Donna & Her Cloak – Part 1
Tex Grand – El Paso – 25 Sep 1926
Treasure Chest Thursday
By Don Taylor
For this week’s Treasure Chest Tuesday, I’m begin looking at several clippings and a photo from the Donna Darling Collection highlighting her cloak. Donna is known to have loved clothes, and she had several cloaks, which were stunning. Newspaper clippings help add new venues and further information about her career.
This clipping shows Donna with her beautiful cloak. Luckily she annotated the clipping with “Tex Grand – El Paso Tex. Sep 25-26.” Sure enough, the El Paso Herald reported in the 25 September 1926 paper that Donna Darling and Sammy Clark were appearing at the Texas Grand.
11 Years on State, She Advises Golf and Vegetables for Beauty
Golf and a vegetable diet are the recipes Donna Darling, hotel Paso del Norte, gives to retain youth and beauty.
Eighteen holes of golf sandwiched between vaudeville performances, she says, keeps her trim and strong. She prefers vegetables and fruits when she travels. She thinks a heavy diet and different drinking water would be bad for her health.
Miss Darling went on the stage at 14. She played on the legitimate state, for the screen and in vaudeville for 11 years. A prize winner in beauty contests at Boston and Madison Square Garden, she soon got movie contracts. She is the sister of Grace Darling, Vitagraph[i] star. She played prima donna in Chin Chin when the musical comedy came to El Paso in 1923.
Analysis
This article is an excellent example that you “can’t believe everything you read in the papers.” Some of it is true, and some is a twist of facts. My thoughts:
Different drinking different water would be bad for her health — Likely. It only takes one episode of “Montezuma’s revenge” to change your outlook on drinking the local water during the 1920s. I can easily believe Donna preferred wine, beer, or anything else alcoholic over local water. Of course, drinking beverages that were safe during Prohibition was likely difficult.
On Stage at 14 – Likely. In 1910, 17-year-old Madonna Holdsworth (a stepfather’s surname) was living Detroit and worked as a saleswoman at a dry goods store. If she had been on stage at that time, it would have most likely been local theater.
In vaudeville for 11 years–Partially true. 1926 minus 11 years is 1915. She won beauty contests in 1915 and 1916 after she was in “Birth of a Nation,” which was released on 8 February 1915. She likely did some uncredited vaudeville work about that time.
Sister of Grace Darling—I had always thought this was not true; there is no way she could be related to Grace Darling, the famous English lighthouse keeper’s daughter. However, it appears that another Grace Darling was her sister-in-law. In 1915, Madonna married Thomas Valentine Rooney. Grace Darling (born Grace Foster) married Pat Rooney in 1908 but divorced him sometime before 1915. She apparently got back with Pat Rooney and was with him when he died in 1933. Donna (Madonna) and Thomas appear to have drifted apart in 1921. Indeed, this is new information to me and warrants further investigation.
She played prima donna in Chin Chin when the musical comedy came to El Paso in 1923. “Chin Chin” did not have a leading lady. Donna was a part of the “Chin Chin” cast from October 1919 to the show’s closing in June 1920, where she played the “Lady of the Lamp.” The show went to El Paso before she joined the show. By 1923, she had her own shows, Donna Darling & Co. and the Donna Darling Revue.
Conclusion
Learning about Grace Foster and Pat Rooney being married and that Grace Foster took on the stage name of Grace Darling makes me wonder if Donna and Grace both took the Darling stage name at the same time. I need to look at how the lives of the two “Darlings” and the two Rooney’s intertwined.
Donna’s note also extends my date for Donna in El Paso from one day to two days.
Actions
I have long had a desire to do a side investigation into the life of Thomas Valentine Rooney. The Grace Foster stage name and her marriage to Pat Rooney make this investigation much higher on my to-do list.
Sources
[i] The Vitagraph Studios (Vitagraph Company of America) was a film company bought out by Warner Brothers in 1925. Grace Darling was the stage name for Grace Foster. – Wikipedia.
Howell Research
Howell-Pankey-Binford Line
By Don Taylor
Continuing my research of Samuel Pankey (1739-1807) has led to my learning more about his wife, 4th great-grandmother Betsy Kinsey Binford. I learned of three additional Ancestors. They are the parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents of Betsy. The new ancestors include:
5th Great-grandfather: Thomas Binford & his wife, Elizabeth.
6th Great-grandfather: James Binford (wife unknown).
7th Great-grandfather: Anthony Binford (wife unknown).
I also learned that Betsy Kinsey Binford had at least six siblings. To wit:
John Binford Married Susanne Ellyson.
James Binford Married Margaret Mosby.
Thomas Binford Married Judith Ladd
Sarah Binford Married Amos Ladd
William Binford Married Mary Peebles
Priscilla Binford Married Benjamin Watkins
Betsy’s family was from Henrico County, Virginia Colony, near the Chickahominy Swamp. The swamp is formed by the Chickahominy River, an 87-mile-long river. It rises about 15 miles northeast of Richmond and flows to the James River.[i]
I also learned of several more property transfers for Samuel Pankey and his father, Stephen Pankey. Additionally, I learned that Samuel Pankey received the authority to build a grist mill.
New lines of research.
I learned of several original documents I should search for, mostly at Powhatan County. Finally, I learned of three other books I should look at for further research of the Binford line.
Early Settlers of Alabama, by James Edmonds Saunders (available at NEHGS and Amazon)
Binford Family Genealogy by Mary Ladd Binford Bruner (Available at Internet Archive)
Supplement to the Binford Family Genealogy, by Mary L. Bruner (Available at Internet Archive)
Conclusion
Finding the names of four more ancestors and the names of a dozen 5th Great aunts and uncles is a good day. As is usually the case, after spending a day or two researching, I find clues to many more days of research.
Sources
George Edward Pankey, John Pankey of Manakin Town, Virginia, and His Descendants: Descendants and Connections of His Son Stephen Pankey, Sr., of Lucy’s Springs, Chesterfield County, Virginia (Lousiana: Ruston, 1969), Page 50 – Samuel Pankey (Continued). Personal Library.
This week, for Photo Friday, I identify the people in five more envelopes from the Ethel Wight Studio Collection[i]. The envelopes contain the names who paid for the photos, not necessarily of the individual portrayed in the image. It is vital to analyze the pictures and information to identify the individual therein.[ii] Ultimately, my goal is to reunite the photos with family members who may have never seen the image.
Mary Virginia Hay, circa 1937.
This negative envelope says, “Miss Mary Hay, 28 Adams St #1061.”
Why I believe this to be the individual.
Miss Mary Hay,
The 1934 and 1936 Portland City Directories list Mrs. Mary V Hay as living at 28 Adams. There are four other Mary Hay’s listed, Mary, Mary C, Mary K, and Mary P.
The 1930 US Census lists Mary Hay L Hay, the head of the house living at 28 Adams Street, and her 14-year-old daughter, Mary Hay, also residing at the same address.
This young woman in this photo is Mary V Hay, daughter of Mary L Hay, about 1937 when she was about 21 years old.
Family Search identifies Mary Virginia Hay, daughter of William Bernard and Mary Virginia (Houston) Hay, as ID GHGS-1T5. There are Eight trees at Ancestry that refer to Mary Virginia Hay, the daughter of Mary L Hay
This negative envelope says, “Miss Violet Hatch, Me Gen. Hospital #239.”
Why I believe this to be the individual.
Violet L. Hatch, circa 1936
The 1936 Portland City Directory lists Violet Hatch as a student nurse at 22 Arsenal (Maine General Hospital).
The 1937 Portland City Directory does not list Violet Hatch.
The 1938 Portland City Directory lists Violet Hatch as a nurse working and residing at 5 Walker.
The 1940 US Census lists 28-year-old Violet Hatch, born in Canada, as a registered nurse at Deaconess Hospital in Boston. In 1935 she lived in Eustis, Maine.
The 1930 US Census lists 18-year-old Violet Hatch living in Eustis, Franklin County, Maine, with her parents, Herman A and Hannah Q Hatch, and seven siblings.
This is a photo of Violet about 1936, probably when she graduated from nursing school
Family Search identifies Violet L Hatch, daughter of Herman Alexander and Hanna Isabella (Gray) Hatch, as ID GQKV-NMH. Violet Hatchis also found in eight Ancestry trees.
This negative envelope says, “Mrs. Bessie Hatt, 277 Woodfords St. #118.”
Why I believe this to be the individual.
Bessie I Hatt (Née Webber), Circa 1934
The 1930 US Census lists 35-year-old Bessie I Hatt as a servant in the Charles Winton household at 277 Woodfords Street. Bessie was married and born in Maine. Her father was born in Pennsylvania, and her mother in Maryland.
The 1935 Portland City Directory lists Mrs. Bessie I Hatt as a maid working and living at 275 Woodford.
A Miss Bessie Wilcox (aka Bessie Webber), born about 1893 in London, Maine, married Garfield Hatt on 7 or 18 Nov 1920. Bessie Wilcox’s father was Mark Webber, and her mother was Addie Webber.
This appears to be a photo of Bessie Irene Webber, born April 1892 in Lubec, Maine, to Mark L and Advilla (Moore) Webber, about 1934, when she was about 42 years old.
Do not confuse with: Bessie Hatt, née Crowley
The 1930 Census lists a Bessie Hatt, the 42-year-old wife of Clarence Hatt, living in Machias, Washington County, Maine. Bessie M Crowley married Clarence M. Hatt on 26 December 1916 in East Machias.
Do not confuse with: Bessie Hatt, Née Cox
Also, in the 1930 Census, there was a 38-year-old Bessie M. Hatt, who married Joseph A Hatt and lived in Wesley, Washington County, Maine. Bessie M. Cox, born about 1891, married Joseph A. Hatt on 18 July 1914.
Family Search identifies Bessie I Webber, daughter of Mark Leslie and Addie Viller Moores) Webber as ID LKM7-XX9. Bessie Irene Webber is found in 34 Ancestry trees.
This negative envelope says, “Mrs. Harold J Henkel, 12 Clifton St #832.”
Why I believe this to be the individual.
Jannette Henkel, circa 1936.
The 1936 Portland City Directory lists Harold J Henkel living at 12 Clifton with his spouse Mabelle B Henkel.
The 1940 Census lists Harold and Mabelle Henkel living at 55 Alba with their five-year-old daughter, Jannette.
This photo is very likely of Jannette about 1936.
Family Search does not appear to have a profile for Jannette Henkel; however, her father is identified as Person L4RW-QB2. I didn’t find Jannette in any Ancestry Family trees either; however, her father, Harold Jones Henkel, is found in 16 public Ancestry trees.
I have uploaded one photo of Jannette to Dead Fred.
Lester Davies Hayes, Jr., Circa 1936
This negative envelope says, “Mrs. Lester Hayes, 36 Pine St. #885.”
Why I believe this to be the individual.
Lester Davies Hayes, Jr., Circa 1936
The 1935 Portland City Directory lists Lester D Hayes and his wife Audrey living at 36 Pine.
The 1940 US Census lists Lester D Hayes and his wife Audrey living in Lakewood, Cuyahoga County, Ohio. Their two sons, Davies (age 8) and Douglas (age six mos.), live with them. The Hayes lived in Lewiston in 1935, and Davies was born in Maine. Lester was 36, and Audrey was 30 years old.
Lester Davies Hayes and Audrey Geraldine Waterman married on 14 August 1931 in Maine. Lester and Audrey both lived in Auburn, ME.
The US Military Registers indicate that Lester Davies Hayes Jr. was born on 30 March 1932.
Based upon the Ethel Wight Studio number (#885), this photo was likely taken about 1935 when Lester Davies Hayes was about four years old.
Family Search appears to identify Lester Davies Hayes, Jr. as ID LYFG-WXM. Ancestry does not seem to have a profile for Lester Davies Hayes, Jr.; however, his father, Lester Owen Davies (adopted Hayes), appears in 22 trees.
This week I was able to identify all five people. Four of them had Family Search profiles, so I uploaded their photos there.
One person did not have a Family Search profile, so I posted that photo to Dead Fred.
For all of the Ethel Wight Collection analysis, please see here.
Final Note
If any of these photos are of your family member, I would love to hear your reaction. Especially if this photo is of a loved one for whom you hadn’t seen this photograph before.
Endnotes
[i] The Wight Studio was in Portland, Maine. Many thanks to Ethel Wight’s family for access to and permission to use the collection of their great aunt.
[ii] These images were converted to positives using a lightbox, a Nikon camera and computer software.
Halcro-Varone Project
Varone-Hennessey Line
By Don Taylor
Beatrice Hennessey is one of the most confounding ancestors I’ve researched. Besides changing her first name from Bridget to Beatrice, she appears to vanish after the 1940 Census. (More about that later.) All-in-all, I’ve probably spent more time researching Beatrice than any other ancestor I’ve researched, diving into rabbit hole after rabbit hole. At some point, it becomes time to move on. I’ll return to Beatrice sometime in the future, but this is what I’ve found for now.
Halcro-Varone – Ancestor #07
List of Grandparents
Grandmother: Beatrice Hennessey
1st Great-grandfather: John James Hennessey
Beatrice Mary Hennessey (1893-___)
Birth
Born Bridget Mary Hennessey on 4 August 1893[i] in Providence, Rhode Island, she was the first of 12 children of John James and Margaret (Pendergast) Hennessy.
Children of John James Hennessey and Margaret Pendergast
* All children were born in Providence, Rhode Island
1900 Census
Bridget was six years old, living with her parents and younger brother, Joseph. Her mother, Margaret, has had four children, two of whom were living. Two of Bridget’s siblings (Mary Ellen and Richard William) were born and died between 1890 and 1900.[iii] Also living with them was Margaret’s sister, Mary Daly.
1910 Census
Sometime between 1900 and 1910, Bridget changed her first name to Beatrice. The 1910 Census reported sixteen-year-old Beatrice living with her parents and six siblings. She was working as a saleswoman at a dry-good store. Beatrice’s mother had lost two more babies between 1900 and 1910.
1911 – Two Tragedies
In July 1911, a heatwave gripped the country. On 5 July, the temperature in Providence reached the mid-90s. On 6 July, many shops, factories, and stores closed to let people stay cool in the 97-degree heat. To keep cool, Beatrice’s brother, nine-year-old John, went swimming with his older friend and neighbor Vincent White (age 11) at the John R. White and Son coal pocket in the Seekonk River. Vincent survived, but John drowned. His body was recovered later that day.
On 1 November 1911, Beatrice’s brother, seven-year-old Thomas, died of myotonia congenita, a hereditary muscle disorder. So, by 1911, six of Beatrice’s eleven siblings had died.
Marriage
Beatrice married James Vincenzo Varone on 23 October 1916 in Providence. She was 22, and James was 27 years old.
Children of James Vincenzo and Beatrice Mary (Hennessey) Varone
I have been unsuccessful in finding Beatrice and James in the 1920 Census.
1925 Rhode Island Census
Beatrice lives with her husband, James, at the rear of 1233 Westminster Street, Providence, with their four oldest children, Albert, Anthony, Florence, and Beatrice (Mildred and James were born later.) Today, 1233 Westminster is the home of PPW – Paper & Provisions Warehouse, a restaurant supply superstore.
1930 Census
I have been unsuccessful in finding Beatrice in the 1930 Census[v]. James, however, is rooming at 327 Washington with many other roomers. Beatrice appears in the various city directories living with James in 1930, 1931, and 1932. However, it does not appear they were living together.
1940 Census
Beatrice appears as an inmate at the House of the Good Shepherd. The majority of the girls who entered the House were put there by their families as “a refuge and home for educating and reforming children (girls) exposed to dangerous influences regarding morality.”[vi] The preferred minimum confinement was one year to 18 months. The vast majority of the inmates at the House were teenagers. While at the House, inmates toiled without pay for 60 hours a week in silence, except for their morning prayer. They were only educated in laundry, sewing, and embroidery.[vii] Beatrice was, by far, the oldest of the inmates listed at the House during the 1940 Census. The House was at 189 Eaton Street.
Beatrice’s daughter, Florence, was a 21-year-old nursing student at St. Joseph’s Hospital. Beatrice’s other children live with their father and stepmother at 448 Pleasant Valley Parkway.
I have been unsuccessful in finding Beatrice in any records after 1940. However, it appears that after her release from the House of the Good Shepherd, she returned to using her maiden name of Hennessey.
In 1955, she was mentioned as surviving her sister’s (Margaret) and her father’s (John James Hennessey) deaths. She was also mentioned in a 1957 obituary as surviving her brother’s (Joseph) death.
Death/Burial, etc.
Unknown (See Further Actions)
Events by Location
Rhode Island, Providence County, Providence – All known events in Beatrice’s life (Birth—1894 to 1940) occurred in Providence.
Further Actions / Follow-up
Do a Census study of the neighbors living at and near 1233 Westminster in the 1920 and 1930 censuses to determine if Beatrice her kids were missed or erroneously entered.
Get a copy of the actual birth record for Bridget/Beatrice Mary Hennessey.
Attempt to acquire records of Beatrice’s time at the Providence House of the Good Shepherd.
Find/search for death records, and possible mention, in the obituaries for her sister, Anna Mary Hennessey Buckley, and her brothers, James and William Hennessey.
Do a deep search for Beatrice’s death record.
Sources
1900 Census, Various, 1900 – John Hennesey – Providence, Rhode Island – ED-41, Sheet 7B, Line 76. “United States Census, 1900,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M97R-JSB : accessed 12 November 2021), John Hennesey, District 1 Providence city Ward 5, Providence, Rhode Island, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 41, sheet 7B, family 146, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,241,507. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M97R-JSB.
1910 Census, Various, John Hennessy – Providence Ward 4, Providence, Rhode Island, ED 183, Sheet 3A. “United States Census, 1910,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MP6L-L4X : accessed 10 November 2021), John Hennessy, Providence Ward 4, Providence, Rhode Island, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 183, sheet 3A, family 48, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 1442; FHL microfilm 1,375,455.
1955-01-23, Page 58 – Obit – Margaret V Hennessy. Providence_Journal_1955-01-23_58 – Margaret V Hennessey., Providence Journal, Providence, Rhode Island (GenealogyBank.Com).
1955-02-28, Page 15 – Obit – John J Hennessy. Providence_Journal_1955-02-28_15 – John J Hennessey.pdf., Providence Journal, Providence, Rhode Island (GenealogyBank.Com).
1957-11-28, Page 70 – Obit – Joseph P Hennessy. Providence_Journal_1957-11-28_70 – Joseph P Hennessey.png., Providence Journal, Providence, Rhode Island (GenealogyBank.Com).
Rhode Island, State Births Index, 1819, 1852-1900, Family Search, Bridget Mary Hennessey – Birth 4 August 1894. “Rhode Island, State Births Index, 1819, 1852-1900”, database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F8M9-Q4M : 4 November 2020), Bridget Mary Hennessey, 1894.
Rhode Island, U.S., Marriage Index, 1851-1920, Ancestry.com, Vincenzo Varone – Beatrice M Hennessey – 23 October 1916. (No Image). Ancestry.com. Rhode Island, U.S., Rhode Island, U.S., Marriage Index, 1851-1920. Marriage Index, 1851-1920 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2000. https://search.ancestry.com/collections/4263/records/211974/.
S. City Directories, 1822-1995, Ancestry.com, Providence, Rhode Island, City Directory, 1928, Page 1332 – Varone. Providence [1928] Directory.
S. City Directories, 1822-1995, Ancestry.com, Providence, Rhode Island, City Directory, 1930, Page 1335 – Varone. For the Year Ending April 1931
S. City Directories, 1822-1995, Ancestry.com, Providence, Rhode Island, City Directory, 1931, Page 1269 – Varone. For the year ending April 1932.
S. City Directories, 1822-1995, Ancestry.com, Providence, Rhode Island, City Directory, 1932, Page 1276 & 1277 – Varone.
S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007, Ancestry.com, Florence Josephine Depasquale – Death Apr 1992 (No Image). Ancestry.com. U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 [database online]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015. Original data: Social Security Applications and Claims, 1936-2007.
[i] The Rhode Island State Birth Index indicates Bridget was born on 4 August 1894, all other records indicate she was born in 1893. I believe the index is incorrect.
Source
Entry
Birth Year Suggested
1894 RI State Birth Index
4 Aug 1894
1894
1900 US Census
Aug 1893 – Age 6
1893
1910 US Census
Age 6
1893
1925 Rhode Island Census
Age 31
1893
[ii] The 1910 Census indicates that Margaret had 11 children, seven of whom were living. One child whose initials were S. B., was stillborn on 23 January 1908. A second child, whose name is unknown was born between 1900 and 1910. The other two children died before 1900 (Endnote iii).
[iii] The 1900 Census indicates that Margaret had four children, two of whom were living. Mary Ellen was born in 1897 and died in 1898. Richard William was born in 1898 and died in 1899.
[iv] Albert was born 6 July 1916, three and one-half months before James and Beatrice were married.
[v] My suspicion is that because Beatrice and James lived in the rear of 1233 Westminster in 1925, they were missed during the 1920 and 1930 Censuses by the census taker. I plan to do a neighbors census study to confirm this suspicion.
This week, for Photo Friday, I identify the people in five more envelopes from the Ethel Wight Studio Collection[i]. The envelopes contain the names who paid for the photos, not necessarily of the individual portrayed in the image. As such, it is vital to analyze the pictures and information to identify the individual therein.[ii] Ultimately, my goal is to reunite the photos with family members who may have never seen the image.
Katherine A. Hatch, circa 1935.
The envelope this negative was in says, “Miss Katherine Hatch, 28 Ocean Ave #647.”
Why I believe this to be the individual.
Katherine A. Hatch, circa 1935.
The 1933 Portland City Directory lists Katherine A Hatch as a music teacher (cello) at 28 Ocean Ave. so does the 1935 City Directory.
The 1936 Portland City Directory indicates Catherine A Hatch married Clinton W Graffam, Jr.
Social Security Applications and Claims index lists Katherine Hatch Graffam was born on 25 December 1912. Her parents were Arthur F. Hatch and Ruby G Allen.
This photo is of Katherine Hatch about 1935.
Family Search identifies Katherine A Hatch, born 25 December 1912, as ID G4H7-V2G. Katherine Allen Hatch is found in 17 Ancestry trees
This negative envelope says, “Mr. Pierre Harrower, 139 Neal St #86.”
Why I believe this to be the individual.
Pierre Etherington Harrower, circa 1934.
The 1934 and 1935 Portland City Directory lists Pierre Harrower as a radio singer residing at 74 Deering.
Pierre does not appear in the 1936 Portland City Directory; however, the 1937 City Directory lists Pierre E Harrower, a music teacher living with his wife, E. Hope Harrower at 339 Danforth, apartment 8.
The World War II Draft Registration Cards list Pierre Etherington Harrower, born 26 December 1889 in West Brighton, Staten Island, NY. His next of kin was Emma Hope Harrower, also living at 48-9 Ave. Pierre wears glasses.
I am confident this is a photo of Pierre Harrower, circa 1934. Additionally, an image of Pierre Etherington Harrower in Ancestry family trees shows the same individual in a 1915 newspaper clipping.
Family Search does not appear to have a profile for Pierre Etherington Harrower; however, he is found in9 Ancestry trees.
Besides this photo, I have added another photo of Pierre to Dead Fred and a third photo to my Flickr photostream.
George Atwood Haskell and Richard Wilson Haskell, circa 1936.
This negative envelope says, “Mrs. Frank W. Haskell, 14 Williams St, #813.”
Why I believe this to be the individual.
George Atwood Haskell and Richard Wilson Haskell, circa 1936
World War I Draft Registration Cards indicate Frank Wilson Haskell, born 5 October 1882, living at 14 William. His father is George Pinkham Haskell residing at the same address.
The 1940 US Census lists Frank W Haskell, age 57, living at 14 Williams Street with his wife Maude H Haskell and two sons George A and Richard W Haskell. George is 16, and Richard is 11.
Ancestry Family Trees indicate George Atwood Haskell was born 4 January 1924
Ancestry Family Trees indicate Richard Wilson Haskell was born on 18 February 1929.
The photo ID Number 813 suggests it was taken about 1936 when George was about 12 and Richard was about 7.
Family Search identifies George A. Haskell, born 1924 in Maine as ID 9WGX-F73. Fourteen trees at Ancestry.Com refer to George Atwood Haskell; fourteen trees at Ancestry refer to Richard Wilson Haskell.
I have uploaded two photos of George and Richard to their Family Search Memories. I also uploaded one additional photo of them to my Flickr photostream.
Mortier D Harris, Jr., circa 1936.
This negative envelope says, “Mrs. M. D. Harris, 35 Clifton, #818.”
Why I believe this to be the individual.
Mortier D Harris, Jr., circa 1936.
The 1936 Portland City Directory lists Mortier D (& Edna B) Harris living at 33 Clifton.
The 1940 US Census lists Mortier D and his wife Edna B., Harris living at 169 Harriet. Living with them is their seven-year-old son, Mortier D. Jr., and Mortier Sr., father-in-law, Bert Davis.
Based on the Photo ID (#818), the photo was taken about 1936, when Mortier junior was about 3 or 4.
Family Search identifies Mortier D Harris, son of Mortier Doroc and Edna B (Davis) Harris, as ID LVZC-LL9. Mortier Harris, Junior, does not appear to be in any Ancestry trees. However, his father, Mortier Dorace Harris, Senior, is found in 46 Ancestry trees.
Richard, Shirley, and Patricia Harris, circa 1935.
This negative envelope says, “Mrs. Stuart Harris, 62 Fessenden St, #388.”
Why I believe this to be the individual.
Richard, Shirley, and Patricia Harris, circa 1935.
The 1935 Portland City Directory lists Stuart F (& Helen S) Harris living at 62 Fessenden.
The 1940 US Census lists Stewart Harris, and his wife Helen, living at 752 Ocean Avenue. With then are four children, Richard (age 12), Shirley (age 10), and Patricia (age 6).
The photo ID number of 388 suggests this photo was taken about 1935 when Richard was 7, Shirley was 5, and Patricia about 1.
Family Search does not appear to have a profile for Stuart Franklin Harris or his children. However, Richard Stuart Harris, born 24 March 1928 in Portland, Cumberland County, Maine appears in one Ancestry tree; Shirley Elaine Harris, born 27 March 1930, appears in three Ancestry trees. Patricia does not appear to be in any Ancestry trees; however, her father, Stuart Franklin Harris, appears in 22 Ancestry trees.
I have uploaded a photo of the three children to Dead Fred.
This photo identification was confirmed by a daughter of one of the children.
Conclusion
I identified four individuals with Family Search profiles, so I posted their photos to Family Search
I also identified four individuals that do not have Family Search profiles, so I posted those photos to Dead Fred.
I had “extra” photos of two individuals and posted those photos to my Flickr photostream.
For all of the Ethel Wight Collection analysis, please see here.
Final Note
If any of these photos are of your family member, I would love to hear your reaction. Especially if this photo is of a loved one for whom you hadn’t seen this photograph before.
Endnotes
[i] The Wight Studio was in Portland, Maine. Many thanks to Ethel Wight’s family for access to and permission to use the collection of their great aunt.
[ii] These images were converted to positives using a lightbox, a Nikon camera and computer software.
For this week’s Treasure Chest Tuesday, I’m begin looking at several clippings and a photo from the Donna Darling Collection highlighting her cloak. Donna is known to have loved clothes, and she had several cloaks, which were stunning. Newspaper clippings help add new venues and further information about her career.
