Donna Darling Collection – Part 38

Posted on December 6, 2018 by Don Taylor

Treasure Chest Thursday
Family Photos (1370)

By Don Taylor

Three photos of Donna

For this week’s Treasure Chest Thursday, I’m looking at a page from the Donna Darling Scrapbook. The page had five items pasted onto it.

Preparing to Dive

Donna Montran Preparing to Dive.

When she was young, Donna was an incredible beauty. She won the beauty contest at Madison Square Garden several years before Miss America began there.[i] She was also one of the Mack Sennett Bathing Beauties. I believe this first photo probably comes from either of those periods. Certainly, the photo shows how beautiful she was. The original of this photo was a cut-out of a photo. It was torn at the top. I clipped the photo, touched it up, and pasted it onto a new background.[ii]

Donna with a Parasol

Donna with a Parasol

Donna loved to dress and look pretty. In this photo, Donna is wearing what appears to be one of her many bathing suits and she carrying a parasol. It is probably from 1920 or 1921 when she was staring in “California Bathing Girls.” It is possibly from 1924-25 when she headlined the “Motion Picture Bathing Beauties” show. This photo appears to be a promotional photo and the mark at the bottom left indicates “This Week” which was a magazine at the time. I would love to review an archive of “This Week” magazines from 1920-1925, to see if there might be a better quality photo of Donna there.

Donna

Another photo of Donna on the scrapbook page showed Donna apparently with someone. However, the photo of Donna with the parasol was pasted over half of the photo. In this photo she appears to be a bit older and the photo is clearly not a promotional in nature.

Other Images

Finally, there is a photo of a marquee with Andrew Mack at the top and Donna Montran and her Bathing Girls are listed below.  I’m still not sure where that comes from.  Hopefully, I’ll figure it out as I continue my research on the Donna Darling Collection. I have not seen Andrew Mack in any of the playbills for Donna during her Bathing Girls days.[iii]

Future Actions

  • Find a source for “This Week” magazine for between 1920 and 1925 and review them for possible photos of Donna.
  • Determine the date and place of the Andrew Mack, Donna Montran marquee photo.

Sources

Donna Darling Collection – Scan 1370.

Endnotes

[i] My feeling is that Donna was “Miss America” 3 years before the first “Miss America” pageant.

[ii] To save space, the Donna Montran “Preparing to Dive” image presented here is a 150 dpi image. I have a 600 dpi image available.

[iii] I have a copy of the original scrapbook page showing the Marquee at 600 dpi, but I hope to include the image when I determine the place and date of the engagement.

Posted in California Bathing Girls (1925), Donna Montran | Tagged | 1 Comment

Rachel Fugate – (1803-1870)

Posted on December 2, 2018 by Don Taylor

52 Ancestors – Week  2018-48 [i]
Brown – Manning – Fugate line
by Don Taylor

Finding that we have Fugate ancestors in Kentucky give rise to the question if our Fugates are related to the famous blue-blooded Fugate family of Troublesome Creek, Kentucky. I took some time looking at the family tree of the “Blue Bloods,” people with a recessive genetic trait called methemoglobinemia.” I did not find any common ancestors with our Fugates; possibly there is a relationship but, if so, it is distant.

Brown Research 2018 – Ancestor #105

List of Grandparents

  1. Grandfather: Clifford Brown| aka Richard Earl Durand | aka Richard Earl Brown
  2. Great-grandmother: Mary Elizabeth Manning(1878-1983)
  3.  2nd Great-grandfather: John William Manning, (1846-1888)
  4. 3rd Great-grandfather:  Enoch Mannin (1823-1907)
  5. 4th Great-grandmother: 05.  Rachel Fugate (1803-1870)

Rachel Fugate – (1803-1870)

Birth

Rachel Fugate was born on 4 June 1803 in Kentucky, 9 days after Ralph Waldo Emerson. Kentucky had been admitted to the Union just nine years earlier.  Her parents were Reuben and Mary Fugate.  Reuben Fugate was born in Wythe County Virginia, the birth location for Rachel’s mother, Mary, is unknown.

Childhood

Nothing is known specifically of Rachel’s childhood, but historically, Kentucky was undergoing great expansion. She undoubtedly felt the New Madrid earthquakes in 1811 & 1812 and probably knew people who fought in the War of 1812, although her siblings were too young to have served in that war.

Marriage

She and Meredith Mannin were married in Bath County, Kentucky on 14 Feb 1825 (possibly 17 Feb) in a ceremony performed by Johnathan Smith. She was 21 years old and Meredith was 22.

Rachel and Meredith had 12 known children.

ChildBirth YearSpouseDeath
Enoch1823*Minerva Ann Tolliver1907
Isaac B1825Elizabeth Fortune1905
Thomas Hillry1827Rachel R Richardson1924
Tubil1829Elizabeth Jane Brown1862**
Reuben Calloway1831Sarah A Shuts1859
Katharine Susan1833Harvey Tapp1864**
John1835Martha McGlothin1870
Mahala1837William MyersBef. 1917
Elizabeth Marthy1838(None)1841
Sarah Jane1838 or 39James Richardson1913
Zachariah1841Unknown if he married.1864**
Tarlton1844Mary Jane (Unknown)1916

* Enoch was born two years before Meredith and Rachel were married.
** Three of the children died during the time of the Civil War.[ii]

Rachel lived until May 1870, so it appears five of her children proceeded her in death.

Adult

About 1828 the Manning family moved west to Missouri. Tubil, Reuben, and Katherine were born there.

1830 Census

The 1830 Census indicates the family lived in St Ferdinand, St Louis, Missouri. The household consists of:

      3 Males under 5, One presumed to be Isaac, Age 5
                           One presumed to be Thomas Hillry, Age 3
                           One presumed to be Tubill, Age 1
            1 male 5 to 10       Presumed to be Enoch, Age 7
            1 male 20 to 30.    Meredith Mannin, Age 28.
            1 Female 20 to 30 Presumed to Be Rachel Fugate, Age 26.

About 1834 the family moved again, this time to Indiana. That is where John, Mahala, Sarah Jane, and Elizabeth were born.

1840 Census

1840 Census indicates the family is in Boone County, Indiana. The household consisted of:

2 Males 5 to under 10  – Presumed to be John (age 5) and Reuben Calloway, (Age 9)
            1 Male 10 to under 15 – Presumed to be Thomas Hillry OR Tubill (Age 13 or 10)[iii]
            2 Males 15 to under 20 – Presumed to be Enoch (Age 17) and Isaac B. (Age 15)
            1 Male 30 to under 40 – Presumed to be Meredith Mannin (Age 38)
            3 Females under 5 – Presumed to be Mahala (Age 2), Elizabeth  (Age 1), and Sarah Jane (a newborn)
            1 Female 5 to under 10 – Presumed to be Katharine Susan (Age 7)
            1 Female 30 to under 40 – Presumed to be Rachel Fugate Mannin (Age 36)

Sometime in 1840 or 1841, the family moved from Indiana to Kentucky, where Zachariah and Tarlton were born.

1850 Census

The 1850 Census indicates the family is in Carter County, Kentucky

Meradith Mannen – 48 – Farmer 250   VA
Rachel         “       47                                      KY
Tubal          “        20      Laborer                Mo
Reuben       “       17        Laborer                “
Cathrine S   “     15                                       “
John           “        13                                     Ind
Mahala        “      12                                     “
Sarah          “        10                                     “
Zachariah    “       8                                    Ky
Tarlton        “        6                                     “

The four oldest children, all boys, appear to have moved out of the house before 1850.

1860 Census

The 1860 Census indicates the family is in Bath County, Kentucky. Only four of their children are still at home with them:
Meredith Manning – 58 Farmer – Born Virginia
Rachel   “             57      Kentucky
Zachah   “            18      Farm Hand – KY
Mahala                21      KY (Apparent Error)
Sarah                   19      KY (Apparent Error)
Tarlton                16      KY

Death & Burial

Rachel died on 7 May 1870.

I have been unsuccessful finding burial information concerning Rachel. 

Further Actions / Follow-up

  • Zachariah died of smallpox during the civil war, and his father received his pension. Research the deaths of the other two children who died during the Civil War and determine if any of them served.
  • Determine if Rachel can be “found” in her parents’ records before her marriage to Meredith.

Sources

  • Mannin Family Bible, Copy, Mannin Family Bible – Family Records – Births. Bible Records found in Civil War record file of Zachariah Mannin, son of Meridith and Rachel Fugate Mannin. Zachariah died of smallpox Jan. 7, 1864 at Knoxville, Tennessee. Meridith Mannin applied for Zachariah’s pension and received it. I have found this resource in many locations including https://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.mannin/159.1.1/mb.ashx.
  • 1830 Census (A) (NARA), Com, 1830 Census – Meredith Manning – St Ferdinand. St Louis County, Missouri.
  • 1840 Census (A) (NARA), Com, 1840 – Merradeth [Merediith] Mannon [Mannin] – Boone, Indiana; Roll: 74; Page: 138. Ancestry.com
  • 1850 Census, Com, 1850 – Meradith [Meridith] Mannen [Mannin] -b. 1802. 1850; Census Place: District 1, Carter, Kentucky; Roll: M432_195; Page: 248B; Image: 497.
  • 1860 Census, Family Search, 1860 – Meredith Manning – Bath, Maine – Page 131.
  • Kentucky, County Marriages, 1797-1954, Family Search; Meredith Mannon and Rachel Fugate, 14 Feb 1825 – Bond. Bath, Kentucky, United States, Madison County Courthouse, Richmond; FHL microfilm 273,003. https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V5ZH-L12.
  • Kentucky, County Marriages, 1797-1954, Family Search; Meredith Mannon and Rachel Fugate, 14 Feb 1825 – Confirmation. Bath, Kentucky, United States, Madison County Courthouse, Richmond; FHL microfilm 273,007. https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V5ZZ-J2T.
  • Minnesota Deaths and Burials, 1835-1990, Family Search, Enock Mannin. “Minnesota Deaths and Burials, 1835­1990,” database,
FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1 BLS : 10 March 2018), Enock Mannin, 07 Apr 1907; citing May, Cass, Minnesota, reference ; FHL microfilm 2,117,564. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FDM5-BLS.

Endnotes:

[i] In 2014, Amy Johnson Crow suggested a theme for bloggers to use of “52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks.” I have continued this theme into 2018.

[ii] Enoch served in the Civil War and all of his brothers were of the age to have served.

[iii] NOTE: The family should include both Thomas and Tubill, however, it appears that only one of the two boys was enumerated. 

Family Search entry for Rachel Fugate 
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Schools I’ve Attended – Metropolitan State University

Posted on November 29, 2018 by Don Taylor

St. Paul, Minnesota – 1984-1986

My Life
Those Places Thursday
By Don Taylor

Working full time to support a family necessitated my finding a college that supported working adults. Metropolitan State University (Metro State) did that and more. Besides offering courses in the evenings and Saturdays, it allowed students to design their degree plan. I had the desire to become an attorney. As such, I thought I should follow a pre-law type of curriculum, so I designed a degree plan heavy in political science, speaking, and writing.

Particularly Interesting Classes

Chaminade University in Hawaii had proven to be a fantastic place to take Marine Biology and Oceanography. I needed another science course for my degree plan so took meteorology at Metro State. Few places have more diverse weather than Minnesota, so it was great learning about the weather there. Another enjoyable class was “Acting for Non-actors.” I learned how hard it is for me to memorize lines, but I had lots of energy.

Sometimes there is a class that will completely change your life and that class was “Non-fiction Writing.” I’ll never forget that class nor its instructor, Dana Noonan.

The premise of the class was simple enough; students needed to write several magazine quality articles during the class. The difficulty with that was that Ms. Noonan required her students to write then rewrite, and rewrite again, and again until the quality was magazine quality. My papers came back with red “Awk” (awkward) and circles of problems, which require a rewrite.  It was a grueling task in the days of typewriters and I couldn’t keep up with the work. It was one of the most challenging classes I ever had. To keep up with the rewrites, I purchased my first computer, a Commodore 64, word processing software and a printer. With it, instead of retyping the entire article and introducing new typos, I was able just to update the work I did previously and resubmit my significantly improved article. The computer revolutionized my work processes.  I found I could use it to do a host of things. Soon, I upgraded to an IBM computer before long and used the computer for everything I could.

Commodore 64 – Photo by the NerdPatrol via Flickr. (CC 2.0)

When my work office decided to purchase personal computers for office automation, I became a computer “helper.” At that time, I worked as a Quality Assurance Engineering Technician. My job required reviewing change requests then approving or disproving those waivers and deviations as appropriate for the Navy at the Navy Plant Representative Office (NAVPRO) in Fridley, MN. In the back room, we had a Wang 2200 minicomputer. In my work, I needed a program which would track those changes. The existing staff didn’t have time to program the computer for me, so I asked for access to the computer to develop a program that would track those changes.  Because I was already a computer helper person, they gave me the appropriate access. I developed a simple program that worked for me. Then was asked by some other folks if I could put something together for them, which I did. My programs, although simple, always worked. I also took a couple of computer science classes at Metro State to help me understand more about computers. A few months later I was asked if I would be interested in moving over to the Computer Team full time. Being a “can do” kind of person, I said, “Same pay? Sure, why not.” I was happy to work wherever they could use me the best.

I never returned to Quality Assurance, but rather continued as a Computer Specialist then on to Information Technology Specialist.

I received my bachelor’s degree from Metropolitan State University in December 1986. My personally designed degree was in “Governmental Policy and Decision-Making Processes” as a subset of Political Science.

I doubt I ever would have made the shift from Quality Assurance to Computer Support and Information Technology if it weren’t for Metropolitan State University, “Non-fiction Writing,” Dana Noonan, and that first computer I owned, a Commodore 64.

 

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“Chin-Chin” – Regina Theatre – Regina, Saskatchewan – April 15-17, 1920

Posted on November 27, 2018 by Don Taylor

Donna Montran
Chin-Chin
Vaudeville

We know that Chin-Chin played in Calgary, Alberta on January 8th through the 10th, but don’t know where it played on the 11th thru the 14th.  Possibly Saskatoon, they probably played in another city or two as well on their way to Regina.

A full twelve days before opening in Regina the first advertising began for “Chin-Chin.”

“CHIN-CHIN” HAS MELODIOUS AND ARTISTIC SETTINGS

Melodious, artistic and diverting is “Chin Chin,” scheduled for the Regina theatre for three days, commencing Thursday, January 15. To Walter Wills and Roy Binder are entrusted the principal parts, supported by a company of clever comedians and a beautiful chorus. In their songs “The Chinese Honeymoon, “Go Gar Sig Gong-Jue” and “Temple Bells,” the two clever comedians, Wills and Binder, make a decided bit and are always recalled again and again. In this charming fantasy with a Chinese atmosphere there are also a score of other songs that are the fascinating, whistling kind, and several unique dances that carry the snappy comedy along delightfully.

On January 9th, there was a standard “to the General Public” announcement similar to many of the “Chin-Chin” shows. On the 10th was a “What the Press Agents Say” article plus the first regular advertisements.

On January 14th, the day before the show, the Regina “Leader-Post” newspaper had a very interesting article containing background information regarding the Arabian Nights tales.

‘CHIN CHIN’ FANTASY
COMEDY KNOCKS’EM
ALL COLD AT REGINA

Charles Dillingham’s only company of “Chin Chin,” which comes to the Regina theatre tomorrow, Friday and Saturday, with a matinee on the latter day, with Walter Wills and Roy Binder in the leading roles is founded upon the most popular tale in the immortall eastern Saga book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Aladdin or the Wonderful Lamp.” In fact it is frankly called a modern Aladdin, in which the two drolls disport themselves as a couple of Chinamen. Chin Hop Lo and Chin Chop Hi. Outside of the Holy Bible there is perhaps existant no more universally popular book than this same Arabian Nights, one of the best known English versions of which, is by the late John Payne, well known to scholars for his powers in English Verse. His translation of the poems of Mas­ter Francois Villon remain a monu­ment to his genius.

The wonderful collection of Mos­lem folklore translated into every language known to civilization is
read with eagerness by each successive generation, but nowhere are the tales read or listened to with greater delight than in the Arabian desert itself, where travelers record as a common sight, Sheiks and white-beards sitting gravely in their places at evening around the camp fire, women and children motionless as silhouettes outside the ring, all breathless with attention as they drink in the words with eyes and mouths as well as ears. while the Rawi or reciter. to whose wit the task of supplying details is left, entertains the groups with picturesque and oriental effect.

In spite of the fact that Thomas Carlye called the Arabian Nights a pack of downright lies, it is incontrovertible that the general tone of The Nights is exceptionally high and pure and devotional fervor often rises to the boiling point of fanaticism. They have pathos, sweet, deep, and genuine; tender, simple and true. They depict life as strong and splendid, though everywhere flavored with that unaffected pessimism and constitutional melancholy which strikes its deepest root under the brightest skies.

The whole of the stories are dominated everywhere by that marvelous oriental fancy wherein the spiritual and the supernatural are so common as the material and natural

“Chin-Chin” continued east to play the Walker Theatre in Winnipeg, Manitoba, on January 19-24.

Once again, Donna played “The Goddess of the Lamp” in “Chin-Chin.” She was not mentioned by name in any of the Regina newspaper articles that I found, however, her role in the production was mentioned.

Regina Theater

Regina Theatre, Regina, SK (ca 1939)

The Regina Theatre was built in 1909 and opened on February 7, 1910. Some references indicate it a capacity of 870 seats[i], but according to the “Cahn-Leighton Theater Guide[ii] for 1913-1914” it had a seating capacity of 809.  The theatre closed in 1929 after a fire and was demolished in 1939.[iii]

Theater Statistics

Seating Capacity: 809 Total
Lower Floor: 445
Balcony:         258
Gallery:          60
Boxes:            46

Proscenium opening was 30×20
Footlights to back wall: 28ft
Between the sidewalls: 55 ft
Apron: 3 ft
Rigging Loft: 34 feet
Fly Gallery: 17 feet

There were 9 dressing rooms
Barney Groves was the manager

Further Research:

Determine the activities of the Chin-Chin cast immediately before and immediately after playing at the Regina Theatre.

Article Sources:

The Leader-Post (Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada) · Sat, Jan 3, 1920 · Page 17 via Newspapers.com https://www.newspapers.com/image/495428769

The Leader-Post (Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada) · Sat, Jan 3, 1920 · Page 17 via Newspapers.com https://www.newspapers.com/image/495430011

Endnotes:

[i] Internet: Wikipedia – Regina Theatre (Saskatchewan) – Wikipedia, et al – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regina_Theatre_(Saskatchewan)

[ii] Source: The Cahn-Leighton official theatrical guide. (1913). New York, N.Y: Publication Office, New Amsterdam Theatre Building.

[iii] See note i above.

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Huber – Surname Saturday

Posted on November 25, 2018 by Don Taylor

Name Origin

Huber and its derivatives (Hubbard, Hibbert, Hibbins, Hibbs, Hibson, and possibly Hoover) derive from the word, hube, a measure of land that could sustain and be worked by one farmer’s family. The name Huber designated the farmer who owned a “hube.”

Geographical

The name is most prevalent in Germany (over 122,000 people) and most common in Austria where it is the second most common name in the country. In Switzerland, where Mary-Alice’s ancestors came from, it is the 7th most common name with 1 in 308 people have the surname.

Portrait of the Huber Family

Huber Family Portrait – Standing: Ernie, Jak (John), Jak, & Alfred, sitting Frieda, & Kath, boy standing Hermann.

Mary-Alice’s immigrant ancestor, John Huber, came from Switzerland in 1901 and settled in Wisconsin. In 1910 he and his wife, Bertha, located to Alabama. In 1920, they moved to Saginaw County, Michigan and remained there the rest of their lives. The 1920 Census indicates there were 162 Huber families in Michigan. John’s only son, Clarence, had no children, so the surname ended with Clarence. John’s daughter, Florence, was Mary-Alice’s maternal grandmother.

John Huber was the son of Jacob Huber and Kath Stuckling of Windlach, Zurich, Switzerland. I believe he had four siblings, Ernie, Hermann, Frieda, and Alfred. I know nothing about those siblings and need to research them in the future.

Direct Huber Ancestors

  • Photo of Florence Huber (1924)

    Florence Huber at 16 (1924)

    Grandmother – Florence Wilma Huber Darling (1908-1934)

  • Great-Grandfather – John Huber (1880-1948)
  • 2nd Great-Grandfather – Jacob Huber (b ca 1835-? )
  • 3rd Great Grandfather – Jak Huber (?-?)

Known relatives.

My records have 21 direct-line descendants of Jak Huber.

Sources:

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