Linwood Dyer Collection – Part 034
Skillin, Libby, Trickey photo album.
Portland, Maine
By Don Taylor
I identified five people from the Skillin, Libby, and Trickey photo album from the Linwood Dyer Collection for Photo Friday this week. The last photo is from the Stone folder in the “Limbs on the Family Tree” 3-ring binder (2023.01.058). This collection includes hundreds of images, documents, and genealogies of people who lived in Portland, Scarborough, South Portland, and Cape Elizabeth, Maine. My goal is to reunite the photos with family members who may have never seen the pictures before.
Eugene Bradford Skillin, of Portland, ME, c. 1891.
This 4¼ x 6½ cabinet card of a young man has the studio name on the bottom in cursive, and the studio name takes up the entire back of the card, suggesting it was created after 1880.
The photo identifying information includes:
- Photographer: J. M. Peck, 12 Monument Square, Portland, Me.
- Handwritten on a separate slip with the photo is “Eu Jean B Skillin, Bradford.”
What I learned while researching this photo:
- J. M. Peck was a photographer at 12 Monument Square in 1890 and 1891. He does not appear in the 1889 or the 1892 Portland directories.
- Ancestry trees suggest this is Eugene Bradford Skillin, born 27 May 1874 in Portland, Maine, to Lewis B and Harriet J (Trickey) Skillin.
Lewis and Harriet (Trickey) Skillin already appear in my Linwood Dyer Collection. Eugene is their son; J. M. Peck probably took this photo in 1891.
I added this photo to Eugene B Skillin’s FamilySearch profile, L2YL-RWC, and to my Linwood Dyer Collection family tree at Ancestry.
Eugene B. Skillin, of Portland, ME, circa 1893.
This is Eugene B. Skillin’s 2nd cabinet card. It has the studio name on the back of the card, suggesting it was created after 1880. Identifying information includes:
- Photographer: Ye Longfellow Gallery, 655 Congress Street, Portland, ME
- Handwritten on the back is “Eugene B. Skillin, May 27, 1874.
What I learned while researching this photo:
- The 1892 Portland directory does not list the Longfellow Gallery; it first appears in the 1893 directory.
- Eugene Bradford Skillin was born on 27 May 1874 in Portland, Maine. He was the child of Lewis and Harriet (Trickey) Skillin.
Because Eugene appears to be only a year or two older than he does in the other previous photo, I date this photo to about 1893.
I added this photo to Eugene B Skillin’s FamilySearch profile, L2YL-RWC, and to my Linwood Dyer Collection family tree at Ancestry.
Harriet Jane (Trickey) Skillin, of Portland, ME, circa 1877.
This 4¼ x 6½ cabinet card is courtesy of the Scarborough Historical Society, Linwood Dyer Photo Collection, the “Skillin, Libby, Trickey” photo album. It is of a woman apparently in her 30s.
The photo identifying information includes:
- Photographer: J. M. Peck, 518 Congress St., Portland, Me.
- Handwritten on the back of the photo is “Harriet Jane Trickey m. Lewis Skillin b. Feb 28, 1841.
What I learned while researching this photo:
- J. M. Peck was a photographer at 518 Congress from 1873 or 74 to 1879 or 80.[i]
- Harriet (Trickey) Skillin, the wife of Lewis, appears in my Linwood Dyer Collection Ancestry tree.
I added this photo to Harriet J. Trickey’s FamilySearch profile, L2YL-R8L, and to my Linwood Dyer Collection family tree at Ancestry.
Lewis B. Skillin of Portland, ME, circa 1877.
This 4¼ x 6½ cabinet card is courtesy of the Scarborough Historical Society, Linwood Dyer Photo Collection, the “Skillin, Libby, Trickey” photo album. It is of a man apparently in his 40s.
The photo identifying information includes:
- Photographer: J. M. Peck, 12 Monument Square, Portland, Me.
- Handwritten on the back of the photo is “Lewis B. Skillin, b. Jan 24, 1839.
What I learned while researching this photo:
- J. M. Peck was a photographer at 518 Congress from 1873 or 74 to 1879 or 80.[ii]
- Lewis B Skillin appears in my Linwood Dyer Collection Ancestry tree.
I am confident this is a photo of Lewis B. Skillin, about 1877
I added this photo to Lewis’ FamilySearch profile, L6B2-7SB, and to my Linwood Dyer Collection family tree at Ancestry.
Willis Burton Skillin, of Portland, ME, circa. 1891.
This 4¼ x 6½ cabinet card of a young man has the studio name on the bottom in cursive, and the studio name takes up the entire back of the card, suggesting it was created after 1880.
The photo identifying information includes:
- Photographer: J. M. Peck, 12 Monument Square, Portland, Me.
- Handwritten on the back of the photo is “Willis Burton Skillin.”
What I learned while researching this photo:
- J. M. Peck was a photographer at 12 Monument Square in 1890 and 1891. He does not appear in the 1889 or the 1892 Portland directories.
- Lewis and Harriet (Trickey) Skillin had five sons. Two died as infants. The youngest was Willis Burton Skillin. Willis was born on 25 July 1877. In 1891, he would have been about 13.
Willis already appeared in my Linwood Dyer Collection, so I am confident this is their son, taken about 1891.
I added this photo to Willis’ FamilySearch profile, L2YL-RNS, and to my Linwood Dyer Collection family tree at Ancestry.
Susan A. Stone, circa 1893.
This 4¼ x 6½ cabinet card of a woman in her 30s or 40s has an embossed studio name and border, suggesting it was created after 1890. Identifying information includes:
- Photographer: H.M. Smith, 478 Congress St., Portland, Me.
- Handwritten on the front: Susan Stone. Additionally, an accompanying label says, “Susan A. Stone.”
What I learned while researching this photo:
- Howard M Smith was a photographer at 478½ Congress Street from about 1888 to 1899.
- My search for Susan failed to yield a candidate for Susan A. Stone. There was a Susan B. Stone, who died on April 7, 1887, at 41, but this does not appear to be her.
I added this photo to my Linwood Dyer Collection family tree at Ancestry.
Conclusion
I would 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.
Feel free to use these photos in your genealogical activities. Please cite “Photo Courtesy: Scarborough Historical Society, Linwood D. Dyer Collection.”
Endnotes
[i] I have not found the 1874 or 1880 Portland Directories to see of John Peck, photographer is listed. He appears in the 1875 and 1879 directories at 518½ Congress.
[ii] Ibid.
