Parthenia Parr Calhoon was the daughter of Capt Joseph MC Calhoon and Parthenia Parr.  Her father died on 21 Apr 1855 less than one month before her birth.  The story of his death and his career as a steamboat captain is found on the page The Body.

 

Parthenia P Calhoon and her twin brother,  named Joseph MC Calhoon in honor of his father, were born on 16 May 1855.  After their mother died on 20 May 1866, Capt George Washington Ebert was named the legal guardian of the five Calhoon children.  The five Calhoon children were dispersed to various relatives in Georgetown, PA.  The oldest three boys stayed in the home of Capt Ebert.  The youngest of the five, Parthenia and her twin brother, were placed with the family of Jacob Poe.  Jacob Poe’s wife, Nancy Ann Ebert, was the half sister of Parthenia’s deceased mother.  Parthenia Parr Calhoon lived the remainder of her life in The Poe House with her half aunt and half 1st cousins until her death on 10 Jan 1946 – some 80 years.

 

Living in the home of a famed steamboat captain with cousins who worked as pilots and clerks, the life of Miss Parthenia P Calhoon was centered on the river.  Letters between family members find her traveling to Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Dubuque, etc by steamer.  An Autograph Book from the collection of Frances and John Finley finds her in Dubuque, IA on 20 May 1878.  While on the str Red Wing on the Mississippi River in May 1878, Miss Parthenia collected the signatures of the steamer officers and many of the passengers. Parthenia P Calhoon lived a privileged life by any measure.

 

A Floral Album presented to Parthenia P Calhoon by James C Eberheart of Alexandria, MO on 4 Sep 1878 has signatures of friends and family.  This album was also signed by officers of the str Katie Stockdale on 4 Jun 1888.  Brother Thomas Franklin Calhoon lived in Alexandria , MO at this time.  Brother Joseph was a clerk on the Keokuk Northern Packet Line and was engaged to Annie Moore who resided in Palmyra, MO.  Obviously, Parthenia P Calhoon was visiting her brothers during the summer of 1878.

 

 

On 11 Jul 1927, Parthenia P Calhoon suffered an eye injury.  The injury was caused by a carpet tack although the details of the accident are unkown.  Lillian May Poe brought her aunt to Cleveland on 18 Jul in an attempt to save the eye.  After two operations on 21 and 23 Jul, the eye was removed.  In Aug Parthenia P Calhoon was fitted with a glass eye.  She returned to Georgetown on 29 Aug according to the “events to be remembered” recorded by Lillian May Poe in the Menu Book.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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