Mary Spooner Allen’s Autograph Book
by Tricia Noel
One hundred and seventy-five years ago, on December 25, 1850, Mary Ann Spooner Allen of Milo Center received this autograph book as a Christmas gift from her minister, Abner Chase, of Milo Center Methodist Church. It has a floral theme and features beautifully painted flowers on many of the pages. Autograph books were popular with teenagers and young people in the 19th century. They were usually elaborately decorated and blank inside, to allow the owner to collect poems, advice or jokes from loved ones. It was a way for people to keep treasured memories of each other, especially in a time before easy modes of communication could keep people in touch with one another.
Allen’s book was full of solemn entries, likely due to her health, which was precarious. In it, Chase wrote her a dedication and called her his "adopted granddaughter." He had performed Mary's marriage to Rufus Allen. Neighbor Elizabeth Hunt wrote an entry gently referring to Mary’s situation, praying for her salvation. Only a few friends, like Chase, Hunt, and Mary Seeley, had the chance to autograph her book before she died.
Mary Ann Spooner was born September 7, 1830, in Milo Center. The Spooner family was a large one, all centered in the little hamlet. Mary and Rufus were married on November 29, 1848, when she was just eighteen years old. She died May 21, 1851, aged only twenty. It is not known what caused Mary’s death, although it could have been anything from childbirth, an infection, or many of the illnesses that we can now prevent. Rufus may be the same Rufus Allen who was later killed in the Civil War in 1862.
Mary’s autograph book is not only an interesting example of an object that was used by nineteenth century young people to store memories of one another, but the shortness of life that was common in a time before antibiotics and vaccines. Many thanks to Linda Waterman who donated it, sending it back to its home in Yates County.
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