In the News, 105 Years Ago Vaudeville/Chin-Chin Cassopolis Vigilant (Cassopolis, MI) By Don Taylor
Cassopolis Vigilant, February 19, 1920
My grandmother was a vaudeville star. I am following her career and learning about her many performances. In October 1919, she joined the cast of the Charles Dillingham production of “Chin-Chin” “Chin-Chin” played in the US and Canada until June 1920. I monitor several newspaper services, watching for new venues where the show played while she was a cast member.
This week’s entry is from the Cassopolis Vigilant dated Friday, February 19, 1920, via Newspapers.Com.
New Venue Added:
Feb 20, 1920 – Dowagiac, MI – Beckwith Theatre – “Chin-Chin.”
Linwood Dyer Collection – Part 055 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.” Some photos have identification notes or hints, others do 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: 2024.13.43), are carefully preserved at the Scarborough Historical Society, serving as part of the broader Linwood Dyer Photo Collection’s enduring legacy.
Major Frank Moody, circa 1876.
Major Frank Moody, circa 1876.
This photo from page 22 is labeled Major Frank Moody. The photographer was identified as Smith – Photographer – no address. There were at least six different Smith photographers in Portland that operated from 1871 to 1916.
Also on page 22 is an unlabeled photo of a woman about the same age as Major Frank. Due to placement in the photo album, I suspect this is Major Frank Moody’s wife. Further research found his wife was Julia A Harmon (1833-1906).
Page 23 of the album includes to photos, also photographed at the same studio at about the same time are two more photos. One is identified as “Eleanor Moody” and the other as “Eleanor Moody & sister. (Under sister is “Harriet” written in pencil.)” The 1880 US Census lists Major Moody, his wife Julia and two daughters Hattie (age 15) and Nellie (age 12). Find a Grave has a photo of Elinor S Moody, that appears to be the same woman, just a few years older.
I am sure these four photos comprise the Major Frank Moody family:
Major Frank Moody – Father (1830-1888) (aka Major Francis Moody)
Julia Ann (Harmon) Moody – Mother (1833-___)
Elinor S Moody – daughter (1868-1956) (aka Nellie S Moody)
Hattie Moody – daughter (aka Harriette F. Moody) (1865-___)
Julia Ann (Harmon) Moody,
Eleanor and Hattie Moody.
Eleanor
Major Moody’s photo, showing him in his mid-50s, dating the photo to around 1876. I am confident in this identification so I’ve my Linwood Dyer Collection family tree at Ancestry and to their Family Search profiles.
Mettie Rounds, circa 1895 (age 17).
Mettie Rounds, circa 1895.
The photo on page 20, labeled “Nettie Rounds (Uncle James Small’s sister’s child),” was taken by H.M. Smith of 478 Congress St., Portland, ME (studio listed at that address 1892-1898). This identification clarifies the album’s perspective: Nellie A. Plummer’s mother was Ellen A. Hunnewell. Ellen’s sister, Marietta, married James Auston Small (Nellie’s uncle). James had three sisters: Maria (m. Charles A. Libby), Elizabeth (m. Edwin Wilson Rounds), and Nellie May (m. Rosco Green Libby). Elizabeth and Edwin’s daughter, Mettie/Nattie L. Rounds (1878-1965), is likely the photo’s subject, taken circa 1895 when she was about 17.
Family photographs 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.
Donna Darling at Crescent Theatre, Pontiac, MI, February 13 & 14, 1925.
Donna in the News 100 Years Ago by Don Taylor
Clipping – Pontiac Daily 12 Feb 1925
“Donna in the News” is my reporting of newly found newspaper articles and advertisements regarding my grandmother, Madonna Montran (aka Donna Montran and Donna Darling). I am always excited when I find a new venue for my grandmother’s exciting show business career of the 1910s and 1920s.
This week from the Pontiac Daily Leader (Pontiac, MI), dated February 12, 1925, I learned that the “California Bathing Beauties, featuring Donna Darling” played at the Crescent Theatre in Pontiac, Michigan.
I found an advertisement regarding Donna and her show. Also playing was the motion picture “Merton of the Movies” with Glen Hunter & Viola Dana.
Linwood Dyer Collection – Part 054 Hod, Wright, JPD, Liz, Others Album (2024.13.50) Portland, Scarborough, Maine By Don Taylor
The Linwood D. Dyer Photo Collection is a remarkable historical archive, encompassing hundreds of carefully preserved images, documents, and genealogical records that paint a vivid portrait of life in Scarborough and its surrounding communities. Among its treasures lies this particular photo album, its spine bearing the intriguing notation “HOD WRIGHT JPD LIZ OTHERS” – a cryptic reference to the faces and stories contained within. While many photographs in the album contain detailed labels illuminating their subjects’ identities, others remain mysterious, their subjects waiting to be recognized and named. As a historian and curator, I have embarked on a meaningful mission to connect these historical photographs with descendants of the people they depict, offering families the profound experience of discovering previously unseen images of their ancestors. The original materials, including this album (Accession number: 2024.13.43), are carefully preserved at the Scarborough Historical Society, serving as part of the broader Linwood Dyer Photo Collection’s enduring legacy.
Addie Libby, circa 1882.
Addie Libby, circa 1882.
This photo from page 15 is labeled Addie Libby[i]. No photographer was identified for the photograph. The page includes a note, “children of Eben Libby’s broth.”
Addie Leona Libby (1862-1886) is the daughter of Samuel Libby (1835-1902). Samuel’s brother was Ebenezer Scott Libby (1848-___). The woman in the photo appears to be about 20 years old, thus dating the photo to about 1882.
I am confident this photo is of Addie Libby, so I added it to my Linwood Dyer Collection family tree at Ancestry and her profile at FamilySearch (KG49-6GJ).
Annie Libby, circa 1886.
Annie Libby, circa 1886.
On page 14 of the album, this cabinet card is of a young woman named Annie Libby.[ii]
The photographer was C.W. Hearn, Portland, Maine. The back is blank, and there is no address for the studio. Hearn Studio operated in Portland on Congress Street from 1881 to 1889, dating the photo to 1885 ± 4 years.
Annie Libby, the daughter of Samuel and Lucy Ann (Hunnewell) Libby, was born in 1870. She appears to be about 16 in this photo, suggesting the photo was taken about 1886.
I am confident his photo is of Annie, so I added it to my Linwood Dyer Collection family tree at Ancestry and her profile at FamilySearch (KDS3-9VW).
Ella Libby, circa 1882
Ella Libby, circa 1882
From page 14 of the album, this cabinet card of a young woman is labeled Ella Libby.[iii]
The photographer was Lamson, Portland, Maine. The back is blank, and there is no address for the studio. Lamson Studio operated in Portland from 1871 through 1902. Ella was born in 1864 and appears to be about 18 to me, suggesting the photo is circa 1882.
I am confident his photo is of Ella, so I added it to my Linwood Dyer Collection family tree at Ancestry and her profile at FamilySearch (KCWL-CD7).
Forest Libby, circa 1889
Forest Libby, circa 1889
This cabinet card of a young man is labeled “Forest Libby” with an added note, “[child] of Eben Libby’s broth.”[iv] The photographer was Lamson, 5 Temple St., Portland, Me. Lamson Studio operated in Portland from 1879 through 1902. Forest was born in 1864 and appears to be about 25 to me, suggesting the photo is circa 1889 in keeping with the photographer being at that location.
I added this photo of Forest to my Linwood Dyer Collection family tree at Ancestry and his profile at FamilySearch (LZZM-VKX).
Sarah Elizabeth Plummer (later Wright), circa 1887.
Sarah Elizabeth Plummer (later Wright), circa 1887.
This cabinet card of a young woman is labeled “Aunt Liz Plummer Wright.[v] The photographer was Lamson, Portland, Maine. The back has the Lamson logo but no location. Lamson Studio operated in Portland from 1871 through 1902.
From previous research, I learned that Sarah Elizabeth (aka Lizzie) Plummer (1871-1943) married Albert E Wright on 3 June 1896 in Scarboro, ME. She appears to be about 16 in this photo, suggesting the photo was taken about 1887.
I am confident this photo is of Liz, so I added it to my Linwood Dyer Collection family tree at Ancestry and her profile on FamilySearch (LT4J-QK3).
Sarah Elizabeth Plummer (later Wright), circa 1879.
Liz Plummer as a child, circa 1897.
Two cabinet cards on page 11 of the album show a girl labeled “Aunt Liz Plummer Wright[vi], who appears to be about eight years old. The photographer was J.M. Peck, 518 Congress Street, Portland, Me. J.M. Peck operated at 518 Congress Street from about 1875 to 1886.
Sarah Elizabeth (Liz) was born in 1871. She would have been eight in 1879, fitting J.M. Peck’s time at 518 Congress.
I also added these two photos to my Linwood Dyer Collection family tree at Ancestry and one of them to her FamilySearch profile (LT4J-QK3).
Blanche Plummer Roberts, circa 1887.
Blanch Roberts, circa 1887.
This cabinet card of a young girl, about 5 years old, is labeled “Blanche Roberts.”[vii]
The photographer was H. M. Smith, 478 Congress St., Portland, Me. The back is blank. H.M. Smith operated at 478 Congress from 1893 to 1898. Blanche was born in 1892, suggesting H. M. Smith took the photo about 1887.
Family photographs 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.
Endnotes
[i] The original of this photo is held by the Scarborough Historical Society, Linwood D Dyer Photo Collection, “HOD WRIGHT JPD LIZ OTHERS” album. 2024.13.50, page 15.
[ii] The original of this photo is held by the Scarborough Historical Society, Linwood D Dyer Photo Collection, “HOD WRIGHT JPD LIZ OTHERS” album. 2024.13.50, page 14.
[iv] The original of this photo is held by the Scarborough Historical Society, Linwood D Dyer Photo Collection, “HOD WRIGHT JPD LIZ OTHERS” album. 2024.13.50, page 15.
[v] The original of this photo is held by the Scarborough Historical Society, Linwood D Dyer Photo Collection, “HOD WRIGHT JPD LIZ OTHERS” album. 2024.13.50, page 12.
[vi] The original of this photo is held by the Scarborough Historical Society, Linwood D Dyer Photo Collection, “HOD WRIGHT JPD LIZ OTHERS” album. 2024.13.50, page 11.
[vii] The original of this photo is held by the Scarborough Historical Society, Linwood D Dyer Photo Collection, “HOD WRIGHT JPD LIZ OTHERS” album. 2024.13.50, page 3.
“Donna in the News” reports newly found newspaper articles and advertisements regarding my grandmother, Madonna Montran (aka Donna Montran and Donna Darling). I am always excited when I discover a new venue for my grandmother’s exciting show business career of the 1910s and 1920s.
This week, I learned from the Grand Rapids Press(Grand Rapids, MI) newspaper, dated February 2, 1923, that Donna played at the Temple Theatre in Grand Rapids, MI.
The Grand Rapids Press (Grand Rapids, Michigan) · Fri, Feb 2, 1923 · Page 8
There was only one small article regarding Donna’s appearance at the Temple in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It read:
…Three vaudeville acts complete the bill. Ella LaVail appears in gymnastic stunts; Al and May Royce offer a clever dance and song act and Donna Darlingand companypresent a musical and comedy program.
It appears that the Temple’s ads refer to the movie playing and only mentions that there are “3 ACTS VAUDEVILLE.” The movie “Just Tony” began Thursday, February 1st, and ran until the 4th. I am confident that Donna’s show ran during the same dates.
