Author Archives: Don Taylor

“The Scintillating Beauty”: Donna Darling’s Week at Jackson’s Capitol Theatre, 1926

Posted on March 7, 2026 by Don Taylor

In March 1926, Donna Darling and her “Little Jewel Revue” appeared for a full week at the Capitol Theatre in Jackson, Michigan. Featuring split bills of motion pictures and vaudeville, the engagement included glowing press notices and a locally promoted Bathing Girl Contest arrainged and conducted by Donna. Continue reading →

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Donna Darling in Rochester, NY: “Chin Chin” at the Lyceum, March 4th-6th, 1920

Posted on March 4, 2026 by Don Taylor

In March 1920, Donna Darling appeared at Rochester’s Lyceum Theatre in the touring musical comedy Chin Chin. Cast as the Goddess of the Light, Donna performed in a major Charles Dillingham production during its return engagement. Contemporary newspaper coverage highlights the scale, spectacle, and national reach of the show, providing valuable context for Donna’s early professional stage career. Continue reading →

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Donna Darling at the Bucklen Theatre (Elkhart, Indiana) – 1923

Posted on March 3, 2026 by Don Taylor

In March 1923, Donna Darling headlined the Bucklen Theatre in Elkhart, Indiana, in her singing and dancing revue “As You Like It.” Advertised as a New York Hippodrome beauty contest winner, she led a full vaudeville bill combined with a feature motion picture. Continue reading →

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Warren – Surname Saturday

Posted on February 28, 2026 by Don Taylor

My recent discovery that I likely descend from Richard Warren of the Mayflower opened an entirely new ancestral pathway. The Warren surname, of Norman-English origin, traces through Plymouth Colony and back into medieval England, with a purported connection to Charlemagne. This Surname Saturday explores the name’s origin, geographical distribution, and my documented Warren lineage from Mary (Warren) Bartlett to earlier de Warren ancestors. Continue reading →

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Faces from the Past – Burnham, Libby, Plummer, Roberts, & Stone

Posted on February 23, 2026 by Don Taylor

Six photographs from the Linwood Dyer Collection provide a glimpse into Scarborough-area families, including Alvin and Nellie (Plummer) Roberts, Daniel and Lydia Plummer, and Seth and Susan (Stone) Plummer. Studio analysis, clothing styles, and documentary research help establish probable dates and identities, further reconnecting these images with their family histories. Continue reading →

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