Friday, October 19, 2012

Autograph Album of Lizzie Witmore of Ohio, collected at Our Home on the Hillside at Dansville, New York in the summer of 1877


Autograph album of Lizzie Witmore of Ohio, apparently filled out when while she was spending the summer at Dansville, New York at the famous meeting center "Our Home on the Hillside".

Lizzie was the daughter and sister of Dunkard preachers.  Her parents were Rev. Jonathan Witmore and, I think, his third wife Susan Smith.  Her half brother Rev. Jacob Witmore and his wife Amanda (Bosserman) Witmore signed pages in her album.  




Jacob Witmore, biography in

A history of the Church of the brethren in Kansas

 By Elmer Le Roy Craik







Two other people named Bosserman signed pages in Lizzie's album.
Mrs. E. J. Bosserman of Dunkirk, Ohio, signed a page in 1877 at "Our Home", at Dansville, New York.



S. T. Bosserman of Dunkirk, Ohio, signed a page in 1877 at "Our Home" at Dansville, New York.



There's a bit of information online about Lizzie's father and brother, and other relatives, but not much on Lizzie.  Perhaps she was at Dansville, New York, while her father was preaching there, or perhaps she was involved in activities on her own.  She would have been about 22 in 1877.

She may have been the Lizzie who married Jacob Smith, another Ohio native, not long after she collected the autographs for her album.  

If you have information on Lizzie Witmore, please leave a comment or contact me directly.  Thanks!

The album is approximately 7" x 4" and contains the names of over 70 people from the United States and Canada, with a few of them sharing pages.

Complete list of signers in alphabetical order [note: Given names within a specific surname may not be in alpha order.]


  • J. A. Abbott of Brooklyn, New York; signed at "Our Home" at Dansville, New York, 1877; shared page with Mira Gongwer of Washingtonville, Ohio
  • Henry F. Angle, M.D. of Williamsport, Maryland; signed at "Our Home" at Dansville, New York, 1877; shared page with Nellie Carroll, Fanny H. Sherman and Jennie Bingham
  • Minnie F. Baker of Easton, New York; signed at "Our Home" at Dansville, New York, 1877; shared a page with Rozamond Dale Owen of New Harmony, Indiana
  • J. Annette Baker of Easton, New York; signed at "Our Home" at Dansville, New York, 1877
  • Meda C. Barker of North Dartmouth, Massachusetts; signed at "Our Home" at Dansville, New York, 1877; shared a page with Katie L. Barker of Brookline, Massachusetts
  • Katie L. Barker of Brookline, Massachusetts; signed at "Our Home" at Dansville, New York, 1877; shared a page with Meda C. Barker of North Dartmouth, Massachusetts
  • E. M. Barnes of Bakersfield, Vermont, signed at "Our Home" at Dansville, New York, 1877; shared a page with Sarah A. G. Stevens of St. Johnsbury, Vermont
  • Stella H. Bartlett of Sandwich, Illinois; signed at "Our Home"
  • Lillias C. Bell of Hamilton, Ontario, signed at Dansville, New York, 1877
  • Jennie Bingham of Sharpsville, Pennsylvania; shared page with Henry F. Angle, M.D., Nellie Carroll and Fanny H. Sherman
  • S. Adelbert Blend of Addison Hill, New York, signed at "Ivy Lodge" at "Our Home" at Dansville, New York, 1877
  • Lyda Bomand of Indianapolis, Indiana; signed at Brightside, at "Our Home", at Dansville, New York, 1877
  • Jennie Bomand of Indianapolis, Indiana; signed at "Our Home", 1877; on a page shared with Irene Lewis of Dansville, New York and Nan Miller of Dansville, New York
  • Mrs. E. J. Bosserman of Dunkirk, Ohio; signed at "Our Home" at Dansville, New York
  • S. T. Bosserman of Dunkirk, Ohio; signed at "Our Home", 1877
  • Mary E. Bowman of Collamer, Indiana; signed at Crown Hill, 1877
  • S. D. Bowman of Collamer, Indiana; signed at "Our Home on the Hillside" at Dansville, New York, 1877
  • Susan Bowman of Collamer, Indiana
  • Clifton B. Bull of Rochester, New York, signed at "Our Home", at Dansville, New York, 1877
  • Nellie Carroll of Moscow, New York; shared page with Henry F. Angle, M.D., Fanny H. Sherman and Jennie Bingham
  • Mrs. J. M. Coats of Ashville, New York; signed at "Our Home", 1877
  • Mrs. Lizzie A. Collett of Bangor, Maine.  I think she was Elizabeth A. (Sawyer) Collett, married to Job Collett.  They are buried at Mount Hope Cemetery at Bangor, Maine
  • Harrie Cornes of Medina, New York; signed at "Our Home" at Dansville, New York, 1877; shared a page with Mary A. Cornes of Medina, New York
  • Mary A. Cornes of Medina, New York, signed at "Our Home" at Dansville, Maine; shared a page with Harrie Cornes of Medina, New York
  • Mrs. Croft of Yorkville, Canada
  • M. A. Croft of Yorkville, Canada
  • T. T. Davison of Madison, Indiana, signed at "Hillside", "Our Home" at Dansville, New York, 1877
  • Jennie Day of Cowansville, Quebec
  • M. M. Dewey of Hawley, Pennsylvania, signed at "Thompson Cottage", 1877, probably at "Our Home" at Dansville, New York
  • Maltie Elliott of Clifty, Indiana, signed at "Our Home" at Dansville, New York in 1877.
  • Mrs. M. C. Ells of Moline, Illinois; signed at "Our Home" at Dansville, New York, 1877
  • Lizzie S. Fielding of Hartford, Connecticut; signed at "Our Home" at Dansville, New York, 1877; shared a page with Jessie Garrett of Hamilton, Ontario
  • Jessie Garrett of Hamilton, Ontario; signed at "Our Home" at Dansville, New York, 1877; shared a page with Lizzie S. Fielding of Hartford, Connecticut
  • Mira Gongwer of Washingtonville, Ohio; signed at "Our Home" at Dansville, New York, 1877; shared page with J. A. Abbott of Brooklyn, New York, 1877
  • Mary D. Goodyear of Camden, New York, signed at "Our Home", at Dansville, New York, in 1877; shared a page with Mrs. H. K. Murdock of Dansville, New York
  • Jennie Hixon of Hamilton, Ontario
  • Florence Houghton
  • Angela E. Keyes of Richville, New York
  • Irene Lewis of Dansville, New York; on a page shared with Jennie Bomand of Indianapolis, Indiana, and Nan Miller of Dansville, New York
  • Emma L. Loomis of Hartford, Connecticut; shared a page with Ella Louise Patten of Somers, Connecticut
  • Maggie E. Maclaren of Toledo, Ohio; signed at "Our Home", 1877
  • Caroline R. Mason of Bangor, Maine; signed at "Our Home" at Dansville, New York
  • Louisa S. Meyer of Mt. Washington, Maryland
  • Nan Miller of Dansville, New York; signed at Happy Family of Terrace, No. 9, likely at "Our Home" at Dansville, New York
  • Jennie Moore of Detroit, Michigan.  Middle initial might be K or R.  Signed at "Our Home" at Dansville, New York in 1877
  • Mrs. H. K. Murdock of Dansville, New York, signed at "Our Home" at Dansville, New York 1877; shared a page with Mary D. Goodyear of Camden, New York
  • O. N. Mussen of Montreal, Canada, signed at "Our Home" at Dansville, New York, 1877
  • Rozamond Dale Owen of New Harmony, Indiana; signed at "Our Home" at Dansville, New York, 1877; shared a page with Minnie F. Baker of Easton, New York
  • Martha M. Parsons of 63 North Charles Street, Baltimore, Maryland, signed at Crown Hill, "Our Home", 1877
  • Ella Louise Patten of Somers, Connecticut; shared a page with Emma L. Loomis of Hartford, Connecticut
  • Mrs. H. W. Read of San Francisco, California' signed at "Our Home", 1877
  • S. R. Robinson of Tonawanda, New York, signed at "Our Home", 1877
  • Fanny H. Sherman of Monticello, New York; shared page with Henry F. Angle, M.D., Nellie Carroll and Jennie Bingham
  • Jessie Shoof of Newcastle, Pennsylvania; signed at "Brightside" at "Our Home" at Dansville, New York, 1877
  • Kate Shute, signed at "Our Home", Dansville, New York, 1877
  • Charles E. Smith of Delavan, Wisconsin; signed at "Brightside, Our Home", 1877; "Hillside Home"
  • Mary A. Sterling of Rochester, New York, 1877
  • Richard and Elizabeth Stevens of Oakfield, New York; signed at "Our Home" at Dansville, New York, 1877
  • Sarah A. G. Stevens of St. Johnsbury, Vermont; signed at "Our Home" at Dansville, New York, 1877; shared a page with E. M. Barnes of Bakesfield, Vermont
  • Minnie H. Stockwell and B. E. Stockwell of Peru, Indiana
  • Mary Ann Taber of Mt. Pleasant, Ohio; signed at "Our Home" at Dansville, New York, 1877; shared a page with Selma P. Taber of Mt. Pleasant, Ohio
  • Selma P. Taber of Mt. Pleasant, Ohio; signed at "Our Home", 1877; shared a page with Mary Ann Taber of Mt. Pleasant, Ohio
  • Mrs. C. B. Teeter of Dunkirk, Ohio, signed at "Our Home" at Dansville, New York, 1877
  • D. Thomas of Georgetown, Kentucky, signed at "Our Home at Dansville, New York, 1877
  • Nellie F. Waite of East Dorset, Vermont; signed at "Our Home" "Crown Hill, at Dansville, New York, 1877
  • A. M. N. Walker of New Bedford, Massachusetts, signed at "Noble Cottage", 1877.  Noble Cottage may have been at "Our Home" at Dansville, New York
  • Clara I. J. Ward of Worcester, Massachusetts, signed at "Our Home" at Dansville, New York, 1877
  • Emogene Wheelock of Uxbridge, Massachusetts; signed at "Our Home" at Dansville, New York, 1877
  • D. A. White of Barington, Pennsylvania; not sure of middle initial
  • Lizzie Witmore of Ohio; album owner
  • Jacob and Amanda (Bosserman) Witmore of Dunkirk, Ohio; signed at "Our Home" at Dansville, New York, 1877.  Jacob Witmore was Lizzie Witmore's brother.
  • L. Woodward of Saratoga Springs, New York; signed at Liberty Hall at "Our Home" at Dansville, New York, 1877
  • Ellen L. Young of Orwell, Vermont, signed at "Our Home" at Dansville, New York in 1877
Thanks for stopping by!

2 comments:

  1. That was Lizzie who married Jacob Smith in 1928, and she was the daughter of Susan Smith who married Jonathan in 1852. Here is Jonathan's marriage, Lizzie's marriage, and Lizzie's death, all images, from familysearch.


    Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-1994," Jonathan Witmore, 1852
    https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/X8F8-172

    Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-1994," Lizzie A. Whitmore, 1878
    https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XZZ4-DLH

    Ohio, Deaths, 1908-1953," Elizabeth A Smith, 1928
    https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/X8LB-RWL

    Informant was a Leland Smith from Detroit, MI.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oops, try again. She married in 1878 and died in 1928.

    ReplyDelete