Joan Graven (daughter of Bessie Wood) gave me an autograph album that belonged to Maria Cook Roome Wood. Before the era of photography, people had autograph albums that their friends would write in. Only a few pages of this album are filled out. These pages deal with family events, the first are written in French. I don't know if Mr. Roome was French Canadian or from France, certainly family lore says France. I took this album to the Minnesota Historical society to see if the writing had faded. Sadly, under neither ultraviolet nor infrared did any more writing appear. If only Maria's family history had been filled out, we would have our family history.

Written on the inside cover

Sweetest Maria

Forget me not.  Forget me not.
But let these little simple lines
Remind thee of the lonely lot
that gided (sic) me in lifes pures hour
Your true friend

       Louisa Callahan


Dearest Maria

Go where the waters glideth ever
Glideth by meadows that the greenes be
Go listen to our own beloved river
And think of me

Louisa

Yorkville July 28th, 1855

WRITTEN BY LOUISA CALLAHAN

Henri was born
Sunday 8:30
in the evening
Harlem NY
26 February 1854

WRITTEN BY MARIA ROOME

Eugenie Marie was born
Sunday 10 o'clock in
the morning
Yorkville NY
22 June 1856

WRITTEN BY MARIA ROOME

Charles was born
Sept. 26th 1865.
on Alcatraces Island
Harbor San Francisco
California
Born 10 1/2 PM

WRITTEN BY MARIA ROOME WOOD

Charles and Maria were living at the federal fort at Alcatraz island. Charles was the 4th commandant.

"Alcatraces" island has been Anglicized to Alcatraz. The island's name itself is derived from the Spanish word alcatraces, meaning "strange bird" - a reference to pelicans living on the island when it was first observed. What happened to this son Charles?   Little Brother

Eugenie was married this
day the 27th of August 1874 to Charles
M. Howe in the episcopal church
of Cairo Illinois at one o'clock
in the afternoon.

George Chester Howe.  Born Sept 14th 1875 at
2 1/2 A.M.  Cairo Illinois

Maria Eugenie Howe - Born Oct 29 1880
8

WRITTEN BY EUGENIE MARIE ROOME WOOD HOWE (the marriage not recorded by Maria, who died in March 24 1875, seven months later, in St. Louis)

Our mother died this morning
at the residence of Mrs. Gilpui St. Louis
Mo. this 24th day of March 1875 at
7 o'clock in the morning -
Eugenie Henry and Charlie

WRITTEN BY EUGENIE MARIE ROOME WOOD HOWE