1857+ Autograph Album Given to Miss Elizabeth Patten by Rev. George Gordon, President of Iberia College, Iberia, Ohio

1857+ "Jenny Lind" autograph album that was given to Iberia College student Miss Elizabeth Patton by the College's first president Rev. George Gordon (1806-1867).  

Rev. Gordon was, presumably, the G. G. who penned a two-page sentiment on the leaf following a sentiment left by his wife.  See Rev. Gordon's inscription farther below.

Most of the inscriptions are from the 1857 to 1862, with two from 1875. Inscribers hailed from Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and the part of Virginia that would become West Virginia.

The album, which measures approximately 7-3/4" by 6", was printed by J. C. Riker and contains the sentiments of over 20 of Lizzie's fellow students and teachers. Also in the album are several full page engravings and two sheets comprising the lyrics of On the Banks of the Dundee.

An alphabetical list of the inscribers, together with any personal information they offered, appears at the end of this post.

 

Below, the two page inscription by G. G. at Iberia, Ohio, on May 1, 1858. He was presumably Rev. George Gordon (1806-1867), noted abolitionist and first president of Iberia College. Read more about Rev. Gordon here.

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

Not knowing which State might have been Elizabeth's native home made searching for her difficult, but there might be a clue in one of the two inscriptions from 1875 [sadly, the other one is unsigned]: J. E. Kellogg of Thory [or Wory or perhaps Thorny] Run School House, Ohio; inscribed on March 16, 1875.

There was a John Elton Kellogg (1859-1948), whose mother was Mary (Patton) Kellogg (1837 [on the stone, but other records show 1834 or 1835] -1913), who had a sister Elizabeth Patton (1837-1866).  This Elizabeth had died before the two 1875 inscriptions, but the book may have been passed on, which was then common.

Or album owner Elizabeth Patton was someone else. Hopefully a reader will weigh in with a likely candidate.

One of the pages in the album has the inscriptions of 7 people, two of whom also inscribed individual pages. Inscriptions by: 

• Jennie Blake of Copley, Ohio
• T. H. Graves of Columbus, Ohio
• Lida O. Grisell of Woodbury, Ohio - Lydia O. Grisell
• E. E. Hicks at Iberia College
• Beulah Hadley of Mooresville, Indiana
• Anna R. Moore of Lowellville, Ohio
• William Thompson of Zanesville, Ohio

Lida O. Grisell, whose name appears in the image above, inscribed another page at Iberia College on February 28, 1857. She was Lydia O. Grisell, who would marry Eugene W. Romick and become a noted Society of Friends evangelist. She died in Pasadena, California, in 1879, according to an item in the Morrow County Republican of Morrow County, Ohio.

Excerpt from the March 17, 1883 issue of the St. Paul Globe:  

Ohio furnishes the first instance in this country, and probably in the world, where a lady has officiated as a clergyman at a marriage ceremony. At Columbus Mr. Charles Pim and Miss Emma Bryabt were united in marriage by Mrs. Lydia G. Romick, the evangelist. It was a very pleasant wedding.

In another article, I read that officials and members from other denominations were aghast.

If you have corrections and/or additions to the information provided above or in the list below, or if you have a theory as to the identity of Miss Elizabeth Patton, please leave a comment or contact me directly.

 List of Inscribers

• W. T. of Granville, Ohio; inscribed on July 22, 1862. Presumably a student at Iberia College in Iberia, Ohio
• W. Lizzie Retherland - not sure of surname - of West Alexander, Tennessee; inscribed in March 1857
• Possibly Mollie from DeKalb, Ohio or perhaps someone with the surname Mollie
• P. A. Helfrich, or T. A. Helfrich; not sure of surname; inscribed in Butler County, Ohio in 1860
• Unsigned; inscribed on July 29, 1875
• Jennie Blake of Copley, Ohio; shared the page with William Thompson; E. E. Hicks; Lida O. Grisell; Anna R. Moore; T. H. Graves; and Beulah Hadley
• Jane M. Clarke of Mt. Jackson, Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, inscribed on March 23, 1857
• W. D. Clarke of Mt. Jackson, Pennsylvania; inscribed on March 23, 1857
• M. J. Ellison; inscribed on April 8, 1857 at Pleasant Ridge in Adams County, Ohio. Inscription is very faint.
• A. E. Gordon; inscribed at Iberia, Ohio, on February 24, 1857. Ann Evans (Finney) Gordon (1808-1896), wife of Rev. George Gordon. 
• Rev. George Gordon (1806-1867), noted abolitionist and first president of Iberia College at Iberia, Ohio; presented the album to Elizabeth Patton in 1857 and inscribed another sentiment, two pages. 
• T. H. Graves of Columbus, Ohio; shared the page with William Thompson; E. E. Hicks; Lida O. Grisell; Anna R. Moore; Beulah Hadley; and Jennie Blake
• Lida O. Grisell of Woodbury, Ohio; inscribed at Iberia College in Morrow County, Ohio. Lydia O. Grisell would marry Eugene W. Romick and become an evangelist. She also inscribed a shared page with William Thompson, E. E. Hicks; Anna R. Moore; T. H. Graves; Beulah Hadley; and Jennie Blake
• Beulah Hadley of Mooresville, Indiana; shared the page with William Thompson; E. E. Hicks; Lida O. Grisell; Anna R. Moore; T. H. Graves; and Jennie Blake
• P. A. Helfrich, or T. A. Helfrich; not sure of surname; inscribed in Butler County, Ohio in 1860
• E. E. Hicks of Iberia College, inscribed on February 14, 1857; shared the page with William Thompson; Lida O. Grisell; Anna R. Moore; T. H. Graves; Beulah Hadley; and Jennie Blake
• J. E. Kellogg of Thory Run School House, Ohio; inscribed on March 16, 1875
• Jennie Lockheart of Paint Creek, Ohio; inscribed on March 4, 1857
• R. F. Martin of Ripley, Ohio; inscribed a 2 page sentiment at Iberia, Ohio, on March 3, 1858.
• Possibly Mollie from DeKalb, Ohio or perhaps someone with the surname Mollie
• Anna R. Moore of Lowellville, Mahoning County, Ohio; inscribed on March 23, 1857. She also inscribed a page shared with William Thompson, E. E. Hicks; Lida O. Grisell; T. H. Graves; Beulah Hadley; and Jennie Blake
• E. A. Parmeter; inscribed at Iberia College on March 30, 1857
• Miss Elizabeth Patton; student at Iberia College at Iberia, Ohio; album owner
• W. Lizzie Retherland - not sure of surname - of West Alexander, Tennessee; inscribed in March 1857
• Sarah Tew of Mercer, Pennsylvania; inscribed on June 27, 1860
• William Thompson of Zanesville, Ohio; shared the page with E. E. Hicks; Lida O. Grisell; Anna R. Moore; T. H. Graves; Beulah Hadley and Jennie Blake
• J. W. Torrance; inscribed on May 1, 1858. Possibly Rev. Joseph W. Torrence (1831-1905) if spelling can be resolved.
• G. J. Whitham of Valley Grove, Virginia; inscribed in February 1857
• J. D. Whitham of Virginia; inscribed on March 13, 1857 at Iberia, Ohio; student at Iberia College with album owner Elizabeth Patton, "Lizzie".