Howell’s in the Censuses – Henry, Gideon, and Peter

Posted on January 10, 2026 by Don Taylor

Howell Research
Howell Line
By Don Taylor

In my wife’s Howell line, the father of Peter M. Howell is still unknown. In “Searching for Peter M Howell’s father,” I knew that Peter’s father:

  • He was probably born between 1760 and 1785.
  • Resided Charlotte County, VA. 1805.
  • Resided Buckingham County, VA 1807.
  • Died Buckingham County, VA 1817-18.
  • Based on the 1810 Census, his father is likely either Gideon or Pleasant.

In The Life and Travels of Peter Howell, Page 14, Peter mentions, “we settled on my brother Henry’s land, where we lived until the fall.” So, I thought researching Henry might provide clues to his and Peter’s parents.

Relationship – Ancestor #32

List of Grand-ancestors

4. – Grandfather: James Dallas Howell (1879-1964)
8. – 1st Great-grandfather: Peter Fletcher Howell (1842-1924)
16. – 2nd Great-grandfather: Peter M. Howell (1805-1865)
TBD. – 2nd Great-granduncle: Henry Howell (c. 1807-____)
TBD. – 2nd Great-granduncle: Gideon Howell (c. 1808-____)

1870 Census

Virginia, Buckingham County, Marshall Township, Page 26, Lines 22, 23:

  • Howell, Henry    63 M W. Farmer 500//100  Virginia – Citizen
  • —, Judith         72 F W. Keeping House,     Virginia
  • Call, Susan       21 F W Domestic Servant   Virginia – cannot read or write.

1860 Census

Virginia, Buckingham County, District 2, Page 36, Lines 28-30:
Post Office: New Canton

  • Howell, Henry    53 M W. Farmer 500//2000 Virginia
  • —, Judeth        55 F W.                         Virginia

The Agricultural Schedule indicates his farm is one of the smallest farms in the area. It comprised 77 acres; 40 acres of his property were improved, and 37 were not. He had three horses, one cow, and seven swine. He grew corn, oats, tobacco, and potatoes.

The 1860 Slave Schedule indicates that Henry had four enslaved individuals—a 65-year-old woman, a 40-year-old man, an 18-year-old mulatto woman, and an 11-year-old mulatto boy.

1850 Census

Virginia, Buckingham County, District 1, Page 739, Lines 25-28:

  • Gideon Howell         42        Farming          $375
  • Mary                           50
  • James                         18        Labourer
  • Henry                         43        Labourer

It appears that Henry is living with his brother (possibly a cousin) Gideon and Gideon’s apparent wife, Mary. Gideon has an apparent son, James, living with them. The indexer indicated that James’ middle initial is S, and Henry’s is I. However, I don’t see enough difference between the enumerator’s S, I, and J to be confident of either’s middle initial.

1840 Census

Virginia, Buckingham County, District 2, Page 16, 18th name down:

Gideon Howel – 1 – – – 1 – – – – 1  || – – – – – 1 || 2 1 – – – – || 2 – – 11

Males

  • 5-10    Apparently, James, age 8
  • 30-40 Apparently, Gideon, age 38
  • 80-90  Unknown. Because I suspect Peter and Gideon are brothers and Peter’s father died in 1917, I suspect this person is more likely to be another family member.

Females

  • 30-40  Apparently, Mary, age 40.

Free Colored People 

  • 2 Males Under 10
  • 1 Male 10 -24
  • 2 Females under 10
  • 1 Female 36-55

Peter Howell – 1 – – – 1 || 1 1 – – 1  ||- 1

Males

  • 1 5 to 10         Apparently, Phillip, age 7
  • 1 30 to 40       Apparently, Peter, age 35

Females

  • 1 under 5        Apparently, Elizabeth, age 5
  • 1 5 to 10         Apparently, Lousianna, age 10
  • 1 20-30           Apparently, Caroline, age 28

Free Colored People

  • 1 10 to 24.

Important Notes

–       Do not confuse this Henry Howell with Henry Howell, born about 1807 in Halifax County and died 13 Oct 1856. He served in the 4th Colored Infantry.

  • Several researchers suggest Henry Howell married Susan Tyler on 2 Apr 1829 in Goochland County, Virginia. Because I believe my Henry Howell lived in Buckingham County and had a wife named Judith, I think this is probably a different Henry Howell.

Conclusion

It has been a lovely couple of days of work, and I’ve learned much about Henry, Gideon, and Peter Howell. Hopefully, this will help me determine who Peter’s parents are.

Also, I am delighted to see that both Peter and Gideon had Free Colored People in their households in 1840 and not enslaved people.

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Kentucky – Confederate Pension Applications

Posted on January 7, 2026 by Don Taylor

Genealogy Resource Spotlight

Originally posted June 11, 2012

By Don Taylor

While researching a Kentucky ancestor, I came across an exceptionally valuable and often underused genealogical resource maintained by the Kentucky Department of Libraries and Archives: the Confederate Pension Application Packets.

These files offer far more than a simple pension application. In one case, the packet included confirmation of the veteran’s muster dates, documentation showing he had been wounded twice during the Civil War, and a copy of his death certificate. Even more revealing were handwritten follow-up letters regarding the disposition of his final pension payment—addressed to a daughter who used a given name previously unknown to me. That single detail led to a new and productive line of family research.

Kentucky did not enact its Confederate Pension law until 1912. As a result, eligible veterans had to survive nearly 50 years after the end of the Civil War, generally into their late sixties or beyond, and had to have remained residents of Kentucky. This limitation makes the collection smaller than that of some Southern states, but also more focused.

One particularly helpful feature of the database is the ability to search and browse applications by county. This allows researchers to review all pension applications from a specific county at once, providing useful local context and the opportunity to identify neighbors, relatives, or fellow veterans.

Note: The webpage link for this collection was updated on 31 July 2022.

Disclaimer: This article was researched and written by the author. ChatGPT was used as a drafting aid to update it after nearly 14 years, and Grammarly was used for editorial review and copy editing.
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The Order of the First Crusade: A Genealogical and Fraternal Curiosity

Posted on January 4, 2026 by Don Taylor

By Don Taylor

Title Page of "The Order of the First Crusade - Authenticated Descent from one of the Seven Great Leaders of the Pilgrimage to Jerusalem A. D. 1096" printed in 1934.

In 1934, The Order of the First Crusade published a booklet outlining the history, purposes, symbolism, and membership of a little-known American hereditary society founded in 1923 by Howard Kellogg James. Organized in Alameda, California, and incorporated in 1934, the Order was open to men and women who could prove authenticated descent from one of the Seven Great Leaders of the First Crusade, who followed the Cross to Jerusalem in 1096.

The stated purposes of the Order, drawn directly from its Articles of Incorporation, were ambitious and revealing of its era. They included preserving the memory of the First Crusaders, promoting interest in medieval Christian history, encouraging religious faith among younger generations, and reminding descendants of their inherited obligation—noblesse oblige—to live honorably.

For genealogists, the booklet is especially significant. It documents early 20th-century standards of lineage proof, lists hundreds of members with residences across the United States, names state “Registruers,” and reflects how serious researchers of the period linked medieval European lines to colonial American families. James himself describes the painstaking correspondence, charts, and personal expenses involved in building the Order, providing a rare window into grassroots genealogical scholarship of the 1920s and 1930s. The Order of the First Crusade.

Students of fraternal and hereditary societies—such as Masons, Knights of Pythias, Knights Templar, and Druids—will also find the booklet familiar and instructive. Its ritual language, heraldic seal, banner, motto (Deus Vult), officer structure, and emphasis on moral character closely parallel those of those organizations. Like many such societies, the Order blended history, symbolism, fellowship, and lineage into a shared identity rooted in the past.

Although the Order of the First Crusade never became a significant or enduring organization, its 1934 booklet is an interesting artifact. It preserves names, ideas, and genealogical ambitions that help us better understand how earlier generations viewed ancestry, honor, and historical memory—and why lineage societies held such enduring appeal.

If you have an ancestor who appears in this book, share what you know through the comments below.

Disclaimer: This article was researched and written by the author. ChatGPT was used as a research and drafting aid, and Grammarly was used for editorial review and copy editing.
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Donna in Port Huron, MI, at the Majestic Theater, January 2-3, 1926

Posted on January 1, 2026 by Don Taylor

A Two-Day Engagement on Michigan’s Eastern Vaudeville Route

Vaudeville News of 11 December 1925 indicated that,”Donna Darling and Girls have finished their western tour and are going to spend Christmas at Miss Darling’s home in Detroit, Mich.” There is a possibility she played at the Miles Orpheum Theatre in Detroit over the New Year (Dec 28-Jan 1), but I’ve not been able to confirm that venue. In either case, she and “Her Girls” headed the 60 miles north to Port Huron, Michigan, to play at the Majestic Theatre for two days, starting Saturday, January 2nd, 1926.

The Shows

Advertisement for the Majestic Theatre showing Donna Darling and her Girls playing.

At the Majestic that week were two movies and five vaudeville acts.

  • Movies: Ben Turpin in “Raspberry Romance” and The Spats in “Rubberneck.”
  • Vaudeville: Vander & Haighe – Artists De Luxe
    • Vance & Allen – “Mary”
    • Moore and Horton – “The Waiter and The Dumb Waiter”
    • Three Harmony Pals
    • Donna Darling and Her Girls

I haven’t found any reviews or other information about the Vaudeville.

Majestic Theatre

photo of the Majestic Theatre with its marquee.

The Majestic was a legitimate vaudeville and motion-picture house. In the mid-1920s, it featured silent movie shorts and vaudeville acts that were suitable for family audiences. Bookings were handled by the Bijou Amusement Company, which controlled and booked multiple houses. They typically booked short, two or 3-day engagements, so Donna’s 2-day engagement was usual. This type of booking was supplemented by vaudeville. Seating capacity: Lower floor, 549; Balcony, 419; Gallery, 500; Boxes, 24, Theatre on Ground floor[i].

History of the Theater

Opened in 1906, the Majestic Theatre was one of Port Huron’s principal amusement houses during the height of the vaudeville era. For two decades, it presented a steady stream of professional touring acts, later transitioning to motion pictures as live vaudeville declined. By the time “Donna Darling and Her Girls” appeared there in January 1926, the Majestic was a mature, well-established theatre serving both local audiences and cross-border patrons. The theatre closed in 1952 and was demolished several years later.[ii] Today, it the site is a walkway and parking lot.

Site of the Majestic Theatre, Port Huron, Michigan.
Opened in 1906 and demolished in the late 1950s, the Majestic once stood at this location as one of the city’s principal vaudeville and motion-picture houses. Today, the site is occupied by a pedestrian walkway and parking area, with no visible trace of the former theatre.

Specifications for the Majestic Theatre, Port Huron, MI [iii]

The following specifications provide a sense of the Majestic Theatre’s physical scale and technical capabilities, offering insight into the type of productions it could accommodate during the height of the vaudeville era.

  • Proscenium opening: 34×30 ft
  • Front to back wall: 36 ft
  • Between side walls: 75 ft
  • Apron 5 ft
  • Between fly girders: 45 ft
  • To rigging loft: 56 ft
  • To fly gallery: 24 ft
  • 12 Dressing rooms

Endnotes

[i] Book – The Julius Cahn–Gus Hill Theatrical Guide 1913-1914.
[ii] CinemaTreasures.org – Majestic Theatre, 512 Grand River Avenue, Port Huron, MI 48060.
[iii] Book – The Julius Cahn–Gus Hill Theatrical Guide 1913-1914.

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Photos from the Past – New England Scenes & a Scarborough Graduate.

Posted on December 21, 2025 by Don Taylor

SHS Photo Collection – Part 009
By Don Taylor

The Scarborough Historical Society has an extensive collection of photos. Today, I look at a mix of four pictures from that collection. There are three places, and one is a graduate of Scarborough High School.

Maine, Northport, Park Row, circa 1881-1891.

Photo of many similar cottages leading down towards the ocean.

Photographer: Photographic Studio of W. C. Tuttle, (1881) Belfast, Maine.
Inscription: Park Row, Northport
Description: This photograph shows a row of nearly identical wooden cottages arranged along a gently curving dirt road on a wooded shoreline, typical of a late-19th-century summer resort or cottage colony. Beyond the cottages, a sailing vessel is visible offshore.

Research:

  • The 1881 date on the back indicates the photo was taken after that date.
  • About 1891, W. C. Tuttle & Son began operating, suggesting the photo was taken before that date.
  • Google Maps shows that many of the cottages are still there across from Ruggles Park on Park Row in Northport, Maine.

Maine, Mount Desert, Green Mountain Railway, circa 1884.

photo of a railroad track leading downhill towards the ocean.

Photographer: B. Bradley, Bar Harbor, Me.
Inscription: Bar Harbor- Mt. Desert
(?) A Niles Grand Central, Sept 12 84
Description: Labeled Photo: “51. Green Mountain Railway, Mt. Desert, Me.”
Research:

  • B. Bradley was a photographer in Bar Harbor from the 1870s into the 1880s. Circa 1891, his son was added to the business name.
  • The inscription on the back of the photo, “Sept 12, ’84,” indicates the photo was taken before that date.
  • The Maine Memory Network states that construction on the Green Mountain Railway began in February 1883.[i]

Massachusetts, Chelsea – “Old Pratt House” c 1884.

Photo of an old saltbox home.

Photographer: Halliday’s Photographs, of Historic Buildings, 283 Washington St., Boston, Mass.
Inscription: Old Pratt House, Chelsea, Mass, where Washington stayed overnight.
Description: A badly faded photo of a weathered saltbox farmhouse. The structure is two-story with a central chimney, suggesting late 18th– or early 19th-century construction.

Research:

  • Halliday’s Photographs of Historic Buildings operated at 283 Washington Street from 1883 to 1885.
  • There are several other “Pratt Houses.”
    • The Ireland-Way-Pratt House has similar window and fireplace placements.
    However, it has a very different roofline, with a 3rd-story dormer. The Caleb Pratt House is very different, with different fireplace placements and a different roof.
    • Local Chelsea tradition holds that George Washington stayed at the Old Pratt House in Chelsea. The original Pratt mansion was demolished in 1855.

So, this (circa) 1884 photo must either be a photo of a photo or a photo of one of the several other “Old Pratt Houses” in Chelsea.

Judith Roy, SHS Class of 1961.

Graduation photo of a young woman.

Photographer: Wendell White Studio
Inscription: Judy alias Tiger
Description: Apparent High School Graduation Photo.
Research:

  • The 1961 Scarborough High School yearbook shows the same photo of Judy.
  • Judith passed August 23, 2022.[ii]

I added this photo to SHS Photos – 2025 on Ancestry.com.

Endnotes

[i] Maine Memory Network – Mount Desert Island: Shaped by Nature. Image 7 “Green Mountain Rail Road track, Bar Harbor, ca. 1890 (item 21722) description.

[ii] Hobbs Funeral Home Obituary Judith Roy.

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