Friday, May 14, 2021

1878+ Autograph Album of Sea Capt. Frederick S. Hayden of South Thomaston, Maine & Marcia Smith (Wakefield) Hayden of Garland, Maine; many Oak Grove Seminary Inscriptions

This autograph album appears to have been filled with inscriptions from before and/or, at the prospect of, the marriage of Sea Captain Frederick S. Hayden (1843-1896), "Fred", of South Thomaston, Maine, and Marcia Smith Wakefield (1859-unk) of Garland, Maine.  

They, or at least one of them, may have been students at Oak Grove Seminary at Vassalboro, Maine, where many of the pages were inscribed.  Perhaps Oak Grove is what brought them together, either as students or relatives of students. 

Other inscriptions were penned by their family members from the South Thomaston and Garland areas.

Surnames in the Album

?? [2]DDanielsPPhilbrook
AAlexanderDayPierce
AppletonDockumPriest
AverillDoe [2]RRich
BBantonDrummondRichardson
BarrEEvansSSouthard [2]
Barrows [2]FFiskStarkey [2]
Barton [2]GGoffTTaber
Blunt [2]GravesThayer [2]
CCameHHarlow [2]WWakefield [5]
CarterHawesWeed [2]
ChurchHayden [4]
Coan [2]Hobbs
ColbyKKilgore [2]
ConforthMMerrill
CookMosher
Crane [2]OOak
Crockett [3]

The album measures approximately 8-1/4" by 5" and contains the sentiments of nearly 70 relatives, friends and students and, possibly, faculty at the Oak Grove Seminary in Vassalboro, Maine.  An alphabetical list of the inscribers appears at the end of this post.

Fred inscribed the first page of handwriting in the album.


Marcia inscribed a page in the middle of the album.


Julia Crane of Garland, Maine, penned a sentiment mentioning Marcia "on the sea", perhaps meaning that Marcia would be joining her husband on his voyages, or perhaps just a coincidence.


Frederick S. Hayden was the son of William L. Hayden and Abigail (Coombs) Dow Hayden. Fred had at least nine siblings, several of whom died young.  He himself died before his time, in an 1895 carriage accident, after having left the rigors and dangers of the master mariner trade and opening a tourist resort, Sunnyside Cottage, at Owls Head, Maine.

Fred's mother Abigail inscribed a page in the album, as did other members of the Hayden family.


Marcia Smith Wakefield was the daughter of William H. Wakefield and Eunice D. Hinckley) Wakefield. They inscribed a page in 1879, along with Marcia's sister Julia C. Wakefield and brother Willie H. Wakefield.  It appears that Fred and Marcia had made a visit to Garland in 1879, when many of the Garland inscriptions were made.


After Fred's death in 1895, Marcia returned to Penobscot County, Maine, and, in  1906 or 1907 [I found records for each date, on January 2], married Luther Martin Rideout (1839-1910)She may have married again after Luther's death, to Howard Clark (1860-1938), but I haven't found a record of the marriage, nor a death record for Marcia.  She may be buried with Fred in South Thomaston, Maine, or in Garland, Maine.

If you have corrections and/or additions to the information above, please leave a comment or contact me directly.

Alphabetical List of the Inscribers
  • Jennie ?, possibly Jennie Hnee; inscribed to "Freddie & Marchey"
  • Jinnie
  • Fred Alexander of Belfast, Maine; inscribed at Oak Grove Seminary. His roommate W. P. Carter of Belfast, Maine, inscribed the right facing page. At the top right of Fred's page is the word "Room", and at the top left of W. P.'s page is "Mates".
  • F. A. Appleton or T. A. Appleton; inscribed at Oak Grove Seminary, Vassalboro, Maine
  • Minnie S. Averill of Rockland, Maine
  • Jessie F. Banton of Freedom, Maine
  • Frank D. Barr of Centre Sidney, Maine; inscribed on April 26, 1878
  • Florence M. Barrows of Burnham, Maine; inscribed at Oak Grove Seminary on April 27, 1878
  • Lilla B. Barrows of Burnham, Maine; inscribed at Oak Grove Seminary on April 27, 1878
  • Hattie Barton; shared the page with Ellen M. Pierce and Stella Barton
  • Stella Barton; shared the page with Ellen M. Pierce and Hattie Barton
  • Mary E. Blunt of Vinalhaven, Maine; "Your loving Sister". She was Mary Eliza Hayden (Blunt), sister of Capt. Frederick S. Hayden and wife of Oscar Blunt, who inscribed the right facing page.
  • Oscar Blunt of Vinalhaven, Maine. He was the husband of Mary Eliza (Hayden) Blunt, who inscribed the left facing page. She was the sister of Capt. Frederick S. Hayden
  • Eliza G. Came of Garland, Maine;  inscribed on June 15, 1879
  • W. P. Carter of Belfast, Maine; inscribed at Oak Grove Seminary. His roommate Fred Alexander of Belfast, Maine, inscribed the left facing page. At the top right of Fred's page is the word "Room", and at the top left of W. P. Carter's name is "Mates"
  • Nora L. Church of Riverside, Maine; inscribed at Oak Grove Seminary on April 27, 1878
  • E. Coan; inscribed at Garland, Maine, on June 8, 1879. Presumably Elisha Coan, whose wife Mary Abbie (Swett) Coan inscribed the left facing page. Elisha's middle initial could be S or J.
  • Mary Abbie Coan of Garland, Maine; inscribed on June 8, 1879. Mary Abbie (Swett) Coan, whose husband Elisha Coan inscribed the right facing page.
  • Ella F. Colby of Vassalboro, Maine; inscribed on April 26, 1878. Shared the page with Lida C. Mosher of China, Maine
  • Agnes M. Conforth of West Waterville, Maine; "Think how much you owe to Oak Grove."
  • Edward H. Cook
  • Elijah Crane; inscribed at Garland, Maine, on June 15, 1879
  • Julia B. Crane; inscribed at Garland, Maine, on June 15, 1879. "May angels guard over Marcia on the sea"
  • ? B. Crockett; inscribed in 1878. The wheat staffs made reading the first name too difficult.  Might be Geo for George B. Crockett; if so, presumably the George B. Crockett (1856-1899) of Rockland, Maine
  • Abbie A. Crockett of Rockland, Maine; "your true Sister"
  • Willie L. Crockett of Rockland, Maine; inscribed on October 21, 1878
  • S. Eliza Daniels of Union, Maine; inscribed on September 1, 1878
  • Ida C. Day of East Vassalboro, Maine. Shared the page with Isabelle Priest of East Vassalboro, Maine
  • Emma B.  Dockum of Iowa City, Iowa; inscribed at Oak Grove B.C. on April 27, 1878
  • Alice M. Doe of Vassalboro, Maine; inscribed at Oak Grove Seminary on April 27, 1878
  • Arthur L. Doe of Vassalboro, Maine; inscribed at Oak Grove Seminary on April 28, 1878
  • H. M. Drummond of Winslow, Maine; inscribed at Oak Grove Seminary on April 24, 1878
  • Hattie F. Evans; inscribed at Garland, Maine, on May 15, 1879
  • Julia D. Fisk [looks more like Frisk, but it's Fisk]; presumably Julia Dow (Hayden) Fisk, sister of Capt. Fred S. Hayden
  • Agnes Goff; inscribed on April 30, 1878
  • Ella E. Graves of Vassalboro, Maine; inscribed at Oak Grove Seminary on April 25, 1878
  • Anna Harlow of Garland, Maine; inscribed on June 17, 1879
  • Lettie Harlow of Garland, Maine; inscribed on June 17, 1879.  Marcia's cousin
  • Delia C. Hawes of Riverside, Maine; inscribed at Oak Grove Seminary on April 27, 1878
  • Abigail C. Hayden, "Mother"; inscribed at South Thomaston, Maine, on October 20, 1878. She was Abigail Coombs (Dow) Hayden, mother of Capt. Frederick C. Hayden
  • C. M. Hayden of South Thomaston, Maine; inscribed on July 23, 1878. Presumably Charles M. Hayden, younger brother of Capt. Fred S. Hayden
  • Fred S. Hayden (1843-1895). The album was filled on the occasion of his wedding to Marcia Smith Wakefield (abt 1859-unk) on 18 November 1878
  • Hattie E. M. Hayden; inscribed at South Thomaston, Maine, on October 21, 1878. Presumably Harriet E. (Morse) Hayden, wife of Capt. Frederick S. Hayden's older brother George Dow Hayden
  • Mattie P. Hobbs; inscribed at Garland, Maine, on May 28, 1879
  • G. C. Kilgore
  • George A. Kilgore of Vassalboro, Maine; inscribed at O.G.B. College on April 26, 1878
  • Sarah J. Merrill
  • Lida C. Mosher of China, Maine; inscribed on April 26, 1878. Shared the page with Ella F. Colby of Vassalboro, Maine
  • ? J. Oak, possibly Delia J. Oak; inscribed at Garland, Maine, on June 16, 1879. Marcia's schoolmate.  Or perhaps the nickname for Addie J. Oak
  • L. Etta Philbrook
  • Ellen M. Pierce; shared the page with Hattie Barton and Stella Barton
  • Isabelle Priest of East Vassalboro, Maine; inscribed on April 26, 1878. Shared the page with Ida C. Day of East Vassalboro, Maine
  • F. U. Rich; inscribed on April 29, 1878. Perhaps Dr. Frank Urbanus Rich (1857-1912) of Thorndike, Maine
  • Seth B. Richardson of East Vassalboro, Maine; inscribed on April 3, 1878
  • Mary T. Southard; inscribed at Garland, Maine, on June 14, 1879. She was Mary T. (Gregory) Southard, whose husband, Dr. Merritt Southard, inscribed the left facing page.
  • Merritt Southard, M.D., of Garland, Maine; inscribed on June 14, 1879. His wife, Mary T. (Gregory) Southard, inscribed the right facing page.
  • Howard A. Starkey of Vassalboro, Maine; inscribed on April 26, 1878
  • Sadie C. Starkey of Vassalboro, Maine; inscribed on April 26, 1878
  • Alice R. Taber of East Vassalboro, Maine; inscribed on April 20, 1878
  • Mary P. Thayer; inscribed at Garland, Maine, on June 18, 1879. She was Mary P. (Kent) Thayer, whose husband lay clergyman Peter Blake Thayer inscribed the right facing page.
  • P. B. Thayer; inscribed at Garland, Maine, on June 9, 1879.  Lay clergyman Peter Blake Thayer, whose wife Mary P. (Kent) Thayer inscribed the left facing page.
  • Eunice D. (Hinckley) Wakefield of Garland, Maine; mother of Marcia Smith Wakefield; she shared the page with her husband William H. Wakefield and children Julia D. Wakefield and Willie H. Wakefield 
  • Julia C. Wakefield of Garland, Maine; sister of Marcia Smith Wakefield; she shared the page with her parents William H. Wakefield and Eunice D. (Hinckley) Wakefield and her brother Willie H. Wakefield
  • Marcia S. Wakefield of Garland, Maine; album co-owner.  Marcia Smith Wakefield, who would marry album owner Capt. Fred S. Harmon in November of 1878.  Mar
  • William H. Wakefield of Garland, Maine; father of Marcia Smith Wakefield; he shared the page with his wife Eunice D. (Hinckley) Wakefield and children Julia D. Wakefield and Willie H. Wakefield
  • Willie H. Wakefield of Garland, Maine; brother of Marcia Smith Wakefield; he shared the page with his parents William H. Wakefield and Eunice D. (Hinckley) Wakefield and his sister Julia C. Wakefield.
  • Abbie E. Weed of Burnham, Maine; inscribed at Oak Grove Seminary on April 27, 1878
  • H. H. Weed, not sure of either initial, of Burnham, Maine; inscribed at O.G.S. on April 3, 1878. Presumably Oak Grove Seminary at Vassalboro, Maine. Perhaps Hartford H. Weed (1855-1907)

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