USA > Connecticut > Windham County > A modern history of Windham county, Connecticut : a Windham county treasure book, Volume I > Part 16
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The automobile has done much for the development of Willimantic. The fine state roads which it has brought with it lead in every direction from Willi- mantic and these have unquestionably brought business to Willimantic which formerly went to other places.
DUNHAM HALL LIBRARY.
Dunham Hall Library was founded in February, 1878, by The Willimantic Linen Company, and so named in honor of Austin Dunham, a former president of the company. It comprised 800 volumes of poetry, biography, travel and adventure, science and fiction.
While this library was primarily intended for the employees of The Wil- limantic Linen Company, the towns-people have been allowed full privileges which have merited much appreciation.
Dunham Hall Library was supported entirely by the Willimantic Linen Company until this company was merged with the American Thread Company in 1898, from which date until the present time, it has been one of the many features of Welfare Work conducted by this company.
The library now has on its shelves approximately 7,000 volumes, in addition to which about twenty-five of the leading magazines and four daily papers are provided for the reading tables.
Miss Jennie Ford very ably filled the position of librarian until 1904, being succeeded by Mrs. Hattie B. Gates who at the present time very efficiently sup- plies the wants of the many patrons of the library.
ALLEN B. BURLESON
Allen B. Burleson, resident agent of the Willimantic Linen Company, 1864- 1878, was a man of unusual nobility of character. He was a native of West Greeenwich, R. I., born Novmber 28, 1816; from ages seven to twelve lived with his parents in Jewett City, and worked in the cotton mill, as was custo- mary then for even boys of his age. He was faithful, energetic, ambitious, and steadily advanced; became an overseer in Slaterville, R. I., and later superin-
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tendent there of the Slater Mill, then for seventeen years superintendent of the Slater Mill in Jewett City.
Upon the erection of "the new mill" of the Willimantic Linen Company in 1864 (the present No. 2), he was called here to be the first resident agent of the enlarged plant, and remained such until 1878, when he returned to the Slater Mills in Jewett City, and remaining there until his death, December 29, 1888.
During his residence in Willimantic he was actively identified with its busi- ness, social, political and religious life; was well liked and highly respected; and, as the Willimantic Journal said at the time of his death, "he was a man of sound judgment, of indomitable will, possessed a bright intellect; of retiring disposition, but ever ready to help on a good work or project." The Norwich Bulletin said, "His achievements as a manufacturer rank among the highest. He was never content with anything below the best, and that is what has given to the mills under his supervision their preeminence. He had a quiet control over men; all those under him respected and loved him; a valuable member of society, and in his family relations the most that a husband and father could be. His career furnishes a striking illustration of what industry, economy and perseverance will accomplish in this favored land."
An interesting incident is recorded as preceding Mr. Burleson's death that some will call prophetic. He had been seriously ill, but none thought the end was near. The evening before he died there was a "family sing," one hymn rendered being those familiar words of Phoebe Carey :
"One sweetly solemn thought Comes to me o'er and o'er ; I am nearer my home today Than ever I've been before."
He requested that they repeat the verse. The next day at 11 A. M. he passed away.
His wife was Mary Lathrop Fanning, daughter of John W. Fanning and granddaughter of Capt. Charles Fanning, friend of LaFayette, and charter member of the Order of the Cincinnati. Two children of Mr. Burleson are now living, Edward F. Burleson of Jewett City, and Mrs. Mary W. Hatch, wife of the Rev. George B. Hatch of Ware, Mass.
THE FRENCH-CANADIANS IN WILLIMANTIC
There came to Willimantic in the sixties a colony of French-Canadians, who made a valuable addition to the community, as they were a frugal, indus- trious, and hard-working class of people and became good citizens. Many of them are long since gone to their final reward and others have returned to their former homes or have gone to some other part of the country. Those who remained have generally prospered and gained a high place in the esteem of their neighbors. Prominent among the earliest French-Canadian settlers in this vicinity we find the names Amireau, Ayotte, Bernabe, Bertrand, Blanchette, Bonin, Cote, Dansreau, Doucette, DuFille, Le Fleur, LeMay, Maheu, Mullen, Proulx, Rochefort, Routhier, Trudeau, Vegiard.
NOTE-Gustave Cartier, Joseph F. Gardreau, and Ovila Trudeau have been especially helpful in furnishing information to the editor for this article.
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Among the earlier business enterprises may be named Brussiere et St. Pierre, grocers in Cunningham Building, 1868-1870; Jules et Joseph Archambeault in the old company store on West Main Street in 1874; Maxmie Bonin, groceries and bakery, on Meadow Street, 1880.
The first local census among these people was in 1890. There were then three physicians and eighteen business houses, and the total French-Canadian population was 1,700, with 133 voters. In 1920 these people number here about 3,400, with about 500 voters-not including women, as this new factor in the situation has not yet revealed itself.
The grand-list assessment shows well over $1,000,000.
During the World War nearly seven hundred French-Canadian boys rallied to the colors and hundreds of women to local war work, while the men did their fair share in the war drives.
Yankee people will need to read up on the history of their own forefathers of early Colonial days to realize fairly the hardships endured by the pioneers among the French-Canadians who came to this country half a century ago; the struggles of these and their children of the following generation to establish themselves in industry, in trade; their sacrifices for church and school; to preserve a natural affection for their mother tongue, and to maintain their fra- ternal societies; and all the while steadily adapting themselves to their new environment. The more prosperous among them have ever been generous in financial contributions for the advancement of their people. The history of St. Mary's Church and parochial school will be found in the chapter on churches in this work.
Others among the earlier settlers were Xavier Berard, father of Joseph Berard, the well-known decorator, who has been many years with the J. F. Carr Company-the elder Berard was a skilled carpenter; Regis Beaulieu, shoe- maker; and his son Eldridge, carpenter; Eli LaCombe, Nazair Routhier, Louis L'Hereux, Ferdina Brousseau. Aman A. Trudeau came from St. Aime, Canada, in 1867. With him at the time were his two brothers, Joseph and Ovila. Aman first worked in the Hayden cotton mill and then opened a grocery store. One of the first three French-Canadians to locate in Willimantic was father of Joseph LaFleur. "Joe" became a blacksmith, and his rugged right arm proved invincible in the pitcher's box of the great national game. His strong deep bass voice gave solid foundation for the three other warblers of the popular Thread City Quartette. Even more famous in baseball were Pete Gilbert and "Monty" Peloquin. One of the sons of Henri Piche is now playing in Sousa's Band. "Shorty" L'Hereux is among the leaders in the minstrel line.
Theodore Potvin was among the ablest and most popular of French-Canadian citizens, and accomplished much for his people, but unfortunately was stricken down in comparatively early life. His son, Alban, died in France, leaving memory of an earnest desire to serve his fellows.
Miss Cordelia Moison has been a successful business woman on Main Street for many years. Among the younger women, Albina and Marie Rose Blanchette, daughters of J. O. Blanchette, have developed marked musical talent, and are proficient artists and instructors in piano and violin, respectively. Bernadotte Potvin Gardreau is organist at St. Mary's Church.
Ovila Trudeau was for many years a carriage maker, and now has large real estate holdings in Willimantic. Joseph Trudeau has proved an industrious and thrifty citizen. Joseph A. Martin has been in Willimantic a long time
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and is now retired from active business pursuits. When he came to Willimantic he opened a grocery store and later turned his hand to carpentry, and became a prominent builder and carpenter, also active in city affairs. His son, George, was a member of the medical corps in the World War, and is now associated with his brother-in-law, Pierre Laramee, in the meat business.
Honore Paulhus came to Willimantic from St. Guilaume, Quebec, Canada, over forty years ago and was a stone mason's helper and afterward worked in the American Thread Company mills. He had a family of eight children. His son, Capt. J. B. Paulhus, spent nineteen years in the shoe business and seven years as manager of a moving picture show in a building which stood on a lot now covered by the Jordan Block. When the Spanish-American War was on he enlisted in Company E, Third Connecticut Infantry, and became a corporal. He was stationed at Camp Meade, was in camp at Summerville, S. C., and Savannah, Ga. He now has charge of the state armory at Willimantic.
Few men among the French-Canadians have been more highly esteemed than was Michel Laramee, known primarily as a skillful shoemaker, but widely pop- ular as a sportsman and genial companion. His recent unfortunate death by accident was deeply deplored. His son, Pierre Laramee, who conducts a pros- perous market on North Street, was chosen representative in the State Assembly two years ago.
One of the finest of conservative influences among these people was the early formation of the local branch of the Societe de St. Jean Baptiste. The local society proved one of the strongest in the state; its members were prominent and active in state conventions, the first one of which was held in 1885, and not infrequently was the local influence strong enough to secure the state convention at Willimantic; even the national society has held meetings here, bringing delegates from as far away as the Middle West. There is scarcely a French-Canadian of note who has not made some "key-note" speech in Willi- mantic. The benevolent and "sick benefit" features of French-Canadian so- cieties have done incalculable good.
Active membership in these societies has proved good training for citizen- ship. Among those who have served with credit in public places may be mentioned J. Godfrey LaPalme, Theodore Potvin, Honore Paulhus, Jules N. Archambeault, Joseph A. Martin, Onesime Dupuis, J. N. Aubertin, Arthur P. Favreau, P. P. Pare, George Noel, Dr. Samuel David, Dr. Adelard David, John Vallee, Dr. J. S. Chagnon, Moise Amireau, Charles LaFleur, Elzear St. Onge, Cyrille Cordin, J. O. Blanchette.
Among the younger generation are J. B. Paulhus, Hormisdas Dion, Alphonse Chagnon, David P. Contois, Dr. C. H. Girard, Edmond A. Parent, Alexis Caisse, Dr. J. A. Girouard, Wilfred St. Martin, Alphonse L. Gelinas, Charles De Villers, George Maheu, Cyril Lamoreux, Theodore Marotte, Frederick Roy, Wilfred A. Gagnon, Adolph Valliant, H. A. Trudeau, Arthur Racicot.
Among those prominent in other places may be named Dr. Joseph Dauray, Eloi Jette, and Dr. C. J. LeClaire, of Danielson ; Dr. Omer LaRue, of Putnam ; L. P. Lamoureux and Dr. J. F. McIntosh, of North Grosvenordale. A glance at the biographical records of this work will reveal many more French-Canadian citizens who have been or are today active factors in Windham county life.
While undoubtedly these citizens will subscribe to the sentiment, "L'Union Fait La Force," in matters of their common interest, yet it is to be recorded to their lasting honor that they are not narrow or clannish in their dealings Vol. I-9
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with civic matters. It is an interesting fact that they are about equally divided in their political or partisan allegiance; a fact which speaks volumes for inde- pendent and patriotic motive. A close canvas among the seventy-five or more French-Canadians in business in Willimantic shows their patronage to be largely other than from their own people. They stand in the business com- munity on their merits, and several of the firms are among the most enter- prising and progressive in the community.
They take a natural pride in their separate church and parochial school, but from these there proceeds no narrow influence affecting their broader relations to community life. Apostles of discontent and reactionary feeling find no response among the French-Canadians.
SOME OF THE FUN WE HAD
By A. B. L.
A lively gang of boys used to gather every evening after supper (say in the year 1865-70) on Center Street by the A. B. Adams barn, in the rear of what is now the Killourey place, corner of Union Street. The chief attraction of this play-ground was Loomer's lumber yard, then located a little farther north on the same street, and with its big piles of lumber scattered over adjacent portions of the land now included in the square of Temple, Valley and Jack- son, with south line running about where the old Armory building still stands. Great hiding places were found among these piles, also on top of them, and in the sheds.
The favorite games were "pop-out" or "run sheep, run." One boy would go over among the lumber piles or anywhere else in the neighborhood, to hide and call "coop," and the task of the others was to find him. Whoever saw him must call out "pop-out," and the "spyer" could at once run away until the hider should yell "stand!" Other seekers must then locate him, and could find more remote positions if possible, but must see him plainly and call out "pop-out," and "stand" where they were when the hider called that word. When all had spied him, he could take three paces forward, then chase them to the "goal" near the barn, touching as many of them as possible before they could reach the goal. All whom he caught must then hide with him and the same process repeated until all were caught; and then the first one caught must be "it" for another round of play, until they got tired of it, or until dark compelled them to desist.
Two of those boys can still feel the chills of a fright they got one night, when after climbing rapidly to the top of a high pile of narrow boards to hide, they felt it swaying beneath them and narrowly escaped the serious accident which would have resulted had it toppled over.
On moonlight nights, this and similar games could be played until a late hour, but 9 o'clock was the time most of the boys were expected to be at home, and were-except that on a full-moon night parental indulgence could be counted on until about 10.
Sometimes the play would cease earlier and the gang would on a warm summer evening sit in a circle on the vacant lot back of the barn and tell ghost stories, or perhaps tell what we would do when we grew up. The Adams boys at one time had a croquet court there. When the big Adams house was built, stone for the cellar, and for other houses near by, was taken from a big ledge
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which lay underneath the land just north of the Adams barn, and here a big ledge hole was in rainy season filled with surface water to the extent that boys would sometimes "go in swimming" there. One boy bears now in the bottom of his foot a deep scar from the cut of a jagged rock in the bottom of that swim- ming hole.
To the east of Center Street, and just northeast of the Adams barn was a low meadow lot reaching nearly to Jackson Street, and where often in an open winter season, after a big rain and a freeze, there would be for days a large surface for skating, perfectly safe for small boys because the water was only a few inches deep.
Just to the north of this open lot, on a hill crest just south of Valley Street, stood the cottage home of William L. Weaver, father of Thomas S. Weaver, and who is spoken of in another sketch in this volume. Just west of the Weaver home and very near it, stood a large oak tree which was a great delight and comfort to Mr. Weaver in his declining years. This Weaver home is still stand- ing (1920) on the same hill crest, near the southeast corner of Valley and Broad streets.
Up to the late '60s almost the entire Valley Street region from High Street east to Jackson was meadow land, and along the north side of Valley from what is now Walnut was an open running brook where we boys used often to play. After the Holland silk mills were built, this brook was filled with dye wastes. We still continued to jump across it, until one day a lad fell in all over, only to realize that dye wastes do not taste good; and our play days on that brook were over. The same stream still runs underneath the ground along Valley Street.
Opposite the foot of the present Pearl Street, the meadow,-now covered by the Lincoln and Boss lumber yard, the Hall and Bill Printing plant, the old Armory, the Park Hotel, the former Vanderman plant and James Small's black- smith shop,-this meadow was inhabited by numerous frogs which in early spring would fill the air with shrill peeping as soon as darkness began to creep over the day. My parents lived for a time in the house at northwest corner of Pearl and Valley, and I well recall that at the mature age of six or seven, I did not like to cross that meadow diagonally from Tanner's Lane (now North Street) to my home because the frogs yelled so loudly at me. That whole square, now bounded by Valley, Bank, Meadow and North, later known as Johnson's lot, was later much talked of for a park, and it is unfortunate that it was not so reserved.
Saturday mornings in spring or fall there would occasionally come a special excitement. Those two or three stone houses still standing opposite Herbert Chappell's paint shop off Main Street, are the remainder of a row of similar stone houses which then ran along the riverside to the west, and were occupied by some of the newcoming Irish families. Down on the river bank they kept pigs, and on a Saturday morning, as we were playing "two-old cat" or "rounders" on Center Street, suddenly a shrill scream would pierce the air, and every boy would beat it for "stone row" for we knew that that meant "hog-killing time." Sure enough, when we arrived, his pigship was already growing "groggy," and from the kitchen door would come running a woman with a basin in which she would catch the dark red fluid flowing from piggy's neck. They said they made "blood pudding" with it. We Yankee boys couldn't quite accept that idea as palatable; but after this affair was over we would go
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home to a good dinner of roast beef, and be eager for a liberal helping of "good red platter gravy" on our potato. It all depends on how you are brought up -what you like to eat !
Often on Saturday in spring or fall a group of boys would make an all-day trip to the woods, taking along potatoes and salt and pepper, and a few matches (supply of latter limited by parents except as additional supply might be pur- loined)-and sometimes we would catch a few shiners (possibly a dace or rarely a trout) from a near-by brook, and have a great feast of roast potatoes and fish. No matter if both were burned to a crisp-how good they tasted !
Of course we played Indian, and soldiers, and explorers ; we had real bows and arrows; or wooden guns. In winter we had real battles from snow forts, with snow-balls for weapons. Opposing forts would be built at a distance of fifty feet or so apart; sides chosen, eight or ten or possibly a dozen boys on a side; hundreds of snow-balls would be accumulated and then at a signal a real battle would ensue; and the victory would usually come to that side which could most successfully charge and drive the opponents from the opposite fort.
There was real fighting and real bravery in these contests, not usually of a dangerous but certainly of a disagreeable sort, because it took some courage to face a rain of snow-balls crashing into your face if perchance it were at the proper angle to receive it. Once in a while a mean boy or two would make up snow-balls the night before, and dip them in water and freeze them; but a blow from such a ball was of course very dangerous, and woe be to the boy who was known to have made and thrown it. Rarely were these snow-ball fights other than fair and manly, and they were fun beyond expression.
Sliding down Jillson's hill was another great winter sport for this Center Street gang, which had fraternal relations with the "over the river" gang. One moonlight night when Jillson's hill was crowded, and many were standing at the top of the hill ready to slide, a wild shriek of "murder, murder" came from the saloon then in the building formerly known as the "old Hebard Tavern." The kids all ran to near-by homes, but it proved to be only a "drunken row" which a "constable" soon arrived to quell. Gradually we drifted back to the hill.
Later in the evening, a lad who is now a prominent resident of Willimantic was found still pale and trembling. "What's the matter?" jollied his mates, who could plainly see that he hadn't recovered from the scare. "Oh, I'm cold !" he said-'twas a mild night. "But what makes you so white?" "Oh, I'm always white when my feet are cold," he explained; and that answer became a by-word for many years thereafter-not yet forgotten by some.
And then, the skating at "Burleson's pond." You may still see where that pond was, at the depression still remaining at southeast corner of Windham Road and Street, but since partly filled in. That oak knoll just to the east of the depression is still familiar in its general outlines, though now cleared up and modernized for the comfort of American Thread employees. There is no pond there today, but Burleson's pond then covered about three acres, and was a popular resort. It was part of the Burleson place, the resi- dence then occupied by Allen B. Burleson, agent of the Willimantic Linen Company, and now the home of Peter Hardman of the thread company.
Every autumn, "as soon as the frost opened the burrs"-that's what we believed then, and some still claim it,-there would be great chestnutting parties at the M. E. Camp Ground. Cottages were not as numerous there as now,
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and the "chestnut blight" had not been heard of. After a windy night in late fall, the ground would be literally covered with chestnuts; bushels would be gathered by numerous parties, and it was no trick at all to bring home all you could lug in a bag over your back.
One of the chief sports of the older boys was to go in swimming and dive off the rocks at favorite spots along the Willimantic River, even in "borough limits"; for the river was then well covered on either bank by woods. Down back of the old depot were "high rock" and "little rock"-still there, of course, and now plainly visible from the foot bridge, on the south bank. Farther down the river, just east of the railroad bridge over Windham Road, you may see another "High Rock" and "Little Rock" which were popular diving places -no mills across the river then! A mile or so above the Windham Company's dam, and on the north side of the river, was the "eel weir," another popular swimming place, especially for the "First District" school boys; while the boys of the Natchaug District went way over to the Natchaug River, to a spot just north of the "new railroad bridge."
One afternoon as "the 3 o'clock train for Boston" was about due-ever since the railroad was built a train has left for Boston about 3 or soon after- a little Irish terrier belonging to one of the boys in swimming had run out on the railroad bridge and stood right on the track near the west end. His owner could see the dog from up the river, and tried in vain to call him off. Booming along at a rapid rate came that train; it hit the terrier a glancing blow, and sent him fiercely yelping up in the air, diagonally to the northeast out over the river. Down he came, still yelping, and he landed splash in the river ;- promptly swam out, and with bounding step and wagging tail ran to greet his frantic master-apparently none the worse for the experience.
When the "Boston, Hartford and Erie Railroad" was under construction between Willimantic and Putnam, we boys would on Saturdays go over to that deep cut through the sand-and-gravel hill east of the Natchaug bridge near North Windham to watch the big steam-shovel load the dump cars. It was of course a wonderful sight to us. The workmen, who were almost entirely the new-coming Irish, lived in "shanties" near the then dense pine woods on the North Windham Road, and some lively times they used to have o'nights. There were wild stories afloat about persons whose teams would be "held up by ban- dits" late at night on that road by some of the railroad men, and on one or two occasions certain young fellows driving with their girls, and wishing to make an impression of bravery, would fire a pistol (into the air) when some of those maurauders threatened to grab the horse's bridle; but these stories were chiefly exaggerated food for our dime-novel imaginations.
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