| Mellie Dunham | |
|---|---|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Alanson Mellen Dunham |
| Born | July 29, 1853 |
| Died | September 28, 1931 (aged 78) |
| Genres | Country |
| Occupations | Snowshoe maker |
| Instruments | 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.