Surnames: Clark (4), Merrill

Photo Friday
Ethel Wight Collection
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 contain the names who paid for the photos, not necessarily of the individual portrayed in the image. As such, 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.

Wilson Duhamel and Jessie (Pultz) Clark, circa 1934

The envelope this negative was in says, “Mr. & Mrs. Wilson D. Clark, Eastland Hotel, Portland #169.”

Wilson Duhamel and Jessie (Pultz) Clark, circa 1934

Why I believe this to be the individual.

• The 1937 Portland City Directory lists Wilson D (and wife Jessie P) Clark residing at the Eastland Hotel and their summer residence Ocean House Road in Cape Elizabeth.
• The 1930 US Census lists Wilson, and his wife Jessie R., Clark as lodgers at 157 High Street in Portland. That is the address for the Eastland Hotel. (Today, his is the Westin Hotel.) According to the Census, Wilson is 69, and Jessie is 66. Both of them were born in Massachusetts.
• Photo #169 was probably taken about 1934, so this photo was taken when Jessie was about 71 and Wilson was about 74.

Family Search identifies Wilson Duhamel Clark (1860-___) as ID KG54-WH2. They also identify his wife as Jesse Pultz (1863-___) as ID LVSB-D31. I am quite sure this is Wilson and Jessie about 1934.

Eleven public trees at Ancestry.Com refer to Wilson Duhamel Clark.
Eight public trees at Ancestry.Com refer to Jessie F. Pultz, wife of Wilson Duhamel Clark.

I uploaded one photo of the two of them together to each’s Family Search profile. I uploaded two additional photos of the couple to my Flickr Photostream.

Wilson Duhamel Clark (1860-___) circa 1934

This negative envelope says, “Mr. Wilson D. Clark, Eastland Hotel #171.”

Wilson Duhamel Clark, circa 1934

Why I believe this to be the individual.

• See comments for Wilson Duhamel and Jessie (Pultz) Clark above.

I have uploaded two photos of Wilson Duhamel Clark to his Family Search profile, KG54-WH2.

Jesse F. (Pultz) Clark (1860-___), circa 1934

This negative envelope says, “Mrs. Wilson D. Clark, Eastland Hotel #170.”

Jesse F. (Pultz) Clark, circa 1934

Why I believe this to be the individual.

• See comments for Wilson Duhamel and Jessie (Pultz) Clark above.

I have uploaded two photos of Jesse F. (Pultz) Clark to her Family Search profile, LVSB-D31.

James Clark, circa 1934

This negative envelope says, “Mr. James Clark, 25 Wood St, Portland #281.”

James Clark, circa 1934

Why I believe this to be the individual.

• The 1933, 1934, and 1935 Portland City Directories all have James C. Clark living at 25 Wood Street in Portland. The 1936 City Directory shows James married to Frances and residing at 20 Gilman.
• The 1940 US Census shows James, and his wife Francis, living on Powsland in Portland. James is 26 years old and was born in Maine.
• The 1930 Census shows 16-year-old James living with his parents, James A and Eliza Clark, and three siblings at 1003 Congress Street, Portland.
• Based on the number of the film package (#281) and James’ marriage and move date, I’m sure this photo was taken in 1934 or 1935 when he was about 21 years old.

Family Search identifies James Cragin Clark, the son of James A. and Eliza M (Coffen) Clark, as profile LBK1-3NG.  Eight trees at Ancestry.Com refer to James C. Clark.

I have uploaded two photos of him to his Family Search profile.

Phoebe Clark & Julia (Brown) Merrill

The envelope this negative was in says, “Mrs. Phebe C. Clark, 230 Main St, Amesbury, Mass & Mrs. John F. W. Merrell, Haverhill Ro, Amesbury, Mass.”

The two photos in this envelope are a different size and format than Ethel Wight’s studio photos, so these two appear to be reproduction photos from another time.

Phoebe Clark & Julia (Brown) Merrill

Mrs. Clark

The 1935 and 1939 Newburyport City Directories list Mrs. Phoebe Clark residing at 230 Main in the Amesbury general Directory. In 1936 and 1937, 230 Main Street was where the Religious Society of Friends met for Bible school and meeting. It was known as the Huntington Home. Based upon reading newspaper articles from the mid-1930s to the mid-1940s, it appears several people lived at Huntington Home, the Quakers met there regularly, and talks, concerts, and other activities took place there throughout the years that Mrs. Clark was living there.

Today, 230 Main Street in Amesbury is a five-bedroom, single-family home built in 1710.

I have not successfully found Mrs. Phoebe Clark in any censuses or any documents that might provide a relationship of Phoebe to other family members.

I have added this photo to Dead Fred.

Mrs. Merrill

The 1930 US Census enumerated John F. W. Merrill and his 58-year-old wife Julia B Merrill living in Amesbury, Essex, Massachusetts.

Massachusetts Marriage Records indicate that John F. W. Merrill and Julia Ann Brown married on 10 September 1893. Julia’s parents were Edwin and Mary Harford. She was 21-years-old (c. 1872) and was born at Manchester-by-the-Sea, Mass.

I am reasonably sure one of the women in this photo is Julia Ann (Brown) Merrill. Julia B, Merrill of Amesbury, MA. Julia died in 1944.

Family Search identifies Julia Anna Brown, wife of John Francis Winkley Merrill, as profile 9KZW-G7V.  Two trees at Ancestry.Com refer to Julia Anna Brown.

I uploaded two photos of her to her Family Search profile.

If you can identify which woman is which in the photo, I would love to hear from you.

Conclusion

I had:

• • Four successful identifications that I could post to Family Search
  • One partial identification that I posted to Dead Fred.

Final Note

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

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.