USA > Connecticut > New Haven County > Waterbury > History of Waterbury and the Naugatuck Valley, Connecticut, Volume I > Part 37
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The committee organized in 1917 by electing Rev. John N. Lewis chairman and William J. Pape, clerk.
There is a project to plant a growing spruce or pine on The Green so that Waterbury will have a permanent Christmas tree and not have to ravage the woods anew each year.
ELISHA LEAVENWORTH'S BENEFACTIONS
The will of Elisha Leavenworth, made October 17, 1910, the year prior to his death, has become an historic document for Waterbury. He was, perhaps, the greatest of the city's philanthropists, and had during his life time given much toward the betterment and the beautification of Waterbury. The gifts, the first of the donations to the Mattatuck Historical Society and to the Waterbury In- dustrial School and Home for Girls, are all mentioned in their proper chapters.
The will itself after many individual bequests to relatives and others, gave $15,000 to the Petersburg, Va., Home for the Sick. Its Waterbury public bequests were as follows :
To the Waterbury Hospital he bequeathed $10,000 for general purposes and $10,000 for the purpose of maintaining "a free bed in said hospital, to be known as the Cynthia Leavenworth free bed, in memory of my deceased wife, for the use of such persons as may be designated by the executive committee of said hospital, the same to be to it and its successors forever."
His bequest to the Waterbury Industrial School was $45,000, of which $25,000 was to be invested and the income only to be used for the general pur- poses of the school. The remaining $20,000 was given to the school "to provide an income which is to be used solely for the purpose of providing fuel for the needy of said Waterbury, and in case it shall not all be needed for the purpose, for the purpose of giving aid in the payment of rent for such of the needy of said Waterbury, without regard to nationality or religious creed, as the executive officers of said school may designate."
To the Mattatuck Historical Society he gave $90,000 of which $40,000 was to be used for site and building and the income of the remainder to aid in defray- ing the general purposes of the society.
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He bequeathed $50,000 to the City of Waterbury, the income to be used "for the purpose of purchasing equipment and supplies for and otherwise maintaining a manual training school or instruction in manual training in any of the public schools of said City of Waterbury."
His executors, Edwin S. Hunt and John R. Clayton, were empowered to erect "on the westerly end of the Public Square or Green, in Waterbury, a statue to Benjamin Franklin, with such necessary surroundings, railings and pavement as to them, my executors, shall seem wise and proper, and to expend for the purpose a sum not to exceed fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000)."
To the First Congregational Society of Waterbury he left $5,000.
To the Boys' Club of Waterbury, $2,500.
To the Waterbury Institute of Crafts and Industry, $3,000.
To the Day Nursery of Waterbury, $3,000.
To the Riverside Cemetery Association, $5,000.
To the Southmayd Home for Old Ladies, $20,000.
To the Silas Bronson Library, $10,000.
For the improvement and maintenance of Chase Park, $5,000.
To the Connecticut Children's Aid Society of Newington, Conn., $3,000.
To the Mount Carmel, Conn., Children's Home, $3,000.
To St. Mary's Hospital, Waterbury, $5,000.
He finally bequeathed "the rest, residue and remainder of my estate, real and personal, wheresoever situated, in equal shares, one share to The Colonial Trust Company as aforesaid in trust for the City of Waterbury for the purposes and on the terms and conditions mentioned in Article Twenty-Ninth of this will (manual training school), one share to said Southmayd Home, one share to said Waterbury Hospital, one share to said Waterbury Industrial School, and one share to said Mattatuck Historical Society."
CHAPTER XXIII CLUBS AND ASSOCIATIONS, BUSINESS, SOCIAL, PROFESSIONAL AND PATRIOTIC
THE WATERBURY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE-ITS BEGINNING AS THE MERCHANTS' ASSOCIATION-THE WATERBURY CLUB-ITS NEW HOME-TIIE COUNTRY CLUB- WATERBURY DRIVING ASSOCIATION-AUTOMOBILE CLUB-NATURALIST CLUB- TIIE ELKS CLUB-OTHER SOCIAL CLUBS-PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS- WOMEN'S CLUBS AND SOCIETIES-ATHLETIC AND SPORTING ORGANIZATIONS-THE G. A. R. AND W. R. C .- WATERBURY'S REPRESENTATION IN STATE PATRIOTIC SOCIETIES-SARSFIELD CLUB.
The Waterbury Chamber of Commerce, which is just now learning to walk as a commercial and civic organization with a permanent headquarters and per- manent secretary, is the outgrowth of a series of associations of business men, dating back to the commercial beginnings of the city. As a chamber of commerce it is only four years old and until February 26, 1917, had no permanent office.
In May, 1897, Waterbury merchants took steps to organize an association. On Thursday, May 20, 1897, in the former Congress Hall, in the Moriarty Block, the first meeting of the Waterbury Merchants' Association was called to order with John B. Mullings as temporary chairman. The experience of the New Haven Retail Merchants' Association inspired this movement and the meeting was addressed by Messrs. Howe, Hunn, Hart, Johnson and O'Connor of New Haven, with such effect that the meeting immediately proceeded to effect per- manent organization.
The records of the association show that the first officers were John B. Mullings, president; John Moriarty, first vice president; Thomas D. Barlow, second vice president ; Charles E. Hall, secretary ; Edward Fitzgerald, treasurer. The first directors were, L. F. Haase, Isadore Chase, J. G. Cutler, W. A. Guilfoile, F. G. Humphrey, Jacob Kaiser, Thomas H. Hewitt, C. F. Trott, W. D. Upson, Chas. Boylan.
The charter members of this association were the following :
The Upson & Singleton Company, clothiers; Apothecaries Hall Company ; C. R. Russell, agricultural implements ; C. A. Bailey, meat and groceries ; Spen- cer & Pierpont, groceries ; Frank Miller & Company, coal dealers; Fred E. Gill- mor, clothier and hatter ; Woodford & Allen, boots and shoes ; A. F. Taylor, house painter; Waterbury Grocery Company; W. Easton Smith, crockery; Geo. W. Minor, plumber ; C. G. Belden, tailor ; Alfred A. Adt, photographer ; S. M. Kern, hatter and furnisher; Boston Furniture Company; Turnbull & Company, dry goods ; Curran's, dry goods ; Geo. Harrington, cigar manufacturer; N. S. Snow, fish market ; T. P. Hutchinson, shoe store ; E. W. Hale, news dealer and stationer ; W. H. Lowe, real estate; Martin Bergen, stationer and undertaker; Waterbury Blank Book Company; Maier Kaiser, clothier ; Reid & Hughes, dry goods ; Con- lon Bros., dry goods ; Jas. Coughlin, meat market; Trott Baking Company, bakery ; Connecticut Boot and Shoe Company ; H. G. Dodge & Company, boots and shoes;
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The L. F. Haase Company, interior decorators; Chas. Ochsner, meat market; C. H. Hart, real estate; The H. W. Keeler Company, plumbers; John Moriarty, furniture; J. G. Twining, furniture ; John J. Geraghty, boots and shoes; Lake & Strobel, jewelers; City Lumber & Coal Company; Jones, Morgan & Company, clothiers; John McElligott, coal and wood; The Barlow Bros. Company, plumb- ers and gas fitters; The Driggs & Smith Company, pianos; The Upson Jewelry Company ; E. J. Finn, boots and shoes; Lucy & Fitzgerald, shoe dealers; E. G. Kilduff, clothier ; Henry Schwartz, for the Rochester Clothing Company ; W. A. Guilfoile, meat market; Isadore Chase, millinery; Wm. Riether, meat market ; J. G. Cutler Company, harnessmakers; Chas. Boylan, York State Butter Com- pany ; Simon Bohl, meat market; John C. Latus, confectionery and news depot ; The Miller & Peck Company, dry goods; J. B. Mullings, clothiers; The Hewitt Grocery Company, grocers; M. J. Byrne, lawyer; A. W. Castle, meat market ; J. H. Devereaux & Company, news dealers ; Waterbury Boot & Shoe Company ; P. J. Bolan, hardware ; Wm. W. Jones, boots and shoes ; H. B. Sanderson, meat market ; W. J. Cassidy, grocer; Bauby Bros., fruit dealers; Martin J. Fahy, plumber; The Chas. Thatcher Company, plumbers; A. F. Cowles, millinery ; Thomas F. Casey & Company, druggists; John B. Ebbs, druggist; The D. B. Wilson Company, hardware; C. Siebert, manager Singer Manufacturing Com- pany ; J. F. Phelan, tea store ; W. N. Ladd, groceries ; S. A. Kingman, furniture ; The Bonner Preston Company ; William H. Hall, tailor; Wright & Weible, tea store; E. F. Platt, groceries.
One of the first campaigns of the association was in the direction of uniform procedure in regard to opening and closing of stores, in addition to such prob- lems as street lighting, credit ratings for use of merchants only and store lighting.
Meetings of the association were held in different places, one of the most popular meeting places being the office of Atty. M. J. Byrne. In 1899 the records show that the association was interesting itself in parcel post, food exhibits, merchants' carnivals, collection of bad debts, and occasionally in important municipal problems.
In 1899 the membership of the association was 108. In that year the State Association of Business Men was formed and Waterbury was represented at the first meeting by John B. Mullings. The committees appointed in 1899 had the following titles: Executive and legislative, arbitration and complaints, trans- portation and insurance, debts and debtors, telegraph, telephone and postal facili- ties, lighting and water facilities, house accounts, clothing, organization.
Early in its career the Merchants' Association took up the problem of trading stamps which was finally disposed of by the state. Other questions agitated were extension of trolley facilities, lower rates for telephone service, improvement of telephone service, and improvement of railroad service. The association also seems to have accomplished some results in the direction of improved mail service.
At the annual meeting held January 11, 1902, it was voted to change the name of the Waterbury Merchants' Association to that of the Waterbury Business Men's Association. The annual dues were kept at the same figure, $5.00 per year, and Warren L. Hall was chosen its first president. The character of the associa- tion was much the same as under the old name, but the records show that the activities of the association were broadening gradually. In February, 1902, the association put itself on record in favor of securing a Government building for Waterbury, a step which was completed when the city had its present Federal Building in which the postoffice is located, erected on Grand Street. It was in 1902 also that the Waterbury Business Men's Association first took steps to urge upon the railroad company the necessity for the erection of a Union Station in Waterbury.
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During the period between the change from the Waterbury Merchants' Asso- ciation to the Waterbury Business Men's Association, there was an undercurrent in favor of broadening the sphere and work of the association, but the member- ship was still confined to 100 merchants and a few professional men, and most of its activities were therefore along lines of interest only to its members.
With a larger number of professional men in the ranks and a few manufac- turing concerns, there was a sincere desire to shape the affairs of the organization for the benefit of the community as a trading center. Thus the extension of the trolley system, the improvement of state roads and municipal needs were topics of discussion at meetings. Legislative enactments which were designed to im- prove or to impair Waterbury as a business and residential community were carefully considered and efforts made to demonstrate the true state of public sentiment by trips to the state capitol at Hartford during sessions of the General Assembly. These undertakings were always led by the Business Men's Associa- tion and were more or less effective.
In January, 1913, at the annual meeting of the Waterbury Business Men's Association the following officers were elected :
President, Charles A. Colley ; first vice president, A. K. Chattaway ; second vice president, Charles E. Puffer ; directors, William E. Fulton, Almon C. Judd, John C. Sherwood, Frederick S. Chase, Dr. Frank J. Erbe, Charles L. Campbell, William J. Larkin, Earl R. Hudson, C. H. Preston, Jr., A. S. Lyall, W. F. Harper, Harry C. Post, C. S. Redmond, James W. Galavin, Harry A. Lennon, Archie T. Jones, Robert P. Lewis ; secretary, Miles F. McNiff ; treasurer, Samuel A. Chase ; auditors, William J. Pape, Harris W. Langley.
In accepting the presidency, Mr. Colley announced that he favored renaming the organization the Chamber of Commerce, and this was accordingly done.
This change, together with an aggressive personal campaign for membership which Mr. Colley began as soon as he was elected, brought a great change into the organization. Within five months the membership, which was about two hundred in January, 1913, was increased to about five hundred and when the first year of Mr. Colley's service as president was concluded the membership was about six hundred. This brought the attention of the whole state to the change made here. Mr. Colley was for some time one of the directors of the State Chamber of Commerce and did much to keep the Waterbury organization before the public eye as an after-dinner speaker and a progressive director of the state organization.
There was a demand here for a new state armory and also for a normal school and the chamber of commerce did much to influence the general assembly in favor of them, but thus far without avail.
One of the outstanding features of the chamber's activity under Mr. Colley was the social prominence of the organization. Its banquets were notable events, with celebrated speakers among the guests. Its hospitality was extended to the large delegation of the Boston Chamber of Commerce which made a visit to inspect Waterbury in 1914, and to a committee of legislators who made a visit to inspect the old state armory, but who were so well entertained that they forgot all about the wretched building they had seen and forgot to find an appropriation for a new one.
There was a splendid municipal budget exhibit made under the auspices of the chamber of commerce, following an extensive survey by the Bureau of Municipal Research of New York. The chamber of commerce also handled the celebration of Old Home Week, which took place here Thanksgiving week, 1915, in connection with the completion of the new City Hall and the dedication of the clock on The Green.
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Publicity of an aggressive type also was a feature of the chamber's work in the days of Mr. Colley's administration. Handsome folders with views of the city were printed in quantities and distributed everywhere, and, except during the summer months, the Chamber of Commerce Bulletin was issued monthly with comments and original articles on topics of the hour. Most of these were from the pen of Mr. Colley himself, but some were contributed.
With all this there was still much to be desired and Mr. Colley felt the need of a permanent headquarters and a secretary who would be employed to give all his time to chamber activities. He insisted in 1915 that he would not serve a fourth term and pointed out that the work of the chamber was growing and there was need of a secretary who could give it all his attention. He was pre- vailed upon to run again and was elected president in 1916, even after he declared that he would have to be paid a salary of $1,200 if he should hold the office another year.
In recognition also of the extra work of the secretary, Miles F. McNiff, a young attorney, who also was re-elected, was given a larger salary, so that the chamber's payroll jumped from $300 a year to $1,800 per year.
At the end of that year the salary of the president was discontinued, and the nominating committee brought in a recommendation that a permanent secretary be employed. The officers and directors elected in January, 1917, are named below :
President, Nathaniel R. Bronson; vice presidents, Charles E. Puffer, and Alexander S. Lyall; treasurer, Samuel A. Chase; directors, Edward W. Beach, John M. Burrall, Frederick S. Chase, Charles A. Colley, Darragh DeLancey, Dr. F. J. Erbe, James W. Galavin, Atty. Frank P. Guilfoile, William J. Larkin, Martin J. McEvoy, Atty. Miles F. McNiff, Harry C. Post, John C. Sherwood, Charles A. Templeton, Cornelius Tracy.
T. F. Barry, former managing editor of the Waterbury Republican, was elected secretary of the chamber of commerce and the chamber opened head- quarters February 26th, at 108 Bank Street.
From the beginning of this period the chamber has been more active and more interested in all local activities. During the year 1917 it assisted in all undertakings of a community nature incident to the war. Two Red Cross membership campaigns, food conservation movements, Liberty Loan campaigns, recruiting campaigns for the army, navy, officers' training camps and co-operation with the local exemption boards and the draftees of the city and surrounding territory are outstanding features of its war work program.
Its officers have been re-elected for service in 1918 and while its activities of this year have depleted its treasury, with the exception of a reserve fund of $4,000 judiciously set aside during President Colley's administration, it is facing the future with hope of opportunities for greater service to the community and anticipation of generous and stanch support while it continues to give service.
THE WATERBURY CLUB
The Waterbury Club was organized September 20, 1881, with thirty members. Its first president was Augustus S. Chase, with D. S. Plume and Charles Dickin- son as vice presidents, Mark L. Sperry as secretary, and F. L. Curtiss as treasurer. In July, 1894, the club moved from small quarters in the Waterbury Bank Building, which had been taken in 1899, to the large house on North Main Street built by Dr. Alfred North. In 1916, when the new building on West Main Street was planned, the old club house was sold to the Fraternal Order of Eagles, who at once took possession, the club moving to the top floor of the Elton.
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The new club house, of which the architect is Cass Gilbert of New York, is in the Colonial style of architecture.
It has a length of 135 feet on Central Avenue and a frontage of 68 feet on West Main Street. It is three stories in height and of brick construction, the interior to be finished largely in oak.
In the basement there will be three bowling alleys, with a large squash court on the West Main Street front. The gymnasium, which occupies the rear of the building for its full width, takes up the remainder of the basement and part of the first floor and will be one of the finest athletic rooms in the state.
On the main floor the entire West Main Street front will be occupied by a sumptuously furnished lounging room. At the rear of this, with a lobby entrance, will be the cafe on one side and the billiard room on the other. The rear of this floor is the upper part of the gymnasium.
On the second floor the club dining-room will front on West Main Street. Behind this are to be the kitchen and card rooms on the Central Avenue side. Over the gymnasium there will be a finely-equipped ladies' dining-room and ladies' lounging room. The library is to be close to this.
On the third floor the Home Club will have its bachelor quarters. The entire West Main Street front is to be a lounging room. There are to be eighteen apartments for club members, with a balcony extending along the Central Avenue side and another on the opposite side. Servants' quarters are provided for on the fourth floor.
It is believed the club house will be ready for occupancy by the late spring of 1918.
The Club Site Committee, which is in general charge of the construction work, consists of Arthur R. Kimball, George A. Driggs, George Rockwell, F. S. Chase, Edwin C. Northrop, and Charles E. Spencer, Jr.
The present officers are : President, Charles E. Spencer, Jr. ; secretary, Lewis M. Hart; treasurer, Edwin C. Northrop.
The presidents of the Waterbury Club have been as follows, with year of election :
August S. Chase, 1881 ; James S. Elton, 1892; Mark L. Sperry, 1894; Fred- erick B. Rice, 1898; George L. White, 1899; Arthur O. Jennings, 1901 ; Lewis A. Platt, 1902; Charles S. Rodman, 1904; Robert F. Griggs, 1905; Lewis A. Platt, 1907; C. M. Clark, 1910; A. R. Kimball, 1912 ; Charles E. Spencer, Jr., 1915.
THE COUNTRY CLUB OF WATERBURY
The Country Club of Waterbury was the immediate successor of the Water- bury Golf Association, which had a small clubhouse and a nine-hole golf course on the golf lots on West Main Street, following the east shore of the Naugatuck River northwards. It was in existence from 1898 until succeeded by the new organization. The last officials of the Golf Association were: Frederick J. Brown, president ; Howard S. White, secretary; I. P. Kellogg, treasurer. The Waterbury Country Club, formed in 1907, was incorporated in 1908. Its first officials were: President, George L. White; secretary, Frederick J. Brown; treasurer, William B. Merriman.
The grounds. 183 acres, on what is now known as the Country Club Road, on the outskirts of Middlebury, were in 1908 laid out for golf and tennis, and a beautiful clubhouse erected. In 1917 two additional tennis courts were laid out, making six in all now open for use by members.
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The present officers are: W. W. Holmes, president; S. P. Williams, secre- tary ; Roberts G. Hannegan, treasurer.
Former President Wm. H. Taft is an honorary member.
THE WATERBURY DRIVING ASSOCIATION
The Waterbury Driving Association was organized in 1889, as the Waterbury Driving Company, leasing the grounds on the Watertown Road and laying out the present driving park. The association has held no races during recent years, although sub-letting to others who have given meets. The present officers are : President, Thomas Bland ; secretary, Henry W. Minor ; treasurer, Frank Hayes.
THE WATERBURY AUTOMOBILE CLUB
The Waterbury Automobile Club, organized through the efforts of Almon C. Judd, February 20, 1909, was active for some years in the work of protecting the interests of automobile owners. It has done but little along these lines during the past two years.
Its present officers are : President, W. W. Holmes; treasurer, H. S. Seeley.
THE NATURALIST CLUB
The Naturalist Club of Waterbury was organized in June, 1895, through the efforts of H. F. Bassett, then librarian of the Bronson Library. It has held its meetings on the second and fourth Mondays of each month regularly throughout each winter since that time, following the club motto, "Observe and Remember." Its meetings have always been held in the parlors of the Second Church. On June 22, 1915, the club celebrated its twentieth anniversary with a banquet.
The present officers are: President, Richard C. Allen; vice president, Miss Emma L. Bailey; recording secretary, Mrs. Elsie Camp Martin; corresponding secretary, Miss Anna H. Pierpont ; treasurer, Miss M. Louise Seymour.
THE NOSAHOGAN PISCATORIAL ASSOCIATION
The Nosahogan Piscatorial Association is a club formed by members of Nosahogan Lodge of Odd Fellows. It was established as a fishing club in 1890, but is now a social club with rooms in the Odd Fellows Temple. Its present officers are: President, George M. Egan; secretary and treasurer, Frederick W. Tate.
TIIE ABAGADASSET CLUB
The Abagadasset Club was first chartered December 15, 1902, and when the Mullings Building was completed in 1903 special club rooms were provided for the organization. The founders were George G. Mullings, George W. Camp, Frank T. Clark, Wm. P. Lamb, J. A. Upson, J. Rawson Hughes, E. T. Crooker. Dr. W. O. Beecher and J. H. Gray. It was purely a social organization. Its officers in 1914 when it decided to dissolve were: President, Archie T. Jones; secretary, Arthur F. McGraw; treasurer, George W. Greene. It took its name from the Indian word which meant a place of shelter, and is mentioned in the historial works of Waterbury.
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AN INTERIOR VIEW OF THE ELKS' CLUB, WATERBURY
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THE ELKS CLUB
The comfortably arranged and beautifully appointed Elks' Home is located on West Main Street, the dedication of the new building taking place in 1910. The exercises were attended by a notable gathering of Elks from all over the country. The club and lodge at first occupied a suite of rooms at 108 Bank Street. where its affairs were held until its effects there were destroyed in the great conflagration of 1902. For three years it had its rooms in the Waterbury Trust Company Build- ing but in 1909 its members raised funds to purchase the Curtiss Home on West Main Street and the following year it erected a handsome building back of the old residence. In 1914 Truman S. Lewis offered the club $16,000 for the complete interior renovating of the old building and also its outfitting. Upon the work being completed it was found out, however, that the cost had run up to $26, 100. yet Mr. Lewis insisted in making this amount his donation. The arrangements are most convenient, including new bowling alleys and tennis courts among the attrac- tions for the entertainment of members and guests.
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