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".

c1891 Cabinet Photographs of Brothers Wycliffe Sentz and John Appleton Sentz of Charleston, West Virginia

Wycliffe Sentz at age 12

Circa 1891 cabinet photos of young brothers Wycliffe Sentz and John Appleton Sentz of Charleston, West Virginia.  The photographs were taken at the Proctor & Thompson studio on Capitol Street at Charleston, West Virginia.

These photographs belong to friend Bernadette, who, in the hopes of reuniting them with family, relayed them to me.

The reverse of the photograph of Wycliffe Sentz has this handwritten text: "A fair exchange is no robery [sic]"

From brief online research, hopefully correct:  [corrections and additions requested!]

Wycliffe Sentz was born June 2, 1879 at Charleston, West Virginia, the son of John W. Sentz and Sarah Ann (Rhodes) Sentz.  In 1917, Wycliffe married Edna W. McConnell, daughter of Willis A. McConnell and Julia Frances (Donnett), "Lillie" and "Julie".  Edna was born in Ohio about May 1898.   

Wycliffe worked as a shipping clerk; he died fairly young in 1924 at Charleston, West Virginia, and is buried there .  Edna later married Delbert I. Wilson.

John Appleton Sentz at age 9 

John Appleton Sentz was born January 28, 1882 at Charleston, West Virginia, the son of John W. Sentz and Sarah Ann (Rhodes) Sentz.  In 1902, son John married Nora E. O'Leary, daughter of Michael and Katherine (Doody) O'Leary.  Nora was born at Castle Island, Tralee, County Kerry, Ireland, on September 15, 1881.

John and Nora had four children born at Millvale, Pennsylvania.  By 1910 the family had moved out West, where John pursued his locomotive engineer career. They lived at Glenns Ferry, Idaho; Warren, Washington; and Snoqualmie Falls, Washington.   John died at Seattle, Washington, in 1944.  According to his obituary, he had become a well-known apiarist after his retirement from Union Pacific.

If you have corrections and/or additions to the information above, please leave a comment or contact me directly.  Please be discreet with information about living people.

Family Bible of Noah Westfall of West Virginia, with Dates from 1854-1874

Family Bible of Noah Westfall of West Virginia, with dates from his 1854 marriage to wife Matilda Ann Coon (maiden name Evans, according to the West Virginia Marriages 1851-1896) to the 1874 birth of his son John Westfall with subsequent wife Agnes (Litton) Westfall.

From brief online research, I found that Noah Westfall lived in Jackson and Upshur Counties, West Virginia.

The marriages page shows Noah's marriage to Matilda Ann Coon very distinctly, with a date of June 27, 1854.  There's another record written in a much fainter ink that appears to be the birth record of James K. P. Coon, born November 21, 184x [1847 or 1849].

Was Matilda Ann's maiden name Coon [or Koon] or Evans?  If we can believe the West Virginia Marriages 1851-1896 database that shows her maiden name as Evans, perhaps she had previously married a Mr. Coon.  But she was very young when she married Noah Westfall, let alone having had a previous marriage. Could her mother, a Mrs. Evans, have remarried a Mr. Coon?  Could her mother, a Mrs. Coon, have remarried a Mr. Evans?  Hopefully a reader will weigh in.  And should the correct spelling be Koon, rather than Coon?

As for the second record on the page, interestingly, I found a James Knox Polk Koon (1847-1906) who served as a private in the 10th West Virginia Infantry during the Civil War and later worked as a lawyer and merchant in Upshur County, West Virginia.  His parents were, I believe, Jacob and Sarah (Koon) Koon.   If he is the James K. P. Coon referenced on the page above, I wonder how he ties in with "Matilda Ann Coon".  Again, hopefully a reader will weigh in.

The two births pages list Noah's and Matilda's birth dates, as well as those of 8 children, though the two listed on the right page were the children of Noah and his subsequent wife Agnes (Litton) Westfall, whom he married on June 7, 1869.  I don't have a death date for Matilda; there's no Deaths page, though there is a page with the top half removed; perhaps Matilda's death was recorded on the missing portion.

Births

Noah and Matilda Ann Westfall, born April 8, 1821 and November 12, 1840, respectively; their children

1. John H. Westfall, born June 7, 1856
2. Rebecca Ann Westfall, born November 17, 1857
3. Sarah Jane Westfall, born February 12, 1860
4. James W. Westfall, born October 1863 [15 or 13 ?]
5. Columbus Westfall, born June 9, 1865
6. Richard Hilery [?] Walter [or Walker] Westfall, born October 21, 1867

Noah and Agnes Westfall; their children

1. Debora Westfall, born January 2, 1870
2. John Westfall [middle initial H or A or ?], born March 1, 1874

Bible records are not necessarily primary sources, so if you have corrections to the above information, please leave a comment or contact me directly.    Wouldn't you love to know which of Noah's descendants left the scribbling?

Note: the page at left is missing its top portion.  It was presumably a Deaths page, and may have recorded Matilda's death.

Jackson County and Upshur County, West Virginia

1892 Autograph Album kept by "Goodie", a Student at Broaddus College in West Virginia

1892 autograph album kept by someone nicknamed "Goodie" while a student at Broaddus College in West Virginia.  

The college is now known as Alderson-Broaddus College.  In 1892, according to the college website, the college was located at Clarksburg, West Virginia, though some of the autographed pages seem to imply it was located at Flemington.

I don't know if Goodie was derived from a given name or a surname or if Goodie was a male or female, or just an all-around "good" person.  I'd be interested in seeing a catalog that lists students in 1892 to see if a name jumps out at me. 

The album is approximately 7" x 4-1/4" and contains just a few autographs of the owner's fellow students at Broaddus College.  Illustrated pages are interspersed throughout the album.  An alphabetical list of the signers appears at the end of this post.

Hettie Brohard signed at page at Flemington, West Virginia, on 17 March 1892.

Anna Morrison signed a page at Broaddus College on 29 February 1892, "Leap Year"

Dotia White signed a page at Camden, West Virginia, in Lewis County, on 11 February 1892.

Marellah White signed a page at Broaddus College on 11 February 1892.

Sallie Bowles, signed a page on 13 April 1892.

Emma signed a page at Clarksburg, West Virginia, on 15 January 1892.

Pleasie McCord signed a page at Broaddus College on 22 January 1892.

Willie Langford signed a page at West, West Virginia, on 11 February 1892.

Daisy Bond signed a page at Churchville, West Virginia, on 19 January 1892.

Lottie E. Cooper of Oak Hill, West Virginia, signed a page at Broaddus College on 29 May 1892.

Gertie signed a page at Broaddus College on 12 April 1892.

Nettie Davidson signed a page at Broaddus College at Flemington, West Virginia, in 1892.

The illustrated pages:

If you have a theory as to Goodie's identity, or information on any of the signers listed below, please leave a comment or contact me directly.  Thanks!

Surnames
Bond
Bowles
Brohard
Cooper
Davidson
Langford
McCord
Morrison
White (two entries)

Alphabetical List of Signers: [Note: given names within a specific surname may not be in alphabetical order.]

• "Goodie"; nickname of the owner of the autograph album
• Emma, signed at Clarksburg, West Virginia, on 15 January 1892.  "our year at 'Broaddus', We have spent many, many pleasant hours together.  Though lessons are sometimes hard, still we must work if we expect to succeed."
• Gertie, signed at Broaddus College, on 12 April 1892  " 'May your life have just enough shadow to temper the rays of the sun'.  Lovingly your friend"
• Daisy Bond, signed at Churchville, West Virginia, on 19 January 1892  "Goodie, never gorget the good times we have had at Broaddus College.  Your true friend."
• Sallie Bowles of Wilton, West Virginia, signed on 13 April 1892  "Dear Friend Goodie, In memory's casket, Drop one pearl for me.  Ever your friend."
• Hettie Brohard of Clarksburg, West Virginia, signed at Flemington, West Virginia, at Broaddus College, on 17 March 1892  "Dear Goodie: - Guard well they thought; our thoughts are heard in heaven.  Always remember the 'measles'.  Your friend"
• Lottie C. Cooper of Oak Hill, West Virginia, signed at Broaddus College, on 29 May 1892  "Dear Goodie, Farewell and if by distance parted We see each other's face no more, Ah, may we with the faithful hearted, Meet beyond this parting shore.  Lovingly your friend."
• Nettie Davidson, signed at Flemington, West Virginia; student at Broaddus College in 1892
• Willie Langford, signed at Weston, West Virginia, on 11 February 1892  " 'Broaddus', Moderation is the silken string Running through the pearl chain of all the virtues.  Your loving schoolmate
• Pleasie McCord, signed at Broaddus College on 22 January 1892  "Compliments of your friend"
• Anna Morrison, signed at Broaddus College on 29 February 1892 "Leap Year"  "Friend Goodie, There are few friends in this wide world Whose love is fond and true, But Goodie, when you count them o'er, Place me among the few."  Anna underlined the first and second "few" and "me".
• Dotia White, signed at Camden, West Virginia, in Lewis County, on 11 February 1892.  "Dear Goodie, 'Life has much of sun and shadow, All must have some cloud & rain, Every heart its sorrow knoweth, Every soul its secret pain'.  Ever remember our happy days at 'Broaddus' "
• Marellah White, signed at Broaddus College on 11 January 1892.  "Dear Goodie: - I wish you health, I wish you wealth, I wish you a golden store, I wish you Heaven after death, How could I wish you more."

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