Small, Smith, Stokes, and Sweetser.

Ethel Wight Collection – Part 133
Photo Friday
By Don Taylor

This week, for Photo Friday, I identify the people in five more envelopes from the Ethel Wight Studio Collection[i]. The envelopes typically contain the name of the person who paid for the photos, not necessarily of the individual portrayed in the image. It is vital to analyze the pictures and information to identify the individual therein.[ii] Ultimately, my goal is to reunite the photos with family members who may have never seen the image.

Alwilda Small, circa 1934 (age 16)

The envelope this negative was in says, “Miss Alwilda Small, 316 Woodfords St #338.”

Alwelda Small, circa 1934.

Why I believe this to be the individual.

• The 1934 Portland City directory lists Alwelda E Small, a clerk at 532 Congress and residing at 316 Woodford. Also at 316 Woodford is Walter W. Small.
• The 1940 US Census lists Alwilda E Small as the 26-year-old daughter of Walter W and Lucy D Small. All were born in Maine.
• Maine Birth Records indicate Alwilda Elliot Small was born on 4 Jun 1918 in South Portland.

I am confident this photo is of Alwilda E Small, taken in 1934 when she was about 16 years old.

Ancestry has seven public trees that refer to Alwilda Elliott Small (later Pearson) (1918-1999). Family Search has profile LY83-6K4 for Alwelda. I have uploaded a photo of Alwilda to her Family Search Memories.

Arline Smith (Nursing Student), circa 1935.

This negative envelope says, “Miss Arline Smith, Children’s Hospital #616.”

Arline Smith (Nursing Student), circa 1935.

What I learned about this individual.

• The 1934, 1935, and 1936 Portland City Directories do not include an Arline Smith in their directory of nurses.
• The 1937 Portland City Directory indicates that an Arline E Smith married Philip L Morrill and moved to Windham.
• The 1920 US Census lists an Arline E Smith, the granddaughter of Stephen R and Emily A Thurlow of Windham. Arline was six years old.
• The 1930 Census lists sixteen-year-old Arline E Smith as a boarder in the household of Jeremiah J Tripp in Mechanic Falls, Maine.
• Maine Marriage Index, 1892-1996, lists Arlene E Smith, who lived in Portland, marrying Philip L Morrell, of Windham, on 25 March 1936.

I don’t have anything that connects the nursing student, Arline Smith, in this photo to Arline Evelyn Smith (born on 14 Dec 1914 in Oxford). However, I suspect this to be the case. I would love it if any relatives of Arlene Morrill (née Smith) could confirm the person’s identity in the photo.

Ancestry has one public tree that refers to Arline Smith, the granddaughter of Stephen R and Emily Thurlow of Windham. Because I am not confident about the identification of this photo, I have only uploaded it here.

Margaret Stokes, circa 1934.

This negative envelope says, “Miss Margaret Stokes, 15 Stetson St #213 – DSCN4879P.”

Margaret Stokes, circa 1934.

Why I believe this to be the individual.

• The 1934 Portland City Directory lists Margaret Stokes as a waitress living at 15 Stetson. Also at 15 Stetson are Mrs. Nellie M Coolbrith and Mrs. Mary Burnham.
• The 1930 US Census lists Margaret Stokes as a 14-year-old border in the household of Ernest and Nellie Coolbrith at 40 Maplewood St. Also in the household is a boarder, Mary Burnham.
• In 1934, 19-year-old Margaret Henrietta Stokes married Darwood Belmont Hampton. Margaret was a waitress from Portland, Maine.

I am confident this photo of Margaret Henrietta Stokes was taken in 1934, about the time of her wedding to Darwood Hampton.

Ancestry has seven public trees that refer to Margaret Henrietta Stokes (1915-2006). Family Search has profile LKGD-BLD for Margaret. I uploaded a photo of Margaret to her Family Search Memories.

Virginia Sweetser, circa 1935.

This negative envelope says, “Miss Virginia Sweetser, 650 Forest Ave #646.”

Virginia Sweetser, circa 1935.

Why I believe this to be the individual.

• The 1935 Portland City Directory lists Virginia C Sweetser as a music teacher at 650 Forest Ave, Room 7, and resided at 51a Oak.
• The 193i US Census shows 25-year-old Virginia C Sweetser as the step-daughter of Arna S Chase. Virginia was a music teacher with her own music studio.
• Virginia married Paul E Merrill in New York City on 24 Oct 1936.

I am confident this photo is of Virginia C Sweetser (1904-1982) about 1935 before she married Paul Merrill.

Ancestry has 16 public trees that refer to Virginia Clara Sweetser (later Merrill). Family Search has profile MWTK-CKC for Virginia. I uploaded one photo of her to her Family Search Memories.

Unknown child (probably Smith), circa 1935.

This negative envelope says, “Mrs. Dolores Smith, 66 Elm St #689.”

Unknown child (probably Smith), circa 1935.

What I learned about this individual.

• I have been unsuccessful in finding Mrs. Doloris Smith or any Smiths at 66 Elm.

Alternate Individuals.

• The 1940 US Census lists Dolores Smith (age 8) as the daughter of Joy V Smith. Joy was a 31-year-old widow. 1935 when this photo was taken, Dolores would have been about three years of age. However, the child appears to me to be between four and seven years old.

I have not identified the individual in this photos, so I only include the individual’s photo here.

Conclusion

• I identified three of the five All three have Family Search profiles, so I uploaded their images to their Family Search Memories.
• I could not identify the individuals in two photos; I only uploaded those photos here.

I will love to hear your reaction if any of these photos are of your family member. Especially if this photo is of a loved one for whom you hadn’t seen this photograph before.

Due to software limitations, the images uploaded to Family Search are of a higher quality than the links here. I have linked to higher-quality images for those images I have not uploaded to Family Search.

For all postings of the Ethel Wight Collection, please see here.

Endnotes

[i] The Wight Studio was in Portland, Maine. Many thanks to Ethel Wight’s family for access to and permission to use the collection of their great aunt.

[ii] These images were converted to positives using a lightbox, a Nikon camera and computer software.