E. K. Sturdevant (1845-1925)
Photographer, Binghamton, N. Y.



 
Eugenio Kincaid Sturdevant was born February 21, 1845 in Skinners Eddy, Braintrim Township, Wyoming County a son of John C. Sturdevant (1821 - 1883) and Junia Bates Lathrop Sturdevant (1822 - 1846).1  At age fifteen he was working as a ferryman in Braintrim Township, Wyoming County, Pennsylvania.  Ten years later he was getting significant recognition as a photographer for his activities in several counties in the northeastern corner of Pennsylvania.2  On April 8, 1870 the Tunkhannock Republican reported "We have been permitted to examine some beautiful landscape photographs of homesteads in this and Bradford counties, made by Mr. E. K. Surdevant of Wyalusing. These views exhibit a master photographer, every object within range of the camera being sharp and clear...." Two months later the same paper gushed "Mr. E.K. Sturdevant, the justly noted landscape photographer, paid us a visit last Friday, and discoursed enthusiastically upon his delightful art.  Mr. Sturdevant is an artist in every sense of the word, invariably finds the best points to take his views from... He expects to make a visit to this borough, and will be pleased to receive the orders of our citizens for views of the beautiful homes and landscapes about Tunkhannock. His address is Wyalusing, Pa."  In fact he is recorded twice in the U.S. Federal Census for 1870.  On June 17, 1870 he is listed as a boarder in the household of photographer Asahel B. Porter ten years his senior and  perhaps his mentor in Wyalusing, Bradford County, Pa, and on July 12, he was also living in the household of his father, John C. Sturdevant, at Skinners Eddy, Braintrim, Wyoming County about eight miles away.  It appears that he was working primarily as an itinerant photographer since the reviews do not mention studio portraits but only exterior landscape views. This genre continued to be his specialty throughout his entire career.

Identified on the back as "Along the Susquehanna No 29. / Tuscarora Bluff from Table Rock / Le Raysville." and stamped along the right edge as E. K. Sturdevant/photographer (no date).


Also in 1870 the Lackawanna Presbytery held a meeting in Wyalusing in September and Mr. Sturdevant photographed the members present. Once again the Republican praised him as "the successful photographer whose skill as a landscape photographer is universally praised. " On November 16, it reported "Mr. E.K. Sturdevant, landscape photographer of Wyalusing, Pa was in town last week, and employed a few hours in taking views of the new Court House and the M. E. Church, both of which he succeeding [sic] in taking true to nature..."

In 1871 he was a partner with John Moray....3

On May 8, 1872 he married Amy Miller (1846 - 1879)4 and together they had two children, Damon Pythias Sturdevant (1873 - 1951) and Junia Delight Sturdevant (1875 - 1957).

On Monday morning August 16, 1875 E. K. Sturdevant piloted the steamer Hendrick B. Wright up the Susquehanna  River with about one hundred passengers from Wilkes Barre to Tunkhannock Pennsylvania and back, a distance of about 38 miles one way. This was the furthest north that the Susquehanna River had ever been navigated by a steamboat and was met by great celebration. The Luzerne Union reported that "the pilot kept the boat in the best water." A week later, however, the steamer, once again piloted by Mr. Sturdevant, ran aground in the fog while transporting cargo destined for Nanticoke. 
On October 15, 1877  Mr. Sturdevant and family embarked from Elmira, New York as part of a party of emigrants to settle in the "Haven Colony" in  Seguin, Guadalupe County, Texas. They were promised by the organizers that they "should find comfortable houses on the grounds all ready to to be occupied by colonists" as well as a "large building to be used as shelter for emigrants." That proved not to be the case much  to the disappointment of many of the emigrants.  Eight months later, Mr. Sturdevant painted a brighter picture, however stating: "When I came here I did not have a rag to my back, and now — I am covered with them. I think it is one of the finest countries in the world, and the best place for a poor man or a rich one in the united states.  I furthermore think that a man coming to Texas or going anywhere else, should have money enough to buy his living one year..."

On April 20, 1879 Mrs. E. K. (Amy Miller) Sturdevant died (see notice at right) reportedly of "bilious intermittent fever." Mr. Sturdevant returned to Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania to live with his father and children where he once again took up the profession of steamboat pilot.

In September, 1882 his half brother, Alton K. Sturdevant, also a photographer, purchased the gallery of E.B. Headley in Wilkes-Barre. 5  E. K. Sturdevant took charge of the gallery and offered to make prints from Mr. Headley's 9000 negatives and naming it the "Buffalo Gallery."

On April 29, 1883 John C. Sturdevant died at the home of his son, E.K. Sturdevant.  The same year on July 3 the boiler of the popular steamboat "Susquehanna" exploded while in port at Nanticoke, Pennsylvania. A few days later Mr. Sturdevant offered photos of the wreckage.

In 1884 Mr. Sturdevant returned to Seguin, Texas.  On May 27, he wrote  back to the Wilkes-Barre Times commending S.W. Schloss, a packer and dealer in dishes. "He packed all of Mr. Sturdevants valuable ware and it arrived in Texas after all the hard usage incident to railroad and steamboat travel without a dish being broken."  Even more interesting, a month earlier, a Mrs E. K. Sturdevant and Master H. Sturdevant of Wilkes-Barre arrived at the Washington Hotel in Galvaston, Texas a month earlier. 6

In 1886 he produced a series of photos of the Missions of San Antonio complete with a historical summary of each one. The San Antonio Daily Light described them as "exquisite specimens of the photographic art."

In June 1887 a Mr. M. Struve brought a suit in the San Antonio District Court against Mr. Sturdevant and A.C. Paris.7  It was decided against them initially and again on appeal on December 14 the same year. On July 21, 1888 the San Antonio Daily Light reported that he had sold the Keystone Gallery to Mr. Jacobson and quietly left the city for Mexico, but was believed to have actually returned to Pennsylvania because "he cannot be happy living here" but adding that he didn't owe any debts.

Selfie of Mr. Sturdevant detail from Keystone Gallery. below





September 24,  1883

Courtesy of the Degolyer Library, SMU                
A year after leaving Texas he is settled once again in Laceyville Pa. On November 8, 1889 the Tunkhannock Republican reported "The photograph gallery of E. K. Sturdevant is meeting with good success, and is doing a rushing business. 
December 20, 1889,  Mehoopany, Pa, nine miles southeast of Laceyville
 "Lo, in one day appears the fine large photograph gallery of E. K. Sturdevant, near the [North Mehoopany] bridge. Years ago E. K. was known as Bringer the Ferryman. Most of the time the past eight years he has been in Texas and Tennessee." —Tunkhannock Republican

"E. K. Sturdevant, recently of Texas, is the photographer  of our town, and rumor says he is doing a thriving business and is a first-class artist." —Wyoming Democrat
January 10, 1890, Forkston, ten miles south of Laceyville
"E. K. Sturdevant, is here with his photo gallery. Now is the time to get a lasting impression of yourself." —Tunkhannock Republican
It appears that for the next few months that E. K. Sturdevant was working in Binghamton, and contiguous village of  Lestershire (now Johnson  City), New York, some forty-five miles north of Laceyville.8 The cabinet card shown at the right is a very scarce portrait from his "portable" studio and most probably dates from this period. There are at least two glaring errors printed at the bottom of the backing board: his name is misspelled "Sturdervant" as well as the city "Binghampton" (see also the image at the top of this page). The address 38 Chenango Street is also suspect. The location would be in the first block north from the intersection of Court St. and Chenango Streets at the Broome County Courthouse square in the center of Binghamton's  commercial business district. however no reference to a structure at number 38 has been found in city directories of the period around 1890 suggesting that perhaps he has parked the Keystone Portable Gallery in a convenient vacant lot.9

On August 29, 1890 the Wyoming Democrat reported "E. K. Sturdevant of Binghamton was in town [Laceyville] last week Thursday" suggesting that he had removed to Binghamton permanently.

Four years later on September 29, 1894, the Crowley, Louisiana Signal announced E. K. Sturdevant, the Lake Charles photographer, has opened up a gallery in the room formerly occupied by J. W. Bellar in the opera house house building." Mr. Sturdevant's son and daughter, Damon and Junia, were also living in Lake Charles, La. some 50 miles west of Crowley. The same year on December 1, the Signal reported: "Wm. Favre is erecting a building west of the opera house which, when completed, will be occupied by E.K Sturdevant as a photo gallery. Mr. S. closed his gallery in the opera house this week going to Lake Charles  on Thursday evening. He will return the first of the week and remain here for the holiday trade."

The "Singular Scenes of the Sunny South", however,  didn't hold their appeal forever. On January 11, 1896 the Signal announced "Mr. E. K. Sturdevant closed his gallery here the latter part of last week and on Tuesday evening went to Lake Charles, accompanied by his son Damon. During his residence here Mr. Sturdevant made many friends who regret that he found it necessary to remove from our midst. At the time  of leaving he had not definitely decided where he would locate." A couple of weeks later "Mr. E.K. Sturdevant came over from Lake Charles on Saturday, delivering photographic work done here just before closing his photograph gallery. Among the work was a splendid picture of the members of the Masonic Lodge No. 243,  A. F. and A. M. take in a group. Every face in the group is very natural and instantly recognizable."

On October 14 1896 his lovely and winsome daughter, Junia, married Mr. Edgar D. Beach of Galvaston, Texas in Lake Charles, Louisiana. For their part Mr. Sturdevant and son Damon eventually the decided to return to their home territory in northeast Pennsylvania.

Sometime between 1896 and 1898 Mr. Sturdevant was married to Abigail Calista Scouten (1846 - 1915), widow of Henry W. Sturdevant (1830 - 1895).10   The 1900 U.S. Federal Census for Braintrim, Wyoming County, Pennsylvania she is listed as the wife of  Eugenio K. Sturdevant and they have been married for two years. 

In September, 1902, just after setting up a gallery in Lopez, Pennsylvania about thirty miles southwest of Laceyville, Mr. Sturdevant lost his "phonograph outfit and other fixtures" in a railroad depot fire at Laceyville. Perhaps it was a misprint for photograph or perhaps he had been incorporating sound to accompany his popular entertainments.   The following year "Uncle Gene" exhibited his stereopticon views at the  Methodist Episcopal Church in Wilkes-Barre for the benefit of the church. Curiously during this period his location was reported from time to time as both Laceyville and Luzerne, some 40 miles apart.





The Crowley Signal Dec 15, 1894
Towanda, March 8, 1899
 

April 6, 1899
 

Lopez, Sullivan County, Pa, July 24, 1902
On August 13, 1907 the Wilkes-Barre Record reported "Mrs. E.K. Sturdevant is visiting her sister at Binghamton, N. Y." Perhaps nothing important but maybe foreshadowing domestic trouble to come.

Library of Congress
        

Courtesy John A. Black                 
On December 24, 1908 the Tunkhannock New Age apparently referring to the above photo or one like it reported "E. K. Sturdevant, the Laceyville photographer, dropped in at this office Tuesday evening to leave us a panoramic view of the village of Laceyville and the Susquehanna river for a distance of about five miles up and down. It was taken with a moving camera, and is certainly  one of the finest photos we have seen. In the foreground the meadow is be spangled with daisies in full bloom, the village nestling among the trees just below and just a little farther on the river winds among the hills like a silken ribbon.  Mr. Sturdevant states that on the average there are only about fifteen days in a year when such a picture may be taken, owing to the necessity of having an atmosphere entirely clear of clouds, smoke or mist."
Apparently the marriage to Abigail was brief since in the 1910 census she is listed as a "widow" living in the household of her daughter,  Florence Blair Wilner (1873 - 1964) in Luzerne, Pennsylvania.11  For his part E. K. Sturdevant is found in 1910 in Kingwood District, Preston County, West Virginia and reported in the census that in 1909 he was ten weeks without work. At the same time son Damon is working in a laundry in Houston, Texas. 

Abigail (or Calista, as she was known) died January 6, 1915 the home of her daughter, Florence and son-in-law Robert Blair in Luzerne Borough, Pennsylvania. Although her death certificate lists her as married, the form does not have a line for indicating her husband's name. Her obituary, however, only states that she was the widow of Henry Sturdevant and does not mention E. K. She was buried two days later in Forty Fort, Pa next to Henry.

Damon married Agnes Kincaid






 
Acknowledgements
Very special thanks to Terre Heydari at the Degolyer Library, Southern Methodist University and Elisa McCune at the Norwalk Center for Digital Solutions, SMU for providing a high resolution scan of the Keystone Photograph Gallery of E. K. Sturdevant and for providing links to the SMU collection of scanned images.  Thanks also to John A. Black for sharing his collection of photos by E. K. Sturdevant.
 
Notes
1. He was probably named after Eugenio Kincaid (1797 - 1883), a Baptist minister active in Pennsylvania at the time he was born and an early missionary to Burma.  Rev. Kincaid along with E. K.'s uncle, Elijah Sturdevant, and great-uncle, Samuel T. Sturdevant, was a founder of the Wyoming Baptist Association at Eaton, Wyoming County, Pennsylvania in 1842, three years before E. K. was born. His great-grandfather, Rev. Samuel Sturdevant  (1741-1828) had also been a Baptist minister.  (back)

2. From whom E.K. Sturdevant learned the profession of photography is unknown.  His first cousin once removed, James B. Sturdevant (1824 - 1917), had been a professional photographer in Wyoming County since 1860.  James was a son of Elijah Sturdevant (1796 - 1872) who was a half-brother of E. K.'s grandfather. Jesse Sturdevant (1781 - 1833), however no direct connection between them professionally has been found.  (back)

3. John Moray was born in 1832 in Massachusetts. He is found in Bradford County, Pennsylvania in 1867 as an artist and photographer supplying landscape and stereo photographs primarily of buildings and other exterior views to Wood and Harding's Photographic Gallery in Towanda.  In 1875 he moved to Berkeley Springs, West Virginia where he died in 1912. (Coincidentally, E.K. Sturdevant, once Mr. Moray's partner, also moved to West Virginia and  was living in Kingwood some 112 miles west of  Berkeley Springs, but no interaction has been found.) (back)

4.One researcher identifies her as Amy Delight Miller, born December 25, 1845 and their marriage date as May 8, 1872, but does not cite any sources.  That birth date, however does not agree with the date calculated from her obituary (shown above) although the marriage date is consistent with the birth of their first child, Damon Pythias Sturdevant,  September 5, 1873. (back)

5. In June 1882 after fifteen years in Wilkes-Barre, E. B. Headley relocated to Denver, Colorado where his son had recently died. He left his niece, Addie L. Headley, to settle the affairs of his studio before leaving herself to first visit her parents in Chicago then joining him in Denver. (back)

6. Mr. Sturdevant's first wife was Amy Miller who died during in 1879 during hia first residency in Texas. His future wife.who is believed by most to have been his second, was Abigail Calista Scouten (1846 - 1915).  In 1880 she was married to Henry Sturdevant (1830 - 1895) and living in Binghamton, N.Y. in 1880 with their only child Florence (1873 - 1964).  It is assumed that E.K. and Abigail  were married after the death of Henry in 1895. No other wife of E.K. Sturdevant is otherwise found and his only children were  Damon Pythias and Junia Delight Sturdevant from his marriage to Amy, leaving open the question of who were this Mrs. Sturdevant and Master H. Sturdevant from Wilkes-Barre? (back)

7. Marcus Struve was the manager of the Aransas Bar Saloon at 14 East Houston Street, San Antonio, a neighbor of E.K. Sturdevant's Keystone Gallery, however nothing has been found about co-defendant A.C. Paris.   The  case was again on the  schedule for trial April 4. 1888 and on December 4, 1889 long after Mr. Sturdevant had settled back in Pennsylvania.  Mr. Semmy E. Jacobson and his wife, Mary E. Jacobson, were both established photographers having moved from Galveston to San Antonio sometime after 1885. (back)

8. While in Lestershire he produced a series of eleven photos called "Sturdevant's Views of Lester-Shire, N.Y."  Where dates are noted the latest is June 7, 1890, supporting the conclusion that it was in the summer of 1890 that he was working in the Binghamton/Lestershire area.  He also gives a list of locations in addition to  Binghamton and Lestershire where he had previously taken "general views": Nashville and the "Hermitage," Tenn.; Decatur, Ala., "Old Alamo," and capitol of Texas. Notably absent is any reference to northeast Pennsylvania.  (back)

9. In 1890  Jeremiah D. Hawk's tobacco shop was located at 32 Chenango, and the saddlery hardware shop of Persels, Nicoll  & Mack,  L. C.  Knapp & Son, and R. A. Fletcher's boots and shoes shop were located at 40 Chenango. Nothing has been found at number 38 until nine years later in 1899 when a Mrs. Hammond was "boarding" at 38 Chenango. Still later in 1910 it was the machine shop of George E. Chisholm and today it is a driveway between Alexander's Restaurant (formerly Weeks & Dickinson's music store) at 34-36 Chenango and Sentry Alarms at number 40. (back)

10.Whether this is his second or third marriage is uncertain (see note 4 and associated text, above). Henry W. Sturdevant died August 3, 1895 when he fell under the wheels of an oncoming locomotive while on his job with the L.V.R.R. Co. The unfortunate accident was recounted grisly detail for several days in various newspapers. The grieving widow, Abigail, composed loving tribute two weeks later. Henry is not found to be directly related to E. K. Sturdevant. Within three years of Henry's death Abigail married E. K. Sturdevant. The date is suggest when her daughter Florence ("Flora") Sturdevant Blair (Wilner) visited her and E. K. Sturdevant on in August 1898.   (back)

11.Three years after the death of her first husband, Robert J. Blair, in 1933, Flora married Charles H. Wilner. She died in 1964 at the age of ninety and is buried in Forty Fort, Pennsylvania next to her parents.  (back)
 
References

Hayden, Rev. Horace Edwin; Hand, Alfred; Jordan, John Woolf; Genealogical and Family History of the Wyoming and Lackawanna Valleys, Pennsylvania, Volume 1, Lewis publishing Company, New York & Chicago,  1906

Mire, Ann; Crowley, Arcadia Publishing, 2014
Record of the Times, Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania, December 28, 1877

Black, John A, Collection of Photos by E.K. Sturdevant
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