Thursday, October 18, 2012

1870s/1880s Autograph Album of Mary Evelyn Gantz of Brooklyn, New York


Note of June 2014: Be sure to check the comments section for a reader contribution.
Note of February 2021: check the comments section for information on the inscribers named Olmstead

1870s autograph album of Mary Evelyn Gantz, "Mamie", of Brooklyn, New York and Pennsylvania.


The album is approximately 7-1/4" x 5" and contains 59 pages signed by Mary Evelyn Gantz herself and her relatives and friends.  Many are inscribed to "Mamie".  An alphabetical list of the signers appears at the end of this post.


From online research, hopefully correct: [corrections welcome]

Mary Evelyn Gantz was born about 1860 in New York, the daughter of John Williams Gantz and Virginia H. (Crocker) Gantz.

Her paternal grandparents were George W. and Elizabeth (Williams) Gantz.  Her maternal grandparents were Daniel Wolcott Crocker and Letitia (Gantz) Crocker.

By the time of the 1870 Census, John Williams Gantz had died, and Virginia had moved the family to Pottstown, Pennsylvania.  

By 1880 Mamie and her sister Elizabeth were living in the New York City household of Silas Sadler Packard, who had married Mamie's maternal aunt Marion Helena Crocker.  

At some point after that, she moved to Brooklyn, New York, where she's listed in the 1910 and 1920 Censuses.

Mamie's paternal aunt, Victorine Antoinette (Gantz) who married Benjamin Henry Loder, signed a page at Brooklyn, New York, in 1885.


It's possible that the Uncle Ben who signed the page, shown below, at Rye, New York, in 1882, was Aunt Vic's husband Benjamin Henry Loder.


Two of the children of Aunt Vic and Uncle Ben signed pages as well.  Mabel Church Loder signed a page at Brooklyn, New York, in 1886.


Their daughter Marion Loder signed a page at Brooklyn, New York, in 1882.


The page below signed by Aunt Anna at Brooklyn, New York, may have been signed by Anna Rebecca Ringgold (Gantz), who married Henry B. Cleveland.


The page below signed by Uncle Harry at Brooklyn, New York, in 1885, may have been signed by Aunt Anna's husband Henry B. Cleveland.


An Aunt Kate signed a page at Brooklyn, New York in 1886.


An Uncle Silas signed a page signed a page at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1878.  He was Silas Sadler Packard, who married Mamie's maternal aunt Marion Helena Crocker.  Another page has a transcript of his thoughts taped to it.



Uncle W. H. Crocker signed a page in 1878.  He was William Henry Crocker, a brother of Mamie's mother Virginia H. (Crocker) Gantz.  He died less than two years after signing this page.


A "Coz B. C." signed a page in 1883.


If you have corrections to the information above or information on the Gantz and Crocker families, or any of the signers in the list below, please leave a comment or contact me directly.  Thanks!

Alphabetical list of inscribers [Note: Given names within a specific surname may not be in alpha order.]
  • Aunt Kate, signed at Brooklyn, New York, 1886
  • Lillie, 1878.  Sketch of flowers and butterfly
  • S. E. Atkins, 1878
  • M. C. Barns, 1878
  • Annie Bentley, 1878; friend
  • Florence Bird, 1878
  • L. C. Bower, 1878
  • Lizzie A. Brown, 1878
  • B. C., "cuz".  Perhaps B. Crocker?
  • Josie A. Chace, 1880
  • Aunt Anna, signed at Brooklyn, New York.  I believe this was Anna Rebecca Ringgold (Gantz) Cleveland, sister of Mamie's father John Williams Gantz and wife of Henry B. Cleveland
  • Uncle Harry, signed at Brooklyn, New York, 1885. Husband of Anna Rebecca Ringgold (Gantz) Cleveland, sister of Mamie's father John Williams Gantz
  • M? Cook, signed at Ashfield, 1891.  Written in another hand: Minerva H. Cook.  Based on another entry, Ashfield was in Massachusetts
  • Mary A. Cook, signed at Ashfield, Massachusetts
  • W. H. Crocker, 1878; Mamie's uncle, perhaps a brother to Mamie's mother Virginia H. Crocker.  He would die less than two years later in April 1880.
  • Elizabeth W. Dickson, 1878
  • Anna C. Donoghue, 1878
  • L. Dornan, 1878
  • Sallie A. Edwards, 1878
  • Anna M. Fullerton, 1878
  • Mary Evelyn Gantz, nicknamed "Mamie".  The album was presented to her by her mother, Virginia H. (Crocker) Gantz in 1878
  • Laura Hall, 1878.  Middle initial might be I
  • C. H. Harmon, Jr., of Hawley, Massachusetts, signed at Ashfield, Massachusetts, 1887
  • Ella L. Haskell, signed at Ashfield, Massachusetts, 1887; friend
  • J. C. A. Haskell, signed at Ashfield, Massachusetts, 1887
  • O. Hileman of Callie Furnace, Virginia, signed at Ashfield, Massachusetts, 1887
  • S. Estelle Jones, 1880 or 1890; friend
  • E. S. K., 1878
  • Aunt Vic of Brooklyn, New York, 1885.  This was likely Victorine Antionette (Gantz) Loder, sister of Mamie's father John Williams Gantz and wife of Benjamin Henry Loder
  • Mabel C. Loder, signed at Brooklyn, New York, 1886.  Mabel Chase Loder, daughter of signers Benjamin Henry Loder and Victorine Antoinette (Gantz) Loder, who was Mamie's father's sister
  • Marion Loder, signed at Brooklyn, New York, 1882.  Mamie's cousin, daughter of Benjamin Henry Loder and Victorine Antoinette (Gantz) Loder, sister of Mamie's father John Williams Gantz
  • Anna R. Mathews, 1878
  • E. V. McLoughlin, 1878
  • Mattie Mishaw, 1878
  • Laura T. Mitchell, 1878
  • Louise Moody, signed at New York, 1884
  • C. A. Mulford of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1884.  Perhaps Clarence A. Mulford
  • Mrs. E. A. Mulford, 1884.  Perhaps Elizabeth Mulford, wife of Clarence A. Mulford.
  • Lucy Newland, signed at G. N. S., 1878  Normal School?
  • Lizzie O'Shea, 1878 at G. N. S.  Normal School?
  • Benjamin S. Olmstead, signed at Rye, New York, 1882.  Husband of Marion Bogardus (Gantz) Olmstead, sister of Mamie's father John Williams Gantz
  • W. S. Olmstead, signed at Rye, New York, 1882
  • M. A. Olmstead, signed at New York, 1888.  There's a third initial.  Could be M. A. P. or M. A. R., etc.
  • George S. Olmstead, 1882.  Mamie's cousin, son of Benjamin S. Olmstead and Marion Bogardus (Gantz) Olmstead, sister of Mamie's father John Williams Gantz
  • Uncle Silas, signed at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1878.  Signed one page and someone taped a typed transcript of his entry on another page.  Silas Sadler Packard, who married Mamie's maternal aunt, Marion Helena Crocker
  • Helen Rowand, 188?  Very faint writing.  Surname appears to be Rowand
  • Alfred Seibert, 1885
  • Carrie M. Simpson, Class A, G.N.S., 1878; friend.   Normal School?
  • Sara W. Smith, 1878
  • Bella P. Sorber, 1878
  • Jeannette Taylor, 1881
  • M. E. Thurston of Northfield, Massachusetts
  • Nellie S. Vail, 1880
  • Millie J. Vaughan, 1884.  Mentions Camp Raquette and Snug Harbor
  • C. Waldie, 1878.  Could also be Walden, Waldin, etc.
  • Florence Whittemore of Rye, New York, 1885; friend
  • Mary E. Wiggin of Rye, New York, 1885.  Cute sketch of cartoonish people, identified by initials
  • Eva Winsley, 1878; friend
  • Eleanor Worthington, 1878



Thanks for stopping by!

4 comments:

  1. Virginia H Crocker Gantz and her sister, Marion Helena Crocker Packard were sisters to one of my great great grandfathers - the William Henry Crocker you've identified here. Their parents were Daniel Wolcott Crocker and Letitia Gantz. William operated a stationery business on Broome Street in New York City in the 1870s.
    Very happy to see this book!
    Thank you!
    Steve

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  2. Thanks for taking the time to comment! I amended the post to direct readers to your comment.

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  3. W.S. Olmstead is ‘William’ son of Benjamin and Marian Olmstead and brother of George. “B.S. and G.S. Olmstead” were Landscape Architects who designed ‘New’ Katonah when the village was moved to make way for NYC reservoirs.

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    Replies
    1. Fascinating! Thanks for taking the time to comment.

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