Edith Margaret Rogers May 1883, age 5 months
This baby photo has an inscription on back that reads ‘Edith Margaret Rogers, age 5 months, weight 16 pounds’ as well as a photographer’s imprint: ‘J W Upham, Jamestown, NY, 1883.’ Only a small percentage of photographer imprints include a date — J W Upham seems to have included the year on his 1881 to 1883 cards, judging by Darrah’s CDV collection, which shows 46 CDVs by J W Upham of Jamestown, New York — of which nine are dated, all 1881 through 1883.
We do not know exactly what years Upham was a photographer in Jamestown, but we know it was a much longer span than the dated CDVs would suggest. Craig mentions the partnership of Hoord and Upham in Jamestown in 1859. I do not find Hoord in the 1860 census for Jamestown. Upham is there (Joseph W Upham), but his occupation is listed as ‘Tanner and Courier’ — not photographer. Perhaps his experience working with Hoord interested him photography, but he didn’t have funds to open his own studio right away. By the 1870 census Joseph W Upham is listed as photographer, so we know he started his own business some time prior to that. He is also listed as photographer in the 1880 census, as we would expect. By the 1900 census he was apparently retired, as no occupation is listed. He was 70 years old by then, head of a household that included his wife, his brother Ebenezer and his wife and adult son, a niece and nephew surnamed Kinney, and a domestic servant.
We found Edith Elizabeth Rogers age 17 in the 1900 census, which showed her living at 627 East Sixth Street in Jamestown, born January 1883, daughter of Rovillus R and Celeste E Rogers. She is listed again in 1910, still living at home, working as a school teacher in the public schools. Not too surprising as her father’s occupation is Superintendent of Jamestown public schools. Edith had one brother, Harold L Rogers. In the 1920 census her parents are living in the same house, but neither of their children are there. By the 1930 census we find her mother Celeste still living in the same house, a widow, with two boarders, a young woman who was Primary Supervisor in the public schools, and her widowed mother. Harold Rogers is living in Glen Ridge NJ with wife Helen and three children. But I didn’t find Edith. Here is a complete transcript of the biography of Edith’s father — Rovillus Rollin Rodgers — which I think clear’s up the mystery of what happened to Edith, though it does so through an erroneous statement:
The Historic annals of southwestern New York, Lewis Historical Pub Co, 1940
Rovillus Rollin Rogers, A. M., LL. D., pgs 680-682Rovillus Rollin Rogers, A.M., LL. D.
In the history of the public school system of Jamestown there have been only five superintendents of schools. Each played well his part in the development of education, and it is worthy of more than passing note that nearly all of these executive heads have been captains of their own careers, men who acquired their schooling under the most difficult circumstances. Outstanding among these leaders was Dr Rovillus Rollin Rogers, second in order of service as superintendent, who administered Jamestown’s school affairs from early in 1890 to 1919. he had been identified with the schools of the Chautauqua County metropolis for thirty-eight years, a most extraordinary record.
The family background of Dr Rogers was notable. On the paternal side he traced his ancestry to the Mayflower Pilgrims; on the maternal side he was descended from Colonial progenitors of French Huguenot origin. It is interesting to note that the name Rogers is evidently derived from the ancient _Rodgarus_, meaning ’strong counselor.’ The English descent is traced from Sir John Fitz Rogers. Exceptional ancestry does not assure ease in life.
Dr Rogers, with whom this record is primarily concerned, lost his mother when he was six weeks old and he was reared in the family of Benjamin H Glazner, a farmer of Broome County, New York. During the following years, until he was nineteen years of age, he experienced all the hardships of pioneer agriculture in New York, Ohio and Iowa. During these early years he was a definite family asset, life was no doubt dull and drab, but he remained until his foster parents had become established and he had developed the character and efficiency that primitive farm life so abundantly produce.
Schooling came only as he could get it — winter terms in the old red schoolhouse of the period; four terms in an old-time academy at Kingsville, Ohio. He learned rapidly, however, and did a great deal of study that was no part of the curricula of that day. He taught for a time before he decided to enter the Oberlin Preparatory School and maintained himself while there and in Oberlin College, Ohio, from which he was graduated a Bachelor of Arts in 1876. Up to the date of receiving his degree, he had taught nine terms in the schools, and had managed to pay his way with the exception of a small amount.
Whether Dr Rogers would have made a career of education after Oberlin College, probably no one knows. He had a debt to pay, however, and in order to do so he entered the profession with which he was already familiar. This obligation he paid after a year as teacher of a ‘union’ school. Over a period of four years he was principal of the Ellington Union School and Academy, at Ellington, New York. Then he was head of a Gowanda school for a year, and in 1881 accepted appointment as principal of the academic department of a Jamestown public school, then known as the Union School and Collegiate Institute of that city. This it should be recalled was the time when the evolution of the private academy, by way of the union school, became the high school of today.
In March 1890, Dr Rogers succeeded Professor Samuel G Love, as superintendent of the Jamestown city school system, an office he held most capably until August 1, 1919, when he resigned to accept appointment as a State director of the Americanization Department, then one of the comparatively new and important educational activities of New York State. A whole story of education in southwestern New York could be written about the doctor’s activities during almost three decades. His ideas were always constructive and progressive; he was not only a natural teacher but a genuine leader. He initiated, and put into effective execution, numerous forward-looking policies; established high curricular standards; and broadened the range of the service of the schools to the public.
One of the high years in Dr Rogers’ career was 1915. On May 1, of that year, he was tendered a banquet in recognition of a quarter of a century’s service as superintendent of schools. He was also given a like testimonial and tribute upon his resignation four years later. In 1915 he was awarded the honorary degree of Master of Arts, by his _alma mater_, Oberlin College. In June, 1915, he also was honored by Oberlin College with the degree of Doctor of Laws, in recognition of his scholarship and attainments as an educator. Dr Rogers was twice president of the Chautauqua County Teachers Association, and at one time was president of the Schoolmasters Club. Twice he served on the State Council of City and Village Superintendents. The outstanding accomplishments of Dr Rogers’ long service to the schools of Jamestown include public kindergartens, free night schools, free textbooks, free vocation schools and summer playgrounds. Many other progressive steps taken during his service have become so familiar that their inception is forgotten.
On August 4, 1880, at Ellington, New York, Rovillus Rollin Rogers married Celeste E Williams, an adopted daughter of the late Dr James Brooks, of Ellington. Dr and Mrs Rogers became the parents of two children: 1. Edith Margaret, born February 2, 1919. 2. Harold Lee, of Glen Ridge, New Jersey.
Dr Rovillus Rollin Rogers died on February 26, 1929.
Today, there is a school in Jamestown named for Dr Rogers: Rovillus R Rogers Elementary School.
Everything in that biography fits the records we found, except the ludicrous statement that Edith Margaret was born February 2nd, 1919. More likely, that is when she died. I can even make an educated guess about why a single, apparently healthy woman would die shortly after her 36th birthday — that was the winter of the Great Flu Epidemic. She was a school teacher, and so exposed to plenty of germs from her students. She was in the 15 to 45 year age range hardest hit by the flu. If she had married, her father’s biography would have mentioned her by her married name. I can’t find her listed in the 1920 census by her maiden name. This biography mentions a wildly improbable date for her birth. It all adds up to the cited date being her death, rather than birth. I don’t have access to 1919 newspapers from Jamestown, nor death records there — either one could easily confirm or refute my theory.