte Childs - that's quite a treasure you've found. I can't thank you enough for sharing it here with us!

    ReplyDelete