USA > Massachusetts > Hampden County > Hampden county, 1636-1936, Volume I > Part 35
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By 1900 there were 2,516 Germans in Springfield. In the next ten years the rate of immigration fell off greatly, but picked up from 1910 to 1914. Many of the local Germans took up residence in the Hill section, although others were scattered everywhere throughout the city. The Germans represented all forms of endeavor: there were skilled machinists and diemakers, business men, cabinetmakers and woodworkers, and a few in politics and the professional world.
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In the field of music Emil Janser was a well-known violinist and orchestra leader. His brother Arnold was a singer; while Mar- garethe Von Mitzlaff made a name for herself in opera.
The center of German activity here as well as elsewhere is the Turn Verein. This famous and unique organization concerns itself with the physical, social and educational welfare of its members, and its "gymnasium" method of teaching has been adopted by practically our entire school system throughout the country. Prominent in the organization is Chris Neubauer, instructor in charge of gymnasium classes. Always an earnest Turner and a strong gymnast, Neubauer received his early training in Germany in this phase of physical culture. Emigrating to America as a young man, he worked in a factory days and taught gymnastic classes in the evening, finally enter- ing the Normal College of the American Gymnastic Union, from which he graduated in 1893. From then on he taught in several Turn Vereins throughout the country, and came to the local organization, then on West State Street, in 1897. Under his able leadership the local club became well known for its gymnastics, fencing and basket- ball classes, as well as its singing and dramatic divisions. The present- day Turn Verein is located in palatial quarters on Round Hill. Another organization, the Shuetzenverein, was popular some years ago. The Shuetzenverein encouraged amateur marksmen to test their eyes and hands in revolver shooting, and a crack shot was developed in Theodore Geisel, who won many prizes and who became prominent in local militia circles.
In Springfield today there are about 5,000 people of German descent, and of these about 1,200 were immigrants from the Father- land. The Germans for the most part are Protestants, attending the German Lutheran Church or other Protestant churches through- out the city.
The Greeks are comparatively new to Springfield as well as to the rest of America. A large percentage came from regions other than Greece proper : Turkey, eastern Thrace, northern Epirus, Pontus and other parts of Asia Minor. Some came because of a love of travel and adventure, coupled with a hope for material wealth. But the vast majority of Greeks came because of an intense and passionate love of freedom, which was stifled by Turkish persecution and domina- tion in Asia Minor.
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Long before the first Greek came to this city the people of Spring- field were sympathetic with the Hellenic fight for freedom against the Turk. On December 13, 1823, according to the "Hampden Patriot," a local newspaper of the time, a meeting was held at the Peabody assembly hall, "led by many of the most respected citizens and with- out distinction in support of Greek freedom and independence in every possible manner." A committee of eleven was selected out of Spring- field's 4,000 citizens, including Rev. Dr. Samuel Osgood, Rev. Wil- liam B. O. Peabody and others to further this cause. Another impor- tant event was in 1827, when a big mass meeting was held with O. B. Morris presiding and Rev. Mr. Bezaleel Howard giving the address, with the aim of sending munitions and supplies to the Greeks, while Samuel Bowles, editor of the "Republican," wrote at this time: "We revert to the affairs of Greece as of the first importance to the cause of freedom and liberty."
Fifty-seven years later the first Greek immigrant settled in this city. His name was Eleftherius S. Pilalas, and he went to work for the Kibbe Brothers Candy Company, where he ultimately became a manager. Mr. Pilalas, the "father of the Greek Colony," was well liked and respected. He was the man who brought the candy manu- facturing business in this city to its zenith. His brother, Stavros Pila- las, followed shortly afterward, and worked for the Kibbe Company for twenty-four years. He put his evenings after work to good use, attended night school for five years, and soon became well enough versed in English to be employed from time to time as a Greek inter- preter in local courts.
Theodore Carelas followed the Pilalas brothers in 1886. Mr. Carelas was a young giant from Sparta, whose massive frame made it easy to imagine that one of his ancestors fought in the sturdy band which held the pass at Thermopyla many centuries ago. Like his predecessors, he went to work for Kibbe Brothers and stayed with that firm for sixteen years. John D. Cokkinias opened the first candy stores in the city up to 1900, when the Greek population of the city reached some five hundred.
In 1908 the Greeks began to leave their native land and come to America in large numbers. The incentive for the movement was fur- nished in that year by the young Turks who had seized control of the
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Ottoman Empire from the Sultan, and passed a law making it com- pulsory for every male of military age to serve in the Turkish Army for a term of years.
Many of these people, rather than serve under the crescent banner of the Porte, left their homes. Large numbers of them came to America, but some were forced into military service before they could flee. According to Greek leaders here, at least half of the male Greek immigrants in Springfield have escaped the Turkish Army at the risk of being shot if caught. Stephen L. Efthymion, now dead, but for- merly proprietor along with E. Janetis of a tobacco store on Main Street, was representative of this group. While standing with his platoon at the Smyrna waterfront, he took a sudden plunge into the water and swam two miles out into the bay to an American liner and made a successful getaway.
Today there are about 3,500 Greeks in Springfield, settled in all parts of the city, instead of close. together in a Greek colony. You will find them in the north and south ends, in the Forest Park section and on the Hill.
Hesiod, more than seven hundred years before Christ, preached the doctrine of moderation. This sentiment the ancient Greeks made the ruling principle of their way of living, and their descendants still follow it. The Greeks make free use of wine, but the sons of Hellas in Springfield make the proud boast that never has one of their race been arrested for intoxication, and very rarely for any other infrac- tion of the law.
There are about one hundred lunch rooms and restaurants owned and operated by Greeks in this city. The Greek in Springfield is a man of business. If he has brought enough money with him from abroad, he opens a store of his own or in partnership with another of his own kind. If he hasn't the money, he goes to work and saves until he has enough to start on his own. Candy and fruit stores, tobacco and news shops, shoe shining and hat cleaning establishments are among the lines of business endeavor favored by the Greeks, although the race has representatives in practically every other type of business.
Since the influx of Greeks in this city was most pronounced between the years 1910-25, this element in Springfield's population is of too recent origin to have produced many professional men. Dr. Socrates J.
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Paul, now dead, was a graduate of Tufts Medical College and the first Springfield physician of Greek extraction. Today Dr. L. G. Spelios, of 63 Langdon Street, is a well-known local doctor. In law, Dimitrius V. Constantine is the sole representative of the race.
Probably one of the most famous Greeks in America, as well as in Springfield, is K. P. Tsolainos, formerly of 37 Sargeant Street. Edu- cated in the American School at Smyrna, and later at McGill Univer- sity in Canada and at Columbia University, he was chosen by Ameri- can Greeks to represent them at the Paris peace conference some years ago. It was in the French capital that he attracted the attention of Venizelos, the great liberal of Greece, who thought so much of Mr. Tsolainos that he appointed him his secretary. Now he occupies a high position in the National City Bank of New York and for three years won a substantial prize for selling more foreign bonds than anyone else.
Other local Greeks have won distinction in various fields. Nicho- las G. V. Nestor, besides being president and editor of the "National Union," the only American Hellenic news magazine printed in the English language in this country is also the American representative of all the Greek newspapers abroad, and is one of the founders and past Supreme Warden of the National Order of Ahepa. George Bacopoulos served for a time as Greek Minister of the Interior. Elias Janetis headed the Ahepa national excursion to Greece in 1930, while Nicholas Cassavetes founded the Pharos Tourist Agency, originating the Greek-American excursions abroad. Charilaus Lagou- dakis, formerly of Springfield College, became director of Athens College in Athens, Greece, and Anestis Fanos worked himself up to be editor of the "Atlantis," oldest Greek national daily newspaper in New York City.
One of the Greek leaders in Springfield today is John Michalaros, President of Ahepa, the best known of all the Hellenic organizations. Besides his numerous other communal activities, he is chairman of the Greek committee chosen to arrange for the participation of that race in the tercentenary activities. His history reads almost like fic- tion. Twenty years ago he left Smyrna for this country, but during the war was interned in France. After some time, however, he was able to come here through the efforts of the American Ambassador, whose interest in Michalaros had been gained through the efforts of
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Miss Lawrence and Mrs. Mallory, both Springfield women associated with the American School at Smyrna. He enrolled in the American International College and later he was sent some money and eight hundred bales of Greek tobacco by his family, who had learned of his whereabouts through the Red Cross. With this start he set up the Ionian Importing Company. In 1923 he returned to Smyrna to open a branch of his company there, and being of military age, was imme- diately seized by the Turks.
Mr. Michalaros still carries scars from the beatings he was sub- jected to by the Ottoman soldiers. While a prisoner during the Greek disaster in Smyrna, a Turkish officer approached him and offered to help him escape in return for money. This officer had charge of sev- eral ambulance trucks, and Michalaros, his face completely bandaged, was dressed in a Turkish uniform and carried, disguised as a wounded Turkish soldier, to the docks at Smyrna. From there he managed to attract the attention of two American sailors in a small boat, who took him to their vessel lying out in the harbor. Mr. Michalaros liquidated every resource at his command and paid the Turkish officer about $13,000 for a short ride in a truck as his part of the bargain !
The Greeks in Springfield are proud of the showing their young men made in the World War. Constantine Veniopoulos Nestor, of Springfield, who was killed in the Argonne, won high praise for valor in battle. Hercules Gorgis, who, although from Lynn, spent consid- erable time in this city, received the highest honors from Congress. True to his mighty namesake, he captured two hundred and fifty-seven Germans single-handed.
The great majority of Greeks in Springfield are adherents of the Greek Orthodox Church, to which their ancestors bore allegiance. Rev. Christos Manopolous is the spiritual leader of the Church of St. George on Patton Street, and Rev. D. Pappaleonidas is the leader of Holy Trinity Church on Carew Street.
The social core of Greek life is the Ahepa Club. Its primary purpose is Americanization and its name is derived from the first letters in each word of the following: American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association. There are more than three hundred and sixty chapters in the union, the Springfield branch being organized in 1924 by Nicholas Nestor. The Springfield Ahepa is located in the Young Building at 1653 Main Street, and here one may see an assem-
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bly hall, billiard tables, library and other social rooms. The Greeks, who are inclined toward the Republican party politically, thrash out the merits or shortcomings of various candidates in these quarters, and should a passerby on our busiest thoroughfare step into the Ahepa Club just before election time, he would be treated to as rare a battle of words as it has ever been his privilege to hear.
The Gapa is another noteworthy Greek club. Its purpose is the preservation of Greek ideals in American life. Clubs for the younger generation include the Junior Order of the Sons of Pericles and the Maids of Athens, both under the jurisdiction of Ahepa. The Philop- tohos is exclusively a woman's organization devoted to charitable work and is under the auspices of Saint George's.
The Greeks, for the most part, are here to stay. Like the mem- bers of many other races, they have found Springfield a haven after the bitterness of oppression abroad. Their intense love of liberty has been fully gratified here, and they make sober, industrious and hard- working citizens. It is to the credit of the Greeks that they have never asked or received a single penny from any outside charitable organization or the community chest, their own organizations assist- ing at all times in taking care of their own group in time of emergency.
The Irish are the largest individual portion of Springfield's popu- lation, outside of the native born Yankee and the later settlers of Eng- lish descent. They number about 21,000, or one-seventh of the population of the city, and of these about 5,600 are immigrants directly from the old country.
It was on the seventeenth of June, 1643, only twenty-three years after the "Mayflower" landed at historic Plymouth with its one hun- dred passengers, that an Irish immigration took place that put the small Pilgrim colony in the shade. The American colonies needed population and economic and political conditions in Ireland favored migration. The Commissioners of Ireland, in September, 1642, con- tracted with Captain John Vernon, William Leader and Daniel Sel- lick to supply them with two hundred and fifty women of the Irish nation, between the ages of fifteen and fifty, and three hundred young men, to be found in the country within twenty miles of Cork, Kerry, Waterford, Wexford and Tipperary, to import into New England. Here, then, we find at the very beginning of the American colonies in New England, five hundred and fifty Irish men and women in the
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prime of life, brought in to mingle with the English stock. It is fairly certain that some of these found their way to Springfield a few years later.
The early records show that Henry Chapin sold to "John Riley" sixteen acres of land along the west side of the Connecticut River, the property being described as "West of the Connecticut river and north from the Riley tract," which would indicate that the purchase was in addition to some land previously owned by some member of the Riley family. The sale was witnessed by Miles Morgan, and the deed recorded by John Holyoke. This was a part of the territory known as "Ireland Parish" and is the present site of the home for orphan children at Brightside.
Besides John Riley and his wife, Grace O'Dea, who settled here in 1649, there were Jonathan, Mary, Grace, Sarah, Jacob, and Isaac Riley born to this couple, according to the senior Riley's will of 1671, and also a nephew of Mr. Riley and a sister of Mrs. Riley's, Mar- garet O'Dea. It may be said, therefore, that in all probability the Rileys were the first people of distinct Irish descent in Springfield during the pioneer days, and their names keep occurring in the records through the years.
In the year 1712 an organized movement of Scotch-Irish to New England took place after a petition to Governor Shute, of Massachu- setts, was signed by three hundred and twenty leading men from the north of Ireland and presented to Reverend William Boyd as inter- mediary. The petition, couched in respectful language, was acted on and these Scotch-Irish landed in Boston, many of them later finding their way to this vicinity. Of these men a celebrated writer has said :
"They were men of pluck and muscle who hewed down the trees which built their frontier homes and churches, men who coveted no fine linen for their tables and were contented if they had enough of cornbread and potatoes, and yet imbued with such a thirst for learning that they became the founders of many of our foremost schools and colleges."
These settlers came in families, parents and children with all their worldy goods, and bound together by race, kindred and creed, determined that their posterity would live from their beginning. These early Irish pioneers brought with them the potato, a vegetable
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then unknown to New England, and it was an important article of their food supply, as it is today.
In later years they figured conspicuously in the establishment of this government, and did much for freedom of thought and in saving the institutions of the government when in danger. In the very early years the Irish settlers in Springfield were more or less looked down on by the rest of the inhabitants, partly because of prejudice still lin- gering from abroad, partly because of religious differences, and in some measure due to the natural suspicion of the early pioneers toward those different from themselves. An Irishman later became known simply as "Paddy," or he was called by his last name and desig- nation : "Kelly the Irishman," or "Burke the Irishman."
The Irish, because of their inherent love for freedom of thought and hatred of political shackles, were practically all on the colonies' side during the American Revolution. They were also prominent in the various Indian wars and in Shays' Rebellion. The official records of the battle of Bunker Hill show that of the 2,000 men on the patriot side, two hundred and thirty-four had distinctly Irish names, and of this number many were from this region. There were others from the valley, including Patrick Nugent, of West Springfield, who played a prominent part in Colonel Timothy Danielson's regiment of minutemen.
From 1832 to 1850 large numbers of Irishmen came to Spring- field to work on the railroads. They were strong men and willing workers, and their presence here as laborers was urgently needed at a time when the country was beginning to awake to the immense pos- sibilities of railroad transportation. These Irish settled on Ferry, Liberty and Sharon streets, and also in "Mechanics' Row," which was a short, alley-like street at the foot of Bliss Street near the river, and adjacent to the Boston and Albany Railroad. The Irish living in the Row itself had to live frugally; in fact, dangerously close to the ragged edge, as wages for laboring were from three to five dollars a week.
In 1846 there were perhaps three or four hundred Irish in Spring- field, and probably less than a thousand in the whole county. The local Irish in the middle of the nineteenth century held no public positions of eminence, and few had even a semblance of ordinary wealth.
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One of the most important problems to arise with the constant influx of Irish was the establishing of a place of worship. From 1846 to 1856 three priests, the Reverends G. T. Reardon, John J. Doherty, and William Blinkensop had ministered to the spiritual needs of the Irish here. The history of active Catholic faith and the spiritual progress and prosperity of the Catholics of Springfield may be said to date from the coming of the Reverend M. P. Galligher from Boston. Father Galligher founded a small church on Union Street, which soon became inadequate for the growing population. Instead of having one pew to a family, several families would crowd in, each contributing a small share of money to cover the total expense. Father Galligher began to organize his people, and so successful were the united efforts of pastor and flock that in about four years from the time of his arrival the splendid church property was purchased on which now stand St. Michael's Cathedral, the bishop's residence, the Catholic rec- tory, and the convent of the Sisters of St. Joseph.
Through the untiring efforts of Father Galligher, the property was entirely free from debt and the church consecrated by Bishop Williams, of Boston, on September 28, 1867. Worn out by his labors and respected by the whole community, Protestants as well as Catho- lic, Father Galligher died on June 1, 1869. The patriotic stand which he took during the Civil War, encouraging the enlistment of Catholics for the Union Army, and the particularly active part he took at the time of President Lincoln's death, endeared him to every citizen.
The diocese of Springfield was created by Pope Pius IX in July, 1870, and the Reverend P. T. O'Reilly was appointed first bishop of Springfield at St. Michael's Cathedral, the consecrator being Cardinal McCloskey, archbishop of New York, and the sermon was preached by Bishop Bacon, of Portland, Maine. After twenty-two years of useful service Bishop O'Reilly died, to be succeeded by the Right Reverend Thomas D. Beaven and others up to the present time. With St. Michael's as the Catholic center other small parishes developed throughout the city, especially with the advent of Catholics of other races.
One of the oldest Irish residents of Springfield today is Thomas E. King, father of Attorneys Raymond and Albert King. He was born here in 1850, attended a few grades at the local schools, and finally went to work in the millinery establishment of a man named Fallon, in
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Besse Place. Young King received $1.50 each week for sweeping out and doing odd jobs. A short time later, he worked at the United States Armory straightening gun barrels, and it was while he was engaged in this arduous task that the Civil War broke out.
King was far too young for military service, but the music of the band and the sound of marching feet got into his blood, and he almost succeeded in stowing away on a troop train ready to head south to the front, before his anxious and worried mother finally located him and took him off. In 1882 he entered the meat business and bought con- siderable property, and finally retired, a successful business man, to his home on Mulberry Street.
During the Civil War, according to Mr. King, almost whole fami- lies of Irishmen from Ferry and Sharon streets and Mechanics' Row enlisted in the Union Army. Hugh Donnelly was captain of a com- pany in the 37th Massachusetts, and through the brilliance of his serv- ice returned a colonel. Captain Malloy was another local Irishman who headed a company in this regiment and distinguished himself. It was the 37th, in which many local Irish enlisted, that was partly instru- mental with a New York regiment in turning back the victorious Southerners from Washington, after their victory at Bull Run. Mr. King remembers making the huge sum of five dollars selling "Republi- cans" on the fateful day of Bull Run!
Another incident besides the Irish patriotism which softened local hostility toward the Irish was a banquet given by a group of young Irishmen to Ben Shields. A prominent and eminent citizen of Spring- field, Judge Shurtleff, who was then a member of the common coun- cil, was invited. He was amazed at the keenness and fine manners of the young men there, and when he returned to his affairs in the city government he promptly entered the names of fifty of the men as eligibles for jury duty. Up to this time no Irishman had ever sat in a local jury box, this privilege being reserved exclusively for those who belonged to certain select lodges. This incident, according to Mr. King, marks the start of the local Irish into politics !
Another of the old Irishmen living in this city today is Edward A. Hall, of Bliss Street, now an official of the Springfield Cooperative Bank. His father was a blacksmith, who worked at the United States Armory, and the family lived where the Boys' Club is now located on Chestnut Street. After Hall graduated from the public schools in
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Springfield, he entered the clothing business on the site of the old post office. He moved to the corner of Main Street and Harrison Avenue when the government bought the post office property. After twenty-five years in the clothing business, Hall became a parole and probation officer for the State and finally entered the banking business. He was a scholar as well as a business man, and has written several books and papers on the Irish for historical societies, all of which have been the results of long and exhaustive research.
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