PAGE 24 - 6 Sigma Phi events/Conventions, 1877-1883

My great-grandfather, James Grover "Grove" TERWILLIGER, filled his Souvenir Album with a miscellany of ribbons, invitations, stamps, cards, tickets, cut-outs from hotel letterheads, newspaper articles, and other items from his travels and affiliations. Page 24, continues the various events related to Sigma Phi, of which he appears to have been a member.  All use the additional E.P.V. on each event. I don't understand what "E.P.V." means, so please let me know in your comments below!  

The two envelopes on the left have invitations inside, the four other tickets are glued down without an envelope. I will describe them by taking the two on the left, then the middle two, then the two on the right, vertically.

Left row:
   1.  Sigma Phi E.P.V.   You are cordially invited to attend the / Semi Centennial Convention / of the Sigma Phi / to be holden [sic] at Schenectady / on the evening of Friday March 2nd, 1877 / at 8 o'clock. / R.S.V.P. 

   2.  (see photo of invitation & envelope on right)  The pleasure of your company is requested / at / Sigma Phi Place / Wednesday, July 3rd 1878. / from five to eleven o'clock P.M. /    [Four names in two rows at bottom:]  James T. Wright.  Robert F. McQueen.  Henry B. McQueen.  Edwin A. King

Middle row: 
   3.  Sigma Phi Convention / Schenectady N.Y. / Friday, March First 1878. / E.P.V. / R.S.V.P.

   4.  Sigma Phi Convention / Schenectady N.Y. / Thursday, March fourth, 1880. / E.P.V. / R.S.V.P.

Right row: 
   5.  Sigma Phi Convention / Schenectady N.Y. / Friday, March Third, 1882. / E.P.V. / R.S.V.P.

   6.  Sigma Phi Convention / Schenectady N.Y. / Friday, March Second, 1883. / E.P.V. /  R.S.V.P. 

Sigh. I just looked ahead, and the next page is 6 tickets of more years of Sigma Phi Conventions... therefore, I'll post Page 25 next Saturday, to complete the pages.  On the other hand, Page 26 has glued-down currency of various kinds... fascinating!  I can't wait to show them to you.  

Please do contact me with your questions or information via calewis at telus dot net, or in the Comments below.  I am always looking to add value to this Album, and corrections are sincerely accepted!  

PAGE 23 - 6 Sigma Phi events, 1 Yale College Glee Club event

My great-grandfather, James Grover "Grove" TERWILLIGER, filled his Souvenir Album with a miscellany of ribbons, invitations, stamps, cards, tickets, cut-outs from hotel letterheads, newspaper articles, and other items from his travels and affiliations.   Page 23 has 7 invitations: 6 are for Sigma Phi social events, and the last is for a Yale College Glee club event. Meeting at 6, dancing at 7:30, for several Sigma Phi events. However there are only a few years printed on the invitations; many have only the month, weekday, and date.  

Much searching through examples of perpetual calendars has ensued... my mind glazed over eventually.  I found many pretty examples of how to find the day of the week from the year and date, but only mind-blowing versions of how to find the year for a date and day of the week... It did not compute for me.  I'm clearly missing an obvious step.  So I'm putting it out here, and anyone who can figure it out, please let me know.  Most likely, these events are from 1870 to 1895.  

I expect it would be reasonable for me to write to Sigma Phi in New York and request information on whether or not my greatgrandfather was a member.  Although, it is possible he received these invitations via his colleagues or friends. 

1. Here is the inside of the top left example, with lovely colour printing on the outside as well as inside the invitation:

The Sigma Phi Society

Request the pleasure of your company

on Wednesday evening July 2nd at six o'clock

            D.S. Williams

          J. F. Johnson

           F. Townsend Jr.

2. In the same manner and style, the next invitation below states: The pleasure of your company is requested at Sigma Phi Place,  Wednesday July seventh at 6 o'clock P.M.   Dancing at half past seven.  Robert Townsend.

3.  Bottom left invitation has the Sigma Phi embossed in white on white, and states:  The pleasure of your company is requested at Sigma Phi Place, Wednesday July first at 6 o'clock P.M.  Dancing at half past seven.  L.V. Davison. J.N. Tollené. W.D. Edmonds.

4. Centre invitation states: The Forty Eighth Annual Summer Convention of the Sigma Phi will be held with the Alpha of Michigan.  Monday June 28th 1875.   Note this chapter (Alpha) was founded in 1827

5.  Top right invitation has an embossed old English S on the front, with the same type of lettering inside for the name.  The invitation states:  Mr. Spencer Jr.   Requests the pleasure of your company to meet the members of the Yale College Glee Club  Tuesday April 14th, from 3 to 6 P.M.   75 James Street

6.   Middle right invitation states:  The Forty Ninth Annual Summer Convention of the Sigma Phi will be held with the Beta of New York,  Wednesday June 28th 1876.  Secret Session at 10 o'clock P.M.  

7.  The final bottom right invitation has its own envelope, glued down carefully, so I cannot read to whom it is addressed (sigh), and in the usual style and manner, states: The pleasure of your company is requested at Sigma Phi Place, Wednesday July fourth at six o'clock P.M.  Dancing at half past seven.  T.T. Munroe.  G.R. Livingston.  G.T. Clark.  Bryan Collins.

Hmmm.  Does anyone have knowledge of the histories or details of any of these events? Or know any of the names mentioned? I'm assuming the names are officials in charge of the events, or of the chapter.  The next page, Page 24, has more invitations and notices from Sigma Phi, so I'll do another page next Saturday.

If you have any questions or information please do not hesitate to contact me via calewis at telus dot net, or in the Comments below.  

PAGE 22 - 8 At-Home Cards, 1 "Wooden Wedding" card

My great-grandfather, James Grover "Grove" TERWILLIGER, filled his Souvenir Album with a miscellany of ribbons, invitations, stamps, cards, tickets, cut-outs from hotel letterheads, newspaper articles, and other items from his travels and affiliations.  

Page 22 has 8 At Home cards, centred around an invitation to a Wooden Wedding celebration - a 5th Wedding Anniversary. Since the celebration is the only dated item - 1871 - I'll assume the other cards are from roughly the same period.  And, since he and his wife were not married until 1879, it is possible that some cards may be from his parents' collection. 

Here are the top 4 cards, left to right each horizontal row:

1.  Mr. & Mrs. E.M. Dudley  Mr. E.M. Dudley apparently was involved in the setting up of the Bryant Association Library in Syracuse NY, according to several articles found in the Syracuse Daily Journal in the mid-late 1870s. This link takes you to a rather challenging-to-read page, 3rd column from left, partway down the column, from February 18, 1879.  I also found a reference in the Syracuse Standard, November 25, 1884, of "E.M. Dudley, basso" taking part in an entertainment, as part of St. Mary's Fair.  

2.  Mr. & Mrs. T.W. Dalton, with bottom left corner details possibly indicating they were taking up their new residence as a married couple - At Home,  144 South Salina St.,  after December 1st 1881.  Mr. Dalton apparently was a druggist, owning his own store in Syracuse.

3.  Mary T. Jackson  Also printed in the same very ornate lettering as the Dudley's card, was apparently a teacher, running the Keble School, an English & French Boarding and Day School, with Kindergarten, as noted in the Daily Standard, 1873.  In the 1880 Census, a Mary T. is the wife of E.M. Dudley, #1 card above, and might be the same person -? Possibly, or possibly not. 

4.  Mattie E. Smith  I was able to find a few references to Mattie E. Smith - e.g., taking dancing lessons in Brooklyn, in 1883, and attending dances.  Also mentioned in the Sunday Saratogian, August 29, 1886: "Miss Mattie E.Smith, whose readings and songs have been heard with pleasure in the parlors of various hotels during the week is a guest at the Pleasant Home, Federal street."

Next, Wooden Celebration - printed on a thin slice of actual wood: 

5.  Mr. & Mrs. Frank E. Marble, request the pleasure of your company, at the celebration of their Wooden Wedding, Tuesday Evening, Feb 14th, 1871, 205 Shonnard Street [Syracuse NY]. Frank Marble had been a Captain in one of the NY Civil War battalians; and apparently also owned several homes, according to several advertisements in Syracuse area newspapers.

The next 4 cards also appear to be at home cards, read left to right, in two horizontal rows:

6.  Dr. & Mrs. James Willis Candee  Dr. Candee was a homeopathic physician, one of the representatives of the State Medical Examiners Board of New York.  He and his wife seem to have had a very social life, with many notices in the newspaper of various parties given.

7.  Mr. & Mrs. Owen D. Perry  19 Plant St.  Utica N.Y.  Utica is east of Syracuse NY. Owen Perry owned a clothier store with his brother.  He married Miss Nellie Burrill, (card on bottom right), in 1881. 

8.  Eva Fredrika Smith  A 1916 Brooklyn newspaper notes a Miss Eva F. Smith, a long-time employee of the Customs Service, acting as Chairman of the Library Committee. This committee worked to open a small library as part of the Barge Office Building Social Welfare League.  It provided a space for men waiting between jobs to read or play "innocent games".  

9.  Miss Nellie Burrill, who married Owen D. Perry in 1881, see #7 above.  I found a reference to her attending the First Baptist Church in Syracuse, along with Mrs. Charles Graves, my great-grandmother; also a reference to a mutual friend who attended the same school as my great-grandmother, Mt. Holyoke.  

Whew!  Some of these cards appear to be more relevant to Grove & Gussie TERWILLIGER, some to Grove's parents, James & Harriet TERWILLIGER.  Both couples appear to have been very social, and participated in many social events in Syracuse and New York city.  

If you know of any of these people, or would like more information, do contact me via calewis at telus dot net, or through the Comments section below.