Author Archives: Don Taylor

Lurancy Taft (1796-1870)

Luransa Taft (1796–1870), Ahnentafel #41, was the daughter of Asa Taft and Sarah Whitney and spent most of her life in Triangle, Broome County, New York. Married at seventeen to Luman Olmstead, she raised a large family and appears regularly in state and federal censuses. This profile confirms her maternal line and helps clarify confusion surrounding similarly named women in the Taft family. Continue reading

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Donna & Sammy — Rockford, Illinois (Dec. 1926)

In December 1926, Donna Darling and Sammy Clark appeared at the Palace Theatre in Rockford, Illinois, as part of a lively year-end vaudeville program. Contemporary Register Star articles describe their “brisk revue,” combining comedy, song, and dancing, and identify Darling as “The Musical Comedy Beauty.” These notices document another confirmed Midwestern engagement late in Darling’s touring career. Continue reading

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Donna Darling at the Lyric Theatre, Hamilton, Ontario (January 1926)

In January 1926, Donna Darling and her troupe appeared at Hamilton, Ontario’s Lyric Theatre as a featured vaudeville attraction. Contemporary coverage from The Hamilton Spectator documents her engagement, billing, and reception, offering a clear glimpse into her international touring career during the height of the vaudeville era. Continue reading

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Faces & Places From the Past – Libby, Merrill, Young, and Portland Construction

Four historic photographs from the Linwood Dyer Collection reveal Scarborough residents, a 1920s vaudeville performer, and a Portland landmark in transition, carefully researched and dated by the Scarborough Historical Society. Continue reading

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Faces from the Past: Scarborough School Students, 1916–1952

Four school photographs from the Scarborough Historical Society collection document students from Black Point, Pine Point, Dunstan Grammar, and Scarborough High School between 1916 and 1952. Using inscriptions, town reports, census records, and visual evidence, these images reveal changing classrooms, familiar surnames, and faces still waiting to be identified. Continue reading

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