USA > Connecticut > Fairfield County > Norwalk > The romance of Norwalk > Part 31
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action was taken by the building committee and so nothing happened. Twelve more years passed and then on April 14, 1866, George S. Bell, S. E. Osborn, D. H. Fitch, Edwin Lockwood and Samuel Lynes, M.D. (later resigned) were appointed a committee in charge of the construction of a bridge across the river at South Norwalk "with a suitable draw, and at an expense not to exceed $18,000.". It was voted to lay a tax of three mills on the dollar to pay for the bridge. Later $7,000 additional was appropriated and work was begun on a bridge of the "best Georgia pine." The necessity of sending south for the materials delayed the work until the following spring. The bridge was opened to travel July, 1867.
Although it had first been planned to pay for the bridge by taxing the people three mills on the dollar, this plan was abandoned and instead, toll charges were used "for each man and horse, two cents; for each vehicle drawn by one horse, three cents; for two horses, five cents; for more than two, eight cents. No tolls were to be collected on Sunday nor were any tolls to be collected from foot pas- sengers. At a subsequent town meeting, all toll charges were removed and passage on the bridge was free. In 1882, it was found necessary to rebuild the draw and $20,000 was appropriated for that purpose, the draw being finished in 1883. Twelve years later radical repairs were made to the superstructure and the bridge was widened to the full width of the right of way owned by the town.
Agitation was commenced for a new draw bridge in South Norwalk, across the river in 1908 and on September 23, of that year, Ebenezer Hill, James Golden, J. Thornton Prowitt, Arthur Waldron, Wallace Dann and Harry Rider were appointed a committee to investigate the need. The committee reported two months later, advising a brand new bridge, a slight change of location and the riddance "of the buildings now on the bridge." A concrete arched bridge of girder or cantilever construction, and a new draw the full width of the bridge "of the single leaf lifting type" was
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decided upon at a meeting, March 9, 1910. Application was to be made to the General Assembly for permission to issue bonds to the extent of $250,000. A bill, entitled "An act Authorizing the Issue of Improvement Bonds by the town of Norwalk for the construction of the New Wash- ington Street Bridge, and the purchase of a Park and for other purposes," was introduced into the legislature by Rep. Henry Matheis.
A volcanic town meeting under date of April 5, 1911, revealed through a resolution presented by the Hon. John J. Walsh, that the selectmen had taken it upon themselves to employ counsel to draft a bill concerning the bridge for the legislature but had failed to submit the same to the town or to advise any of the town fathers of their intention of submitting such a bill to the legislature. Judge Walsh, at the stormy session declared that the bill contained no provision for state help; no provision whereby the Connec- ticut Co. would be required to pay a share of the cost of the bridge which had to be built "one-third wider and ten times stronger" to accommodate the tracks; and that no provision was made whereby the buildings at either end of the pile structure could be legally removed. Just a week later, at a second "hot" meeting, John Keogh offered a resolution which condemned the actions of the selectmen, who purposed to "arrogate to themselves powers and duties contrary to the wishes of the voters of the town," which made mention of the fact that "there are many and weighty reasons why the said Washington st. bridge should be built by a bridge construction committee rather than by the selectmen" and which urged that the selectmen be instructed to withdraw their substitute bill. The resolution was voted in the affirmative.
The bill finally passed by the legislature provided for a concrete bridge with steel draw; for the elimination of all buildings at the ends of the proposed bridge; for the estab- lishment of a park; for the issuance by the town of bonds to the extent of $250,000. In addition, the state promised
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to pay for expenses to the total of $50,000. April 23, 1913, the contract for the building of the new bridge was awarded to McHarg, Barton and Co. of New York city for $277,955, they to sublet the contract for the draw bridge to the Scherzer Rolling Lift Bridge Co. of Chicago for $32,927. The contract for paving was given to Daniel Toomey of this city for $14,000. In the fall of 1914 the bridge was finished. During 1929 extensive repairs have been made to the structure and several sections of new paving have been laid.
WORLD WAR
CHAPTER XXXIV
Norwalk Men Mobilize Eight Hours After Congress Passes War Resolution-Two Local Boys Receive Medals- Those Who Died-French Cannon Dedicated Here- Norwalkers In Law and Medical Professions-City Takes Part in Suffrage Fight
JUST eight hours after the National House of Representa- tives passed the resolution which announced the entry of the United States into the World War, April 6, 1917, the Norwalk members of the Naval Militia, Fifth Division, had mobilized at the Norwalk Armory and were in form to march to camp. The resolution was passed at 3 in the morning and at II that night 70 of the 72 members of the local company were ready and waiting to go. Two members were out of town.
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NORWALK MEN LEAVE
Events moved swiftly after that. At 5:30 Monday morning, April 9, in the midst of a driving blizzard, the 72 members boarded a train for Massachusetts, to the accom- paniment of the tears and cheers of 200 Norwalkers who had gathered at the station to bid them goodbye. Officers who went with this brave little group, the first of Norwalk's sons to leave for the battlefield, were Lieutenant Harry Sta- cey Benton and Ensign Louden Jessup. The company went to Boston where it was divided into sections, some of the boys going on transports, some on battleships.
Norwalk had an admirable record during the World War, sending no less than 1,627 of her men and women into
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the ranks to serve America and humanity. Forty-five were killed or died in service, 17 women served in the army and navy nurse corps; seven of the city doctors and two of the dentists are included in the number who went to the front from Norwalk; one local woman was in the chemical serv- ice; five women were with the Y. M. C. A .; one man was with the Y. M. C. A. and two were with the Knights of Columbus.
Ten thousand Norwalkers jammed the streets of the city and packed every inch of the railroad station grounds on the morning of July 28, 1917, when the local boys, making up the Sixth company, Coast Artillery, Connecticut National Guard, left for camp.
So great was the excitement and so bad the crush, that several women fainted and had to be carried away. A plat- form had been erected near the station for the farewell ceremonies, and rousing speeches were given by Mayor Carl Axel Harstrom, Judge John J. Walsh, Congressman E. J. Hill, Porter Emerson Browne, writer; Commander Thomas Bradley of Buckingham Post, G. A. R., and by Albert N. Mossman, captain of the Sixth Company. Just before the close of the ceremonies the boys were presented with a dona- tion of $500 to be used as a company fund in times of stress. When the train puffed into the station at 9 o'clock, mothers, wives, sisters and sweethearts rushed to the soldiers for one more embrace and the cars pulled out with nearly half the company crowded onto the rear platform to wave a last farewell.
Officers in this company were Albert N. Mossman, cap- tain; Jesse T. Dunbar, first lieutenant; Floyd Coffin, second lieutenant. The boys went first to Fort Terry, Plum Island, New York, off New London, were later changed to the 35th company, Long Island defense, and were then placed in the 56th Regiment Field Artillery, where they were divided into various battalions. The soldiers went overseas after a short period of training and spent gruelling months on the firing line. All of the above men were volunteers. In ad-
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dition there were a number of drafted men who went from Norwalk. The first three to leave Norwalk for camp, Sep- tember 5, 1917, were Stephen Dokus, Calvin A. Miller and Theodore H. Clark. Most of the drafted men were sent to Camp Devens where they were later placed in the 76th Division and shipped overseas. July 31, 1918, 25 colored boys were tendered a large banquet in their club, 122 Water st., as a farewell party before taking train for camp.
Shortly after war was declared, Company D, 102nd In- fantry, 26 Division, arrived in Norwalk from New Haven, under military orders, to guard all bridges, piers, govern- ment stations and factories in this vicinity. Later, the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad sent its own civilian guards to watch the railroad. While the company was here, a number of Norwalkers enlisted. Afterwards, the company went to France, took part in several battles and lost a number of men to German prison camps.
At a special session of the state legislature in the summer of 1917, authorization was given for the formation of home guard units in the various Connecticut towns and cities. The Norwalk men organized, there being two companies, I. and K. Charles Rogers was first captain of Co. I, Harry Sterling, E. C. Nash and Charles Britto being later captains. Charles Milne was captain of Co. K., Charles Guarnieri being first lieutenant and George C. Meehan, second lieu- tenant. January 21, 1918, following a rumored report that a movement was on foot to blow up the railroad bridge in South Norwalk, the two home guard companies were or- dered to call their members together ready to report for duty along the line of the railroad. At that time Godfrey and McCarg were given as the lieutenants in Co. K. There are many in town today, who remember this famous "Battle of the Bridge." There was no battle, the appellation was just a nickname. All night long through the bitter cold, the bridge was patrolled by the Home Guard. The men had their headquarters in the railroad station and there reported from time to time. No regular uniforms were used for
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there were none on hand and many of the men appeared in the long blue coats and the little blue caps of bygone wars. Some carried Civil War rifles. Be that as it may, they did their duty.
Norwalk, during the World War, went through the heat- less, meatless and wheatless days; gave up white bread, sugar, and automobile riding on Sundays and spent most of its spare time in buying Liberty bonds, knitting, and working for the "boys" under the direction of the Norwalk War Bureau. Clubs and societies of all kinds cooperated with the city during those trying days and the good work of the Red Cross, the Y. M. C. A., the Salvation Army, the K. of C. and the Y. M. H. A. especially, should be mentioned.
:
"DER KAISER"
King George came to Norwalk in Revolutionary times.
"Der Kaiser" came to Norwalk in World War times. True, King George turned out to be a leaden statue which was shortly melted down into bullets. "Der Kaiser" was also a statue, at least it was a bronze bust which had at one time graced the German ship "Vaterland" and which was captured and brought to the Wilson Point shipyards during the war. There it remained for some time, in a boxed cage in one of the storerooms, until it was finally sold to the Italian proprietor of the Miramar Inn.
A most important place was Wilson Point during the World War. It so happened that shortly after war broke out, contracts for the building of ships were given to ship- builders all along the New England coast, regardless of the size or facilities of the yards. As a result, some small yards which could not build more than one boat at a time, had contracts for four or five. There was no room in these little yards for all the building material which was being sent to them as fast as it could be gathered from different parts of the country, and very shortly the railroads and yards were so clogged with lumber and supplies and marine
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engines, that nothing could go forward or be accomplished at all. It was necessary for the government to open an emergency storage yard at once. Wilson Point was chosen for just that purpose and here, during the war, lumber and engines from all parts of the United States, on their way to the New England shipyards, were stored until needed by those shipyards. Silverware, glassware and souvenirs of all kinds taken off the German boats, also found their way into the local yards where they were retained until the end of the war. At one time, as many as 800 men were employed at the shipyards. Belden Bailey of Russell st., remained there during the entire time, as assistant guard master, later as assistant to the auditor, then in the operating department, then as assistant to the final sales manager for the whole northeastern district. William Brown was super-
intendent, Joseph Doman, general superintendent under Brown; Philip Fielding, electrician; William F. Hoyt, in charge of vessels; Carlton Underwood, in charge of lumber dept. Affairs at the Wilson Point yards were wound up in May, 1922 at which time all lumber engines and supplies then on hand were sold at auction.
Men and women, boys and girls, old and young did their "bit" in Norwalk during the World War. Before closing the account of the activities of the local people during that eventful period, mention must be made of the Auxiliary Police, composed of young men in the community who as- sisted in the guarding of the town and who were subject to the orders of Chief of Police William R. Pennington. One of the most prominent members of this group was Cornelius Vanderbilt, jr., scion of one of the wealthiest families in the country and recent owner of several newspapers, who at- tended the Harstrom school on Prospect ave., Norwalk, during the World War.
With the signing of the Armistice, November 11, 1918, the Norwalk boys from overseas commenced coming home. Corporal William Croal, gassed and wounded, and a patient in a New York hospital, and Corporal LeRoy D. Downs,
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gassed, and a patient in a New Jersey hospital, both of whom served overseas, were the first to come home, arriving on the day the Armistice was signed. From that time on, the boys came home at frequent intervals in big and little groups. After most of them had arrived, the townspeople staged a big celebration which included a parade and a great banquet down at Baxter Field, Woodward ave. Dur- ing the homecoming celebrations, when the boys marched past the City hall, the members of Court Laurel, Catholic Daughters of America, standing on the steps, showered them with flowers.
FRENCH CANNON DEDICATED
Honoring the Norwalk men who served in the World War, an historical French cannon was dedicated July 16, 1921, and the cannon may now be seen, gay in its camouflage paint, on the little green which fronts the Norwalk library. On that memorable dedication day, thousands gathered in the upper end of the town to witness the ceremonies. The noted guest of honor was M. Casenave, French High Com- missioner and Minister Plenipotentiary of the Government of France, who came to Norwalk to supervise the dedica- tion. In his talk M. Casenave said: "The Republic of France presents to the citizens of Norwalk this French gun in recognition of the service rendered by the men of Nor- walk in the World War, and in the hope that the spirit of friendship and affection between the sister republics may be further advanced by this event."
The gun, which was brought to Norwalk through the efforts of Lieutenant Herman B. Wilson, U. S. A. has a remarkable history. After the Franco-Prussian War, when the Prussians left France in September 1872, they took with them all the French arms. Quickly recovering, the engineers of France in 1873 commenced designing new guns. One of these was the 155 mm. howitzer, a type known as "Revanche," presented to Norwalk. In August 1914, the
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gun was in service at Verdun and in October 1918 the 26th Division of the U. S. A. working in conjunction with the Fourth French Army in the defense of Verdun and in the attacks and victories in the vicinity, was aided by this howitzer. There were many Norwalkers in the 26th. Talks were given at the ceremony by General Russell Frost, Adjutant General George Cole of Connecticut and Corpora- tion Counsel Edward J. Quinlan, who received the gift for Norwalk. A second cannon, a German gun, was dedicated May 30, 1928, by Col. Ernest Coulter, of Wilton, a mem- ber of the Frank C. Godfrey Post, American Legion of Norwalk, on the Legion plot in the Riverside Cemetery.
Norwalk men and women totaling 1,627 served during the World War in camps here and overseas. According to the list compiled under the direction of the Norwalk branch of the Red Cross, which list includes all those who filed their registration papers according to the order of President Woodrow Wilson, the following were killed or died in the service :
KILLED OR DIED
Fred E. Abbott, Fred W. Amundsen, Charles Bates, Ed- ward Bennett, Cortland V. Birdsall, Mortimer G. Blake, Charles H. Bloom, John C. Burwell, Thomas P. Caffrey, James G. Cantoni, Stephen Cifatte, James E. Coleman, William Crotty, Charles R. Davenport, Frank H. Ferris, Frank C. Godfrey, Peter Goldstein, Willis Goodrow, Rob- ert S. Hall, Walter Kenneth Hall, Arthur Hayes, Ansley H. Holston, Frederick Hunt, George L. James, Albert C. Larsen, James P. Leonard, Clarence A. Louden, Samuel Luevine, Frederick Moore, Thomas Moscariello, Anthony J. Mulvoy, Clayton W. Nichols, Jeremiah F. O'Brien, Pat- rick Owens, Antonio Paradiso, Giovanni Ricco, Gilbert O. Schultz, Frederick Sheehan, Marcus Sheehan, Russell I. Smith, Walter J. Smith, Charles Sniffen, Aime Tarlov, David Jonathan Weed, William Zoeller.
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The following were in the Army and Navy Nurse corps : Hazel J. Ball, Mary Bissell Betts, Mary G. Callahan, Mae E. Cavanaugh, Mary J. Collins, Marion Crockett, Edith Downes, Ethel Louise Gray, Molly Hand, Anna Trant Hip- son, Alice Mackenzie, Anna Miller, Gladys Mills, Grace Roberts, Josephine Alice Rummler, Jeannette Van Coever- ing, and Margaret M. Weld. The following were in the Overseas Auxiliary Service : Enid Capwell Allen, Y. M. C. A .; Martha Frizzell Henderson, Y. M. C. A .; Mildred Archer Nash, Y. M. C. A .; Cornelia Odell, Y. M. C. A .; Mildred St. George, Y. M. C. A .; Helen Sanger, Chemical service; John Glover, Y. M. C. A .; Mathew Hawley, K. of C .; John Scully, K. of C. Mention must also be made of Miss Fanniebelle Curtis, sister of Seymour Curtis, secretary and treasurer of the Fairfield County Savings Bank this city, who was granted leave by the New York Board of Education to organize kindergartens in the devastated re- gions of France and Belgium. Nor must Norman King Hazzard and Dr. George Cram be forgotten. Mr. Hazzard and Dr. Cram, assistant surgeon, N. N. V. were specially cited for bravery during the rescue of the crew of the Amer- ican munitions ship "Florence H," which caught fire and broke in two pieces in French waters, April 17, 1918. Two Norwalk boys were signally honored during the World War, both of them receiving both the Distinguished Service Cross and the Croix De Guerre. The two heroes were Albert Herman and Oscar Johnson.
DISTINGUISHED SERVICE
Albert Herman was a sergeant, member of Company D, 102nd Infantry, 26th Division. He received the Dis- tinguished Service Cross for a brave act performed at Seicheprey, April 21, 1918, when he led his platoon, of which only 12 members remained, and recaptured the pla- toon headquarters after they had been taken by the Ger- mans. Herman received the Croix De Guerre for an act
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performed at Epides July 18, 1918 when, single handed, he captured a German machine gun. Mr. Herman who now resides in East Norwalk, Alden ave., is a member of the Norwalk police force.
Oscar Johnson, private, Co. B. 60th Infantry, Fifth Divi- sion, received both the Distinguished Service Cross and the Croix De Guerre for an act of bravery, October 14, 1918. At that time Johnson volunteered and went forward to rescue his platoon commander, Lieut. Clarkson who had been wounded and was lying in a dangerous position in the field. Under heavy machine gun fire and bursting shells Johnson rescued his officer and brought him back to safety.
As an outgrowth of the World War, there are now three veterans' organizations in Norwalk: the Frank C. God- frey Post, American Legion; the Mulvoy Tarlov post, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the YD ( Yankee Division) club. The YD was organized in Norwalk in 1928 by mem- bers who served in that famous Company D, 102nd In- fantry, 26th Division, often referred to as "The New Haven Blues." Albert Herman was a member. Arthur H. Kell- ner, now tree surgeon, was the first commander of the club, the office now being held by Henry Woods. The Mulvoy Tarlov Post, Veterans of Foreign Wars, organized in 1921, was named in honor of Anthony Mulvoy and Aime Tarlov, of the 113th Infantry, who were killed in France, September 13, 1918. The two boys had just returned to their billet at Monterey Chateau, some 15 kilometers from Belfort and about 12 miles behind the firing line, after 13 days and 13 nights in the trenches. Long range guns trained on the billet brought instant death to both the Norwalk boys. The Mul- voy Tarlov Auxiliary was organized Feb. 20, 1922 by Mrs. Margy Flynn, who was also the first president. Miss Alice Creigh is president now.
The Frank C. Godfrey Post, American Legion, which was organized June 3, 1919 by Captain John Keogh (Judge John Keogh) with the assistance of Mayor Alfred N. Phil- lips, of Stamford, then state commander of the Legion,
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was named after Lieutenant Frank C. Godfrey, the only commissioned Norwalk officer killed in action. Godfrey, a member of Co. D, 128th Infantry, fell, mortally wounded, August 30, 1918, while leading his platoon on a German machine gun nest, near Soissons. Mr. Godfrey was an out- standing citizen in Norwalk and was a well known basket- ball player here. Walter C. Cowing is the present com- mander of the local legion post. The auxiliary was formed January 17, 1921 by Miss Amelia Wenderoth then head of the local Red Cross chapter. Mrs. Ruth Anderson is the 1929 president.
NORWALK BAR
Early in February, 1919, the Norwalk Bar Association was organized or rather reorganized, and the local lawyers formally banded together in an organization similar to those in force in other cities in the state. The story of Norwalk's lawyers commenced with Roger Ludlow, founder of Nor- walk and first lawyer to come to the colonies, whose history has already been given. Thomas Belden Butler, one of the earliest Norwalk practicing lawyers of whom we have record, was born August 22, 1806 in Wethersfield. He started out as a physician but due to the fact that he caught every contagious disease he treated, he gave up the pro- fession and studied law with Judge Bissell of Norwalk. He was admitted to the Fairfield County Bar in 1837, entered partnership with Thaddeus Betts of Norwalk, and when the latter died, took over his extensive practice. Later he formed a partnership with Orris S. Ferry. Sometime after- wards, Josiah Carter became his partner, and they remained together until Butler was named a judge of the Superior Court in 1855. Butler was named judge of the Supreme Court of Errors in 1861 and appointed chief justice of the state, 1870. He had experience as a legislator serving five times as a member of the state house of representatives
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from Norwalk and three times as state senator, and once, in 1849, in the U. S. Congress.
Orris Sanford Ferry, of whom mention has just been made was perhaps one of the ablest lawyers in the history of Norwalk. Born August 15, 1823, he studied law under Judge Osborne of Fairfield and Hon. Thomas Belden Butler of Norwalk, was admitted to the Fairfield County Bar in 1846 and from the first took a leading position in his pro- fession. For a few months Ferry served as judge of pro- bate for the district of Norwalk. In 1855 and 1856 he was a member of the state Senate and from 1856 to 1859 state's attorney for Fairfield county. He served with dis- tinction in both houses of Congress. When the Civil War broke out, he volunteered and was made commander of the Fifth Regiment Connecticut Volunteers and was promoted to be a brigadier general and served through the war. Josiah Mason Carter was born in New Canaan in 1813. In 1847 he removed to Norwalk and formed a partnership with the Hon. Thomas Belden Butler. He was a member of the state assembly three times and later was speaker of the state house. He was appointed State's Attorney for Fairfield County in 1862 and held that office until his death. Sidney P. Beardsley, born in Monroe in 1822, commenced the practice of law in Norwalk where he remained until 1846 during which time he was judge of probate here. Hon. Thaddeus Betts was born in Norwalk, was twice elected lieutenant governor of Connecticut and at the time of his death was United States Senator. In addition to the above early lawyers, mention must be made of Taylor and Roger Minot Sherman whose names appear under "Nor- walk" on the roster of the Fairfield County Bar in 1797.
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