Source: The Bryan Press (Bryan, Ohio), dated June 18, 1925.
This week from the Bryan Press (Bryan, Ohio), dated June 18, 1925, I learned that “Donna Darling and her Bathing Girl Revue” played at the Temple Theatre in Bryan, Ohio, on June 18th & 19th.
“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 find a new venue for my grandmother’s exciting show business career of the 1910s and 1920s.
This week, for Photo Friday, I identified twelve people from the Lefebvre family from the Linwood Dyer Collection. This collection includes hundreds of photos, documents, and genealogies of people who lived in Scarborough, South Portland, Cape Elizabeth, & Westbrook, Maine. I desire to analyze the images and reunite the photos with family members who may have never seen the image. The originals in this collection are held by the Scarborough Historical Society, Linwood Dyer Photo Collection.
The Joseph Lefebvre Family of Westbrook, ME, 1908 or 9.
The photo identifying information includes:
Handwritten on the back:
Aunt Mary Lefebvre’s family about 1908 or 9.
La Famille de Joseph Lefebvre family.
Joe, Rose, Joseph Mina | Philippe, Eugineie, Napoleon.
There is an address label: Grace P Curtis, 28 Deer Hill Ave., Westbrook ME 04092.
The Lefebvre Family of Westbrook, ME, circa 1908.
What I learned while researching this photo:
A search of the 1900 US Census found Joseph Lefebvre (age 40) and his wife Marie (age 31) living in Stroudwater, Portland, Cumberland County, Maine.
Living with them are:
Lanara Lefebvre – his 75-year-old mother.
Joseph H Lefebvre – his 14-year-old son.
Rose F Lefebvre – his 12-year-old daughter
Mina A Lefebvre – his 10-year-old daughter.
Napoleon Lefebvre – his 9-year-old son.
Armenigille Lefebvre – his 6-year-old son.
Phillip Lefebvre – his 5-year-old son.
Eugenie Lefebvre – his 2-year-old daughter.
Armdari Lefebvre – his 1-year-old son.
The 1910 US Census lists the Joseph Lefebvre family living in Westbrook, Maine, and with him is his wife Mary.
I also note that:
Mina is named Minnie in this census.
Armenigille is named Michael in this census.
Eugenie is named Jinnie in this census
Armdari is named Harmiedes in this census.
There are three more children listed.
Lucy, age 10.
Dewey, age 7.
Charles, age 2.
This photo, taken about 1908, shows the entire family as it would be seen about 1908.
Photographer: Snapshot – Photographer Not Identified.
Handwritten on the back: Edwin Haselton
At first glance, the photo appears to be a square 3.25” photo, however, a closer look shows it was once taller and some portion of the top was cut off.
What I learned while researching this photo:
Edwin Haselton
An Ancestry Search for Edwin Haselton (Exact and Similar) in Maine resulted in six candidates.
Silas Joseph Edwin Hazelton (1862-1943) – Possible.
James Edwin Hazeltine (1846-1849) – Not a candidate.
Edwin E Haseltine (1847-1917) – Not a candidate.
Edward A Haseltine (1889-1933) – Possible.
James Edwin Haseltine (1833-1921) – Not a candidate
Warren Edwin Haseltine (1867-1955) – Possible.
An Ancestry Search for Edwin Haselton (Exact) in the USA resulted in 13 candidates.
John Edwin Hall Haselton (1930-199) Illinois & Tennessee)
Edwin Myron Haselton (1887-1948) Vermont.
Vernon Edwin Haselton (1923-2014) California.
William Edwin Haselton (1910-1996) Pennsylvania & Missouri.
Edwin Haselton (1873-___) New York (in two trees).
Charles O Edwin “Charley” Haselton (1861-____) Vermont.
Edwin Haselton (1851-___) (Loc. Unknown).
Charles Edward Haselton (1862-1934) Quebec, Vermont, New Hampshire, New York.
Edwin Haselton (1841-___) New York.
Edwin Walter Haselton (1861-1955) New Hampshire, Vermont.
Albert Edwin Haselton (1883-1951) England.
Edwin Joseph Haselton (1908-___) Loc. Unknown.
Edwin Charles Haselton 1898-1918) England, France.
There are so many possible candidates that without additional information I can’t make an identification.
I have not identified the individual in this photo sufficiently to upload to either my family tree or to Dead Fred, so I only included the individual’s photo here and to my Flickr Photostream.
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, Dead Fred, or Flickr have higher quality than those linked here. Feel free to use these photos in your genealogical activities. Please cite “Photo courtesy Scarborough Historical Society.”
This week, for Photo Friday, I identified the people in Five photos from the Linwood Dyer Collection. This collection includes hundreds of photos, documents, and genealogies of people who lived in Scarborough, South Portland, and Cape Elizabeth, Maine. My desire is to analyze the images and reunite the photos with family members who may have never seen the image. The originals in this collection are held by the Scarborough Historical Society, Linwood Dyer Photo Collection.
Edna Hall Dingley, circa 1895.
The photo identifying information includes:
Edna H Dingley of Richmond, ME
Photographer: Match Studio – Higgins – Bath, ME
Handwritten on back: Edna H Dingley – Richmond, ME.
What I learned while researching this photo:
This is a Carte de visite (2.4 by 4 inches) with rounded corners & embossed studio name, suggesting a date of 1890 or later.[i]
Ancestry family trees suggest this is Edna Hall Dingley, born 11 March 1877 in Richmond, Sagadahoc County, ME. She is the daughter of Libby B Dingley (1850-1910) and Henrietta Lowella (Curtis) Dingley (1852-1945). She married James H Southard (1855-1936) on 6 July 1901.
I estimate the photo was taken after 1890 and before she married in 1901 (c. 1895).
This is a Cabinet Card (4 by 5.5 inches) with rounded corners & embossed studio name, suggesting a date of 1890 or later.[ii]
The 1895 & 1897 Portland, Maine, City Directories list Miss Helen S. Doyle, a nurse, living at 20 Hill. There are no other Helen Doyles in the Directory.
The Paul R. Kirk family tree on Ancestry Family Trees confirms this is Helen Stanley Doyle, because the same photo is included in his Gallery. Helen was born 2 Jan 1871 in Perry, Washington County, Maine, the daughter of William Henry Doyle (1827-1913) and Olive Johnson (1833-1885).
I was unsuccessful finding an I. G. Drackley in Maine.
There was a Isaac Gaige Drackley who was born 3 Aug 1882 in LaSalle County, Illinois. He married Carrie [LNU].
Previous research of Everett H. Butterfield, Fannie Butterfield Eddy, and Lynnford Butterfield, (see article) found they lived in LaSalle County. So a relative in the same area makes sense. As such, I identify this photo is of Isaac Gaige Drackley,
Ancestry Family Tree suggests this is Isaac Gaige Drackley, born 3 Aug 1882 to William and Cornelia Huddleston (Gaige) Drackley. He married Carrie Barber in 1904 in Miller City, La Salle County, Illinois.
The young man in the photo appears to be about 21 years old, which agrees with the date written on the back, 1903.
Results:
I added this photo to my Linwood Dyer Collection family tree at Ancestry. Although this photo is not from the Linwood Dyer Collection, it will be stored in that photo collection with the Scarborough Historical Society.
Leola Ethel Eichelberger, March 1899 (age 8).
The photo identifying information includes:
Photographer: Gerding, Ottawa, Illis
Handwritten on front: 95.27.506
Handwritten on back: Leola Ethel Eichelberger, March 1899.
Leola Ethel Eichellberger – March 1899
What I learned while researching this photo:
The 1900 US Census lists 9-year-old Leola Eichelberger living with her parents, Fredrick and Alice Eichelberger, in Grand Rapids, La Salle County, Illinois. Leola was born in September 1890.
Grand Rapids Township is about seven miles southeast of Ottawa.
I’ve run into Leola E. Eichelberger (later Hobson) previously when I wrote about “The Butterfield Bible” back in 2020. I am confident this is Leola when she was 8 years sold.
Althea, Vera, Constance, & Della Fifield, circa 1908.
The photo identifying information includes:
Photographer: Merrill, Rockland, ME.
Handwritten on back: Althea, Vera Evelyn, Constance, Della, & Fairfield – of Rockland.
Althea, Vara Evelyn, Della, & Constance Fifield of Rockland, ME.
What I learned while researching this photo:
The 1910 Census lists Althea M. (age 15), Constance H. (age 14), Vera E. (age 12), and Della L. F. (age 10) Fifield living in Rockland with their parents, Benjamin S & Lottie A Fifield.
The youngest girl in the photo, Della, appears to be to be about 8 years old and the oldest, Althea, about 13. So, I believe this photo was taken about 1908.
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, Dead Fred, or Flickr have higher quality than those linked here. Feel free to use these photos in your genealogical activities. Please cite: Photo courtesy Scarborough Historical Society.
Donna Darling, & Co. at the Hippodrome, Sacramento, CA – June 4-7, 1924.
Donna in the News 100 Years Ago by Don Taylor
“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 find a new venue for my grandmother’s exciting show business career of the 1910s and 1920s.
Sacramento Union, June 4, 1924
This week, I learned from the Sacramento Union (Sacramento, CA) newspaper, dated June 4, 1924, that Donna Darling Co. presented “Romance” at the Hippodrome in Sacramento.
This ad shows a photo of Donna and a man and that her company was playing “Romance.” A second ad the following day listed “Donna Darling & Co. Madison Square Beauty.”
Donna Darling and Company “Song and Dance Romance” at the State Theatre, Oakland, CA, June 1-3, 1924.
Donna in the News 100 Years Ago by Don Taylor
“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 Oakland Post Enquirer(Oakland, CA), dated May 31, 1924, I learned that Donna played at the State Theatre in Oakland, California, in early June 1924.
Both an advertisement and a short write-up were in the paper.
The Oakland Post Enquirer, May 31, 1934.
‘Heart Bandit’ to Top New State Bill
Viola Dana and Milton Sills, favorites of moviedom, are said to display their talents to full advantage in “The Heart Bandit” a thrilling crook romance…
The vaudeville bill is headed by Vernon and Knox, European magicians, making their first tour of America. Other acts are Sam K. Nainca and a “Hawaiian Musical Diversionl;” Donna Darling and company in a “Song and Dance Romance;” “Bob White, the Whiz-Bang Doughboy;” and Lena and Wilson in a laughable skit.
