Ellison Story HILDRETH

ELLISON STORY HILDRETH at 16 weeks

UPDATE - These photos have been claimed by a descendant and have been sent home!

At a Ballston Spa, NY antique shop, I came across a number of photographs of people from the same family, and ended up buying them all just to insure they remain together.

The first photo is Ellison Story Hildreth, born 17 July 1884 at Holyoke Massachusetts. His parents were Judge John Hildreth and Kate Barker Story. Judge John Hildreth was born in Bradford England in 1851, died in April 1942. Ellison's mother Kate was born 9-Nov-1852 in Gloucester, Massachusetts and was a music teacher.

"K.B.H."

This photo, found in the same box at the antique store, was labelled only "KBH" but I am confident that this is Ellison's mother, Kate Barker (Story) Hildreth. The children greatly resemble her.

Ellison Hildreth (on right) and younger sister Kate (on left)

These two photos above taken in 1887 at Holyoke Massachusetts identify the subjects as Ellison S.at 2 1/2 years, and Kate W. at 1 year old. I know the elder child looks like a girl wearing a dress, but this was typical attire for toddlers in that era as it made diaper-changing easier. Boys who were potty-trained were allowed to graduate to pants.

1886 Kate Wood Hildreth, at 12 weeks

Ellison's little sister, Kate Wood Hildreth, was born in 1886. Sadly, little Kate died just after her 10th birthday of complications of diabetes.

Other siblings to Ellison and Kate included Richard (died at age 15), Charles (died of cholera when just 1 month old), and Fannie (who lived to adulthood and worked as a school teacher.)

Ellison attended Amherst College and graduated among the class of '06. He appears on the roster of members of both Phi Beta Kappa and Beta Theta Pi.

He took up the profession of Minister and participated in ministry missions to South China (Hong Kong) and Siberia. Much is written about, and by, Ellison Story Hildreth in regards to his missionary work in Asia. In November 1913, he and his wife Lottie Rowe Lane registered at the American Consulate in Hong Kong. 

Their passport applications are also available at Ancestry.com and this photo, presumably of Ellison and Lottie, is the one attached to Ellison's passport application. (I do not have this photo in my possession, but I include it here for interest.)

In 1942, at the age of 57, Ellison registered for the WWII Draft. His address at that time was Brooklyn Connecticut.

He died at the age of 78 in Brooklyn Connecticut. He and his wife Lottie had three children, Katherine Lane Hildreth (born in 1915 in China), John Lane Hildreth (born 1918 in Boston) and Alice Lane Hildreth (born 1920 in Boston).