USA > Massachusetts > Bristol County > A History of Bristol County, Massachusetts, vol 1 > Part 25
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The Taunton Morris Plan Company was incorporated January 16, 1917, by the following: William C. Davenport, Clinton V. Sanders, Henry F. Bassett, Robert M. Leach, William R. Mitchell, Edgar W. Sturgis, Lewis M. Witherell, William R. Park, Jr., Charles W. Davol, Henry A. Dicker- man, Brenton G. Brownell, Herrick Brown, Stanley R. Hall, William H. Reed and Nathan Newbury. March 1, 1917, the corporation started busi- ness at 15 Weir street, with William C. Davenport, president; Albert H. Tetlow, vice-president; Robert M. Leach, vice-president; Harrison W. George, treasurer. There they did business until April 15, 1922, when they moved to 9 Winthrop street, into their own property, to be remodelled for their purposes.
Albert H. Tetlow was elected president from 1919 and continued until 1920, and since that time the board has been as follows: Harry Carlow, president; Arthur C. Staples and William R. Park, Jr., vice-presidents ; Harrison W. George, treasurer; and the following directors: Henry F. Bassett, R. Frank Brooks, Jr., Charles H. Blaine, Vere Brown, Brenton G. Brownell, Harry Carlow, William C. Davenport, Charles W. Davol, Henry A. Dickerman, Harrison W. George, Stanley P. Hall, Frederick Ludlam, William R. Mitchell, Nathan Newbury, William R. Park, William H. Reed, Clinton V. Sanders, George W. Seeley, Arthur C. Staples, Edgar W. Stur- gis, E. K. Vanderwarker, Richard E. Warner, Richard Wastcoat, James P. Whitters, Lewis M. Witherell.
The company was incorporated for the purpose of taking care of small loans for people in moderate circumstances.
Officers and other representatives of the Co-operative banks of Taun- ton and near-by cities and towns held their first meeting for organization
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at the Inn in Taunton, February 28, 1921. Nearly one hundred were present, and Arthur R. Knox, of the Mechanics Co-operative Bank, was elected president, and Chester A. Reid, of the Weir Co-operative Bank, per- manent secretary. The object of the league of banking men thus formed was to educate the public in the ways of their banking system, and to teach thrift, and the meetings are being held mainly to discuss the problems of the co-operative bank. The organization has had such speakers as George H. Wyman and Charles H. Bethune, both presidents of the Massa- chusetts Bank League; Senator Silas D. Reed, and others interested in the co-operative bank. At the meeting in 1923, Albert C. Francis, of the Taunton Co-operative Bank, was elected president, and Chester A. Reid, of the Weir Bank, secretary. At that time the membership consisted of the following-named :
Weir Co-operative Bank: Chester A. Reid, Henry D. Atwell, Arthur C. Staples, Edwin A. Tetlow, John A. McDonald, Harry Carlow, Howard H. Presbrey, Randall Dean, John Fitzgerald, Harry Blood, J. Arthur Quigley, Clarence Parker, Reuben W. Chase, A. R. Leonard.
Taunton Co-operative Bank: Albert C. Francis, Daniel Carey, F. E. Goff, Thomas Baker, Henry N. Hopkins, George A. King, J. Frederick Barden, Theron Gorham, Bion C. Pierce, Henry H. Church, Fred W. Hay- man, Henry S. Hastings, Albert R. White, Everett S. White, attorney.
Mechanics' Co-operative Bank: A. R. Knox, Herbert O. Woolley, Henry H. Culver, Percy F. Francis, John S. Williams, Frank G. Burt, George F. Williams, A. H. Knowles, John M. Hardy, William A. Rayment, Louis J. Schmidt, John P. Smith, Nathaniel A. Cushman, John B. Ayres, Frank R. Knox, F. W. Boynton.
North Dighton Co-operative Bank: E. T. Croker, D. F. Lane, Willard J. Reed, Eliot F. Walker, Albert N. Goff, J. Willis Andrews, E. E. Spencer, James H. Goff.
East Taunton Co-operative Bank : James F. Sherry, J. Howard O'Keefe, Chester R. Barstow, Charles E. O'Gara, Harrison K. Dean, John C. Hart, Luther Dean, Albert H. Chase, C. Edson Wood.
Attleboro Co-operative Bank: Solomon B. Jaruko, Harry E. Carpenter. Middleboro Co-operative Bank: A. C. Howes, Walter L. Beal, L. O. Atwood, S. L. Brett, A. F. Mitchell.
Fall River Co-operative Bank: R. N. Allen, Edward W. Bertenshaw. Mansfield: Kenneth C. Sherman. Bristol County Trust Company: Nathan Newbury. Taunton Savings Bank: William H. Reed. Old Colony Co- operative : Manuel C. Silva, James Carney, James M. Westgate. Lynn Co- operative Bank: Charles B. Bethune; and Bank Commissioner Joseph Allen.
Albert C. Francis was elected president and Chester A. Reid was re- elected secretary.
CHAPTER XVI.
TAUNTON'S PUBLIC UTILITIES.
The fundamental features of the municipality itself are to be found in those departments that are always at work in maintaining the community's
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progressive plans,-its business, its beautification, its safety and its general development. These, substantially, are the city's upbuilding forces :
Taunton Chamber of Commerce .- A Chamber of Commerce conducted by Taunton business men upon the basis of such broad yet selective trans- actions as shall annually open the way for the advancement of the city and for its mercantile and commercial prosperity, is the continuous purpose of the executive board of the present organization. The Chamber of Com- merce is an entirely new venture from that of the earlier Board of Trade and the Taunton Business Men's Association that succeeded the old or- ganization. The beginnings of both, however, may be traced for their motive in the old board that, recognizing the demand of business for a con- currence of idea and purpose among merchants and managers, was launched as the Taunton Board of Trade, April 1, 1897. Early in March of that year, thirty men held a meeting over the store of the Pierce Hardware Company, and elected Dudley Holman as chairman and Bion C. Pierce as secretary. Hon. Frederick S. Hall was appointed chairman of a committee to draw up a constitution and by-laws, and at a meeting that was called soon afterwards, at Historical Hall, the organization was perfected with the following-named officers: President, Frederick S. Hall; vice-presidents, Peter H. Corr, S. Frank Hammett, Porte W. Hewins; secretary, Dudley M. Holman; treasurer, Orville A. Barker; and they, with the following- named, composed the executive committee: Bion C. Pierce, Herbert H. Shumway, Alfred B. Williams, Michael C. Golden, Dr. Joseph B. Murphy, William M. Lovering, A. Cleveland Bent, Henry F. Bassett, Thomas F. Cavanaugh. Headquarters of the old board at that time were in the third story of the Manheim building, fronting on City Hall Square, and the large hall on the second floor of the building was used for public meetings. There were upwards of two hundred and fifty names on the membership list. The Board of Trade for a number of years performed many of its undertakings to general satisfaction, and after a time ceased to exist.
The Taunton Business Men's Association was started in the spring of 1912, George W. Reichenberg being among those who were instrumental in its formation. Richard Wastcoat was elected president of the associa- tion, and Silas D. Reed secretary. The first few meetings of the new or- ganization were held at Historical Hall, and afterwards the front rooms of Columbian Hall were occupied. A Fourth of July parade was one of the features of the publicity of the association in 1912.
The present day régime was adopted here in 1913, and at a time when the Chamber of Commerce movement was being generally recognized as one that must play a large and leading part in the future of growing cities. Richard Wastcoat was elected first president of the Taunton Chamber of Commerce; Francis P. Callahan and Thomas J. Morton, vice-presidents ; Louis J. Antine, treasurer; and Charles J. Wheeler, secretary. It was during the first year of this organization that the Congressional Committee on Rivers and Harbors met here and were shown about, and an earnest plea was made for river development. In the following year (1914) the local organization was elected a member of the National Chamber of Com- merce, and the officers cnosen that year consisted of President James P. Whitters; vice-presidents, Lewis M. Witherell, Sr., and William Hughes; treasurer, Albert H. Tetlow; secretary, Charles L. Wheeler. Beginning
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December 1, 1914, the headquarters of the institution were in the Wilbur building; and from now onwards, the Chamber of Commerce began to share not only the interests of the Atlantic Deeper Waterways Committee, but also those of the Retail Credit Rating Service Bureau, those of the agricultural societies, the poultry associations, and the movement for a more efficient lighting system for Taunton; also to contend for grade- crossing abolition, ways and means for providing playgrounds, special days for sales, and to cooperate with the city planning board, as well as for clean-up week campaigns; for the Wednesday half-holiday; for holiday celebrations; and for many considerations regarding the betterment of the everyday conditions of Taunton's mercantile interests. The same officers were elected in 1915; and in 1916 Thomas J. Morton was elected president; Lewis M. Witherell and A. Cleveland Bent, vice-presidents; Henry A. Dickerman, treasurer. The Chautauqua week was welcomed, and there was special cooperation of the merchants in the Fourth of July, Labor Day, and other holiday celebrations. In 1917, William Hughes was elected president of the association, and at a later meeting in the year, A. Cleve- land Bent was elected president in place of Mr. Hughes, who declined election. The chamber voted to raise a war camp community fund of $2800, with Randall Dean as chairman, Charles E. Smith as secretary, and Richard Wastcoat as treasurer. In 1918, the association removed to its present headquarters, and in February of that year L. James Parker was chosen secretary. The officers elected for 1916 consisted of President A. Cleveland Bent; vice-presidents, Lewis M. Witherell and Thomas J. Mor- ton ; treasurer, Charles W. Davol; and the executive board was William H. Reed, George W. Seeley and Bion C. Pierce. Richard Wastcoat was elected president for 1922-23; George W. Seeley and Ralph E. Barker, vice- presidents ; and Charles W. Davol, treasurer. L. James Parker resigned as secretary March 5, 1923. At a meeting of the Chamber of Commerce, May 22, 1923, Frank L. Locklin, secretary of the Taunton Manufacturers' Asso- ciation, was elected secretary of the Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Locklin thus having secretarial charge of both institutions, though both remain distinct as heretofore.
Taunton City Planning Board .- With the arrival of the city, there comes to the goal at the same time the City Planning Board, one leading indication of the city's progress. So far as it may be permitted, through counsel, direction and the proffering of practical plans, to carry out its purposes to fulfilment, the Taunton City Planning Board is continuing to open gates of opportunity for the city, said Alfred B. Williams, its chair- man, and at a time when all cities of its own proportions find themselves ready for new action and achievement. The Planning Board is of far more lively use than as a silent partner in the business of the municipality; for in Taunton, at least, its voice is heard and its influence recognized on occa- sions wherein it is seen that citizens and taxpayers demand better housing and health conditions, and the city as a whole requires interchange of opinion as to simple and sane constructive development.
Taunton's Planning Board takes the ground that its own work and aim, though voiced by a comparatively small committee at present, shall before many years become the work and aim of the city as a whole, and
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that the intelligence of the community shall be gradually inspired to its own betterment. The leaven of the Planning Board's enterprises, it is confidently expected, will have city-wide influence and partnership. For an entire decade, from 1913 to 1923, that leaven has been working. It was in the former year that the city was directed by the statutes (Acts of 1913, Chapter 494) to establish a Planning Board, "whose duty it shall be to make careful studies of the resources, possibilities and needs of the city, particularly with respect to conditions which may be injurious to the public health, or otherwise injurious, in and about rented dwellings, and to make plans for the development of the municipality with reference to the housing of its people." Very soon afterwards, then, in January, 1914, this board was established, its personnel being Alfred B. Williams, chair- man; Miss Flora L. Mason, secretary; S. Frank Hammett, George F. Seibel, William E. Kelley. In 1916, Mr. Kelley retired, and J. Arthur Quigley was appointed in his place. Thomas B. Gaffney succeeded Mr. Quigley in 1922.
The board is a working force in the community. At the very start, in compliance with the requirement of the ordinance referring to its exist- ence, the board caused to be made a general study of housing conditions in Taunton, embodying the results of its investigation in pamphlet form for public distribution. In this way the project was brought into closer touch with the public. The organization also gave attention to matters re- lating to general public improvements that it judged required immediate consideration in the interests of the general welfare, some of its recom- mendations being adopted and carried out, with benefit to the city. For example, in the matter of street improvement a building line was set on Cohannet street, and buildings then in process of erection were compelled to be set back to that line. An educational campaign, in behalf of a build- ing ordinance proposed by the board, resulted in having that ordinance adopted December 21, 1920, by the Municipal Council, thus: "No apart- ment house, designed for more than two families, and exceeding two stories in height, shall be erected in any part of the city unless the same is con- structed of brick, stone or other fireproof material, etc .; no wooden build- ing other than a dwellinghouse and appurtenant outbuildings, shall be erected in any part of the city outside the fire limits, without a permit granted therefor."
In good season, then, came the interesting work of bringing the people to the Planning Board itself, as certain conferences were planned and suc- cessfully carried through. As a leading example, a district conference of planning boards was held at City Hall in Taunton, May 12, 1920, when addresses were given by Mayor Leo Coughlin; R. W. Kelso, Massachusetts Commissioner of the Department of Public Welfare; Joseph Finberg, chairman of the Attleboro Planning Board; Nathan Durfee, chairman of the Fall River Planning Board; George H. Nye, city engineer of New Bed- ford, and William H. Reed, publisher of the "Taunton Daily Gazette." All the out-of-town speakers congratulated Taunton upon being in so large a degree free from the three-decker form of tenement house, and upon having so large a proportion of one-family houses, each with its own yard.
Public lectures, besides the group of addresses referred to, have been given here by officers of other planning boards and civic leagues, and the
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board has been represented at conferences of similar boards in a number of large cities. The Planning Board has repeatedly called attention to the desirability of enlarging playgrounds; of adopting ordinances to regu- late and restrict the placing and use of billboards, and of urging the exer- cise of a stricter control over the development of tracts of land for building purposes. Public improvements at East Taunton have received the more than ordinary attention of the board; as well as a proposition for the re- moval of overhead wires; of increasing the safety of traffic by means of rounded instead of square corners for sidewalks at street intersections; and districting laws providing for residential and business sections have been proposed. One leading plan for city development, the board urges, is that contained in the development of a park system along Mill river. Here exists a real opportunity for the betterment and beautification of the city almost within the city center.
Of very general interest has been the proposition of the board to the Municipal Council that plans be put under way for the construction of a "Victory Hall," in recognition of the patriotic service of the Taunton men who served in the World War. One very striking event under the auspices of the board was the conference that took place at Taunton City Hall, February 25, 1916, with an exhibition of drawings, photography, and plans, to which several of the planning boards in the eastern part of the State contributed and sent delegates. The programme was one of the most complete of the sort, as it included such pertinent and timely papers as the following: "The Development of Taunton," by Miss Flora L. Mason, secretary of the local board; "Associated Charities," by Miss Bertha J. Southwick, general secretary of the local association; "The Chamber of Commerce," by James P. Whitters, chairman of that board; "Deeper Waterways," by James E. Lewis, of the Deeper Waterways Commission; "Transportation," by George F. Seibel; "Traffic," by Dr. A. R. Crandell; "Workmen's Homes and Exhibits," by Walter H. Kilham; "Legislative Work," by Hon. Joseph E. Warner; "The Laying Out of Land for Proper Home Development," by Edward T. Hartman.
Interesting plans for increasing the high school accommodations have been brought before the Planning Board by a committee from the Taunton Chamber of Commerce; and in 1916 the board issued a pamphlet with the title, "Why the City of Taunton should have a New High School Build- ing," in propositions and suggestions set forth by a consulting engineer. The organization also recommended the restoration of the old name, Taunton Green, in recognition of the distinction which the historic plot gives to the center of the city; and under the auspices of the board an address on "City Zoning" was given at City Hall, March 1, 1921, by Flavell Shurtleff, secretary of the National Conferences on City Planning, with its direct plea for the separation of industry and domesticity within the city limits. In all its motive and effort the board has had the approval and cooperation of the School Board, the Board of Health, the Woman's Club, and other departments. The one thing desired is that not only every board attached to the municipal government, but every voter, man or woman, have a live and increasing interest in the movement, which in its final analysis signifies city improvement and betterment.
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Taunton Water Works .*- The Legislature granted a charter for the water works of Taunton in Chapter 217 of the Acts of 1875, approved May 19, 1875. This allowed the city to take water either from Taunton river or the Lakeville ponds, and gave it the right to expend $200,000 in construction. This act was accepted by the voters on September 21, 1875, by a vote of 1194 in favor and 570 opposed. Surveys and investigations had been made by a committee of the city government, of which Henry S. Harris was chairman. On October 6, 1875, the City Council elected as Water Commissioners Henry S. Harris for three years, Parley I. Perrin for two years, and Marcus M. Rhodes for one year, from the first of the following January. Mr. Perrin was elected president, and held that office until January, 1894. He resigned as a member of the board January 11, 1894.
The newly elected water commission continued the investigation begun by the committee on water supply, and on March 14, 1876, made a report to the City Council recommending that a supply of water be taken from Taunton river at or near shallow water, and that the direct pumping sys- tem be adopted for distributing the water. This recommendation was adopted by the council on March 16, and the commissioners were directed to perfect plans and solicit proposals for the construction of the work. George H. Bishop, of Middletown, Connecticut, was selected as engineer. Proposals were issued to contractors in April, and bids received May 6. After considering the bids, it was decided to divide the work into two parts, and the contract to furnish and lay the distributing mains, gates and hydrants was let to R. D. Wood & Co., of Philadelphia, for $124,750. The contract for the engines, pumps, engine house, boilers, stack, foundation, filter basin and well was let to the Holly Manufacturing Company, of Lockport, New York, for $62,000. These contracts were approved by the City Council May 10, and ground was broken for the filter basin on May 15, 1876. Pipe laying began on July 10, was completed October 9, and accepted November 25. About 16.8 miles were laid that year. The power plant consisted of a Holly pumping engine of 3,000,000 gallons capacity, and two rotary pumps, connected by shaft with a horizontal engine, with a capacity of 3,000,000 gallons per day. The steam for them was produced in two tubular boilers sixteen feet long and five feet in diameter. The pumps were started September 30, but everything was not ready to use until November 30. A public trial was had on December 2, 1876.
The filter gallery, as it was called, was an excavation made parallel to and near the river. It is 400 feet long and 100 feet wide at the top, the bottom width being seventeen feet. The quantity of water to be obtained in this manner was estimated at one and one-half million gallons per day. It was supposed that most of the water would enter this gallery from the river side, but in practice it was found that a large part came from the land side and was virtually spring water.
Henry F. Bassett, the first superintendent and clerk, resigned in July, 1879, and William R. Billings was elected to succeed him. In January, 188), Mr. Rhodes declined reelection as commissioner, and Henry M. Lovering was elected.
*This exhaustive narrative is by Capt. George Arthur King, Superintendent of Water Works.
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There had been a demand for a larger supply of water, as the filter gallery was not furnishing much over 500,000 gallons daily. In 1880 a brick conduit 62 by 48 inches was built from the southerly end of the filter gallery nearly parallel to the river, a distance of 863 feet.
Mr. Harris died in March, 1881, and Dr. Silas D. Presbrey was elected commissioner. An additional supply of water being desired, an excavation about 95 feet by 45 feet was made at the upper end of the brick conduit, and this was refilled with stones and gravel, making an artificial filter. In 1887 another attempt to increase the supply was made by driving 7 by 3 inch wells from 40 to 45 feet deep. The bridge across the river to Dean street was built in 1887 and the 20-inch main, which had crossed the river under the river bottom, was placed upon the bridge. In 1888 Mr. Billings resigned as clerk and superintendent, and George F. Chace was elected.
In 1889, an 8-inch well was driven to a depth of 975 feet, 890 feet being in rock. The different expedients to increase the supply of water had not met anticipations, and the plan to go to the Lakeville ponds began to be discussed. In 1890 contracts were let for building an addition to the pumping station and the erection of a new engine and a new boiler. Their construction was completed in 1891. The new engine was known as a Gaskill engine, and had a capacity of 4,000,000 gallons per day. In October, 1891, a bill was presented to the Common Council to consider the question of obtaining a water supply from the Lakeville ponds, and in 1892 the Legislature authorized a loan of $500,000, which was desired for that purpose. The extension to Lakeville was authorized by the city government by order approved April 21, 1892. Contracts were let in 1892, and the work was in process of construction during 1893 and completed in 1894. The Lakeville pumping station was put in operation in February, 1894. In January, 1894, Peter H. Corr was elected a commissioner, Mr. Perrin resigning.
The supply of water is taken from the west side of Assawompset pond and is raised to Elder's pond, a height of about thirty-five feet. The plant there consists of an E. P. Allis & Co. triple expansion vertical pump of 5,000,000 gallons capacity. Two boilers furnish the steam. The main between the ponds is 24 inches in diameter. The water enters Elder's pond on the southeasterly side and leaves it from the northwesterly side. The water from Elder's flows by gravity through a 30-inch main to the Harris street station. In 1895 many of the distribution mains were in- creased in size. Four new boilers were installed at Harris street in 1899 and a new 8,000,000 gallon Gaskill engine was erected in 1901. Additions to the station were built in that year. In 1902 the State Board of Health adopted rules and regulations for the sanitary protection of the Lakeville ponds. The city has purchased some land for the same purpose, and some of this land has been set out to young trees, mostly white pines. In January, 1903, Mr. Chace resigned as superintendent and clerk, and George A. King was elected. Surveys for ascertaining electrical conditions were made in 1901 and 1905 by A. A. Knudson, E. E., when much return current was found upon a number of the mains, and in a few instances the street railway took steps to remedy conditions. In 1910 water was introduced into that part of North Dighton village located in Dighton, under a con- tract made with the Mount Hope Finishing Company.
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