Tri-Counties Genealogy & History by Joyce M. Tice
Smithfield Township, Bradford
County PA
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Bradford County PA
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Chemung County NY
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Tioga County PA
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Families & Individuals
of the Tri-Counties
Frances Orion WILCOX of Smithfield
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Introduction by Joyce M. Tice - Way Back
When, when a woman's worth, and her family's comfort and survival,
was measured by her level of domestic skills young women learned the domestic
arts by making samplers to try out all the various stitches they might
need to know. An alphabet and fancy stitching were typical subjects. Dick
McCracken has submitted a photo of one he has from his third great grandmother.
He has shown me the original and the photo accurately reflets the soft,
muted colors in it. Above I have a full size detail, and below the reduced
size version of the whole sampler. Dick also included a note about the
woman who did it. What a treasure to survive so long.
The sampler was produced
by my GG-Grandmother Frances Orion WILCOX andis dated 25 Apr
1836. It was 102 years old on the day I was born! Because of the
date my Grandmother Fannie Helen HARRIS Keyser (teacher of the Smithfield
School in 1912 whose picture is on the Souvenir Booklet on your site) made
certain that it came to me. Currently 166 years old, it was finished
when the young girl was 10 years old. As you can see, she signed
the sampler as Orion Wilcox, dropping her given name Frances.
Frances Orion WILCOX was born 12 Dec 1826 in Smithfield Twp, Bradford
Co, PA. On 24 Nov 1853 she married Orville Bassett Kellogg, also
born in Smithfield. She died 31 Jan 1904 in E. Smithfield.
Both she and her husband are buried in the Old Congregational Cemetery,
E. Smithfield.--
Dick McCracken, Towanda, PA
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