Author Archives: Don Taylor

Donna Darling Takes Jacksonville: A 1923 Vaudeville Highlight at the Palace Theatre

Donna Darling’s 1923 Jacksonville appearance shines through newly found newspaper clippings. Her vaudeville revue, Song and Dance Romance, was hailed as a seasonal highlight at the Palace Theatre, supported by a strong company and fellow acts. This rediscovery offers a vivid glimpse into the lively world of early 20th-century touring entertainment. Continue reading

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Faces from the Past – Goddard, Mottram, Pendexter, & Simpson

Explore four portraits from the Scarborough Historical Society’s photo archives—Harold Pendexter, Richard Mottram, Jean Goddard, and Sally Jean Simpson—captured by Portland’s Loring Studio and Vantine’s Studio between 1947 and 1973. Don Taylor traces their high school roots and family connections through Deering, Portland, and Westbrook yearbooks. Continue reading

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Faces from the Past – Aceto, Bliss, Bourgeois & McNally

Explore four portraits from the Linwood Dyer Photo Collection, featuring Jean McNally, Joan Aceto, Judith Bliss, and Anne Carolyn Bourgeois. Learn about their school years, family backgrounds, and local ties as we work to reconnect these cherished photographs with descendants. Continue reading

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Ancestor Sketch – Catherine Justin (1854-1949)

Ancestor sketch of Catherine Frances “Kate” (Justin) Raidt, born 1854 in Wisconsin, later of Minneapolis. A life of family, resilience, and Midwestern tradition. Continue reading

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Tracing Reuben Sutherland – From Horseneck to Charlemagne

Could Charlemagne connect my wife and me as 32nd cousins? Tracing our shared lineage led me to Reuben C. Sutherland, a Revolutionary War soldier born before 1755 in Horseneck, New York. His story—spanning frontier disputes, Dutchess County militia service, and family roots reaching medieval Europe—reveals how genealogy links the personal to the historical. Continue reading

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