The Nissley Family of Lancaster: Emma Nissley
Our next installment in the saga of the Nissley Family of Lancaster is that of Emma Nissley, a young woman of around 20 years, whose photo I found at Joy's Antiques in Quarryville, PA.
My first step was to date the photo, as I had a hunch that there would be numerous Emma Nissleys from the Lancaster area.
At first, I thought the photo was likely taken during the early 1880s. This was the decade when photography studios began to ornately print their studio logos on the back of the cabinet cards; this one, however, is printed simply on the bottom. It also lacks gold beveled edges, which began to appear around 1885. With these clues, I suspected a date of 1880-1885.
However, according to this list of Lancaster County photographers, Rote Photography only began operating on Queen St. in 1885, meaning the photograph had to be taken after that. The studio closed in 1900, so we can safely assume that Emma's photograph was taken within the span of those 15 years. Based on all of this, I would still date it in the 1880s. Though it lacks the ornate details that many cabinet cards began to show at this time, this could possibly be due to the fact that Lancaster County had a large Mennonite population: a minority well-known for its adherence to a simple and non-materialistic way of life. This could be an explanation for the cabinet card's simplicity, or it could just be that Rote Photography was slow to adopt to new fashions.
If Emma's photo was taken during the 1880s, and she appears to be about 20, she was likely born in the 1860s, which leads us to a few options, based on the 1880 census:
Emma Nissley, b. 1865 to Christian Nissley and Fannie Nissley
This Nissley family lived in Salunga, a small community just west of Lancaster, in 1880. The patriarch Christian Nissley, aged 60, was a retired farmer, and his wife Fannie kept house. They had two daughters living with them: Emma, and another girl that would appear to be Emma's twin sister, Ellen.
Emma Nissley, b. 1864 to John S. Nissley and Sarah Nissley
In 1880, this Nissley family lived in Rapho Township, just northwest of Lancaster. This is the same small community that was home to Barbara Nissley, who was born in 1879, and examining the census, we see that 1-year-old Barbara (or Barbra, as it appears to be spelled) actually just lives a few houses down from this Nissley family.
This family appears to have three other daughters apart from Emma: Charlotte, Amelia, and Sarah.
Emma Nissley, b. 1863-64 to Martin Nissley and Mary Nissley
I failed to locate this Nissley family in the 1880 census, but in 1870 they were living in Londonderry, in Dauphin Co. Scrolling through the census, I don't recognize any other surnames that I've come across while researching the Hess and Nissley families, so this is likely not the Nissley family of our Emma Nissley.
Emma E. Nissley, b. 1863 to Soloman and Catherine Nissley
In 1880, this Nissley family was living in Susquehanna Township: a bit further northwest from Lancaster than Rapho Township, however I don't recognize any other surnames that I've come across while researching these Lancaster families, so this option isn't at the top of my list.
--- --- --- --- --- ---
I am partial to the first two Emma Nissleys: of Nissley families from Salunga and Rapho Township; particularly the latter, as the family was neighbors to Barbara Nissley of our previous post.
But still, I wonder. With so many options, one can never be sure.What if Nissley isn't her maiden name? What if she was just Emma, who married a Nissley? Oh, the endless possibilities... usually a sign of hope, but in this case, not so much.
Perhaps my last hope is returning to Joy's Antiques, someday, in hopes of finding another cabinet card to give us a clue.
My first step was to date the photo, as I had a hunch that there would be numerous Emma Nissleys from the Lancaster area.At first, I thought the photo was likely taken during the early 1880s. This was the decade when photography studios began to ornately print their studio logos on the back of the cabinet cards; this one, however, is printed simply on the bottom. It also lacks gold beveled edges, which began to appear around 1885. With these clues, I suspected a date of 1880-1885.
However, according to this list of Lancaster County photographers, Rote Photography only began operating on Queen St. in 1885, meaning the photograph had to be taken after that. The studio closed in 1900, so we can safely assume that Emma's photograph was taken within the span of those 15 years. Based on all of this, I would still date it in the 1880s. Though it lacks the ornate details that many cabinet cards began to show at this time, this could possibly be due to the fact that Lancaster County had a large Mennonite population: a minority well-known for its adherence to a simple and non-materialistic way of life. This could be an explanation for the cabinet card's simplicity, or it could just be that Rote Photography was slow to adopt to new fashions.
If Emma's photo was taken during the 1880s, and she appears to be about 20, she was likely born in the 1860s, which leads us to a few options, based on the 1880 census:
Emma Nissley, b. 1865 to Christian Nissley and Fannie Nissley
This Nissley family lived in Salunga, a small community just west of Lancaster, in 1880. The patriarch Christian Nissley, aged 60, was a retired farmer, and his wife Fannie kept house. They had two daughters living with them: Emma, and another girl that would appear to be Emma's twin sister, Ellen.
Emma Nissley, b. 1864 to John S. Nissley and Sarah Nissley
In 1880, this Nissley family lived in Rapho Township, just northwest of Lancaster. This is the same small community that was home to Barbara Nissley, who was born in 1879, and examining the census, we see that 1-year-old Barbara (or Barbra, as it appears to be spelled) actually just lives a few houses down from this Nissley family.
This family appears to have three other daughters apart from Emma: Charlotte, Amelia, and Sarah.
Emma Nissley, b. 1863-64 to Martin Nissley and Mary Nissley
I failed to locate this Nissley family in the 1880 census, but in 1870 they were living in Londonderry, in Dauphin Co. Scrolling through the census, I don't recognize any other surnames that I've come across while researching the Hess and Nissley families, so this is likely not the Nissley family of our Emma Nissley.
Emma E. Nissley, b. 1863 to Soloman and Catherine Nissley
In 1880, this Nissley family was living in Susquehanna Township: a bit further northwest from Lancaster than Rapho Township, however I don't recognize any other surnames that I've come across while researching these Lancaster families, so this option isn't at the top of my list.
--- --- --- --- --- ---
I am partial to the first two Emma Nissleys: of Nissley families from Salunga and Rapho Township; particularly the latter, as the family was neighbors to Barbara Nissley of our previous post.
But still, I wonder. With so many options, one can never be sure.What if Nissley isn't her maiden name? What if she was just Emma, who married a Nissley? Oh, the endless possibilities... usually a sign of hope, but in this case, not so much.
Perhaps my last hope is returning to Joy's Antiques, someday, in hopes of finding another cabinet card to give us a clue.
Comments
Post a Comment