Singleton and Related Genealogy Pages
A history of many families.
1842 - 1916 (73 years)| Name | Clara Louise KELLOGG [1, 2] | |
| Birth | Jul 1842 | in the John F. Haynsworth house on the corner of Main and Dugan Streets, Sumter, Sumter County, South Carolina  [1] |
| Gender | Female | |
| HIST | Sumter native, American prima donna topic of meeting BY IVY MOORE ivym@theitem.com The Sumter County Historical Society will present "An Evening with Clara Louise Kellogg" at its Thursday meeting in the Parish Life Building at the Church of the Holy Comforter on North Main Street. The speaker for the program will be Jill Taylor Jones of Sumter. Kellogg, generally recognized as "the first native American prima donna and the first to achieve success in Europe," according to the Encyclopedia Britannica, was born in Sumter - then called Sumterville - in July 1842, in the John F. Haynsworth house on the corner of Main and Dugan streets. Her father, George Kellogg, was a prominent inventor, while her mother was a talented musician. A historical marker dedicated to Clara Kellogg (Strakosch) stands on Main Street next to Sumter Cut Rate Drug. While she lived in Sumter only a short time, Kellogg returned to perform at the Sumter Opera House (Music Hall) in 1886. Later that year, she married her manager, Carl Strakosch, and retired. Prior to that time, she had become the most acclaimed American soprano of her time, appearing in the finest opera houses of Europe and the U.S. She also organized her own opera company, which achieved great success. She died in 1916. Jones, a musician and vocalist who has appeared in several operas and musicals, will visit some of the more interesting aspects of Kellogg's life and career in her presentation. Raised and educated in Charleston, Jones graduated from Converse College with a bachelor of music education degree and received her master of music in vocal performance degree from the University of South Carolina. While at Converse she took first place in the S.C. National Association of Singing competition for three consecutive years and represented the state in the Southeastern regional, where she finished second. Among her performances are roles in "The Magic Flute," "The Chocolate Soldier," "Bye Bye Birdie" and "The Sound of Music." In addition to performing, Jones has been a public school music director, private school music instructor, church music director and children's musical director, as well as a clinician and judge for choral festivals in S.C. and Georgia. She is married to Sumter attorney Dickie Jones, and they have three grown children. The Sumter County Historical Society presents Jill Taylor Jones speaking on the life and career of Sumter native Clara Louise Kellogg at its 7 p.m. Thursday meeting in the Parish Hall of the Church of the Holy Comforter on North Main Street. Parking is available at the hall . There is no charge for admission. Refreshments will be served following the program. For more information call (803) 773-7798. Posted in Panorama on Sunday, February 19, 2012 Reflections Acclaimed prima donna Kellogg was born in Sumter Reflections presents a brief look at the life and times of Sumter's brilliant singer Clara Louise Kellogg. Sumter Item File Photo Sammy Way Sumter Item Archivist Reflections presents a brief look at the life and times of Sumter's brilliant singer Clara Louise Kellogg. "Perhaps no singer produced by this country had a better place in the American heart than Mme. Kellogg. Her voice was a high soprano of great clearness and purity, and she achieved wonderful triumphs in Europe, as well as in her own America. Her best operatic part was Margherita in 'Faust,' but she was well known in both concert and opera." Information for this article was obtained from articles in The Sumter Item archives and from the writings of Cassie Nicholes and Dr. Anne King Gregorie. An article published in The Sumter Daily Item, July 20, 1927, noted that Kellogg was born in an old house that once stood near Main Street. This home, listed as residing between Dugan and Main Street) was the residence of Mr. and Mrs. John F. Haynsworth, the grandparents of Mrs. L.E. LeGrand who declared that she "had a distinct recollection of having heard her grandmother state that the parents of Clara Louise Kellogg rented rooms from her and were living in this house when Clara Louise was born." Mr. Kellogg worked as a tailor, inventor and principal of Sumter Academy while Mrs. Kellogg was engaged in some form of business in the Sumter community. When the house, one of Sumter's older landmarks, was scheduled to be razed, attention quickly grew because of its famous resident. "Clara Louise Kellogg was born in Sumterville in 1842 and was named after Clara Novello, a Welsh singing teacher. Her parents were New Englanders in the South on a visit. They took her to Pine Meadow, Connecticut, within a mile and a half of where she would die. Mr. and Mrs. Kellogg sang in the village choir. When Clara Louise was ten months old, her parents declared she sang a ditty. She always sang, but there was no thought of her becoming a professional then." When she was a little girl, her parents took her to New York to hear Jenny Lind. It was then that the first ambition was fired in her to become famous. "All her musical education was procured in this country, and she made her debut when she was 18 years old. After conquering New York, she went to Boston, where she scored a tremendous hit. In the winter of 1862-63, she returned to New York, where she gave her first performance of Marguerite in 'Faust.' It was always considered her greatest part." She created a sensation at Her Majesty's Theatre performing concerts in London during 1867 and 1868; she also sang before the Queen at Buckingham Palace and later added to her list of achievements with performances in Berlin and Paris. "She organized an opera company in 1874 which became widely known throughout the United States." She married Carl Strakosch, whose family was prominently connected to the opera in this country and Europe. After her marriage her public career virtually ended, as she settled in New Hartford, Connecticut, in a home named Elpstone "because of a large rock shaped like an elephant on the grounds." Prior to her retirement Ms. Kellogg and her company gave her only performance in Sumter on the evening of Feb. 3, 1886, to "a crowded house, the largest possibly ever gathered for a similar purpose in Sumter." Her voice was described as "exceedingly sweet, especially in the lower tones, and her execution of the simple ballads, several of which she sang when recalled ." She retired in 1902 "to a life of country simplicity, surrounded by the dogs and horses she loved and hundreds of mementos that recalled the past." Clara Louise Kellogg, considered by many to be "the first American singer to win recognition in Europe," died on May 13, 1916, and was deeply mourned by the world of music. EDITOR'S NOTE: In the June 22 Reflections story on the renovations of First Presbyterian Church, it should have been noted that the general contractor for the work was T.E. Cuttino Construction Co., Inc. This information was omitted from the original April 1989 article. Posted in Reflections on Sunday, June 29, 2014 [1, 2] | |
| _UID | F7773E75B4D446A190397B2C37EEE80F1C01 | |
| Death | 1916 [1] | |
| Person ID | I55348 | Singleton and Related Families |
| Last Modified | 3 Jul 2014 | |
| Father | George KELLOGG | |
| Mother | Unknown | |
| _UID | 27F0A047899B40BAB6142674B090F79A5156 | |
| _UID | 27F0A047899B40BAB6142674B090F79A5156 | |
| Family ID | F185761 | Group Sheet | Family Chart |
| Family | Carol STRAKOSCH | |
| Marriage | 1886 [1] | |
| _UID | 7EB8D37596DB485E8169FA9F5B8F04141AC5 | |
| _UID | 7EB8D37596DB485E8169FA9F5B8F04141AC5 | |
| Family ID | F39460 | Group Sheet | Family Chart |
| Last Modified | 5 Mar 2012 | |
| Sources |
