Last year, we made a post about Hollywood motion picture actress Muriel Goodspeed who grew up at 1559 Harvard Avenue.  We wanted to revisit Muriel briefly because today is the 100 year anniversary of her birth.  She was born May 1, 1917 to Alvin and LaVon Goodspeed.  1559 Harvard was built in 1917, so it also 100 years old this year. The Goodspeeds moved in to their brand new home with infant Muriel soon after it was built.

With a May Day birthday, Muriel had several birthday parties with a maypole on the front lawn and coverage on the newspaper society page.  Last year’s post included a photo of Muriel’s 8th birthday maypole in 1925.  Since then we have discovered this photo, taken at Muriel’s 11th birthday party on May 1, 1928.

Besides dancing around the Maypole, the party included a miniature orchestra and a contest of dolls brought to the party by Muriel’s guests.  Muriel’s doll, “Miss Utah,” was named “Queen of the May” and at 6 o’clock, a special radio program was presented that included Maypole dance music.  The Salt Lake Telegram news story provided a list of all the party guests.

Unfortunately, none of the names of the party guests are matched with the faces of the children in the photo, not even Muriel’s.  Perhaps someone will be able to identify some of the children.  Please post a comment if you do.  Following are close-ups of the same photo, zoomed-in to see the faces more clearly.

It is likely that most of the children in the photos lived in the neighborhood.  Following are the names of the party guests from the newspaper article.  I have added the addresses of some of the children that I have learned from other research.

Guests:  Clella Young, Louise Shuster, Lucille Rich, Lois Gill, Beth Rich, Elda Garfield, Phyllis Done, Bernadine Devinny, Katherine La Con, Betty Fowlks, Katherine Johnson, Robenia Hooper (1511 Harvard), Adele Squires (1604 Harvard), Jeanette Taylor, Eleanor Barlow (1572 Harvard), Katherine Moffat (1560 Harvard), Frances Rogers (1452 Gilmer),  Katherine Peterson, Louise Johnson, Edna Glazier, Ruth Greenwood, Belva Stevenson, Verna McMurdie, Mary Dean Wardrop, Myrtle Black, Peggy Pearsall (1554 Harvard), Helen Davis, Mildred Houck, Mary Alice Baker, Emilie Seigle, Bernice Smith.

Marjorie Carruthers, Ruby Wardenburg, Betty Peery (1435 Yale), Delina Perry, Betsy Ross Young, Mary Snow, Helen Gabbie, Helen Hagen, Erma Hickman, Elaine Hickman, Betty Davis, Meryl Romney (1337 Gilmer or 1442 Princeton) (sister of future Michigan Governor George Romney and aunt of Mitt Romney), Joyce Livingston, Shirley Price (1536 Harvard), Marjorie Selley (1503 Harvard),  Arlow Lesler, Veda Adams, Ruth Snow, Luana Gowans, Marilla Barlow (1572 Harvard), Elaine Openshaw, Jane Rawlins (1506 Harvard), Leo Francis Bachle, Sterling Devinny, Elman Snow, Neco Vancina, and LeRoy Nesbitt.

Kim Childs