Author Archives: Don Taylor

Howell’s in the Censuses – Henry, Gideon, and Peter

Posted on January 10, 2026 by Don Taylor

Howell ResearchHowell LineBy Don Taylor In my wife’s Howell line, the father of Peter M. Howell is still unknown. In “Searching for Peter M Howell’s father,” I knew that Peter’s father: In The Life and Travels of Peter Howell, Page … Continue reading →

Posted in Howell-Hobbs | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

The Order of the First Crusade: A Genealogical and Fraternal Curiosity

Posted on January 4, 2026 by Don Taylor

Founded in 1923 and incorporated in 1934, the Order of the First Crusade was a little-known American hereditary society requiring proven descent from leaders of the First Crusade of 1096. Its official booklet offers genealogists and students of fraternal orders a rare glimpse into early 20th-century lineage standards, symbolism, and historical memory. Continue reading →

Posted in Lineage Societies, Societies, History, Research | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Donna in Port Huron, MI, at the Majestic Theater, January 2-3, 1926

Posted on January 1, 2026 by Don Taylor

In January 1926, Donna Darling and Girls appeared at the Majestic Theatre in Port Huron, Michigan, following the conclusion of a western tour and a Christmas return to Detroit. This brief engagement illustrates how established vaudeville acts moved efficiently through Michigan’s regional theater network during the final years of professional vaudeville. Continue reading →

Posted in Theatre History, Donna Darling and Girls, Vaudeville | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Photos from the Past – New England Scenes & a Scarborough Graduate.

Posted on December 21, 2025 by Don Taylor

A look at four historic photographs from the Scarborough Historical Society’s Photo Collection—three depicting 19th-century locations in Maine and Massachusetts, and one a Scarborough High School graduate from the Class of 1961. Together, these images illustrate the breadth of the Society’s photographic holdings and the stories they continue to tell. Continue reading →

Posted in Vintage Photos, Maine History, SHS Photo Collection | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Faces and Places of the Kinney Family, 1933–1939

Posted on December 14, 2025 by Don Taylor

This installment of the Linwood D. Dyer Collection highlights family photographs connected to Margaret Kinney of Portland, Maine, taken between 1933 and 1939. The images document relatives, residences, and familiar landmarks—including Portland Head Light, a Portland trolley, and the harbor vessel Mildred Goudy—preserved today by the Scarborough Historical Society. Continue reading →

Posted in Photo Identification, Linwood Dyer Collection, Maine History | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment