Author Archives: Don Taylor

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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Donna Darling at the Strand Theatre, Pontiac, Michigan (June 22–24, 1925)

Posted on February 20, 2026 by Don Taylor

Newspaper advertisements confirm Donna Darling’s June 22–24, 1925 appearance at the Strand Theatre in Pontiac, Michigan. Promoted with her Bathing Girl Revue and “Comedy Life Guards,” this engagement strengthens the reconstruction of her 1925 Midwestern vaudeville tour between Ohio and Detroit. Continue reading →

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Happy Birthday Grandma Donna

Posted on February 20, 2026 by Don Taylor

Happy Birthday rememberance of my grandmother, Madonna “Donna” Mae Montran (1893–1976). She lived a complex and fascinating life that extended far beyond her vaudeville years. Born in Albion, Michigan, she married several times, later settled in Michigan and Minnesota, and ultimately donated her body to science. This remembrance reflects both documented facts and the enduring personal legacy she left to her family. Continue reading →

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