USA > Massachusetts > Suffolk County > Winthrop > The history of Winthrop, Massachusetts ; 1630-1952 > Part 26
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out that it is used much more as a roadway. The Army dug a deeper channel in from the main ship channel to Rice's Wharf for use of army marine transport to the reactivated forts on the harbor islands. This new channel has proved to be of consider- able value to the members of the Winthrop Yacht Club.
During 1943, the main activity of the town was, naturally, the day by day employment of its energies in meeting its obli- gations in the winning of the war. The town still had to be operated and thus the year was a very busy one for everybody. The work of the selective service board and the rationing board continued to be of vital importance. The town, once again, was very fortunate in the calibre of the men who gave their services. The draft board consisted of : Carl I. Nelson, chairman, Charles J. Brown, William H. Walsh, George W. Downie, Frederick H. Clark, Frederick J. Muldoon, Government Appeal agent; Dr. Daniel J. O'Brien and Dr. Richard Metcalf, examining physicians. The rationing board was comprised of : John A. Orrall, chair- man; Fred J. Devereux, Leslie L. Dunham, Thomas H. Fielding, Simon Fleisher, Edward Gluckler, T. Gilbert Hetherington, Lewis M. Hollingsworth, Arnold T. Malone, Henry F. O'Connell and Abraham Runstein.
By 1944, the town had about 2,300 young men and women in the armed services and 35 others had given their lives for their country. Bond drives, salvage drives, various financial cam- paigns, including the USO, the Red Cross, the Boy Scouts, the Visiting Nurse and the Polio Fund-all these and more were gen- erously supported. Many women, some of them former regis- tered nurses but mostly women without previous medical train- ing, gave many thousands of hours of service at the Community Hospital. Since the Army had taken over the National Guard (militia), all communities were authorized to organize a state guard unit, and Winthrop provided itself with one of the best dis- ciplined and efficient companies in the State-the 13th Company, 23rd Regiment, Infantry, Captain John C. Ashworth. This com- pany was not only organized to protect the town in case of mili- tary trouble but also to serve in case of need. Such a case of need did come during the hurricane of September 1944. The storm did considerable damage to the sea side, especially along by Stur- gis Street and towards the Highlands. The cost to the Metro- politan District Commission for repairs to the boulevard was $46,221.
The year also brought repairs to the Belle Isle Inlet Bridge at a cost of $16,000. Notice was served that the Logan inter- national Airport was to be enlarged, destroying Governor and Apple Islands and coming within a comparatively short distance
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of the Winthrop harbor shore. When the development was com- pleted, many residents of the Court Park section and adjacent area found the noise of planes objectionable-but nothing can be done about the nuisance. The several bridges under which the railroad formerly passed had become the complete respon- sibility of the town and it was evident that the cost of mainte- nance would be considerable. So, at a cost of only $11,659 the bridges were all eliminated by being filled in permanently. De- spite the heavy charge the town was under, the tax rate was kept low comparatively, being set at $27.60. The town was also noti- fied that a surplus of $250,000 had accumulated and was invested in war bonds.
Victory came in 1945 and the town began to change over from its war economy to peace time activity. At first a depres- sion was feared and plans were discussed for finding employment again, but, fortunately, as of 1952, there has been no need again for priming the pump of employment by another WPA. To help the returning veterans the Selectmen appointed Charles A. Hag- man, clerk to the Board for many years and a veteran of world War I, director of the Veterans' Advisory Board. The number of veterans returning during 1945 was far from being the total of Winthrop's contribution. Hence plans for a monster welcome home celebration were deferred until 1946 when it was antici- pated that practically all of the boys and girls would be home.
On November 29-30 a great storm swept up the coast and Winthrop Beach was once again badly damaged, particularly off Hawthorne Avenue. Great sections of the boulevard were washed away to a total of some 300 feet north of the boulevard, houses were washed from their foundations and tons of sand and gravel were washed over the streets of the Beach area. The Selectmen pointed out to the Metropolitan District Commission that an extension of the breakwater was required to protect the Beach from this all but annual storm damage. The five sections of the breakwater then in use had demonstrated that the barriers protected the beach adequately, so it was requested that three additional sections be constructed to protect the balance of the Beach.
PRESENT DAYS
While 1946 was the first year of what it was hoped would be "peace", much of the town's activity was still centered on service men and the final closing down of war-time activities. The Veteran's Center at the Town Hall, under the direction of Charles A. Hagman, had some 1,000 veterans of World War I and some 2,300 veterans (the list is, even in 1952, incomplete)
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of World War II in its charge. The Center was not only an in- formation bureau but also a place where veterans could obtain help in adjusting themselves to civilian life as well as in their relations with the Federal Veterans' Administration.
Another veterans' need was for housing, and early in 1946 the Selectmen took advantage of the Federal Public Housing Authority to provide emergency housing for veterans and their families. On the old Battery Station site, three eight unit build- ings were erected at a cost to the town of $2,500 and to the Fed- eral Government of $60,000. By this means 24 veterans and their families were provided with housing at a cost to them of but $24 monthly ; certainly not more than 50 per cent of the charges made for privately financed housing of equivalent character.
Another veterans' project was World War II Memorial Square, which was built on the former canyon of the Highlands Station of the Narrow Gauge. Bids were sought for the filling and landscaping, but the lowest bid was about twice the amount of money available. Whereupon, Fritz E. Westlin of the Street Department took over the work with town labor and completed the project well within the original appropriation.
The year 1947 brought Winthrop's highest tax rate up to that time-$37. The cost of living was beginning to rise and so was the cost of government. After many years, in the Twenties and Thirties, of a tax rate in the twenty dollar bracket, in 1946 the tax rate leaped to $29 and in 1947 it skipped up another two dollars. The proud, old days, when Winthrop officials provided adequate government and kept the rate down had ended. The town finally joined the procession of nearly all Metropolitan Bos- ton towns towards higher and higher taxes. There were ade- quate reasons for the jumping taxes. First of all, money was growing less and less in value or prices were going higher and higher-which is about the same thing and has the same effect. Second, people were coming to demand more and more services from the town and these services cost money. In the 1850 period, Winthrop spent less than $2,000 for schools; in 1947, total ex- penditures for schools were $489,847.10 !
In 1948 the tax rate jumped two dollars more to $39- going up! As an aftermath of the war, veterans' housing con- tinued to be a major problem. There had been much dissatis- faction with the original 24 units of emergency housing and it was felt that something better had to be done for the veterans and their families. At a special town meeting, June 14th, the Winthrop Housing Authority was established with Edward R. Thomas, chairman, Henry E. Moynihan, Lawrence S. Burke, Richard E. Johnson and George W. Thompson. This committee
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at once went to work and devoted itself with most remarkable diligence to working out a start towards a solution of the housing problem.
With the 100th anniversary of Winthrop as a town ap- proaching, the Board of Selectmen appointed a committee of three to begin consideration of proper observance of the occasion. The committee included : Frank K. Hatfield, Brendan J. Keenan and Sidvin Frank Tucker.
In 1949, the tax rate reached $42! One outstanding feature of the year was the work of the Winthrop Housing Authority which, despite many difficulties, accomplished a most remarkable job in constructing housing units near the corner of Main and Pleasant Streets, and a third unit on Main Street down towards the old car barn of the Narrow Gauge Railroad and towards the Battery Station. The excellence of the brick and wooden units speaks for itself.
During 1950, the threat of another war caused the establish- ment of a new Civil Defense Committee. The threat of war and the need for national defense caused the country to re-establish an organization something like that which served so well in World War II. During 1950 the town gave $5,400 for the opera- tion of this committee and in 1951 another appropriation was given.
As an example of the growth of the town in its 100 years of existence as an independent community, the 1950 report of the assessors gave the total valuation of real and personal estate as being $25,148,000.00 .; the total to be raised by taxation, $1,- 063,946.00 ; the tax rate as being $42.00; total of property exempt from taxation (General Laws, Chapter 59, Sec. 5) as $3,532,- 781.49; and the total value of town property as $3,262,240.00; total number of taxpayers, real and personal, 3,918; number of autos taxed, 5,551; total number of dwellings, 3,690; and total number of dogs, for a final example, 876.
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Chapter Sixteen WINTHROP PUBLIC LIBRARY BY SIDVIN FRANK TUCKER Trustee and Secretary
IN 1854 a group of literary folk organized the "Winthrop Lyceum" and in connection with it established a library. The officers were : President, William W. Shaw; Librarian, Warren Belcher. The Finance Committee consisted of : H. B. Tewksbury, John Belcher, Lorenso Tewksbury, G. S. Shaw, G. G. Belcher, H. H. Fay and W. W. Shaw.
The library contained some 600 volumes. These books were circulated and for a time the Lyceum was accorded the privilege of storing the books in a room at the then Town Hall.
As time went on the benefits of this library to the members of the "Lyceum" developed a desire in other townfolk for a "Public Library". The Lyceum evidently took the lead in this, for, in October, 1882, they appointed a committee of townsfolk to consider the matter. The committee was: David Floyd, 2nd, Chairman ; E. F. Merriam, Secretary ; Samuel Ingalls, Treasurer; L. L. Crane and Warren E. Belcher.
In November 1883 there is a notation that the Selectmen granted the budding Public Library Committee the use of the room in the Town Hall where the Lyceum stored its books, for a free reading room-"except evenings when it had been granted to the Band". This Committee apparently functioned as Library Trustees for a time. Some books were donated by over thirty-five persons, the Tewksburys, Belchers and Floyds being represented. The Committee labored until May, 1885, when the town voted to establish a Public Library and elected the following to serve as Trustees for the newly born Public Library : Three years, John Ritchie and P. S. Macgowan; two years, L. L. Crane and W. F. Wells; one year, H. S. Soule, M.D., and David Floyd, 2nd. The first Board meeting was held May 26, 1885 in the then Town Hall.
Apparently some work had to be done before the new Li- brary could formally open, for there is another notation that the Public Library opened January 26, 1886 with 379 volumes, in
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a room in the Town Hall formerly used by the Grammar School. This location was occupied until October, 1896, when the Trustees accepted the offer of the School Committee to use rooms in the then new High School, which is the present wooden Primary School building adjoining the Junior High School. In January, 1898, there were 4,875 volumes, and the then Trustees were: Alfred Phinney, David Floyd, 2nd, Channing Howard, Frank W. Tucker, Isaiah Whorf and Francis A. Ingersoll.
In 1898-99 the new Frost Library Building, of which Willard M. Bacon was the architect, was built and furnished at an approx- imate cost of about $25,000. The new building was occasioned by the generous gift of $10,000 by Mrs. Eliza W. Frost in mem- ory of her husband, Morril Frost, provided the town raised the balance. There were contributions for the furnishings from va- rious sources, one of which was $171 from Miss Rosetta Key and her associates. Of this gift the building committee said: "This donation deserves more than passing notice", because it was the result of giving entertainments. The dedication was held June 27, 1899. My wife tells me she well remembers when she, as one of the school children, marched in a column through the Library rooms in the School, had her arms filled with books, as did all the children, and continued the march to the new Public Library, prior to its dedication, with the books. So our school children per- formed a service, since the removal of 5,000 books was quite a job.
Until 1902 those who had served as Trustees of the Public Library were:
Trustees
First Elected
John Ritchie
1885
P. S. Macgowan 1885
Levi L. Crane 1885
Walter F. Wells
1885
Dr. Horatio S. Soule
1885
David Floyd, 2nd
1885
Frank W. Tucker
1886
Isaiah A. Whorf
1887
Charles A. Grant
1888
Channing Howard 1889
Nathaniel C. Fowler, Jr.
1892
Alfred Phinney 1894
Winthrop L. Marvin
1897
Francis A. Ingersoll
1898
Rev. Joseph A. Carden
1900
Dr. Orville E. Johnson 1902
Dr. Ben H. Metcalf
1902
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Librarians have been: Miss Minnie K. Tewksbury, Mrs. Emma C. Tewksbury, Miss Flora L. Pomroy, Miss Bessie F. Cordes, Miss Alice Munday, Miss Ina E. Nelson and the present Librarian, Miss Dorothy L. Kinney.
It is natural to note that the three "native" families have been represented in the library activities of the town, whether private or public. The first Librarian of the Lyceum was a Belcher; a Tewksbury was a member of the first Finance Com- mittee of the Lyceum, and a Floyd was a member of the com- mittee for the first Public Library. The writer feels he has something in common with the "native" families, for when he first came to Winthrop in 1900, he lived in the Deacon David Floyd house, married a great-granddaughter of the Deacon, and is attempting to carry on historical works in which David Floyd, 2nd, Harry C. Whorf, Channing Howard, Frank W. Tucker, and others have done their part. Although the writer and the late Frank W. Tucker were neighbors and friends for many years, with a common interest in the history of Winthrop, they were not relatives as their names might imply.
The Library has served the town to the limit of its ability -greater usefulness can and will be given with any increase of the means to do so.
There is a great need for a larger building, as the book shelves are crowded to overflowing and facilities for quiet read- ing in the Library are at present inadequate. It is only by the capable service of the present Librarian, Miss Dorothy L. Kinney, with her willing staff that excellent service continues to be given to a town of 20,000 with a Library that was built for a popula- tion of 5000.
The town looks forward, therefore, to the time when an addition to the Library building will make it possible to have better facilities for the adult reader-more space for Museum possessions to preserve the color of a vanishing period-and increased literary service to our townspeople. A few years ago plans were drawn for a substantial addition to the westerly side of the present Library. It is the expectation that when building costs are less prohibitive than they are today, the town will be asked to make the necessary appropriation to carry the plans through.
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Chapter Seventeen WINTHROP PAGEANT ASSOCIATION
ONE of the most ambitious community enterprises in the long history of Winthrop in the field of entertainment was the Winthrop Pageant Association-the inspired work of Harry C. Whorf. A series of these pageants were presented during 1919, 1920 and 1921, and the entire town supported the projects, buy- ing tickets, acting in the "plays" and furnishing the music- not to mention the many persons who devoted their time and energy to the monotonous, arduous and unrecognized matters of organization and detail.
The first pageant was entitled "America in the World War", written and personally directed by Harry C. Whorf. This was originally presented for Winthrop's Fourth of July "Victory and Welcome Home Celebration" in 1919 and was repeated by prac- tically the same amateur company on August 8th. The repeat performance at Fort Banks was for the benefit of the United States Army Relief Society and as a testimonial to the author.
This was in essence a musical and dramatic presentation presenting the history of the United States in World War I. Part One, 1914 to 1916, was in two episodes ; the first was "Peace and Unpreparedness" and the second, "Neutrality". Part Two, 1917, also in two parts, depicted "The Call to Arms" and "Mobil- ization of the Country's Resources", Part Three, 1918, displayed "The Nation at Arms". Part Four ran between 1917 and 1919, representing "Victory" and "Welcome Home". Part Five, "Now and Forever", had three parts : "In Memoriam", "Old Glory" and the finale, "Lights Out".
The pageant was directed by Harry C. Whorf, James A. Reynolds was ballet master, D. A. Ives, conductor of music, H. V. Grandin, superintendent of construction, A. J. Pilling, chief elec- trician, Daniel Cogan and George Alcorn, lighting experts, and the stage managers were: Mrs. Cora Holahan, George Burns, Leon C. Guptill, Fred Ramsey and Walter Kelty. The commit- tee's leaders included : Harry C. Whorf, general chairman; Leslie E. Griffin, treasurer; Harry E. Wright, H. Dwight Hall, Mrs. Christine Patterson, Mrs. J. F. Howell, Captain A. N. Harrigan,
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Lieutenant H. L. Miller, A. J. Pilling, Sidvin F. Tucker, Mrs. Grace Boyson, Mrs. Sarah Lee Whorf, Mrs. R. E. Sproule, Cap- tain D. W. Hickey, William Godfrey, H. V. Grandin and many others.
The 1920 pageant marked the formation of the Winthrop Pageant Association, established to operate annual pageants- since the 1919 presentation had been so successful. The presi- dent was Harry E. Wright; vice president, Mrs. Cora M. Hola- han; secretary, Mrs. Elizabeth F. Jones; treasurer Leslie E. Griffin; executive board, Sidney E. Blandford, Judge Charles J. Brown, George D. Burns, Daniel E. Cogan, Mrs. Hollie Dutch, William H. Gardner, Mrs. Adele W. Howell, Christine G. Pat- terson, Mrs. Ella K. Russell, Mrs. Grace C. Shorey, G. Wallace Tibbetts and the officers above. The membership committee, who collected a dollar membership from many citizens of the town, was Judge Charles J. Brown, David Belcher, Richard R. Flynn, William W. Colson and Dean G. Freeman. The publicity committee was Mrs. Grace Damon Boyson, William H. Gardner, Reverend Ralph M. Harper, Frederick G. Dews and Harold F. Lewis.
The pageant was entitled "1920, or Faith in America", and was again presented on the Fourth of July at Fort Banks for the benefit of the United States Army Relief Society, Coast Artillery Branch. Written and directed again by Harry C. Whorf, it was an ambitious project presenting in a series of episodes the out- standing features of American History. After two introductory episodes, it ran from the Pilgrims in 1620 through the Spirit of 1776, Lincoln and the emancipation to World War I, and con- cluded with a dramatic vision of the future of the nation. Hun- dreds of amateur actors, singers, dancers and musicians all par- ticipated. Probably few community undertakings gave so much pleasure to so many people, not only the audience but the par- ticipants as well.
The third pageant and the second presented by the Associa- tion was entitled "America First", and given again at Fort Banks. on the evenings of July 4th and 5th, 1921. Written and directed by Harry C. Whorf, it was for the benefit of the United States Army Relief Society, Coast Artillery Branch, the Military Hos- pital Aid Association, and the Winthrop Branch of the American Red Cross. The Association officers in 1921 included Harry E. Wright, president; Mrs. Christine Patterson, vice president; Les- lie E. Griffin, treasurer; Mrs. Elizabeth F. Jones, secretary ; Charles R. Bennison, Sidney E. Blandford, George D. Burns, Mrs. Leon P. Dutch, William H. Gardner, Mrs. Anthony F. Hola- han, Mrs. James F. Howell, Alfred J. Pilling, Mrs. Ralph W.
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Shorey, G. Wallace Tibbetts and Sidvin F. Tucker, executive committee; Matthew W. Walsh, Alfred Tewksbury, Rudolph B. Bennett, Dion K. Dean and F. Temple Scott, membership com- mittee; Sidvin F. Tucker, business manager; and Edward G. Richardson, Frederick G. Dews, William H. Gardner, Victor A. Davis and Richmond C. Stoehr, publicity committee.
Again written and directed by Harry C. Whorf, the pageant was in twenty-six sections, divided into a prologue and four parts. The first represented "Early Times", beginning with the Indians and runnning through the exploration, the witchcraft mania, colonial period, the Revolution, the birth of the flag and the estab- lishment of the nation. Part Two was the "Era of National Expansion", running through the Civil War. Part Three was the "Era of Prosperity", so called, and brought the nation's his- tory through World War I. The Fourth and final part, entitled "The Present", represented the nation on the verge of what was to be the time of Harding, Coolidge and Hoover.
This pageant was managed by the following: Harry C. Whorf, director, D. A. Ives conductor, James A. Reynolds, ballet master, Herbert Causer, Andrew Chandler, Walter Kelty, G. W. Tibbetts, W. N. Hall and Mrs. Cora N. Holahan, assistant stage managers, Alfred J. Pilling, chief electrician, Arthur E. Griffin, lighting expert, George A. Douglas, stage carpenter, Henry E. Keough, steam effects, Harry E. Wright, general manager, Sid- vin F. Tucker, business manager, Edward G. Richardson, pub- licity manager, Miss Marion Mulloy, Mrs. Eddie Dunn and "Twink" Rowe, coaches of ballet numbers.
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Chapter Eighteen WINTHROP NEWSPAPERS BY DOROTHY L. KINNEY LIBRARIAN, WINTHROP PUBLIC LIBRARY
THE Beachmont and Winthrop Visitor and Revere Beach Chronicle commenced publication on Saturday, May 27th, 1882. For two years it was published from May through August by W. S. Hanson and J. H. Hartley, Mr. Hartley being the editor. On January 4, 1884, J. H. Hartley started to publish it as a year- round, weekly newspaper. On September 5, 1885, S. E. Cowell purchased the entire stock belonging to Mr. Hartley's printing business. Mr. Cowell published The Visitor beginning September 11, 1885, with A. L. Slawson as editor until 1886, when Mrs. S. E. Cowell became editor. For a time Mr. J. H. Hartley continued to publish a newspaper called the Winthrop Gazette.
The Winthrop Sun was first published Friday, September 16, 1892, with F. J. Moses, as editor. Three years later Mrs. Hattie Tucker Floyd became assistant editor and continued in that position for a number of years. Ernest H. Pierce, publisher of the paper, succeeded Mr. Moses as editor in 1900. A new office was opened in Winthrop May 4, 1901, with Herbert E. Emerson as manager, later editor.
December 9, 1905, the two newspapers were consolidated as the Winthrop Sun and Visitor when the proprietor of the Win- throp Sun purchased the Visitor from Mrs. Cowell. Herbert E. Emerson became editor and proprietor; Ernest H. Pierce, asso- ciate editor for about a year and a half from 1915-1917. The name of the newspaper was changed to the Winthrop Sun, Dec- ember 21, 1918.
Mrs. Jessie L. Leonard became managing editor, when the newspaper was taken over by the Winthrop Sun Publishing Co., June 26, 1920. She had been on the newspaper staff as social editor. Edwin H. Leonard was business director. He had had a long career in printing, advertising and newspaper work when he retired from the Sun in August, 1938. His son, Ries E. Leonard succeeded him as business manager, and Mrs. Violet A. Leonard became editor.
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The Winthrop Review was first published January 25, 1919 with George H. Russell, as editor, and V. A. Davis, as associate editor. In August, Mr. Russell became the editor and publisher until July 15, 1927, when the Review Publishing Co. purchased the paper, and it was published under the direction and editor- ship of William H. Fielding and his sons, Thomas H. and John W. Fielding. In 1936, it was published by the Massachusetts Lino- typing Corporation, Mr. Fielding being president and treasurer, his sons the editors. Mr. Fielding died in 1940 and the Winthrop Review was published under his sons' direction until June 8, 1944.
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