The Shelby Museum Of History
 
Recorders of Shelby Pictorial History
 
 
 
Early Shelby Photographers and their Photographs
 
Cline (c. 1895 ? - c. 1900 ?)
 
 
 
There are at least three Cline / Kline family lines in the Shelby area. At this time there is no obvious candidate for Cline, the Shelby photographer. Our clues to this point surround two Shelby Museum photographs.
 
 
 
 
(Picture courtesy of the Shelby Museum)
Mrs. McBride - photo c. 1897 - 1902
 
 
 
Cline - Shelby, Ohio - (Embossing)
 
 
Mrs. McBride was born Susannah Ferree in September of 1827 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. She and her parents, Jacob and Sarah Ferree, moved from their home in Lancaster County, to Ganges, Ohio in c. 1845. In 1846, both Susannah and sister Mary Anne were married. Mary Anne in March to Edward J. Melsheimer and Susannah in June to James McGee. In 1847 James and Susannah became parents of what would be their only child, Sarah. James McGee died in an accident at the Ganges grist mill in 1848 and Susannah was a widow at age 21. Three years later, Sarah, their only child, died of scarlet fever and Susannah had lost her new family by age 24.
 
By 1860, Jacob and his wife Sarah and Susannah McGee have moved to Shelby and Jacob listed his occupation as "carpenter". They continued living in Shelby until Sarah Ferree died in 1875 and husband Jacob in 1880. Susannah remarried in June of 1875 to William McBride. He had been a merchant in Shiloh, Ohio and listed his occupation as "painter" in the 1880 census. William died c. 1894 and Susannah "Susie" found herself alone again.
 
In 1900 she was living at 22 N. Broadway with her brother in law Edward Mersheimer who was a druggist with a drug store at 20 N. Broadway. Susan and sister Mary Anne had similar experiences with their children. Mary also lost a daughter to scarlet fever in 1851 and a son born in 1854 died less than 2 years later. The only child that lived to adulthood was their youngest, Henry, who died in 1866 at age 19. Mary Anne Melsheimer died in 1890, so by 1900 the two families had lost all their children and Edward Melsheimer and sister in law Susannah Ferree McGee McBride were living out their last years. Susannah would pass away in 1908 and Edward a year later. Both couples and many of their children are buried in Oakland Cemetery.
 
By 1890 all of Susannah's family with the exception of brother in law Edward had died. Photographs were often made to celebrate an event in life. Susannah would have been 70 years old in 1897 and in 1902 she would have celebrated her 75th birthday. Her dress style "fits" well within this time frame, puffy "leg-o-mutton" sleeves, high tight fitting collar. The hair style is not fashionable for that time period, however that is the hair style that would have been popular all the years that Susannah first reached adulthood and many elderly ladies still wore their hair in this style. So for these reasons it is estimated that this photograph was taken during the period 1897 to 1902.
 
As soon as additional Cline photographs are discovered or the specific identity of Cline the photographer is determined, we hope to be able to narrow the time window for these two photos.
'
 
 
 
 
 
(Picture courtesy of the Shelby Museum)
Mrs. Trimble - photo c. 1895 - c.1902
 
 
"Mrs. Trimble" written in pencil appears on the reverse of this photograph. "Mrs. Trimble" could be one of several people that lived in the Shelby area during this time period. Mrs. Emma (w/o John Marion) Trimble was born in 1859 and would be younger than the subject of this photo. Mrs. Isabella (w/o John Sterrett) Trimble was born in 1836 and would be a great candidate for this study. Isabella "Belle" was a daughter of James Spear, probably born in Ireland c. 1790. She was living with her family in Ashland County, Ohio in 1850 and by 1860 she was living in Mansfield with her older brother Crawford and his wife and newly arrived baby.
 
 
Isabella's husband John was born in 1833 in Springfield Twp., Richland County, Ohio. He was a son of David and Margaret Sterrett Trimble who came to Richland County, Ohio from Cumberland County, Pennsylvania in about the year 1816. John's father died when he was only 4 years old. In 1850 when he was 17 John was living with his mother and 10 siblings in Madison Twp., Richland County, Ohio. Ten years later John married Isabelle Spear ( July 1860) and they made their home in Springfield Township. In 1864 the first of at least 3 children (possibly 5) were born to the Trimbles.
 
In 1870 John and Belle were living in Shelby with their 2 children (Ulysses and Blanche) and John had started his foundry business. By 1880 the third child Louisa had been added to the family and the foundry business continued to thrive. In 1900, John and Belle lived at 33 East Main Street in Shelby and he was still involved with the Shelby Foundry business ,
 
John died in 1905 and is buried in Oakland Cemetery. Isabella and daughter Louisa continued to live at their 33 East Main Street home until Belle passed away in 1919. She as well as Ulysses and Louisa Trimble are buried at Oakland Cemetery.
 
An item of interest in the photo of Mrs. Trimble is the four decorative bands that embellish the bodice of the dress she is wearing. The dress style with the full sleeves, high neck line and decorative items like the 4 bands are sometimes seen on dresses from the 1895 - 1900 time period. Mrs. Trimble would be 64 years of age in 1900. She could very easily be that age or slightly older in this photo. For these reasons the time frame of 1895 to 1902 is guesstimated for this photo.
 
 
 
 
 
 
If you have questions or if you would like to add information, please contact :
 
The Shelby Museum of History
% Sally Maier
76 Raymond Ave.
Shelby, Ohio 44875
 
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