10 Photographs of the Day and Coe Families of Connecticut + Smith of Boston, Massachusetts

10 photographs of the Day and Coe families of Connecticut and 2 identical group photographs that include Edw. Smith and wife of Boston, Massachusetts. 

Most of the photographs have a connection to Harriet (Day) Coe (1828-1909), wife of Philander Parmelee Coe (1823-1909) of Fairfield and New Haven Counties in Connecticut.

The photograph above, about 7" long in a mat that is 10" long, depicts, according to the identification on the reverse, below, Harriet Day's brother, whose first name I can't make out, born in Norwalk, Connecticut. He may have been Edw?. 

Two other similarly sized photographs depict Harriet's brother Francis W. Day (1843-1919), "Frank", and another brother, whose first name I can't make out, possibly nickname Nuha, Day, young men at the time they were photographed.  

The other 7 photographs:

• 2 identical group photographs of Mr. and Mrs. Ed? Smith of Boston, Massachusetts, her sister and his mother Mrs. Sarhar [Sarah ?] Smith, aunt to George Coe [son of Harriet (Day) Coe and Philander Parmelee Coe] with slightly different captions
• Francis W. Day (1843-1919), "Frank" - cabinet photograph; middle-aged
• George Day - cabinet photograph - brother to Harriet (Day) Coe; middled aged
• Edward or Edmund Day, cabinet photograph - brother to Harriet (Day) Coe, possibly the same man pictured at top but in middle age
• Olive Coe at age 10, Lampher Street, West Haven, Connecticut; Harriet (Day) Coe's granddaughter
• Winifred Coe (1918-1984) as a baby - Harriet (Day) Coe's great granddaughter 

If you have information to share on the Day, Coe and/or Smith families of Connecticut and Massachusetts, please leave a comment for the benefit of other researchers.

1892 Photograph of a Young Man IDed on the reverse as A. E. Colby of Lewiston, Maine

Photograph, dated January 22, 1892, of a young man identified on the reverse as A. E. Colby of Lewiston, Maine.  The photograph was taken by the studio of Curtis & Ross of Lewiston.

 He may have been Arthur Edward Colby (1873-1936), born, according to his WWI Draft Registration card, on 14 April 1873. He was the son of Edward J. Colby and his second wife Anna.

By the time of enumeration of the  1900 Federal Census, Arthur was living in Waterbury, Connecticut, with wife Alice and two boarders with the surname Coe. Arthur and Alice would have at least one child, son Arthur Calvin Colby.

Arthur Edward Colby is buried in Old Pine Grove Cemetery in Waterbury, Connecticut.  I didn't see a listing for Alice with him, but she may be buried there as well, or perhaps she moved away or married.  Their son Arthur is buried in Florida.

If you have information to share on any of the people mentioned here, please leave a comment for the benefit of other researchers.

Cabinet Photograph of Lester Charles Gilman of Brooklyn, New York; Student at East Maine Conference Seminary in Bucksport, Maine

Cabinet photograph of Lester Charles Gilman of Brooklyn, New York; a student at East Maine Conference Seminary in Bucksport, Maine.  

Lester's gravestone shows his birth year as 1882, but his WWI Draft Registration Card shows 6 November 1881.

The photograph was taken by Ferdinand Cortez Nealey of Winterport, Maine.

Lester's parents were Theophilus Gilman and Mary (Beattie) Gilman, both natives of Waterville, Maine, who at times lived in Brooklyn, New York.  

Lester married Amy Louise Hall in 1915. By 1930, they had moved to Connecticut. Presumably Amy died or the couple divorced, as Lester married Amelia Lape Leonard in 1932. 

The Gilman family was well known in both Waterville, Maine, and Brooklyn, New York. Theophilus' parents were banker and leather manufacturer Nathaniel Gilman (-1859), and second wife Joanna (Boyd) Gilman. 

Nathaniel Gilman, who had many children with his two wives, moved between Waterville and Brooklyn, New York, some say to avoid taxes.  Upon his death, his second wife and factions of his children warred against each other, with the will not settled for fifty years.  Read "Lawyers and Horses Got it: the Story of the Fortune Left by Nathaniel Gilman", an article in the New York Times issue of March 22, 1891.

Read more about the Gilman family in an article about a miniature of Nathaniel Gilman.

If you have corrections and/or information to share, please leave a comment for the benefit of other researchers.

1948 8th Grade Publication "The Maple Leaf", Maple Street School at Rockville, Vernon, Connecticut

1948 8th grade students' publication "The Maple Leaf"; from Maple Street School in Rockville, Vernon, Connecticut.  

With covers measuring 12" by 9" and interior sheets measuring 8-1/2" by 11", it's a bit too large for my scanner, but I believe all the text made it into the scans.  It's mimeographed and quite faded. 

The last page contains students' autographs.

The pages:

Dedication page: dedicated to coaches Ramsdell and Mattson.

Editorial Staff

John Murphy, Editor

Roger Martin, Assistant Editor

Wilbur Hany, Art Editor

Janice Goodwin, Art Editor

Ralph Jackson, Joke Editor

Raymond Berriault, Joke Editor

Ronald Frey, Business Manager

Rudolph Hany, Business Manager

Ronald Badsteubner, Boys' Sports

Janet kibbe, Girls' Sports

Many more names

1839 [or 1859] Letter from Sarah at Waterford, possibly Connecticut or Maine, to Miss Temperance Miller at New Lyme, Ohio

1839 [or 1859] letter from Cousin Sarah in Waterford, presumably in Connecticut, but possibly in Maine, to Miss Temperance C. Miller, or Temperance P. Miller, in New Lyme, Ohio.  

Sarah is eager to hear from Temperance and even more eager to have her visit, especially with "Rollin", in whom Sarah has a romantic interest and worries about the cessation of his letters.  ...if he goes to Maine this spring he must set out very soon & if you accompany him I may soon expect to see you... Temperance, let your next letter be a long one & write as I once told you, all you think, all you feel & all you know that you think would interest your Cousin far away.

New Lyme, Ohio, was settled by people from Lyme, Connecticut, not far from Waterford, Connecticut. Among the settlers were George Miller and his wife Temperance (Chadwick) Miller. The name Temperance appeared in successive generations.  Sarah was presumably a cousin back home in Conneticut, or possibly Maine.

If you have information on the identities of Miss Temperance C. or P. Miller, then at New Lyme, Ohio, and her cousin Sarah, please leave a comment or contact me directly.

Transcription - bound to be errors; please advise corrections!

Waterford April 20, 1839 [or 1859]

Dear Temperance

When I received the post the many pleasures & trying scenes; through an ___ Providence has cotinued an unworthy recipient of divine favors, I am often led to exclaim, Why is it thus? Sometimes I feel disposed to murmur & at others my spirit freely acquiesces, with whatever is my lot. But these happy moments are of short duration to produce my salutary effect upon my natural disposition. For if but one thought of Dear absent friends pervades my heart, almost every other object is forgotten. Why must it be so? Life is very short & even this short space must pass to oblivion. I still am not permitted to enjoy the society of dear affectionate friends, as we are journeying through "its steep ascent or flowery slope", toward the silent tomb.

Were it not for the sweet hope, beyond the reach of earthly connections, that I sometimes indulge, of meeting them to dwell forever in one eternal spring & never never more to part. How would every object be clothed in one perpetual gloom & the joyful prospect that I now anticipate. Would gloom & the joyful prospect that I now anticipate, would present only a scene of deep & dark despair. I have often thought even were the Infidel sentiments time. How much more happiness profess # the Infidel would enjoy, and I he but indulge the hope of a blessed immortality & Everlasting life beyond the grave.

My Dear Cousin, I do expect to see you this summer in Waterford, I do expect if you ever visit us it will be this season. Now do not disappoint your friends by becoming a missionary first; for then you will perhaps think you have more important business to attend too.  Neither shall I consent (perhaps you will not care for that) to you becoming an assistant clerk, for you know then you must attend to your customers - & if you become a farmers Lady you must stay in the kitchen to oversee the dairy, feed the cats & try to please honey. as well as you Can - (I s'pose I should try to do so, too, if I was thus situated). But you must make them all wait, until have you spent one year with Sarah & at the expiration of that time, if you feel disposed to listen to their solicitations, I shall consider my demands at an end. The season of youth is the best time to travel, the best time to visit. & a state of single blessedness the best; to enjoy life & happiness, so says nearly every Married lady; that I ever heard give her opinion on the subject & many of them have done it gratis. Temperance, when you Come, bring the little ___ [horse ?] you spoke of & put in all letters you have a similar nature, for you know it could not do my mischief & it might afford much pleasure. - 

You say Old Rollin sometimes speaks of me. I am pleased to hear, that I still retain a place in his memory. I hope in his prayers. I have many times hoped he would take the trouble to write to me, but it seems he never has. If he should even be, Cousin, I should then consider. I had a great Claim upon him, or in other words a right to expect he would occasionally write if no more than perhaps a little in your letters - if he goes to Maine this spring he must set out very soon & if you accompany him I may soon expect to see you. Temperance, let your next letter be a long one & write as I once told you, all you think, all you feel & all you know that you think would interest your Cousin far away. That is I mean everything that concerns yourself. I hope to hear from you soon & to see you in a few months at longest.  ___ may heaven's blessings attend you forever & when you come to a throne of Grace for yourself, remember your unworthy Cousin - with sincere affection, Sarah.

Mary E. Starr, 1818; her book "The American Preceptor"; possibly Mary E. (Starr) Whiting (1799-1863)

The American Preceptor, Being a New Selection of Lessons for Reading and Speaking, Designed for the Use of Schools, by Caleb Bingham, A.M., printed in New York by B. & J. Collins for C. Bingham, 1815.

The owner's name on the second end paper: Mary E. Starr, November 1st 1818

The title page, shown below, indicates that this book was printed in New York by B. & J. Collins for author Caleb Bingham.  The book measures approximately 6-1/2" by 4-1/4" and contains 228 numbered pages. It appears that a few pages are missing between the Contents and the next page, which is numbered 9.

Contents, shown in the two images below:  this book would have been geared toward the older student. 

Interestingly, there were several women in Connecticut named Mary E. Starr, including one who was born 3 February 1799 in New London, Connecticut, daughter of Joshua and Lucy Starr. Joshua and Lucy were presumably the Joshua Starr, Jr. and Lucy Colfax who married in Hartford, Connecticut, on 25 April 1798.

This Mary E. Starr (1799-1863), who would marry William Loring Whiting (1795-1850) in 1820, would have been a suitable age in 1818 to have this as a lesson book.  

The Whiting family appears to have moved to Canada, where some of their children were born, and then to Chicago, Illinois, where William was involved with the Whiting, Magil & Company, "forwarding and commission merchants". According to an encyclopedia entry on their youngest daughter Alice Harvey (Whiting) Putnam (1841-1919), William founded the Chicago Board of Trade. Loring Street in Chicago is named after William L. Whiting.

Even more information here contained in A history of the Starr family of New England, from the ancestor, Dr. Comfort Starr of Ashford, County of Kent, England, who emigrated to Boston, Mass., in 1635 by Burgis Pratt Starr (1822-1883), published in 1879.

If you have another theory as to the identity of Mary E. Starr, please leave a comment or contact me directly.

1830s Autograph Album of Henry F. Briggs of Lebanon, Connecticut

Autograph album started about February 27, 1832 by Henry F. Briggs of Lebanon, Connecticut, although he wrote it as Lebanon Goshen on the first end paper.

Some of the inscribers were related; surnames include:

? [7]	Emmons	Saxton
B ?	G ?	Standish
Backus [3]	H ?	T ?
Baldwin	Hoxie	Walker
Briggs	Johnson	Woodworth
C ?	L ?
Clark	Lathrop
Cone	M ?
Congdon	Morgan [2]
Crary [2]

The album measures approximately 8" by 6-1/2" and is not in the best of condition, with separated and warped covers, some pages detached and most pages with warping and/or wrinking; hence blurred areas on some of the scanned images.  Better images would have required taking the album entirely apart.

Henry's name appears in beautiful calligraphy, with a design, on what might be considered the ownership page.

Most of the inscriptions are from Connecticut residents, but a Johnson from New York, whose initials are hard to decipher, designed a fancy page.

If you have information on Henry F. Briggs, please leave a comment or contact me directly.  I found a mention in the Connecticut, Church Record Abstracts, 1630-1920: for Colchester, Connecticut: "Sarah T. & Mrs. Maria Briggs & Henry F. Briggs adm.ch. Dec. 31, 1836, by letter from Goshen". But I don't know if this is the correct Henry.

Some of the inscribers were related; surnames include Backus, Baldwin, Briggs, Clark, Cone, Crary, Emmons, Johnson, Lathrop, Morgan, Saxton, Standish, Walker and Woodworth.

Alphabetical List of Inscribers - some made multiple inscriptions

• Inscribed by L. ?, on March 22, 1832 at Lebanon Goshen, Connecticut.  Possibly L. Geo. for L. George.
• Unsigned, inscribed in Latin
• Inscribed in Latin; "Faith, Hope and Charity; the greatest of these is Charity."
• 2 page sentiment inscribed by "friend E" at Lebanon on April 16, 1832
• Unsigned inscription
• A friend; inscribed a full page sentiment and wrote "A Friend" in Latin
• Unsigned
• P. B?, possibly Br...n or r.
• E. C. Backus.  Possibly Esther Clark Backus (1817-1839), daughter of Jabez Backus and Hannah (Lathrop) Backus.  She married Robert Elder in 1838.
• Elizabeth M. Backus.  Perhaps Elizabeth Mary Backus (1913-), daughter of Jabez Backus and Hannah (Lathrop) Backus; perhaps the Elizabeth B. who inscribed the following page.
• S. D. Backus; presumably Sarah Baldwin Backus (1814-), daughter of Jabez Backus and Hannah (Lathrop) Backus. She married Charles Ball in 1841.
• Luna Baldwin, middle initial perhaps I; possibly Luna Baldwin (1806-1885). She married Nehemiah B. Bunnell (1807-1892)
• Henry F. Briggs of Lebanon, Connecticut, album owner; started February 27, 1832
• E. C. of Norwich, Connecticut, or E. C. Norwich
• Justin Clark; "Inscribed by your friend Justin Clark, Lebanon March 20th 1832". Full page sentiment. Perhaps Justin Clark (1802-1886) He inscribed another page as well.
• A. G. Cone, inscribed on June 28, 1833
• 2 page sentiment inscribed by Sarah E. Congdon. Perhaps Sarah Eddy Congdon (1808-1881), who married James Madison Abell (1811-1896) in 1837.
• Amelia A. Crary, inscribed on March 28, 1834.  Amelia A. Crary (1813-1844) married Appleton Rosseter Park (1808-1850) in 1841.  
• John W. Crary, inscribed at Lebanon, Connecticut, on July 2, 1834.  Perhaps John Witter Crary (1809-1890); presumably the J. W. Crary who inscribed another page.  
• M. S. Emmons, inscribed at Haddam, Connecticut, on July 22, 1832.  Perhaps Mary Smith Emmons (1818-), who married Frederick A. Roberts in 1834
• T. S. G.
• Inscribed by A. D. H.
• The first end paper mentions the name Hoxie twice.
• ? Johnson of New York; perhaps G. W. Johnson; fancy script, calligraphy, flourishes, scrolls, bird like or wing like designs.
• Inscribed by M. J. L. at Lebanon Goshen, Connecticut, on March 31, 1832
• Lucy Lathrop; middle initial possibly A or H or ?
• H. N. M.; inscribed two pages; possibly inscriber H. N. Morgan; see that listing
• G. E. Morgan; perhaps Griswold Edwin Morgan (1811-1902), who married Eliza Janette Saxton (1812-1892) in 1834.  An. E. J. Saxton inscribed a page in the album. 
• H. N. Morgan, inscribed at Lebanon, Connecticut, on January 2, 1834.  Perhaps Harriet Newell Morgan, who married George W. Kimball in 1837; presumably the H. N. M. who inscribed two other pages.
• E. J. Saxton; perhaps Eliza Janette Saxton (1812-1892), who would marry Griswold Edwin Morgan (1811-1902) in 1834.  A G. E. Morgan also inscribed a page in the album. 
• Abby Standish; several possibilities, including Abby Beebe (Standish) Staples, wife of Elias Wood Staples, and Mary Abby (Morgan) Standish, wife of Nathan Standish
• Inscribed by E. B. T. at Lebanon Goshen, Connecticut, on March 31, 1832
• Harriet Walker; inscribed a 2 page sentiment at Norwich, presumably Connecticut, on October 16, 1833
• Inscribed by H. R Woodworth.  Perhaps Henrietta Richards Woodworth (abt 1813-1852), who married Frederick William Carey (1813-1890) in 1837. She was presumably the H. R. W. who inscribed another page. 

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

Two Photographs of George Bergstrom by New Haven, Connecticut Studios; One in Uniform and one at Age 12

Update: a reader feels that this is the George Bergstrom who lived from 1876 to 1955, presumably meaning George Edwin Bergstrom, whose FindaGrave memorial has a photograph in late middle age. There is a resemblance with the childhood photograph.

Two photographs of George Bergstrom, by different New Haven, Connecticut, photography studios:

• as a young man in a uniform, by Chipman's Studio
• as a 12 year old, by the Bundy-Filley studio.

Hopefully a reader will recognize the initials on George's hat. They look like POS?A, with the question mark representing what might be an "m" or "w".

 George appears remarkably at ease.

George may have been Charles George Bergstrom (1886-1995), son of Swedish immigrants Carl E. Bergstrom and Edna Amalia (Svensson) Bergstrom of New Haven, Connecticut.  George worked as a telephone repairman.

Reverse of the photograph of George in uniform

If you recognize George from your family photographs as either the Charles George Bergstrom mentioned above or another George Bergstrom, please leave a comment or contact me directly.

Reverse of the photograph of George at age 12