1892 "Comrades" play - Photo research

All, I posted this in 2013 back in the old place. Bakersgma and other members were helping me with it. I think we have at least one of the people firmly identified.

I found the old thread and in one of the replies to this I will post a transcript of the messages that were the most relevant for identifying the photo. (Warning: it will be long.) If you are up for a research project, I'd appreciate any help.

What I especially want to do now is to try to identify whether this was done at a university or college, or not. I'd also like to identify other people besides the ones that we already ID'd. The back of the photo says

Comrades
May 20, 1892
(followed by a list of characters in the play and the names of the people who played them)



The Back:

 

Here is a transcript of the conversation back in April 2013. One of the members who was helping does not appear to be a member of Antiquers (unless they used a different name). So I am not including that person's ID.

Comrades 1892 photo

Figtree3:
1) Today in the mail I received a photo I purchased through eBay. My sole reason for buying it was that I was intrigued when the seller said that all of the people in this theatrical group were identified on the back.

The play was "Comrades" and I found this one was written by George Melville Baker (there were a couple of other plays called Comrades at that time.

I've been able to decipher the handwriting on the third line -- it names the location as San Miguel, California (a small town in San Luis Obispo County). The card lists all of the people on the back, with the character's name and who played it.

Under the list of names in different handwriting it says "Great Grandma E. C. Lathorp [sic]" -- I've also figured out that the Edna Cole listed among the players later married Walter H. Lathrop... so she is the Great Grandma mentioned.

Does anybody think it would be a good idea to look for descendants? Or maybe it wouldn't be worth it?

Figtree3:
2) I believe that Edna Cole is the woman sitting on the floor. I found that she lived from 1873-1948.

[Another member who doesn’t appear to be a member of Antiquers posted]:
This may be her daughter.

http://ivylawn.org/records/178463

Do you have an Ancestry membership?
A bit more on her daughter. Haven't checked it out yet.

http://books.google.com/books?id=Bw...a=X&ei=YXJ8Ud7rOOqU0QGC2oDwCw&ved=0CDEQ6AEwAA

Figtree3:
Thanks! Why do you think it's her daughter?

Ancestry is where I found the following info:

Edna Cole
• Born 6 Feb. 1873 in Illinois (California Death Index online, Ancestry)

• Died 30 Dec. 1948 in Ventura, California (California Death Index online, Ancestry)

• Married Walter H. Lathrop, 17 March 1897 in San Miguel, San Luis Obispo, California (Marriage Index 1850-1930, San Luis Obispo Co., California)

• Buried in Paso Robles District Cemetery, San Luis Obispo County, California (Find a Grave)

Walter Lathrop b. 6 Sept. 1874, d. 17 May 1958


[Reply from the other member]:
I don't have a membership but...when searching her name, Ancestry showed she and hubby Lathrop had 1 daughter. Maude c Lathrop Higbee.

If you check my second link, you'll see. (also she's in Ventura 1930 census)


Bakersgma:
Maud Higbee and her 2 sons were in the 1940 census living with Edna and Walter Lathrop. Maud was their only child. Her son Walter Higbee died in 1976 and his brother Richard died in 2001.

I couldn't find a marriage record for Walter, but did find one for Richard in 1963, when he was in his late 30's.

Obviously at least one of them had at least one child to have the great-grandmother reference, but the trail I was following ended without further information.

Figtree3:
In the list on the back of the photo the characters in the play are named on the left, and the actors' names on the right.

The names on the right are mostly legible. The appear to be

R. A. Rogers
Maud F. (or T.) Cole
Prof. Steele
Edith Bayer
Chas. Mc.L.Cloud (not sure if this is supposed to be McLoud or McCloud?)
Edna Cole
Harry E. Jones

Bakersgma:
So - you think maybe "Maud Cole" was Edna's sister? Maybe there's hope there.


Figtree3:

Probably! That thought crossed my mind earlier, before knowing that she also named her daughter Maude. So that might be worth investigating... another day, though.

Bakersgma:
That was Edna's sister, for sure. Unfortunately she married late and never had any children.

Figtree3:
Just occurred to me that this might have been a college theatrical production -- since one of the participants is listed as "Prof Steele" -- I'll look into that angle.

 

Sounds like fun!

 

A start...
The only college in the county in those days seems to have been the University of Laverne, established in 1891...
They have an active theatre group that is currently showing plays and such.
http://voice.laverne.edu/2015/11/dailey-theatre-presents-copenhagen/

From their site:
The University of La Verne (ULV) was founded in 1891 as Lordsburg College by members of the Church of the Brethren who moved west. Both the college and the agricultural community were renamed La Verne in 1917. In the 1920s and 1930s, three quarters of the student body was in teacher education. During the next three decades, campus facilities multiplied fourfold, the Board of Trustees became independent of church control, and the student body increased while the college maintained its commitment to service and to sound, values-oriented education. In 1955, the Western College Association (now WASC) accredited La Verne. A decade later, the college awarded its first master’s degree, and in 1979, it conferred its first doctorate.

 

I don't know, Gila. La Verne is in Los Angeles County and the Cole family was living in San Miguel, San Luis Obispo County as early as 1888 when Edna's father Edward registered as a voter. Admittedly there were no higher education facilities in SLO County before 1900, although they did have high school level education. But San Miguel is so far north in the county that it's almost in Monterey County.

I tried to find Edna in the "schools" section of Ancestry - yearbooks, school directories, etc. to no avail.

 

Plus - If you look at the writing on the reverse of the picture, the place "San Miguel Calif" appears just below the play title and date, so I seriously doubt it was any where else.

 

La Verne's site says it's in San Luis! Maybe I have it confused with a branch or something. Yep, it's just a branch! Poo!

http://laverne.edu/locations/san-luis-obispo/

 

Ah, that explains it.

 

Hm, I wonder whether it could have been a community play or something? I just wonder about the Professor, though.

And thanks for the thoughts and the help so far!

 

I don't think THIS will help much, but perhaps it refers to your Prof. Steele. If the links show up at the bottom of the page, the second one refers to Professor Steele's orchestra and the first one refers to his double cornet performance. I have no idea whether these theatrical/orchestral events were anywhere near San Miguel.

 

<a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=fhc1AQAAMAAJ&dq=History "san luis obispo county"&pg=PA154&ci=146,511,728,572&source=bookclip"><img src="https://books.google.com/books?id=fhc1AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA154&img=1&zoom=3&hl=en&sig=ACfU3U11XvuwwFP7QltMlTQnVRUAcxfuOg&ci=146,511,728,572&edge=0"/></a>

Hm, the above was my attempt to embed a link from Google Books. The link will land where I wanted but I thought it would be an image?

 

Thanks! Unfortunately both locations were over 200 miles away from San Miguel. Still, it might be a clue to follow up with.

 

I think since the college theatrical theory is not likely to be correct, next I'd like to do more research on the people in the photo.

 

The "Mrs. E. Cole, pioneer business woman" in that book is Edna's mother Elizabeth! She lists her occupation as "dealer in general merchandise" in the 1900 Census.

 

Great! I was wondering... thanks for the information!

 

The fifth name looks to me like Chas. McL. Cloud and in an 1894 voter registration record I found a 21-year-old Charles McL. Cloud who was 5'10" tall, worked as a baggageman, and lived in Redwood City.

Two years later a 23-year-old Charles McLaughlin Cloud (5'10" tall) worked as a farmer and lived in Santa Clara County (in a place called Solis?).

 

Thank you, Morgen - good information. I never would have figured out that name.

 

...and in an 1888 voter registration record a 21-year-old Harry E. Jones worked as a "R.R. man" and lived in San Fernando.

So, if these are our actors, two of them were the same age and worked for the railroad--or I assume a "Baggageman" worked for the railroad.

I will see if I can find an R.A. Rogers in the area.

 

Thank you, Morgen.... I don't have much time right now but will look into this later today. Anything you can find would be appreciated.

 

Seriously, Morgen, what CAN'T you find out? Like, for example, Antonio Banderas' personal phone number...