ELLEN HOWARD TOBEY (1874-????)

Ellen H. Tobey was the younger sister of Lillian Q. Tobey who was also an NYPL Branch Librarian.  Their sister Grace worked at the Brooklyn Public Library.

Ellen Tobey began working at the New York Free Circulating Library in 1897 and became First Assistant at the Bloomingdale Branch in 1900.  She continued in that position after consolidation until she was promoted to Branch Librarian at the branch in 1905.  In 1907 she transferred to head the Tremont Branch. 

In 1911 Ellen Tobey resigned from NYPL to be married to Donald Banks Tobey (1879-1967) who was the treasurer of an oil company.  She seems to have left librarianship at that point.  They are listed together in the Ridgewood NJ directories 1928-1935.

In the late 1930s Ellen Tobey is listed as living in Ridgewood NJ with her son, Wendell B. Tobey.  In 1941, the three sisters—Ellen, Lillian and Grace—were living together in Ridgewood and apparently no longer working.  The 1946 city directory indicates that three sisters had moved from Ridgewood to Asbury Park NJ.