Donna in the News: A Vaudeville Snapshot from March 1924

Posted on March 26, 2025 by Don Taylor

by Don Taylor

In the rich tapestry of early 20th-century entertainment, vaudeville performers like my grandmother Madonna “Donna” Montran carved out vibrant careers that often went unrecorded beyond local newspaper archives. Recently, I discovered a fascinating glimpse into her professional life through a Muskegon Chronicle clipping documenting a performance at the Jefferson Theatre.

Performance Details

  • Venue: Jefferson Theatre, Muskegon, Michigan
  • Dates: March 13-15, 1924
  • Act: “Donna Darling & Boys” featuring Murry Earle & Tod Watson

Review

The newspaper’s description paints a vivid picture of the era’s entertainment: “A dazzling dance fantasy… the last work in syncopated terpsichore interspersed with melody songs.” The review highlights the performance’s artistic elements, noting the “beautiful setting and attractive costumes” that elevated the miniature production.

DONNA DARLING & BOYS with Murry Earle & Tod Watson.

Copy of Ad from the March 13, 1924 Muskegon Chronicle showing the playbill for the Jefferson Theatre.

A dazzling dance fantasy as presented by these clever artists is the last work in syncopated terpsichore interspersed with the melody songs. A beautiful setting and attractive costumes enhance the beauty of this miniature production.

This archival discovery adds another rich detail to understanding the dynamic world of 1920s vaudeville performance, showcasing the creativity and artistry of traveling entertainment troupes during a transformative period in American show business.

Research credit: Newspapers.com

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Photo Friday – Lancey (née Eastman), Small, & Wellcome.

Posted on March 21, 2025 by Don Taylor

Linwood Dyer Collection – Part 59
Dyer House Attic,
Portland, Maine, Newport, New Hampshire
By Don Taylor

This week, I looked at five photos from the Linwood Dyer Collection that were not in an album but have some identifying information. This collection includes hundreds of images, documents, and genealogies of people who lived primarily in Portland, Scarborough, South Portland, and Cape Elizabeth, Maine. My goal is to reunite the images with family members who may have never seen the pictures before. The Scarborough Historical Society holds the originals in the Linwood Dyer Photo Collection.

Mildred Eastman Lancey, Died 16 May 1947.

Photo of Mildred Eastman Lancey.
Mildred Eastman Lancey

This photo is a 4¾ x 7 photograph of a woman. Handwritten on the back is Mildred Eastman Lancey – Died 16 May 1947.

What I learned while researching this photo:

  • On FamilySearch, I found a Mildred E Eastman (profile GHC1-49M). She married Guy Morrill Lancey in 1917 and died on 16 May 1947.

I added this photo to my Linwood Dyer Collection family tree at Ancestry.

John Chase Small, Jr., circa 1883.

Photo of John Chase Small, Jr. on a sled (age about 5).
John Chase Small, Jr.

This photo is a 4¼ x 6½ cabinet card of a young boy on a sled. The photo identifying information includes:

  • Photographer: Lamson – Portland, ME.
  • Handwritten on the back: John Chase Small, Jr.

What I learned while researching this photo:

  • Lamson Studio operated in Portland from 1871 to 1910.
  • I researched another photo of John Chase Small, Jr., last September in “Sewall, Sherman, Small, Soule, & Stockbridge.”
  • “John Junior” was born on 3 June 1878 in Portland, ME, the son of John Chase and Mary Schuyler (Dresser) Small.
  • The child in the photo appears to be about five years old, dating the photo to circa 1883

I added this photo to my Linwood Dyer Collection family tree at Ancestry.

Abner Paine Wellcome, 1891.

This is a 4¼ x 6½ cabinet card of a man. The photo identifying information includes:

Photo of Abner Paine Wellcome, 1891.
Abner Paine Wellcome, 1891.
  • Photographer: Bowers (successor to Miller Photo, Co.) 135 North Maine St. cor. Centre St., Concord, N. H.
  • Handwritten on the back: “Complements of AP Wellcome, Newport NH – Age 77 years, 1 May 1881 – Taken 29 August 91.”

What I learned while researching this photo:

  • The 1891 Concord Business Directory listed Sereno A Bowers as a photographer with an office at 135 No. Maine.
  • FamilySearch profile MZWF-XGZ suggests this photo is of Abner Paine Wellcome (1817-1893).
    • It says that Abner was born on 1 May 1817 in Buckfield, Oxford County, Maine.
    • He appears living in Newport, NH, in the 1860, 1870, & 1880 US Censuses.
    • He died on 19 December 1893 in Everett, MA, and was buried in the Maple Street Cemetery, Newport, NH.
  • His marker and Mass. State Vital Records indicate he was “79 years, 7 mos, 19 d’s” old when he died, suggesting his birth on 1 May 1814. That is in keeping with the notation on the back of the photo but in conflict with other records regarding his birth year.

I added this photo to my Linwood Dyer Collection family tree at Ancestry.

“Afonse Shape” (Possibly).

Photo of Alfonse Shape?

This 4¼ x 6½ cabinet card of a young man. The photo identifying information includes:

  • Photographer: Scherer – New York, 22 W. 23rd St. 1182 Broadway, B’klyn 489 Fulton St.
  • Handwritten on the back is “Afonse Shape.”

I was unsuccessful in finding an Afonse Shape or anything similar in the New York area. I am not convinced that I am reading the name correctly. If you have a suggestion for the name, I would love to hear from you.

Image of inscription on back of photo.
Alfonse Shape?

I have not identified the individual in this photo sufficiently to upload to my family tree or Dead Fred, so I only included the individual’s photo here.

Alexander P. Winst??, 1950.

Photo of a man sitting wearing a robe.

This photo is an 8 x 10 of a man seated wearing a black robe with a white color. Although shown, I cannot make out the name for sure. I’d be interested if you could interpret the name written here.

I only included the individual’s photo here.

Can you read this surname?

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.

Due to software limitations, the images uploaded to Ancestry and FamilySearch have higher quality than those here. Feel free to use these photos in your genealogical activities. Please cite “Photo Courtesy: Scarborough Historical Society.”

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Mary Eliza (Lyons) Daly (1862-1940)

Posted on March 17, 2025 by Don Taylor

Welch Project
Welch-Daly-Lyons Line
Ancestor #19 Sketch
By Don Taylor

Mary Eliza Lyons was born in County Cork, Ireland, likely between April 16 and May 10, 1865. She immigrated to the United States in 1884 or 1885. She married Timothy Daly on November 1, 1886, in Biddeford, Maine. The couple had seven children during their marriage.

Mary Eliza (Lyons) Daly died on May 24, 1940, in Biddeford, Maine, at the age of 75, and was buried in Saint Mary’s Cemetery, Biddeford, Maine.

Mary Eliza Lyons is found in my [Welch-Harris Project], Six Ancestry Public Trees[1], and is Family Search profile KZC4-D3M

List of Grandparents

  • Grandfather: 4. Robert Anthony Welch
  • 1st Great-grandmother: 9. Julia Anne Daley
  • 2nd Great-grandfather: 19. Mary Eliza Lyons

Birth

April 1862 – Ireland.

  • The 1900 Census, taken June 1st, indicates Mary was 38 years old and born in April 1962 in Ireland.

1865 – Ireland.

County Cork, Ireland – Wikimapia, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
  • The 1910 Census, taken April 15th, indicates Mary is 44, suggesting she was born after April 15, 1865.
  • The 1920 Census, taken January 1st, indicates Mary is 54 and also suggests she was born in 1865.
  • The 1930 Census, taken April 1st, indicates Mary is 64, suggesting she was born in 1865.
  • The 1940 Census, taken April 1, indicates Mary is 74, suggesting her birth in 1865.

1866

  • Her marker at Saint Mary’s Cemetery, Biddeford, Maine, indicates she was born in 1866.
  • Her obituary also indicates she turned 74 a few weeks earlier, suggesting she was born before 24 May 1866 and probably before 10 May 1866.

I believe the 1900 Census is incorrect in her birth year, but it is probably correct for her birth month. I think that is correct because all the other census records are consistent with an April 1865 birth. Because her obituary and her grave marker are farthest from her birth, I believe they are incorrect.

Absent any other documents proving her birthdate, I place her birth between 16 April and 10 May 1865.

I have not found any records regarding her parents or her childhood.

Immigration & Naturalization.

  • The 1900 Census indicates she immigrated in 1885 and had been in the US for 15 years.
  • The 1910 Census indicates she immigrated in 1884.
  • The 1920 Census indicates she immigrated in 1882, the same year as her husband, Timothy, and naturalized in 1890 with Timothy.

Marriage

Timothy Daily & Miss Mary Eliza Lyons, both of Biddeford, Me, were married on Nov 1, 1886, by Rev. John M. Harrington. They had seven children.

Children of Timothy and Mary Eliza Lyons Daly

NameBornMarriedDied
Marguerette1887 Bef. 1900
Catherine1888 Bef. 1900
Julia Anne1890Frances Asbury Welch1973
Mary E1893 1940
Bridget1895 1897
Mary1900 ? (bef. 1910) ?
Nora1901-1902 Aft 1973

It is very unusual for a couple to simultaneously have two children with the same name. Mary E was born in 1893 and was living when Mary was born in 1900. Further research is needed to confirm there were two children named Mary.

Adulthood

Google Earth view of Biddeford, Maine, showing where Mary Eliza (Lyons) Daly lived from 1900 to 1940.
Mary Eliza (Lyons) Daly residences from 1900 to 1940, courtesy Google Earth.
  • 1900 – Lived at 51 Water St.
  • 1910 – Lived at 17 Clifford
  • 1920 – Lived at 73 Pool St
  • 1930 – lived at 409 Maine St.
  • 1935 – 1940 – Owned her home at 38 Amherst St.

Death/Burial, etc.

Mary fell ill in July 1939 and died nine months later, on 24 May 1940, at a local hospital. She was buried at St. Mary’s Cemetery, Biddeford, York County, Maine.

Events by Location

  • Ireland, County Cork                   Birth (1865).
  • Maine, York County, Biddeford  Lived 1886-1940 & Death 1940.

Conflicts

  • I need to sort out the two daughters of Mary named Mary.

Actions / Follow-up

  • Search Irish records for records of Mary Lyons, County Cork’s birth, and her life before her immigration.
  • Search for records of Mary Lyon’s immigration in 1884 or 1885.
  • Search for Timothy’s naturalization records.
  • Confirm there were two Marys born to Timothy & Mary (Lyons) Daly.

Sources

Endnotes

[1] Ancestry Public Trees – This number changes. It is the number of trees on the day I was writing this sketch.

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Photo Friday – Four Portland Groups & One Gorham Group

Posted on March 14, 2025 by Don Taylor

Linwood Dyer Collection – Part 052
Girls Basketball Teams, Portland, ME 1922, 23, 24 & Gorham Normal 1931
By Don Taylor

I thought I would look at some group photos this week for Photo Friday. In particular, I’ll start with some girls’ basketball team photos from the Linwood D. Dyer Photo Collection.

Portland High Girls Basketball Team – 1923

Photo of the Portland High School Girls Basketball Team - 1923 State Champions.
Portland High School Girls Basketball Team – 1923 State Champions.

Luckily, there were two images of the photograph. One was in good condition, and the second photo was in rough condition but included the team’s players’ names. The team photo is labeled with the following names:

  • Back Row: Frieda Schonland, Terese McCormack, Louise Mitchel, Carolyn Kincaid, Mary Kelly, Billy O’Connell
  • Middle Row: Katherine Neavling, Mgr. Alice Sturdivant, Unnamed, Helen Howarth, Esther Knudsen
  • Front Row: Marion Mingo, Charlotte Williams, Priscilla Ferguson, Anna Safford, Jessie Reynolds

I uploaded this photo to the Digital Maine Archive.[i] The image with the names is also at the Digital Maine Archive and is available for download.

Portland High Girls Basketball Team – 1924

I love it when it is easy to identify the individuals in a team photo. In this case, the basketball informs us that it was Portland High School in 1924. The team photo is labeled with the following names:

Photo of the 1924 Portland High School Girls Basketball Team.
1924 Portland High School Girls Basketball Team.

Back Row: Jessie Reynolds, Charlotte Williams, Irene Libby, Dot Rowe, Elizabeth Hewey

Front Row: Olivia Brownig, Helen Howarth, Mildred Seavey, Margaret Lee

I uploaded this photo to the Digital Maine Archive.[ii]

Maine State College – Girls Basketball Team – 1928.

Photo of the 1928 Maine State College basketball team.
1928 Maine State College basketball team.

At first, I was a bit confused by this photo. I didn’t know the logo on the ball; who was “S C?” It took a bit of research to figure out that the “S C” is beneath a stylized “M.” “M S C” stood for Maine State College. The Maine State College of Agriculture and Mechanical Arts was founded in 1865. It began to admit women in 1872.[iii] Later, it became the University of Maine.

The photo includes the following people:

Back Row: Betty O’Brion – Betty Fryatt – Olive Dow – Helena Jackson – Mgr. ____
Front Row: Dorothy McCracken, Frances (sunny) Erickson – Elizabeth McLaughlin Capt. Betty Somers (with ball)

I uploaded this photo to the Digital Maine Archive.[iv]

Gorham Normal School – Students & Staff – 1931.

An incredible 42” x 8” photo of the students & staff of Gorham Normal School, 1931.[vii]

Photo of the 1931 Gorham Normal School Students & Staff.
1931 Gorham Normal School Students & Staff.

I uploaded this photo to the Digital Maine Archive.[v]

Portland High Girls Basketball Team – 1922

Photo of the 1922 Portland High School Girls basketball team.
1922 Portland High School Girls basketball team.

Sadly, this photo of the Portland High School Girls Basketball team of 1922 has no names for the students. If you can identify any of the girls in the photo or have a list of the girls on the team, I’d love to hear from you. Based on the 1923 Photo, I’m sure the man at the top right is Billy O’Connell. I will hold onto this photo for a while, hoping someone can help me identify the people in it.[vi]

ENDNOTES

[i] I anticipate sending the original to either the Portland High School or the Maine Historical Society.
[ii] I anticipate sending the original to either the University of Maine or the Maine Historical Society.
[iii]  Maine History Online (A Maine Historical Society Website) “Taking Care & Educating” Page 5 of 5.
[iv] I anticipate sending the original to either the Portland High School or the Maine Historical Society.
[v] I anticipate sending the original to either the Portland High School or the Maine Historical Society.
[vi] I will, eventually, send the original to either the Portland High School or the Maine Historical Society.
[vii] This photo was at the Scarborough Historical Society, not part of the Linwood D Dyer Photo Collection.

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Photo Friday – Dyer [Johnson], Libby [Moody]

Posted on March 7, 2025 by Don Taylor

Linwood Dyer Collection – Part 058
Hod, Wright, JPD, Liz, Others Album (2024.13.50)
By Don Taylor

The Linwood Dyer Photo Collection at the Scarborough Historical Society contains a photo album labeled “HOD WRIGHT JPD LIZ OTHERS.” While some photos are identified, others are not. I am trying to positively identify and then share these historical photos with the descendants of the people pictured, offering families a chance to see unknown images of their ancestors.

The original materials, including this album (Accession number: 2024.13.50), are carefully preserved at the Scarborough Historical Society, serving as part of the broader Linwood Dyer Photo Collection’s enduring legacy.

Alice (Dyer) Johnson, c. 1922.

Photo of Alice (Dyer) Johnson

This photo is labeled “Alice (Dyer) Johnson. Alice Leslie Dyer married Harold Kenneth Johnson. Alice was born in 1905. She appears to be about 17 years old, so I date this photo about 1922. Alice is Nellie Plummer’s half-niece.

Elizabeth “Betsy” (Libby) Moody, circa 1880.

Photo of Betsy (Libby) Moody, c. 1880

This photo of an elderly woman is labeled “Grandmother Betsy Moody.” The photographer was Conant Artistic Photographer, 478½ Congress St., Portland. Conant’s photography operated at 478½ Congress from 1877 to 1884, suggesting the photo was taken about 1880.

I am confident this is a photo of Nellie Plummer’s great-grandmother, Betsy Moody.

White School Students including Howard & Alice Dyer, circa 1913.

This photo is of a school class. I believe the school is the White School. The image from page 35 of the album is labeled “Howard Dyer in baseball suit., Alice Dyer, 2nd row, 8th to right.


Photo of students, probably White School in Scarborough, Maine, students about 1913.

Howard Osgood Dyer was born in 1900, and his sister, Alice Leslie Dyer, was born in 1905. Howard appears to be about 13 in the photo, suggesting a date of about 1913.

I’m not confident about the year of the photo. It could be ± a couple of years.

Conclusion:

This is my last look at the “Hod, Wright, JPD, Liz, & Others” album (2024.13.50). The remaining photos are either unlabeled or of people for whom I can find no information.

Family photos hold an extraordinary power to connect us across generations, offering glimpses into the lives, personalities, and experiences of those who came before us. The discovery of an unseen photograph of a beloved ancestor can be a profoundly moving experience that collapses the distance of time and allows us to see our family members as they once were, perhaps in the full bloom of youth or childhood. If any of these images have helped you recognize an ancestor, I would be deeply grateful to hear your story and learn how these photographs have enriched your understanding of your family’s history.

For those interested in accessing the highest-quality versions of these historical photographs for genealogical research, please note that the full-resolution images are available through Ancestry and Family Search platforms due to technical constraints. These photographs are shared freely for your family history research and documentation, with the simple request that you acknowledge their source with the citation: “Photo Courtesy: Scarborough Historical Society.” By sharing and properly attributing these images, you help maintain the vital connection between these historical materials and their custodians, ensuring that future generations can continue to discover and learn from these precious visual records of our shared past.

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