USA > Connecticut > New Haven County > Waterbury > History of Waterbury and the Naugatuck Valley, Connecticut, Volume I > Part 40
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57
Arthur R. Kimball became associate editor in 1881, succeeding to the position of general manager and publisher in 1907.
In August, 1892, on the death of John S. Deacon, the position of advertising manager was assumed by Charles H. Keach, who later became business manager. From this position he retired in 1916. Burt C. Pike became advertising manager in 1916.
On December 14, 1894, the paper published a special edition in honor of its fiftieth anniversary.
In 1894 the company began the construction of its present building on Grand Street, occupying the structure in 1895. At this time it was equipped with a Potter press, linotypes, and complete stereotyping outfit.
In the fire of 1902 the walls of the building remained standing, although the interior was heavily damaged by both flames and water. When the work of renovation and reconstruction was completed, the press was found to be in excellent working condition.
On June 7, 1896, Augustus S. Chase, president of the company, died in Paris and was succeeded in the office by his son, Henry S. Chase.
TIIE WATERBURY DEMOCRAT
The Waterbury Democrat had been launched as a weekly in July, 1881, then changed to The Sunday Democrat on January 7, 1886, and on December 5, 1887.
307
308
WATERBURY AND THE NAUGATUCK VALLEY
it appeared as an evening paper under the name The Evening Democrat. The success of the paper, both as a weekly and as a daily, was due in its earlier years to the energy and progressiveness of its founder, Cornelius Maloney, who in 1882 had associated with him his brother, M. T. Maloney. Both had learned the printing and the entire newspaper making business in New Britain, from which place they came to Waterbury.
Its business manager when it changed to a daily was Edward E. F. McMahon, who remained in that responsible position until 1915, when he resigned on account of ill health. He was succeeded by his assistant, John A. Hayden, who is also secretary of the corporation.
Cornelius Maloney died January 5, 1914, and his son, E. Vincent Maloney, is now in editorial charge of the paper. Mr. Maloney is a graduate of Holy Cross College, Worcester, from which in 1911 he came direct to the editorial department of the Democrat. He has held all minor editorial positions on the paper and came to his task well equipped with newspaper experience and a thorough knowledge of his community.
The paper was printed up to 1895 in the building at 267 South Main Street.
In that year it erected its own building at 71-73 Grand Street. This it occu- pied until 1916 when it dedicated its splendid new five-story block at 53-55 Grand Street. In this it has installed a thirty-two page straight-line Goss quad, one of the finest newspaper printing presses made. In the former building its press was a twenty-page three-decker Goss.
The policy of the paper has always been of a loyal and progressive nature. It stands firmly by the President in the present great crisis, has espoused with energy and helpfulness all the financial "war drives," and has made patriotism a basic principle in the conduct of its paper.
The Democrat was incorporated on March 23, 1914, for $75,000. Its president is E. Vincent Maloney ; secretary, John A. Hayden.
THE WATERBURY REPUBLICAN
On March 1, 1890, on the retirement of John H. Morrow, the Waterbury Republican which he had founded in 1881 as a weekly and in 1884 as a daily, was purchased by the American Printing Company and published from its plant on Grand Street. The building then occupied by the Republican, destroyed in the fire of 1902, was just east of the American building. Its editor was Thomas Dudley Wells, who had for some years been an associate editor under Mr. Morrow. Frank T. Parsons, who had previously been in charge of the American's mechan- ical department and prior to that on the Springfield Republican, was made business manager of the Republican.
In 1898, on the outbreak of the Spanish-American War, Mr. Parsons began issuing a well-edited and newsy Sunday edition which, however, did not aid in putting the paper on a paying basis. The Republican was considered a subsidiary of the American, and as the policies were similar, there was no great tendency on the part of the public to take both papers.
On March 1, 1901, the paper, with its Associated Press franchise and its files, was sold to Francis Atwater, publisher of the Meriden, Conn., Journal, who moved it to the corner of Center and Leavenworth Streets. There he installed an eight-page Campbell press and two linotype machines, the outfit of his defunct New Britain Dispatch, and waited for purchasers.
In October, 1901, Mr. Atwater sold the outfit to William M. Lathrop and William J. Pape. Mr. Lathrop came here from Williamsport, Pa., where he had
309
WATERBURY AND THE NAUGATUCK VALLEY
been managing editor of Grit. Prior to that he had been employed on the Car- bondale, Pa., Leader, his father's paper, and on the Paterson, N. J., Press. He was a thoroughly trained and excellent all-around newspaperman.
William J. Pape had been city editor, business manager and editor of the Passaic, N. J., News. He had been the correspondent in this important field for the New York World and the New York Tribune.
For four months it was a struggle to keep the spark alive, but a vigorous and fearless editorial policy and news columns amplified by direct receipt of the Asso- ciated Press news on a wire put into the Republican office, and up-to-date local news, brightened and strengthened the paper.
In February, 1902, the great fire which crippled the American was an ill- wind that blew some good toward the Republican. It gave it an opportunity to acquaint a larger public with its policy and its clean, bright news columns. On February 3, the morning of the fire, the Republican sold 13,000 copies. The result was that its circulation took a permanent leap from 2,000 daily to 3,200 and over.'
On October 1, 1902, the paper was getting so strongly entrenched that enlarge- ment was decided upon. It was incorporated on that date, as The Waterbury Re- publican Inc., with a capital of $30,000. Mr. Lathrop and Mr. Pape retained control and moved the editorial and newly equipped mechanical department to the Schlegel Building, on Printers' Court, the business office locating at 47 Center Street. The new equipment consisted of a sixteen-page Scott press and one new linotype, giving it a battery of three of these machines.
In 1903 the Trolley strike found the Republican firmly entrenched on the side of law and order and its firm stand, its determination to keep the American flag flying in Waterbury, gave it a second great stride in circulation. It was becoming more and more clear to the people that the Republican had no axes to grind, save those that meant a better and a cleaner Waterbury.
This period added another 2,500 to the permanent circulation of the paper. While it was not making much money during these early years, it never lost money.
In October, 1906, it began the issue of its Sunday edition. The field was unique, to say the least. There were two Sunday papers of a peculiar kind that reflected no credit either on the town or on their readers.
The Sunday Republican was in policy and contents like its daily issues, clean and virile. It was not a paper that one needed to be ashamed of. The result was an instantaneous success. The Sunday Telegram, which had prospered along its peculiar lines, was put out of business within eighteen months. The Herald took the cue and had a house-cleaning of its columns. Four attempts to start scurrilous Sunday papers since then have all failed.
In November, 1907, the Republican leased and moved into its present location on Grand Street, the building put up for it by T. F. Jackson.
In 1910 Mr. Lathrop sold his interest to Mr. Pape and moved to California, where he is now located.
In 1911 the paper had grown sufficiently to warrant the installation of a new thirty-six-page Hoe press, the finest printing machine ever used in Waterbury. Another linotype made it a battery of four of these machines. In 1917, with the third plant installed in sixteen years, there is not in the entire business a stick of the original outfit bought from Mr. Atwater. Its mechanical equipment now con- sists of its fine new Hoe press, six linotypes, including two Model 9s and one Model 8, a monotype machine, which casts much of its advertising display type, a Hoe plate finishing machine, and every one of these machines driven by an individual motor.
In February, 1917, the Republican bought the building it now occupies.
310
WATERBURY AND THE NAUGATUCK VALLEY
It has been unswerving in its support of the President during the war period, has espoused and is espousing with all the energy and wisdom at its command every cause that benefits city, state or nation. It has opened its columns to all the publicity needed by those in charge of the Liberty Loans, the Red Cross work, the Tobacco funds and all activities of a like nature.
Its local policy remains unchanged. It stands for the best possible government and for the cleanest possible city.
THE WEEKLY AND MONTHLY PRESS
In 1893 in addition to the daily papers there were in existence in Waterbury five weeklies and one bi-monthly, the latter the National Guardsman, edited by A. C. Northrop. The Examiner was a small weekly, a branch of the Hartford Examiner, and was edited here in that year by M. J. Brzezinski. The Sunday Globe was run by Cornelius Downey and the Sunday Herald, incorporated April 7, 1888, by F. R. Swift. There was also the Valley Catholic published by Rev. Farrell Martin at 108 Bank Street and the Neue Zeitung, a German weekly owned by H. Loether and published at 19 School Street.
By 1895 both the Valley Catholic and the National Guardsman had joined the "journalistic" great majority and in 1896 there were two new recruits, Our Church Review, published at 36 North Main Street by the Press Review Publish- ing Company, and The Waterbury, which continued not much more than a year. In 1898 there were left only the Examiner, the Sunday Globe, the Sunday Herald and the Neue Zeitung with ownership unchanged.
In 1899 there came the first evidence of the growing foreign population in the publication of Il Patriote, which was in fact a branch in Italian of the Hartford Examiner. This lasted less than a year.
In 1900 there was a decided change in the newspaper field. The first new departure was the entrance of the Sunday Globe into the evening field with the title The Evening Globe. Its editors were John J. Splain and Henry O. Sullivan. It was published at 111/2 Grand Street. C. J. Sawdey was its manager. It had an existence of less than a year.
In that year N. L. Nadeau began the publication of his French weekly Le Con- necticut at 36 North Main Street, which lasted not much over a year. There appeared also in this year the Boebachter, a German weekly, taking the place of Loether's Neue Zeitung and under the ownership and editorship of its present executive, Max Taschenberger. It is published at 209 Bank Street. These, with the Herald and Examiner, formed the weekly publications in existence in that year.
In 1903 the only addition was La Tribuna di Waterbury, published at 154 East Main Street.
In 1905 Le Franco-America, with Jean de Vicqas editor, was published for less than a year at 199 Bank Street. F. R. Swift still ran the Waterbury Herald and C. J. Sawdey had started the Sunday Telegram. The Examiner became the property of B. Witkowski and was published at 43 East Main Street.
By 1908 the Examiner and Telegram had disappeared, and in that year Ciro P. Lanza began his Progresso del Connecticut, changing its title in 1910 to Il Pro- gresso del New England, published at 59 Grand Street.
The Sign of the Cross, a religious monthly, was published by Rev. J. A. Stansfield at 644 Thomaston Avenue during 1909 and 1910.
The newcomer in 1912 was the Waterbury Sunday Times, published by John H. Curley, but which existed less than a year.
311
WATERBURY AND THE NAUGATUCK VALLEY
La Verita, published first at 35 Center and later at 199 Bank Street, was the only addition in 1913, and this is still in existence under the editorship of Frank DeFeo.
The Waterbury Worker, a labor paper, was published at 108 Bank Street in 1914 under the auspices of the Central Labor Union, but was discontinued after a few months.
In 1916 the Waterbury Sunday Mail appeared for a brief existence.
In 1917 the weeklies appearing are La Verita, the Italian publication; the Wa- terbury Herald, now a branch of the Bridgeport Herald and printed at Bridgeport ; the Beobachter, still edited by Max Taschenberger, its first editor; and Il Pro- gresso del New England, still edited by Ciro P. Lanza. The Waterbury Herald Company was dissolved as a Waterbury corporation in 1905.
CHAPTER XXVI
WAR AND MILITARY ACTIVITIES
WATERBURY'S SHARE IN THE SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR-CITY PAYS TRIBUTE TO LIEUTENANT FRANK W. KELLOGG, ONE OF HEROES OF BATTLE OF MANILA BAY AND EIGHTY-TWO VETERANS OF WAR-THE CALL TO ARMS IN 1916-WATERBURY BOYS MOVE TO MEXICAN BORDER-OVATION BY CITY ON RETURN- DECLARATION OF WAR ON GERMANY FINDS WATERBURY IN MIDST OF RECRUITING CAMPAIGN-THE NATIONAL GUARD GOES TO THE FRONT-THE DRAFT-THE LIBERTY LOANS-THE RED CROSS-WATERBURY'S MANY PATRIOTIC EFFORTS-TRIBUTE TO ROCHAMBEAU.
When war was declared on Spain in 1898, Connecticut and Waterbury, notable among its cities, was not slow to respond to the call to arms. Previous to the actual declaration of war all state military organizations tendered their services to the President for any duty that might be required of them. Regiments were then called out according to seniority of colonels. The First Regiment was named under the first call for troops with Battery A, Light Artillery. Under the second call the Third Regiment responded. Nine companies of the First were mustered in May 17, 1898, the remaining companies and batteries on the follow- ing day.
The Second Regiment, which was then commanded by Col. Lucien F. Burpee, and which contained the Waterbury battalion of the National Guard, was held in readiness for service, and recruited to its full strength. While not called out officially, the companies devoted much time to drill and to field work. No Connecticut organizations were called into service in the Cuban campaign.
Among those commissioned, however, as officers of volunteers was Colonel Burpee, who was appointed lieutenant-colonel and judge advocate of United States Volunteers.
There were, however, a number of Waterbury men who volunteered and who saw active service in both Cuba and the Philippines with the regular army and in the navy both as officers and privates.
On May 1, 1898, the naval battle of Manila Bay was fought and on board the cruiser Baltimore, one of Dewey's fighting ships, was a Waterbury man, Lieut. Frank W. Kellogg, who was among the wounded on that fateful day. Lieutenant Kellogg retired as captain in 1914, but on November 1, 1917, again responded to the call to duty and is now at the Charleston Navy Yard.
Captain Kellogg is a brother of Judge John P. Kellogg of the Superior Court and of Mrs. Irving H. Chase, and a son of Gen. Stephen W. Kellogg, a former congressman from this state. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1879, was with Rear Admiral Benham at Rio de Janerio during the Brazilian insurrection of 1894 and from 1897 to 1899 was stationed on the U. S. S. Baltimore, where he distinguished himself in the now world-famous naval engagement.
Since then he has commanded the U. S. S. Indiana, the New Jersey, the Maine, has had many assignments to important land posts and was retired June 30, 1914.
312
313
WATERBURY AND THE NAUGATUCK VALLEY
On October 20, 1899, Lieutenant Kellogg returned to Waterbury to be the central figure in one of the most notable civic and military celebrations ever held here.
His Waterbury townsmen had arranged a parade and review and the formal presentation of a sword of honor to commemorate his participation in the battle of Manila Bay. Col. Lucien F. Burpee was marshal of the day. Governor Lounsbury and his staff honored the occasion by their presence. In the parade were all the military and civic societies of Waterbury. The reviewing stand was fashioned to resemble the outlines of the U. S. S. Baltimore. Mayor Thomas D. Barlow presented the sword. Medals were presented to eighty-two Waterbury veterans of the Spanish-American war who were on this day jointly honored with Lieutenant Kellogg. Some of them, including Seaman Shea, who was at the battle of Manila, were not present. Frederick W. Shindler, a member of Battery M, Fifth United States Artillery and stationed at Tampa, Fla., and Private John B. Porter, who had been in Cuba, commanded these veterans in the parade.
A medal was also presented to Miss Cherrie M. French, Red Cross nurse, who had served at the front in Cuba.
On June 18, 1916, when word came that the National Guard of every state in the Union had been ordered out by the President, for service on the Mexican border, the Waterbury soldiers made prompt response. Capt. Henry B. Carter of Company A, Capt. Roberts R. Hannegan of Company H, and Capt. J. W. Carroll of Company G, within a few hours had men and field equipment ready to move. The three local companies numbered just 188 men, Company A leading with 68 men, Company G next with 61 men, while Company H had 59 men. The officers of the local detachment of the Medical Corps were Capt. Edmund Russell and Lieut. Thomas F. Healy. The junior officers of the three infantry com- panies were as follows: Company A, first lieutenant, Wm. J. Shanahan; second lieutenant, vacant at time of call; Company H, first lieutenant, John L. Gray, Jr .; second lieutenant, Charles E. Hart, Jr .; Company G, first lieutenant, Alva E. Parsons; second lieutenant, Matthew Galligan.
On June 20th the work of recruiting to full war strength (companies of 150 men) began, and city officials, merchants, manufacturers and professional men announced that the families of those who enlisted would be looked after. In many instances full salaries were paid to those who had been called out.
Finally on June 24, 1916, with their ranks nearly complete, the three com- panies left the armory on Phoenix Avenue, and entrained for camp at Niantic. At that time Company G had more than its quota, Company A had reached 12I and Company H was at 112. The parade at noon reviewed by Mayor Scully and Col. Walter H. Chatfield, U. S. A., retired, gave the people of Waterbury their first opoprtunity to see their soldier boys in fighting form.
When the Waterbury companies, with other Connecticut troops, left for the Mexican border, June 28th and 29th, W. J. Shanahan had become captain of Company A, succeeding Capt. Henry B. Carter, who had been then over thirty years in the service. First Sergeant Fitzgibbons became second lientenant. Cap- tain Carter was declared medically unfit on account of an old strain received while riding. The Waterbury companies were stationed at Nogales. Arizona, from July to October.
In Waterbury the Red Cross raised a civilian relief fund of $500 a month for the benefit of the families of its soldiers.
On Saturday, October 28, 1916, the Waterbury companies returned home and marched through streets crowded with a chcering multitude estimated at 60,000.
314
WATERBURY AND THE NAUGATUCK VALLEY
All public buildings and business houses were decorated. The marshal of the day was Col. James Geddes and in the parade were the G. A. R., Spanish- American war veterans and many civic societies. At the banquet to the return- ing troopers given in Temple Hall, Judge Lucien F. Burpee, Mayor Scully and Charles A. Colley delivered addresses.
It was but a brief respite the troops had, for on April 6, 1917, war was declared on Germany and the call for volunteers followed immediately. This was the first of the enlisting campaigns and it has, of course, been continuous. On March 28th, nine days before the declaration of war, the Waterbury com- panies were on duty at the armory nightly awaiting the call to duty. For over a month active recruiting work had been in progress. "America, your country, needs you now" was the sign on the tent erected on The Green for the promotion of naval enlistments.
The governor had named a military emergency board, consisting of Judge Lucien F. Burpee, Benedict M. Holden and J. Moss Ives, and under the state law of March 9, 1917, it began the organization here and elsewhere in the state, of an armed constabulary to do duty as a home guard. The recruiting officers for Waterbury were: John M. Burrall, Henry B. Carter, James Geddes, Patrick Bannon, Thomas F. Hallinan, Henry W. Minor, Roberts G. Hannegan, Wm. H. Sandland, Alfred J. Wolff, and over five hundred were signed up in the first two weeks.
On March 26, 1917, the aldermen had authorized a city guard to be armed and sworn in as special constables. This organization was distinct from the state body.
The Red Cross began its local campaign at once and within a few days had secured a membership of over three thousand. On April 6th the declaration of war found Waterbury in the midst of its "readiness" campaigns. The recruiting offices for every branch of the service were in full swing.
On March 30th the first machine gun for the city guard arrived. On that day also came Maj. John L. Hughes, Coast Artillery, U. S. A., to begin the work of mustering in the three local companies, which were rapidly nearing their war complements.
On April 18th the first food conservation campaign was begun in Waterbury with the inauguration of gardening clubs and the planning of a general vegetable seed planting program for the spring.
Nor was the war fever confined to the American born. A contingent of forty Albanians and of fifty Poles left Waterbury early in June to join, one the Serbian and Albanian troops and the other to become part of the Polish contingent in the French army.
TIIE DRAFT
The draft had in the meantime been authorized by Congress and on June I, 1917, 108 deputies who were to register Waterbury's eligible men between the ages of twenty-one and thirty-one, met in the City Hall and organized for work.
A remarkable feature of registration day, Tuesday, June 5, 1917, was the quiet and law-respecting manner in which the Government orders were carried out. The total registration for Waterbury was 15,566, divided as follows: First Ward, 3,682; Second Ward, 2,442; Third Ward, 3,690; Fourth Ward, 3,114; Fifth Ward, 2,343; Sixth District (Waterville), 295.
The Waterbury exemption boards announced June 26th were as follows : City Division No. 1, First and Fifth wards: Judge of Probate Dennis J. Slavin, Dr. Charles A. Monagan, Capt. Alfred J. Wolff.
315
WATERBURY AND THE NAUGATUCK VALLEY
Division No. 2, Sccond Ward and Sixth Voting District: U. G. Church, Dr. Nelson A. Pomeroy, Thomas F. Jackson.
Division No. 3, Third and Fourth wards: Terrence F. Carmody, Francis P. Guilfoile, Dr. Dudley B. Deming.
The quota required by the Government was as follows: First District, 490; Second District, 229; Third District, 550, a total of 1,269.
The first men called under the draft, Friday July 20, 1917, were: First Dis- trict, Adelbert Auray, 1255 East Main Street; Second District, Allie Sely, 114 Thomaston Avenue; Third District, Rocco Lignofe, 181 Charles Street.
The Second Exemption District Board for the state was located in Waterbury on August 4th. This is an appeal board and consists of Leonard M. Daggett, of New Haven; P. F. O'Meara, of New Haven ; Charles R. Trcat, of Orange; Dr. Dudley B. Deming, of Waterbury, and Darragh DeLancey, of Waterbury.
The meeting places for examination of drafted men were arranged as follows : First City District, Crosby High School; Second City District, Y. M. C. A. Build- ing ; Third City District, State's Attorney's office. The second exemption district board for the state arranged to meet in the courthouse.
On August 14th the work of examination began and on August 20th the Third City District had reached its quota. The other districts were completed almost as speedily, but exemptions for physical and other causes kept the city district boards occupied until September. The Second Exemption District Board for the state is still holding sessions.
On September 20th the first draft contingent of 2 per cent from each district entrained for Camp Devens, Ayer, Mass. The second contingent of 40 per cent leaving Scptember 27th and a later contingent of 43 per cent October 4th. Recently 150 men were called and sent to Fort Wright, Fisher's Island. Approx- imately 13 per cent are not yet called and these will probably be summoned under the new questionnaire sent out late in 1917.
The Waterbury National Guard companies had been sent to Camp Yale at New Haven, April 3, 1917. In September they were encamped at Fort Totten, N. Y. They left for service abroad in October.
On August 24th the First and Second regiments of the Connecticut National Guard were merged into the One Hundred and Second Regiment, United States Infantry. Waterbury's men formed companies A, G, and H. They are officered as follows: Company A, captain, William J. Shanahan ; first lieutenants, John Fitzgibbons, Ray E. Hall; second lieutenants, Colin M. Ingersoll, William E. Murtaugh. Company G, captain, Harry B. Bissell; first lieutenants, James A. Hagerty, Fred W. Deaucar ; second lieutenants, Thomas W. Brown, Leonard J. Maloney. Company H, captain, John L. Gray, Jr .; first lieutenants, Florence W. Geer, Joseph E. Murtaugh ; second lieutenants, Cyrus C. Washburn, Edward C. Bell. Thomas F. Healey is headquarters company captain.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.