Faces from the Past – Meserve, Moulton, & Poland

Posted on May 20, 2026 by Don Taylor

SHS Photo Collection – Part 11
By Don Taylor

In this installment of Faces from the Past, I examine five photographs from the Scarborough Historical Society Photo Collection. This installment presents five cabinet card portraits, dating from approximately 1876 to 1891. Three of the subjects have direct Scarborough connections — Charles Moulton, his wife Hannah Libby Meserve Moulton, both of Scarborough, and Rosile Dolley Poland of West Scarborough. The remaining two portraits — Dr. Willis Bean Moulton, grandson of Charles and Hannah, and an unidentified young man from Lewiston — round out this collection. Together, they offer a window into Maine life in the latter half of the nineteenth century, from prosperous Portland physicians to humble West Scarborough families navigating hard times.

Charles Moulton (1801-1891)

Cabinet card bust portrait of an elderly white-haired man with a beard, photographer Conaut, Portland, Maine, circa 1876–1891.
Charles Moulton (1801–1891), Portland, Maine. Photographer: Conaut, Portland, ME, c. 1876–1891. SHS Photo Collection #2022.28.01a.

Charles Moulton was born in 1801, the eldest son of Captain Joshua Moulton (1775–1855) and Lydia Stone (1780–1872). Charles married Hannah Meserve (b. 1806), and together they raised a large family of eight children:

  • John B. (b. between 1831-1832)*,
  • Lydia M. (b. 1833),
  • Esther J. (1835–1908),
  • Mathias M. (1839–between 1903-1920)*,
  • Olive (1842–1926),
  • Charles (1844–1932),
  • Liberty (1848–1923), and
  • Fanny (b. 1851).

His son Mathias M. Moulton married Rose Ann Bean, and their son Willis Bean Moulton (1877–1934) married Jean S. Moulton. This cabinet card portrait, photographed by Conaut, was taken sometime between 1876 and 1891, capturing Charles in his later years. He lived to the remarkable age of 90, passing away in 1891.

Hannah Libby Meserve Moulton (1806–1884)

Cabinet card bust portrait of an older woman with dark hair pulled back, wearing a dark dress with a brooch, photographer Conaut, Portland, Maine, circa 1876–1884.
Hannah Libby Meserve Moulton (1806–1884), Portland, Maine. Photographer: Conaut, Portland, ME, c. 1876–1884. SHS Photo Collection #2022.28.01c.

Hannah Libby Meserve was born on 13 December 1806 in Scarborough, Cumberland, Maine, the daughter of John Meserve (1767–1831) and Hannah Libby (1775–1859). On 21 November 1829, she married Charles Moulton (1801–1891), and together they raised eight children:

  • John B. (b. between 1831-1832)*,
  • Lydia M. (b. 1833),
  • Esther J. (1835–1908),
  • Mathias M. (1839–between 1903-1920)*,
  • Olive (1842–1926),
  • Charles (1844–1932),
  • Liberty (1848–1923), and
  • Fanny (b. 1851).

Census records show the family living in Gorham in 1850, returning to Scarborough by 1860, and back to Gorham by 1870. Hannah passed away on 17 January 1884 in Scarborough, Maine, and was buried in Portland, Cumberland County. Her husband Charles survived her by seven years, living until 1891. This cabinet card portrait, photographed by Conaut, appears to predate the portrait of her husband Charles, and is dated between 1876 and 1884 — suggesting it may have been taken while the couple were still living together in their later years, and no later than the year of Hannah’s death.

(Probably) Rosile Dolley Poland (1837–1890)

Cabinet card portrait of an elderly woman seated in an armchair, photographer Ford, circa 1887–1890.
(Probably) Rosile Dolley Poland (1837–1890), West Scarborough, Maine. Photographer: Ford, c. 1887–1890. SHS Photo Collection #2010.18.01.

Rosile Dolley was born in 1837 and married Alvin J. Poland (1834–1914) as his second wife, Alvin having previously been married to Martha W. Pennell (1832–1864). By 1880 the couple were living in Biddeford, but by 1889 they had relocated to the West Scarborough area, near the Broad Turn School district (District No. 10). Town records reflect the family’s difficult circumstances in these final years — the 1889 Scarborough Town Report records Mrs. A. J. Poland receiving $2 in support, and Alvin receiving $14 for labor on the town farm buildings, while the 1890 Town Report notes Alvin receiving $10 worth of supplies as a recipient off the Poor Farm. Alvin filed for a Civil War pension on July 20, 1889, suggesting he was a veteran. Rosile passed away in 1890, after which Alvin is recorded as a widower living in Saco in the 1900 census. He lived until 1914. This cabinet card portrait, inscribed on the reverse “A. J. Poland, West Scarboro,” is believed to depict Rosile Dolley Poland, with the photo’s style and clothing suggesting a date of approximately 1887–1890, consistent with her final years in Scarborough.

Dr. Willis Bean Moulton (1877–1934)

Cabinet card portrait of a young clean-shaven man in a dark double-breasted coat, photographer Webber, Brunswick, Maine, circa 1895–1900.
Dr. Willis Bean Moulton (1877–1934), grandson of Charles Moulton, while a student at Bowdoin College. Photographer: Webber, Brunswick, ME, c. 1895–1900. SHS Photo Collection #2022.28.01b.

Willis Bean Moulton was born on March 20, 1877, in Portland, Maine, the son of Mathias M. Moulton (1839–1903) and Rose Ann Bean, and the grandson of Charles Moulton (1801–1891) and Hannah Libby Meserve (1806–1884) of Scarborough, Maine. Educated in the Portland Public Schools, he graduated from Bowdoin College and Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, establishing himself as a surgeon and gynecologist in Portland, serving on the staffs of several Portland hospitals.

During World War I, he was commissioned as a captain in 1918, serving in the Medical Officers’ Training Group and later as acting commanding officer of Evacuation Hospital No. 57. He was discharged in August 1919 with the rank of major. A Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, he was also a member of the Portland Medical Society, the Cumberland County Medical Society, and the Maine Medical Association. He married Jean S. Moulton, who survived him. Dr. Willis Bean Moulton passed away on September 14, 1934, at the Maine Eye and Ear Infirmary from pneumonia. This cabinet card portrait was taken by photographer Webber of Brunswick, Maine.

Unidentified Man, Lewiston, Maine (c. 1890)

Cabinet card full-length portrait of a young man in a dark suit seated on a stone prop holding a bowler hat, photographer Colpitts and Co., Lewiston, Maine, circa 1890.
Unidentified man, Lewiston, Maine. Photographer: Colpitts & Co., 52 Lisbon Street, Lewiston, ME, c. 1890. Name on reverse: “Mary A. Smith.” SHS Photo Collection.

This cabinet card portrait was taken by Colpitts & Co., 52 Lisbon Street, Lewiston, Maine, circa 1890. The subject is a young man, approximately 20–30 years of age, seated on a decorative stone prop before a painted landscape backdrop, a typical studio arrangement of the era. He is well dressed in a dark sack coat suit with a waistcoat, visible watch chain, and striped cravat, and holds a bowler hat in his lap — suggesting a man of modest means dressed for a formal occasion. The name “Mary A. Smith” (or possibly “Margit Smith” is written on the reverse, almost certainly identifying the owner or recipient of the photograph rather than the subject himself. Mary A. Smith may have been a wife, sweetheart, sister, or friend of this unidentified young man. Unfortunately, there are several Mary Smiths in the Lewiston-Auburn area, and the identity of the subject remains unknown. Research assistance welcome.

Name handwritten on back of photo - Mary A Smith

Conclusion

These five cabinet card portraits represent both the rewards and the challenges of historical photo identification. Three have been identified with confidence, one tentatively, and one remains a complete mystery. If you have information that might help identify the young man photographed by Colpitts & Co. of Lewiston, or can shed further light on any of the other subjects, please contact me using the comments form below.

Endnotes:

* My quick research uncovered multiple dates for this individual’s birth, marriage, or death. Further research is necessary.

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

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Amanda Taft Whitney (1798–1872): An Ancestor Sketch

Posted on May 17, 2026 by Don Taylor

Ancestor Sketches Series
Roberts-Barnes-Taft Line
by Don Taylor

Amanda Taft was born on 31 December 1798 in what was then called Partridgefield, Berkshire County, Massachusetts — a town that would be renamed Hinsdale in 1804.[1] She was the daughter of Asa Taft and his wife, Sarah Whitney Taft, and she entered the world as at least the third child of what would grow into a large family. Her elder known siblings were Asa Perry Taft Jr. and Luransa Taft, born 22 Sep 1874 and 28 March 1796, respectively.[2] There may have been an additional child between Luransa and Amanda whose record I haven’t located. Younger siblings include Lucy Wilson Taft and Joel Cruff Taft.

The family did not remain long in Massachusetts. By 1800, Asa Taft had moved his household to Sharon, Schoharie County, New York, where he appears in both the federal census and the New York tax assessment rolls.[3] Amanda, just a year old, made that journey with them. The move was part of a broader pattern of westward migration common to New England families of the period, drawn by cheaper land and new opportunity across the New York border. By around 1805, the family had settled further west still, in Triangle, Broome County, New York, in the Chenango River valley — a community where Amanda would spend the remainder of her life.[4]

A word on Amanda’s mother: she appears in the genealogical record under two names. The Massachusetts vital records and most secondary sources give her name as Sarah Whitney.[5] The Taft Family Bulletin of December 1970, however, refers to her as “Sally (Whitney) Taft.”[6] This is not a conflict. Sally was an extremely common diminutive of Sarah throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, used interchangeably in both formal documents and family correspondence. The evidence points confidently to a single woman known in life as Sally, recorded formally as Sarah, and the wife of Asa Taft.

Before 1819, Amanda married Chauncey Whitney in Triangle, Broome County, New York.[7] Together, Amanda and Chauncey raised a large family. The 1865 New York State Census records Amanda as having borne ten children in all, and Chauncey was still living at that time, aged sixty-eight.[8] He presumably died sometime between June 1865 and February 1872, though I need to research him further.

Of Amanda and Chauncey’s ten children, I have identified four by name: Oliver C. Whitney (born about 1819), Clarissa Whitney (born about 1821), Lucy Whitney (born about 1825), and Jackson Whitney (born about 1830), the latter two born in Chenango County, New York.[9] The identities of the remaining six children await further research. By 1865, both Lucy and Jackson were living in the family household: Lucy, then thirty-nine and single, and Jackson, thirty-one and a widower.[10] Also present were two young children — Eva Belle Whitney, aged two, and Franklin Whitney, aged one — recorded as grandchildren of Amanda and Chauncey. I presume them to be Jackson’s children from his marriage.[11]

The 1865 census offers a vivid glimpse of the household Amanda shared in her later years. The dwelling, a framed house valued at $1,200, was occupied jointly with the family of her brother, Asa Perry Taft Jr., a carpenter and voter, and his wife, Miranda. Several boarders also resided there, including Diana Mayhew, a widow with her own children.[12] Within this shared and busy household, Amanda is listed as the owner of land, a detail that begs further research and understanding.

Amanda Taft Whitney died on 7 February 1872 in Broome County, New York, at the age of seventy-three. Her life followed the arc common to so many women of her generation: born in a Massachusetts hill town, carried west in childhood by a migrating family, married young, and devoted to raising children across decades in a New York farming community. What sets her record apart for the genealogist is the consistency of her documented presence across multiple census enumerations spanning 65 years.

Disclaimer: The research presented in this post represents my current findings and conclusions based on the sources cited. Claude.ai was used as a research and drafting aid, and Grammarly for editorial review and copyediting. Where evidence is incomplete, I have drawn careful inferences and have endeavored to distinguish clearly between documented fact and reasoned interpretation. Genealogical research is an ongoing process; new records may alter, refine, or overturn conclusions presented here.
All source citations are provided for transparency and verification. Cited records belong to their respective repositories and institutions. The narrative text, analysis, and editorial conclusions are my own work and are protected under copyright.
If you have additional information, corrections, or family connections relevant to this post, I welcome your contact through the blog. Genealogy is a collaborative pursuit, and I am always grateful for the contributions of fellow researchers and family members.
— Don Taylor, Family Historian, DonTaylorGenealogy.com

Endnotes

[1] Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626–2001, FamilySearch, entry for Amanda Taft, 31 Dec 1798. familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:DDM4-GH3Z. Also: Massachusetts, U.S., Compiled Birth, Marriage, and Death Records, 1700–1850, Ancestry.com, page 45.

[2] FamilySearch, entry for Luransa Taft, 28 Mar 1796. familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:DD93-2J2M. Birth order of Asa Perry Jr., Luransa, and Amanda established from this record and the Taft Family Bulletin (see note 6). A possible unnamed child between Luransa and Amanda has not been confirmed.

[3] “United States, Census, 1800,” FamilySearch, entry for Asa Taft, Sharon, Schoharie, New York, page 161. familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XH5B-QR1. Also: New York, U.S., Tax Assessment Rolls of Real and Personal Estates, 1799–1804, Ancestry.com, 1800 — Asa Taft, Sharon, Schoharie, NY.

[4] 1855 New York State Census, FamilySearch, entry for Amanda Whitney, Triangle, Broome, NY. Residence circa 1805 inferred from family settlement pattern.

[5] Massachusetts vital records, as cited in note 1.

[6] Thomas E. Collins, Taft Family Bulletin (December 1970), page 15, “Children of Asa & Sally (Whitney) Taft,” #15263. Accessed 23 Jan 2025, Ancestry.com.

[7]Ibid. Marriage placed before 1819 based on the birth year of the eldest identified child, Oliver C. Whitney.

[8] 1865 New York State Census, FamilySearch, household of Asa Taft and Chauncey Whitney, Triangle, Broome, NY, page 15. Chauncey Whitney, age 68, born in Massachusetts; Amanda Whitney, age 66, born in Schoharie County, NY, mother of ten children.

[9] “United States, Census, 1850,” FamilySearch, entry for Chauncy Whitney and Amanda Whitney, Triangle, Broome, NY. familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MCTJ-K3X. Oliver and Clarissa designated “prob. son/child of Amanda” in that record. Also: 1855 New York State Census, FamilySearch, same household.

[10] 1865 New York State Census, as cited in note 8. Lucy Whitney, age 39, born in Chenango County, single; Jackson Whitney, age 31, born in Chenango County, widower, shoemaker.

[11] 1865 New York State Census, as cited in note 8. Eva Belle Whitney, age 2 years 4 months, born in Broome County; Franklin Whitney, age 1 year 5 months, born in Cortland County. Both are recorded as grandchildren. Parentage through Jackson is presumed based on his presence in the household as a widower; it has not been independently documented.

[12] 1865 New York State Census, as cited in note 8. The dwelling is recorded as a framed house valued at $1,200, shared by two family groups. Diana Mayhew, age 42, born in Broome County, widowed, three children; Addie Mayhew, age 16, born in Pennsylvania, boarder. No family relationship between the Mayhews and the Whitney or Taft families has been established yet.

Posted in Ancestor Sketch, New York Genealogy, Family Lines, Massachusetts Genealogy, Roberts-Barnes, Geographic Genealogy, Ancestor Features | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Donna in the News – Bloomington, IN, April 1925.

Posted on May 14, 2026 by Don Taylor

“The Girl with the Million Dollar Personality” Conquers Bloomington — April 1925

Based on The_Herald_Times_1925_04_23_5.jpg (April 23, 1925, p. 5): Alt Text: Newspaper article headlined "Novelty Show at Harris Grand" from The Herald-Times, Bloomington, Indiana, April 23, 1925, announcing the opening of Donna Darling and her Bathing Girls' Revue for a three-day engagement, describing it as a vaudeville extravaganza with elaborate scenery, costumes, and special lighting effects.
“Novelty Show at Harris Grand”
The Herald-Times, Bloomington, IN
April 23, 1925, p. 5.

When Donna Darling and her “Bathing Girls’ Revue” swept into the Harris Grand Theatre in Bloomington, Indiana for a three-day engagement beginning Thursday, April 23, 1925, the Herald-Times had already been building anticipation for days. The paper described the production as a “vaudeville extravaganza” — a novelty musical revue organized in Hollywood and brought east for a tour of the nation’s principal cities, where it had already proven itself a Keith Circuit headliner.

The revue was unlike anything Bloomington audiences had previously seen on the Harris Grand stage. Donna led a company of eight versatile performers, each a vaudeville artist in their own right, presenting individual specialties alongside their ensemble numbers. The show featured Donna’s cast portraying bathing beauties from many nationalities, in costumes representing the fashionable bathing centers of countries around the world, with dances from each nation woven throughout. A comedy sequence featured the evolution of swimwear from her grandma’s day, with Donna resplendent in an elaborate silver-and-orchid gown and Betty Bryant, of the Follies, appearing as Miss America.

The Chicago Tribune’s Mae Tinee, quoted in advance notices, captured Donna’s appeal perfectly: she was not only beautiful but sang and danced with unusual ability, earning her title, “the girl with the million dollar personality.”

The engagement closed Saturday, April 25th, hailed as the biggest vaudeville number ever seen on the Harris Grand stage.

It is always exciting to discover another venue where Donna Darling performed. Each new theatre we can add to her itinerary helps us piece together the remarkable scope of her touring career and confirms just how widely traveled and well-regarded she was on the vaudeville circuit. The Harris Grand engagement in Bloomington is a wonderful addition to that growing record.

Sources (All via Newspapers.com):

  • “Bathing Beauties Coming.” The Herald-Times (Bloomington, IN), April 21, 1925, p. 6.
  • “‘Bathing Beauties’ Is Vaudeville’s Extravaganza.” The Herald-Times (Bloomington, IN), April 22, 1925, p. 6.
  • “Donna Darling Photo and Caption.” The Herald-Times (Bloomington, IN), April 23, 1925, p. 4.
  • “Novelty Show at Harris Grand.” The Herald-Times (Bloomington, IN), April 23, 1925, p. 5.
  • “‘Bathing Girl’s Revue’ Big Vaudeville Act at the Harris Grand.” The Herald-Times (Bloomington, IN), April 24, 1925, p. 7.
  • “Harris Grand Theatre Advertisement.” The Herald-Times (Bloomington, IN), April 25, 1925, p. 2.
  • “‘Bathing Girls’ at the Harris Grand Tonight.” The Herald-Times (Bloomington, IN), April 25, 1925, p. 6.
Disclaimer: This article was researched and written by the author. Claude (Anthropic) was used as a research and drafting aid, and Grammarly was used for editorial review and copy editing.
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Faces from the Past – Clifford, Dana, Jordan, & Kinney

Posted on May 11, 2026 by Don Taylor

Linwood Dyer Collection, Part 100
By Don Taylor

The Scarborough Historical Society’s photographic collections document the people, places, and events of our community. In this installment of Faces from the Past, I continue examining items from the “Hinkley Family Photographs – Margaret Kinney” photo album from the Linwood Dyer Collection.

 Howard Hinkley Dana, circa 1938-1943.

Inscription: On the back, “Howard Dana”

Formal sepia-toned studio portrait of Howard Hinkley Dana, a young man in his mid-to-late twenties, wearing wire-rimmed round glasses, a dark suit, white dress shirt, and striped tie, with neatly combed light hair swept back from his forehead.
Howard Hinkley Dana, circa 1938–1943. Inscription on reverse: “Howard Dana.” From the Hinkley Family Photographs – Margaret Kinney album, Linwood Dyer Collection, Scarborough Historical Society.

Description: This is a formal studio portrait of a young man, likely in his mid-to-late twenties. He has neatly combed, light-colored hair swept back from his forehead, and wears wire-rimmed, round-lens glasses. The photograph is black-and-white with the soft, slightly warm sepia toning.

Research: From previous research, I learned that Howard Dana was born in Westbrook, Maine, in 1914, the son of Philip J and Florence (Hinkley) Dana.

  • Howard Dana married Ann Clifford in 1939.

Dating the Photograph: Based on the photographic style, clothing, and eyeglass fashion, this portrait was most likely taken in the late 1930s to early 1940s. I estimate the young man is between 25 and 30 years old, dating the photo to roughly 1938–1943.

Eleanor Hinkley Kinney, circa 1928-1938

Sepia-toned portrait photograph of Eleanor Hinkley Kinney, a woman in her late fifties to mid-sixties, wearing a striped jacket, pearl necklace, and brooch, photographed outdoors with trees in the background.
Eleanor Hinkley Kinney, circa 1928–1938. Inscription on reverse: “Eleanor Hinkley Kinney.” From the Hinkley Family Photographs – Margaret Kinney album, Linwood Dyer Collection, Scarborough Historical Society.

Inscription: Written on back of photo, “Eleanor Hinkley Kinney”

Description: This appears to be a woman in her late 50s to mid-60s. Her clothing suggests the 1920s or 1930s.

Research: In past research into the Hinkley Family, I have learned that Eleanor Tisdale Hinkley was born in 1871. She married Ernest Cogswell Kinney on 9 June 1909, and she died on 22 April 1943.

 Dating the Photograph: A date of 1928 to 1938 for the photo would agree with her being from 56 to 66 years old.

Jordan-Dana Wedding — Portland Press Herald, September 10, 1939

Black-and-white newspaper clipping from the Portland Sunday Telegram and Sunday Press Herald, September 10, 1939, showing two wedding photographs of Frances Dana and Jack W. Jordan.
Scene Following Jordan-Dana Wedding And Bride’s Attendants. Portland Sunday Telegram and Sunday Press Herald, September 10, 1939.

This is a Society page clipping from the Portland Sunday Telegram and Sunday Press Herald, dated September 10, 1939. It features two photographs documenting the wedding of Frances Dana and Jack W. Jordan, which took place on Tuesday, September 5, 1939.

Headline: Scene Following Jordan-Dana Wedding And Bride’s Attendants

Transcription:

An informal photograph of the bride and her attendants at the wedding of Mr. and Mrs. Jack W. Jordan (Frances Dana) which was solemnized Tuesday afternoon in the State Street Congregational Church.

At the left is the bride as she was cutting the cake at the reception which was held at the home of the bride’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Philip Dana, at Cape Elizabeth. Mr. Jordan is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Chester A. Jordan of Bowdoin Street.

In the group at the right, are, standing, left to right, the Misses Dorothy Payson, Anna Parkman, Margaret Gignoux, Katharine Jordan, Elizabeth Watkins of Short Hills, N.J., Mary Rines, and Theodosia Stark of Louisiana, Mo. Seated are, Miss Kate Hay (left), maid of honor, and Mrs. Howard Dana (Ann Clifford), matron of honor.

Wedding of Ann Clifford and Howard Dana – January 1939

Photographer: Jordan ‘39
Inscription: Wedding of Matilda Clifford[i] to Howard Dana

Formal sepia-toned wedding party portrait of approximately twenty people posed in an elegantly furnished private home, with the bride in a full-length white satin gown and cathedral train at center, surrounded by bridesmaids in light satin gowns and groomsmen in dark suits.
Wedding of Ann Clifford and Howard Hinkley Dana, January 28, 1939. Photographer: Jordan ’39. From the Hinkley Family Photographs – Margaret Kinney album, Linwood Dyer Collection, Scarborough Historical Society.

Description: This is a formal wedding party portrait, almost certainly taken at a private home given the elegant interior setting. It is a beautifully composed, large wedding party photograph typical of late 1930s New England society weddings.

Research:

  • Howard Dana married Ann Clifford on 28 January 1939 at the State Street Congregational Church.
  • Ann Clifford is the daughter of Mr. & Mrs Philip Greely Clifford of Carroll Street, Portland. She was born 21 March 1916, graduated from Waynflete School and from Smith College in 1937.
  • Howard Hinkley Dana is the son of Mr. & Mrs. Philip Dana of Cape Elizabeth. He was born 26 January 1914 and graduated from Bowdoin College in 1936.

“Thanksgiving at the Hinkley Homestead” – 1927 Memoir of Marion Hinkley

A formal studio portrait of Howard Hinkley Dana (born January 26, 1914, in Westbrook, Maine), son of Mr. and Mrs. Philip J. Dana of Cape Elizabeth. Howard graduated from Bowdoin College in 1936 and married Ann Clifford on January 28, 1939, at the State Street Congregational Church, Portland, Maine. He is shown in his mid-to-late twenties, wearing a dark double-breasted suit, white dress shirt, striped tie, and wire-rimmed round-lens glasses — consistent with fashions of the late 1930s to early 1940s. The soft vignette lighting and neutral studio background are characteristic of professional portrait photography of the period. Estimated date: 1938–1943, when Howard would have been between 24 and 29 years of age. From the Hinkley Family Photographs – Margaret Kinney album, Linwood Dyer Collection, Scarborough Historical Society.
“Thanksgiving at the Hinkley Homestead,” Page 1. Memoir by Marion Hinkley, November 6, 1927, Mount Airy, Philadelphia. Handwritten inscription: “Eleanor from M.H.” From the Hinkley Family Photographs – Margaret Kinney album, Linwood Dyer Collection, Scarborough Historical Society.

This is a warm, vivid memoir written by Marion Hinkley in 1927, recalling annual Thanksgiving gatherings at the Gorham, Maine homestead of her grandparents, the Stephen Hinkleys. She describes the train journey from Portland, family traditions, pilgrimages, pillow fights, elaborate dinners, and parlor games spanning roughly 1868–1890.

There are many facts and anecdotal stories regarding the friends and family of the Hinkleys of Gorham, Maine, including:

  • Stephen Hinkley [II], (1799-1867) – Grandfather
  • [Eunice Welch] Prindle (1810-1895) – Grandmother
  • Rufus Hinkley (1830-1900) (father of Marion)
  • Mary Hinkley (1833-1903) – Aunt
  • Sue Hinkley 1835-1911) – Aunt
  • Stephen Hinkley, Jr. [III] (1838-1898) – Uncle
  • Charles Hinkley (1843-1924) – Uncle
  • John Hinkley (1848-1915) – Uncle
  • Carrie Hinkley (1865-1872) – Cousin
  • Maria Ethel Hinkley (c.1876-c.1876) – Cousin
  • Susan King – Friend
  • George Way Family – Friends
  • “Rolfe girls” – Friends

Conclusion

These photographs and documents from the Hinkley Family album offer a rich portrait of interconnected Cape Elizabeth and Portland families across three generations. From Marion Hinkley’s 1868 Gorham Thanksgiving memories to the 1939 Dana-Clifford wedding, the collection illuminates the relationships, traditions, and social fabric of the Greater Portland Area community.

If the individuals or scenes shown here are familiar to you, I would be pleased to hear from you. My continuing goal is to reconnect these images and stories with the families and communities to whom they belong, ensuring they are preserved, understood, and shared for future generations.

Sources

  • “Hinkley Family Photographs – Margaret Kinney,” Linwood Dyer Photo Collection, Scarborough Historical Society.
  • Newspapers:
    • Portland Press Herald 29 Jan 1939, page 30.
    • Portland Press Herald 10 Sep 1939, Section B, Page 3.
  • Ancestry.com family trees.
Disclaimer: This article was researched and written by the author. ChatGPT was used as a research and drafting aid, and Grammarly for editorial review and copyediting.

Endnotes:

[i] I am not certain why the back of this photo says “Matilda Clifford” and not Ann Clifford. Possibly it was written by mistake or possibly Matilda is a little-known middle name. In any event, I am quite certain this photo is of Ann and Howard’s marriage.

Posted in Photo Identification, Linwood Dyer Collection, Faces from the Past | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Inga Maria “Mary” (Person) Krafve (1866-1905)

Posted on May 8, 2026 by Don Taylor

Matson Project – Ancestor #11

Matson-Krafve  Line
By Don Taylor

She crossed an ocean and left almost no trace — at least not at first glance. But look carefully at the records, and Maria (Person) Krafve steps forward: a Swedish immigrant who built a family on two frontiers, bore seven children, and died at thirty-eight, far from the forests of Värmland where she was born.

List of Grands

Beginnings: Östmark, Värmland, Sweden

Maria Person was born on 30 May 1866 in Oshmark (today Östmark), a parish in Värmland County in western Sweden. Värmland is a land of deep forests, long winters, and lakes that mirror a pewter sky. But for many 19th-century Swedes, it was a place that could not feed its children. Between 1850 and 1910, more than one million Swedes emigrated to America. Maria was one of them. I do not yet know exactly when she crossed, or on which ship, or through which port. I do not yet know her parents’ names. I do know that by 1890, she was in Minneapolis, Minnesota, a young Swedish woman about to begin the central chapter of her American life. Her maiden name was Person — the Americanized rendering of the Swedish Persson, itself a patronymic surname meaning simply “Peter’s son.[ii]” In American records, she appears variously as Peterson, Person, Persson, and even Parson, each spelling because recorders heard her Swedish name through an American ear

Minneapolis: A Swedish Community

By 1890, Minneapolis had a substantial Scandinavian immigrant population. Swedish Lutheran churches, Swedish language newspapers, and Swedish neighbors created a community. It was a place where the old language still worked, and the old customs still made sense. It was in this world that Maria met Joseph Alvar Krafve, a fellow Swedish immigrant born in March 1863 in Dalsland, Sweden, a province bordering Värmland. They came from neighboring regions of the old country, though they almost certainly met for the first time in Minneapolis. 

Joseph and Maria (Person) Krafve wedding photo.
Joseph and Maria (Person) Krafve wedding photo. Photo Courtesy Find-a-Grave– Keith Engstrom, posted on 19 Oct 1924.

On 28 November 1890, Joseph appeared before the Deputy Clerk of Hennepin County’s District Court and swore that he was of legal age, that Maria was of legal age, that neither had been previously married, and that no impediment existed to their union. He signed his name, Joseph A. Kafre. The next day, 29 November 1890, they were married at the Augustana Lutheran Church in Minneapolis by the Reverend Carl J. Petri. Two men named Peterson, possibly Maria’s relatives were witnesses. 

The civil record was filed with Hennepin County on December 6, 1890. The church register recorded it on page 171. Both documents survive.

A Family Takes Shape

Eleven months after the wedding, on 10 October 1891, their first child, Emma Maria Krafve was born. The middle name was no accident; Maria gave her firstborn daughter her own Swedish given name to carry forward.

Three more children followed in Minneapolis: Joseph Arthur Krafve, born 23 May 1893; Hildur Christina Krafve, born 26 May 1895; and Alma Eugenia Krafve, born 24 April 1898. 

Hildur — not Hilda, as American neighbors and census takers would render it, but Hildur, an ancient Norse name meaning battle-woman.

By 1900 the family appeared in the federal census: Joseph, 37, working as a teamster on the streets of Minneapolis; Maria, recorded as Mary, keeping house with four children ages two to eight. Emma was attending school. The youngest, Alma, had just turned two. They rented their home. All four children had been born in Minnesota. All four were living.

The Move to Idaho

Sometime between June 1900 and December 1902 the family left Minneapolis. The reasons are not recorded in any document I have found; their destination was Troy, Latah County, Idaho, a small farming community in northern Idaho. 

Joseph was now a farmer rather than a teamster. On 30 December 1902, their sixth child was born in Troy: Melville Ephraim Krafve. The birth certificate, filed as a delayed record forty-one years later by his sister Alma, records Joseph’s birthplace as Dalsland, Sweden and Maria’s as Värmland, Sweden. Six children born, six living. 

Somewhere in the years between Alma’s birth in April 1898 and Melville’s birth in December 1902 a fifth child had arrived: Carl Harold Krafve, born approximately 1901. He would live until 1969.

The Final Year

Marker - Maria Krafve
Marker – Maria-Krafve via Find a Grave, courtesy Larry Linehan, 16 Jun 2006.

On 23 September 1904, Maria bore her seventh and final child: Fritz Olof Krafve. Fritz did not survive infancy; he died on 7 May 1905, six days before his mother, who passed on 13 May 1905. She was thirty-eight years old. Her gravestone, still standing in an Idaho cemetery, records her story in Swedish: 

MARIA KRAFVE
FODD Person
i Oshmark Vermland
SVERIGE DEN
30. MAY 1866
DOD DEN 13 MAY 1905

Below the dates, carved into the base of the stone, a devotional verse in Swedish reads: [Translated to English] “A moment only away from home is one who is buried here. God has many dwellings where the Lord Jesus lets them gather together again.”

Joseph was thirty-nine. The children ranged from two-year-old Melville to Emma at thirteen. Alma, the little girl who had been just two years old in that 1900 Minneapolis census, was now seven.

Events by Location

  • Idaho, Latah, Troy – 1899-1906, Death, Burial
  • Minnesota, Hennepin, Minneapolis – 1883-1899, Marriage
  • Sweden, Värmland – Birth (1866)

Further Research

Maria’s story is well-framed but not yet complete. I have many things still to do to add to her story.

  • The two Peterson men who witnessed her wedding, would add to her story.Sources
  • Her death certificate would confirm the place and cause of her death, and name whoever was present at the end. 
  • Her Swedish baptismal record from Östmark Parish would give us her parents’ names and open the Värmland chapter of her story. 
  • The ship that brought her to America might indicate who she already knew in America.

Sources

  • 1900 U.S. Federal Census, Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota, ED 121, Joseph A. Krefve household. 
  • Augustana Lutheran Church Marriage Register, 1890, page 171, Joseph A. Krafve and Mary Peterson, 29 November 1890; Archives of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Elk Grove Village, Illinois, ELCA Film M128. 
  • Minnesota, County Marriage Records, Hennepin County, Joseph A. Krafve and Mary Peterson, 29 November 1890, Record No. 458; FamilySearch. 
  • Minnesota, Births and Christenings, 1840-1980, index entries for Emma Maria Krafve (1891), Joseph Arthur Krafve (1893), Hildur Christina Krafve (1895), and Alma Eugenia Krafve (1898); FamilySearch. 
  • Idaho Certificate of Birth (delayed), Melville Ephraim Krafve, born 30 December 1902, Troy, Latah County, Idaho; State File No. 380653; affidavit by Mrs. Alma E. Gustafson, 1943. 
  • Grave marker, Maria Krafve, Dry Creek Cemetery, Idaho; photographs by Larry Linehan (2006) and D.C. (2025), Find A Grave. 
  • Find a Grave, Memorial 11873275 – Fritz Olof Krafve (1904-1905).
Disclaimer: This article was researched and written by the 6777777author. Claude (Anthropic) was used as a research and drafting aid, and Grammarly was used for editorial review and copy editing.

Endnotes:

[i] Inga Maria Person is in my Matson Project on Ancestry Public Trees[i], and is Family Search profile 9VZV-J9G.
[ii]  I don’t know why she was “Perrson” rather than “Perrdotter.” There must be a story in it though.

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