I recently came across a copy of the Vaudeville News and New York Star that mentioned Donna and Sammy. The December 18th, 1926, issue, Page 10, has a short article which says:
Donna Darling and Sammy Clark are in Chicago doing their Christmas shopping and attending to some business relative to the Donna Darling Review. They have had a splendid season up to date for 1926 and 1927 looks very promising to them. Why not? They are a clever people with good material and pleasing individuality.
On December 12th Donna & Sammy played in Dubuque, Iowa and on the 19th, they opened at the Colonial Theatre in Detroit. So they were probably in Chicago between the 13th and 18th.
52 Ancestors – Week
Blanchard-Utterstrom Project 2018
By Don Taylor
Sometimes census records can be confusing. Such was the case for me regarding Olaf Utterstrom. In 1910 and 1920 he was at 24 Olympia Street and in 1930 he was living at 44 Olympia Street. Could he have moved literally next door or did they renumber the street? Much like an accountant follows the money, a genealogist can follow the property. Luckily the Cumberland County, Maine, Real Estate Property Records are available on line.[i] A quick search found several deeds. Olaf Utterstrom owned three different properties (six lots) between 1901 and 1931. Two were adjoining and one was across the street. So, yes, it appears that he latterly moved next door.
Research Family 2017 – Ancestor #BU12
List of Grandparents
Grandfather: Albert Thomas Utterstrom
1st Great-grandfather: Olaf A Utterstrom
2nd Great-grandfather: Anders O Utterstrom
Olaf A. Utterstrom (1866-1931)
Immigrant Ancestor – Norway
Olaf[ii] A. Utterstrom was born in Christiania, Norway on 10 January 1866 to Anders O. and Karen (Hansen) Utterstrom. Christiania was a village that merged with other villages, including Oslo, in 1924 to become the modern city of Oslo.
Immigration
Nothing is known about Olaf’s life before he immigrated with this parents, at the age of 17, to Portland, Maine, arriving on 23 November 1883. I know he had siblings, but further research is needed about his parents in order to put some of that information together in a coherent fashion. I do know he worked as a laborer and as a mill hand during the 1880s and 1890s.
Marriage
Olaf married Hannah M Halverson on 30 June 1897 in a ceremony officiated by Rev. P. V. Hineby (?), a Falmouth minister. Olaf was 31 and Hannah was 30 and it was the first marriage for both of them. The couple had settled in at 49 Anderson Street when Hannah had the first of seven children.
The Seven Children of Olaf and Hannah (Halverson) Utterstrom
Albert Thomas Utterstrom
12 Jul 1898
Oscar William Utterstrom
12 Nov 1899
Frank Raymond Utterstrom
14 Apr 1901
Harold O. Utterstrom
27 Aug 1902
Dorothea C. Utterstrom
29 Jan 1904
John F. Utterstrom
c. 1908 – Died 17 Jan 1909
Unnamed child
1909 – Died 10 Sep 1909
Adulthood
Olaf and Hannah were living at 49 Anderson Street, Portland when both Albert and Oscar were born. That home was on Anderson Street between Oxford and Munroe, across Munroe Street (Monroe Street today) from the old city jail. It is also about two blocks from the Eastern Cemetery. The building is no longer there.
Olaf Utterstrom’s property.
In November 1901, Olaf purchased lots 27 and 28 on Olympia St. and moved his family to the recently annexed East Deering neighborhood of Portland. Many family members moved on to and out of Olympia Street over the years. Olaf’s children started a family business, The Utterstrom Trucking Company, on Olympia Street.
In May 1904, Olaf purchased lots 23 and 24 from Llewellyn Laughton.
In September 1904, Olaf “Renounced allegiance to Oscar II, King of Norway and Sweden” and became a United States Citizen. His next-door neighbor, Warren E. Bickford of 26 Olympia Street, was one of his witnesses.
1909 was a terrible year for the Utterstroms. They lost two children that year. Both as infants. John F. Utterstrom died on 17 January 1909 and an unnamed son died shortly after his birth on 10 September 1909. I have been unsuccessful in finding death records or the cause of death for either of them.
The 1910 Census finds the Olaf Utterstrom family living at 24 Olympia Street. He was a wood worker working for at a mill. The family consisted of Olaf, his wife Hannah, and their five oldest children, Albert, Oscar, Frank, Harold, and Dorothea.
In July 1911, Olaf purchased lots 25 and 26, also along Olympia Street. And in July 1915 Olaf sold his lots 23 and 24 to Harold Halverson. (Note: Halverson is his wife’s maiden name, so I suspect that Harold Halverson is likely a close relative of Olaf’s wife, Hannah.)
The 1920 Census finds Olaf and family still at 24 Olympia Street, he was still a woodworker working for wages at Sereen Co.
The 1930 Census shows the Utterstroms living along Olympia. Oscar lives at 32 Olympia, Harold is at 36 Olympia, and Olaf is at 44 Olympia. Living with him and Hannah is their daughter Dorothea along with her husband, William Cassidy and their daughter Annette Cassidy. The 64-year-old Olaf is working as a laborer at a garage. Later that year, Hannah, Olaf’s wife of 33 years, died. It appears that Olaf went to live somewhere else after Hannah’s death because he sold all his property, Lots 25, 26, 27, & 28, on 22 June 1931.
Death
Two months later, on 22 August 1931, the sixty-five-year-old Olaf joined his wife, Hannah, in death. I have not been successful in finding a burial location for either him or Hannah.
1900 Census (FS), Family Search, 1900 Census – Olaf Utterstrom – Portland, Cumberland, Maine. “United States Census, 1900,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MML6-YGF : accessed 15 June 2018), Ola Uterstrom, Portland city Ward 2, Cumberland, Maine, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 57, sheet 12B, family 265, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,240,590.
1910 Census (NARA), Family Search, 1910 Census – Olaf Utterstrom – Portland, Cumberland, Maine. “United States Census, 1910,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MR3S-ZZD : accessed 15 June 2018), Olaf A Littrestrom, Portland Ward 9, Cumberland, Maine, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 97, sheet 7A, family 159, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 539; FHL microfilm 1,374,552.
1920 Census, Numerisation, Olaf Utterstrom – Maine, Cumberland, Portland, ED 62, Sheet 15B, Line 69. Source Citation Year: 1920; Census Place: Portland Ward 9, Cumberland, Maine; Roll: T625_640; Page: 15B; Enumeration District: 62
1930 Census (NARA), Family Search, 1930 Census – Utterstrom Families – Oscar, Harold, & Olaf – Portland, Cumberland, Maine. Year: 1930; Census Place: Portland, Cumberland, Maine; Page: 9B; Enumeration District: 0083
Cumberland Real Property Records, Internet, Deed – Olaf Utterstrom – Lots 23 & 24 Sold to Harold Halverson – 5540_7_21_1915. 5540_7_21_1915.
Cumberland Real Property Records, Internet, Deed – Olaf Utterstrom – Lots 25 & 26 – 5193_7_24_1911. 5193_7_24_1911.
Cumberland Real Property Records, Internet, Deed – Olaf Utterstrom – Sold Lots 25, 26, 27, & 28 – 5350_6_25_1931. 5350_6_25_1931.
Cumberland Real Property Records, Internet, Deed (Contract for) – Olaf Utterstrom – Lots 23 & 24 – 2517_5_27_1904. Record:
Cumberland Real Property Records, Internet, Deed (Contract for) – Olaf Utterstrom – Lots 27 & 28 – 6407_11_9_1901. 6407_11_9_1901.
Maine Vital Records, 1670-1921, Family Search, Marriage – Olaf A Utterstrom & Hannah M Halvorsen – 1897. “Maine Vital Records, 1670-1921,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KC6M-Z3C : 23 September 2017), Olaf A Utterstrom and Hannah M Halvorsen, Marriage 30 Jun 1897; citing Division of Vital Statistics, State Board of Health, Augusta; FHL microfilm 10,054. Accessed: 14 June 2018.
Maine, Birth Records, 1715-1922 (Augusta, Maine, Maine State Archives), Ancestry, [Oscar William] Utterstrom. Maine State Archives; Cultural Building, 84 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333-0084; Roll Number: 58.
Maine, Federal Naturalization Records, 1787-1952, Ancestry, Olaf A. Utterstrom (A). All Sources Naturalization Petitions of the United States District Court, Portland, Maine, 1912-1929. NARA Microfilm Publication M2086, 23 rolls. Records of District Courts of the United States, Record Group 21. National Archives, Washington, D.C. Petitions and Records of Naturalization, 1790 – 11/1945. Textual Records. 36 Boxes and 21 Volumes. NAI: 594499. Records of District Courts of the United States, Record Group 21. National Archives at Boston, Waltham, Massachusetts.
S. City Directories, 1822-1995, Ancestry, Portland, Maine – 1930 – Page 868 – Utterstrom. Ancestry.com.
S. City Directories, 1822-1995, Ancestry, Portland, Maine – 1931 – Page 861 – Utterstrom. Ancestry.Com
S. City Directories, 1822-1995, Ancestry, Portland, Maine – 1932 – Page 890 – Utterstrom.
United States, New England Petitions for Naturalization Index, 1791-1906, Family Search, Olof A Utterstrom Naturalized 3 Sep 1904. United States, New England Petitions for Naturalization Index, 1791-1906 – Olof Utterstrom.
[ii] Note: “Olof” is used in several documents. However, I prefer “Olaf” because that is the name which was used in the City Directories and in his naturalization records.
I have long known that Donna played at the Cosmos Theater in Washington D.C. a couple times. First, she did the “California Bathing Girls” show on September 19-21, 1920. She then returned to the Cosmos in March 1921. The clippings that she had were from the September show as evidenced by the other acts on the playbill. The second clipping for the Crescent Theatre in Perth Amboy is confusing and proves I got something wrong in a previous posting.
Cosmos—“California Bathing Girls”
Cosmos–“California Bathing Girls”
“The California Bathing Girls,” Tom Rooney’s Broadway sensation, the headline attraction at the Cosmos theater this week, foretells an early spring, if weight and daintiness of costumes and the unfolding of feminine buds be an indication. Donna Montran, an attractive singer, introduces the bathers one by one, and Anna La Toy executes some difficult and attractive poses….”
The Crescent—“As You Like It”
Crescent Theatre – 11 May 1922 – Donna Darling & Company
The clipping is from the Perth Amboy Evening News dated May 11, 1922, and shows Donna Darling & Company in “As You Like It” with Murray Walker and Jack Finney in a Song and dance cocktail. There wouldn’t be any question about the show and the date except I had previously determined that Donna and Company played B.F. Keith’s Greenpoint Theater the week of 11-17 May 1922 (See Donna Darling at B.F. Keith’s Greenpoint.) So, now I am confused. I’ll need to do a lot more research on her playing at both theaters to be sure of the dates.
What I learned:
Consequent to the above, I have updated the Donna Montran Timeline to include the following:
May 11, 1922 – Perth Amboy – Donna Darling & Company in “As You Like It” (Possible conflict with B. F. Keith’s Greenpoint)
Following Descendants of Nathan Smith & Belinda (Odell) Morgan – Samson Green Morgan
By Don Taylor
My half-sister Glennis is a DNA match on Ancestry.Com with several individuals who have common ancestors with Nathan Smith Morgan and his wife, Belinda [sometimes Malinda Odell. In the search to determine Glennis’ biological father, I am continuing to develop a tree of the descendants of Nathan and Belinda.
Descendants of Nathan and Belinda (Odell) Morgan I have examined:
There don’t appear to be any likely candidates from the descendants of Samson green Morgan. There were nine males that were “Possible but Unlikely.” All of the Descendants of Samson Green Morgan appear to have remained in the West Virginia and Ohio area. None seem to have moved until at least after World War II.
Follow-up
Further investigate the 9 “possible but unlikely” individuals if other candidates do not arise.
Note/– My Criteria:
“Candidates” are males born between 1925 and 1935.
“Not considered” are females who are unlikely to have had a male child between 1925 and 1935.
“Not a Candidate” are males born between 1915 and 1925 as being too young to have had a son between 1925 and 1935 and too old to be a candidate.
“Possible but unlikely” are males born between 1925 and 1935, but are not named Paul or Phil, which are the likely names of Glennis’ biological father, or otherwise don’t appear to fit the likely candidate who would have been in Minnesota or Michigan in 1953. I will revisit these possibilities later of this project fails to find a potential candidate.
Sources:
This is a quickly developed “notional” tree and does not have the indepth sourcing attached to the findings that I typically follow. I di have supporting documents regarding much of Samson Green Morgan and his descendants. All records used were found at the following sites:
Family Search
Ancestry
Find a Grave
Genealogy Bank
For specific sources, please contact me.
ENDNOTES
[i] I’m pretty well convinced that Sanford, Sansom, and Samson are the same person. I believe that Sanford and Sansom were errors by the individuals who wrote what they think they heard. In any event, I am using Samson unless I have a compelling reason to use something else.
[ii] I used “Boy” and “Girl” for living individuals born since 1918 because they are possibly living.
I found an article in the Boston Globe (via Newspapers.com) about the contest. That article was on the front page of the 11 December 1916 issue of the Boston Globe, Page 1. The quality of the image is a little clearer than the image from the Boston Post (via Newspaper Archives). I updated the post with both images side by side.
Got to love the vocabulary used in old newspapers. “Pulchritude” is the kind of word that if you Google it, you can see how many on-line dictionaries there are. It is a big word for a common thing. Check it out for yourself.
Boston Post, 12 Dec 1916
Via Newspaper Archive
Boston Globe, 12 Dec 1916
Via Newspapers.Com
In a previous article, I mentioned that Donna tried out to become the “Miss Boston” representative at the big preparedness bazaar to be held at the Grand Central Palace in New York. Well, I found another article about the contest Donna was involved in. According to the “Boston Post” of December 12, 1916, more than 50 girls had already tried out for Miss Boston and a “big rush” of over 100 more girls was expected. The Post’s article included photos of ten of the girls vying for Miss Boston. You never guess who the first girl shown in the article was? One of two girls on page one was grandma, Donna Montran. This newspaper photo is one of the earliest photos we have of Donna as a closeup. The article goes on to say that Donna is a blonde even though the photo doesn’t look that way.
The paper printed the names and addresses of the applicants. Imagine what would happen today if a newspaper published the home addresses of 49 pulchritude contestants. In December 1916, Donna was living at 64 Bennett in Brighton (Boston), MA.
By the way, “preparedness bazaar” referred to actions to prepare the United States for entry into World War I. The United States didn’t enter the war until four months later, on 6 April 1917. However, in December 1916, businessmen, intent on making money on the war, promoted military preparedness and the beauty contests were part of their strategy to create hype to encourage the US to enter the war.
Donna Darling and Sammy Clark are in Chicago doing their Christmas shopping and attending to some business relative to the Donna Darling Review. They have had a splendid season up to date for 1926 and 1927 looks very promising to them. Why not? They are a clever people with good material and pleasing individuality.
Sometimes census records can be confusing. Such was the case for me regarding Olaf Utterstrom. In 1910 and 1920 he was at 24 Olympia Street and in 1930 he was living at 44 Olympia Street. Could he have moved literally next door or did they renumber the street? Much like an accountant follows the money, a genealogist can follow the property. Luckily the Cumberland County, Maine, Real Estate Property Records are available on line.
Two months later, on 22 August 1931, the sixty-five-year-old Olaf joined his wife, Hannah, in death. I have not been successful in finding a burial location for either him or Hannah.
