Monday, October 27, 2014

Album 2 of 2 Autograph Albums of May Ola Johnson of Ivesdale, Illinois; 1880s


1880s autograph album that belonged to May Ola Johnson of Ivesdale, Illinois.  See another post that features an autograph album presented to May at Christmas in 1879 by "Doc" Redford.

The album was presented to May by E. S. Green, presumably as a birthday present, on March 23, 1880.  I found a reference online that gives May's birthday as March 24, but it could have been March 23, or perhaps the birthday celebration was held a day earlier.


The album measures approximately 7-1/2" x 4-1/2" and contains the sentiments of about 30 of May's relatives and friends.  An alphabetical surname list and an alphabetical list of the signers, together with any personal information they offered, appear at the end of this post.  Some of them inscribed pages in the other album as well.


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

May Ola Johnson was born March 24, 1862 at Ivesdale, Illinois, the daughter of William Henry Johnson and second wife Catherine Louisa Rosenplanther, who were born in Massachusetts and Germany, respectively.

May's father, William Henry Johnson, the son of Enoch and Lydia (Purinton) Johnson, was first married to Catherine Leagle, who died in 1849 after having at least three children.  I believe it was one of these children, Adeline (Johnson) Gillman, who inscribed a page in her younger half-sister May's album on October 26, 1880 at Ivesdale, Illinois.  Her daughter Minnie, with husband James Gillman, also inscribed a page; Minnie gave her name as Gilman.



About 1891, May Ola Johnson married Andrew Stratton, son of Thomas and Margaret (Pringle) Stratton.  Andrew was born at Hamilton, Ontario, on June 30, 1855.  He inscribed several pages in the other album and two pages in this album in June and July 1882, one of which had May's name on it.



 May and Andrew had two children, Charles Stratton and Louisa M. Stratton.  "Charley" signed a page in the other album.  Sadly he died in his teens.  Louisa, thankfully, lived a long life.  Andrew died in 1927, and May in 1953.

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.

Surnames in the Album


?JS
? [8]JohnsonSlagle
CLSprouse [2]
CulbertsonLePitreStratton [2]
GLivelyT
Gillman/Gilman [2]PTuckwell
GrahamPinkhamTyrrell
GreenPrattW
HRWithey
HarmonRothstein
HatfieldRussell
Hawkes
Heyman [3]

Signers in the Album         [Note: Given names within a specific surname may not be in alphabetical order.]
?
  • E. S. G. or E. S. Y.
  • ?, "broken-hearted Deutscher", signed at Ivesdale, Illinois, on January 14, 1881
  • D. C.
  • Mattie, signed at Hannibal, Missouri, on July 14, 1889
  • "Blondy & Tippy"; shared the page with Libby E. Heyman; Ed Rothstein; E. J. Heyman; and May Ola Johnson, who wrote her name in the center of the page.
  • Ava of 606 Van Buren Street, Chicago, Illinois, signed at Ivesdale, Illinois, on June 27, 1882
  • L. P.
  • M. A. H., or W. A. H., signed at Ivesdale, Illinois, in 1881
C
  • Jennie M. Culbertson, signed at Tolono, Illinois, on "4-12-1880"
G
  • Adeline Gillman, signed at Ivesdale, Illinois, on October 26, 1880; "Your Sister". May's older half-sister Adeline (Johnson) Gillman, wife of James Gillman.
  • Minnie Gilman, signed on Ivesdale, Illinois, on October 25, 1880; "Your Loving Niece". Minnie Gillman [usually spelled with two "l"s], daughter of May's older half sister Adeline (Johnson) Gillman and her husband James Gillman.
  • I. M. Graham, or J. M. Graham
  • E. S. Green; presented the album to May Old Johnson on March 23, 1880
H
  • Mary Harmon, signed at Ivesdale, Illinois, on July 16, 1881
  • Mary Hatfield of Denver City, signed at Ivesdale, Illinois, on July 5 [no year written]
  • Alice Hawkes, signed at Chicago, Illinois, on September 28, 1880
  • Edy J. H., signed on December 22, 1882; presumably Edy J. Heyman who might have inscribed other pages.
  • Libby E. Heyman; shared the page with "Blondy & Tippy"; Ed Rothstein; E. J. Heyman; and May Ola Johnson, who wrote her name in the center of the page.
  • E. J. Heyman [possibly Edy J. Heyman]; shared the page with "Blondy & Tippy"; Libby E. Heyman; Ed Rothstein; and May Ola Johnson, who wrote her name in the center of the page.
J
  • May Old Johnson of Ivesdale, Illinois; album owner.  She wrote her name in the center of two group pages
L
  • Louis LePitre, signed at Chicago, Illinois, on September 17, 1880
  • H. A. Lively, signed "1/1/81"
P
  • Lydia E. Pinkham, signed on April 22, 1883
  • C. H. Pratt, signed at Ivesdale, Illinois, on February 1, 1881
R
  • Ed Rothstein; shared the page with "Blondy & Tippy"; Libby E. Heyman; E. J. Heyman; and May Ola Johnson, who wrote her name in the center of the page.
  • W. Russell of Welland, Ontario, Canada, signed in July 1882; shared the page with A. Stratton and May O. Johnson, who wrote her name in the center of the page entitled "The Three Orphans".
S
  • Robbie E. Slagle, signed at Sadorus, Illinois, on July 26, 1880. Robert E. Slagle
  • Mrs. O. W. Sprouse, signed at Ivesdale, Illinois, on February 16, 1881
  • Mamie E. Sprouse of Ivesdale, Illinois, signed on February 16, 1881
  • A. Stratton [who would become May's husband]; shared the page with W. Russell and May O. Johnson, who wrote her name in the center of the page entitled "The Three Orphans".
  • Written upside down: Andy Stratton, signed on June 27, 1882. Andy would become May's husband in 1891.  He inscribed another individual page as well, the last in the album.
T
  • W. M. Tuckwell of Ivesdale, Illinois, signed on "7/12/80"
  • W. H. Tyrrell, signed at Ivesdale, Illinois, on "5/8/82"
W
  • Ervin Withey, signed at Springfield, Illinois, on July 5, 1881; inscribed two pages
Ivesdale, Illinois