USA > Connecticut > New Haven County > Meriden > Years of Meriden 150: published in connection with the observance of the city's sesquicentennial, June 17-23, 1956 > Part 14
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After inspection of many monuments and designs, the sub- committee on the form of the memorial recommended the design submitted by the Gorham Company of Providence. A model was exhibited, and the design was formally adopted. It was the work of sculptor Aristide B. Cianfarani.
Another decision was made that the names to go on the monument should be only those of the war dead, and another contract was made with the Gorham Company to erect a Roll of Honor on the section of the central parkway strip south of the monument. Later, it was proposed that a flagpole be erected nearby in honor of the Gold Star mothers, and a committee was appointed to investigate this plan.
The World War I monument consists of a granite column, surmounted by a bronze eagle and flanked at its base by four bronze statues representing the Doughboy, the Marine, the Sailor
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WORLD WAR I MEMORIAL AND BOULEVARD
and the Nurse. The granite column is decorated with stars and stripes, symbolizing the American flag. The eagle is conceived as lighting on the top of the column with a laurel wreath of Victory clutched in his talons. On the buttresses beneath each statue are inscribed the names of those who died in service. The buttress beneath the Doughboy, which faces down East Main Street, is inscribed:
"Dedicated to the Memory of Those from Meriden Who Made the Supreme Sacrifice in the Service of Their Country During the World War."
There are four star-embellished bowls mounted on tripods which illuminate the monument at night. These tripods are mounted on heavy granite pedestals on which are inscribed the names of the battles in which the Meriden men participated. The extreme height of the monument from the street level is approxi- mately 50 feet. The granite for the memorial was quarried at Barre, Vermont.
This striking monument was dedicated November 8, 1930 with ceremonies witnessed by thousands. The parade passed in review before Governor John H. Trumbull and Major General Clarence Edwards, commander of the Yankee Division. The reviewing stand was filled with scores of men and women prominent in all phases of the community's life.
Mrs. Mildred R. Williams, general chairman of the memorial committee, presented the memorial, which was accepted, after unveiling, by Mayor Francis T. Maloney on behalf of the city. General Edwards delivered the dedicatory address.
The monument and the boulevard, overlooked by the two historic white churches, constitute a scene which has probably been more admired than any other feature of the more thickly settled portions of Meriden. It is a scene which appeals at any time of day or night, and at any season of the year. The boulevard is illuminated by long rows of lights. When the churches are also illuminated, the sight is doubly impressive. It is best of all, perhaps, at the Christmas season.
The names of the World War I dead inscribed upon the monument under the words "These Laid Down Their Lives" are:
Leslie H. Anderson
James Bambax
Verner Anderson
Fred M. Barsneck
Norman M. Angevine
Leslie C. Bemis
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WORLD WAR I MEMORIAL AND BOULEVARD
John W. Berberich
Hugo W. Kruth
Frank Bonarek
Henry E. LaCroix
Constantine J. Bournique
Ernest A. LaRochelle
Felix E. Brenner
Everett E. Learmont
Nicholas Briscoe
James V. Lizzi Michael Louisi -
John B. Bulluss
Edward T. McCarthy
Henry G. Burbank James C. Call
Leonard F. Meiklem
Edward Casey
Stanley Mesiak
Homer F. Cashen
Nicholas Mezzanotte
Joseph H. Collins
Joseph Mrozek
Jesse M. Curtis
George W. Mueller Daniel E. Murdock
Lorenzo D'Amico
Walter Nalewajek
William DeLuca
Stanley Nurawski
Antonio DeSandre
William L. O'Donnell
John J. Doran
Raphael Paone
Frank Dworak
Harold K. Patten
Joseph H. Felix
Walenty Ptak
Joseph Ferraro
H. Leslie Pulver
John F. Fielding
William J. Recican
Fred J. Gershefski
Arthur A. Rehm
David Goldsmith
Earl L. St. Arnauld
Joseph L. Gorman
Thomas J. Siaflas
Nathan Hale Joseph E. Hall
Horace G. Staniland
Leroy C. Higginson
George C. Summer John Swider Emil J. Trottier
H. Raymond Jopson
William J. Ulbrand
Adam Kaczynski
Joseph C. Underwood
William H. Washington
Anthony Kalinowski Frederick H. Kantack Otto C. Ketelhut James C. Killeen
Stanley B. Wheeler Henry F. White
Peter Wieszcholek
Jesse M. King
Charles E. Wilkinson
Edward J. Kline Joseph Kowalski
Harry Wooley
Emil W. Zabel
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Nelson Hitchcock
Charles W. Jackson
Harlan J. Stretch
Richard H. Brown
George C. Mckenzie
Joseph G. Cyphers
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
The Depression
THE DEPRESSION that followed the stock market crash of 1929 spread rapidly throughout the country. Meriden began to feel its effects during the spring and summer of 1930. By January of 1931, the problem of the unemployed had become acute. Mayor Francis T. Maloney proposed a bond issue of $250,000 for financ- ing a program of public improvement, which was approved unanimously by the council. The approval of the legislature was necessary, and, by the time the General Assembly met, other programs had begun to take shape.
A campaign to determine the amount of public work that could be done here was undertaken after Mayor Maloney created the Research Commission in February 1932. The survey produced a figure of $666,253. By September 1932, there were so many residents without jobs that a conference of city officials, bankers, and manufacturers was called to devise a plan to raise $400,000 for relief. In October 1932, the council voted a bond issue of $200,000 for sidewalks and other improvements.
On March 4, 1933 came the "bank holiday," when all financial institutions were closed. Four days later emergency measures were taken by the state legislature. Many banks in the country went to the wall, but all of Meriden's financial institutions were found to be in sound condition. They were allowed to reopen on March 13.
NRA was set up by the federal government, and pledges were issued in accordance with this plan on July 27, 1933. The next day the factories here adopted the code, and on July 31 a group meeting of merchants was held to agree on a code. By August, the famous "Blue Eagle" symbol was displayed every- where. Two hundred women and 150 men had canvassed for converts to the program. For nearly two years, the program was generally accepted, but on May 27, 1935 the Supreme Court declared it unconstitutional. On December 13, 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt pronounced NRA at an end, and the
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MERIGEN ROLLER BENTING LIEF
Meriden Roller Skating Rink Formerly near corner of Hanover Street and Randolph Avenue
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RIBEN HAMPITAL AMDUE A
Early ambulance, Meriden Hospital
Unique bicycle, "Built For Two"
"Old Leather Man"
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STET
First horsecar on Colony Street, 1887
Burning of the second Town Hall, 1904
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The Meriden Trotting Park as it was, off Kensington Avenue
Fruit Pavilion, Meriden Fair Grounds
Broad Street Fire House Horse-drawn fire apparatus in the 90's
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Fire Headquarters Pratt Street
Police Department, 1883
Left to right: Capt. George Van Nostrand, Chief Frank G. Bolles, Roger M. Ford, who succeeded Bolles as Chief
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Chief Michael B. Carroll Pointing to Civil Defense Map
The Town Hall that burned in 1904
PIEL BRUSH
Stores decorated for the Centennial, 1906
An aerial view of the center of the city
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THE DEPRESSION
Blue Eagles came down even more rapidly than they had been posted.
As early as 1933, the federal government had to come to the aid of distressed home owners. The Home Owners' Loan Corporation was opened here on August 28 of that year, and by January, 1935 there were 301 HOLC mortgages written for a total of $1,201,454.
The work committee of the Research Commission, consisting of Charles N. Flagg, William S. Clark and Paul F. Fagan, was actively engaged in devising jobs for the unemployed. A muni- cipal employment bureau under DeLloyd E. Beebe as manager was set up, and many hundreds of the jobless filed applications. The Community Fund set a goal of $119,687 in 1931, with $35,000 of it as a job fund. The goal was oversubscribed. A benefit card party was staged by city employees to help the jobless, and the Meriden Teachers Association voted to raise $1250 for the cause.
Unemployed were set to clearing the reservoirs and salvaging firewood for the needy. By permission of the Connecticut Light & Power Company the wood was stored at its yard on South Colony Street.
These were bitter years for many, but the city administration, under Mayor Maloney, who had been Commissioner of Charities before his election as mayor, and who was to go on to a national career as U. S. Representative and later U. S. Senator, was doing everything possible for the relief of the distressed. Made-work projects appeared on every side. The Lewis Avenue dump was cleared and later turned into the city athletic field known as Columbus Park. Nine additional holes were constructed at the municipal golf course, giving employment to nearly 100 men at a cost of $28,000. Total placements of the jobless in January, 1932 amounted to 1,248 out of the 1,870 who had registered by that time. In spite of extra grants of $117,933, the city's auditors found a surplus of $24,216 in February 1933, and the tax rate was fixed at 241/2 mills, representing a half-mill cut.
The city, however, was tightening its purse strings in other ways, with cuts in the salaries of city employees, including the teachers. It was announced in March 1933, that Meriden had been able to reduce its bonded indebtedness during a period when many other Connecticut cities were in "hot water," and this in spite of the fact that more than $500,000 had been spent on public
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THE DEPRESSION
improvements since the depression began.
In March 1933, Post No. 45 of the American Legion promoted a drive against depression under Capt. W. S. Alexander, then its commander. The Legionnaires conducted a citywide survey of property owners, who declared themselves ready to spend many hundreds of thousands of dollars on improvements and in purchases.
In June 1934, there was a grant of $105,400 for WPA to be applied toward building a road through Cat Hole Pass. The road was completed at a total cost of $256,621, and was dedicated October 9, 1935 as the Chamberlain Highway. In October 1934, there was a bond issue of $75,000 and in September 1935, ERA and WPA announced appropriations here of $504,853.
The federal government granted $133,534 in November 1935 for improvements to the airport in South Meriden. Additional allotments included $157,571 for the laying of concrete sidewalks, $18,911 to replace old water pipes, $25,996 for new water pipes, and $74,090 for concrete curbs.
The city was making large contributions also. An extra half mill was added to the tax rate for relief. The Community Fund was called upon to raise large sums after the drive in 1931, which provided $35,000 for the purposes of the Research Commission. In 1932, the amount was $90,000; the same in 1934, and $40,000 in 1935, a total of $225,000 from this source.
WPA hit a high mark in 1938 with 1,100 engaged here under this agency. Among the projects were reconstructing the drive to West Peak, the start of playgrounds in the north end, repairing and oiling of streets, the municipal parking lot on Church Street, Kenwood Camp for the Girl Scouts, Washington and Columbus Park extensions and improvements, the cleaning of brooks, repairing and repainting schools and other public buildings, con- struction of new sewer beds, the Washington Park Fieldhouse, and others.
The repairing of Hanover Dam, which had been swept away in the hurricane of 1938, caused considerable trouble after it had been proposed as a project. WPA approved, but army engineers objected to the plans. After work had been started in 1939, a "stop order" came through from Washington, and the city had to finish the job.
By May 1937, 127 families had been dropped from relief. By
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THE DEPRESSION
September the WPA was providing 415 with work, a considerable reduction from previous figures. In October 1937, the Murdock Avenue water main project was approved for $26,427. The load seemed to be eased somewhat until a new crisis of unemployment arrived in November. So great was the demand for work that the state armory had to be used to accommodate the crowd of applicants. By March 1938, 4,048 had applied. Relief expenses doubled. Many lost their homes through HOLC foreclosures. In the following year, the strain eased. By August, there was a sharp decrease in relief costs. By October, the situation had so improved that there was actually a shortage of WPA labor. In that year, $200,000 in bonds provided money to rebuild streets, and $80,000 was appropriated for a sewage disposal plant.
In January 1940, 14 new projects were announced, and WPA approved another $48,861 for water mains. But by April of that year, WPA rolls were down to 80 persons, and by midsummer a labor shortage was reported.
Employment began to pick up here in November 1939. By March 1940, the New Departure Division of General Motors announced a 51.1 per cent increase in payrolls. By late 1941, the number of employees in 25 of the principal factories had increased from 6,508 in 1934 to 10,691, and payrolls had risen from $104,630 to $450,075 for the same group during that period. Much of this increase was due to the defense contracts received by local industries. The depression was over, but the country was about to enter World War II, with new problems even more serious than those which had been left behind.
Bad as it was, the depression was far less severe in its effects here than in many other Connecticut communities, for which diversification of industries may be considered partially respon- sible. Most factories were able to survive the period. There were no bank failures, and business collapses were few. Relief was ably administered, and the city's financial stability was never in doubt.
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CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
City Government in This Century
HENRY D. ALTOBELLO, now serving his second term, is the 28th mayor of Meriden since the city was incorporated in 1867. He has the honor of presiding in the city's Sesquicentennial year just as Thomas L. Reilly, the 18th mayor, had the honor of being the chief administrator when the Centennial was observed in 1906.
The complete succession of Meriden mayors is as follows, the date given being the year of election: 1867, Charles S. Parker; 1869, Russell S. Gladwin; 1870, Isaac C. Lewis; 1872, Charles L. Upham; 1874, Horace C. Wilcox; 1876, H. Wales Lines; 1879, George R. Curtis; 1881, E. J. Doolittle; 1886, C. H. S. Davis; 1888, Wallace A. Miles; 1889, Benjamin Page; 1891, A. W. Tracy; 1892, G. H. Wilson; 1893, Amos Ives; 1899, E. E. West; 1901, George Seeley; 1905, Thomas L. Reilly; 1911, Daniel J. Donovan; 1915, Joseph A. Cooke; 1917, Henry T. King; 1919, Daniel J. Donovan; 1921, Henry T. King; 1925, Wales L. deBussy; 1929, Francis T. Maloney; 1933, Stephen L. Smith; 1937, Francis R. Danaher; 1947, Howard E. Houston; 1951, William J. Cahill, Jr; 1953, Henry D. Altobello.
Originally, mayors were elected for a term of one year. The term was extended to two years about the turn of the century.
Daniel J. Donovan, elected in 1911, served two terms, and was replaced by Dr. Joseph A. Cooke in 1915. He ran again in 1919, and was successful, serving one more term.
Henry T. King, elected mayor in 1917, served one term, and was defeated by Donovan in 1919. In 1921, he was again elected, and served two terms. He was defeated by deBussy in 1925.
These have been men of diverse personalities, of different political faiths, and various conceptions of the manner in which the office of mayor should be administered. Each man left his mark upon Meriden's history, and the present mayor will be no exception, for the city is entering upon a new phase of its development, with new programs to meet the demands arising from its enlargement.
When Charles Parker began his term, municipal government
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CITY GOVERNMENT IN THIS CENTURY
was housed in the original town hall, sometimes called the "town house," which had been dedicated December 5, 1855, with a "Grand Congratulatory Festival." Its placement, on the site of the present city hall, had been much disputed. Residents of the east side, the oldest section of Meriden, wanted it built on or near Broad Street. Residents of rapidly growing West Meriden, where the railroad ran, sought just as earnestly to have the city hall placed in that section. The East Main Street site, about half-way up the hill, was a compromise. As it turned out, the location was sensibly chosen - far enough from the business center to avoid extreme traffic congestion, yet near enough to the heart of the city to be accessible to residents east, west, north, and south.
The first town hall served until 1889, when evidences were found of structural weakness, and it was pronounced unsafe for further use. An ornate building, similar in its general appearance to the high school annex at the corner of Liberty and Catlin Streets, was erected to replace it. In February 1904, this building was destroyed by fire.
A long discussion ensued as to the type of building best suited to the needs of expanding city government. The principal ground for contention was the proposal to erect an auditorium as part of the new city hall. Some considered this feature a needless expense, and an injunction was sought to prevent its construction. But the opposition was overcome and the plans were carried out, resulting in a structure which has been a source of pride for many years.
In appearance, there are few more appealing public buildings in New England, even today. Architecturally, the city hall fits perfectly into its setting. The lines are unostentatious, but the very simplicity of the design carries its own charm. The gold- crested dome, rising above the clock tower, sparkles in the sunlight, and the illuminated tower sends out radiance after dark. The tall, marble columns flanking the entrance are graceful and dignified. Their shafts are solid pieces of stone quarried in Vermont. Such columns are generally fluted and in lengthwise sections, or, if round, are in sectional blocks pieced together horizontally. Architects have been known to visit Meriden just to study this feature, which was considered unusual when the city hall was constructed and is even more rare today.
From any angle the building gives an impression of solidity and strength. It is unfortunate that the space provided within it
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CITY GOVERNMENT IN THIS CENTURY
has become inadequate to the needs of the greatly enlarged city departments.
In the immediate vicinity of the city hall are buildings important to the cultural and religious life of the city, including the Curtis Memorial Library, the First Methodist Church, Temple B'Nai Abraham, St. Andrew's Church and the First Universalist Church. The broad sweep of East Main Street, joined by Liberty Street, Pleasant Street, and Catlin Street at this point, with Norwood Street connecting East Main and Liberty, place the seat of municipal government in an island position surrounded by streams of converging traffic. The tides of many civic interests are naturally drawn toward its shores.
The city hall cost $212,000. Under the dual form of government still prevailing when it was erected, the city paid $150,000 and the town contributed $62,000, which defrayed the cost of the four marble pillars and other features of the facade. The building was formally accepted by both branches of government in 1907, although part of it had been placed in use the previous year. The auditorium was rushed to completion to house various portions of the Centennial program.
The population of Meriden at that time was 28,695, and the building was designed to serve a maximum population of 35,000. It was estimated that this figure would be reached in about 20 years. By now it has been far exceeded, since current estimates place the population at 48,900.
Many rearrangements of space have failed to solve the problem of overcrowding in the city hall. Early in 1956, the mayor announced a proposal which, he hopes, will relieve the congestion eventually. Under this plan, the police department, the city court and the probation department would be moved into the old welfare building, once the high school, where the education department is now quartered, and where certain high school classes are still held. The plan cannot be placed in effect until space is gained in the present high school building through the construction of a new high school on the west side.
Under Meriden's form of government the mayor has wide powers. As the chief executive officer he appoints the heads of departments, with the exception of the education department, which is under the elected Board of Education and its appointee, the superintendent of schools. He is, ex officio, a member of all
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CITY GOVERNMENT IN THIS CENTURY
boards and usually presides at the meetings of the Board of Apportionment and Taxation.
The Court of Common Council is an elective body, made up of aldermen elected from each ward. It has the power to make, alter, and repeal ordinances, and may take property for public use by right of eminent domain, assessing benefits and damages. It is also empowered to authorize the treasurer of the city to obtain temporary loans and emergency loans. It passes upon bond issues, and its approval must be obtained before the annual budget of the city can be made effective, following review by the Board of Apportionment and Taxation. Regulation of the inspection of buildings, inspection of plumbing, inspection of milk and other foods, and the licensing of vendors and dealers, are among the other powers of the council. The council meets monthly to consider the various proposals brought before it, and often refers such proposals to committees within its membership for study before action is taken. In practice, matters are often decided in the caucus which is usually held before each meeting, and the vote later is only a formality.
This system has prevailed since the days of the town meetings, which were ended by consolidation of the town and city in 1922. In the town meetings, citizens had the privilege of the floor when recognized by the moderator, and could present their views. The public hearings held today on questions of importance do not take the place of the town meeting. The views presented by citizens at these hearings are merely for the guidance of the council which alone has the power of final action.
The old system of dual government died hard. The first proposal to replace it was made at a regular town meeting in 1892, when a vote was passed to form a committee to take steps toward consolidation. The committee named consisted of Levi E. Coe, Seth J. Hall, Wilbur F. Davis, E. A. Merriman, George M. Howell, George B. Murdock, Andrew J. Coe and George L. Hall. The next town meeting tabled their proposals.
A new committee was named by a town meeting October 12, 1896. This committee recommended on January 6, 1897 that a bill be introduced in the next General Assembly to authorize the consolidation of city and town, but this proposal was defeated.
In 1899, Mayor Ives appointed a committee to draft a con- solidation charter. The committee was authorized to act for the
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CITY GOVERNMENT IN THIS CENTURY
city and town in attempting to obtain the approval of this charter by the state legislature. On March 9, 1899, a turbulent town meeting voted to rescind the action of the previous meeting. The committee was instructed to oppose the bill instead of favoring it.
Again in 1902, a town meeting voted opposition to consolida- tion. A committee appointed by Mayor Reilly shortly before the Centennial made no headway with the proposal.
The subject lay dormant until 1913, when a consolidation bill was presented to the legislature, but a special town meeting on April 9 of that year instructed a committee to inform local members of the General Assembly of its opposition to the bill. In spite of this, the measure was passed and submitted to local voters in a referendum in connection with the regular town election October 6, 1913, when the proposal was defeated.
In the next session of the Assembly a new consolidation charter was presented. It drew the specifications for a commission form of government, a much more radical proposal than the form eventually adopted in 1921. Under this plan, the government would consist of a mayor, ten city "directors" or commissioners, and the various boards. The selectman's duties were defined as extending only to the admission of electors and entering or erasing names from the registry lists of voters. Provision was made for a city superintendent (whose duties corresponded with those of the present city engineer). Other officers included a tax collector and a health officer.
This charter was approved by the state legislature but defeated in a local referendum. However, some of its provisions have since been adopted, among them the payment of taxes in two install- ments, and the creation of a board of charities, now the welfare commission, as well as the appointment of a full time health officer.
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