There’s Nothing More Valuable Than Vintage Newspaper Knowledge

Here we are at the end of Spring and headed into Summer with barreling speed. Because of that, in lieu of a cup of hot tea, feel free to grab some iced tea or lemonade. Or whatever keeps you cooled off in the warmer months. Be refreshed and enjoy these peeks into history.

Clara Bow Movie Advertisement, Columbus Evening Dispatch (Columbus, Ohio), September 23, 1928

On September 15, 1928, Paramount Pictures released The Fleet’s In, a comedy silent film. Directed by Malcolm St. Clair (1897-1952), the film starred sex symbol of the Roaring Twenties Clara Bow (1905-1965) and James Hall (born James E. Brown; 1990-1940.) Also featured were newbie film actor Jack Oakie (born Lewis Delaney Offield; 1903-1978) and Dutch stage and fairly new (at this time) film actress Bodil Rosing (born Bodil Frederikke Hammerich; 1877-1941.) In this film, Clara Bow portrays Trixie Deane, a dance hall worker who falls in love with a handsome sailor named Eddie Briggs, played by James Hall. There seems to be a bit of an issue with this whirlwind romance as Eddie seems to be confused about what Trixie does in the dance hall and he pushes her away. We haven’t seen this movie and the film is believed to be lost, but since this is a romantic comedy from the late 1920s, Trixie and Eddie get back together, right?

Girl Drowned While Wading, The Paris News (Paris, Texas), May 31, 1935

Tragedy in Texas. Miss Leon Mahaffey was a student who was born on October 21, 1919 in Hopkins County, Texas to L.B. “Ben” (1891-1952) and Alma (Currin) Mahaffey. Ben worked as a farmer and trader, later working as a civilian electrician for the US Air Force later in life. Both parents were born in Texas. Miss Leon had three siblings. On May 30, 1935, she drowned in a small lake near Ridgeway, Hopkins County, Texas. Miss Leon was buried the day after her drowning in Pleasant Grove Cemetery in Cumby, Hopkins County, Texas. She was 15 years old.

It is unclear who her companions were on that fateful day of May 30, 1935, but the man who tried to save her was Clarence Oliver Gafford (1893-1938), who was a WWI veteran and farmer who also lived in Hopkins County. He tried to save her life, but at some point one has to wonder if he thought at some point that the rescue attempts were a lost cause. He was married and fathered at least two children. He would die a few years later, on April 27, 1938 in Greenville, Hunt County, Texas, from food poisoning. He was 44 years old and was buried in Pleasant Grove Cemetery, not far from Miss Leon.

The Orpheum Theater Advertisement, The Joliet Evening Herald (Joliet, Illinois), January 29, 1912

In 1911, the Coliseum Theatre was renamed Orpheum Theatre. It was located at 232 North Chicago Street in Joliet, Illinois. The theater closed some time ago, and has since been torn down. A parking lot for the Old National Bank occupies that address now. A lot of questions, but the biggest for us are: was the building in poor condition? Is that why it was razed? It’s always a bit sad when that happens.

Clara Armistead and George Samuel Wedding Announcement, The Nashville Banner (Nashville, Tennessee), July 24, 1946

And a summer wedding is in the air. At least it was on July 20, 1946, when Clara Elizabeth “Betty” Armistead married George Muirhead Samuel at the home of her aunt and uncle James Washington (1866-1965) and Mary R. (Armistead) (1874-1953) Moore at 1711 17th Ave South. That house is long gone and the land is now part of the Belmont University campus. The wedding was apparently a lovely and very well attended. Attending the bride as maid-of-honor was George’s sister, Virginia Samuel. Attending George as best man was George Sanders with the groomsmen, William C. Armistead and Edmund Kelly Armistead, both brothers of “Betty.” The marriage was performed by Dr. Merrill Moore, who was pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church. Guests were also treated to a program of music by Mrs. Carl Francis, pianist. After the wedding, Betty and George embarked on their honeymoon which was a drive through Virginia with a weeklong stay in Virginia Beach. Subscribe to us below and stay posted for the continuation of Betty’s story.

The Hawaiian Radio-Tone Guitar, Monrovia Daily News (Monrovia, California), August 31, 1928

What a gorgeous guitar/ukulele. Radio-Tone guitars were made by Regal Musical Instrument Company (of Chicago, Illinois) and others as time went on. Not much is known about Radio-Tone. Any one out there know what happened to Radio-Tone? Also, if anyone has played one of these guitars, let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

So, the 1920s guitar pictured is known to sell for about $200-$400 and more in 2024. Not bad for a piece of history.

Shirley Temple Catches Fingers In Car Door, The Klamath News (Klamath Falls, Oregon), August 5, 1938

It seems there was no long-term damage from this incident, but it probably hurt pretty bad. Even so, it’s safe to say that Shirley recovered just fine. Also, can you imagine slamming your hand in the car door and it’s in newspapers worldwide the next day? Superstardom has some crazy side effects, for sure.

And there you have it, another installment where we explore the characters of the past in vintage newspapers. Thank you and we hope you enjoyed our post! As always, be safe and love one another.

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During our genealogical research, CMS Research & Genealogy comes across many stories that have nothing to do with our current project. We have tons of them and will be sharing them all with you on this blog. All the more reason to come back and visit us again!

CMS Research and Genealogy

CMS Research & Genealogy