1880s autograph album that I believe belonged to Jeremiah Benton Farrar, "Jerry", of Woodstock, Maine. Many of the inscribers gave Woodstock, Maine, or area towns, as their residence; many with the surnames Farrar and Felt and other surnames associated, either by blood or marriage, with the Farrar family.
The album measures approximately 5-1/2" by 3-1/4" and contains the sentiments of over 80 of Jerry's relatives and friends. An alphabetical surname list and an alphabetical list of the inscribers, together with any personal information they offered, appear at the end of this post.
From brief online research, hopefully correct and assuming that I have the correct Jerry: [corrections and additions welcome!]
Jeremiah Benton Farrar was born July 4, 1869 at Woodstock, Maine, the son of Consider Fuller Farrar and Mary Perkins (Felt) Farrar. He had at least one sibling, Eliza May Farrar, born about 1875; died in 1902, unmarried. If she was nicknamed Lida, as some online references suggest, she may have been the Lida M. Farrar who inscribed a page in Jerry's album.
Several inscribers mentioned a cousin relationship, and there were no doubt many more who didn't express a relationship:
- H. C. Bacon of Bryant Pond, Maine, inscribed on January 15, 1885.
- H. H. Cushman of North Woodstock, Maine, inscribed on June 11, 1882.
- Minnie A. Cushman of North Woodstock, Maine.
- G. L. Cushman of North Woodstock, Maine.
- Verna M. Davis of West Paris, Maine, inscribed on February 18, 1882.
- Nettie Farrar, inscribed on November 13, 1882 at West Gloucester, Maine.
- Angie L. Farrar.
On December 22, 1894, Jeremiah Benton Farrar married Alice P. Bowker, daughter of Levi and Hannah (Hasey) Bowker. Many online references have the marriage in the town of Franklin in Hancock County, which would have been unusual, but not impossible, considering that the family was mostly situated in Oxford County. However, I believe they were married in Franklin Plantation, now defunct, an Oxford County plantation which merged into the towns of Sumner, Peru and Rumford.
Jerry, a house carpenter, and Alice made their home at Woodstock, Maine, and had, I believe, four children. Two died in infancy, Grace A. Farrar, who was born in 1905 and didn't live a full year, and a stillborn daughter born in 1898. Daughter Florence Lillian Farrar, born in 1899, married Gerald Hobson Benson. Daughter Helen M. Farrar was born about 1908; I'm not sure if she married.
Alice P. (Bowker) Farrar died in 1930, and Jeremiah Benton Farrar, "Jerry", in 1956. If you have corrections and/or additions to the information above, or information on any of the inscribers listed below, please leave a comment or contact me directly.
On the facing pages below, left: cousin H. C. Bacon of Bryant Pond, Maine, who sketched a bird design, on January 15, 1885; and, right, Verna M. Davis of West Paris, Maine, who left her sentiment on February 18, 1882.
On the facing pages below, left: cousin H. C. Bacon of Bryant Pond, Maine, who sketched a bird design, on January 15, 1885; and, right, Verna M. Davis of West Paris, Maine, who left her sentiment on February 18, 1882.
Surnames in the Album
? [2] | C | E | H-T | W |
A | Chamberlin [2] | Ellis | Howe | Walker |
Ames | Cole [2] | Evans | Kimball | Welch [2] |
B | Cummings [4] | F | Lapham | York [5] |
Bacon | Cushman [4] | Farnum [3] | Maxim | |
Bartlett | D | Farrar [11] | Ordway [2] | |
Bishop | Daniels | Felt [7] | Perkins | |
Blanchard | Davis [6] | Ford | Rowe | |
Bowker [3] | Dunham | Fox | Stevens [3] | |
Brockett | Fuller [2] | Trull [2] | ||
Brooks |
Inscribers in the Album [Given names within a specific surname might not be in alphabetical order.]
- Mary ?, possibly Mary L. or Mary P.. Surname possibly Turner or ? Inscribed on February 26, 1882 at South Woodstock, Maine
- Edna
- C. J. Ames of South Tamworth, New Hampshire
- H. C. Bacon of Bryant Pond, Maine, inscribed on January 15, 1885. Jerry's cousin.
- E. R. Bartlett of South Woodstock, Maine, inscribed on April 18, 1882
- Stillman Bishop, inscribed on April 23, 1884
- George E. Blanchard of East Rumford, Maine, inscribed on January 29, 1882
- Albert L. Bowker of Bryant Pond, Maine, inscribed on January 8, 1885
- Stella M. Bowker, inscribed at Bryant Pond, Maine, on December 2, 1883
- Willie F. Bowker of Bryant Pond, Maine
- Fannie E. Brockett, or Fannie E. Brackett, of Bryant Pond, Maine, inscribed on February 23, 1885
- Fordyce B. Brooks of Upton, Maine, inscribed on October 7, 1883
- A. B. Chamberlin, inscribed on August 19, 1884
- L. C. Chamberlin of Bridgton, Maine, inscribed on July 20, 1882
- Virgie L. Cole, inscribed on December 7, 188x [can't decipher last digit]
- Jerry H. Cole of North Woodstock, Maine, inscribed on January 9, 1864
- ? Cummings, inscribed at Bryant Pond, Maine, on January 12, 1882. Initials might be D. V. or A. V. Cummings or ?
- Arthur Cummings of South Woodstock, Maine, inscribed on January 12, 1882
- Rinaldo L. Cummings, inscribed on January 10, 1882 at Bryant Pond, Maine; he sketched an eagle and shield
- Eliza Cummings, inscribed on January 12, 1882
- H. H. Cushman of North Woodstock, Maine, inscribed on June 11, 1882. Jerry's cousin.
- Minnie A. Cushman of North Woodstock, Maine. Jerry's cousin.
- G. L. Cushman of North Woodstock, Maine. Jerry's cousin.
- I. P. Cushman of North Woodstock, Maine, inscribed on June 19, 1883. She was presumably Isabella P. (Felt) Cushman, a sister of Jerry's mother Mary Perkins (Felt) Farrar
- May Daniels of Paris, Maine, inscribed on June 20, 1882.
- Ronello C. Davis of Bryant Pond, Maine, inscribed on January 15, 1885; Jerry's schoolmate
- Mrs. Juliettia Davis of Woodstock, Maine, inscribed on March 17, 1883
- J. H. Davis, or P. H. Davis, of South Woodstock, Maine, inscribed on March 17, 1873 [I believe the inscriber meant 1883]
- Etta M. Davis, inscribed at Woodstock, Maine, on January 10, 1882
- Verna M. Davis of West Paris, Maine, inscribed on February 18, 1882. Jerry's cousin.
- Florence O. Davis of Bryant Pond, Maine, inscribed on December 31, 1882
- F. A. Dunham of North Paris, Maine
- George Ellis of Owatonna, Minnesota, inscribed on January 8, 1884
- William Evans, inscribed at Woodstock, Maine, on March 24, 1885
- Frank S. Farnum of West Paris, Maine, inscribed on March 23, 1885
- S. R. Farnum of West Paris, Maine, inscribed on March 17, 1882. He was Sidney R. Farnum, whose wife Elsey inscribed the right facing page.
- Mrs. Elsey Farnum of West Paris, Maine. She may have been Lois C. (Farrar) Farnum, wife of Sidney R. Farnum who inscribed the left facing page. Lois was a sister to Jerry's father Consider Fuller Farrar.
- Jerry Benton Farrar of Woodstock, Maine; strong possibility as album owner
- Nellie E. Farrar of West Gloucester, Maine, inscribed on November 15, 1882
- Mary A. Farrar of Groveton, New Hampshire, inscribed on December 20, 1883
- C. F. Farrar of Bryant Pond, Maine, inscribed on January 29 [or 27], 1882
- George W. Farrar of South Weymouth, Massachusetts, inscribed on June 16, 1883
- Nettie Farrar, inscribed on November 13, 1882 at West Gloucester, Maine. Jerry's cousin.
- Miss Edna Farrar of Groveton, New Hampshire, inscribed on November 21, 1884
- Angie L. Farrar. Jerry's cousin
- Lida M. Farrar of Bryant Pond, Maine; possibly Jerry's sister.
- Col. Frank R. Farrar of Hooksett, New Hampshire, inscribed on February 14, 1884
- Jennie Farrar of Manchester, New Hampshire
- Albert J. Felt, or Albert G. Felt, of Locke Mills, Maine, inscribed on March 27, 1885
- Mr. Charles H. Felt of Locke Mills, Maine, inscribed on March 27, 1885
- Lena M. Felt of Bryant Pond, Maine, inscribed on February 28, 1885
- Emily J. Felt of Bryant Pond, Maine, inscribed on February 25, 1885; shared the page with Archie D. Felt
- Archie D. Felt; shared the page with Emily J. Felt
- Earl G. Felt of Bryant Pond, Maine
- Eliza A. Felt of Bryant Pond, Maine, inscribed on December 5, 1883
- E. Ford of South Woodstock, Maine; middle initial might be H
- Charles K. Fox, inscribed on October 1, 1882
- Charles C. Fuller of No. 21 Bluehill Avenue, Boston Highlands, inscribed on February 13, 1882.
- Hadley G. Fuller of Boston, Massachusetts, inscribed on July 25, 1883
- Fred J. Howe of West Paris, Maine, inscribed on May 14, 1882
- C. P. Kimball of South Woodstock, Maine, inscribed on November 1, 1882
- Ben W. Lapham of Augusta, Maine, inscribed on April 22, 1883
- Howard F. Maxim, inscribed at South Woodstock, Maine, on January 10, 1881
- Walter B. Ordway of North Woodstock, Maine, inscribed in January 1884.
- Sherman C. Ordway of North Woodstock, Maine, inscribed on "1-8-85" or "7-8-85"
- Kilbon Perham of Bryant Pond, Maine, inscribed on January 9, 1882
- Clifford G. Perham of Bryant Pond, Maine, inscribed on March 16, 1882
- Ladurney A. Perham of Bryant Pond, Maine, inscribed on May 21, 1882
- George H. Perham of Bryant Pond, Maine, inscriber on January 17, 1885
- Sidney M. Perham of Bryant Pond, Maine, inscribed on January 8, 1885
- George Quinby Perham of Bryant Pond, Maine, inscribed on January 6, 1882. Possibly Quimby but looks more like Quinby
- Mabel Perkins, inscribed on March 22, 1882
- Ed. W. Rowe, inscribed on January 27, 1885
- George E. Stevens
- Ida M. Stevens, inscribed on January 22, 1882
- Emma Stevens
- Alice M. Trull of Bryant Pond, Maine, inscribed on January 9, 1884
- Helen A. Trull of Bryant Pond, Maine, inscribed on January 9, 1885
- Anna V. Walker of Oxford, Maine, inscribed on March 25, 1882
- ? M. Welch of East Rumford, Maine. Given name possibly Lewis M. Welch or Lucia M. Welch
- Ruth A. Welch of East Rumford, Maine
- Dora B. York, inscribed at Woodstock, Maine, on December 1, 1883. Jerry's teacher.
- Oneida M. York of South Woodstock, Maine, inscribed on December 7, 1883
- Alton M. York of South Woodstock, Maine, inscribed on December 9, 1883
- Frankie R. York of South Woodstock, Maine, inscribed on December 8, 188x [can't decipher last digit, possibly 1883]
- Mrs. M. E. York, inscribed at Woodstock, Maine, on December 1, 1883
Woodstock, Maine
Thanks for stopping by!
I would be interested in acquiring this item for the Historical Society S.T.Seames mrarchive@aol.com
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment. I've contacted you offline.
Delete