USA > Massachusetts > Hampden County > Holyoke > Holyoke daily transcript > Part 11
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The original Holyoke committee consisted of J. S. Webber, the first president of the Club; A. J. Rand, T. W. Holley, Charles P. Randall, W. T. Dean, and Allen Hig- ginhuttom, with the state organizer, J. C. Eastman, Charles P. Randall was the first treasurer, and he was soon suc- ceeded by Edward S. Packard.
The first home of the Club was the old Methodlist church builling on Main street, and this was used for ahont ten years.
James Lawrence Dudley was the first superintendent of the Club, and he is remembered anil loveil by many a man in the city today as "n friend in need."
This was one of the first clubs to recognize the m11- portance of trade teaching for street boys, and classes in carving, bookbinding and printing were carried on, in ad- dition to gymnasium work, and the necessary reading and recreation rooms, Later, paper bux making was installed, and quite a business in this line was carried on. Mr. Duit-
ley left the club in 1900, and was succeeded by his as- sistant, John D. Thompson, through whose efforts the gymnasium end of boy training reached a high inark, and who conturned the activities of the club, both social and in- dustrial. 11e was succeeded in September, 1907, hy George W. Ning, the present executive.
In 1905, the Club acquired the property on Race street, known as the "Merrick property," comprising 20,000 feet of land, with three tenement houses thereon, and it was pro- posed to Imild a suitable building for the work, but as the property was acquired under a mortgage, it was thought best not to huild till this was discharged. The Club moved to a part of one of these houses, butt after a short time it was thought best to go to the Holynke Machine Company's hlock on Main street, where it remained till the fall of 1907, when the house at 100-101 Roce street w.is remodeleil as a home inr the work. This building is now used, and has proved practical, but fair too small for the needs of the growing organization. The deht on the property has now been paid, and it is hoped to ercet a building entirely ade- quate to the work, in the near future.
The trades department has been enlarged by the iu- stallation of a fine Manual Training room, a class in cob- bling, and one in chair caning; this work is only limited by lack of space. The directors ilecided to drop the box-mak- ing work, and this has been done. The Boys' Club in this
city affects more than a thousand children and young peo- ple, and is constantly growing in its power for good in the civic life. Last year nearly 35,000 attenilances were reg- istered during the season, which runs continuously, Sun- days excepted, from the day after Lahor Day till the end of the following May. Hours are 6.30 tn 8.45 p. m., with afternoon sessions from December 1 to March 15 follow- ing, 3,30 to 4.43 p. m.
Previous to 1904 the work was carried on by it volun- tary association of business men; in that year it was in- corporated as "The Holyoke Boys' Chib Association," un- der the laws of the state.
In March, 1906, J. S. Webber, the president of the or- ganization since its inception, died. fle was immediately succeviled by his son, Frederick S. Webber, who has since headed the work so well begun.
It is a noticeable fact that many of the original givers to the work twenty years ago are still giring regularly and cheerfully to the support of the institution.
The present organization of the Holyoke Boys' Club Association is as follows : President, Frederick S. Web- ber; vice-president, Nathan P. Avery; treasures, Frank G. Willcox ; secretary, William A. Allyn; anditor, Edward S. Packarıl; executive committee, Frederick S. Webber, Dr. George A. Maxfield, T. Henty Spencer; superintendent, George W. King; assistant superintendent, Herman G. Haese.
XIX
ENINTE
THE HOME OF HOLYOKE'S BIGGEST AND BEST GROCERY STORE
PURVEYORS TO THE PEOPLE WITH THE LARGEST, MOST VARIED AND SELECT LINE OF DOMESTIC AND IMPORTED GROCERIES AND BISCUITS FOUND ANYWHERE OUTSIDE OF THE LARGEST CITIES, TOGETHER WITH AN IDEAL HOME BAKERY DEPARTMENT.
J. R. SMITH COMPANY, Inc. GROCERS IN THE SMITH BUILDING
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HOLYOKE'S PHILANTHROPIES
HOLYOKE MUNICIPAL MILK STATION
MRS. SUMNER H. WHITTEN.
MISS SADIE LEION.
The Holyoke Municipal Milk Station, now in its sec- ond year, and, so far as known, the first purely municipal milk station to have been established in New England, owes its existence and snecess to several favoring sources. But its inception was due to the desire of the Holyoke Mothers' Club, connected with the Y. W. C. A., under the lead of Mrs, Sumner H. Whitten, to do something definite for Holyoke.
In several years of successful work, one of the ad- dresses that struck deep was made by Dr. J. C. Hubbard on the dangers of impure milk for babies and young chil- dren. When the Mothers' Club decided to bend its ener- gies in a definite direction it chose Baby Feeding as its duty. To Mrs. Whitten is due the steady development of the plan to the point where the city was ready and willing to take it up. Local conditions were investigated, showing the great infant mortality in the congested districts, and the work being done in other cities was pointed out. From the very first it was urged that the work would be more effective if done under municipal direction, instead of as a charity, and if worked out under the direction of the physi- cians of the city, All of the physicians worked in support
of the plan, And Mayor White and the city goverment were favoring.
So, in June, 1911, the Municipal Milk Station was opened in a small shop on Sargeant street, in the most congested part of the city, and in a section where the infant death rate was nousually high. There were seven babies to care for at first.
Miss Sadie Leinu, trained both as a nurse and social worker, was put in charge. It is due to the wisdom of the choice of superintendent that the Holyoke Milk Station has done such a fine and steadily increasing work. Miss Leion prepares the milk according to formula ordered by physicians, all the work being done under the most scien- tific and sanitary conditions. Besides she regularly visits the mothers in their homes and teaches them how to care for their babies, so that they will keep well. On September 1. 1012, seventy-six babies were taking this scientifically prepared milk from the Municipal Station. These baby's are from all sections of the city, so that it has been neces- sary to open several substations. These have been opened in drug stores, the proprietors gladly joining in the move- ment. Miss Leion is still at the head of the work with one assistant, besides a young girl to assist in washing bottles.
The size to which the work has grown may perhaps be better grasped by the statement that more than six hundred feeding bottles have to be sterilized and filled every day, This, besides preparing the milk hy four different formulae, attending to its distribution and visiting at the homes makes the present working force a much overworked body, hut one that cheerily does its work because of the great results attained, The immediate result is a greatly reduced death rate of children under two years of age. The mothers pay for the milk and bottles and the city pays for the nurses and all costs of the Station.
The commission in charge of the Municipal Milk Sta- tion is the same that at first organized to establish it : Mrs. Sumner H. Whitten, chairman; Mrs. S. R. Whiting, sec- retary and treasurer ; Mrs. Frank Fay, Mrs. F. J. Cloutier. Mrs. J. Bertram Newton, Mrs. L. 11. Clarke, Mrs. James D. Bardwell, Mrs. F. H. Allen, and Mrs. William G. Dwight, directors.
An advisory medical board consists of Dr. J C. Hub- hard. Dr. S. A, Mahoney, and Dr. I .. H. Clarke,
The active medical staff includes Dr. Fred H. Allen, chairman; Drs. J. J. Carroll. J. J MeCabe, Jean Celce, and F. J Clontier.
TILLEY BUILDING, CORNER SUFFOLK AND MAPLE STREETS.
1872
1912
Foris sett- ago thuis lom varied in the Furniture Business on Mam street m a very small way, -readily gaming in strength by its honest dealings. until 1888, they ontgrew their quarters on Main street and moved into much larger ones on High street. There they continued and increased their busi- ness, until their quarters were far too small to profitably conduct their busi- ness and supply the demands of the people It was then Mr. Tilley purchased the Dr. Ella Davis' property, corner of Maple and Suffolk streets, and April 1, 19/07, commenced excavating for the present Imilding. The same year, No. vember 1, the doors of this store were thrown open to the people of Holyoke. This building has over 50,000 square feet of flooring, which is all occupied by the firm, We wish to thank the people of Holyoke for their generous support in the past, and still soheit their future business.
JOHN TILLEY & CO.
INTERIOR VIEW OF JOHN TIL.LEY & Co.
HOLYOKE ELECTROTYPING CO.
ALL WORK GUARANTEED
ELECTROTYPING OF ALL KINDS :: NICKEL STEEL ELECTROS
TELEPHONE CONNECTION
CABOT STREET, CORNER BIGELOW STREET,
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HOLYOKE, MASSACHUSETTS
HOLYOKE'S GREATEST CHARITY
BETHLEHEM HOME.
'To write a history of the noble deeds done in the name of charity in Holyoke would mean a volume in it- self, but no record could be so incomplete that it would not include the story of the Sisters of Providence and their work for the city and the Catholic Diocese of Spring- feld. From humble beginnings, forty years ago, the work of the community has grown until today its network of asylums, hospitals, and homes reaches to every corner of the Diocese
The order is the great charity order of the Diocese. In this city they have charge of the House of Providence Hospital, Mt. St. Vincent, the orphanage for girls, the Institute for Boys, and the home for old men at Bright- side, and the Harkins' Home for Aged Women. Under their charge, too, are three other great hospitals, St. Vin- cent's at Worcester, the House of Mercy at Springfield, and Farren Hospital at Montague City, besides Greylock Rest at Adams. There are at the present time three hun- dred Sisters in the community, and the beneficiaries of their noble work are numbered by the thousands. At the Bright- side Orphanage there are 125 boys at the present time. At Mt. St. Vincent there are 120 homeless little girls, and at Bethlehem there are seventy-five babies. The House of Providence Hospital cannot supply the de- mands on it, though there are sixty-five beds there. In the new Braven-Kelly home there are forty old men spending the declining years of their life under happy conditions, while at the Harkins' Home there are as many aged women,
The late Monsignor Harkins did many fine things for Holyoke, but no greater service than when he was instrumental in getting the order to locate in the city. He had been a student at Kingston, Canada, and was there acquainted with the splendid work of the Sisters of Prov- idence, Two Sisters come to Holyoke in Jime, 1873, and it was then that he was able to put in operation a plan he had for the establish- ment of a place where the poor working girls of the parish might go in time of sickness. Ile made application for a body of nuns to come to the parish and start the work. In Septem- ber of that year he went to Kingston with Dr. J. J. O'Connor, afterwards mayor of Holyoke, to make the arrangements. That same month Mother Mary John of the order and Sister Mary Edward came to Holyoke and looked over the field, They were favorably impressed and agreed to send the Sisters. They came in November, headed by Sister Mary Edward as
Superior, and Sisters Mary Patrick, Mary of the Cross, and Mary Mt. Carmel. Monsignor Harkins was in charge of the South Hadley parish at that time, and so it was in the parish house over the river that the Sisters first took up their work.
At that time there was neither hospital nor almshouse in Holyoke, and the opening of the home at South Hadley was the first work in this line of public charity in the vicinity. In 1875 the Parsons property, where stands to- day the House of Providence Hospital, was purchased, and the Sisters took up their residence in Holyoke. In 1878 the parish at South Hadley was set off, and the orphans were brought over to the Institute.
In 1875 the Sisters of Providence accepted the care of the boys' school at St. Jerome parish. This was the first parochial school established for boys, not only in Hol- yoke but in the entire Diocese. Though not primarily a teaching order, nevertheless it was only during the present year (1912) that the Sisters of Providence have laid aside their teaching duties and gone back to their chosen field. among the orphans and the aged. And for the first time in the year 1875 appears on the list of members of the community the name of Sister Mary of Providence, The
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HOUSE OF PROVIDENCE HOSPITAL.
following year she was made principal of the St. Jerome School, and from that day to this the story of the Sisters of Providence in the Springfield Diocese is the story of the life work of this wonderful woman.
The community was incorporated in 1878 and took over in its own name the Parsons property, A story was added to the building that year and hospital work began in Holyoke at that time. From 1878 to 1893, when the new City Hospital was erected, the House of Providence was the only institution of the kind in the city.
There were far too many orphan children for the In- stitute at the time, and on the advice and through the agency of Dr. O'Connor, the Ingleside property was bought from Messrs. Chandler and Holman, The original price was twelve thousand ($12,000) dollars, but when Mr. Holman heard that the would-be purchasers were the Sis- ters of Providence, he insisted that the price be made ten thousand ($10,000) dollars, and had his way.
Sister Mary John, the Mother-General of the order, came from Canada and with Sister Mary of Providence, drew the plans for the new orphans' home, No architect was required for the work, and, in the opinion of builders and architects alike, they would have trouble improving on the work of the two great leaders of the com- munity. Toomey & Shea built the home, and it was dedicated on Washington's birthday. 1880, by Bishop O'Reilly. Father Harkins cel- ebrated the first high mass in the chapel, and the home became at once the refuge of orphan boys and girls and aged men and women.
It remained for Mother Mary of Provi- dence to show the way to less daring spirits to make something out of nothing. No sooner would ceaseless labor on her part and the part of the other members of the community serve to lift the burden of debt that has borne heav- ily on their shoulders at all times, than some new need appeared, to be met with the prompt- ness and an optimism born of a great faith that God would smile on enterprises nuder- taken in the name of charity. There was not a dollar in the community treasury when the first home at Ingleside was built. There is not a dollar now, but there is one of the finest organizations of its kind in the country.
An addition to Ingleside was necessary in 1887. Mother Mary drew the plans herself and the work was done at a cost of twenty-two thousand ($22,000) dollars. The original debt had been eleared by that time, largely through the efforts of Sister Mary Leonard and Sister
DANIEL O'CONNELL'S SONS
Mason Builders, Brick Manufacturers
and General Contractors
DAM BUILDING, CONCRETE WORK AND STONE WORK OF EVERY DESCRIPTION
SEWER LAYING AND GRADING
EXCAVATING AND TEAMING PAVING CONTRACTS OF ALL FORMS
TELEPHONE CONNECTION
OFFICE, 480 HAMPDEN STREET, HOLYOKE, MASS.
HOLYOKE'S GREATEST CHARITY
A BRIGHTSIDE GROUP.
Mary Theresa, who went into the rough mining districts in the far West to solicit aid, and collected six thousand ($6,000) dollars. A great fair was held in 1880, at which the Sisters cleared seven thousand ($7,000) dollars. The Holyoke Water Power Company gave as a donation to the fair a plot of land on Maple street, for which tirkets were sald aggregating two thousand ($2,000) dollars. When the tickets were drawn, Mother Mary Edward held the hicky number. She prommly sold the fot for two thousand ($2,000) more
In the last few years of his life Bishop O'Reilly wanted le see the Sisters of Providence made a diocesan order, a step which was naturally opposed by the mother order in Canada. The ense was brought to the papal court, where Bishop O'Reilly was represented hy Rev. Dr. Thomas D Beaven, then pastor of the Holy Rosary Church. The day that Bishop O'Reilly died the papal decree granting his petition arrived He was nable to sign the parchment, but Bishop Benven. soun after elevated. carried the matter through.
On the day he was consecrated. Bishop Beaven secured for the Sisters of Providence title to the Wilkinson estate, which bordered the Ingleside property on the south, and ineluded one of the finest pieces of property in the valley. On this property stand at the present time the mother house of the order in the Diocese, the Orphanage for Boys, Bethlehem, and the Beaven-Kelly home for Aged Men It was twenty years ago this month that they took posses- sion of the property. It added a burden of twenty thou- sand ($20,000) dollars to their already large liabilities, but Bishop Beaven had paid twenty-one thousand ($21,000) dollars for his share, and he paid twenty thousand ($20,000) dollars more for the improvements, minde im- mediately, so that the buildings could be utilized. The Sis- lers have developed the possibilities of their fine estate to the limit. They have one of the finest herds of cattle in the valley, and they are able to materially rednee their expenses by this means,
In 1894 the present House of Providence Hospital was opened, and it was dedieated by Bishop Beaven, October
4th in that you, And su efficient has been the management of the institution that it has, year after year, paid its ex- penses and more, while other similar institutions have to depend on other resources to make their deficits good.
Rev. Dr. John J. MeCoy, in his comprehensive and accurate history of the Springfield Diocese, pays a tribute to Mother Mary of Providence that every reader who has ever stood in her presence will echo when he says: "She is a marvelous woman, small of frame and delicate ap- pearing, low voiced, with an almost hesitating manner, yet with the mind of a man fit to direct armies, In a crowd of nuns she appears as wishing to seem the least ; but once you catch her thought so lucidly expressed, and feel the force of her blue-gray eyes, you know you stand in the presence of a superior woman. . . God has abundantly blessed her work; it has prospered and grown almost mir- aculously ; and we are sure that when the future historian writes the names of the women who have brought glory to the American church, the name of Mother Mary of Provi- dence will be found in the upper lights "
TWO VIEWS OF THE WEST STREET PLAYGROUNDS
1
THOMAS J. MORROW
DIAMONDS.
WATCHES
ESTABLISHED 1885
GRUEN PRECISION WATCHES
THE STANDARD FOR ACCURACY IN AMERICA
DIAMONDS OF HIGHEST QUALITY JEWELRY OF SUPERIOR QUALITY
ARTISTIC PATTERNS IN GOLD AND SILVER PLATE SUITABLE FOR GIFTS FOR WEDDINGS AND ANNIVERSARIES
281 HIGH STREET,
Telephone Connection
HOLYOKE, MASSACHUSETTS
HOTEL MONAT.
HOTEL MONAT
HENRY M. MONAT. Prop.
AMERICAN AND EUROPEAN PLAN
NEW MANAGEMENT EVERYTHING FIRST CLASS
SPECIAL ATTENTION GIVEN TO TRAVELING MEN AND AUTO PARTIES
6-10 MOSHER STREET, Near B. & M. R. R. Passenger Depot and 4 MAIN STREET, HOLYOKE, MASS.
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PIERRE BONVOULOIR HOLYOKE'S CITY TREASURER.
HOLYOKE'S
PLAYGROUNDS
CLOSING FETE or PLAYGROUND, SEASON 1911.
Holyoke has shown the way along mamy lines, but in uone more successfully and effectively than in the develop- ment of a system of mmunicipal playgrounds. The appre- ciation of the importance of such provision for her chil- dren came to Holyoke before other cities had been awak- ened. It was the voice of Nathan P. Avery, then mayor, that inspired this playgrounds interest. Towards the middle of his remarkably efficient and sphilding administration. he set In work to tell the people of Holyoke that life would he worth more to them and to their children if they made their city consciously beautiful.
Holyoke was thus ready for the playground movement when the Massachusetts Legislature enacted the present state law providing for pubhe playgrounds. That law had a referendum attached, by which each eity and town had o vote on the matter The law was passed on May 12. 1908. Within a few weeks the Holyoke Civic Improve- ment Association was organized, with Martin P. Conway its president, for the definite purpose of creating public Invor for playgrounds and to promote the movement for a more heamtiful city. The moving spirits in these first meetings, included, besides Mr. Conway, Mayor Avery. Frank O'Connell, Miss M. E. Lawley, Mrs. W. G. Dwight, W. J. Howes, and J. J. Lynch.
Organization was perfected and an educational cami- paign created, that resulted in Holyoke's acceptance of the new public playgrounds law by the largest pro rata vote given hy any city in the state. The next year the Holyoke Women's Civic League was established, with Mrs. Timothy Fowler and Mrs. James A Allen leaders. Its purpose was to further the playground movement and work towards a city plan.
The publie now felt that the parks on the edges of the city did not meet the requirements for playgrounds. Chil- dren could not go to them. The playgrounds must be brought to the children.
In August, 1909, Mayor Avery attained one of the great ends of his administration when the city purchased three large tradis of land in the most congested districts of the city, to be developed as playgrounds. They were located on West street, Hampilen street, and Maple street. The purchase price was $25,000. Early in 1910 the City Goverment passed an ordinance that defined the play- ground management in Holyoke. The control of the play- grounds was placed with a commission of nine, three of them to be women, This playground commission was in a way experimental, for it was the first of its kind created in the state, and there were no precedents to follow. Later the State Legislainte passed a law governing playgnumd administration, but so far Holyoke has not changed its method of playground control, which gives the administra- tive work to the playground commission, and places all financial responsibility with the Board of Publie Works.
Before the playground commission was a fact, Frank O'Connell, inspector of public buildings, had established a small playground in connection with the Elm street school building, where swings and sand boxes kept the small children of the neighborhuod happy and busy. Then fol-
lowed the development uf skating rinks in both the park commission and the playground workers.
The summer of 1900 saw the playground movement in full swing, with organized play on four play centers.
Because the appropriation in hand was limited the workers on the grounds were paid only a nominal sum, yet they most effectively carried out the spirit of the move- ment that is thus expressed in the first report of the eom- mission :
"It is the aim of our commission to conduct the work assigned to ns in such a manner that the child shall be led from joyons play into an equal joyful sense uf the dignity of labor. We aspire to turn the aimless energy of the child into the definite purpose of healthin] play and interesting work. We long to give to the children, within sight and call of their parents, elean, sunny spaces instead of alleys and sunless tenement courts. We desire to develop all the sweetness and goodness of the childish spirit, so that store- keeper, property owners, public servants-all shall be proud! of the little citizens of Holyoke "
More than 60,000 children were on the playgrounds that first season of organized play Band concerts were also given.
In the summer of 191t, with trained teachers, there was a total of 61,250 children during the seven weeks of the play season. There were five play centers in 19t1 and
there have been five centers this year. Wading pools in two of the centers and the shower baths of the William Whiting School in connection with the Chestnut street playground have been most popular, and although this year there were several drownings of children of playground age before the wading pools were opened, there have been none during the sensons of organized play for three years.
But the summer work m the playgrounds is not limited to the children's supervised play. From the earliest spring until mid-winter, games of various sorts are played on the grounds. In t911 the Maple street playground was used for games hy adults or large boys, every Saturday after- noon from early April until the very last Saturday of Decemher.
Organized baseball by amateur teams has been played on the grounds for three years.
In the winter season the wading pools are turned into skating rinks, and empty lots are requisitioned to meet the demands for more rinks. It is nothing to have 1,800 chil- dren out skating on a pleasant winter afternoon, after school hours.
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