Cabinet Photograph of Mrs. Elizabeth Reed Sparks; Philadelphia studio

Cabinet photograph of a middle-aged woman identified on reverse as Mrs. Elizabeth Reed Sparks; taken by P. Edward Chillman & Co, No. 18 S 8th St., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Was Elizabeth's maiden name Reed?  Or was it just her middle name?  

I found numerous Elizabeth Reeds in the Philadelphia area, and I found a William and Elizabeth Sparks in the 1880 Census of Philadelphia.   That Elizabeth was born abt 1852 in Pennsylvania.  William was a sailor.

If you have another candidate for the Mrs. Elizabeth Reed Sparks in the photograph, please leave a comment or contact me directly.

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Snaphot of Infant Robert Sterling Smith, possibly Maine

Snapshot of 4 month old Robert Sterling Smith, with perhaps his mother or grandmother.

The photograph was acquired in Maine, but Robert Sterling Smith could have lived anywhere.  I did find, however, a Robert Sterling Smith born in the 1930s in the Skowhegan, Maine area.


I found several other Robert Sterling Smiths throughout the country.


Hopefully a reader will recognize the woman in the snapshot and leave a comment or contact me directly.


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Just in case, here's a map of Skowhegan, Maine:



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Photograph of Alice Haskell; Bangor, Maine studio. Bangor or Deer Isle?

c. 1900 Photograph of Alice Haskell.  The imprint is very faint against the gray background, but I believe I can make out "Bangor, Maine".

I searched for an Alice Haskell in the Bangor, Maine area, and found one, Alice L. Haskell, born about 1871 in Maine, the daughter of Henry and Lorinda Haskell.  

However, Bangor is the commercial center of a large portion of Maine, and many people, then and now, gravitate there for shopping, schooling and employment.  So it's possible that the Alice Haskell in the photograph came from a larger area of Maine. 

I'll delve into two Alice Haskells that I found, and there could be more.

From online research, hopefully correct:

First, the Alice Haskell of Bangor, Maine.

Alice Haskell was born in August of 1871 or 1871 in Maine, the daughter of Henry and Lorinda Haskell.   The family is enumerated in the 1880 Census of Bangor, Maine, where Henry gave his occupation as house carpenter.  

Based shakily on the 1850 Census of Bangor, Maine, I believe that the parents of Henry Haskell were Abner and Achsah Haskell.  I haven't as yet found any information on the parents of Abner or Achsah, other than that Abner's father was born in Maine, and his mother in Massachusetts.   I found Abner in the 1850-1880 Censuses of Bangor.  Achsah appears to have died in the 1870s.  

By the 1900 Census, Alice Haskell and her parents were living in Santa Clara, California.  Alice's name was now Alice Terrill and she indicated she was married, but Mr. Terrill was not listed in the household. 

There's a dearth of information online about this Alice and her family.

Now for the second choice, Alice Weaver Haskell of Deer Isle, Maine.  It's possible that this Alice traveled from Deer Isle to Bangor, which is the closest large city.  She may have gone to school there or worked there or visited for a bit of shopping and a photography sitting.

Alice Weaver Haskell was born 12 April 1883 at Deer Isle, Maine, the daughter of Jasper Webster Haskell and his wife Martha Flavilla (Haskell) Haskell.  Her paternal grandparents were Aaron Stickney Haskell and his wife Margaret H. McDaniel Atwood Haskell.  I don't have the names of Margaret's parents, and I'm not sure if Margaret's maiden name was McDaniel or Atwood.


On 27 December 1904, Alice married Irving Charles Gray, who was born 6 July 1880 at Deer Isle, Maine, the son of Charles Gray and his wife Olive Jane (Pickering) Gray.  Alice and Irving had a son, Everett Randall Gray, born in late 1905.  


Sadly, I believe that Alice died in late 1905 or 1906; I found both death years for her.  If late 1905 or early 1906, possibly she died as a result of childbirth.


Her husband married a second time, to Roseana A. Pentecost, who was born 3 Oct 1888 in Nova Scotia, Canada. 


I found conflicting birth dates, names spellings and death dates for Irving online.  However, according to the Maine Marriages online database, he was Irving C. Gray.  According to his World War II draft registration card, his date of birth was 27 July 1880.  As for his date of death, I found 1949 and 1956.  It's possible that he is sometimes confused with a Charles Erving Gray.


If you have any corrections, additions or insights regarding the information presented above, or if you know of another candidate for the Alice Haskell in the photograph, please leave a comment or contact me directly.


Map of Bangor, Maine:



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Map of Deer Isle, Maine:



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Late 1800s cabinet photo of Horace Johnson with bicycle; Johnson studio of Brownville, Maine

Late 1800s cabinet photograph of Horace Johnson with a bicycle prop; the photograph was taken by the Johnson studio of Brownville, Maine.  

From online research, hopefully correct, and assuming I have the correct Horace Johnson:


Horace Layton Johnson was born 21 December 1872 at Grand Lake, New Brunswick, Canada, the son of Reverend Robert O'Brien Johnson and his first wife Martha Ann "Annie" (Harrison) Johnson.  His paternal grandparents were Thomas and Sarah Whidden (O'Brien) Johnson.  I don't have the names of his maternal grandparents, or if Harrison was Martha Ann's maiden name.  


Horace's parents were from Nova Scotia, and they died there.  I'm wondering if Horace was born while his father was pastoring a church at Grand Lake, New Brunswick.


On 14 July 1898, Horace married Nettie Elizabeth Stickney at Brownville, Maine.  Nettie was born 24 Mar 1872 at Brownville, Maine, the daughter of Enos Wilder Stickney and his wife Elizabeth Rachel (Searles) Stickney. Her paternal grandparents were Simeon Atwood Stickney and his wife Sarah  W. Gilman.  Her maternal grandparents were James Madison Searles and his wife Almeda Rich.


I found two sons for Horace and Nettie.  They were Maynard Stickney Johnson and Stuart Miles Johnson.


This photograph was purchased with a few other photographs at a Maine antique shop.  There was another Johnson in the photographs - Harry C. Johnson, shown with a woman H. G. S., taken by a studio in Denver, Colorado.  Whether there is any connection between the two photographs, I do not know.   


You may want to read the post on Harry C. Johnson.   He was born in July of 1874 in Colorado, the son of Peter Johnson, born in Pennsylvania, and his wife Emma, born in New York.


If you have any corrections, additions or insights regarding the information presented above, or if you know of a connection between Horace Johnson and Harry C. Johnson, please leave a comment or contact me directly.  


A map of Brownville, Maine:



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A map of Grand Lake, New Brunswick, Canada:



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1895 Cabinet Photo of Harry C. Johnson & woman IDed as H. G. S.; Denver, Colorado studio

Cabinet photo, dated 1895, of Harry C. Johnson and a woman identified as H. G. S., taken by the Brooks studio of 926 Sixteenth Street, Denver, Colorado.

Identification: H. G. S., H. C. J. 1895.  My cousin Harry Johnson, son of Uncle Peter and Aunt "Em".


From online research, hopefully correct:


Harry C. Johnson was born in July of 1874 in Colorado, the son of Peter Johnson, born in Pennsylvania, and his wife Emma, born in New York.  I don't yet have information on Harry's grandparents.


It appears that Harry married and divorced between the 1900 and 1910 Censuses.  As to who H. G. S. was, I don't know if she was a girlfriend, perhaps the woman who later became his wife, or a relative, possibly the cousin who wrote the identification.


Harry was working in real estate advertising in the 1910 Census of Denver, Colorado.  I haven't yet found him in a later Census.


I found this photograph with another one of a Horace Johnson, but I don't know if there is a family relationship or just a coincidence that the photographs were together when I bought them.  I'm including that photo, below, but be aware it may have no relationship to Harry C. Johnson, born in Colorado in 1874.   

Notice that the photograph was taken by Johnson of Brownville.  Is there a Brownville in Colorado?   I found a Brownsville, but this is definitely Brownville.


There is a Brownville in Maine, not far from where I purchased the photos, and I did find a Horace Johnson living there in the 1920 Census, along with wife Nettie and sons Raynard and Stewart.  He was born about 1873 in Canada and, in 1895, married Nettie C. Stickney, born about 1872 in Maine.   He was working as a rural mail carrier.


Wouldn't it be a hoot if the woman in the photo with Harry, H. G. S., was a Stickney, and there was a relationship between Harry and Horace after all?  


If you have any corrections, additions or insights regarding Harry C. Johnson or H. G. S., or if you think there's a connection between Harry and Horace, please leave a comment or contact me directly.


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Late 1800s photograph of Hattie Shailer, Grandma Shailer and her nurse, possibly Chester, Connecticut area

Late 1800s photograph of Hattie Shailer, Grandma Shailer and Grandma Shailer's nurse.   No photographer's imprint, unfortunately, so I don't know where the photograph was taken, to give a possible clue to the Shailer women.  However, I believe they are Harriet M. Shailer and her grandmother Hope (Ventres) Shailer of Connecticut; more on them below.

From online research, hopefully correct and hopefully for the Hattie Shailer in the photograph:

Harriet M. Shailer was born in June of 1863 in Connecticut, the daughter of Fisk Shailer and his wife Mary Russell of Connecticut.  Her paternal grandparents were Fisk and Hope (Ventres) Shailer.  Her maternal grandparents were Samuel and, possibly, Emma Russell.

Harriet married John Strickland sometime after the 1910 Census.  I found the couple in the 1920 and 1930 Censuses of Saybrook, Connecticut.

I found information on the Harriet Shailer discussed here in the Lineage Book, Volume 42, Daughters of the American Revolution.  Harriet's great great grandfather was John Ventres of Haddam, Connecticut, who commanded the militia that defended Saybrook in 1779.   Harriet Shailer in the Lineage Book

If you have any corrections, additions or insights regarding the information provided above, or if you feel that the photograph depicts a different Shailer family, please leave a comment or contact me directly.

A map of Chester, Connecticut:


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A map of Saybrook, Connecticut:


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Real Photo Postcard of Basil Shatford, Clarke Shatford & another young man, Nova Scotia, Canada

Early 1900s Real Photo Postcard showing three young men, two of them with the surname Shatford.  The third man is perhaps a Shatford, as well.  I believe the photograph was taken in Nova Scotia.

Transcript:

Well, Dear Sister, do you [know] who these are on the other side of this card.  The one in the middle is Clarke Shatford and the other is Basil Shatford and I think [you] can guess the other.  From Moody.


From online research, hopefully correct:


Clarke Beresford Shatford was born 20 February 1896 at Mill Cove, Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, Canada, the son of Leander Laban Shatford and his wife Eleanor Matilda (Verge) Shatford.   Clarke's paternal grandparents were Daniel and Catherine Lucy (Cross) Shatford.  His maternal grandparents were William George Verge and his wife Charlotte E. (Chandler) Verge.

On 4 January 1919, Clarke Beresford Shatford married Gertrude Louise Boutilier, who was born 16 June 1895, the daughter of John Amos Boutilier and his wife Deborah Lavinia (Levy) Boutilier.  The couple lived in Nova Scotia and had at least one child, a daughter.

I believe that the Basil Shatford pictured was Clarke's cousin.  Basil Boyne Shatford was born 24 December 1890 in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, Canada, the son of Hibbert Horatio Shatford and his wife Rachel Keziah (Garrison) Shatford.  Basil's paternal grandparents were Daniel and Catherine Lucy (Cross) Shatford.  His maternal grandparents were John Henry Garrison and his wife Susannah Margaret Jollimore.

On 12 November 1917, Basil Boyne Shatford married Fannie Pearl Hubley, who was born 30 January 1895 in Bayswater, Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia, the daughter of Elyard Sydney Hubley and his wife Bessie Almira Jollimore.  I didn't find any children for them, but I did find an obituary in which they were mentioned as foster parents.

I'd love to know the identify of "Moody" and his sister.  Perhaps a reader will come forward to clear up the mystery.

If you have any corrections, additions or insights regarding the information presented above, please leave a comment or contact me directly.

Below is a map of the Lunenburg, Nova Scotia area:


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