USA > Massachusetts > Hampden County > Holyoke > Complete program of Holyoke's seventy-fifth anniversary and home coming days > Part 9
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The growth of the city of Holyoke was to continue until the decade of the '20's. In 1893, business hit a slump here as in the rest of the country. The cause over the country as a whole may have been the ills of the Sherman Silver Purchase Act, but in Holyoke most of the trouble was over-production. The effect upon the paper mill owners at least was to put many of them in a frame of mind to sell out to the American Writing Paper Company which was organized in 1899. At the turn of the century the population was 45,000. By 1920, it was 60,000. Considerable part of this growth was due to the rise of the fortunes of the Farr Alpaca.
FARR ALPACA
One of the striking and tragic minor threads in the tapestry of Holyoke's history might well be written on the rise and fall of the Holyoke Farr Alpaca Corporation. At its zenith this company turned ont over 50 miles of close wov- en cloth per day. At its peak operation, dur- ing the first decade of the present century, it employed almost 4000 men and women, its sil- ver dollars rolling into the channels of mercan- tile trade every pay day with a volume and reg- nlarity that made High Street merchants pros- perous. The Farr Alpaca Christmas bonus did much to strengthen the Ynletide cheer of Hol- yoke's people.
Established in 1874, with Jared Beebe as president, and H. M. Farr as treasurer, this company included among its heavy stockhold- ers, the Parsons, the Allyns, the Metcalfs, the Randalls, and the Merricks. It produced the
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first all-wool eashmeres and henriettas made in America. Its alpacas, mohairs, serges, and cashmeres were the finest that American manu- facture could turn out, evenly spun, woven of permanent colors, and in beautiful finish.
For years the Farr made money. In 1920, its capital stock was almost 15 million dollars. Then it came upon adverse conditions. Finally it failed completely. As the day of liquidation approached people feared that Holyoke would become a ghost town.
SAN JUAN AND EL CANEY
When war was declared against Spain for the liberation of Cuba, Company D responded for Ilolyoke. Under the command of Captain Wil- liam J. Crosier this company of the Second Massachusetts Regiment, United States Volun- teers, was mustered into service on May 3, 1898. On the 21st day of June it landed on Cuban soil, proceded to Sihoney where it first heard firing in the distance.
The "Rough Riders" were already in scrim- mage with the Spaniards and soon a horseman appeared calling out, "Second Massachusetts fall in." The Holyoke boys started up the mountain in single file. That night they camped on the battleground beside the "Rough Riders" with the dead lying near. The next day after a brief resistance, San Juan surrendered.
On the morning of June 27, the company moved into outpost position in full view of Santiago . On July 1, it came into position be- fore El Caney, within range of the guns of the fortress, and the target of Spanish sharpshoot- ers from the hills. Here most of the Amer- ican casualties occurred.
With the surrender of El Caney the Holyoke company moved back toward Santiago and there was stationed until the end of the war. Lieuten- ants Robert W. Hunter and Franeis D. Phillips were the aids of Captain Crosier. A young sol- dier by the name of Edmund J. Slate became a . corporal.
Those who died before El Caney or in other skirmishes of the war were Sergeant Edgar R. Train, Sergeant George A. Collier, Sergeant Frank G. Mattice, Sergeant Samuel C. Bogart, Corporal Ruel H. Coit, Allen B. Chamberlain, -Joseph Bonneville, Timothy J. Canavan, Ana- tole Dugas, Samuel P. Hazelwood and Richard Mackey.
HOLYOKE HOSPITAL
The Holyoke City Hospital was incorporated on May 23, 1891, by William Skinner, Joseph Skinner, J. G. Mackintosh, James H. Newton,
George W. Prentiss, Edward P. Bagg, William Whiting, William F. Whiting, E. C. Taft, Tim- othy Merrick, Lemuel Sears, James Ramage, L. M. Tuttle, N. H. Whitten, JJoseph Metcalf and Edward W. Chapin. As a result of original subscription more than $50,000 was obtained. Twenty acres of land were purchased and build- ings erected. William Skinner was the first president and William Whiting the second. Joseph Skinner and Joseph Towne later served for many years.
At approximately the same time the Hospital Aid Association was organized; a group eonsist- ing entirely of women, with the object of fur- nishing the hospital, assisting in maintenance, and providing charitable work in connection with needy cases.
The hospital was completed in 1893, and since that time has been maintained as a private in- stitut on without expense to the city. It is of non-sectarian character. Patients pay for serv- ice, yet in case of needy persons who are unable to meet the charges, the Aid Association finds a way.
The successful outcome of the recent drive for a new hospital bears testimony to the long years of worthy and conscientious service which the present institution has rendered no less than to the able group of public spirited leaders headed by Stuart Russell who supplied the organiza- tional genius. It is characteristic of Holyoke that many families of moderate circumstance who would in the ordinary course of events avail themselves of the facilities of the Providenec institution did their bit for this new city hos- pital.
GAS AND ELECTRIC DEPARTMENT
While Arthur B. Chapin was Mayor of Hol- yoke the Board of Public Works asked the Wa- ter Power Company, which had supplied the city with electricity for lighting for a number of years for a better contraet. The Power Com- pany refused, whereupon the people of Holyoke voted for two years consecutively to establish a municipal lighting plant of their own. As a result of ahnost a year of negotiation the Pow- er Company, in 1902, soll its generating plants to the city for about three quarters of a million dollars. With this acquisition, the Holyoke municipal lighting department, known today as the Gas and Electric Department, was estab- lished.
This department has grown with the years. Holyoke owes much to the sagacious manage ment of John J. Kirkpatrick in charting its pol- icies. Today its properties are worth millions of dollars, furnishing Holyoke people with elec-
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tricity for lighting at one of the lowest rates offered in any city in the United States. return for tax exemption, it sells electricity to the city at cost.
In 1903, the Water Power Company peti- tioned the Legislature for permission to sell
JOHN J. KIRKPATRICK
power in larger quantities than 100 horsepower and obtained that right. The municipal de- partment buys water power from the Water Power Company but also has its own high pres- sure steam generating plant.
The use of electric power has expanded enormously since the turn of the century. Many plants which are comparatively small in Holyoke today use 100 horsepower and so have become customers for the power company.
In addition to the church societies and social groupings which were forming during this period a number of organizations of a more fraternal nature began. Among these were the Holyoke Chapter of Masons, the Turn Verein, the Connecticut Lodge, Knights of Pythias; the Connecticut Lodge, I. O. O. F. M. U., and Di- vision 1, of the Ancient Order of Hibernians. The St. Jerome's Temperanee Society took on a fraternal-social character. The Sons of St. George, the Holyoke Caledonian Society, and the Court City of Holyoke Foresters were organ- ized.
THE PRESS
Whereas the life of Baptist Village had been slow-going and direet, that of the young City of Holyoke became complex, many-sided, kalei- doseopic. A city is such a highly organized structure, with a myriad of interrelated parts and a great maize of interdependent associa- tions. Growth in one area often necessitates ex- pansions or contraction in others. Cause and effect relationships are many and diverse. Crime may be bred of poor housing; ill health en- gendered of unemployment ; a flowering culture resultant from leisure.
In a society of free people, where a citizenry undertakes to rule itself, group enlightemnent is a pre-requisite to intelligent group action. The greater the body politie and the more com- plex and heterogeneous its composition, the greater the need for reliable information. Mighty is the power of the press; imperative its function.
The Hampden Freeman first saw the light of day on a frosty morning of September, 1849. William Morgan and James D. Henderson owned it. W. B. C. Pearsons, the young attor- ney, wrote the editorials. The paper appeared on the streets every Friday morning, but folded up after several years.
Then followed the "Weekly Mirror," by My- ron C. Pratt, who went to war in 1861, leaving it to extinetion. The Albee brothers revived the "Mirror" in 1863, and sold it to Burt and Lyman of Springfield, who changed the name to the "Transcript." The paper then passed through several hands, finally becoming the property of Loomis and Dwight. W. G. Dwight bought out Loomis in 1888, and thus the paper came into possession of the Dwight family where it has remained ever since.
W. G. Dwight and his talented wife directed the paper until his death in 1930.
Mrs. William G. Dwight has played an im- portant part in guiding the destinies of the Transcript. Her facile pen and her unceasing capacity for hard work, her inherent honesty and great-hearted interest in people have given to Holyoke a stellar brand of journalism over these many years. The Transcript has played a powerful part in keeping Holyoke a well- governed eity. Though Mrs. Dwight has now relinquished aetive management of the paper to her able son, William, she still earries a heavy share of the editorial work. Holyoke's Grand Lady. Arthur Ryan, business manager of the Transcript, through long years has earned a place of solid respect among the people of the city.
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At the 77th commencement of the University of Massachusetts President Baker read the fol- low'ng citation in conferring upon Mrs. Dwight the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Let- te"s :
"Mrs. Minnie Ryan Dwight, sincere friend, aggressive educator, successful editor. Your long years of service to Holyoke, to Hampden County and to the Commonwealth of Massachu- setts have brought higher ideals and better liv- ing to the many whose lives you have influenced. Your constant goal has been to serve your com- munity, to enrich the opportunities for women, to promote the welfare of all the people. You have served unselfishly in the promotion of equal suffrage for women. of the Girl Scout movement, women's clubs, the Hampden County Improve- ment League. the State Committee on National Defense, and the Women's Advisory Council of the University of Massachusetts.
"Whenever there has been individual need or an emergency organization task to be accom- plished, the people have looked to you for ener- getic assistance and wise and kindly guidance."
WORLD WAR I
In 1917, when America went to war to pre- serve the freedom of the high seas and to make the world safe for democracy, Holyoke was again out in front in its total contribution to the grand war effort of the nation. The records show a total of 3797 men and women in service perhaps the highest percentage of any city of Holyoke's size in the United States.
SECOND MASSACHUSETTS REGIMENT
Holvoke's own Company D, 104th Infantry of the 26th Division was reorganized at Camp Bartlett. Hampden Plains, in September of 1917. In October the boys left for Montreal and thence to Halifax. finally arriving in Liver- pool on October 17. Four days later they were across the channel and on their way to the front. For a time they underwent training at the vil- lage of Sartes.
From February 6 to March 21. 1918, they were at the front in the Chemin-des-dames sec- tor. On Easter Sunday they arrived in front of Apremont and held that sector and the one to the right of it in front of Montsec for three months. Then they were moved to Bellean Woods and were in the fighting at Chateau- Thierry.
In the Saint-Mihich drive they went into the figlit on September 11, and over the top on the
12th. On that day they took the town of St. Maurice and advanced five miles in 30 hours. After the drive the few remaining took part in the fighting north of Verdun, going over thren I'mes in one day. "It is a matter of record that of the original company of 150 men from Hol- yoke and vicini'y which answered the country's eall in April, 1917, there remained at the time of the signing of the Armistice, but 13 in the ranks." A few had been transferred, but most had been killed or wounded.
llolyoke's honored dead of this war were Jo- seph W. Smith, Rev. William F. Davi't, Homer Dagenais, Wolcott B. Hastings, Edwin R. Kingsland, William H. McNally, Arthur J. Per reault, Charles R. Wilbur, William B. Craven, Daniel JJ. Gallivan, Robert W. Gorham, Wil- liam JJ. McNally, Thomas P. Martin, Michael J. Moriarty. Louis Serrurier, John F. Sheehan, Raymond B. Thompson, Douglas Urquhart, Jolin A. Watters, Alveh E. Avery, Robert Bur- nett, James A. Fitzgerald, JJohn J. Kelly, James J. Kirkpatrick, John F. MeCarthy, Edward Leo Mann, Frank JJ. Moynihan, Theador Pappas, Ernest A. Parent, Jeremiah F. Sullivan, George Tremblay, Leon F. Burgess, Alfred S. Ander- son, Patrick J. Curran, Charles Lyons, Kenneth L. Small, Dennis Begley, JJoseph E. Blair, An- drew W. Bhiteau. William F. Brackman, Jo- seph J. Breton, Frank Brovarek, Irving E. Brown, Francis P. Brown, Emil Bruder, George C. Clarke, James M. Coburn, Nicholas Conao- giris, Louis M. Croteau, Narcisse A. Deroy.
William H. Evans, Joseph L. Finem, Arthur W. Fleming, Frank J. Foster, Edward P. Gat- ley, Fred B. Geissler, William O. Gillette, Mar- tin J. Ginley, Louis B. Goodstein, Amedee A. Goulet, Herve Guertin, Thomas J. Gudzek, James M. Hayden, Albert Hebert, Desire Joyal, Martin P. Kennedy, Patrick F. Lally, John Lambert, Joseph H. Larivee, Lester F. Leaders, John MacInnis, Edmond A. Marion, Harold W. Martin, James F. Martin, Edwin M. Mitchell, Joseph J. Moriarty, William J. Murphy, Ovila Nolin, Albert Ouimette, John J. Padden, Wal- ter W. Pairadee, William Pneschel, Henry A. Quirk, James E. Shea, Jefferson Smith, Rich- ard Smith, Frank E. Snyder, Anthony Stach- owicz, Harold B. Stedman, Howard J. Sullivan, Harry Tighe, Tony Tomasko, Charles B. Tower, George F. Varney, Edward J. Welch, Michael Welch, Raoul J. Willemain, William Wynn.
In the navy they were William L. Conway, Patrick Healey, Emile J. Henrye, Armand La- pointe, Matthew J. MeKillop, Hector N. Men- ard, Frank B. Scarry.
In foreign service : Percy W. Deffew, Murray R. Finlayson, Kirwin Coughlin, James Petrie,
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Warren E. Tilbe, John Carlow, Arthur Chatter- ton, Nazaire Demers, Edward Gadbois, Albert Gendron, James Gow, William P. Griffin, Wil- liam Henderson, John Jones, Thomas F. Nolan, Charles Verheyn, James C. Williamson.
NATHAN P. AVERY
Those who received Distinguished Service Medals were : Alexander Boudreau, Chaplain William F. Davitt, William McNally, John Mc- Nulty, Harry David Read, William Doyle and Ernest J. Rov.
Those who were awarded the Croix de Guerre were: Albert Blais, John R. Flood, Patrick Desilets, Francis C. Heywood, Robert C. Slat- tery, Robert R. Twiss, Richard M. Weiser, Wil- liam F. Wruck and John Stefanik.
Those awarded both the Distinguished Service Medal and the Croix de Guerre were : Joseph E. Blair, William A. Staek and Dr. William P. Ryan.
Citations for Bravery were made to John Mac- kenzie, Ray A. LeDue, Alexander MacDonald, John LaFlesh, Edward C. Parsons, Reginald Turner, Hugh Weir, Ernest H. Young, George S. L. Connor, Samuel Levenson, Alfred S. An- derson. Arthur V. Levereault, Henry A. Brown, Anthony H. Manley. Joseph E. Commeau, Stuart A. Russell.
Nathan P. Avery, one of Holyoke's long-time leaders rendered long and disinterested service
to the city, first as Mayor, and then as a member of the School Committee. His final service was as a member of Holyoke's Draft Board in World War II.
THE POLISH SETTLERS
Among the first of the Polish settlers to come to Holyoke was Joseph Czarnecki who arrived in September of 1888. Early comers were John Zielinski, Anthony Symasko, Waclaw Szew- czynski, Maciej Niedzielski, Michael Rutka, Peter Jurasz, Martin Dusza, John Ĺwiatek, Stanley Slajda and Joseph Frodyma. By 1895, the Polish settlement contained more than 300 residents with each day bringing several more new families.
Handicapped by inability to understand the language of the new country, these first comers were given to understand, even while still on the boat, that there was one place where they could surely find work; the Lyman Mills. The. mills worked 66 hours a week at this time and paid $4.20 every Saturday noon.
Because this new influx of people increased the supply of labor in the city and tended to
JOHN ZIELINSKI
keep wages low the established workers were resentful. Some trouble occurred which was smoothed over by management.
These people too loved the land. Quite a number of them worked just long enough to save enough money to buy land and turn their at- tention to agriculture. Many of the Polish people who are now successful farmers in Had-
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ley, Whately, Amherst and Granby got their start in the Holyoke mills.
Father Sikorski eame to live among this latest racial group in the city. At first he conducted services in the Rosary Church, but recognizing that here was a devout people to whom religion was a necessary part of life, organized the con- struction of Mater Dolorosa Church. The church is a tribute to the loyalty and self sacri- fice of the early Polish people.
John Zielinski was the exponent of the rich cultural inheritance of the Polish. Publie spir- ited and possessed of unusual energy, he laid stress upon education. Particularly did he point ont the need for Americanization and the attainment of citizenship. He was organist and choir director of the church for 25 years. Americanization came slowly because of the dif- fieulty of grasping new ideals in a new language whose mastery was difficult in the scarcity of time. Tony Symasko and Waclaw Szewczynski rendered aid constantly to those who were aspir- ing for citizenship.
Zielinski was vice-president of the Polish Catholic Society of America.
Tony Symasko occupied a position of genuine distinction in his adopted city and among his people. He was instrumental in settling many of his race in the Holyoke Community and in aiding them to gain citizenship. He helped to finance many of his friends in their business ventures and often acted as interpreter. Even after becoming a successful business man, Tony retained his close association with the friends of earlier years.
The story of the Polish settlement in Holyoke is not unlike that of the saga of the early Irish, or the early French. or the early Germans. The Polish people were impelled by the same mo- tivations and strengthened by the same hopes and aspirations. They were compelled to un- dergo the same rigorous hardships. They met the challenge with the same fortitude and loyal determination.
The part that those early Polish priests played in making the life of the newcomers more endurable, in giving them consciousness of their identity and spiritual sustenance must not be overlooked. In any history of Holyoke the names of Father Sikorski, Father Casimer Cwiklinski and Father Theadore Kaczmarek have a place.
DOWN THROUGH THE YEARS
The story of Holyoke since the turn of the century is largely that of a typical American
mdustrial city carrying on in the face of mighty national 'occurrences; caught up and swept along on the tide of the first great World War;
DEACON WILLIAM A. ALLYN
trapped in the backwash of reconversion; rid- ing the crest of the epochal boom of the roaring '20's; dashed into the abyss of the most ter- rible depression that the country had ever known ; lulled along under the benign influences of the Roosevelt New Deal; finally plunged into the midst of the great Armageddon that was the Second World War.
MODERN TRENDS
Out of the welter of diverse happenings and conflicting cross currents certain unmistakable trends are evident for Holyoke of today and for Holyoke of the future. Many of these have already advanced far along the road to fruition. They are not nebulous and vaguely general. They are concrete. readily discernible, and in some cases even measurable. The most signif- icant of them should be enumerated and briefly described.
Single industry towns are given to picketing peaks of prosperity ; but they are also subject to bottomless valleys of despond. Business, which draws its sustenance from factory pay-
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rolls, is hard hit by the lay-off. Workers, de- prived of the pay envelope, become destitute when times are slack. Holyoke had its experi- enee with cotton mill domination in the early days and paper control later. Even with the passing of the Farr Alpaca, Holyoke's people were frightened.
DIVERSIFICATION
In the past three years 42 new industrial es- tablishments have been set up in the Holyoke community. Many of them are small, employ- ing only two or three workers, occupying a single loft or even the home garage, but all are growing. Most of these new concerns are owned by Holyoke men, and their prodnet conceived by Holyoke ingenuity. Quite a few are in the field of ultra-modern, scientific, electro-physical development which bids fair to become a growth industry.
Only three concerns in Holyoke at the pres- ent time employ more than a thousand workers. The total job opportunities of the city, however, are spread ont over almost 200 different plants. Within this total number appears practically an equal division between paper, textiles, and metal. The division is well balanced. Slack periods of the several groups never occur at the same time.
Under the Barretts, father and son, the Hol- voke Water Power has turned to electrification. Electricity today is a vahable tool of diversi- fication.
The manufactured paper is converted into a thousand different prodnets before it leaves the city. Blankbooks, high-grade stationery, greet- ing cards, processed and coated papers, pape- tries are produced in wonderful variety at the source of material supply. The basic mills turn out all kinds of paper except newsprint.
In the textile industry great variety is also a characteristic, mmning the gamnt of cottons, woolens, worsteds, artificial fibres, and threads. The Berkshire Fine Spinning carries on in the cotton tradition.
It is in the metals, however, that variety is widest. The Worthington makes air condition- ing and compression tools. The General Elec- trie turns out transformers; the Pal Blade, cut- lery ; the Sinclair Company, wire cloth. A new roller chain manufactury recently has been set up. Tool designing and manufacturing plants number almost a dozen. The Prentiss Wire Mills maintain their pristine vigor by produc- ing wire of highly specialized qualities which enable metal manufacturers to work within
CONRAD HEMOND
small tolerances both as to expansion and strength.
The losses to Holyoke business and Holyoke workers occasioned by the passing of the Farr Alpaca have been made up. More than three times as many workers are now employed under the same roofs as the Farr Alpaca ever em- ployed. Holyoke today, as a place to do busi- ness, is one of the greenest spots in the United States, a condition attributable to many Hol- yoke influences working together, not the least of which has been the Holyoke Chamber of Commerce.
Conrad Hemond has held the post of Secre- tary to this aggressive and loyal organization for 28 years. He took over shortly after World War 1.
THE DIGNITY OF LABOR
It is a far cry from the early days of pick and shovel labor, when men were more plentiful than jobs and bosses drove their workmen with the admonition, "Fill your shovels or fill your coats," to the present day of labor shortage when a good workman can command his own price. The improvement in the status of the working man has come about as a result of many factors; curtailment of immigration, effectnal labor organization, a growing social conscience,
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EVERYBODY GOES TO SCHOOL Miss Esther Greeley, Miss Charlotte Williams, Mrs. Joseph Towne
the universal acceptance of the principle that the laborer is worthy of his hire.
The contest by which improvement came was long and earnest, strewn with strikes and lock- outs, blacklists and injunctions. An interesting feature was that for the most part it was with- out too much bitterness, characterized by cordial relations between employer and employed. Hol- yoke labor has never been radical or of destruc- tive nature. Many outstanding labor leaders during the last half century have been among Holyoke's most respected men. Employers, too, have been gentlemen.
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