Happy Birthday ALA!

As I was looking through a reference book with dates of persons born on particular days, things that happened on that day, and holidays or saints' days celebrated on a particular day, I discovered that October 6, 1876 was when the American Library Association was founded.*

The source mentioned three individuals who founded the association in the city of Philadelphia--Melvil Dewey (better known for his Dewey Decimal System of arranging or classifying books), F. W. Poole [sic - it's W. F. standing for William Frederick] (better known for indexing periodical literature), and Charles Cutter (better known for those little numbers that go under the Dewey Decimal Classification number that allow us to alphabetize by author (or title) under a number).

I thought it would be fun to locate the trio in the 1880 census.

Melvil Dewey is age 29, living with his father-in-law Benjamin D. Godfrey, on Otis Street in Newton, Massachusetts. He's listed as an editor.

Godfrey, Benjamin D., W, M, 68, --, without, Mass., Mass., Mass.
Godfrey, Anne A., W, F, 60, wife, keeping house, NJ, NJ, NJ
Dui, Melvil, W, M, 29, son-in-law, editor, NY, Conn., NY
--, Annie, W, F, 30, daughter, at home, Mass., Mass., NJ
Godfrey, Lydia B., 24, daughter, s. teacher, Mass., Mass., NJ
Watson, Ralph, W, M, 20, hired man, farm laborer, Bermuda, --, --
Douglas, Kate, W, F, 22, servant, --, Prince Edward Island, --, --
Callaham, Mary, W, F, 40, servant, --, Ireland, --, --

1880 U.S. Federal Census, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, population schedule, Ward 3, Newton, p. 73A-B (stamped), s.d. 60, enumeration district (E.D.) 475, sheet, 36, dwelling 319, family 345, Benjamin D. Godfrey household; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : 2 Oct 2012); citing NARA microfilm publication T9, roll 546.

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We find William F. Poole in Evanston, Illinois in 1880.  He is listed as a librarian. We know from many other sources that this was at the Chicago Public Library.

Poole, Wm. F, W, M, 58, --, Librarian, Mass., Mass., Mass.
--, Fannie, W, F, 46, wife, keeping house, Penn., N.Y., Conn.
--, Annie, W, F, 22, daughter, at home, Mass., Mass., Penn.
--, Mary, W, F, 20, daughter, at home, Mass., Mass., Penn.
--, Wm. F., Jr., W, M, 12, son, at school, Mass., Mass. Penn.

1880 U.S. Federal Census, Cook County, Illinois, population schedule, Evanston, p. 256B (stamped), s.d. 1, enumeration district (E.D.) 217, sheet 4, dwelling 51, family 51, Wm. F. Poole household; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : 3 Oct 2012); citing NARA microfilm publication T9, roll 201.

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Charles Cutter is in Winchester, Massachusetts in 1880. His extended family is living with him. He is listed as the librarian at the Athenaeum in Boston.

Cutter, Charles A., W, M, 43, --, Librarian (Athenaeum, Boston), Mass., Mass., Mass.
--, Sarah F., W, F, 41, wife, keeping house, Mass., Eng., N.H.
--, Louis F., W, M, 15, son, at school, Mass., Mass., Mass.
--, Philip C., W, M, 13, son, at school, Mass., Mass., Mass.
--, Roland N., W, M, 11, son, at school, Mass., Mass., Mass.
Bradbury, Charles W., W, M, 48, brother-in-law, traveling salesman, Mass., Mass., Mass.
--, Louise A., W, F, 43, sister-in-law, at home, N.H., Eng., N.H.
Cutter, Charlotte A., W, F, 64, aunt, at home, Mass., Mass., Mass.
--, Cordelia, W, F, 65, mother, at home, Mass., Mass., Mass.
Costello, Winnie, W, F, 35, servant, servant, Ireland, Ireland, Ireland
Callahan, Mary, W, F, 22, servant, servant, Mass., Ireland, Ireland

1880 U.S. Federal Census, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, population schedule, Winchester, p. 86B (stamped), s.d. 60, enumeration district (E.D.) 385, sheet 64, dwelling 621, family 632, Charles A. Cutter household; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : 3 Oct 2012); citing NARA microfilm publication T9, roll 539.

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Here are the ALA founders from 1880. I may have to be a bit nosy. I'm now curious as to whether the younger Mary Callahan in Charles Cutter's household is related to the older one in the household with Melvil Dewey. I also want to know if Charles Bradbury is descended from Mary Perkins Bradbury, one of those convicted as a witch in 1692, although she managed to escape.