Wednesday, October 28, 2020

1880s Autograph Album of Cora M. Church of Canaan, Maine


1880s autograph album that belonged to Cora M. Church of Canaan, Maine. Cora inscribed her name on the first end paper on December 18, 1884, long after she had started acquiring autographs in the album.


The album measures approximately 7" by 4-1/2" and contains the sentiments of 62 of Cora's relatives, friends, schoolmates and teachers.  An alphabetical list of the inscribers and any personal information they left appears at the end of this post.


Surname List

?HHarringtonRRamsdell
AAbbottHarrisRolfe
BBarrett [3]HodsdonSStinson
BastonHubbard [2]TTobey
BeanJJewell [2]Turner
BerwiseJoyTuttle [2]
BlakeLLaryWWaldron [2]
BrownLordWard
BunkerLowell
Burrill [2]MMitchell [2]
CChurch [5]Moore
CorsonMorrill [3]
DDrew [3]NNelson [2]
EEmeryOOsborne
FFrost [2]PPackard
GGiffordPenney
GoodwinPrescott [2]
Gower
Griffin

From brief online research, hopefully correct - corrections and additions requested:

Cora May Church (1871-1961) was born 25 January 1871 at Canaan, Maine, the daughter of William Church and Eunice (Wheeler) Church. Cora had at least 9 siblings, at least five of whom inscribed pages in the album:
  • George E. Church
  • Georgia Etta (Church) Lary
  • Carrie Viola Church
  • Lizzie Church
  • Hiram Church

Georgia Etta (Church) Lary, who mentions her daughter Gracie M. Lary; Cora's oldest sister

On 6 June 1894 at Pittsfield, Maine, Cora M. Church (1871-1961) married Obed Foss Parks (1866-1939), son of Richard Parks and Elizabeth (Madden) Parks.  In a town report of Pittsfield, Maine, his printed name is O. Foss Parks, but his gravestone reads Obed F. Parks.  Cora and Obed farmed at Pittsfield, Maine. It appears they didn't have children.

Cora May (Church) Parks (1871-1961), her husband Obed Foss Parks (1866-1939) and other Parks relatives are buried in the Pittsfield Village Cemetery in Pittsfield, Maine.

If you have corrections and/or additions to the information above, or on any of the people mentioned below, please leave a comment or contact me directly.

List of Inscribers - with any dates, locales, relationships noted
  • Extemely faint; possibly Celia C? of Canaan, Maine
  • Charlie Abbott of Canaan, Maine; inscribed on January 13, 1885
  • Harrie D. Barrett; inscribed on October 1, 1883; Harrison Delevan Barrett (1863-1911)
  • Lulie Barrett of Canaan, Maine; inscribed on June 8, 1883; perhaps Lucile Barrett (1866-1948)
  • Viola A. Barrett of Canaan, Maine; inscribed on June 8, 1883; Viola A. Barrett (1869-1919), who married Thomas F. Rand in 1894.
  • Dellie W. Baston of Canaan, Maine; inscribed on January 13, 1885; schoolmate. Della W. Baston (1869-1939), who married George Dixon
  • Stella H. Bean of Hartland, Maine; inscribed on September 21, 1884; schoolmate. Possibly Estella Hannah Bean (1868-1918), who married Lewis Bass Johnson
  • Dilla Berwise of Skowhegan, Maine; inscribed at Canaan, Maine, on October 23, 1882. Presumably Flay Dilla Berwise (1868-1917), who married Charles Davis Harris [FindaGrave memorial text notes her birth year as 1867, but stone reads 1868]
  • Hattie A. Blake; inscribed on September 6, 1884. Presumably Harriet A. Blake (1870-1935), who married George A. Willey
  • Johnie Brown of Canaan, Maine; inscribed on November 28, 1888
  • L. A. Bunker; inscribed at R. Nelson's School in 1883. Presumably Lillian A. Bunker (1866-1903) who married inscriber Sherman Richard Mitchell (1864-1937)
  • Harry Burrill of Canaan, Maine. Perhaps Harry H. Burrill (1876-1894)
  • Vesta A. Burrill of Canaan, Maine; inscribed on September 10, 1884; schoolmate. Vesta A. Burrill (1869-1957), who married Fred B. Holt
  • Carrie V. Church; inscribed at Canaan, Maine, on October 17, 1886. Cora's sister Carrie V. Church (abt 1863-) who married Robert D. Snowden
  • Cora M. Church of Canaan, Maine; she inscribed the ownership page on December 18, 1884. Album owner Cora May Church (1871-1961), who would marry Obed Foss Parks
  • George E. Church of Canaan, Maine; inscribed on January 18, 1885. Album owner Cora M. Church's older brother George Edwin Church (1859-1944)
  • Hiram; "Your Brother". "Mr. Stinson Teacher". Cora May Church's younger brother Hiram Judkins Church (1873-1960)
  • Lizzie D. Church; inscribed at Canaan, Maine, on June 22, 1883. Cora's older sister Lizzie D. Church (1865-), who married William L. Richardson
  • Belle S. Corson; inscribed at Canaan, Maine, on October 24, 1882. Belle Sarah Corson (1867-1961), who married Ulysses Holt
  • A. Wilson Drew of Canaan, Maine; inscribed on October 19, 1882. Presumably Albert Wilson Drew (abt 1867-abt 1952), who married May Read Nichols
  • Clara Drew of Canaan, Maine; inscribed on January 25, 1883. Presumably Clara Angelina Drew (1862-1953), who married Frank Edwin Emery
  • Nellie Drew of Canaan, Maine; inscribed on October 23, 1882. Nellie T. Drew (1864-1962), who married Edwin Jeffords Keyou
  • Marcia C. Emery; inscribed at Canaan, Maine, on May 30, 1883. Perhaps Marcia C. Emery (1861-)
  • Nettie B. Frost of Canaan, Maine; inscribed on July 24, 1887 [or July 27 and/or 1881],]. Perhaps Nettie Belle Frost (1868-1893), first wife of John White Steward
  • Villa Frost . Perhaps Villa F. Frost (abt 1859-1892)
  • Alta E. Gifford; inscribed at Hartland, Maine, on September 4, 1884. Perhaps Alta Eva Gifford (1868-1948), who married Wilbur F. Mitchell
  • Emma M. Goodwin of Canaan, Maine; inscribed on September 25, 1884; schoolmate. Possibly Emma Goodwin (1871-1931)
  • Gertie A. Gower of Canaan, Maine; inscribed on December 19, 1882. Presumably Gertrude A. Gower (abt 1869-1912), who married George A. Weymouth
  • Livona Griffin of Canaan, Maine; inscribed on June 8, 1883. Presumably Livona Griffin (about 1863-)
  • Winnie Harrington; inscribed at Canaan, Maine, on September 4, 1884. Presumably the Winifred F. W. Harrington (1868-1951) who married Thomas J. Moody. 
  • Mabel M. Harris; inscribed at Canaan, Maine, on June 12, 1884. Perhaps Mabel Martha Lowell (1863-1935), who married Richard H. Harris
  • Ellen M. Hodsdon; inscribed at Canaan, Maine, on December 18, 1882. Perhaps the Ellen M. Hodgdon, who was born about 1859
  • Henry Hubbard; inscribed at Canaan, Maine, on December 21, 1882. Possibly Henry S. Hubbard (abt 1870-)
  • Kate M. Hubbard; inscribed at Canaan, Maine, on December 21, 1882; schoolmate. Possibly Kate M. Hubbard (abt 1870-)
  • Frank L. Jewell of Canaan, Maine; inscribed on January 17, 1883. Presumably Frank Leslie Jewell (1868-1930), who married Nina Pearl Tait.
  • Nora Jewell of Canaan, Maine; inscribed on June 5, 1884; schoolmate. Possibly Nora Bell Jewell (1870-1931), who married John Alexander Harris
  • Albert Joy; inscribed at Canaan, Maine, on September 21, 1884. Cora's teacher. The young man pictured here may have been his older brother Alfred.
  • Mrs. Etta G. Lary of Canaan, Maine (Gracie M. Lary);  (East Madison, N.H.) inscribed on March 11, 1883. Georgia Etta (Church) Lary (1860-1924), mother of Gracie M. Lary (1881-1952) and wife of Jeremiah R. Lary. Etta was album owner Cora's older sister.
  • Scott Lord of Canaan, Maine; inscribed on November 28, 1883. "R. N. School". Possibly Scott Lord (1869-1923)
  • Evie L. Lowell
  • Sherman Mitchell; inscribed at Canaan, Maine, on December 14, 1882. "F. Emery, Teacher".  Presumably Sherman Richard Mitchell (1864-1937), who married inscriber Lillian A. Bunker (1866-1903)
  • Wilbur F. Mitchell of Canaan, Maine; inscribed on December 14, 1882 at Frank Emery's School. Wilbur Fred Mitchell (1866-1930)
  • Maud Moore of Canaan, Maine. Presumably May Maud Moore (abt 1873-) who married Horace Bunker Weymouth
  • Frankie H. Morrill of Canaan, Maine; inscribed at Canaan on January 25, 1883. Frances Horton Morrill (1873-), "Frankie". More information and photograph here.
  • Lucia H. Morrill of Canaan, Maine; inscribed at Canaan on January 25, 1883. Lucia Haskell Morrill (1872-1960), More information here.
  • May S. Morrill; inscribed at Canaan, Maine, on December 8, 1882. Mary Sophronia Morrill (1867-1958), who would marry Reuben Lowell Ilsley. More information here.
  • Relief Nelson of Canaan, Maine. Relief Nelson (1866-1903)
  • Roscoe Nelson; inscribed on October 5, 1883. Rev. Roscoe Nelson (1861-1961)
  • Kate E. Osborne of St. Albans, Maine; inscribed on September 11, 1884. Kate E. Osborne (1868-1889)
  • Carro M. Packard of Canaan, Maine. Teacher Carro Marie Packard (abt 1862-), who would marry Milford A. Curtis
  • Frank L. Penney of Canaan, Maine; inscribed on January 1, 1882. Frank L. Penney (1864-1946)
  • John Prescott of Canaan, Maine; inscribed on December 9, 1884. Possibly John Augustus Prescott (1868-1937)
  • May Prescott; inscribed in 1883. Possibly Mary W. Prescott (1866-1926), who married Ashley J. Keene and James L. Johnson
  • Thomas J. Ramsdell; inscribed at Canaan, Maine, on December 10, 1884. "Colby '86". Thomas Jefferson Ramsdell (1859-1953), native of Lubec, Maine; after Colby graduation, he graduated in 1889 from Newton Theological Seminary and received a Doctor of Divinity degree from Colby in 1912. [Note: FindaGrave shows birth year as 1860 but birth record shows 1859
  • Ethel Maud Rolfe of Canaan, Maine; inscribed at Canaan on June 12, 1883. Ethel Maud Rolfe(1871-1910) or Maud Ethel Rolfe (1871-), who would marry Fred Dinsmore Nelson
  • F. L. Stinson of West Pittsfield, Maine; inscribed at Canaan, Maine, on September 23, 1885. Possibly teacher Frederick L. Stinson (1863-1941)
  • M. Lillian Tobey of South Norridgewock, Maine; inscribed on June 18, 1884. 
  • Willie A. Turner of Canaan, Maine; inscribed on November 6, 1885. Perhaps William A. Turner (1872-1935)
  • Gertie B. Tuttle of Canaan, Maine; inscribed on May 23, 1885. Gertrude Belle Tuttle (1871-1962), who married Augustine Gleason, and, after Augustine's death, his younger brother Abel Prescott Gleason
  • Lizzie B. Tuttle; inscribed at Canaan, Maine, on May 11, 1885. Lizzie B. Tuttle (1866-1933), who married Charles D. Gleason
  • Nellie Waldron; inscribed at Canaan, Maine, on December 18, 1882; schoolmate.  Right corner folded, showing messages on each side. Schoolmate. Presumably Nellie F. Waldron (1871-1932)
  • Sophronia Waldron; inscribed at Canaan, Maine, on January 20, 1883. Possibly Sophronia J. (Ward) Waldron (1843-1884), wife of Charles F. Waldron
  • D. F. Ward of Lowell, Massachusetts; inscribed on June 17, 1883


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