Faces from the Past: Hinkley, Prindle & Welch

Posted on April 27, 2026 by Don Taylor

Linwood Dyer Collection, Part 98
By Don Taylor • dontaylorgenealogy.com

Introduction

The Scarborough Historical Society maintains several important photographic collections documenting the people, places, and events of our community. In this installment of Faces from the Past, I examine a photo album from the Linwood Dyer Collection titled “Hinkley Family Photographs – Margaret Kinney.” Some photos have names written on the back; others include pink slips with identifying information. But many more, sadly, have no identifying information.

The first photo in the album bears an inscription to Marion Hinkley. Based on prior research into the Dyer Photo Collection, I established that Margaret Cogswell Kinney’s (1911–1995) mother was Eleanor Tisdale Hinkley, and Eleanor’s oldest sister was Marion Hinkley. The second photo carries the inscription “Grand Mother Prindle.” Marion Hinkley’s maternal grandparents were James and Eunice (Welch) Prindle — a connection that anchors the first two photos firmly to Marion’s branch of the family.

This installment focuses on five portraits spanning roughly eighty years of Hinkley and Prindle family history, from painted likenesses of the 1840s to a World War I military photograph.

James Lonson Prindle (1802–1851) — circa 1840

Inscription (front): To Marion Hinkly

Inscription (second hand): James Lonson Prindle

Black and white photograph of an oil painting depicting a dark-haired man in 1840s dress, wearing a dark coat with wide lapels and a white cravat.
James Lonson Prindle (1802–1851), circa 1840. Photograph of a painting. Linwood Dyer Collection, Scarborough Historical Society.

Description

This is a photograph of a painting rather than a direct photograph of the subject. The image depicts a man approximately 30 to 45 years of age. His dark coat, wide lapels, high-collared shirt, and cravat are characteristic of American men’s fashion from the 1820s through the 1850s. The three-quarter bust pose and plain background are typical of provincial portraiture of the era. The photograph itself was likely made in the late 19th or early 20th century for archival or family preservation purposes.

Research

James Lonson Prindle was the maternal grandfather of Marion Hinkley and the great-grandfather of Margaret Cogswell Kinney. Family Search records indicate he was born in Vermont in 1802. He married Eunice Welch and had at least four children: James, Edgar, E. L., and Frances. He died in 1851 in Whitehall, New York.

Dating the Image

The apparent age of the sitter — roughly 30 to 45 — suggests the original painting was executed between approximately 1832 and 1847. The clothing style and James’s death in 1851 are fully consistent with this range. A date in the early to mid 1840s, when James would have been in his late 30s to early 40s, seems most probable.

This photograph has been added to the Linwood Dyer Collection on Ancestry.com.

Eunice (Welch) Prindle (1810–1895) — circa 1840–1845 (Painted Portrait)

Inscription: Grand Mother Prindle

Photo placement: Same page as the portrait of James Lonson Prindle, consistent with a husband-and-wife pairing.

Sepia-toned photograph of an oil painting depicting a dark-haired woman with side ringlet curls wearing a dark dress with a lace collar and a cross necklace.
Eunice (Welch) Prindle (1810–1895), circa 1840–1845. Photograph of a painting. Linwood Dyer Collection, Scarborough Historical Society.

Description

This is a photograph of a painting, not a direct photograph of the subject. The image depicts a woman approximately 30 to 45 years of age. Her long ringlet curls worn at the sides of the face are a very distinctive hairstyle most fashionable during the 1840s and into the early 1850s. She wears a dark dress with a wide V-neckline trimmed with a lace collar, and a delicate chain necklace with a cross pendant is visible at the center of the chest. The photograph was likely made in the late 19th or early 20th century for family preservation.

Research

Eunice Welch (1810–1895) was the wife of James Lonson Prindle (1802–1851), the grandmother of Marion Hinkley (1868–1908), and the great-grandmother of Margaret Cogswell Kinney (1911–1995). A later photograph of Eunice in this same album (see below) allows a confident comparison across decades.

Dating the Image

The sitter’s apparent age, combined with the ringlet hairstyle and lace-trimmed neckline, is consistent with a painting date of approximately 1840 to 1845, when Eunice would have been in her early to mid thirties.

This photograph has been added to the Linwood Dyer Collection on Ancestry.com.

“Grandfather Hinkley” — circa 1850 (Identity Uncertain)

Inscription: Grand Father Hinkley

Sepia-toned photograph of an oil painting depicting an older gray-haired man in mid-19th century dress, wearing a dark coat and black bow tie.
“Grandfather Hinkley,” circa 1850. Identity unconfirmed. Photograph of a painting. Linwood Dyer Collection, Scarborough Historical Society.

Description

This is a photograph of a painting rather than a direct photograph of the subject. The canvas texture and brushwork are clearly visible across the entire image, and a warm varnish yellowing typical of aged oil paintings gives the image its golden-brown cast. The sitter is a man approximately 50 to 65 years of age, with light brown to graying hair, somewhat wavy and receding at the temples. He is clean-shaven with a broad forehead and a composed, dignified expression. He wears a dark coat with wide lapels, a white high-collared shirt, and a black bow tie — consistent with American men’s fashion of the 1835–1860 period.

Research Note

If the album belonged to Marion Hinkley, then “Grandfather Hinkley” would most likely refer to Stephen Hinkley, Jr. (1799–1867). However, comparing this portrait with a previously reviewed photograph of Stephen Hinkley, Jr., I do not believe they depict the same individual. Stephen’s father, Stephen Hinkley, Sr. (1774–1804), can be ruled out: he died at approximately age 30, and the sitter in this portrait is clearly a much older man.

I intend to re-examine the photographs previously attributed to Stephen Hinkley, Jr. to confirm or revise that identification before drawing further conclusions about this portrait. The identity of “Grandfather Hinkley” remains an open question pending that review.

Eunice (Welch) Prindle (1810–1895) — circa 1871–1880 (Cabinet Card)

Photographer: Lamson, Portland, ME

Photo of Eunice Welch Prindle

Description

This is a direct photograph — a cabinet card or carte de visite — rather than a photograph of a painting. The image depicts a woman approximately 60 to 75 years of age. She has gray to white curly hair worn beneath a white widow’s cap, a style commonly adopted by older Victorian women. Her dark dress is accented with a white collar or fichu fastened at the throat with a small dark brooch. Her expression is serious and composed, with a direct gaze — consistent with the demeanor visible in the painted portrait made some thirty years earlier.

Though the album copy does not name the photographer, two loose cabinet cards elsewhere in the album bear the imprint “Lamson, Portland, ME.” Lamson’s studio did not add a street address to its cabinet cards until after 1880, which places these photographs between approximately 1871 and 1880. At that time Eunice would have been in her early to mid sixties.

Comparison with the Painted Portrait

Comparing this cabinet card with the earlier painted portrait of Eunice, several facial features are consistent across the two images: the long, narrow face; the prominent, straight brow; the firm set of the mouth; and the long neck. The approximately 30-year interval between the two images accounts for the dramatic changes in hair color and the visible aging of the face. A previous review of this same photograph appears in Linwood Dyer Collection, Part 084.

Philip Edward Hinkley (1881–1962) — circa 1919

Inscription: Philip Hinkley (on a separate slip of paper)

Sepia studio portrait photograph of a young man in a World War I U.S. Army officer's uniform, seated in a chair with one hand resting on the armrest.
Philip Edward Hinkley (1881–1962), circa 1919. U.S. Army Major, American Expeditionary Forces. Linwood Dyer Collection, Scarborough Historical Society.

Description

This is a high-quality studio portrait — a gelatin silver print — taken against a professionally painted backdrop. The sitter is a lean, upright young man in his late 20s to mid 30s, clean-shaven, with short light brown hair neatly combed back. He wears a U.S. Army officer’s service coat with a stand collar, four chest pockets, and a single star insignia visible on the shoulder epaulette. The uniform cut and style are consistent with the American Expeditionary Forces dress of 1917–1919.

Research

Philip Edward Hinkley (1881–1962) served as a Major during World War I. He was the brother of Marion Hinkley and the uncle of Margaret Cogswell Kinney. A photograph of Philip was previously reviewed in Linwood Dyer Collection, Part 084; the present image appears to have been taken at a slightly different angle and distance but depicts the same individual.

Philip’s birth year of 1881 places him at approximately 37 to 38 years of age at the likely date of this photograph — consistent with the apparent age of the sitter.

This photograph has been added to the Linwood Dyer Collection on Ancestry.com.

Conclusion

This installment of Faces from the Past presents five portraits drawn from a single family album, spanning roughly eighty years of Hinkley and Prindle family history. The paired paintings of James Lonson Prindle and Eunice (Welch) Prindle offer a rare glimpse of a mid-19th century couple, while the later cabinet card of Eunice in old age provides a moving counterpart to her youthful portrait. The identity of “Grandfather Hinkley” remains to be confirmed through further research, and I welcome any information that might help resolve it.

If any of the individuals shown here are familiar to you, I would be very pleased to hear from you. Many photographs in the Scarborough Historical Society’s collections still lack personal identification, and even a small detail can help restore a name or a story. My continuing goal is to reconnect these images with the families and communities to whom they belong — ensuring they are preserved, understood, and shared for future generations.

Disclaimer: This article was researched and written by the author. Claude.ai was used as a research and drafting aid, and Grammarly was used for editorial review and copy editing.

Posted in Faces from the Past, Linwood Dyer Collection, Photo Identification, Scarborough Historical Society and Museum | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Ancestor Sketch – Anna Maria Dürst (1770–1858)

Posted on April 24, 2026 by Don Taylor

Charlemagne Project
Darling–Huber–Trümpi–Dürst Line
By Don Taylor

As part of my ongoing Charlemagne Project, I have been tracing the Darling–Huber family line back through its Swiss roots. This installment focuses on Anna Maria Dürst (1770–1858), my wife’s 5th great-grandmother and Ancestor #121 in her Ahnentafel chart, placing her in Generation 7 of the Darling–Huber line. Through her Dürst and Streiff parentage, a possible path leads further back through the Tschudi family of Glarus, Switzerland, toward Charlemagne. I must be candid, however: for the generations beyond Anna Maria herself, I am relying almost entirely on the compiled research of Patrick A. Wild, and primary sources verifying those earlier Swiss generations are largely absent. What follows should be read as a possible lineage rather than a proven one.

The Lineage

Darling–Huber Line – Ancestor #121

  • 3. Private Information (your wife)
  • 7. Florence Wilma Huber Darling (1908–1934)
  • 15. Bertha Barbara Trümpi Huber (1884–1968)
  • 30. Bernhead Trumpi (1844–1913)
  • 60. Bernhart Trümpi (1817–1879)
  • 121. Anna Maria Dürst (1770–1858)  ← Subject of this sketch
  • 243. Rosina Streiff (1743–1805)
  • 487. Magdalena Hefti (1707–1737)
  • 975. Afra Luchsinger (1665–1718)
  • …. (continuing through Swiss generations)
  • 15,804. Johannes Tschudi (1500–___)
  • 31,608. Jost Tschudi (1462–1527)
  • …. (continuing through the Tschudi line)
  • 130,428,120,404. Charlemagne (747–814)???

Anna Maria Dürst (1770–1858)

Birth

26 December 1770 – Diesbach, Glarus, Switzerland

Anna Maria Dürst was born on 26 December 1770 in Diesbach, a village in the canton of Glarus, Switzerland. [1][2][3] She was the first child of Joachim Dürst [2][4][3] and Rosina Streiff. [1] Her siblings included two sisters named Maria Magdalena (likely an infant that died with a second child named the same), a brother Bartholome, and a brother Fridolin.

Marriage

22–23 October 1806 – Glarus, Glarus, Switzerland

When she was approximately 35 years old, Anna Maria married Bernhard Trümpi, [1] son of Fridolin Trümpy [1] and Anna Magdalena Becker. [1] The marriage took place either 22 or 23 October 1806 in Glarus, Glarus, Switzerland. [4][2] Bernhard Trümpi is listed as Ancestor #120 in our Ahnentafel. His parents, Fridolin Trümpy (#240) and Anna Magdalena Becker (#241), are already recorded on the Darling–Huber family page.

Children

Bernhard Trümpi and Anna Maria Dürst had at least five known children:

NameBornMarriedDied
Fridolin Trümpi05 Aug 1806, Glarus—18 Sep 1868
Rosin Trümpi1808—1877
Tochter Trümpi1811—1811 (infant)
Joachim Trümpi1814—1892
Bernhard Trümpy09 Feb 1817, Ennenda, GlarusAnna Maria Örtli, 30 Jan 184420 Mar 1879, Ennetbühls

Our line descends through her son Bernhard Trümpy (1817–1879), Ancestor #60, who married Anna Maria Örtli and is the subject of a separate entry on the Darling–Huber page. He died on 20 March 1879 in Ennetbühls, having drowned in the factory sewer of the Heer factory in Glarus. [2][1][5]

Death

08 May 1858 – Ennetbühls, Glarus, Switzerland

Anna Maria Dürst died on 8 May 1858 in Ennetbühls, Glarus, Switzerland, at approximately 87 years old. [2][1][3] She outlived her husband, Bernhard, and witnessed several generations of her family establish roots in the hamlet of Ennetbühls.

Events by Location

  • Switzerland, Glarus, Diesbach – Birth, 26 December 1770.
  • Switzerland, Glarus, Glarus – Marriage, 22–23 October 1806.
  • Switzerland, Glarus, Ennenda (Ennetbühls hamlet) – Son Bernhard born, 09 February 1817.
  • Switzerland, Glarus, Ennetbühls – Death, 08 May 1858.

A Note on Sources and Reliability

I want to be transparent about the evidentiary foundation of this sketch. The primary facts for Anna Maria Dürst herself — her birth, marriage, death, and children — are drawn from three converging sources: a pedigree chart compiled by Patrick A. Wild in 2021, [1] his published descent from Charlemagne, [2] and the Geneanet family tree he maintains. [3] These sources broadly agree on her vital dates. A FamilySearch entry also exists (LBW7-XY6) but carries no independent sources of its own. [4] All four are, to varying degrees, derivative of the same underlying research.

The path from Anna Maria back through the generations — through her mother Rosina Streiff, through the Hefti, Luchsinger, and Tschudi lines, and onward to Charlemagne — currently rests entirely on Patrick Wild’s compiled work. I have not independently verified these earlier Swiss generations with primary records such as Reformed church baptismal registers, Glarner cantonal records, or other archival sources. The connection to Charlemagne, shown as a question with three question marks even on my own Darling–Huber lineage page, must be understood as an unconfirmed hypothesis at this stage.

Readers should treat the generations above Anna Maria’s parents as a research hypothesis — a promising thread to follow, not a proven line. I am grateful to Patrick Wild for the groundwork, and I hope future research in Swiss cantonal and church archives can either confirm or revise this lineage.

Her Parents and the Path Back

Anna Maria’s father, Joachim Dürst (Ancestor #242, b. 1727, d. 1785), and mother, Rosina Streiff (Ancestor #243, b. 1743, d. 1805), are both recorded on the Darling–Huber lineage page, though without individual sketches. Joachim’s father was Joachim Dürst (#484, 1697–1783) and his mother Elsbeth Hefti (#485, 1702–1775). Rosina Streiff’s parents were Bartholome Streiff (#486, 1710–1771) and Magdalena Hefti (#487, 1707–1737).

The Tschudi connection enters through a collateral branch. According to Wild’s research, the line continues through Rosina’s ancestry and eventually reaches Margreth Tschudi (#3951, 1609–1691), daughter of Samuel Tschudi (#7902, 1564–1629). The Tschudi family of Glarus was one of the most prominent dynasties in the Swiss Confederation, with documented noble and ecclesiastical connections reaching back to the medieval period. The genealogist Ægidius Tschudi (1505–1572), the famous Swiss historian, belonged to this same family. It is through these Swiss noble lines that the claimed descent from Charlemagne is asserted, via a chain of documented medieval nobles.

Again, I want to emphasize: I have not personally verified the links in these intermediate generations. This is inherited research, and I present it as such.

Conclusion

Anna Maria Dürst was born in the mountain canton of Glarus in the waning years of the Old Swiss Confederacy, decades before Napoleon’s armies would reorganize Switzerland into the Helvetic Republic. She lived through the turbulent early 19th century, raised a family in the hamlet of Ennetbühls, and died at an impressive age of approximately 87 during the era of Swiss industrialization, when the very Heer factory where her son Bernhard would one day meet his end was already reshaping daily life in Glarus. Her life was rooted in the same compact Alpine landscape her ancestors had occupied for centuries.

If the lineage compiled by Patrick Wild holds up under scrutiny, Anna Maria Dürst represents the most recent Swiss link in a chain stretching back through Glarus’s leading families to the very foundations of Western European medieval history. Her story adds another possible step along the path to Charlemagne — but it is a step that still awaits independent verification.

Disclaimer: This article was researched and written by the author. Claude.ai was used as a research and drafting aid, and Grammarly was used for editorial review and copy editing.

Endnotes

[1] Patrick A. Wild, Pedigree Chart for Shirley Elizabeth Darling: Following the Trümpy line in Glarus (2021), Page 002 – Abraham Heer and 14 Ancestors.
[2] Patrick A. Wild, Descent of Mary-Alice Darling Howell from Charlemagne (Zurich, Switzerland, 2021), Page 13 – Bernhard Trümpy, Bernhard Trümpy, Anna Maria Dürst, & Joachim Dürst.
[3] Geneanet Family Trees, Patrick WILD’s Family Tree. Anna Maria Dürst (1770–1858). Accessed 22 Apr 2026. https://gw.geneanet.org/pwild1?lang=en&p=anna+maria&n=durst&oc=22.
[4] FamilySearch.org, FamilySearch Family Tree, Anna Maria Dürst (1790–1858) LBW7-XY6. NO SOURCES. https://www.familysearch.org/en/tree/person/details/LBW7-XY6.
[5] Geneanet Community Trees Index.

Posted in Darling-Huber, Ancestor Sketch, Genealogy Research | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Unidentified Faces – Dyer, Libby, and Six Unlabeled Women

Posted on April 21, 2026 by Don Taylor

Linwood Dyer Collection, Part 097
By Don Taylor

Introduction
The Scarborough Historical Society maintains several important photographic collections documenting people, places, and events. In this installment of Faces from the Past, I examine eight more photographs from the Linwood Dyer Collection. Sadly, two of the photos I was unable to determine which of several people they might be. Six of them have no identifying information included. All are from the Dyer Photo Album.

Spine of Dyer Photo Album.

Undetermined – Mattie Dyer, dau. Greeley Dyer, circa 1891-1908

Sepia cabinet card portrait of a young woman named Maude Libby, approximately 16 to 22 years old, with dark wavy hair pinned up, wearing a high-collared pintucked blouse with a brooch and small drop earrings, photographed by Jackson of Portland, Maine, between 1891 and 1908.
Mattie Dyer, daughter of Greeley Dyer. Cabinet card by Jackson & Kinney, Congress & Oak Streets, Portland, Maine, ca. 1891–1908.

Photographer: Jackson & Kinney
Studio Address: Corner Congress and Oak Streets (New Perry Building), Portland, Maine.
Inscription: Separate slip of paper says, “Mattie Dyer, dau[ghter of] Greeley Dyer.”

Description:
A cabinet card of a small child, likely between 18 months and 3 years of age. The child wears a white dress with puffed sleeves, typical at the turn of the century.

Research:

  • Jackson & Kinney operated at 478 Congress (Congress & Center) from 1888 to 1890.
  • Charles E Jackson operated at 548½ Congress (Congress & Oak) from 1891 to 1908.
  • In previous research into the Dyer family, I learned of
    • Greeley Hunnewell Dyer (1815-1904), 2nd great-grandfather of Linwood Dain Dyer. His 14 known children were born between 1846 and 1865, long before this photo could be taken.
    • Charles Greeley Dyer (1847-1914), the 2nd great uncle of Linwood Dain Dyer. Previous research found he had a son, Elwyn Rice Dyer (1873-1950). If he had other children, Charles would be a good candidate to be Mattie’s father. Family Search suggests Charles had three children besides Elwyn.
      • Edwin L Dyer (1870-1872)
      • Evelyn L Dyer (1870-1957_
      • Leon Willis Dyer (1877-1953)
      • None of whom are “Mattie.”
  • My search of FamilySearch for Mattie Dyer in Cumberland County, Maine, from 1891 to 1908 uncovered:
    • Martha F Dyer, born Aug 1839.
    • Martha G Dyer, born Mar 1850.
    • Martha A Dyer, daughter of George F and Mary E Dyer, born Nov 1884.
    • Martha F Dyer, daughter of Marshal H & Eva A Dyre, born May 1888
    • Mattie H Dyer, daughter of Thos. & Helen T Dyer, born Oct 1888.
    • Martha B Dyer, daughter of Louvill H and Hattie E. Dyer, born Mar 1889.
    • Martha H Dyer, daughter of John A S and Helen H Dyer, born Nov 1892.

Finding no candidate who name was Mattie (or Martha) Dyer, whose father was Greeley Dyer, I judge this photo undetermined. (As a side note, my suspicion is that whoever wrote the name on the slip with the photo errored and wrote Greeley rather than George, but I can’t prove it.)

Undetermined – Maude Libby, circa 1891-1908.

Sepia cabinet card portrait of a young woman named Maude Libby, approximately 16 to 22 years old, with dark wavy hair pinned up, wearing a high-collared pintucked blouse with a brooch and small drop earrings, photographed by Jackson of Portland, Maine, between 1891 and 1908.
Maude Libby – Cabinet card by Jackson, Portland, Maine, ca. 1891–1908.

Photographer: Charles E. Jakson, formerly Jackson & Kinney
Studio Address: Corner Congress and Oak Streets, Portland, Maine.
Inscription: Separate slip of paper says, “Maude Libby”

Description:
A cabinet card of a young woman, approximately 16 to 22 years of age. Her thick, dark, wavy hair pinned up in a style fashionable in the 1890s. She wears small drop earrings and a high-collared blouse or dress with pleating and a small decorative brooch at the collar, all hallmarks of women’s fashion in the 1890s. The card shows some foxing (brown spots from age).

Research:

  • Charles E Jackson operated at 548½ Congress (Congress & Oak) from 1891 to 1908.
  • In previous research into the Dyer family, I found no one named Maude Libby nor a Maude that married a Libby.
  • Ancestry Family Trees search for Maude Libby born between 1869 and 1892 in Cumberland County and lived in Cumberland county between 1891 and 1908, found four candidates.
    • Maud Marion Libby (1874-1962) daughter of Charles S Libby and Georgianna Hasty.
    • Nellie Maude Libby (1875-aft 1918), daughter of Lewis Boothby Libby and Frances Isabella Brown.
    • Ethel Maud Libby (1874-1951), daughter of David Bradbury Libbey and Lydia A Pendexter.
    • Maud B Stanford (1875-1960) wife of Franklin Everett Robert Libby.

Finding no candidate who name was Mattie (or Martha) Dyer, whose father was Greeley Dyer, I judge this photo undetermined.

Six photos of unknown women.

College of six woman, all cabinet cards,

Album Page – Photographer, Address (years at that location)

  • Page 22-2 – Photographer: Lamson, 5 Temple (1883-1887)
  • Page 23-1 – Photographer: Hanson, 12 Monument (1892-1917)
  • Page 25-1 – Photographer: Lamson,  Opposite Falmouth Hotel (1875-1907)
  • Page 24-2 – Photographer: H. M. Smith, 257 Middle (1891-1892)
  • Page 23-2 – Photographer: Lamson, Opposite Falmouth Hotel (1875-1907)
  • Page 25-2 – Photographer: H. M. Smith, 257 Middle (1891-1892

Conclusion

If any of the individuals here are familiar to you, I would love to hear from you. Any bit of information or a small detail can help restore a name or story. My continuing goal is to reconnect these images with the families and communities to whom they belong, ensuring they are preserved, understood, and shared for future generations.

Disclaimer: This article was researched and written by the author. Claude.ai was used as a research and drafting aid, and Grammarly was used for editorial review and copy editing.

Sources

• Portland City Directories
• FamilySearch
• Ancestry.com

Posted in Maine Genealogy, Linwood Dyer Collection, Faces from the Past | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Johann “John” Huber (1880–1948) & The Pfeinclauf Register

Posted on April 18, 2026 by Don Taylor

By Don Taylor
Darling-Huber Line #14

Vital Facts at a Glance

Ahnentafel No.#14 – Darling-Huber Line
Full NameJohann Huber (known as John in America)
Born10 September 1880, Windlach, Canton Zürich, Switzerland
Baptized26 September 1880
Confirmed1897
Emigrated1901, to New Glarus, Wisconsin, USA
Married1905, Bertha Barbara Trümpi, New Glarus, Wisconsin
ChildrenFlorence Wilma Huber (1908–1934); Clarence Edward Huber (1909–1994)
Died1948, James Township, Saginaw County, Michigan
ParentsJakob Huber (b. c. 1835) & Katharina Nüsslingen (b. 10 Oct 1857)
SiblingsJakob (d. infancy 1878); Jakob II (b. 1879); Frida (b. 1887); Emil (b. 1889); Alfons (b. 1892); Hermann (b. 1899)
Swiss RegisterFamilienregister, Pfeinclauf, Nr. 1486 – Band IV

Introduction

John Huber is my wife Mary-Alice’s great-grandfather — Ancestor #14 in the Darling-Huber line. He was born Johann Huber in the small Swiss village of Windlach, in the Canton of Zürich, in 1880. In 1901, John left his family in Switzerland “in a huff,” leaving his inheritance in the Swiss farm. He crossed the Atlantic and eventually became a Michigan farmer whose daughter, Florence, carried his legacy forward to the Darling family.

I have written about John before — first in 2014 as part of the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge and again in 2024 in a revised sketch. Each time, I have found new details that change or enrich the picture. Now, a newly examined Swiss Familienregister entry for his parents — Johann Jakob Huber and Katharina Nüsslingen — offers the most detailed view yet of the family John left behind when he boarded a ship for America.

A Swiss Farming Family: The Pfeinclauf Register

The document now in hand is a page from a Swiss Familienregister — a church-civil family register of the type kept by Reformed and Lutheran parishes throughout Switzerland and the German-speaking borderlands. The heading reads: Familie des Joh. Jak. Huber, Landwirth, von Pfeinclauf (Nr. 1486) — in English, ‘Family of Johann Jakob Huber, Farmer, from Pfeinclauf, Register Number 1486.’ This is the family record of John’s parents.

John’s father, Johann Jakob Huber, was born on 5 February 1850 and is described in the register as a Landwirth — a farmer, specifically one who owned and worked his own land. He married Katharina Nüsslingen on 19 March 1877 and died on 8 December 1926. Katharina, born 10 October 1857, outlived her husband by more than fourteen years, dying 10 January 1941 at approximately eighty-three years of age.

The register cross-references the family to Volume 168 of the broader register series, and the children’s own family records are noted in Volume IV at various page numbers — a useful trail for further research.

John’s Siblings: A Family in Full

The register records seven children of Johann Jakob and Katharina. John — listed as ‘Johann’ — was the third child. I had previously believed he had four siblings: Ernie, Hermann, Frieda, and Alfred. The register now corrects and greatly expands that picture.

The first child listed is a Jakob, born 24 July 1878 and baptized 7 August 1878. He died on 13 September 1878, at just seven weeks of age. The loss of a newborn was tragically common in the nineteenth century, and the family’s response was characteristic of the era: the very next son, born 30 July 1879, was also named Jakob. This second Jakob, who survived, was confirmed in 1896, married (recorded at Register IV/244), and presumably lived a full life.

John himself — Johann — was born on 10 September 1880, baptized on 26 September 1880, and confirmed in 1897, at the typical Reformed age of about sixteen or seventeen. His baptism took place just 16 days after his birth, which was standard practice in Swiss Reformed congregations.

Next came Frida, born 24 December 1887 — a Christmas Eve baby — and baptized 5 February 1888. The register notes she married an Oskar Meierhofer of Werich and that a register entry was made on 5 May 1908. A dagger symbol (†) in the margin alongside this entry may indicate a death; this warrants further investigation in Swiss civil records.

Emil followed on 23 February 1889, baptized 7 April 1889, and married on 5 July of an illegible year (Register IV/80). Alfons was born 9 January 1892, baptized 14 February 1892, and married 9 September of an illegible year (Register IV/87).

The youngest child was Hermann, born 18 December 1899, baptized 4 February 1900, confirmed 16 October 1914 — just weeks after the outbreak of World War I — and married 29 March 1926. He is the only sibling besides John whose death is definitively recorded in the register: 15 May 1932. Hermann was thirty-two years old. His early death may reflect the long shadow of the Great War or its aftermath, but the cause is not recorded.

What this register confirms is something I had only partially suspected: John came from a substantial family of seven children, most of whom appear to have survived to adulthood. He left all of them behind when he emigrated.

“In Amerika”: The Single Phrase That Tells a Story

In the Bemerkungen (Remarks) column beside Johann’s entry, the register clerk wrote simply: in Amerika. Two words. No further detail — no date of departure, no destination, no indication of whether he intended to return. Yet those two words carry enormous weight.

John was not alone in making this journey. The late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries saw massive emigration from Switzerland, particularly from the rural, farming communities of Canton Zürich and the mountain cantons. The Swiss Reformed community at New Glarus, Wisconsin — founded in 1845 by emigrants from Canton Glarus — was a well-established destination for Swiss immigrants seeking familiar community and familiar faces. John arrived in 1901, at age twenty, and it was there that he would meet and marry Bertha Barbara Trümpi in 1905.

John Huber in America

Photo of John Huber cropped from his wedding photo - 1905
John Huber – 1905

After arriving in Wisconsin around 1901, John settled in the Swiss immigrant community of New Glarus. He married Bertha Barbara Trümpi there in 1905. The couple had two children: Florence Wilma, born in 1908 — who would become Mary-Alice’s maternal grandmother — and Clarence Edward, born Christmas Eve 1909.

By 1910, the family had moved to Alabama, and by 1920, they had relocated again, this time to James Township in Saginaw County, Michigan, where they would remain for the rest of their lives. John took up farming once more — following, perhaps unconsciously, in the footsteps of his father, the Landwirth, back in Pfeinclauf.

Florence died young, in 1934, having married Robert Harry Darling. It was through Florence and Robert that Mary-Alice’s family line descends. Clarence, John’s only son, had no children of his own, meaning that the Huber surname ended with him.

John Huber died in 1948 in James Township, Saginaw County, Michigan. He was sixty-seven years old. He had traveled a long way from the farming village of Windlach.

What the Register Adds to Research

This Familienregister page is significant for several reasons. It is the first documentary source I have that records John’s baptism date (26 September 1880) and confirmation year (1897). It provides his mother’s maiden name, Nüsslingen — the married name was Huber, but the maiden surname had eluded me. It places the family firmly in a specific named register, Nr. 1486, from the locality of Pfeinclauf, which appears to be a Swiss Reformed parish record.

The register also corrects my earlier sibling count. I previously believed John had four siblings; in fact, there were six, plus a seventh who died in infancy. The addition of the infant Jakob (1878), who was never previously in my records, is both genealogically and humanly important. It tells us something about the family before John was born — about a grief that preceded him.

The cross-references to Band IV, pages 80, 87, 115, and 244, are direct leads to the family records of Emil, Alfons, Hermann, and the second Jakob, respectively. Each of those pages, if found, could yield grandchildren of Johann Jakob Huber and Katharina Nüsslingen — cousins of John who remained in Switzerland while he crossed the ocean.

Sources and Notes

[i] Swiss Familienregister, Familie des Joh. Jak. Huber, Landwirth, von Pfeinclauf, Nr. 1486. Original document image, author’s collection. Transcribed and translated by the author, 2025.

[ii] Surname Saturday – Huber. Don Taylor Genealogy, 25 November 2018. dontaylorgenealogy.com. Accessed 2025.

[iii] 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks – Week 35 – John Huber (1880-1948). Don Taylor Genealogy, August 2014. dontaylorgenealogy.com. Accessed 2025.

[iv] Ancestor Sketch – John Huber – Take 2. Don Taylor Genealogy, May 2024. dontaylorgenealogy.com. Accessed 2025.

[v] Clarence Edward Huber’s birth record is noted in family sources as 24 December 1909, Elberta/Josephine, Baldwin Township, Alabama.

Disclaimer: This article was researched and written by the author. Claude.ai was used as a research and drafting aid, and Grammarly was used for editorial review and copy editing.

Posted in Darling-Huber, Ancestor Sketch, Ancestor Features | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Faces from the Past – Dyer & Hersey

Posted on April 13, 2026 by Don Taylor

Linwood Dyer Collection, Part 096
By Don Taylor

Introduction

The Scarborough Historical Society maintains several important photographic collections documenting people, places, and events central to the community’s history. Among these is the Linwood Dyer Collection, which continues to yield valuable genealogical and historical insights.

In this installment of Faces from the Past, I examine five additional photographs from the Dyer Photo Album, combining photographic analysis with documentary research to identify individuals and place them within their historical context.

Clifford W. Dyer (1851–1888)

Circa 1880–1888

Clifford W Dyer cabinet card portrait Portland Maine Lamson Studio circa 1885
Clifford W. Dyer (1851–1888), Portland, Maine, circa 1880–1888. Cabinet card by J. H. Lamson.

Photo Type: Cabinet card studio portrait
Photographer: J. H. Lamson (reverse of card blank)
Format: Three-quarter length standing portrait
Inscription: Separate slip reading “Clifford W Dyer”

Description

A formal studio portrait of a young man, approximately 30 to 35 years old, posed in a composed stance typical of late 19th-century cabinet photography.

Research & Identification

  • J. H. Lamson opened his Portland studio in 1871 and operated until 1910.
  • The 1880 U.S. Census enumerates Clifford in Portland within the household of his father, Seth C. Dyer.
  • Clifford married Florence May Perry on 4 October 1882; their son, Brainard Dyer, was born in 1883.
  • The 1888 Portland City Directory lists him as “Dyer, Clifford W., (Sawyer & Dyer).”

Analysis

The subject’s apparent age, combined with Lamson’s period of operation and Clifford’s documented lifespan (1851–1888), strongly supports identification as Clifford W. Dyer.

Conclusion

This portrait represents Clifford in his prime—an established businessman, newly married, and active within Portland’s late 19th-century community.

Elwyn Rice Dyer (1873–1950)

Circa 1892–1898

Elwyn Rice Dyer portrait A C Lewis studio Portland Maine 1890s
Elwyn Rice Dyer (1873–1950), Portland, Maine, circa 1892–1898. Photograph by A. C. Lewis.

Photographer: A. C. Lewis
Studio: 518 Congress Street, Portland, Maine
Inscription: “Elwyn Dyer, son of Charlie Dyer”

Description

A young man in a well-tailored suit with waistcoat and tie, appearing approximately 18 to 25 years old.

Research & Identification

  • Elwyn Rice Dyer (1873–1950), son of Charles G. Dyer and Frances E. (Rice), is a strong match.
  • The 1897 Portland City Directory lists Elwyn as a clerk boarding with his father in South Portland.
  • He married Clymenia W. Butman in 1908.

Dating the Photograph

  • A. C. Lewis operated at this address from 1892 to 1908.
  • Elwyn would have been 18–25 between 1891 and 1898.

Conclusion

The convergence of inscription, age, and directory evidence supports identifying this portrait as Elwyn Rice Dyer, photographed in the mid-1890s.

Florence (Perry) Dyer (1857– )

Circa 1887–1889

Florence Perry Dyer portrait Anderson studio Haverhill Massachusetts late 1880s
Florence (Perry) Dyer (b. 1857), wife of Clifford W. Dyer, circa 1887–1889. Anderson studio, Haverhill, Massachusetts.

Photographer: Anderson
Location: Haverhill, Massachusetts
Inscription: “Florence Perry, wife of Clifford Dyer”

Description

A formal studio portrait of a woman with upswept hair, a high-collared dress, and a composed expression, softly vignetted against a plain background.

Dating the Photograph

  • Anderson operated in Haverhill, Massachusetts from about 1865 to 1900.
  • The simple imprint without address and blank reverse suggest late 1880s production.
  • The soft vignette and styling are consistent with 1885–1895 cabinet card conventions.
  • Florence, born in 1857, appears approximately 30–32 years old.

Analysis

Florence married Clifford in 1882; this portrait likely dates several years into their marriage, reflecting her early adult married life.

Conclusion

The photograph is best dated to circa 1887–1889 and represents Florence during her early established years as a wife and mother.

Henry T. C. Hersey (1889– )

Circa 1891–1892

Henry T C Hersey child portrait H M Smith studio Portland Maine 1891
Henry T. C. Hersey (b. 1889), Portland, Maine, circa 1891–1892. Photograph by H. M. Smith.

Photographer: H. M. Smith
Studio: 257½ Middle Street, Portland, Maine
Inscription: “Henry Jersey”

Description

A young child, approximately 2 to 3 years old, standing with support in a long white garment typical of the period.

Research & Identification

  • Henry T. C. Hersey, son of Henry P. C. and Elizabeth (Milliken) Hersey, was born 7 August 1889 in Cape Elizabeth.

Dating the Photograph

  • H. M. Smith operated at this address only between 1891 and 1892.
  • A child born in 1889 would be 2–3 years old during this period.

Conclusion

The alignment of age, name, and photographer’s narrow operating window strongly supports identification as Henry T. C. Hersey, photographed circa 1891–1892.

Addie Dyer (Unidentified)

Circa 1892–1917

Addie Dyer portrait Hanson studio Portland Maine Monument Square circa 1900
Unidentified “Addie Dyer,” Portland, Maine, circa 1892–1917. Photograph by Hanson, 12 Monument Square.

Photographer: Hanson
Studio: 12 Monument Square, Portland, Maine
Inscription: “Addie Dyer”

Description

A vignetted studio portrait of a woman, estimated to be 35 to 45 years old, wearing a high-collared, decorative bodice typical of late 19th-century fashion.

Research

  • Hanson operated at this location from 1892 to 1917.
  • Multiple individuals named Addie Dyer appear in census, vital, and directory records, including:

Possible Candidates:

  • Addie A. Dyer (b. 1863) – Strong candidate
  • Addie E. Dyer (b. 1869) – Strong candidate
  • Addie M. Dyer (b. c. 1877) – Possible candidate

Eliminated Candidates:

  • Addie H. Dyer (b. c. 1841)
  • Addie S. Dyer (b. 1843)
  • Addie S. (Bean) Dyer (b. 1843)

Analysis

Based on the estimated age (35–45) and studio dates, the subject was likely born between approximately 1847 and 1887. Narrowing by appearance and records leaves three viable candidates.

At present, the exact identity of this “Addie Dyer” remains unresolved. Additional photographic comparisons or family documentation may allow a definitive identification.

Conclusion

If any of the individuals shown here are familiar to you, I would be pleased to hear from you. Many photographs in the Scarborough Historical Society’s collections lack firm identification, and even a small detail can help restore a name or story.

My continuing goal is to reconnect these images with the families and communities to whom they belong—ensuring they are preserved, understood, and shared for future generations.

This article was researched and written by the author. ChatGPT was used as a research and drafting aid, and Grammarly was used for editorial review and copy editing.

Posted in Scarborough Historical Society and Museum, Linwood Dyer Collection, Maine History, Uncategorized, Faces from the Past | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment