Mellie Dunham | |
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Background information | |
Birth name | Alanson Mellen Dunham |
Born | July 29, 1853 |
Died | September 28, 1931 | (aged 78)
Genres | Country |
Occupation(s) | Snowshoe maker |
Instrument(s) | Fiddle |
Mellie Dunham (July 29, 1853 - September 27, 1931) was an American fiddler during the early twentieth century. Dunham was born in Norway, Maine, [1] the son of Alanson Mellen Dunham and Christiana Bent. He came to prominence after he was invited to play for Henry Ford at his house in Dearborn, Michigan. Ford sent a Pullman car for Dunham and his wife, Emma "Gram" Dunham ( née Richardson), because of Ford's love of country music. [2] While Ford had invited 38 other fiddlers before Dunham, none received as much attention as Dunham did. [1]
He was also a snowshoe maker, supplying 60 pairs of snowshoes to Commodore Robert Peary for an Arctic expedition. [3]
Dunham died on September 27, 1931, in Lewiston, Maine, after a two-week illness, [4] and was buried in Pine Grove Cemetery, South Paris, Maine.
Mellie Dunham | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Background information | |
Birth name | Alanson Mellen Dunham |
Born | July 29, 1853 |
Died | September 28, 1931 | (aged 78)
Genres | Country |
Occupation(s) | Snowshoe maker |
Instrument(s) | Fiddle |
Mellie Dunham (July 29, 1853 - September 27, 1931) was an American fiddler during the early twentieth century. Dunham was born in Norway, Maine, [1] the son of Alanson Mellen Dunham and Christiana Bent. He came to prominence after he was invited to play for Henry Ford at his house in Dearborn, Michigan. Ford sent a Pullman car for Dunham and his wife, Emma "Gram" Dunham ( née Richardson), because of Ford's love of country music. [2] While Ford had invited 38 other fiddlers before Dunham, none received as much attention as Dunham did. [1]
He was also a snowshoe maker, supplying 60 pairs of snowshoes to Commodore Robert Peary for an Arctic expedition. [3]
Dunham died on September 27, 1931, in Lewiston, Maine, after a two-week illness, [4] and was buried in Pine Grove Cemetery, South Paris, Maine.