"Nellie" Coutant was born Christina Helen on July 27, to Chauncey Mason Coutant (b. 1836, NY) and Isabella Groff Coutant (b. 1840, IN).* This birth wasn't something I could confirm in any newspaper. I have found few birth announcements from this time period, but not many. I wonder if they were strategically left out of the papers, so as not to require a follow-up if the baby didn't make it? Either way, children are rarely mentioned in the local newspapers in this era, unless they are traveling or getting good grades.
Isabella G. Coutant bought the house on South Water Street in Crawfordsville in March 1872, for $1350 (C'ville Newspaper, March 28, 1872). This is the house Nellie would spend most of her life in. Nellie was born in 1872 or 1873,** so may have been born in this house within months of the family moving in.
Nellie graduated from the public high school with perfect attendance in May of 1889; and survived the Russian Flu. In the late 1890s, she learned photography and began entering national contests. For ten years, she was a moderately successful amatuer photographer (someone who didn't photograph for a living), before fading from the spotlight, then history.
Isabella G. Coutant bought the house on South Water Street in Crawfordsville in March 1872, for $1350 (C'ville Newspaper, March 28, 1872). This is the house Nellie would spend most of her life in. Nellie was born in 1872 or 1873,** so may have been born in this house within months of the family moving in.
Nellie graduated from the public high school with perfect attendance in May of 1889; and survived the Russian Flu. In the late 1890s, she learned photography and began entering national contests. For ten years, she was a moderately successful amatuer photographer (someone who didn't photograph for a living), before fading from the spotlight, then history.
This site will attempt to assemble all that can be known about Nellie Coutant, a forgotten photographer.
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* Year according to her death certificate and grave she was born in 1875.
** If she was born in 1875, she would have been a small child for the 1880 census, yet was listed as being 9 years old at the time. In the 1900 census, the month and year of birth were also recorded. Nellie's was listed as July 1873, not July 1875 (as on death certificate). Additionally, Nellie graduated from 11 years of school in 1889. If she was born in 1875, she started school at 3 years old, which is very unlikely. If she was born in 1873, she started at age 5. Additional research on her classmates reveal most birthdays in 1872 or 1873.
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* Year according to her death certificate and grave she was born in 1875.
** If she was born in 1875, she would have been a small child for the 1880 census, yet was listed as being 9 years old at the time. In the 1900 census, the month and year of birth were also recorded. Nellie's was listed as July 1873, not July 1875 (as on death certificate). Additionally, Nellie graduated from 11 years of school in 1889. If she was born in 1875, she started school at 3 years old, which is very unlikely. If she was born in 1873, she started at age 5. Additional research on her classmates reveal most birthdays in 1872 or 1873.
Census Year
(Coutant Children) |
1880
|
1900 (listed birth date)
|
1910
|
Year of death [findagrave]
|
Mary’s Age
|
18
|
36 (Mar 1864)
|
46
|
1929 (67)
|
Oliver’s Age
|
11
|
30 (Sept 1869)
|
38
|
1934 (75)
|
Nellie’s Age
|
9
|
27 (Jul 1873)
|
36
|
1953 (80)
|
Census Year
(1889 graduates) |
1880
|
1900 (listed birth date)
|
Year of birth
[find a grave] |
Year of death [findagrave]
|
Coutant, Nellie
|
9
|
27 (Jul 1873)
|
1875
|
1953 (80)
|
Gilkey-Wray, Jessie
|
9
|
28 (Aug 1871)
|
Aug 1870
|
May 1934
|
Hurt-Stockbarger, Stella
| 9 |
29 (Feb 1871) | 1871
|
1942
|
Johnson-Kilpatrick, Madge
|
8 Jun 1869
|
25 Sep 1935
| ||
Krug, Alice
|
12
| 30 (Apr 1870)
|
1870/72
|
15 Oct 1956
|
Sprague-Benedict, Belle
| 27 (Sept 1870)
|
Sept 1870
|
Nov 1952
| |
White-Finley, Grace
|
9
| 11 Dec 1875 | 11 Jan 1957
| |
Wilhite-Hanley, Bertha
| 8 |
20 Apr 1872
|
26 May 1949
|
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