USA > Connecticut > Fairfield County > Norwalk > The romance of Norwalk > Part 30
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
379
LETTERS-LIGHTS
The Norwalk Gas Light Company was leased to the Consolidated Railway Company August 1, 1906 and later was taken over by the Connecticut Railway and Lighting Company. In 1918 this property was taken over by the Connecticut Light and Power Company, the existing owner.
December 12, 1898 John D. Milne took charge of the local company branch, moving here from Rockville, where he had been operating the Rockville Gas Company for a period of 15 years. The company office then stood where the Norwalk post office now stands, 14 Wall st. At that time the total gas made per day was 45,000 cubic feet. By 19,18, the gas made per day had jumped to 400,000 cubic feet. This usage has gradually increased until, at the present time, the total gas made per day is 900,000 cubic feet. The company supplies a total of 6,800 cus- tomers in this city with gas, through a main system totaling 60 miles in length. Mr. Milne has seen more than 30 years of service with the company in Norwalk. The Connecticut Light and Power Co. now handles electricity in addition to gas and at the present time has 10,900 electric customers in Norwalk. The electricity, which is made at Devon and transmitted to Norwalk over high voltage transmission line, is served over an area comprising 250 square miles. The Norwalk division, Connecticut Light and Power Co. em- ploys 168 men and women. Edwin A. Harris is manager. The office is at 69 Wall st.
EAST NORWALK PLANT
The history of the East Norwalk Electric Light plant must necessarily be preceded by the history of the East Norwalk fire district which was organized for fire pro- tection June 8, 1894. First officers were, committee : M. H. Tolles, J. S. Randall, Gilbert E. Bogart; treasurer, L. W. Doty; clerk, E. H. Gumbart; collector, W. S. Tate; audi- tors, E. B. Smith, John S. Seymour and E. C. Caswell. May 25, 1906, the powers of the fire district were increased
380
ROMANCE OF NORWALK
to maintain sewers and to light the streets. July 17, 1907, an act was passed by the state legislature authorizing the purchase of current from the city of South Norwalk; March 26, 1908, it was voted to build lines and purchase current from South Norwalk. Later, further legislation was passed so that the district could generate its own current. In 1913 the East Norwalk Fire District was succeeded by the third taxing district of the city of Norwalk and on April 27 of the following year, land was purchased at Second and New sts. for a new station. The station first generated its own current in December 1914. October 25, 1918, con- tract was made to purchase all current from the Connecti- cut Light and Power Co. Growth of the station is demon- strated by the following figures: 1912, 90 customers re- ported using 67,000 k.w.h. per year; 1929, 1450 cus- tomers were using 1, 127,494 k.w.h. per year. Present officers are : commissioners : James L. Hoyt, Edward E. Gor- ham, and Stewart C. Marshall, while the treasurer is Les- lie W. Gorham.
"THE BRIDGE," NORWALK
CHAPTER XXXII
Norwalk Becomes City in 1893-Local Men Fight In Spanish American War-Dr. Arthur N. Clark Brings First Automobile To Town-Alpha Bicycle Club And Its Bunker Hill Day Races-Norwalk In 1901 had Popu- lation of 19,932
BY an act of the Connecticut legislature, June 30, 1893, the City of Norwalk was incorporated. On July 22, a special borough meeting of the Borough of Norwalk was held at which time the charter of the city of Norwalk was approved and in October, 1893, the first city officials were named. The Hope Hose rooms on Commerce st., Nor- walk, then Water st., was the scene of the first city election, the following being named :
Mayor : Edwin O. Keeler; councilmen : John A. Osborn, Elbert S. Adams, Arthur C. Wheeler, Eugene L. Boyer, Alfred A. Chinery, Jr., J. Arthur Pinneo; auditor, Victor S. Selleck; collector, Addison A. Betts; city treasurer and treasurer of the water fund, Henry P. Price; board of registration : Alfred E. Austin, Bernard C. Feeney; inspec- tors of elections : Edward M. Lockwood, Bernard Tully; city sheriff, Robert N. Morehouse; board of water com- missioners : John P. Treadwell, Frederick Mead, Clarence B. Coolidge. The new council held its first meeting in Janu- ary, 1894, the following being elected: President of Coun- cil, John A. Osborn; city clerk and corporation counsel, Edward M. Lockwood; board of relief, William F. Acton, Aurelius J. Meeker, Burr Smith; health officer, Jarvis Kel- logg; commissioner of streets, Elbert S. Adams; fire in- spector, Frederick E. Lockwood; fire department chief en- gineer, J. Thornton Prowitt.
381
382
ROMANCE OF NORWALK
The mayors of the city of Norwalk have been as follows : 1894, Edwin O. Keeler; 1895, James T. Hubbell, (now Judge Hubbell) ; 1896 and 1897, Arthur C. Wheeler; 1898, 1899 and 1900, Charles Glover; 1901,. George Buxton; 1902, Charles Glover; 1903, Ferdinand B. Smith; 1904, George Buxton; 1905, Charles Glover; 1906, Wallace Dann; 1907, Charles A. Scofield; 1908, John Cavanagh; 1909, Leeman Brundage; 1910, Leeman Brundage, (died during term of office ) ; 1910, E. J. Finnegan, finished Brun- dage's unexpired term; 1911, E. J. Finnegan, reelected. He served until the consolidation in 1913.
SPANISH AMERICAN WAR
"Remember the Maine!" is the slogan of the veterans of the Spanish American War 1898-99, and Norwalk has just cause to remember the Maine for she had two sol- diers aboard, Oscar Anderson and Col. James Allen.
Anderson received injuries on the ship which later resulted in his death. For many years he lived at Oyster Shell Point where he ran a boat works. He passed away about ten years ago. Col. Allen was also injured on the ship.
Norwalk sent a whole company to the front, Company L, Third Regiment, Connecticut Volunteer Infantry. The com- pany however, did not leave the states. But there were Norwalkers who did; Norwalkers who saw service not only in Cuba but in the Philippines. Among those who went to Cuba were : Fred Hodges, 7 Hayes st. ; Albert R. Williams, 66 Clinton ave .; Benjamin Sugden, 251 Ely ave .; Michael J. Murphy, 9 Reed st .; Aaron T. Dawson, 31 Spring st. and Charles Vollmer.
Mr. Dawson also saw service in the Philippines, as did James E. Flynn, 132 Flaxhill road; Frank P. Rooney, 4 Jefferson st .; Harry J. Keena, 38 Center ave .; William Bassen, George Hopkins, Crescent Terrace; John Gorman, Milton Lockwood, in U. S. Marines, was stationed in China.
The majority of the Norwalkers enlisted in Company L,
383
"THE BRIDGE," NORWALK
Third Connecticut. The men, all volunteers, left Norwalk June 23, 1898 and made camp in Niantic where they re- mained for two months. The next camp was in Meade, Pa., where the company remained for two more months. From November 17, 1898 until January 21, 1899, the company was in Camp Marion, South Carolina; Jan. 22, Camp Onward, Ga. From Feb. 20, 1899 until March 15, the men were on provost guard in Savannah, Georgia, where they remained until they were mustered out, at Camp Onward March 20, 1899. There was a great demonstra- tion at the station when Company L, left Norwalk for no one knew how long the soldiers were to be gone, nor where they would go, nor what they would do. After camp broke in Niantic, the men took train for New York on their way to Camp Meade, Pa. It was expected that the train would stop in South Norwalk and large crowds gathered to hail the local soldiers and to cheer them on their way. At the last minute, some change in schedule erased the stop from the program and the train dashed through the station so fast that the boys on board could not even see those who had come down to bid them a last good bye.
In camp, the Norwalkers fared very well. Only in Meade was trouble experienced when an epidemic of typhoid broke out. Twelve Norwalk men were stricken but all recovered. There were 40,000 soldiers at Meade at the time and hundreds of the soldiers were taken with the sickness. Stam- ford lost three men. In South Carolina, rifles were issued and the men were sure they were to see service at last. But nothing happened. On the day that Company L was scheduled to return to Norwalk, the whole city turned out in greeting and the station was black with people. A large banquet had been prepared for the occasion and everything was in readiness for a grand time for the returning boys. But alas ! Once again a change in the schedule served Nor- walk a disappointment and the day came and went without a sign of a soldier. Not until nearly 24 hours later did the boys arrive. We do not know whether or not the ban
384
ROMANCE OF NORWALK
quet was warmed over. The names of those who served in Company L, Third Regiment, the names of those who served in other companies, Third Regiment, and the names of those who served in other companies and other regiments, during the Spanish American War will be found in the appendix.
FIRST AUTO IN NORWALK
Bolting horses, frightened women, and much clatter and noise marked the appearance of the first automobile in Norwalk, owned by Dr. Arthur N. Clark, now of 3 Wash- ington st, in October, 1899. The car was a Winton with the machinery under the body, large hard rubber tires, high dashboard and one stiff, lone seat. As Dr. Clark went dashing down the street in his five horsepower car at the rate of 20 miles an hour, the people of the town dashed out en masse to the piazzas, some to cheer and wave, some to stare in mute astonishment, some to shake their heads in sadness as they predicted the good physician's early demise. The car made such a racket that it could be heard blocks away, and screaming women and bolting horses were a common occurrence. Typical of the manner in which the Norwalkers accepted the advent of the automobile in Nor- walk is the following conversation over the telephone be- tween a woman in Georgetown and Dr. Clark :
"Doctor, do you intend to go out today?"
"Why, I don't know, why do you ask?"
"Well, doctor, if you aren't going out, I'd like to come downtown in my horse and carriage and do a little market- ing !"
There were no garages in those days so that owners of cars were forced to do all their own repair work. Dr. Clark said that every spare minute of his time not occupied with professional duties was put into the car, in order to keep the machine together.
It is believed that Eben Hill (of the Iron Works
385
"THE BRIDGE," NORWALK
Co. Hills), had the second automobile, a "steamer." Gen- eral Russell Frost, 41 High st., had the third automobile, an open Oldsmobile "buggy," so called because of its re- semblance to a horse buggy. Later, he purchased a Winton. Dr. George Fawcett, 8 Washington st., had the first closed car. The natives were horrified, for they just knew he was going to be killed. In those days, only the brave and courageous purchased closed cars. Open ones were much more popular for the owners figured if anything terrible happened they could leap out. And how could that be managed in a closed car ?
BICYCLING DAYS
Bicycles were much more popular with the local people in the "gay nineties" than were automobiles. Early in 9I there was formed in this city, the Alpha Bicycle Club, members of which journeyed all over the country together and every 17th of June on Bunker Hill Day, held races from the Norwalk Green, Park st., down to Dorlon's Point. Many prominent men were members including: Le Grand Raymond, Oliver B. Jackson, jeweler; William Gunther, secretary; Frank Lauder, Ralph Gregory, Fred Hanford, George Lockwood, Ed Thomas, George Allen, George Cur- tis, and Edward M. Jackson, photographer. The club con- tinued in action for five years, the last meeting being held in 1896. During the club's existence, the so called "safety" bicycle was used, a standard wheel similar to those in use today. The "tandem" or two seater type wheel was the approved machine for beginners, the instructor being on the rear seat, the learner on the front.
The old fashioned bicycle with the great high wheel in front and the little one behind was just going out of style when the Alpha Club was formed. It is thought that Joe Mathias of upper Norwalk had one of the first. When the new "safety" type came in, most of the Norwalkers pur-
386
ROMANCE OF NORWALK
chased the latest style. Among the first were Dr. Clark and Roy Wheeler of Wheeler Brothers foundry.
Speaking of wheels and other things, it might not be amiss to state here that Francis Boylston of Rowayton, built the first baby carriage on springs, offered for sale in the United States. Baby carriages do not rightly belong in this article, yet, after all, the fact must be taken into consideration, that they furnished the first means of locomotion for all the foregoing pioneers.
NORWALK IN 1901
When the year 1901 rolled around, Norwalk had been settled just 250 years. What had been its progress ? "The popular opinion is that Norwalk has not lived up to her possibilities and therefore has little reason for boasting," says Edmund E. Crowe, present postmaster of the South Norwalk Post Office in an article on "Norwalk's Indus- tries," published in 1901. "This may in a large measure be true, but to the close observer it is evident that Norwalk, after all, is not unimportant in the world of business. Her reputation for air compressors, hats, shoes, corsets, locks, hardware, woolen goods and other manufactured products is as favorable in all parts of the world as to our own people."
According to the U. S. Census Bulletin of 1901 Norwalk had about 3, 172 wage earners, a population of 19,932, and numerous manufactures. In 1901, Norwalk had 10 cigar and tobacco factories, two lock and hardware companies, II "workers in metal," 6 confectionery establishments, four box making companies, three soda water factories, two shoe factories, I I hat companies, 7 "workers in wood," 28 oyster planters, one woolen goods factory, one felt company, one pottery, one company making overcoatings, three fur fac- tories, one shirt and shirt waist factory, one corset company, one straw hat factory, one air and gas compressors works, and 25 "miscellaneous" factories.
CONSOLIDATION
CHAPTER XXXIII
Norwalk and South Norwalk Become One City After Fif- teen Years of Town Meetings on Matter-Francis I. Burnell is First Mayor-New Police Department Formed -Steel and Concrete Bridge Built Across Norwalk River in Lower End of City.
AFTER nearly 15 years of town meetings devoted to the matter of consolidation, Norwalk and South Norwalk be- came one, the City of Norwalk, by a special act of the state legislature, June 6, 1913. Back in the old days, long before consolidation, such bitter sectional feeling existed between Norwalk and South Norwalk that it was difficult for the resi- dents to work together on any subject which affected the town as a whole. Gang wars were frequent and old timers tell tales of the days when the boys and young men always traveled around in large groups, because they did not know at what moment a rival gang from some antagonistic sec- tion of the city, might set upon them. If the men didn't "pull" together, neither did the women. The ladies of Norwalk, very conservative, would never have thought of inviting to their card parties, the ladies of South Norwalk, very progressive. And so it went.
CONSOLIDATION
The matter of consolidating Norwalk and South Norwalk into one city first appeared in the town records of February 27, 1899, when it was "voted that a committee consisting of one representative from each of the several school dis- tricts of the town, except South Norwalk Union School
387
388
ROMANCE OF NORWALK
district, two representatives from said South Norwalk Union School district, three representatives from the city of Nor- walk and three representatives from the fire district of East Norwalk, being a committee of 22 in all, be appointed, each representative by his respective district, or municipality, to meet and put into concrete form the various necessary and expedient provisions of a charter for consolidation of the City of Norwalk." April 10, 1899, General Russell Frost re- ported that a gathering of the representatives as specified in the February town meeting had been held in the Norwalk club. Hon. J. Belden Hurlbutt, one of the representatives had prepared a synopsis of a charter for the proposed city of Norwalk and this was read in town meeting. A motion was then made that Mr. Hurlbutt should complete the charter and deliver the same to Representative John H. Light, to be presented by him to the General Assembly of the state. Sometime later, the charter was presented. Many objections caused it to be laid aside. The matter was then laid to rest for four years.
January 2, 1903, the question of consolidation came up again. Edwin O. Keeler as moderator was empowered to appoint a committee to draft a charter which would be presented at the next session of the state legislature. The charter was completed April 22, and it was voted to send it as a substitute bill to the legislature. Five days later, several amendments were proposed and then on May I, it was announced that the amended charter would go to Hartford. December 21, 1904 we find at town meeting, the fathers again planning a consolidation. There the matter apparently rested for eight years.
March 29, 1912, a committee composed of Henry Gregory and Harvey Kent, first district; John Keogh and Herbert Mathewson, second; John J. Walsh, third; Frank W. Gregory, north section of town outside of city; and Charles F. Mills, south section of town outside of city, was authorized to draft a charter for the consolidation of the sections of Norwalk into one city. December 4, 1912,
389
CONSOLIDATION
the committee reported, the charter was accepted and it was once again decided to send a charter to the General Assem- bly. Accordingly, the charter was presented at the January session of the state legislature in 1913.
February 26, 1913, the town fathers showed a decided change of heart when they voted to recall from the General Assembly "any consolidated measure pending therein." Several changes were made and a substitute bill prepared. This substitute bill, which is the basis for the present city charter, was formally approved by the state legislature, June 6, 1913, to be a law, subject to the unanimous approval of Norwalk. June 30, 1913, the town voted on the ques- tion of approval or disapproval of the act passed by the General Assembly of the state at the January session, 1913, entitled, "An Act Consolidating the Town Norwalk with the Cities of Norwalk and South Norwalk and the East Norwalk Fire District Incorporating the City of Norwalk." 2,256 voted yes and 1,606 voted no. October 6, 1913, the first officers of the new consolidated city of Norwalk were named as follows.
Mayor, Francis I. Burnell; city treasurer, Wilfred Bod- well; city sheriff, Charles A. Volk; collector of taxes and assessments, Robert G. Mitchell. Board of education : two years, Bernard J. Reynolds, John W. Olmstead, Henry Sherer; four years, Alexander J. Rummler, William P. Ward, J. Milton Coburn; six years, William J. Tracey, Harry Rider, Harry E. Scofield. Selectmen : Wallace Dann, William G. Crockett, John H. Gorham. Town clerk : Herbert R. Smith. Councilmen: Michael J. Riordan, John D. Milne, first ward: Robert M. Wolfe and Harry W. Mather, second: Henry J. Hipson, third; Robert E. Lou- don, fourth; George W. Stevens, fifth.
The mayors since the consolidation of the city have been as follows: 1913-1915 Francis I. Burnell, 1915-1917 Carl Harstrom, 1917-1921 Jeremiah Donovan, 1921-1923 Calvin Barton, 1923-1927 Thomas Robins, 1927-1931 Anson F. Keeler. The list of city and town officers elected
st h 0 d e
d
K S y
1
.
n
390
ROMANCE OF NORWALK
by popular vote and the list of officers and boards appointed by the mayor and council, according to Norwalk's modern form of government, are given in the appendix.
NEW POLICE DEPARTMENT
Immediately after the consolidation of Norwalk and South Norwalk into one city, a new police department was formed. This was in October, 1913, and the following officers were named: Chief of Police, William R. Penning- ton; Detective Sergeant, Thomas Leatherland; Desk Ser- geants, Thomas Hunt and Harry Gibson. In addition there were 18 patrolmen, making a total of 22 men in all on the force. The year 1929 finds that number just doubled, with 44 on the force.
The position of the constable in the very early days of the community's history, 1650, was a very important one. To quote an old record: "He was the arm of the law and the embodiment of His Majesty." The constable was re- quired to read such laws as were then in force, at every session of the General Assembly, to lead in the jury when required, and to appear before the court on all occasions, with his long pole, surmounted with the British emblems of royalty. When the community consisted of the borough of Norwalk and the borough of South Norwalk, each end of the town boasted its own police force, generally one lone officer.
When South Norwalk became a city in 1870, its resi- dents thought it right and meet that the section should have a regular city police department. August 29, 1870, the committee on by-laws and ordinances reported and it was decided that "the police force of this city shall consist of two beside the Chief." John Tuttle became chief. Sep- tember 26, three rooms were leased for the police depart- ment in the Dibble block on North Main st., at the rate of $12.50 a month. A little later in the records appears a statement of the expenses of the early station house which
391
CONSOLIDATION
were as follows: coal, $21.25; wood, $3.25 ; cleaning sta- tion house, $2.25 ; police hats, $7.50; whitewash brush, $1.25 ; oil, $2.20; matches, $.54; brooms, $.60; wicks and burners, $.30; and lamp chimneys, $.20. The report ap- pears to cover several months of time. James C. Crowe was chief of police in 1875 and on July 26 of that year he issued an annual report which showed that 57 arrests had been made during the year, 33 of which were accredited to himself.
Norwalk became a city in 1893 and in January, 1894, it announced a new police department. Thomas Bradley was named chief; Wallace Dann, who is now first district com- missioner, captain; R. N. Morehouse, first patrolman; W. S. Bartram and John H. Kinney, second and third patrol- men. The chief was to receive $2.50 a day as was the captain, while the patrolmen would receive $2 a day. In June, 1927, the Board of Public Safety was created within the city of Norwalk to have charge of the local fire and police departments. The first members named were Fred Kane, Charles Maschal, George Ingham and Emile Hem- ming. When Mr. Ingham died, William Foster was put in his place.
William R. Pennington is the present chief of the Nor- walk police department. He has been chief since the con- solidation of the city in 1913 and was a member of the local police force for 20 years before that time. The de- partment now includes 44 members. Martin Lengyel is lieutenant of the detective bureau; Bryan Silk, desk sergeant; Frank Raymond, desk sergeant until his death in September ; Thomas Dorney, captain; Jeremiah Dorney, traffic sergeant ; John Flynn, lieutenant; Charles Page, lieutenant; Albert Fraser, detective sergeant; and Frank Stratton, roundsman sergeant.
THE "NEW BRIDGE"
In the fall of 1914, the modern steel and concrete
392
ROMANCE OF NORWALK
bridge across the Norwalk river, from the foot of Washing- ton st. in South Norwalk to Liberty Square in East Nor- walk, was completed. Previous to this time, a wooden bridge had spanned the waters. Before the time of the wooden bridge which was built in 1867, pedestrians used a foot bridge on the side of the railroad bridge, while vehicles in South Norwalk were forced to take the roundabout road up through Norwalk, in order to reach East Norwalk. George S. Bell, father of Mrs. Ellis Taylor of 62 Cove ave., who was a member of the committee in charge of the con- struction of the wooden bridge in 1867 tells of the efforts of the South Norwalkers to get a bridge from their town over into East Norwalk, previous to this time.
"There seems to have been a desire to build a bridge in the year 1833," he says in an article entitled "Reminiscenses" under date of 1894. "At a town meeting held Dec. 29, 1833, it was voted that Daniel K. Nash, Raymond Bene- dict, John Mallory, Thomas Benedict, jr., Ezra Hoyt, Arnet A. Nash, and Thomas Hanford, be permitted to build a bridge from Fort Point, so called, to Old Well, on con- dition that they put in a good draw to be opened on the approach of vessels and at no expense to the town. This scheme seems to have been backed with good solid names, every one of them, but apparently nothing came of it. Twenty years passed without an attempt to get a bridge across the river, until the old one at Norwalk was swept away by a flood in 1854."
August 2, 1854, says Mr. Hoyt, a meeting was held with the purpose of borrowing $3,000 to construct a stone bridge in Norwalk to replace the ruined one. Now, thought the citizens of South Norwalk and East Norwalk, is the time for us to bestir ourselves and get a bridge of our own. To that end a second town meeting was called on the ninth of the month and $10,000 appropriated for a bridge at South Norwalk. Committees were named and all plans made. The friends of the project were elated but they were doomed to disappointment, for due to some unexplained reason, no
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.