Tuesday, August 22, 2017

1859-1861 Autograph Album of Student Josie Young, Presumably of Joliet, Illinois


1859-1861 autograph album kept by Josie Young who was presumably from the Joliet, Illinois, area, or a student in a school there.  I'd be interested to hear what school in the area might have attracted students from out of state, as far away as Massachusetts.


Josie herself inscribed one of the several shared pages on July 4, 1859, near the bottom edge of the page.


The album measures approximately 7-3/4" by 6-1/4" and contains the inscriptions of many of Josie's friends and presumed schoolmates, including at least one relative, cousin Lottie Cook.

In case this is a clue, Lottie may have been Charlotte Cook, born about 1844, daughter of Matthias L. Cook and Flavilla (Seeley) Cook, who moved their family from New York or New Jersey to Joliet, Illinois.

Many people inscribed more than one page and contributed to several pages shared by as many as 12 people.

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.

I believe Josie was born about 1844, the daughter of Daniel C. and Maria Cook, both natives of New York.  This Josie married Hiram Fred Bush on January 18, 1865 in Illinois.  By 1880, they had moved to Oakland, California.  They had at least one child, a son Gavin Frederick Bush, born about 1865.

If you have more information on Josie Young, please leave a comment or contact me directly.

Perhaps a reader can help identify the person who inscribed two shared pages as ?. W. DeLofs or something similar.



Surnames in the Album - many appear multiple times

?GGrintonSSkinner
AAikenHHaltonStevens
AldrichHawleyTTonner
AllenHiginbothamWWebster
BBaileyJJonesWheeler
BushKKendallWilson
CCagwinLKnowltonWoodruff
ColeLoweWorrell
CookMMarsh
CurtisMcGinnis
DDavisonMunger
FFellowsOOsgood
Filer

Inscribers in the Album - as you can see, many people inscribed more than one page.  
  • Louise; shared the page with Jule Fellows
  • Mete; inscribed a page with ten other people
  • ? W. DeL; inscribed a page with ten other people
  • Mollie; inscribed on February 3, 1860
  • F. W. DeLofs ?; on a page shared with 10 others
  • "Schimmy"; inscribed on a page shared by 10 others
  • H; inscribed on May 3, 1859
  • C. M. M?; inscribed on February 10, 1859.  Message written in another language, possibly German
  • Helen; inscribed on March 6, 1860
  • A. G. B. A.; inscribed on June 12, 1859.  Added note:  :Married Sept 1st 1861.  Hattie Little".  I found an Augustus Gridley Stanley Allis who married Harriet Newell Little in Will County, Illinois, on October 1, 1861.  Josie got some of the dates in her notes wrong, but how to reconcile the difference in initials, unless he had a nickname that started with B?
  • Jule O.; inscribed on a page shared with 7 others
  • Charlotte A. Aiken; on a page shared with 10 others
  • Lottie Aiken; inscribed at Joliet, Illinois, on February 2, 1860
  • Lottie Aiken of Syracuse, New York; inscribed on a page shared with 7 others
  • Helen Aldrich of Joliet, Illinois; middle initial possibly O or H or ?; inscribed a page with ten other people
  • Helen O. Aldrich of Joliet, Illinois; inscribed on May 6, 1859
  • Helen O. Aldrich of Joliet, Illinois; inscribed on February 8, 1860; inscribed on a page shared with 7 others
  • Hellen A. Allen of Joliet, Illinois; inscribed on a page shared with 7 others
  • E. P. Bailey; inscribed at Joliet, Illinois, on April 27, 1859.  
  • Edward P. Bailey; inscribed a page with ten other people
  • Jennie Bush; on a page shared with 10 others
  • Eunice Cagwin - added note:  Married Sept 15th 1861, Mrs. Elliott. [She married Henry F. Elliott]. Inscribed on a page shared with 11 others
  • Elizabeth Cole
  • Elizabeth Cole; inscribed on a page shared with 11 others
  • Libbie Cole of Joliet, Illinois, inscribed on February 27, 1860; inscribed on a page shared with 11 others
  • Libbie Cole; inscribed at Joliet, Illinois, on February 14, 1860.  Added note: "Married, Mrs. H. Mosier".  Shared the page with Lucy A. Munger.
  • Libbie M. Cole of Joliet, Illinois; on a page shared with 10 others
  • Libbie M. Cole of Syracuse, New York; inscribed on a page shared with 7 others
  • Louisa Cole; inscribed on March 2, 1860
  • Lottie Cook; inscribed on February 3, 1860; Josie's cousin
  • Sarah Millie Curtis; from or inscribed at Stockbridge, Massachusetts, on May 4, 1859.  Added note: "Married, Mrs." [no surname included]
  • Rachel D. Davison; inscribed at Joliet, Illinois, on February 18, 1860
  • Rachel D. Davison of Joliet, Illinois; inscribed on a page shared by 10 others
  • Elisabeth M. Fellows; inscribed on a page shared with 11 others
  • Jule Fellows
  • Julia E. Fellows - whether she gave the album to Josie or just happened to sign her name on the ownership page, I don't know.  
  • Julia E. Fellows of Joliet, Illinois; inscribed on a page shared by 10 others.  
  • Julia E. Fellows; inscribed on June 7, 1859
  • Julie E. Fellows; inscribed on a page shared with 11 others
  • Sarah Filer of Rochester, New York; inscribed on July 14, 1859
  • William Grinton, Jr.; inscribed on March 7, 1860; inscribed on a page shared by 10 others
  • William Grinton, Jr., inscribed on March 7, 1860.  
  • Carrie Halton; on a page shared with 10 others
  • Hattie Hawley; middle initial possibly L; inscribed a page with ten other people
  • Mary L. Hawley; inscribed a page with ten other people
  • Mary L. Hawley; inscribed on May 1, 1859
  • Gertie D. Higinbotham; inscribed a page with ten other people
  • Gertie D. Higinbotham; on a page shared with 10 others
  • Gertie D. Higinbotham; inscribed at Joliet, Illinois, on May 16, 1859.  
  • Gertie D. Higinbotham of Joliet, Illinois; inscribed on a page shared with 11 others.  
  • Gertie D. Higinbotham of Joliet, Illinois; inscribed on a page shared with 7 others
  • F. Jones; inscribed on  May 10, 1859 at Joliet, Illinois; later note: "Married Sept 15th 1861, Mrs. O. H. Woodruff".  Presumably Frances Jones , "Frankie", who married Orlan Hale Woodruff.  
  • Frankie A. Jones; added note: "Married September 15th 1860.  Mrs. D. Woodruff".  Inscribed on a page shared by 10 others
  • Frankie Jones; inscribed on a page shared with 11 others
  • N. Kendall; inscribed on February 9, 1860
  • E. R. Knowlton; inscribed on a page shared by 10 others
  • Edward R. Knowlton; inscribed on June 18, 1859
  • Edward R. Knowlton; on a page shared with 10 others
  • H. C. Knowlton; inscribed a page with ten other people
  • Henry C. Knowlton, inscribed a two-page inscription at Joliet, Illinois, on April 27, 1859
  • Henry E. Lowe; on a page shared with 10 others; he inscribed an individual page on June 16, 1859
  • Henry E. Lowe; inscribed on June 16, 1859
  • Henry E. Lowe; inscribed on June 3, 1859
  • Charlie V. Marsh; inscribed on a page shared by 10 others
  • Charlie V. Marsh; inscribed on May 9, 1859
  • Leila S. McGinnis; inscribed at Joliet, Illinois, on April 27, 1859.  Added note: "Married June 20th 1860.  Mrs. G. D. Grover
  • L. Anna Munger of Joliet, Illinois; inscribed on a page shared with 11 others
  • Lucy A. Munger of Granville, New York; inscribed on a page shared with 7 others
  • Lucy A. Munger; inscribed at Joliet, Illinois, on February 14, 1860.  Shared the page with Libbie Cole.
  • Julia Osgood of Joliet, Illinois; inscribed on a page shared with 11 others
  • Julia Osgood; inscribed on February 2, 1860
  • Angela Addie Skinner; inscribed at Joliet, Illinois, on December 29, 1859
  • Anna Stevens; inscribed at Joliet, Illinois, on March 20, 1860
  • Anna Stevens of Joliet, Illinois; inscribed on a page shared with 11 others
  • Alice Tonner; inscribed at Joliet, Illinois, on September 4, 1859.  Alice inscribed other pages as well.
  • Alice Tonner; on a page shared with 10 others.  Presumably the Allie Tonner who inscribed another shared page.
  • Allie Tonner of Joliet, Illinois; presumably the Alice Tonner who inscribed another shared page; inscribed a page with ten other people
  • Mira Tonner, Blackeyed Ro., N. W. ? College; inscribed on a page shared by 10 others
  • Kate Webster; on a page shared with 10 others
  • Elinor M. Wheeler; inscribed at Joliet, Illinois, on May 13, 1859.  
  • Elinor M. Wheeler of Joliet, Illinois; on a page shared with 10 others.  
  • Laura Wilson; inscribed on March 23, 1860
  • Laura Wilson at Seminary of the Sacred Heart, Chicago; inscribed on a page shared with 7 others
  • Florence Woodruff; inscribed a page with ten other people
  • Florence Woodruff; inscribed at Joliet, Illinois, on May 10, 1859
  • Florence Woodruff; inscribed on a page shared with 11 others
  • Fred W. Woodruff; inscribed a page with ten other people
  • Samuel L. Worrell; added note: "Died Dec 2nd 1860"; inscribed on a page shared by 10 others
  • Josie Young of Joliet, Illinois, inscribed on March 28th [not sure of last digit], 1859.   Album owner.  
  • Josie Young of Joliet, Illinois; album owner; inscribed on July 4, 1859; inscribed on a page shared by 10 others

2 comments:

  1. I have some very similar albums/diaries that my late father had in his antique shop. Like you, I am going thru the names and cataloging them accordingly. You have done an excellent job in transcribing! Presently, I am in the midst of trying to locate my girls living relatives on several genealogy sites. I've had some success in reuniting pictures, family bibles, books, etc ... to the descendants. It's extremely rewarding!

    Good luck with your project!

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    Replies
    1. Nice to hear from a kindred spirit! Now I'm hearing that DNA testing is being used on the old saliva on postage stamps - how long before it can be used on the faintest of finger scrapings on the printed page or the tear stains on the Deaths pages in old Bibles? Think of the secrets these albums, diaries, letters, etc. hold!

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