-
Ellie’s perfect
Ellie Stoneroad was perfect–at least, according to a quarterly report from the Harrisburg Female Seminary. According to her principal, S.E. Dixon, Ellie attained perfect “4” scores in all subjects–ancient geography, composition, algebra, zoology, evidences of Christianity, Butler’s analogy, music, and family departments. She was perfectly punctual and perfectly behaved, as well.
-
A catalogue for Ellie’s alma mater
Dear Ellie Stoneroad, packrat that she seems to have been, saved three catalogues from her alma mater, the short-lived Harrisburg Female Seminary. The seminary, which lasted from 1849 to 1867, was located at the junction of Locust Street and present-day Court Street in Harrisburg–coincidentally at the very spot of the parking garage serving the office building where I interned one summer in college. (I did not realize this at the time, however.) Despite its short life, the seminary seems to have attracted substantial backing during its time. Its catalogue lists recommendations from many, including William F. Johnson, the former governor of Pennsylvania. Names of its backers read like a who’s…
-
Schoolgirl Scribblings
Tucked away for a century or more between pages 142 and 143 of D’Aubigne’s History of the Reformation (Vol. II) was a pristine sheet, embossed, written upon in pencil and pen by Ellie Stoneroad. It survives from Ellie’s schoolgirl days at the Harrisburg Female Seminary. It’s faint, not very easy to read, but brings a smile nonetheless for the sheer normalcy of the things written upon it. Ellie wrote multiple times on it the months and days of the week and their meanings (“July -Julius Ceasar,” “Monday-Moon’s Day,” “Friday-Frea’s Day”), an abortive French verb conjugation (“voyais, voyons”), and her last name and city (Stoneroad, Harrisburg). There appears (twice) the instruction “Write…
-
She didn’t even mention Abe
In a falling-apart expanding file are a number of beautiful little envelopes of private correspondence to Ellie Stoneroad Patterson, my three-greats grandmother. Inside are handwritten letters, embossed, on paper still substantial and barely yellowed, even after all these years. The handwriting is exquisite but light, not written darkly and faded over time. They’re tough to read, but not impossible. One letter, dated March 9, 1861, comes from S.E. Dixon, one of Ellie’s friends. Mrs. Dixon writes from Harrisburg of her travels to Baltimore, Annapolis, and Maryland over the previous week. We spent Sunday at Annapolis, had a delightful time, Monday we went to Washington, where we remained until Wednesday afternoon.…