Album 2025.02.10.
Identifying Historical Photographs from Portland, Scarborough, and Cape Elizabeth, Maine
By Don Taylor
As part of my ongoing work with the Linwood Dyer Collection, I’ve recently identified five individuals from “Attic Photo Album 1.” This remarkable collection encompasses hundreds of images, documents, and genealogical records of people who lived in Portland, Scarborough, South Portland, and Cape Elizabeth, Maine. My mission is to connect these historical photographs with descendants who may have never seen these images of their ancestors. The Scarborough Historical Society maintains the original photographs in the Linwood Dyer Photo Collection.
Ernest H. Dyer & a One-Horse Open Sleigh
A professionally mounted 4″ × 6¼” photograph depicts two men in an open sleigh, with a label reading “ERNEST H DYER & unidentified.” From previous research, I’ve established that Linwood D. Dyer’s grandfather was Ernest Howard Dyer (1878-1962), though I cannot determine which of the two men is Ernest without additional reference photographs.
Ernest Howard Dyer was born in Cape Elizabeth (later South Portland) and resided there through the 1900 Census, later living in Portland and Scarborough. This charming winter scene captures a moment of Maine’s transportation history, and I will add it to my Flickr archive and the Linwood Dyer Collection family tree on Ancestry.
Chandler R. Dyer (circa. 1851)
Page 3 features a 5½” × 7″ tintype, apparently hand-cut from a whole plate, showing a man approximately 30 years of age. A label beneath identifies him as “CHANDLER R. DYER 1-4-3-6-1-1.”
The Linwood Dyer genealogy collection references several children of Chandler Dyer:
- Lizzie Daggett married Leonard Knight Dyer 1-4-3-6-1-1-5 in 1884
- Nettie R. Daggett married Leonard Knight Dyer 1-4-3-6-1-1-5 in 1886
- Hattie E. Dyer married Joseph R. Dyer 1-4-3-6-1-1-3 in 1877
Through FamilySearch, I identified Leonard Knight Dyer (1857-?), who:
- Married Elizabeth Doggett in 1884
- Married Nettie Doggett in 1886
- He had a brother, Joseph R. Dyer, who married Hattie E. Dyer
Their father was Chandler Reuben Dyer (1820-1898), and their mother was Elizabeth Chute. While I have not yet established the precise relationship between Chandler Reuben Dyer and Linwood D. Dyer, I am confident this photograph depicts Chandler R. Dyer around 1851 when he was approximately 30. I’ve added this image to my Linwood Dyer Collection family tree on Ancestry.
Elizabeth Chute Dyer & Child (c. 1853)
Page 4 contains a 5½” × 7″ tintype of a woman with a child. Taped to the back is a note reading “Mother Dyer & | (?son?) | Elizabeth Chute Dyer.”
Elizabeth Chute (1829-1891) married Chandler Reubin Dyer in 1849, and I believe this photograph captures her. However, the identity of the child remains uncertain. The child appears to be a girl, suggesting it might be Orinda Darling Dyer (1849-1920). If the notation “and son” is accurate, it likely depicts George W. Dyer (1850-?). I’ve added this photograph to Elizabeth (Chute) Dyer’s profile in my Linwood Dyer Collection family tree on Ancestry.
Nathan Randall Dyer (c. 1900)
Page 5 contains two 4¼” × 6½” cabinet cards. One is labeled “Nathan Randall Dyer | 1-3-5-5-11-1” and was taken by Lamson Studio at 5 Temple St., Portland, Maine. Handwritten on the reverse is “Marie’s grandfather Dyer.”
Lamson Studio operated at this address from approximately 1883 to 1907, dating the photograph to around 1900. Research revealed Nathan Randall Dyer (1832-1915) married Julia Warner Reed (1831-1904) in 1858. Born in Cape Elizabeth, he later resided in South Portland after its incorporation. Nathan Dyer (1802-1879) and Eliza Ann Woodbury (1808-1865) were his parents.
Nathan and Julia had six children:
- Alvin W. Dyer (1861-1863)
- Albert Elmer Dyer (1863-1938) – Married Mary D. Spear; they had five children
- Eliza Horton Dyer (1865-1960) – Married Edward Everett Pittee; they had three children
- Frank Joseph Dyer (1867-1907) – Married Edith Elizabeth Stanford (1871-1905); they had four children, including Marie Adelaide Dyer
- Harry Warner Dyer (1870-1953) – Married Lillian Adelia Brackett (1872-1960); they had two children
- Emily R. Dyer (1872-1879)
I am confident this photograph depicts Nathan Randall Dyer, Marie Adelaide Dyer’s grandfather, and I have added it to my Linwood Dyer Collection family tree on Ancestry.
Julia Warner (Read) Dyer (c. 1900)
The second cabinet card on Page 5 shows a woman of approximately 50 years standing outside a house. Labeled “Julia Warner Read Dyer | 1-3-5-5-11-1” with “Marie’s grandmother Dyer” handwritten on the reverse, this image has no photographer attribution.
FamilySearch profile KHSZ-3GT identifies Julia Warner Read as born on September 1, 1831, in Windham, Cumberland County, Maine. She lived in Windham, Portland, South Portland, and Cape Elizabeth before she died in South Portland. Her parents were Nathan Read (1795-1878) and Ruth (Horton) Read (1791-1886). She had four siblings—Emily, Emily, Joseph, and Charles—and six children, including a granddaughter named Marie Adelaide Dyer.
Julia died circa 1904, placing this photograph within a four-year window around 1900. I’ve added this confirmed image of Julia to my Linwood Dyer Collection family tree on Ancestry.
Connection Invitation
I would be delighted to hear from anyone who recognizes these individuals as their ancestors, particularly if these photographs represent previously unseen images of your family members. Due to software limitations, the photos uploaded to Ancestry and Flickr are higher quality than those linked here. Please feel free to incorporate these photographs into your genealogical research, citing “Photo Courtesy: Scarborough Historical Society.”
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