Ada Belle Briscoe was the eldest daughter of Dr. William Thomas Briscoe, a physician and politician, and his wife, Rosanna Keller. She was born in Clark County, Illinois, on May 15th, 1858. She had one older brother, Heber, and two younger sisters, Zouie and Hester.
In 1880, the year this photograph was taken, 22-year-old Ada was living at home in Westfield, Illinois with her parents and sisters. (This photo was taken in Terre Haute, Indiana, not too far from Westfield. My best guess is that Terre Haute was simply where the nearest photo studio was.) In 1887, a notice in the Bloomington, Illinois Pantagraph stated that Ada and a Miss Stella Callen had rented rooms and started "an establishment for commercial and legal shorthand business." Stella Callen was a steographer and court reporter, and it is possible Ada was as well, though I could find no further information about their business.
In 1891, 66-year-old Dr. William Briscoe was in declining health. After a bout of flu, Dr. Briscoe overdosed on morphine and died on May 1st of that year. His wife, Rosanna, died three years later. By 1900, Ada and her sisters were living together, along with 16-year-old farm laborer, Russell Umbarger. The three women, now in their 30s, are all listed as farmers in the census. After a long illness, Zouie Briscoe died in a private sanatarium on March 9th, 1904 at the age of 42. Her sisters continued to manage the farm. In 1906, the Briscoe sisters recieved $10,000 (equivalent to over $372,000 in 2026) from the Ohio Oil Company for 80 acres of their land. According to The Effingham Democrat, this was the "highest bonus yet paid for a lease in Westfield Township, being $125 an acre." I have to imagine that Ada and Hester lived quite comfortably after this.
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| 1916 Map showing land owned by Ada and Hester in Clark County, Illinois. |
Ada Belle Briscoe died just days before her brother, Heber, on February 4th, 1922 at age 63. Hester Briscoe lived to the age of 80, passing away on March 30th, 1944. The Briscoes are buried together beneath a beautiful family monument in Maple Hill Cemetery in Westfield, Illinois.
If you recognize Ada, let us know in the comments!
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