Powers, Fagone, Witherington, Young

Linwood Dyer Collection (Part 075)
By Don Taylor

This week, I looked at five Hanson Studio graduation photos from the Linwood Dyer Collection. All five are imprinted with “Portland High School, ’18.”

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Graduates Featured:

Bernice Young, Portland HS, Class of 1918.

• Photo Type: Graduation portrait (4×6”).
• Studio: Hanson, Portland, Maine.
• Imprint: Portland High School – ’18 (on the bottom of the photo).
• Inscription: “Lest we forget,” Bernice Young.
• Research Notes: Bernice Young Young Graduated in the P.H.S. Graduates list.[i] (Portland Evening Express, Jun 24, 1918, page 6)
  • She also appears in the list of “P.H.S. Graduates [who] chose Colleges.” She chose the University of Maine[ii]

FamilySearch has profile P3Q5-TQ1 for Bernice B. Young (1900-1976); I posted this photo to her profile.

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Doris R. Witherington, Portland HS, Class of 1918.

• Photo Type: Graduation portrait (4×6”)
• Studio: Hanson, Portland, Maine
• Imprint: Portland High School – ’18 (on the bottom of the photo).
• Inscription: May you never have a wrinkle, Doris R. Witherington
• Research Notes: Doris Rose Witherington graduated from P.H.S. in 1918.[iii]
  • This photo of her appears in the Portland Sunday Telegram, June 30, 1918, page 14.

FamilySearch has a profile, LK2R-7NV, for Doris R. Witherington (1899-1982); I posted this photo to her profile.

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Francis A. Fagone, Portland HS, Class of 1918.

• Photo Type: Graduation portrait (4×6”)
• Studio: Hanson, Portland, Maine
• Imprint: Portland High School – ’18 (on the bottom of the photo).
• Inscription: O dear Miss Sadie Holden, your notes forsooth are golden – To Miss “Ashford” – From Francis A Fagone.
• Research Notes: Francis Fagone was a member of the Portland High School mandolin club.[iv]
  • Frances chose to go to Bowdoin College in the fall of 1918.[v]
  • He was a member of the affirmative team of the Portland High School Debaters.[vi]

FamilySearch has profile GQZ4-YPC for Francis Agippino Fagone (1898-1961); I posted this photo to his profile.

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Marjorie _____, Portland HS, Class of 1918.

• Photo Type: Graduation portrait (4×6”)
• Studio: Hanson, Portland, Maine
• Imprint: Portland High School – ’18 (on the bottom of the photo).
• Inscription: To the Orator, Marjorie.
• Research Notes: There were three Marjories in the P.H.S. graduates in the class of 1918.[vii]
  • Marjorie Helena McGillicuddy
    • The photo of Marjorie H. McGillicuddy in the newspaper might be the same girl. The image is too muddy to be sure, although she appears to be wearing the same clothing.[viii]
    • A photo of Marjorie Helena McGillicuddy, the valedictorian, was also taken by Hanson, but it is unclear if it is of the same girl.[ix]
    • McGillicuddy, class valedictorian, applied to Wellesley.[x]
    • She lived on Sherman Street in Portland.[xi]
  • Marjorie Ann O’Brion
    • The photo of Marjorie A. O’Brion in the newspaper is clearly of a different girl.[xii]
  • Marjorie Strout Simonton
    • The photo of Marjorie S. Simonton in the newspaper could be of the same girl; however, she appears from a different angle and in different clothes.[xiii]

I am not convinced which of the three Marjories was a 1918 graduate of Portland High School. If you have additional information to help positively identify this photo, please contact me using the comments form below.

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Philip Powers, Portland HS, Class of 1918.

• Photo Type: Graduation portrait (4×6”)
• Studio: Hanson, Portland, Maine
• Imprint: Portland High School – ’18 (on the bottom of the photo).
• Inscription: Philip Powers
• Research Notes: Philip Powers, P.H.S. Graduate, applied to the University of Maine.[xiv]
  • Philip R. Powers, age 9, appears in the 1910 Census living with his father, Robert, on 57 Wilmot Street.[xv]
  • He also appears as 18 years old in the 1920 Census with his father at 59 Wilmot. He was attending school.[xvi]

I am confident this is a photo of Philip R Powers, 1918.

FamilySearch has profile GD7W-LVZ for Phillip R. Powers (1901-2000); I posted this photo to his profile.

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Conclusion

This project is about more than photographs—it’s about restoring connections across generations. These portraits capture moments of pride and promise, and for many families, they may be the only formal photo of a loved one at that pivotal time.

If you recognize someone in these images or they are part of your family history, I welcome your contact. I’d be happy to share the personal inscriptions found inside the folders—words written by the people themselves more than 100 years ago.

These portraits are available for personal genealogical use. Please credit – Photo courtesy Scarborough Historical Society, Scarborough, Maine.

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Endnotes

[i] Portland Evening Express – Jun 24, 1918, page 6 – “Record P. H. Class.”
[ii] Portland Evening Express, June 10, 1918, Page 2 – “P. H. Graduates Chose Colleges”
[iii] Portland Evening Express – Jun 24, 1918, page 6 – “Record P. H. Class.”
[iv] Portland Evening Express – June 6, 1908, Page 2 – “Portland High School Mandolin Club is Very Popular.”
[v] Portland Evening Express, June 10, 1918, Page 2 – “P. H. Graduates Chose Colleges”
[vi] Portland Evening Express, June 15, 1918, Page 13 – “Portland High Debaters have Bright Outlook for Next Year.”
[vii]Portland Evening Express – Jun 24, 1918, page 6 – “Record P. H. Class.”
[viii] Portland Sunday Telegram, June 30, 1918, page 14. “Graduating Class of P. H. S., 1918, Largest in History of School.”
[ix] Portland Sunday Telegram, March 17, 1918, page 32 – Win Honors at Portland High.
[x] Portland Evening Express, June 10, 1918, Page 2 – “P. H. Graduates Chose Colleges”
[xi] Portland Evening Express, June 28, 1918, Page 20 – “Trefethen and Evergreen News.”
[xii] Portland Sunday Telegram, June 30, 1918, page 14. “Graduating Class of P. H. S., 1918, Largest in History of School.”
[xiii] Portland Sunday Telegram, June 30, 1918, page 14. “Graduating Class of P. H. S., 1918, Largest in History of School.”
[xiv] Portland Evening Express, June 10, 1918, Page 2 – “P. H. Graduates Chose Colleges”
[xv] “United States, Census, 1910”, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MR3M-TRX : Mon Jan 13 23:50:29 UTC 2025), Entry for Robert B Powers and John B Powers, 1910.
[xvi] “United States, Census, 1920”, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MFZ6-ZGQ : Tue Jan 21 02:57:37 UTC 2025), Entry for Robert C Powers and Philip Powers, 1920.