USA > Massachusetts > Hampden County > Springfield > King's handbook of Springfield, Massachusetts : a series of monographs, historical and descriptive > Part 22
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In Gen. Jackson's time, politics were red-hot; only two parties, Whigs and Democrats; the Democrats were sometimes, especially if they were Armorers, called "administration men." The Fourth of July was the great day of the year. The Whigs on the Fourth generally had their dinner, speeches, and toasts in the Town Hall; the Democrats held their festivities in the " Ordnance Yard," which was on Federal Square, with other public buildings, the block-house, the magazine, and the like. At each toast a " six- pounder " was fired. The Town Hall was situated in the centre of the town, so that the Whigs had their cannon placed in the meadows back of " Frost's Pond," not far from the junction of Dwight and Hillman Streets. A boy was stationed at the top of the north window of the hall; and when the toast was given, the boy waved a small American flag which could be seen by the gunners, there being no buildings then to intercept the range of sight. At the Ordnance Yard, which was surrounded by a high board fence, the Demo- crats had their feast with tables set under cover, but upon the ground, and the tables were but a short distance from the cannon outside the walls; the
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only signal given was the clapping of hands after the toast was given. One Fourth the rain came down without cessation all through the day ; but the dinner, the speeches, all came off regularly notwithstanding. The "toucher- off " of the cannon, on account of the rain, had an assistant, whose duty was to hold an umbrella over the priming. In the intervals between the toasts, the gunners had recourse to the punch, which was furnished without stint. From punch to argument, from argument to controversy, was the result; and soon there was a confusion of words, as well as ideas, upon the subject, " Does the king of England, or the king of France, entertain the kindliest feelings towards the United States?" As the dispute grew quite warm, each advocate had his followers : some were for Louis Philippe, and some for William the Fourth. It was getting to be serious business, when loud shout- ing and clapping of hands from the dinner-table announced a toast. The powder-man ran, and in his haste deposited a liberal allowance of gun- powder in, on, and about the touch-hole; the toucher-off ran, with his iron red-hot, and his assistant, who just then was having rather the best of the argument ; and with his eagerness to cover the priming with the umbrella, and his unwillingness to stop disputing, he did not calculate distances very close, when - pough -fizz -bang! and away went the umbrella, 20 feet into the air, and when it came down, alas ! it was an umbrella no more ; only a stick and a few pieces of rattan.
A pleasant walk of ten minutes, or thereabouts, up State Street, from its junction with Main Street, passing through the gate at the southern corner of " Public Grounds," by the uniformed guard at the gate-house, up a short, sharp hill, and you are upon the plateau, upon and around which most of the buildings connected with the United-States Armory, such as the arsenals, storehouses, workshops, offices, officers' quarters, etc., are situated. Keeping to the right, you pass the officers' quarters, the barracks, the guard-house, the middle arsenal, and the east arsenal, all upon the south-east side of Union Square. Thence due northerly by a long brick building, occupied by the ordnance storekeeper, the general offices, the milling department, etc. Along the north side of the square, and also fronting Federal Street, is a long, irregular brick building, in which are the machine, stocking, filing, polishing, carpenters', and paint "shops." Across Federal Street, looking east, out- side the iron fence, is the long, low, wood building of the experimental de- partment. There are now about four hundred men employed, making one hundred and twenty "breech-loaders" each working-day. During working- hours, most of these buildings are open to the public. Passes can be obtained by application to the proper authority in the general office. Continuing your walk, now almost due west, you pass the fire-department building; while away to the left is seen the storehouse, - nine hundred feet long, - one end of which contains the government stables. Upon your right is Union Square
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proper, with its trees, - a great variety, - its beautiful velvety turf, and bat- tery of a half-dozen twelve-pounders, one of which is used for the sunrise and sunset gun. A few yards from the corner where you turn to the south- east, towards State Street, is the commandant's quarters ; passing which, south-easterly, you come to the main arsenal, having almost completed the circuit of Union Square. The arsenal is capable, with its basement, of storing nearly half a million stand of arms. A long, but comparatively easy, ascent of its tower, and you are where Thomson might have written, -
" Meantime you gain the height, from whose fair brow The bursting prospect spreads immense around; And snatch o'er hill and dale, and wood and lawn, And verdant field, and darkening heath between, And villages embosom'd soft in trees, And spiry towns, by surging columns mark'd Of household smoke, your eye excursive roams."
It is impossible to estimate what proportion of the growth in population or wealth of Springfield is due to the establishment of the United-States Armory within its limits. Indirectly, without doubt, it was the chief cause of its growth and prosperity: other factors have, in later times, played an important part in making Springfield what it is to-day, - an enterprising, thrifty, prosperous inland city. A complete history of Springfield is some- thing yet to be written; and when this is accomplished, con amore, the United-States Armory will occupy the front rank in its chapters relating to religion, politics, mechanics, and many local and physical improvements.
- ALBERT HARLEIGH KIRKHAM.
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The Sociability of the City.
THEATRES. - ATHLETIC ASSOCIATIONS. - SECRET ORGANIZA- TIONS. - CLUBS. - HALLS, ETC.
S PRINGFIELD has an enviable record socially. Its homes are attrac- tive on the outside, and elaborately furnished on the inside. The places of amusement and the large variety of social organizations also show that the people keenly feel that there are enjoyments outside and beyond the pursuits of money-getting. No stranger can surmise, and few citizens probably realize, how great and varied are the local associations for social and physical development. In this chapter, it is intended to give a brief historical and descriptive outline of these features of Springfield life; be- ginning with the professional theatricals and operas, and continuing through the list of athletic, secret, amateur, and other organizations, and the club- rooms, the public halls, and outdoor places of exhibition.
Theatricals and Operas. - Springfield is what is called by theatrical people a "good show town." Its citizens are generous, and, in the main, discriminating, patrons of the drama. This reputation, a pretty theatre, and the geographical position of the city, combine to make it a rather more popu- lar place with travelling theatrical companies than its size alone would war- rant ; and few famous players fail to visit it. The history of the theatre in Springfield, however, is practically confined to the present generation ; and its chief promoter was a former citizen, the Hon. Tilly Haynes, now the owner of the United-States Hotel in Boston, who built Haynes's Music Hall in 1857. Before this time, theatrical representations here were crude, and partook much of the nature of the performances of the tramping, "barn-storm- ing" players. The sole place for entertainments of this class was Hampden Hall, which long occupied the site of the present handsome "Springfield Republican " block on Main Street. This was a rude, ill-seated room, with a gallery across the rear end, and a small and poorly furnished stage. So small, indeed, was the stage, that it is recalled that on one night a rather tall actor, who had occasion to stand upon a chair, found his head up among the flies and out of sight of the audience. Lanergan and Fiske were the chief purveyors of amusement here in those days ; and they used to bring companies, and remain weeks at a time. They were great favorites, as, indeed, Moses W. Fiske has never ceased to be in Springfield. Morris Brothers' minstrels were also frequently heard here. It is worth noting,
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that the reverence for Sunday was so great in Springfield, in those days, that no performances were ever given on Saturday evenings. The one-time- famous Black Swan once sang in this hall, and the anti-abolition sentiment of the day found a noisy expression, which almost resulted in a riot; but when the hotel opposite took fire, the same night, white men risked their lives to save the black singer. Madame Bishop's singing used to draw crowds to the hall, for the fee was only fifty cents. But the place was neither large enough nor fine enough for Jenny Lind; and this singer's memorable appearance in Springfield was made at the First Church, the streets about which were thronged with people anxious to hear even a note of the "Swedish Nightingale's" voice, but not able to afford the then high price of admission. Concerts were occasionally given also at Union Hall, in the present Belmont Hotel building, and the famous pianist Gottschalk played there. Concerts were also occasionally given in what was known as Burt's Hall, a low, dark, dismal hole, on Bliss Street near Main. The opening of Music Hall put an end to the business of the other places ; for, though a barn-like structure, it was then considered a fine house of entertainment. Old Hampden Hall was long occupied as the store-room of a furniture-shop, but its interior was practically unchanged to the time of its tearing down.
Haynes's Music Hall, now known as Gilmore's Opera House, is the result of Mr. Haynes's purpose to give the city a theatre. This resolve at the time aroused strong and almost bitter opposition on the part of the public in general, and even of the newspapers, on purely moral grounds, of course. Nevertheless, the house was opened in November, 1857, by W. J. Fleming, who staid three weeks, and, in fact, provided most of the enter- tainment during that winter. In 1858 J. B. Howe played here for three weeks, and presented " The Sea of Ice " with special scenery, - the first Springfield ever had. But the engagement was unprofitable in spite of this, and finally one night Mr. Haynes refused to light the house. George Pauncefort appeared the same winter, with his wife as " leading lady," and the late Charles R. Thorne, jun., as his chief male support. " Ingomar" was first played here by them. Mr. Thorne became a great favorite here, on the stage and off; and Pauncefort was so jealous of him, that he one night refused to let Thorne answer to a recall, which so angered the audience that he was forced to come before the curtain and apologize. Matt V. Lingham was also a visitor here in those days; J. C. Myers and John Murray were frequently here together, and were the first to present "The Ticket-of- Leave Man ;" and brought Addie Anderson, who introduced " Mazeppa " to Springfield. In this play, R. E. J. Miles, now a well-known manager, and the originator of the late dramatic festival at Cincinnati, played a part. The house was burned on the night of July 24, 1864, but was rebuilt, and re-opened
Tilly Haynes
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in July, 1865, with a concert by local singers, for the benefit of Mr. Haynes. The first dramatic performance in it, after a week of variety-show and a concert and two lectures, was of " London Assurance," Aug. 7, by Mrs. John Woods's Olympic Theatre company of New York, under the management of the late J. H. Selwyn. Among the company were J. H. Stoddart, B. T. Ring- gold, George Stoddart, T. J. Hind, Harry Pearson, C. H. Rockwell, Alice Placide, and Eliza Newton. They remained three weeks, playing many standard pieces, and deservedly made something of a social furor. The en- gagement ended with six nights of "The Streets of New York," which was played to an average of 900 people, and on some nights many were turned away from the doors. Mr. Haynes, who had removed to Boston, sold the proper- ty in the spring of 1881, W GILMORE'S Mit to Dwight O. Gilmore, who entirely remodelled the house at large ex- pense, and made it one of the handsomest and THE OPERAHOUSECLOTHINGCORSI cosiest country theatres in New England; and it was re-opened in the follow- ing September, by Frank Mayo in "Macbeth." The Gilmore's Opera House, Main and Pynchon Streets. house is beautifully deco- rated, has a stage 54 by 35 feet in size, a curtain-opening 27 feet wide and 30 feet high, and a generous quantity of scenery. There are two handsome boxes upon each side of the stage ; and the seating capacity is put at 1,200, with standing-room for 300 more. Of these seats, 175 are folding orchestra- chairs, 330 are in the parquet-circle, 305 in the dress-circle, or first gallery. and 350 in the upper gallery. W. C. LeNoir, who has been connected with the house almost since the start in 1857, is the treasurer and acting manager.
The Skating-Rink on East-Bridge Street, between Dwight and Hillman Streets, was opened Dec. 23, 1879, under the management of A. S. Lalime, who has since been drowned in Lake Champlain. It is owned by H. H. Bigelow of Worcester. The building has two towers in front, and an ellip- tical roof. Its length is 180 feet, and its width 84 feet. It is built of corru- gated iron, with an arched roof, and has a fine skating-floor 150 by 60 feet. The interior is gayly decorated with Chinese-lanterns and bunting, and. when lighted at night with electric lights, produces a brilliant effect. Its
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name indicates its chief use, and it has popularized in Springfield the pre- viously unknown pastime of roller-skating. For two summers, perform- ances of light opera were given in it, at low prices of admission ; but they failed to be profitable, partly because the location and construction of the building make it peculiarly uncomfortable upon a hot night. Political meet- ings and pedestrian-matches have occasionally been held in it; and the Bicycle Club has given frequent exhibitions in it, outside of the regular skating-season.
The Springfield Club, the only purely social organization of consequence in the city, was formed about 15 years ago as a sporting-club, and first met
Springfield Club-House, Chestnut and Worthington Streets.
in a Main-street business-block. Its scope was gradually changed, and a few years later it took possession of its present house at the corner of Chestnut and Worthington Streets. It is made up of prominent business and professional men of the city, and its elegant quarters have been the scene of many a banquet to leading actors and other important visitors. H. S. Hyde is the president, and William P. Alexander the secretary and treasurer.
The Springfield Turnverein, a prosperous German organization devoted to social, physical, and mental advancement, was organized April 5, 1855, and has for many years met in Gilmore's Hall, on the upper floor of the block adjoining the Opera House. A small stage has been erected, and furnished with one or two scenes; and here the members and their families meet regularly on Sunday nights, and frequently at other times, and enjoy
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themselves in characteristic German fashion, singing, recitation, dramatic representation, and on week-nights dancing. A gymnasium has been fitted up in a room in the rear of the hall, and prizes are occasionally offered for - competition by the young men. The public social gatherings of the Turn- verein have become popular in the city; and its annual masquerade ball has attracted such crowds that it is now regularly held in the City Hall. The handsome decorations, gay costumes, and fine music have made these occa- sions an attractive and popular feature of Springfield's winter life. The Turnverein has bought a lot on West State Street, near Main, and intends to begin the erection of a handsome building there in the spring of 1884. The society has steadily increased in its membership, except during the years of the Civil War, when a number of its members, particularly some of the most active, enlisted in the United-States Army. At present there are upwards of a hundred members, two of whom were among the founders of the Society. On May 28, 1883, it was incorporated under the laws of Massachu- setts. This society is also one of the great number which constitute the "Nordamerikanischen Turnerbund," which has a membership of about 18,000.
The Springfield Schützen-Verein was organized April 13, 1882, with a membership of 23, which has since increased to 110, - 40 active, 70 passive members. The main object of the Verein, or Club, is rifle-practice: but it does much to promote sociability; and, although it is a German organiza- tion, it receives members of other nationalities. There is semi-annual target and prize shooting, on which occasions the active members are uniformed in cadet gray trimmed with green. Drill-meetings take place on the second and fourth Fridays in each month, and the business-meeting on the first Fri- day in each month. The headquarters are in Union Hall, on Main Street. The captain is H. Buchholz, the first lieutenant A. Kron, and the corre- sponding secretary Franz Oetiker.
The Rod-and-Gun Club, whose object is the comprehensive one of the enforcement of the game-laws, the stocking of forests and streams with birds and fish, the promotion of skill in shooting and fishing, the fostering of public opinion concerning the preservation of birds and fish, and mutual social improvement, was organized Dec. 12, 1874, and was incorporated Oct. 3, 1881. It met until 1880 in the Opera-house Block, in rooms now taken into the auditorium of the theatre; and has since occupied spacious and well-furnished quarters in Parsons's new block, near the corner of Main and Bridge Streets. The club gave, in 1875, one of the first bench-shows of dogs ever held in the United States, and has also held large pigeon and poultry shows ; and it has sown much wild rice hereabouts, and has in the past three or four years imported and liberated many Messina quail. The membership of the Rod-and-Gun Club is now 128.
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The Rod-and-Gun Rifle-Team is an offshoot of the Rod-and-Gun Club, though having no direct connection with it. It has, after wandering from Longmeadow to West Springfield, finally fitted up 200, 500, 800, and 1,000 yards' ranges across the Water-shops Pond. The team includes some fine marksmen, and has been considered one of the strongest in New England outside of Boston.
The Glass-Ball Team is another offshoot of the Rod-and-Gun Club, and its grounds are at the easterly end of State Street.
The Springfield Caledonian Club, composed of Scotchmen and descend- ants of Scotchmen, was organized Oct. 11, 1883, with 75 members. It holds regular monthly meetings, and has for its object the cultivation of social relations and of the patriotic ardor and sports of Scotland. George H. Bleloch is the chief; and George Bruce, James Ritchie, William Holley, and Dr. A. A. Forbes are the first, second, third, and fourth chieftains respectively. It meets in Odd Fellows' Hall in Savings Institution Building.
The Armory Rifle-Club is a team of mechanics at the United-States Armory. They use the Springfield military rifle, and number some uncom- monly fine shots, who have taken good rank in national competitions. One of their number, M. W. Bull, was a member of the American international team which contested in England in the summer of 1883.
The Springfield Rowing-Association, organized in the spring of 1879, has already become one of the recognized and popular sporting institutions of the city, by reason of the regattas which it holds regularly every autumn. It is pleasantly quartered at the foot of State Street, in a roomy boat-house, with a broad piazza commanding a fine view of the river including the course usually followed in races. It has a membership of about 50, and owns one four-oared shell, two double gigs, four single gigs, and four pleasure- boats. Frank D. Foot is president, H. W. McGregory secretary, A. H. Cooper commander, and J. D. Norton captain.
The Atlanta Boat-Club was organized in the summer of 1880, and now numbers about 30 members. It has a commodious boat-house at the foot of William Street; and its fleet consists of one four-oared shell, two double gigs, five single gigs, and two double-oared Whitehalls. The officers for the current year are: President, John H. Clune; secretary, John M. Mehi- gen ; captain, James A. Clune.
The Nelson C. Newell Boat-Crew is made up of members of the At- lanta Club, and is : T. B. McCormick, captain and bow; D. Quinn, G. T. French, and J. M. McHiggins, stroke.
The Springfield Canoe-Club was organized in 1882, and now numbers 19 members. The club-house is built upon a float in the Connecticut River at the foot of Howard Street, and contains three rooms. The canoes owned are six Shadows, four Stella Maris, three St. Pauls, two St. Law-
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rences, and one birch-bark. F. A. Nickerson is commander, and C. M. Shedd secretary and treasurer. Mr. Nickerson is also the chief officer of the American Association of Canoeists.
The Springfield Bicycle Club was formed May 6, 1881, with 9 members, who then constituted all the bicyclers of the city; for Springfield, generally fond of sports, long frowned upon this modern innovation. But the club has grown rapidly ; and though the average age of its members (23 years) is called the lowest in the country, few bicycle-clubs are better known, or
0
Billiard and Reading Room of the Bicycle Club.
have done more to popularize this form of recreation. The club had no quarters, but met at each others' houses, and rendezvoused at street-corners, till December, 1882, when the entire second floor of the Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Building was engaged. Here it is very comfortably settled ; the quarters containing large and attractively furnished assembly, reading, and billiard rooms. The present membership is over 100. The finances are in good condition ; and the club spent $26,000 upon a tourna- ment on Hampden Park in September, 1883, which is claimed to have been the greatest bicycle meeting ever held, and which attracted bicyclists from all parts of the United States and from Canada and England. Most of the fastest records have been made under this club's auspices ; and one of its
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members, George M. Hendee, is the champion amateur rider of the United States, for all distances up to and including 20 miles. The club was in- corporated in December, 1883. The president is Henry E. Ducker, treasu- rer Andrew L. Fennessy, and the secretary is Sanford Lawton.
The Free Masons have had an interesting history in Springfield. At the beginning of the century, there was no organized Masonic body in this immediate vicinity, though there were Masons in the town. A lodge was formed at Southwick in years later was removed field, then a more impor- the neighbor which has 1807, and three to West Spring- tant place than since overshad- owed it. This lodge met in the old tavern near the park, now known as the Belden House ; and existed un- til 1838, though many of its mem- bers left when Hampden Lodge was started in Springfield, on March II, 1817, with 16 charter members. The first master, and for years one of its most active members, was Col. Roswell Lee, commandant at the United States Armo- Spelar ry. Rev. Dr. Samuel Osgood, the famed Judges' Stand, Hampden Park. and long-time pastor of the First Church, was another active member, was long chaplain of the lodge, and was the first high priest of Morning Star Chapter of Royal Arch Masons, which was instituted on Sept. 15, 1817, with 10 charter members. Springfield Council, the next higher body, was formed on May 28 of the following year. The first meeting-place was a hall in the Hampden House, a tavern kept at the corner of Main and Court Streets, under the shadow of the historic elm. In May, 1819, the lodge moved to Gunn's Hall, near the corner of State and Walnut Streets, marching pompously up the hill to the solemn music of a bass-viol played by Brother Ziba Stevens. But the stay there was short; for in 1820 all three bodies were lodged in Carew's
GEORGE MALLORY HENDEE, OF SPRINGFIELD. The Champion Amateur Bicycler of America.
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Hall, now a store-room over Webber's drug-store. Here Springfield Com- mandery of Knights Templar was formed on June 19, 1826, with 9 members, and Henry Dwight as commander. Eleven months later the four Masonic bodies laid the corner-stone of the town-hall at the corner of State and San- ford Streets, the upper story of which was built by them for their own pur- poses, and is still owned by the four bodies then existing. This was the home of Masonry in Springfield till 1874, when the growth of the order necessitated larger quarters ; and the various organizations removed to the spacious, handsome, and convenient rooms in the two upper floors of the Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Building on Main Street, where they still remain. What is known as the Morgan excitement began about the time the old town-hall was built, and had for many years a damaging and almost fatal effect upon Masonry in Springfield ; although its adherents had included many of the most active Christians of the town, and the religious character of Hampden Lodge was so pronounced that at this time it was regularly contributing to the missionary work in the Orient, and had voted money to the fund for translating the Scriptures into Eastern tongues. The admissions into the lodge grew steadily less. Only one man joined in each of the years 1829, 1830, and 1831. The last was Lucius C. Allin, for many years a foreman at the Armory. The lodge stopped working from 1832 till 1846, as did the other bodies : but it refused to obey the order of the Grand Lodge to surrender its charter; and the late Ocran Dickinson took posses- sion of the precious document, and secreted it among other papers in a bank- vault. Members meanwhile met about once a year to elect officers. From 1846 down to the present time, the history of Free Masonry in Springfield has been one of almost uninterrupted prosperity. The parent lodge had grown to be almost unwieldy in 1865; and on March 9 of that year a new lodge, named in honor of Roswell Lee, was chartered, with 16 members, and E. W. Clarke as master. This lodge now numbers about 375 members, and Hampden Lodge 365 ; but this by no means represents the number of Free Masons in the city, as both bodies have within a few years suspended a large number for non-payment of the Grand-Lodge tax. Hampden Lodge alone once struck off 532 names in a bunch, for this cause. The Chapter now had a membership of 280, and the Commandery of 391. In the Scottish Rite, the working bodies are Evening Star Lodge of Perfection, chartered Feb. 1, 1865; and Massasoit Council Princes of Jerusalem, chartered May 19, 1865. A woman's lodge, called Adelphi Chapter No. 2, Order of the Eastern Star, was formed Feb. 8, 1870. A lodge of colored men, working under an English charter, and named for Charles Sumner, was established June 24, 1866, and holds its regular communications in Foot's Block, corner of Main and State Streets. The Masonic Mutual Relief Association is mentioned in another chapter.
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