1877-1880s autograph album that belonged to Ida M. Ferguson at Atchison, Kansas, possibly a student at Atchison Institute, which one signer mentioned.
The album measures approximately 5-1/4" x 3" and contains the sentiments of 29 of Ida's relatives, friends and schoolmates. 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. Hopefully the list of signers will provide a reader with more clues to Ida's identity.
I found Ida and her sister Emma H. Ferguson, who inscribed a page in the album, boarding in the home of printer Henry Root and wife Mary in the 1880 Census of Atchison. It indicates that the girls were born in Pennsylvania, Emma about 1860 and Ida about 1863.
Emma signed at "Home" on January 30, 1881. Could "Home" have been back in Pennsylvania?
The sisters' father or mother inscribed a page on December 25, 1877 [or 1879], either R. Ferguson or B. Ferguson.
If you have further information on Ida M. Ferguson and Emma H. Ferguson, please leave a comment or contact me directly.
Elva Culver of Nortonville, Kansas, inscribed a page at Atchison Institute on "6-1-1880".
Most signers gave Kansas as an address, with one from Ohio and one, Peter Jones, from Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Surnames in the Album
? [4] | J | R |
B | Johnson | Rahrig |
B ? | Jones | S |
C | K | Schmidt [2] |
Cady | Keplinger | Scrafford |
Culver | L | Shea |
F | Landon | Spelti [3] |
Ferguson [3] | Logan | Sprang |
H | M | Stoessel |
Hall | Markham | Stoy or Story |
Marsh [2] |
Signers in the Album [Note: Given names within a specific surname may not be in alphabetical order.]
- Mama's Pet, signed on January 7, 1891; perhaps Ida's child?
- Well-wisher, signed at Atchison, Kansas, on May 21, 1881
- "Unknown", signed at Effingham, Kansas, on "5-8-1882"
- Written upside down: Message unsigned
- Mary B?, possibly Mary Bernhersley, signed on June 5, 1880; shared the page with Nora D. Shea
- Alice Cady, signed at Effingham, Kansas, on July 23, 1879
- Ella Culver of Nortonville, Kansas, signed at Atchison Institute on "6-1-1880"
- Ida M. Ferguson of Atchison, Kansas; album owner
- R. Ferguson or B. Ferguson, signed on December 25, 1877; either Ida's mother or her father.
- Emma H. Ferguson, signed at "Home", on January 30, 1881; not positive of middle initial. Ida's sister.
- Lettie Hall, signed in 1880; presumably a schoolmate
- Scott M. Johnson, signed at Farmington, Kansas, on April 27, 1883; mentions Arrington Springs
- Peter Jones of, or signed at, Halifax, Nova Scotia, on October 9, 1882
- Mollie Keplinger, signed at Navarre, Ohio, on November 26, 1881
- K. M. Landon, signed at Effingham, on January 12, 1880
- Emma Logan
- Nettie S. Markham of Atchison, Kansas, signed on "6-2-1880"
- Frank M. Marsh of Effingham, Kansas, signed on February 20, 1881
- Mary A. Marsh, signed at Effingham, Kansas, on February 20, 1881
- Maggie Rahrig, signed at Atchison, Kansas, on June 5 [no year written]
- Jennie A. Schmidt, signed at Atchison, Kansas, on December 8, 1879
- Ludo Schmidt, signed at Marysville, Kansas, on December 11, 1879
- Grace Scrafford
- Nora D. Shea, signed at Atchison, Kansas on June 5, 1880; shared the page with Mary B?
- B. Spelti of Atchison, Kansas, signed on June 5, 1880
- Verena B. Spelti, signed on June 5, 1881
- Mary A. Spelti, signed on June 5, 1880
- Flora Sprang of Nortonville, Kansas, signed at Atchison, Kansas, in 1880. Very faint.
- Dossie Stoessel, signed at Atchison, Kansas, on June 5, 1880
- Dena Stoy, or Dena Story, signed at Atchison, Kansas, on June 5 [no year written]
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