1880s Autograph Album of Anna Fessenden Norris of Waltham, Massachusetts

1880s autograph album of Anna Fessenden Norris of Waltham, Massachusetts.

The album is approximately 6-1/4" x 4" and contains the sentiments of 65 of Anna's relatives and friends from Massachusetts and Maine.  An alphabetical list of the signers appears at the end of this post.

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

Anna Fessenden Norris was born 3 October 1871 at Waltham, Massachusetts, the daughter of John Elbert Norris and Mary Ann (Viles) Norris, who were born at Dorchester, Massachusetts, and Weston, Massachusetts, respectively.

Neither of Anna's parents signed in the album; they may have signed in another.  However, two of Anna's mother's sisters signed pages in the album.  "Aunt Ella", who presumably was Ella Maria Viles, younger sister of Anna's mother Mary Ann (Viles) Norris, signed a page on February 27, 1882.  She would later, in 1887, marry Walter Fay Baker.

Another sister of Mary Ann (Viles) Norris and Ella Maria Viles signed a page.  She was Lizzie J. Viles, or, formally, Elizabeth Jones Viles, of Weston, Massachusetts, who also signed a page on February 27, 1882.

On 31 January 1889 at Waltham, Massachusetts, Anna Fessenden Norris married Edward Davis Bliss, son of David and Annie Hannah (Bryant) Bliss.  Edward was born 21 January 1868 at Waltham, Massachusetts.  He signed a page as Edward Bliss at Waltham, Massachusetts, on November 14, 1885.

According to the Censuses, the couple lived at Haverhill, Massachusetts, and Townsend, Massachusetts, and raised three children.

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

Surnames in the album  [Some appear multiple times.]
Andrews
Austin
Bamber
Banks
Barton
Bliss
Bruce
Chamberlin
Cutler
Drake
Durgin
Eaton
Felker
Floyd
Folsom
Frost
Hardy
Harrington
Hartwell
Hill
Hodgdon
Jackson
Jennison
Jones
Kendrick
Langley
Lewis
Lincoln
Mansfield
Mason
McCullough
Muzzey
Newhall
Norris
Phelps
Phinney
Pickering
Potter
Rowell
Ryan
Sargent
Schwartz
Sears
Starbuck
Stevens
Stickney
Thompson
Tobey
Viles
Warren
Whitcomb
Whitford
Whitney
Williams
Winkley
Wyman
York

Signers in the Album:  [Note: Given names within a specific surname may not be in alphabetical order.]

• Dura D. Andrews of Boston, Massachusetts, signed on February 9, 1886
• Davis H. Austin of Waltham, Massachusetts, signed on September 22, 1883.  He was born in 1869 at Peru, Maine, the son of William and Judith (York) Austin.
• Celia Bamber
• Maude E. Banks of Waltham, Massachusetts, signed on April 21, 1882
• Lillie E. Barton of Waltham, Massachusetts, signed on February 16, 1882
• Edward Bliss, signed at Waltham, Massachusetts, on November 14, 1885
• Walter W. Bruce of Waltham, Massachusetts, signed on November 30, 1884
• May Chamberlin of Waltham, Massachusetts
• Howard A. Cutler of Waltham, Massachusetts, signed on January 16, 1885
• B. W. Drake; presumably Bradford Winslow Drake, Sr., of Waltham, Massachusetts.  He may have been the principal at Anna's school.
• Frank Durgin, signed at Weston, Massachusetts, on January 30, 1885
• Albert M. Eaton of Weston, Massachusetts, signed on February 10, 1884
• Ethel E. Felker, signed at Boston, Massachusetts, on September 8, 1884; in one corner: "B.H., B.C." in the other corner: "E.W."
• Carrie Felker of Boston, Massachusetts, signed on September 9, 1884
• Helen A. Floyd of Waltham, Massachusetts, signed on February 23, 1882
• Linnie W. Folsom of Boston, Massachusetts, signed on May 6, 1882
• L. N. Frost of Waltham, Massachusetts, signed on March 17, 1882
• Susie B. Hardy, signed in 1882
• Mary B. Harrington of Waltham, Massachusetts, signed on March 30, 1884
• Blanche Hartwell of Waltham,  Massachusetts, signed on January 9, 1884
• Charles W. Hill of Waltham, Massachusetts, signed on June 3, 1884
• Derward W. Hill of Waltham, Massachusetts, signed on January 9, 1884
• Katie Inez Hodgdon of Waltham, Massachusetts, signed on February 20, 1882; "Ever your little friend"
• Willie E. Jackson of Waltham, Massachusetts, signed on January 9, 1884
• Nellie Jennison of Waltham, Massachusetts, signed on June 29, 1883
• Harry A. Jones of Waltham, Massachusetts, signed on December 5, 1884
• Geraldine Jones of Waltham, Massachusetts, signed on January 31, 1883
• Fred H. Kendrick of Waltham, Massachusetts, signed on November 11, 1885
• Belle Langley of Waltham, Massachusetts, signed on March 28, 1884; Anna's schoolmate
• Kit Lewis of Waltham, Massachusetts, signed on July 10, 1886; mentions "Lily Point Grove", which is located along the Charles River between Waltham and Weston.
• Guy M. Lincoln of Waltham, Massachusetts, signed on September 11, 1885
• Esther Mansfield of Waltham, Massachusetts, signed on September 11, 1884
• Blanche E. Mason of Waltham, Massachusetts, signed on February 15, 1882
• Lulu G. McCullough of Waltham, Massachusetts, signed on February 16, 1882
• E. P. Muzzey of Waltham, Massachusetts, signed on September 11, 1884
• Mabel Newhall of Chicago, Illinois, signed on March 26, 1882
• Claudia Newhall, signed on March 27, 1882
• Anna F. Norris; album owner.  She was Anna Fessenden Norris  of Waltham, Massachusetts
• Jennie Phelps of Waltham, Massachusetts, signed on April 2, 1884
• Ernest G. Phinney of Waltham, Massachusetts, signed on December 5, 1884
• E. J. Pickering or C. J. Pickering; appears to be the writing of an elderly person.
• Fannie Potter of Waltham, Massachusetts, signed on "1884.4.2."
• Melvin W. Rowell of Waltham, Massachusetts, signed on December 29, 1884
• Lizzie G. A. Ryan of Waltham, Massachusetts
• Maud L. Sargent of Waltham, Massachusetts
• Sadie Schwartz of Waltham, Massachusetts, signed on February 17, 1882 [or 1883]
• Minnie E. Sears of Waltham, Massachusetts, signed on February 17, 1882; Anna's schoolmate
• Ella L. Starbuck; "your little play-mate"
• Fred L. Stevens of Waltham, Massachusetts, signed on January 10, 1884
• Jennie E. Stevens of Waltham, Massachusetts, signed on January 10, 1884
• Frank G. Stickney of Waltham, Massachusetts, signed on September 11, 1884; mentions B.C. September 4, 1884
• Ellen E. Thompson, signed at Waltham, Massachusetts, on September 11, 1884
• M. Tobey; middle initial might be E. or C. or ?
• George A. Viles of Weston, Massachusetts, signed on November 1, 1884
• Maud L. Viles of Waltham, Massachusetts, signed on September 6, 1884
• Aunt Ella, signed on February 27, 1882.  Anna's mother, Mary Ann (Viles) Norris, had a younger sister named Ella Maria Viles, born 18 February 1864.  Ella Maria Viles would marry Walter Fay Baker in 1887.
• Lizzie J. Viles of Weston, Massachusetts, signed on February 27, 1882.  Presumably Lizzie Jones Viles, a younger sister to Anna's mother Mary Ann (Viles) Norris.
• Ida F. Warren of Weston, Massachusetts, signed on February 10, 1885; Anna's cousin
• Anna C. Whitcomb, signed at Waltham, Massachusetts, in October 1882
• Mary E. Whitford, signed on February 24, 1882
• E. C. Whitney of Waltham, Massachusetts; possibly Edwin C. Whitney of Waltham
• Ruth P. Williams of Waltham, Massachusetts, signed on February 23, 1882
• Rachel Williams of Waltham, Massachusetts, signed on January 31, 1883
• Evelyn M. Winkley of Waltham, Massachusetts; presumably Evelyn M. Winkley, daughter of George Washington Winkley and Annie E. (Baker) Winkley
• Alice A. Wyman of Waltham, Massachusetts, signed on March 31, 1882
• Etta M. York of Peru, Maine

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1880s Autograph Album of Albert Smith Ventres of Canton, Maine; compiled while he was a student at Hebron Academy

Late 1880s autograph album of Albert Smith Ventres of Canton, Maine, compiled while he was a student at Hebron Academy at Hebron, Maine, in the Class of 1888.  It appears that the album was a Christmas present in 1887.

The album is approximately 7" x 4-1/4" and contains the sentiments of 85 of Albert's relatives, friends and classmates.  An alphabetical list of the signers appears at the end of this post.  The album is interspersed with nine illustrated pages.

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

Albert Smith Ventres was born 12 September 1868 at Hyde Park, Massachusetts, the son of Rev. William Hosmer Shailer Ventres and Eliza (Murdock) Ventres, who were born at Haddam, Connecticut, and Brookline, Massachusetts, respectively.   The family was living at Canton, Maine, in the late 1880s, as Rev. Ventres was a minister there.

Rev. Ventres' obituary appeared in the Harvard Graduates' Magazine, Volume 21, 1912/1913.  Click on the image to enlarge it.

Both of Albert's parents signed pages in his album, Rev. Ventres on January 29, 1888, and his wife on January 30, 1887.

Four of Albert's siblings signed pages in his album.  William Robinson Ventres and his wife Martha Ellen (Goding) Ventres, "Mattie", of Port Allegany, Pennsylvania, signed facing pages.  Mattie dated hers November 25, 1888.

Albert's brother Jonah Warren Ventres of Peru, Maine, signed a page on January 28, 1888.  His wife Sophronia Lany (Boynton) Ventres, "Fronia", signed a page at Port Allegany, Pennsylvania, on October 17, 1892.

Albert's brother Edward Chase Ventres of Brookline, Massachusetts, signed a page.

Albert's sister, Mary Eliza (Ventres) Goding of Port Allegany, Pennsylvania, signed a page on January 2, 1889.

As noted above, many of the signers were students at Hebron Academy, mainly from the Classes of 1887 and 1888.  Refer to the list below.  See a commencement program from 1887 here.

On 8 October 1903, Albert Smith Ventres married Lucy Fuller Harding, "Lou", daughter of Captain Robert Libby Harding and Elizabeth Orr (Davis) Harding, who were born at Wellfleet, Massachusetts, and Topsham or Brunswick, Maine, respectively.  Lou was born 27 February 1864 at Wellfleet, Massachusetts.

According to the Census of 1910 of Portland, Maine, Albert was by then divorced and was working as the bookkeeper at a wholesale grocery.  By 1920, Albert had moved to Corinth, Maine, was living alone and not working.  Interestingly, his parents had moved to Corinth for Rev. Ventres' last ministerial post.  Albert's mother died in 1900; his father married Marietta (Herrick) Eldon in 1905.  Rev. Ventres died in 1912.

Perhaps Albert had inherited their home at Corinth.  I lost track of him after 1920, though I assume he was the Albert S. Ventres mentioned as the owner in 1924 of this summer home on Peaks Island.  In fact, there's an archive of Ventres papers relating to Peaks Island.

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

Signers in the album:  [Note: given names within a specific surname may not be in alphabetical order.]

?

• William E. ?, signed at Hebron Academy on April 4, 1887

A

• Herbert M. Adkins of Turner, Maine, signed at Hebron Academy on November 19, 1887
• A. W. Alley of Hartford, Maine, signed at Hebron Academy, Class of '86; Arthur Williams Alley
• James A. Ames of Sumner, Maine
• Katie M. Ames of Sumner, Maine, signed on December 19, 1887

B

• W. A. Bicknell, signed at Hebron Academy, on March 24, 1887.  Class of 1888.  Presumably William A. Bicknell of Paris, Maine
• W. Lowell Bonney of Turner, Maine, signed at Hebron Academy, Class of '86; William Lowell Bonney
• Myra A. Brackett of North Berwick, Maine, signed on March 2, 1889
• C. L. Buck of Snow's Falls, Maine, signed at Hebron Academy on September 19, 1887.  Presumably Charles L. Buck.  Snow's Falls is on the Little Androscoggin River between South Paris and West Paris.
• Grace E. Bumpus of Hebron, Maine, signed on June 18, 1888

C

• H. S. Chenery of Portland, Maine
• Gertie Chesley of Hebron, Maine; Albert's classmate
• Luella B. Clark of South Berwick, Maine, signed on November 8, 1889.  Frank J. Clark also signed the page.
• Hattie E. Clark of Berwick, Maine, signed on November 2, 1889
• Cora A. Corbett of Sumner, Maine, signed on January 7, 1888
• Bertha H. Cushman of North Paris, Maine, signed at Hebron Academy on June 11, 1888; Albert's classmate
• Mabelle Cushman of North Paris, Maine, signed on June 11, 1888 at Hebron Academy, Class of 1888

D

• Mary Alice Denning, Class of 1887
• Fannie E. Denning of Mechanic Falls, Maine, signed at Hebron Academy, Class of 1887
• Delbert J. Dyer, H. S. Melcher Company; on a page signed by 4 people on December 14, 1901; other signers were Miss Lottie Wilson; Fred M. Mitchell; and Jessie H. Wilson

E

• Annie J. Earle, signed at North Berwick, Maine, on March 4, 1889

F

• Leroy R. Flye of Sedgwick, Maine, signed at Hebron Academy on March 11, 1887
• F. F. Foster of Buckfield, Maine, signed on April 20, 1887; Fred Fenton Foster
• Grace M. French of Turner, Maine, signed at Hebron, Maine, on June 1, 1888

G

• Kittie O. Goding of Port Allegany, Pennsylvania, signed on October 23, 1892
• Mary E. Goding of Port Allegany, Pennsylvania, signed on January 2, 1889.  She was Mary Eliza (Ventres) Goding, sister of Albert and wife of Izates Charles Goding
• Orissa W. Gould, "Cosmopolitan", Maine, signed at Hebron Academy, Class of 1888

H

• Edgar I. Hanscom of Lebanon, Maine, signed on December 31, 1888
• Oscar E. Hanscom of Lebanon, Maine, signed on December 31, 1888
• Mary A. Hanscom, signed at Lebanon, Maine, on December 31, 1888
• Alpheus Hanscom of Lebanon, Maine, signed on January 1, 1889; "G. G. O. M."
• Lila Harden, signed on April 17, 1888
• Winogene Harden, signed at Hebron Academy on March 19, 1888
• C. E. Harden of Hebron, Maine, signed on April 18, 1888
• Abbie S. Harden
• Gertrude Harlow of Hebron, Miane, signed at Hebron Academy on "4-12-87; Class of 1888
• Abbie LeB. Hibbs of Hebron, Maine, signed on June 8, 1888
• Edward A. Hodge of Amesbury, Massachusetts, signed on January 3, 1891.  "A.D.C."
• S. Ethel Hodge of Amesbury, Massachusetts, signed on December 28, 1890  "A.D.C."
• Freeman E. Hodge of Amesbury, Massachusetts, signed on December 28, 1890
• Alice M. Hodge of Amesbury, Massachusetts, signed on December 28, 1890
• Susan A. Hodge of Amesbury, Massachusetts
• C. H. Howard of South Paris, Maine, signed at Hebron Academy on March 6, 1888; possibly Charles H. Howard

J

• Mary E. Jordan of Promised Land, Maine, signed on April 22, 1887.  Promised Land was a village in Poland, Maine.
• Abbie S. Jordan of Upper Gloucester, Maine, signed at Hebron Academy, Class of 1887

L

• Florence L. Ladd of North Livermore, Maine, signed on November 28, 1886
• Howard A. Lincoln, signed at Hebron Academy in the Spring of 1888
• W. E. Lombard or H. E. Lombard of Turner, Maine; not positive of first initial.  There was a Willie E. Lombard at Turner, Maine, about the same age as Albert.
• P. E. Lowell of Buckfield, Maine, signed on April 22, 1887.  Class of 1887 at Hebron Academy.  Percival Ellsworth Lowell.

M

• Fred M. Mitchell, Shaw Business College; on a page signed by 4 people on December 14, 1901; other signers were Miss Lottie Wilson; Jessie H. Wilson; and Delbert J. Dyer
• James E. Moody of Turner, Maine, signed on June 22, 1888; "an 88er"
• Ernest Morse of Turner, Maine, signed on September 19, 1887
• George R. Morton of South Paris, Maine, signed at Hebron Academy on March 11, 1887.  George Randall Morton
• May I. Murray of Lebanon, Maine, signed in January 1889
• Lewis Murray, signed at Lebanon, Maine, on January 23, 1889
• A. G. Murray of Lebanon, Maine, signed on February 2, 1889

N

• G. H. Newman, signed at Dixfield, Maine, on October 14, 1888.  Presumably George Henry Newman, husband of Josephine Malvina (White) Newman, who signed the right facing page.
• Josie M. Newman, signed at Dixfield, Maine, on October 14, 1888.  Josephine Malvina (White) Newman, whose husband George Henry Newman signed the left facing page.
• Vina G. Newman of Dixfield, Maine, signed on September 23, 1888

P

• Jennie W. Packard of Hebron, Maine, signed in the Summer of 1888
• Annie I. Parsons of South Paris, Maine, signed at Hebron Academy on June 21, 1888; presumably Annie Isabella Parsons, born 30 December 1869 at South Paris, Maine
• Clarence W. Peaslee of Amesbury, Massachusetts, signed on June 8, 1892
• George P. Phenix, signed at Hebron Academy on April 19, 1888
• Anna M. Proctor of North Raymond, Maine, signed on June 2, 1888; Albert's classmate

R

• Albert A. Richmond of North Paris, Maine, signed at Hebron Academy on "1-6-1887".  He signed the page upside down.

S

• Maude Saunders of Ellsworth, Maine, signed at Hebron Academy, Class of '88
• E. E. Simar of Port Allegany, Pennsylvania, signed on October 24, 1892
• C. W. Skillings of North Auburn, Maine, signed on April 2 [no year written].  Hebron Academy '87.  He was Charles W. Skillings, who gave the Class History at the 1887 Hebron Academy Commencement: http://heirloomsreunited.blogspot.com/2011/05/1887-commencement-exercises-program.html
• F. W. Snell of South Paris, Maine
• L. C. Sopher of South Poland, Maine, signed during Spring Term in 1887.  Perhaps Curtis Levi Sopher
• Mary Emily Spear of Freeport, Maine, signed on June 27, 1888
• Edna M. Storer of West Poland, Maine, signed on February 22, 1887 at Hebron Academy

T

• E. L. Torrey, Classmate of '88, Hebron Academy.  Presumably Eugene L. Torrey of Dixfield, Maine 
• Hortense Torrey of Dixfield, Maine, signed at Hebron Academy on June 12 [no year written}, but she she called herself Albert's classmate of 1888

V

• Albert Smith Ventres of Canton, Maine; album owner.  It appears that this was one of his Christmas presents in 1887
• Father, signed on January 29, 1888.  He was William Hosmer Shailer Ventres, a minister, sawmill owner. Read more about him here: http://phys.org/news/2014-01-evidence-nordic-grog-scandinavia.html [The Harvard Graduates' Magazine, Volume 21, 1912/1913].  From The History of Peru, in the County of Oxford in the State of Maine, from 1789 to 1911:  Rev. Mr. Ventres and sons ran the sawmill a few weeks to accommodate a few customers. He could do most any kind of work well. He was a good brick mason, and was not  above work; was always busy out of the pulpit. He contributed much labor in painting and reshingling the old meeting-house during his pastorate here with the Baptist church, three years or more.
• Mattie E. Ventres of Port Allegany, Pennsylvania, signed on November 25, 1888.  She was Martha Ellen (Goding) Ventres, wife of Albert's older brother William Richardson Ventres, who signed the right facing page.
• Will R. Ventres of Port Allegany, Pennsylvania.  He was William Richardson Ventres, Albert's older brother.  Will's wife, Martha Ellen (Goding) Ventres, signed the left facing page.
• Fronia Ventres of Port Allegany, Pennsylvania, signed on October 17, 1892.  She was Sophronia Lany (Boynton) Ventres, wife of Albert's older brother Jonah Warren Ventres.
• Mrs. E. M. Ventres, signed at Canton, Maine, on January 30, 1887; presumably Eliza (Murdock) Ventres, Albert's mother.
• Edward C. Ventres of Brookline, Massachusetts; presumably Albert's older brother Edward Chase Ventres
• J. Warren Ventres of Peru, Maine, signed on January 28, 1888.  He was Jonah Warren Ventres, Albert's older brother.

W

• Arthur P. Wedge of Everett, Massachusetts, signed on November 18, 1887
• Nellie L. Whitman of South Paris, Maine, signed at Hebron Academy, Hebron, Maine, in April 1887; she was Preceptress and instructor of Mathematics and Bookkeeping
•  Miss Lottie Wilson, Mitchell House; on a page signed by 4 people on December 14, 1901; other signers were Fred M. Mitchell; Jessie H. Wilson; and Delbert J. Dyer
• Jessie H. Wilson, Dairy Lunch; on a page signed by 4 people on December 14, 1901; other signers were Miss Lottie Wilson; Fred M. Mitchell; and Delbert J. Dyer

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1880s Autograph Album of Almira Pierce of Troupsburg, New York

1880s autograph album of Almira Pierce, "Mira", of Troupsburg, New York.

The album is approximately 5-1/4" x 3" and contains the sentiments of 22 people, with several unsigned pages.  An alphabetical list of the signers appears at the end of this post.

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

Almira Pierce was born 27 October 1870 at Troupsburg, New York, the daughter of Henry Levi Pierce and his first wife Hannah Lavisa (Kelly) Pierce.  Hannah died in 1872.  Henry later married Eliza Jane Coffin.

Almira had, I believe, four siblings, two of whom signed pages in her album.  Her older brother Walter Pierce of Troupsburg, New York, and a faint page that I believe was written by Almira's older sister Alice Pierce.

About 1889, Almira Pierce became the second or third wife of widower Frank L. Waight, son of George Franklin Waight and Ellen (Murphy) Waight.  They had a daughter Florence M. Waight, born 6 August 1889 at Jasper, New York.  Sadly, Almira died in 1896.  Florence was living with Almira's father Henry Levi Coffin and wife Eliza at the time of the enumeration of the 1900 Census of Troupsburg, New York.

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

One of the fancier pages in the album was inscribed by Chancy Hulburt of Troupsburg, New York, on February 8, 1883.

Surnames in the Album  [Some appear multiple times.]

Adams
Card
Clark
Cornell
Holt
Howe
Hulburt
Lewis
Ordway
Pierce
Savage
Steadman
Vickery

Signers in the Album  [Note: given names within a specific surname may not be in alphabetical order.]

?

• Louisa, surname might be Williams or Wilson or Wilkins, etc.; very faint
• Very faint, but name might be Mary Etta Kelly, signed in January or June of 1883.  Bottom line may be Neb. for Nebraska
• Ollie, signed in May 1884
• Violetta M. ?; signed in 1883; surname possibly Le__?

A

• Robert Adams of Troupsburg, New York, signed on December 28, 1882; presumably Robert Alphonsus Adams, brother of signer Margaret Cecilia Adams, "Maggie."
• Maggie C. Adams of Troupsburg, New York, signed on December 28, 1882; presumably Margaret Cecilia Adams, sister of signer Robert Alphonsus Adams.

C

• Miss Cora Card of Troupsburgh, New York, signed on May 12, 1884
• Gertie Clark, signed on January 1, 1883; Almira's schoolmate
• Jennie Clark, signed on January 5 [no year written]; Almira's schoolmate
• James Cornell

H

• H. E. Holt; possibly Hiram E. Holt of Troupsburg, New York.
• Charlie Holt, signed on February 8, 1884
• D. B. Howe, signed in February 1884
• Chancy Hulburt of Troupsburg, New York, signed on February 8, 1883; sketched an intricate design of bird, scroll, etc.

L

• Dora Lewis of Jasper, New York, signed in July 1888

O

• G. M. Ordway of Troupsburgh, New York

P

• Miss Almira Pierce; album owner of Troupsburg, New York
• Very faint, but appears to be Alice Pierce, who signed on February 11, 1883; she was Almira's older sister.
• Walter Pierce of Troupsburg, New York; Almira's older brother

S

• Dwight Savage of Troupsburg, New York, signed on April 16, 1884
• Very faint, but appears to be Miss Edith Steadman of ?, Pike County, Pennsylvania, signed on July 21, 1883

V

• Norman Vickery of Steuben County, New York
• Mary E. Vickery

Troupsburg, New York

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1883-1894 Autograph Album of Annie Belle Gee of Pownal, Maine

1883-1894 autograph album that reportedly belonged to Annie Belle Gee, "Belle", of Pownal, Maine.  Annie signed two pages in the middle of the album, one of them on January 21, 1894.

The album is approximately 5-1/2" x 3-1/2" and contains the sentiments of 21 of Belle's relatives, friends and teacher.  An alphabetical list of the signers appears at the end of this post.

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

Annie Belle Gee was born 18 February 1879, the daughter of George Edward Gee and Abbie A. (Ells) Gee.  I found a network of websites with Ells genealogy that provided some interesting stories of the Ells and Gee families, including of Belle and her older brother Berton Ells Gee, who lived out their lives on the family farm.

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

Mary Brackett of Pownal, Maine, inscribed a page on January 24, 1884, and called herself Belle's aunt.

Georgie Johnson and Clara E. Johnson of Portland, Maine, called themselves Belle's cousins.

Edward E. Orr of Knightville, Maine, signed a page on April 6, 1884, and called himself Belle's cousin.

Another cousin, whose name I couldn't decipher, perhaps Rodie, signed a page on December 4, 1883.

Belle's teacher, Hattie Tuttle of Pownal, Maine, signed a page on November 12, 1886.

List of Surnames  [Some appear multiple times.]

Brackett
Cooper
Fogg
Gee
Goddard
Hatch
Holmes
Johnson
Libby
Litchfield
Merrill
Orr
Tuttle

Signers in the album   [Note: given names within a specific surname may not be in alphabetical order.]

?

• Nodie [or Rodie or Bodie or ?], signed on December 4, 1883; Belle's cousin
• Matie Hones of Pownal, Maine [young handwriting, may be misspelled]; page is partially missing

B

• Mary Brackett of Pownal, Maine, signed on January 24, 1884; Belle's aunt

C

• Edith E. Cooper of Boston, Massachusetts, signed on August 27, 1888

F

• Abby S. Fogg of Freeport, Maine, signed on December 14, 1885

G

• Annie Belle Gee of Pownal, Maine; album owner.  She signed two pages in the middle of the album.
• Ernest L. Gee of Freeport, Maine, signed on July 5, 1885
• Grace L. Gee of Freeport, Maine, signed on July 5, 1885
• Mamie W. Goddard of Pownal, Maine, signed on August 15, 1881

H

• Leola E. Hatch of Pownal, Maine, signed on January 5, 1894
• Wilbur R. Hatch of Pownal, Maine
• Annie Holmes of Pownal, Maine, signed on January 5, 1894; Belle's schoolmate

J

• Georgie Johnson of Portland, Maine; Belle's cousin.  Middle initial might be C or ?
• Clara E. Johnson of Portland, Maine; Belle's cousin

L

• Almeda B. Libby of Pownal, Maine, signed on January 5, 1894
• Ada R. Libby of Pownal, Maine, signed on November 12, 1886
• Alice C. Libby of Pownal, Maine, signed on November 12, 1886
• Thomas A. Litchfield of Pownal, Maine, signed on January 5, 1894
• Josie O. Litchfield of Pownal, Maine, signed on January 5, 1894

M

• Julia A. Merrill of Pownal, Maine

O

• Edward E. Orr of Knightville, Maine, signed on April 6, 1884; Belle's cousin

T

• Hattie Tuttle of Pownal, Maine, signed on November 12, 1886; Belle's teacher

Pownal, Maine

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1900-1917 Autograph Album of Pauline Sumner Howard of Mattapan, Massachusetts

1900-1917 autograph album that belonged to Pauline Sumner Howard of Mattapan, Massachusetts.

The album was found with two other autograph albums from the 1870s, albums that belonged to Pauline's mother Mary Ellen (Sumner) Howard.  One of those albums is featured here, and the other is featured here.

Pauline's album measures approximately 7" x 4-1/4" and contains the sentiments of over 50 of Pauline's relatives, friends and classmates.  Some indicated they were attending Boston University, and others, S.N.S., which I presume was Salem Normal School, so named at the time.

A few of the pages appear to have been collected as the autographs of "celebrities", such as a professor at the Smithsonian Institute, whose name I can't decipher, and the Governor of New Hampshire, Henry B. Quinby, among others.

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

Pauline Sumner Howard was born 30 October 1888 at Boston, Massachusetts, the daughter of Frederic Theodore Howard and Mary Ellen (Sumner) Howard, who were born at Boston, Massachusetts, and Brookline, Massachusetts, respectively.

One page was signed Mother, but also has the name Alice Carey, who signed the page at Milton, presumably, Massachusetts, on January 5, 1908.  Pauline's mother Mary Ellen (Sumner) Howard was still alive at this time.  Perhaps Alice was a housemother or the mother of a close friend.  The flowers in plastic pasted on the left facing page have a notation that they were acquired at Letham, Scotland, in 1901.

Another page was signed by Hazel E. Howard, who called herself Pauline's "Sister".  I didn't find that Pauline had a sister, so perhaps these two young women were related otherwise or just found themselves, with the same surname, at the same school and affectionately called themselves sisters.

On 20 October 1917, at Milford, New Hampshire, Pauline married Raymond Edward Stimson, son of Edwin/Elwin C. Stimson and Genieve/Geneva H. (Pickering) Stimson.  Raymond was born 3 August 1883 at Hinsdale, New Hampshire.  It appears that Pauline had moved to Amherst, New Hampshire, to teach.
They had, I believe, one child, a daughter.  It was the daughter, I presume, who gave the Mother's Day card that's pasted in the album.

The album has several pages signed by members of the Weatherbee family of Milton, Massachusetts.  These were Lillian Geneva (Howard) Weatherbee, Pauline's paternal aunt, and her husband Frank T. Weatherbee and children Elmer H. Weatherbee; and E. Earle Weatherbee.  They all signed at Milton, Massachusetts, in 1905.

Another interesting feature of the album is that six pages have photographs of the signers pasted on them, either from the beginning by the signer or added as an embellishment by Pauline.  Loella L. Farmer signed a page on May 26, 1913.

The page signed by Edna Weaver on June 12, 1906 has two little head shots, dated April 28, 1909, pasted on later, either by Edna herself or Pauline.

A photograph of signer W. B. Garvin was cut into a heart shape; wonder if there's a story there?   He signed his page on June 13, 1913.  If you can decipher his middle name, please leave a comment or contact me directly.  Note:  As you can see from the comments section, a reader has found that the signer was Walter Burns Garvin of Richford, Vermont.

Joseph H. Plant of Lyndon Center, Vermont, who signed on June 10, 1911, pasted a bouquet on his page.

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

Surnames in the Album  [Some appear multiple times.]

Arcos                                                              
Blood
Boaz
Burgess
Carey
Cook
Corson
Davis
de Sloovere
Ellis
Farmer
Fink
Flanders
Flanley
Gair
Garvin
Graham
Hadley
Hadlock
Hale
Hallowell
Haskell
Hayden
Henry
Hogan
Howard
Kirkton
Krim
Larned
Lord
Lyons
MacVeagh
Macy
Merrill
Nelson
Pingree
Plant
Quinby
Reid
Rice
Rock
Weatherbee
Weaver
Whipple
Wiggin

List of signers:   [Note: Given names within a specific surname may not be in alphabetical order.]

• Ruth
• R. E. S., signed on August 28, 1914
• Can't decipher the name, but the signer was a professor at Smithsonian Institute, Washington, D.C., and signed the page at Newport, Rhode Island, on November 30, 1908
• Will, perhaps of Notre Dame, Indiana, signed on October 27, 1909
• Lucia Arcos, 18 de Septembre 563, Quito, Ecuador, S.A.
• Marion Helena Blood of Derry, New Hampshire; "S.N.S. '10"
• Muriel M. Boaz of Richford, Vermont, signed on August 15, 1913
• Margaret G. Burgess, signed on May 16, 1907; "your loving B.U.C. L.C. friend"
• Alice Carey; also mentions "Mother", signed at Milton [no state written, but presumably Milton, Massachusetts], on January 5, 1908
• Mabel L. Cook; Pauline's classmate
• Murle Augusta Corson of Farmington, New Hampshire; "S.N.S. '10"
• Jessie M. Davis of Stratford Hollow, New Hampshire, signed on November 28, 1910
• Mary Constance de Sloovere of Webster, Massachusetts; W.H.S. '09
• Mildred Louise Ellis of Onset, Massachusetts, signed on August 23, 1906
• Loella L. Farmer, signed on May 26, 1913.  She pasted a photograph of herself on the page.
• Jacob A. Fink, or Jacob H. Fink, signed at Lyndon Center [presumably Vermont], L.S.A., on June 29, 1913.  He pasted on a little photograph of himself.
• Leona Flanders, signed at S.N.S. in 1910
• Mary Esther Flanley, signed at Boston University on May 20, 1907
• Beatrice M. Gair, signed at Boston University on May 16, 1907
• W. B? Garvin, member of the Class of 1913 at R. H. S., signed on Friday June 13, 1913.  He pasted a little photograph of himself on the page, cut out in a heart shape.
• C. S. Graham of Fall River, Massachusetts, signed on August 22, 1906
• Mary E. Hadley, signed at Milton, Massachusetts, on November 21, 1904
• Grace M. Hadley of Mattapan, Massachusetts, signed on February 16, 1905
• Guy Hadlock, signed on December 13, 1905; someone wrote his death date on the left facing page: January 15, 1944.  His name was pasted on the left facing page, but is in a distinctly different handwriting
• Amy E. Hale, signed on March 19, 1916
• Henrietta T. Hallowell, signed at Milton [no state written, but presumably Massachusetts], on June 19, 1906
• Ella Florence Haskell, signed at Boston University in 1910
• Olive L. Hayden; she pasted a photograph of herself on the page.
• Margaret Lee Henry of New Canaan, Connecticut, signed on October 27, 1909; "S.S.N.S. '10"
• Marie G. Hogan of Dorchester, Massachusetts, signed at S.N.S. on October 19, 1909
• Pauline S. Howard of Brook Road, Mattapan, Massachusetts, signed in 1900; album owner
• Hazel E. Howard, "Your loving 'Sister' ", signed on December 7, 1913
• Ethel B. Kirkton, signed on November 1, 1905; Pauline's classmate
• Harry Krim; pasted a photograph of himself on the page.
• Lisbeth Larned, signed at Milton [no state written, but presumably Massachusetts], on October 31, 1904
• Marian Dean Lord of Harrington, Maine; "S.N.S. '10
• Catharine Lyons of Westerly, Rhode Island, signed on June 22, 1917
• E. E. MacVeagh, signed at Knollwood House, Dublin, New Hampshire.  She was the wife of Franklin MacVeagh, Secretary of the Treasury at Washington, D.C., in 1909
• E. L. Macy, signed at Richford [presumably Vermont] in 1913.  Also mentions Montreal and Corpus Christie
• Phoebe E. S. Merrill, signed at Lyndon Center, Vermont, on August 5, 1913
• Louise Nelson, signed at Boston University in 1910
• Pingree, first initial either M. or W., signed on December 7, 1913
• Joseph H. Plant of Lyndon Center, Vermont, signed on June 10, 1911.  He pasted a dried flower arrangement on the page.
• Henry B. Quinby, Governor of New Hampshire 1909-1910
• Bertha M. Reid of Windham, New Hampshire, signed on April 9, 1905
• ? Rice, possible S. F. Rice, or L. F. Rice, signed at Westerly, Rhode Island, on March 19, 1916
• Sadie R. Rock of Turners Falls, Massachusetts
• E. Earle Weatherbee, signed at Milton, Massachusetts, on January 19, 1905
• Elmer H. Weatherbee, signed at Milton, Massachusetts, on January 15, 1905; Pauline's cousin
• Lilian G. Weatherbee, signed on January 20, 1905; Pauline's aunt
• Frank T. Weatherbee, signed at Milton [no state written, but presumably Massachusetts], on January 20, 1905
• Edna Weaver, signed on June 12, 1906.  She added two little photographs of herself to the page on April 29, 1909 and she or someone added "Reedley, Cal."
• Helen I. Whipple, signed on May 20, 1907
• Lelia Wiggin, signed at Westerly, Rhode Island, on June 21, 1917; S.N.S. 1912

Mattapan, Massachusetts

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