Tuesday, December 2, 2014

1884-1890 Autograph Album of Annie May (Stuff) King of Polo, Illinois, & Keuka, Florida


1884-1890 autograph album that belonged to Annie May Stuff of Polo, Illinois, with some autographs collected after her marriage to George W. King.  Many of the autographs were signed at Keuka, Florida.

Annie's name appears on the first end paper, shown below; it's very faint.


The album measures approximately 7-1/4" x 4-1/4" and contains the sentiments of 68 of Annie'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.


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

Annie May Stuff was born on the 10th or the 17th of May 1868 at Polo, Illinois, the daughter of John Herbert Stuff and Lydia L. (Hershey) Stuff.  She had, I believe, eight siblings.

One signer, James C. Lahman, inscribed a page to "Sister Annie".  I don't know whether he was a brother-in-law to Annie or her husband George W. King or was referring to a religious relationship.  Annie's family were members of the Church of the Brethren.  J. C. Layman was a minister in that order and would help build the community at Keuka, Florida.


In case there is a family connection to the Lahman family, another signer by that name, Susan B. Lahman, inscribed a page at Franklin Grove, Illinois, on February 19, 1889.


One especially touching page was inscribed by Annie's aunt, Lydia Alice (Stuff) Powell, on April 27, 1884. She was a sister to Annie's father John Herbert Stuff and was the wife of William Upton Powell.  "Remember the Beautiful night you received this Book and the splendid sleighing.  I don't think I ever will."  Annie would name a daughter Alice, presumably in Aunt Alice's honor.


Others who mentioned a family relationship:  [and there may be more relatives who didn't specify a relationship; refer to the list of signers at bottom.]
  • Aunt and Uncle Susie and John Teeter, who signed at Mount Morris, Illinois, on April 30, 1884. They later lived at Keuka, Florida.
  • Cousin J. F. Stuff of Upton, Pennsylvania
  • Cousin Susie, who signed the page after J. F. Stuff, in case that is a clue
  • Cousin Daniel L. Forney who signed at Polo, Illinois, on "5/11/1884"
  • Cousin Sadie A. Moots who signed at Polo, Illinois, on May 5, 1884
It seems that the connection for the Stuff family of Polo, Illinois, and Keuka, Florida, had to do with the Church of the Brethren.  In 1884, the Managing Editor of the "Messenger", Elder J. H. Moore of Mount Morris, Illinois, went to Florida to preach and determined that the climate might be beneficial for his wife, who was suffering from tuberculosis.  Six months later, he was joined by Annie's uncle John Teeter and family.  The community planted many orchards and prospered until the freeze of March 1895 delivered a terrible blow.  Read more about the community at Keuka and Hawthorne here.

Places mentioned in Florida: 
  • Residence "Brightside"
  • Narrows
  • "old Ft. Brooks"
  • Orchid
  • "Don't forget the trip to the Oclawaha river"
  • Residence "Lake View"
On October 13, 1888 in Illinois, Annie May Stuff married George W. King.  He may have been the son of Jacob and Linda Rodabaugh King, but I haven't found confirmation of that.  George and Annie apparently moved to Florida at some point, as George died there in 1902, leaving a son George and a daughter Alice.  

On August 31, 1905, Annie married William L. Keefer, a Pennsylvania native, son of Joseph Lynn Keefer, Sr., and Christine (Luckenbach) Keefer.  William and Annie had a daughter, Lucile S. Keefer, who, according to an unverified source, was adopted.

Annie died at Phoenix, Arizona, in 1922.  William lived until 1956.   Annie's buried with her parents and other family members at the Pine Creek Brethren Cemetery at Pine Creek Township in Ogle County, Illinois.

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.

Surname list

? [2]IRZ
BIngrahamRingerZ ?
BailKRohrer [2]
BombergerKingeryRosenberg
BossermanLRowland [2]
BrownLahman [2]S
Buck [3]LongShaw [3]
BurnsMSmith
DM ?Snyder
Denton [2]McGregorSpickler [3]
EMichael [2]Sterrett
EsterlyMiller [2]Stevens
FMootsStorrs
ForneyMorrisStuff [3]
GOSwank [2]
GabrielOaks [2]Sword
GoodPT
Gray [3]Pike [2]Teeter
HPowellW
HolsingerPrice [2]Wolf/Wolff

Signers in the album
  • ?, signed on February 9, 1884 in Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania. Name might be Mide Pray or Mide Pray Warrors or Worroes or ?
  • Susie; Annie's cousin
B
  • Sam W. Bail, signed on December 30, 1884
  • Olla Bomberger, signed on "4-6-84"
  • S. T. Bosserman of Dunkirk, Ohio, signed at Keuka, Florida, in 1885. Residence "Brightside"
  • Nettie E. Brown, signed at Elk Horn Grove, Illinois, in Carroll County, on April 27, 1884
  • Nellie Buck, signed at Polo, Illinois, on August 3, 1884
  • Minnie Buck, signed at Polo, Illinois, on August 7, 1884
  • Nannie Buck, signed at Polo, Illinois, on July 26, 1884
  • C. A. Burns, signed at Leipsic, Ohio, on December 7, 1884
D
  • T. C. Denton, signed at Daleville, Virginia, on December 28, 1884
  • Lula C. Denton, signed at Daleville, Virginia, on December 28, 1884
E
  • Emma Esterly [or Esterly could be a place name]
F
  • Daniel L. Forney, signed at Polo, Illinois, on "5/11/1884"; Annie's cousin
G
  • F. J. Gabriel, from or signed at Hagerstown, Maryland, on July 12, 1886
  • Annie E. Good of Mt. Morris, Illinois, signed on October 19, 1884
  • Madge Gray, signed at Narrows, Florida, on October 10, 1889
  • James T. Gray of Narrows, Florida, signed on November 1, 1889
  • E. L. Gray, signed on October 29, 1889
H
  • Jennie Holsinger of Polo, Illinois, signed on July 19, 1884
I
  • Andrew W. Ingraham of Keuka, Florida, signed on May 4, 1885. Mentions "old Fort Brooks"
K
  • Libbie Kingery of Polo, Illinois, signed on July 19, 1884
L
  • James C. Lahman; inscribed to "Sister Annie"
  • Susan B. Lahman, signed at Franklin Grove, Illinois, in Lee County, on February 19, 1889
  • Albert Long, signed on January 20, 1884
M
  • F. S. M., signed on May 18, 1884
  • H. E. McGregor of Nova Scotia, signed at Keuka, Florida, on January 20, 1885
  • Meda Michael, signed at Narrows, Florida, on January 24, 1890
  • Elmira Michael, signed at Orchid, Florida, on February 25, 1890
  • Mollie Miller, signed at Polo, Illinois, on September 7, 1884 [not sure of date due to strikeover]
  • G. A. Miller of Woosung, Illinois, signed on January 17, 1884; given name initial might be J.
  • Sadie A. Moots, signed at Polo, Illinois, on May 5, 1884; Annie's cousin
  • ? Morris, signed at Polo, Illinois, on April 27, 1884. First name might be Scott or Leott or ?
O
  • Annie Oaks
  • Anna Oaks, signed at Dayton, Ohio, on November 23, 1884
P
  • Frank Pike of Polo, Illinois, signed on February 7, 1884
  • Beele Pike, signed on February 7, 1884. Not sure of given name.
  • Alice Powell, signed on April 27, 1884; Annie's aunt. "Remember the Beautiful night you received this Book and the splendid sleighing. I don't think I ever will." Presumably Lydia Alice (Stuff) Powell, sister of Annie's father John Herbert Stuff.
  • Alice V. Price of Pine Creek, Illinois, signed at Keuka, Florida, on April 5, 1885. Also has the message: "Sally Jane ever remember your friend Aunt Betsy"
  • A. W. Price of Pine Creek, Illinois, signed at Keuka, Florida, on "4-5-85" "Don't forget the trip to the Oclawaha river"
R
  • May Ringer, signed at Baileyville, Illinois, on July 23, 1884
  • Carrie Rohrer of Polo, Illinois, signed on Easter Sunday, April 13, 1884
  • Susie A. Rohrer of Polo, Illinois, signed on April 12, 1884
  • Frank D. Rosenberg of Keuka, Florida, signed on March 6, 1885
  • Susie Rowland of Polo, Illinois, signed on February 24, 1884
  • Mrs. D. Rowland, signed on August 29, 1884
S
  • Charles N. Shaw, signed at Keuka, Florida o May 5, 1885
  • L. L. Shaw, signed on February 7, 1884
  • Emma Shaw
  • Emma Smith, signed at Mt. Morris, Illinois, on October 16, 1884
  • A. D. Snyder of Eakles Mills, Maryland, signed on July 10, 1884
  • Rosa Spickler, signed on "3-9-1884"
  • Henry M. Spickler of Polo, Illinois, signed on March 9, 1884
  • Emma Spickler of Polo, Illinois, signed on "2.9.1884"
  • J. M. Sterrett, signed at Keuka, Florida, on May 4 [no year written]
  • Augusta Stevens, signed at Mount Morris, Illinois, on October 16, 1884
  • Mattie Storrs of Interlachen, Florida, signed on April 15, 1885
  • Miss Annie May Stuff; album owner. During the time the autographs were collected, she married George W. King.
  • J. F. Stuff of Upton, Pennsylvania; Annie's cousin
  • D. W. Stuff of Upton, Pennsylvania, signed on March 9, 1884; Annie's cousin
  • Hettie Swank, signed on May 5, 1885 at Keuka, Florida, Residene Lake View. Not sure of latter place name.
  • Libbie Swank of Lake View, signed at Keuka, Florida on May 5, 1885
  • Emma Sword, signed at Lanark, Illinois, on January 25, 1884
T
  • Susie and John Teeter, your Aunt and Uncle, signed at Mount Morris, Illinois, on April 30, 1884. They later lived at Keuka, Florida.
W
  • Ella Wolf, signed at Woosung, Illinois, on May 19, 1884
  • Daniel Wolf, signed on March 29, 1884
  • Emma Wolf, signed on March 29, 1884
  • Gracie Wolff, signed on May 18, 1884; Annie's schoolmate; her surname might have been Wolf or she might have been from a different family from Ella, Daniel and Emma.
Z
  • Vernie G. Z. signed on October 27, 1884

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