Donna in Fort Wayne, IN, at the Majestic Theatre – February 15, 1920

Posted on April 6, 2015 by Don Taylor

This week I did more background research regarding Donna’s career with the “Chin Chin” production. I still haven’t determined dates or venue for their Minneapolis showing (other than late January to early February, 1920). I did, however, find where the production played at the Lyceum Theater in Rochester, NY sometime during the week of March 5th.[i] More about that in a future article.

Chin Chin in Fort Wayne, IN

The Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette
(Fort Wayne, Indiana)
Feb. 12, 1920, Page 11
Source: Newspapers.Com

Other than some basic advertising in “The Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette” (Fort Wayne, Indiana), I was unable to find any articles heralding the show. Although it had to be a busy Sunday. They played in Madison, Wisconsin on the 14th, both a matinee and an evening show then made it to Fort Wayne for an show the next evening. It is about 300 miles between Madison and Fort Wayne so it had to have been a late night packing, loading, sleeping on the train, then setting up for the show the next day.

Majestic Theatre, Fort Wayne, IN

It is not really clear if the
Majestic Theatre in Fort Wayne was a new construction or if it had been rebuilt[ii] when it opened at 216 E. Berry St., on October 24, 1904. [iii]  The 1894
Donaldson Guide, (page 105) regarding Fort Wayne theaters only indicates
the Masonic Temple and the Broadway Theatre as venues, which suggests that it
was probably a new construction.  The
theatre was noted
for its great acoustics.[iv]
The 1913-1914 Julius Cahn – Gus Hill Theatrical Guide, Page 188 indicates that
the theatre was quite large, seating 1372 people and that the stage was large
as well, 44×38 feet, with six stage pockets. The theatre was managed by Milton
E. Rice.[v]  The 1922 Supplement indicated that the
manager was Orrin Stair,[vi] so management changed
sometime between those dates.
The 1918 Fort Wayne City Directory, indicates that Philip E Thompson
was the Stage Manager, Herman Selman was the advertising agent. Neither M Rice
nor Orrin Stair show up in that directory.[vii] 
Sometime between 1910
and the 1920s the Majestic underwent a facelift which replaced a plain front with
an classy arched entrance as photos of the earlier theater and later were quite
different.

The production “Chin Chin” played at the Majestic on February 15th, 1920.

The Department of the Indiana Grand Army of the Republic held their business sessions for its forty-seventh Annual Encampment at the Majestic on May 17, 18, 19, and 20, 1926.[viii]

In 1928, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic reorganized with Emil Bouillet as conductor and began to play at several venues including the Majestic Theatre. Interestingly enough, the musicians were required to sell tickets for the concerts and banners were streatched across Calhoun street to advertise those concerts.[ix]

About 1941 the Majestic Theatre was renamed the Civic Theater, and it continued as a movie theater until at least 1950.[x]

In 1954, the Majestic Theatre was deemed unsafe for children by the fire department and so the Children’s Theatre spent the next 10 years at various locations in the city. [xi]

The Majestic was torn down in 1957, and the location is now the site of the Citizen Square parking lot. (Courtesy of Gene Branning) [xii]

Further Research

The Cahn-Leighton
Theatrical Guide indicates there are several other newspapers in Fort Wayne at
the time. Although the “Journal Gazette” was the largest of the papers in town,
the “News” and the “Sentinel” were also substantial and should be investigated
for possible news items regarding the show.
Endnotes

[i] Variety Vol
58, No. 2 – 1920-03-05, Page 116 – Rochester New York – Archive.Org – https://ia600809.us.archive.org/7/items/variety57-1920-01/variety57-1920-01.pdf
[ii] Allen
County-Fort Wayne Historical Society at 90 Years – Some Reflections Posted by John Beatty. See: https://tinyurl.com/mlxwf2z
[iii] The Pictorial History of Fort Wayne, Indiana: A Review of
Two …,
Volume 1
 By Bert Joseph Griswold, Mrs. Samuel
R. Taylor – Page 543
[iv] News-Sentinel.Com:
“Vaudeville was popular in Fort Wayne’s many
theaters” By Sheryl Krieg of
The News-Sentinel 
https://egen.fortwayne.com/ns/projects/history/2000/1910/ind5.php
[v] The
1913-1914 Julius Cahn – Gus Hill
Theatrical Guide, Page 188.
[vi] The Julius Cahn – Gus Hill Theatrical Guide,
1922 Supplement, Page 40
[vii] Fort Wayne, Indiana,
city directory Published by R.L. Polk
& Co. in Taylor,
Mich.
[viii] Proceedings of
Forty-third Annual Encampment of the Department of Indiana, Grand Army of the
Republic. Dept. of Indiana. Volume XLIII – Page 84 – See: https://tinyurl.com/lflcntl
[ix] Web: The Phil –
Fort Wayne Philharmonic | The History of the Phil. See:
https://www.fwphil.org/section/history
[x] Web: Cinima
Treasures | Civic Theater 216 East Berry Street, Fort Wayne, IN 46802. See: https://cinematreasures.org/theaters/29777
[xi] Web:  Fort Wayne Youth Theatre | About Us. See: https://www.fortwayneyoutheatre.org/?page_id=4
[xii]  

Fort
Wayne (Postcard History) By Randolph L. Harter. Arcadia Publishing (2013) – ISBN-10: 1467110663 – Preview at: https://tinyurl.com/lxadgwz

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Where was Mary (aka Mame) Dowd Angley Born?

Posted on March 31, 2015 by Don Taylor

By – Don Taylor

I was doing some research for a genetic cousin attempting to find a common ancestor. My goal was to determine Mary Dowd’s mother’s surname. It was frustrating because it kept appearing like her husband, Michael Angley, was married several times to multiple wives all named Mary. It took quite a bit of research to prove to myself that Michael was only married once and that his “wives,” Mame Doud, Mamie Doude, and Mary Dabb, were the same person. The birth date changed from record to record, something that I’ve come to accept, but her birthplace changed several times and even her parents’ birthplaces changed occasionally. That is problematic and I thought, for sure, there were two different people. I thought the key was in the family relationships and following all of the children, the results of which I found frustrating as well. I knew I had to chart her places of birth to understand the picture of what was going on.

When I started, I knew very little about Mary Dowd. She was born about 1874 in Pennsylvania. She was married to Michael Angley who was born about 1870 in Connecticut. They had a child Charles, born March 4, 1896 in Pringle, Luzerne, Pennsylvania, and the family was living in Pringle in 1910.

First, I looked closely at the census records. I found the family in the 1910, 1920, and 1930 censuses. Then I got concerned. The 1910 Census indicated Mary was born in PA, but the 1920 and 1930 Censuses indicated she was born in New Jersey[1] [2]. Oh my. My initial thought was that there were two Mary Angleys – One born in PA and the other in NJ. I then found their marriage registration entry and became even more confused. It said her name was Mame Doud, her birthday was the same as her husband’s, 21 Feb 1873, and both were born in New Jersey and they were married 24 Apr 1895.

I thought, maybe if I follow the children I’d see there were actually two mothers.

Following the Census records I found there were 12 children. Two died young (before the 1910 Census). That left 10 children to follow and I thought their Marriage records would be a great help. Family Search is excellent for that. Because I knew the family lived in Luzerne County, PA for many years, I searched Luzerne County for any marriages involving Angley. I found the following

Child
Spouse
Married
Mother
Mother Born
Charles[3]
Sarah Jones
24 Apr 1916
Mary Dowd
Edwardsville, PA
Esther[4]
Martin Brennan
27 Jan 1921
Mary Dowd
Camden, NY
Margaret
Mame (aka Mary)[5]
Walter Miles
13 Mar 1928
Mary Dowd
Camden, NJ
James[6]
Margaret Brennen
20 Feb 1928
Mary Dowd
New Jersey
Ellen
Raymond[7]
Madeline Brady
22 Dec 1930
Mary Dowd
Philadelphia, PA
Regina[8]
Anthony Carlin
26 Nov 1936
Mary Dowd
Pringle, PA
Alberta[9]
Henry T Kelley
01 Mar 1938
Mary Dowd
Pringle, PA
Michael
Finally, her death certificate, for which her husband was the informant, says she was born in Edwardsville. See clipping of certificate below:
CROP of Mary (Dowd) Angley’s Death Certificate
Source: Pennsylvania, Death Certificates, 1906-1963, 
 The 1910 Census indicates that Michael and Mary had been
married for 15 years.  That would
indicate that all the children through Alberta would have Mary’s. The mile
distance between Edwardsville and Pringle is easy to explain. However, I don’t
understand why several of her children thought that she was born in New Jersey
or Philadelphia, which are over a hundred miles away.  It must have been one of them who answered
the census taker’s questions in 1920 and 1930. 

Finding her death certificate was fantastic.  I now knew her father’s name and was able to differentiate him from several other Dowd’s in the county with children named Mary. 

Finally, the death certificate provided the reason for my research on Mary Dowd Angley. Her mother’s name, Mary Quinn. 
  

Bio – Mary Dowd Angley (1873-1940)

Mary Dowd, was born 24 Feb 1873 in Edwardsville, PA to
Edward and Mary Quinn Dowd.
We know she had at least two sisters, Anna and
Margaret.  Further research is needed to
determine other siblings.
She married Michael Angley on 23 April 1895. 
The 1910 Census indicates that Mary had 8 children, 6 of
whom were living[10]. The
1920 Census added four more children that we know of.  Her children included:

Charles                 1896
Esther                   1899
Margaret              1902
Mary/Mame         1905
James                   1906
Ellen                     1907
Unknown                         Died before 15 Apr 1910.
Unknown                         Died
before 15 Apr 1910
Raymond              1911
Eugene                 1913
Alberta                 1915
Michael                 1918

In July of 1915 Mary’s sister Margaret visited[11].
In Jun of 1919 she underwent an operation at Nesbitt West
Side Hospital[12].
She lived at 498 Pringle Street from at least 1910 until her
death in 1940.  The home appears to still
be standing. Trulia
estimates the home to be a 1388 square feet two story home. Google Maps shows it as:

498 Pringle Street, Pringle, PA today
Courtesy: Google Maps
She died 4 January 1940 of Arteritis & Diabetes mellitus
and is buried at St. Ignatius Catholic Church Cemetery in Pringle, PA.[13]

Further Actions:
Further research is needed to determine Mary Dowd’s other siblings.

List of Greats
1. Mary Dowd
2. Edward Dowd

Endnotes
[1] 1920
United States Federal Census , Ancestry.com , 1920; Census Place: Pringle,
Luzerne, Pennsylvania; Roll: T625_1595; Page: 4B; Enumeration District:191;
Image: 1026 – 498 Pringle Street.
https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=1920usfedcen&indiv=try&h=67338993.

[2] 1930
United States Federal Census, Ancestry.com , 1930; Census Place: Pringle,
Luzerne, Pennsylvania; Roll: 2070; Page: 7A; Enumeration District: 0195; Image:
513.0; FHL microfilm: 2341804.
https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=1930usfedcen&indiv=try&h=53033836.
[3] “Pennsylvania,
County Marriages, 1885-1950,” index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KHF2-3F6
: accessed 31 March 2015), Charles Angley and Sarah Jones, 24 Apr 1916; citing
Marriage, Pennsylvania, county courthouses, Pennsylvania; FHL microfilm
2,260,855.
[4] Pennsylvania, County Marriages,
1885-1950, Family Search, Martin Brennan & Esther Angley. https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KHFP-S7Y.
[5] Pennsylvania, County Marriages,
1885-1950, Family Search, Walter Miles & Mamie Angley. https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KHXB-JS5.
[6] Pennsylvania, County Marriages, 1885-1950,
Family Search, James Angley and Margaret Brennan #17797 – [Accessed 27 March
2015] GS Film Number: 2224488 , Digital Folder Number: 004833134 , Image
Number: 00314. https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KHXB-91L.
[7] Pennsylvania, County Marriages,
1885-1950, Family Search, Raymond Angley – Madeline Brady. https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KHFM-6W4.
[8] Pennsylvania, County Marriages,
1885-1950, Family Search, Anthony Carlin & Regina Angley. https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KHFQ-26N.
[9] “Pennsylvania,
County Marriages, 1885-1950,” index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KHF7-HTT
: accessed 31 March 2015), Henry T Kelley and Alberta Anita Angley, 01 Mar
1938; citing Marriage, Pennsylvania, county courthouses, Pennsylvania; FHL
microfilm 2,224,706.
[10] 1910 United States Federal Census , Ancestry.com , 1910; Census Place: Pringle, Luzerne,
Pennsylvania; Roll: T624_1369; Page: 2B; Enumeration District: 0113; FHL
microfilm: 1375382. https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=1910USCenIndex&indiv=try&h=24931959.
[11] 1915-07-14,  Page- 9 – Michael Angley -GB. https://phw02.newsbank.com/cache/ean/fullsize/pl_003272015_1559_10539_732.pdf., Wilkes-Barre Times-Leader,
Wilkes-Barre, PA (www.genealogybank.com).
[12] 1919-06-18, Page 26 – PRINGLE. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2079904/mrs_michael_angley/., Wilkes-Barre Record,
Wilkes-Barre, PA (Newspapers.com).
[13] Pennsylvania, Death Certificates,
1906-1963, Ancestry.com Mrs Mary Angley. https://preview.tinyurl.com/o84l8lw

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Memories – Kid Shows and Poker with Grandma.

Posted on March 21, 2015 by Don Taylor

By Don Taylor

I’ll admit it. I grew up with television.  Every morning it was TV time.  During the summer, and other times when there
wasn’t school, it was TV for lunch (“Lunch with Casey” comes to mind), too. And, of course, after school was filled
with more kid programs.  It was the golden age
of television and kid programs of early 1960s were wonderful. 

House at 8316 Monroe still stands (Modern Picture)
Photo by Don Taylor
Probably my fondest memories of television were when we
lived in Spring Lake Park (A suburb of Minneapolis), Minnesota.  It was a tiny little one-bedroom house, about
780 square feet.  I didn’t have a bedroom;
rather, my bedroom was the “breezeway” between the house and the garage. In the
summer, it was glorious, but in the winter, the unheated room, without
insulation, which had louvered windows was a bit chilly. So, when I’d get up in
the morning it was quick into the main part of the house to warm up.
I was 11 or 12 years old – fifth and sixth grades – when we
lived there. I was an early riser.  Most
of the year, I’d have cold cereal, but in the winter my grandmother (Donna)
would make hot Purina or Cream of Wheat for me. Thinking about, it we were
pretty much a Ralston Purina household. 
We ate Chex, for the most part, when it wasn’t hot cereal. However,
mostly morning was getting ready for school, watching cartoons, and playing poker.
I was usually up by 6:30AM when “Siegfried and his Flying
Saucer” came on WCCO. Siegfried wasn’t really a cartoon; he was a drawing that
was put on screen.  No animation, just a
drawing. My memory is a bit fuzzy about if he even had a voice but his drawing
was better than the test pattern that was there before the show began. On Siegfried’s
there was also “Wallace the Weather Bear.” Wallace was also nothing but a
drawing on the screen, but he provided the expected high and low temperatures
for the day.  I think there were rain and
snow stickers they added to the drawing of Wallace when appropriate.
At 7AM came “Clancy the Cop.”  John Gallos was the host of the show and was just a nice guy.  I recall he was originally a Keystone Cop but metamorphed into “Clancy the Space Cop” and got a more up-to-date uniform. Fitting for the show that followed Siegfried.  In those days, cops were nice and were there to help people much more than to “protect” as they do now-a-days.  Anyway, he had help on the show from a nurse, Carmen the Nurse.
This early morning time was when my grandmother, Donna,
taught me poker.  We had a couple jars of
pennies, one for her and one for me and played penny poker every morning.  She taught me five-card stud, seven-card
stud, and five-card draw.  I think five’
stud was our favorite game. Years later
I was talking with my mother about my learning poker from “Grams” and she didn’t
recall it.  Maybe we didn’t begin until
after she left for work.  I don’t think
it was a secret, I think that it was just the way the morning were and poker
didn’t occur until I was ready to catch the bus to school.

School was a five-mile bus ride to the Twin Cities Army Ammunition
Plant (TCAAP), also known as the Twin Cities Arsenal.  Spring Lake Park didn’t have enough schools to
support the ballooning boomer generation. Rather than building new schools,
they rented some facilities and the Arsenal was one such place.  It was an odd place, even for its time.  I’m sure they couldn’t use such a place today
as, I recall, it still had bars on many of the windows left over from its World
War II factory days. Interestingly enough, I returned twenty-some years later
when I got a government job with the Defense Contract Administration Services
(DCAS) and inspected the Area Denial Anti-personnel Mine (ADAM) bomblets made
there.  Occasionally, I needed to go to
another building at the facility which was same building I went to for
elementary school twenty years earlier. They had taken the bars off the windows
by then.

Life in Spring Lake Park was great. Kid shows morning, noon,
and evening. Axel and his Dog broadcasting from his “tree house” on “Magic
Island” was the highlight of the afternoon. I think my sense of humor from his
closing poems which, continuing in the Robert Louis Stevenson tradition, always
began with:
“Birdie with a yellow bill, hopped upon my window sill,
cocked a shining eye and said:”
and finished with Axle’s punny endings such as:
“What is that in the road – A Head?”   
“What did you do in Saint Louis – Park?
“What did you do with the light bulb, socket? 
It was a memorable time with many pleasant memories.  Nevertheless, I think the fondest
recollection I have of the Spring Lake Park years was learning poker from “Grams.”


————- DISCLAIMER ————-

Posted in My Memories, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Census Fact vs. Residence Fact — Caroline M. A. Pankey Howell (1811-?)

Posted on March 18, 2015 by Don Taylor
By – Don Taylor
Census Fact vs. Residence Fact

I was recently reading the Genea Musings Blog by Randall J. Seaver where someone asked him why he uses “Census Fact” instead of other categories of Residence, Occupation, and other facts. His response got me to thinking. Why do I use Residence, Occupation, and Education facts instead of “Census Fact?” I came to the conclusion it was mostly because when Ancestry.com creates a fact based upon a census record it automatically makes the fact a Residence Fact. Afterwards I typically add Occupation, Education, and other facts based upon what I think of as important for that particular person and their census data. I agree with Randall’s reasons for using Census Fact. It is a snapshot event, information told by one person to another person regarding a family at one given time. The data may, or may not, be accurate because it must be considered secondary information. Anyway, I like it and plan to use “Census Fact” for my future entries. That will then keep all the information together regarding the instant in time known as the Census. Thank you Randall Seaver for the suggestion.

Bio – Caroline M. A. Pankey Howell (1811-?)
Caroline must have been something of a surprise to her parents, Thomas A. and Martha (Cannon?) [Liggon] Pankey. In the 1810 Census Thomas is over 45 and it appears that his wife Martha is as well[1]. It appears that some of their children were in there 20s and possibly married when Caroline was born in 1811-12[2]. That would explain the household of at least eight other white people living there. They had to have been fairly well off financially as the family had four slaves.

Some researchers indicate that Caroline was also known as Margaret, some as Martha; however, all of the documents I have found indicate her name as Caroline. I concede that the “M” in her name probably stands for Margaret or Martha.

Marriage permission clearly written by one person and then signed by Thomas Pankey.
Thomas died about a week after signing this document.
Source: Cumberland County (Virginia) Marriage Bonds, 1822-1830,
Library of Virginia, Reel 42. 1829 – Peter M. Howell & Caroline M. A. Pankey

Nothing is known of Caroline’s childhood. The 1820 Census is very confusing. The Pankey’s appear to have three children living at home but the 8-9 year old Caroline doesn’t appear to be enumerated[3]. We do know that when she was “about 17” her sick father gave permission for her to marry Peter M. Howell[4]. On 11 June 1829, they were married in Cumberland County, Virginia. We also know that her father died about a week later[5]. If Caroline was the youngest of Thomas’ children, it would make a lot of sense that he wanted to assure that Caroline would be taken care of after he departed.

In 1830, Caroline is identified in a lawsuit. Those documents indicate that she had at least 6 siblings:[6]

Frank
Thomas
Mary
Henrietta
Nancy B & 
Elizabeth

In 1830, Caroline had the first of five known children. Her known children are:

Name
Born
Married Surname
Lousianna
(abt 1830)
Pair
Philip C
(1833)
Elizabeth
(abt 1836)
(unk if ever married)
Peter Fletcher
(1842-1924)
Lorenzo Dibrell
(abt 1845)
In The Life &
Travels of Peter Howell[7], Peter
Howell describes his ministry as a itinerate preacher in detail. Although
Caroline is seldom mentioned, it is clear that during the 1840s she spent much
of the time with him gone on the road.  When
he was home, many times he only stayed there long enough to recover from
illness or injury then went back on the road preaching.  So, she must have had a difficult time
raising the children with Peter gone so much.  In addition, they moved frequently. 
 I am sure of the following moves.

1829 – They lived with Peter’s mother in Cumberland County,
Virginia.
1830 – Lived in Cumberland County near Farmville, Virginia.
1832 – Lived near Willis’ Mountain in Buckingham County,
Virginia.
1837 – Lived at “Deep Bottom” on Gideon Howell’s Land in
Buckingham County.
1844 – Moved back to Cumberland County and rented from Samuel
Garrett.
1848 – During the cold of January, 1848, they moved to Murfreesboro,
NC.
1848 – Then in December, 1848, he loaded up the family and
moved to Halifax, NC.
1850 – They relocated to New Bern, Craven County,
1850 – By the June 1st, they returned to Western
District, Halifax County, NC.[8],
where they appear to have settled down as they were also there in the 1860
Census[9].

I can find no evidence of Caroline nor her husband Peter in
the 1870 Census so I presume they must have died by then.   There is no known markers or death
information regarding Caroline or Peter either.
Further Actions:
·      Research Peter & Caroline’s children searching
for clues to their life.
·      Research Caroline’s siblings for clues to
Caroline’s life.
List of Greats
1.    
Peter
Fletcher Howell
2.    Caroline M.
A. Pankey
3.    
Thomas A.
Pankey
 ENDNOTES

[1] Ancestry.com, 1810 United States Federal Census
(Provo, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010), Ancestry.com, Year: 1810; Census Place:
Cumberland, Cumberland, Virginia; Roll: 68; Page: 143; Image: 00282; Family
History Library Film: 0181428. Record for Thomas Pankey.
[2] Peter Howell, The
Life and Travels of Peter Howell:  In
Which will be seen some Marvelous Instances of the Gracious Providence of God
(Newbern, N.C.,:  W. H. Mayhew, 1849),
Page 14. Archive.ORG.
[3] 1820 United States
Federal Census, Ancestry.com, 1820 U S Census; Census Place:
Cumberland, Virginia; Page: 106; NARA Roll: M33_130; Image: 204. https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=1820usfedcenancestry&h=20245&indiv=try.
[4] Cumberland County
(Virginia) Marriage Bonds, 1822-1830, Library of Virginia, Reel 42. 1829 –
Peter M. Howell & Caroline M. A. Pankey
[5] Peter Howell, The
Life and Travels of Peter Howell:  In
Which will be seen some Marvelous Instances of the Gracious Providence of God
(Newbern, N.C.,:  W. H. Mayhew, 1849),
320 pages. Archive.ORG.
[6] Enquirer Article,
Genealogy Bank, 12 Mar 1830 – Pg 4. Pankey   
[7] Peter Howell, The
Life and Travels of Peter Howell:  In
Which will be seen some Marvelous Instances of the Gracious Providence of God
(Newbern, N.C.,:  W. H. Mayhew, 1849),
320 pages. Archive.ORG.
[8] 1850 Census, Ancestry.com, 1850; Census Place: Halifax,
North Carolina; Roll: M432_633; Page: 37B; Image: 80.
[9] 1860 Census,
1860; Census Place: Western District, Halifax, North Carolina; Roll:
M653_899; Page: 471; Image: 323; Family History Library
Film: 803899. Ancestry.com

Posted in Howell-Hobbs | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Road Trip & [Clifford] Dick Brown in Corozal, Canal Zone, Panama.

Posted on March 16, 2015 by Don Taylor
I have never been on a genealogical research trip.  Certainly, I’ve had a desire to go to the
Family History Center in Salt Lake City, the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and the
National Archives in Washington DC, but until now, I’ve never had a compelling reason for such a
trip.
It all started with a photo.  When my great aunt passed away, my 1st
cousin, once removed, (Beverly) received a large number of photos that my great
grandmother had. Within that set of photos was one of my grandfather as a young
man, part of a basketball team.  A photo I had never seen, nor had my cousin until she received the package.
1928 Corozal (Panama Canal Zone) Basketball Champions
Source: Family photos from either Dick Brown or Mary Manning Brown.  
It is clearly a military basketball team and Grandpa Dick was part of that team — The Corozal 1928 Champions. That begged the question where was Corozal.  A Google search found several Corozals;
however, the one in the Canal Zone, Panama was the obvious location.  First of all, there was an Army post there and
second, family history and other research indicated that my grandparents, Donna
& Dick, had met in Panama City, Panama.  I’ve always wondered if Dick and Donna got together after his military service or if Donna took another trip to Panama that I don’t know of. (She is known to have been in Panama in 1930 but my mother was conceived in 1931.)
I tried to find Dick’s military records before and
learned they were, apparently, lost in the disastrous 1973 fire at the National
Personnel Records Center. Legends about my grandfather Dick abound regarding
him possibly being in Military Intelligence, about his changing his name while
in the service because of his being some kind of spy and that his surname of
Durand came from that time. There are also stories that his first name change came from his military service, but I don’t believe that to be the case.  In either event, I thought
that without his service record we’d probably never know the truth.
It looks like I may be wrong.  The National Archives has “RECORDS OF U.S.
ARMY COMMANDS IN PANAMA 
1915-40” and 49 linear feet of those
records.  Now I expect that the vast majority
of the records are General correspondence, Reports, bulletins, circulars, and
information about the Canal, however, there is one part of the records that
contains General correspondence and orders of Corozal, 1917-39.  Maybe I’ll learn what years Dick was in Panama. 
Wow!  I now know my
grandfather was in Panama in 1928 and in 1931 and that he was, at least, in
Corozal in 1928 and probably there for the entire three years and there are
many records regarding orders and information about the command. I just need to
get to the National Archives to fill in lots of the details of his life there.
Photo of the National Archives II, College Park, MD, By National Archives and Records Administration (The National Archives at College Park, Maryland) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
National Archives, College Park, MD
The National Archives in College Park, MD appears to be the
repository for 1,188 still pictures. Maybe there are photos of his basketball team
from other years.  I know my grandfather
played baseball in later years and was, or so they say, really good.  Maybe there are team photos of him as well.
I’m excited. I just can’t believe there won’t be something in the over 3,500
cubic feet of information at the Archives (Washington & College Park) that
will shed light upon this time in his life and upon his military service. 
I’m excited to plan a trip. 
I can go to the National Archives I can spend the day, maybe two or three (taking the shuttle to College Park one of those days) and my
wife can spend her time at the National Gallery only a block away.  

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment