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LULA EDNA DAWSON BLILEY'S FAMILY PHOTO ALBUM About Lula and Her Life

INTRODUCTION

This page contains a variety of information about Lula Dawson Bliley. While it is not all that I have, it is all that is practical to put on the Web at this time. If you have anything to add, please contact me at K3NAU@AOL.com.

VITAL STATISTICS AND SOME NOT-SO-VITAL STATISTICS

DAWSON'S CORRY HOMESTEAD 1870's-1920s

From the late 1800s until 1913 this house was the residence of the Richard P. Dawson and his family. (Several of the photos in Lula's album are shot on the front porch and steps of the house. See album pages 7, 11, 23, 42 & 47.)

Later, in the 1917-1918 time period, it became the home of Mrs. Eva Rich,and eventually the Rich Cancer Cure,Inc.was founded here. By 1927, the Besson Family was residing in the house. It remained the Besson home, with the Bessons renting some apartments in the large house, until the mid-1950s when it was sold to the A&P Grocery Company. A&P tore down the house and built a store on the lot. A&P vacated the store around 1970 to move to a location in the West Smith Street Plaza.

The building remained vacant for a time and was then purchased by Ajax Iron Works to use as a drafting office. After Ajax closed down, the building again sat vacant until it was purchased by the Corry Public Library. The house pictured here had many owners prior to being torn down.

This photo above is of a post card printed by Rich Cancer Cure. The scanned photo is courtesy of the Corry Historical Society, Corry, PA. Check out the Corry Historical Society's Web site for other information on Corry of the past and present.

LAKE ERIE COLLEGE 1896-1898

Academic Buildings

College Hall (1857)

The oldest, most recognized building on campus, is a four story brick building which houses the Admissions Office, Financial Aid Office, faculty offices, and classrooms. College Hall also houses the Lake Erie College Archives, mail room/print shop and Registrar. This was one of the two most prominent buildings on the campus at the time. The other one was Bentley Hall which looks very similar to College Hall on the left. Bentley was the Arts and Science building in 1896. Visit Lake Erie College's Web Site.

Academic Program

Lula attended Lake Erie College for two years: 1896 -'97 and 1897-'98. According to the Sunni Gothard, 1999 Associate Registrar, her course of study would have included many of the following classes from their course offering.

Latin or Greek Classics: Virgil, Homer, Cicero, Horace French or German English Composition I, II & III Critical Analysis American Literature Rhetoric Geometry, College Algebra, Trigonometry

Political History History (from Ancient through Current Events Bible History Physics, Physiology, Biology, Chemistry, Geology & Astronomy Music Harmony Domestic Service

LED_at_LEC.JPG 71K 491 x 485

LULA AT COLLEGE Lula (far left) with two friends on the steps of Bentley Hall at Lake Erie College.

TRIP TO CALIFORNIA 1902

Lula had a keen interest in family history. Another of her creations was a travel log of her five-month journey to California in the Winter and Spring of 1902 with her grandmother. It was primarily by train, and but she also used automobiles and burros! As it turned out, this was her last big hurrah at the age of 27. Within two years she was married her boyfriend at the time, Frank Bliley of Erie, two and a half years later. Perhaps it was here stories of California that led her younger sister Mary (a.k.a Meme) to fall in love and marry a Frank C. Wooster from California.

LULA IN HER "TRAVELING COAT" FOR 1902 TRIP The photo on the right shows what she wore and looked like at the age of 26 as she headed out West on a five month trip with her grandmother. Her Travel Log The photo was found at the end of a 80 page travel log she wrote about this trip. The log has no other photos of her or those she visited on that trip. Too bad! But, there is a complete index of all of the names mentioned!!! The log is solid pine covers with leather hinges. Letters cut-into (burned?) wood and then paint filled with paint of various bright colors. Then the whole book was varnished. The typing up of her notes is believed to be have been done by her daughter, Joanie Oldham, and the cover/binding by son-in-law G. Malcom Oldham.

(Photo scanned from travel log.)

CHRISTENING OF DAUGHTER JOSEPHINE

Lula had two children, Frank Dawson Bliley (left, B: April 29, 1906) and Josephine Mary Bliley Oldham (right, B: April 19, 1910). This photo is dated 1910 and is most likely celebrated the baptism of daughter Josephine. Her husband, Frank Anderson Bliley, was very active in St. Paul's Episcopal Church for most of his adult life. Certainly, this was an important occasion to celebrate with a photograph.