USA > New Hampshire > Cheshire County > Keene > History of the town of Keene, from 1732, when the township was granted by Massachusetts, to 1874, when it became a city > Part 63
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1903.
James S. Taft, mayor ...... Jan. 8, farm buildings of Elmer T. Morse burned on Winchester street, with eight cows, a horse and three pigs; loss estimated at $3,000 ...... Jan. 17, strike at the C. B. Lancaster shoe factory ...... Jan. 23, shoe factory closed ...... Jan. 23, Mayor Taft offered a reward of $1,000 for the apprehension of the person who had recently been setting fires in Keene ...... Jan. 23, Rev. Howard Billman resigned as acting pastor of the Second Congregational church to take effect on April 1 ...... Feb. 3, Keene Commercial Club organized; Fred B. Pierce, president; constitution and by-laws adopted ...... Feb. 4, death of Franklin
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L. Howe, aged sixty-six years ...... Feb. 7, Josephine, infant daughter of William Gilbo, suffocated by a fire on Douglass street ...... Feb. 9, Keene Chapter, Sons of the American Revolution, organized at the house of Charles G. Shedd on Marlboro street ...... Early in February local coal dealers began booking orders for anthracite coal for the first time since early in previous December ...... Feb. 16, twenty-five special police officers commissioned by the mayor and aldermen on account of the shoemakers' strike ...... Feb. 17, shoe factory reopened as a free shop ...... Water main ordered extended through Eastern avenue at an expense of $3,200 ...... March 5, city councils voted to exempt Charles L. Russell & Sons from taxation on a proposed two-story brick manufactory, etc., not exceeding a valuation of $50,000 ...... March 8, death of John L. Davis, aged ninety- three years ...... March 11, death of George Burnap, aged eighty-four years ...... March 14, death of Col. Edwin O. Upham, aged forty-three years ...... March 20, death of J. Mason Reed, aged seventy-six years ...... March 23, Mr. and Mrs. W. L. Collins celebrated their golden wedding ...... March 26, death of Francis C. Faulkner, aged fifty years ...... Union school district authorized a committee to see what arrangements could be made to secure the Coolidge lot, next north of the city hall, or some other suitable lot for a new high school building ...... March 29, body of an infant found in the Vigneau ravine on upper Court street ...... March 30, death of William Rice, aged eighty-one years ...... April 4, Carrie E. Read elected librarian of the Keene Public Library ...... April 13, a son of Elmore W. Jennison lost his life in Woodland cemetery pond ...... Thirty represent- atives of several clubs and societies met at the council rooms and appointed committees to prepare for the joint celebration of the 4th of July and the 150th anniversary of the founding of the town of Keene ...... April 16, street sprinkling tax reduced to $2 ...... April 17, the twenty- fifth anniversary of the formation of the Keene Light Guard battalion observed at the Cheshire House; Mr. W. H. Prentiss gave a historical sketch of the battalion ...... Rev. Jesse M. Durrell of Keene appointed to the Dover district as presiding elder and the Rev. Joseph E. Robins assigned to the pastorate of Grace Methodist Episcopal church in Keene. May 2, Elliot City Hospital realized $738.75 through the generosity of Denman Thompson from the presentation of "The Old Homestead" at the city hall ...... May 9, death of Barzilla Richardson, aged seventy years. .May 10, death of John D. Dunbar, aged eighty years ...... May 12, liquor license law adopted in Keene by a plurality of eighty votes ...... May 13, city councils voted to require license holders to pay the maxi- mum amounts provided by the license law for liquor licenses issued in Keene till 1907 ...... May 25, aldermen voted to widen and straighten lower Main street ...... May 25, shoe strike officially declared off ...... June 4, city councils voted to appropriate $2,000 for new stage, scenery and repairs of city hall, and added three and seven-tenths miles to the front- age now covered by the street sprinkling service, making a total of fourteen and seven-tenths miles frontage to be sprinkled ...... June 11, death of Eugene A. Whipple, aged seventy years ...... June 14, firemen's memorial Sunday observed by the fire department at St. Bernard's
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church ...... June 15, Mr. and Mrs. Henry C. Johnson celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of their marriage ...... June 16, Mr. and Mrs. Samuel D. Bill observed their golden wedding ...... June 22, forty-six scholars received diplomas at city hall, the largest class which had completed the high school course ...... License commissioners restricted territory within which liquor licenses would be granted ...... June 24, Second Congregational church voted to extend a call to Rev. Willis A. Hadley of Southbridge, Mass., to become its pastor; Mr. Hadley commenced his labors Sept. 6. ...... June 29, Keene Chapter, No. 1, Sons of the American Revolution, re- ceived its charter and observed the occasion at the armory with a recep- tion, speaking and a social gathering ...... July 3, electric railway opened its Swanzey line to the public ...... July 4, Independence day and the 150th anniversary of the town of Keene celebrated together ...... July 11, death of Alfred T. Batchelder, aged fifty-nine years ...... July 13, board of educa- tion voted to establish two kindergarten schools, one at the Tilden and one at the Elliot building ...... July 21, some twenty-five veterans of Com- pany A, Second New Hampshire Volunteers, celebrated the forty-second anniversary of the battle of Bull Run ...... July 25, fire occurred in the water works cellar under the city hall; loss $200 ...... July 26, fire broke out in the centre of Clarke's block, at the close of the First church services; loss about $5,000 ...... July 30, death of Francis Davis, aged seventy-nine years ...... Aug. 24, death of John Humphrey, aged sixty-eight years ...... Sept. 8, Edward Joslin Home for Nurses opened for public inspection ...... Sept. 9, city hall opened to the public, with electric lights, new stage and scenery ...... Sept 12, death of Mary E. Wilson Sherwood of New York, in her seventy-seventh year ...... Sept. 23, Gov. N. J. Bachelder, members of his staff and invited guests entertained at the Country Club grounds ...... Sept. 29, death of Dallas M. Pollard, aged fifty-nine years ...... Oct. 1, Rev. Willis A. Hadley installed pastor of the Second Congregational church ...... Oct. 3, Mr. and Mrs. Francis E. Keyes observed their golden wedding ...... Oct. 24 second fire occurred in Clarke's block ...... Oct. 27, 28, Unitarians of New Hampshire held state convention in the Unitarian church on Washington street ...... Oct. 29, Mr. and Mrs. Otto Lettenmayer celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of their marriage ...... Nov. 1, Miss Read retired from the public library and Miss Maud E. Bloomingdale of Syracuse, N. Y., assumed the duties of librarian ...... A section of macadam on lower Main street surfaced with screened branch gravel ...... New bridge over the branch completed and the electric road removed its rails from the branch stone bridge ...... Nov. 8, Mr. and Mrs. David B. Stearns celebrated their golden wedding ...... Nov. 9, Mr. and Mrs. George H. Leet given a reception at the Methodist parsonage on the fifty-fifth anniversary of their marriage ...... Dec. 1, 2, 3, state board of agriculture and Dairymen's Association held a series of meetings in city hall.
1904.
James S. Taft, mayor ...... Jan. 1, death of Dea. George P. Drown, aged seventy-five years ...... Jan. 4, trial of Malachi Barnes, accused of murder of Asahel Dunton at Sullivan, opened; trial ended Jan. 6; he was convicted
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and sentenced to state's prison for life ...... Jan. 5, Charles H. Hersey elected for the twentieth municipal term as auditor ...... Jan. 10, missionary rally held at First Congregational church in honor of Charles A. Stanley, a graduate of Oberlin Theological seminary, who was to be sent as a missionary to China, under the auspices of the First church ...... Jan. 15, Ladies' Minstrels gave an entertainment at city hall, for the benefit of the Hospital Aid Society; net proceeds $460 ...... Box manufacturers of Keene opened a selling agency in New York city ...... Jan. 21, board of highway commissioners abolished and authority relating to highways vested in the board of mayor and aldermen ...... Spiral stairway for fire es- cape from First Congregational church completed; fire escape attached to Warren's block, it being occupied in part by four schools of Union school district ...... The W. P. Chamberlain Company purchased Gerould's block on Central square and two houses fronting on Winter street, for the purpose of reconstructing the block for its own use ...... Feb. 4, Australian ballot system adopted for future municipal elections ...... Wil- liam H. H. Beal, connected with the clothing trade here for thirty years, retired from business ...... Feb. 7, death of Roswell T. Wood, aged eighty- one years ...... Feb. 11, death of Walter J. Wheeler, aged seventy years ...... Feb. 18, death of John Carpenter while on his way home at noon, aged seventy years ...... Feb. 18, city councils appointed a committee to investi- gate the city's title to the Coolidge lot, adjoining the city hall lot on the north; to formulate a plan pertaining to the title, use and disposition of the lot; Ashuelot National bank, residuary devisee under the last will of Henry O. Coolidge, notified the city on March 17, that it had entered by its attorney upon the tract, conveyed by Mr. Coolidge upon conditions, for breach of those conditions, and that it required possession; and on the same date the city denied the right of the bank to make such claim and refused to give up possession of the property; the suit being brought in a friendly spirit to determine the city's title ...... Frost six feet deep in the city streets, causing much trouble with water and sewer pipes ...... Feb. 20, death of George Tufts, aged seventy-four years ...... Feb. 21, death of Ira D. Lewis, aged fifty-three years ...... Feb. 23, death of James O'Leary, for thirty years identified with the volunteer fire department, aged fifty- five years ...... Feb. 24, death of John E. Stowell, aged fifty-four years. Feb. 26, Union school district, established March 14, 1865, enlarged by annexing the suburban, or city district; two houses on Winchester road in Swanzey annexed, for school purposes only ...... March 5, death of Dr. Aaron R. Gleason, aged sixty-nine years ...... George F. Stone of Keene and John H. Smith of Milford succeeded Nichols & Wardwell in the grocery business ...... March 9, death of Nathaniel A. Barlow, aged seventy-eight years ...... March 11, Thomas J. O'Connor run over by a locomotive and instantly killed near the passenger station, aged forty-six years ...... Owing to consolidation of school districts a uniform rate was assessed through- out the city for the first time since the formation of the High School Associated district in 1853.
Sesquicentennial Celebration.
ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FORMA- TION OF A TOWN GOVERNMENT.
On Saturday, July 4, 1903, Keene held the most successful celebration in her history, when the 150th anniversary of the formation of the town government and Independence Day were fittingly observed. In happy contrast to the almost incessant rain of the centennial celebration of 1853, the day was perfect, with clear skies, moderate temperature and a light, refreshing breeze. The main streets of the city and its Central square and business section were in gala attire. The public buildings and business blocks were elaborately decorated, and along the line of march of the procession private residences were handsomely trimmed, the deco- rations being practically continuous.
An immense crowd of people was present, numbering, it is estimated, from ten to twelve thousand in addition to the population, making over twenty thousand people in the city. Owing to the width of the streets and the orderly character of the people, there was no unpleasant crowd- ing, and the throng conducted itself in an entirely orderly manner, the total absence of drunkenness and rowdyism being notable.
The day was a particularly fortunate one in its freedom from acci- dents of all kinds, including those usually due to explosives. No injury of any account was reported. The ambulance was stationed during the morning at city hall, with horses attached, ready for emergencies, and in the evening, during the fireworks, near Elisha F. Lane's residence on Main street.
All the features of the day passed off most successfully. Notable among these, from a spectacular point of view, were the parade in the morning, the living flag by the children in the afternoon and the fireworks in the evening.
A concert was given by the City band of Rutland at the driving park at 7 o'clock, and on the platform on Central park the American band of Claremont played about an hour early in the evening. The Knights of Pythias band of Bellows Falls also played on Main street and on Church street in the afternoon and evening. Among the bands that of the L. J. Colony Chair Co. of Munsonville, was noticeable for its good playing and full quota of instruments.
The Fourth was preceded by a general celebration by the young peo- ple and their elders which began at dark and continued until towards midnight. Firecrackers, bombs, tin horns and all sort of noise producers
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were everywhere in evidence. The city was well policed in all quarters and there were no demonstrations resulting in disturbances. The request that bonfires be omitted on account of the decorations was enforced with- out difficulty, and on the whole the night before was one of the quietest and most orderly for years.
The celebration of the day began at sunrise with the ringing of bells and firing of guns. At 10.30 came the grand parade, with its beautiful floats, marching bodies and trades displays, lasting until noon. At 1 o'clock there was a ball game at the Keene Driving park and at 3 o'clock another on the Island street grounds. At 4 o'clock came the 150th an- niversary exercises, at 7 band concerts were given, and at 8.30 the fire- works display took place at the driving park.
The beginning of the Fourth of July celebration was in a sugges- tion of Mrs. Wm. F. Holbrook that the various women's clubs join in organizing a parade of the school children. Mr. Thomas C. Rand in an article in the Sentinel several months before had urged the celebration of the sesquicentennial. From these two beginnings, taken up by the city government and committees of the citizens, gradually grew the grand celebration of the day, with its many features.
THE PARADE.
The grand civic and military parade, which began at 10.45 and con- tinued until 12.15, covering a route a mile and a half in length, was the finest ever given in Keene. The excellent organization, under Chief Marshal Babbidge and his efficient aids, was most commendable. While marching it took the line thirty minutes to pass a given point. A spec- tator counted over 1,300 persons in the line and 245 horses.
The features of the parade were the quality of the displays, which were of a high order, the variety of the exhibits, comprising many beautiful floats, an ingeniously fashioned engine of the railroad men, business men's displays and different types of marching bodies, such as militiamen, firemen, school boys, secret societies, workingmen's organiza- tions, cowboys, Indians, etc. The following was the order of the parade:
Chief Marshal Paul F. Babbidge and aids, with company of mounted cowboys.
First division- Major E. M. Keyes, marshal, and aids. City band of Rutland, Vt. Keene Light Guard battalion. Battalion of school boys. Members of John Sedgwick Post, G. A. R., in carriage. Keene fire depart- ment, with apparatus. Sons of Veterans, including Camp General Griffin of Keene, Antrim Camp, Hillsboro Bridge Camp, Bennington (N. H.) Camp and Peterboro Camp.
Second division-Capt. M. V. B. Clark, marshal, and aids. Knights of Pythias band of Bellows Falls, Vt. Uniform Rank, Knights of Pythias. Wood and Chapman's drum corps. Union Canadienne Francaise, with officers, aged and prominent members in carriages. L. J. Colony Chair Company band of Munsonville. Foresters of America, including Court Ashuelot of Hinsdale (with drum corps), Court Winchester of Winchester, Keene Matchless drum corps, Court Minnewawa of Marlboro, and Court
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General Wilson of Keene (with guests from Bellows Fall and Winchen- don). Keene Commandery of United Order of Golden Cross. Independent Order of Red Men, Keene.
Third division-John F. Clark, marshal, and aids. Wheeler's band of Bellows Falls. Keene Circle No. 83, Allied Metal Mechanics. Old Home- stead Lodge No. 319, International Association of Machinists. Mount Monadnock Lodge No. 371, National Boiler Makers and Iron Ship Build- ers of America.
Fourth division-Dr. Burton C. Russell, marshal, and aids. Historic and society floats, and business men's exhibits, with American band of Claremont.
The parade was reviewed on Court street, near Mechanic, by the chief marshal, city government and prominent citizens.
In addition to a three hours' struggle between baseball nines repre- senting the Boston & Maine railroad shops in Keene and Mechanicville (which was won by Mechanicville 20 to 15) and an eleven innings game between the Keene High school nine and the Marlboro town nine (which was won by Marlboro 10 to 3), the day was further enlivened by good contests in three classes of horse trotting, for purses of $200 in each race. The details of these events were published in the newspapers, at the time, but are omitted here as they lack permanent historical interest.
ANNIVERSARY EXERCISES.
The 150th anniversary exercises, held in Central park, were largely attended. A crowd filled the park and the sidewalks on Central square near by, while teams and automobiles took their places outside the park railing. Mayor Taft presided. A concert by children followed closely, making the two programs in reality one. The children also assisted in the anniversary celebration. The combined programs were as follows:
Chorus, "To Thee, O Country."
Invocation Rev. J. B. Robins, D. D.
Remarks. Mayor J. S. Taft
Chorus, "Tramp, Tramp, Tramp."
Oration
Rev. Josiah L. Seward, D. D.
Chorus, "Praise the Father."
Benediction Rev. E. A. Renouf, D. D.
Selection. Band
Chorus, "Columbia the Gem of the Ocean."
Chorus. "Battle Hymn of the Republic." "America." Audience
Selection. Band
In the north end of the park, facing the south, was a platform for the speakers, with a stand for the children in the rear. On the platform, besides the speakers, were the members of the city councils, ex-mayors of the city, the clergy, an adult chorus, the accompanists and the band. On the stand in the rear were the children arranged as a living flag.
The living flag was one of the really fine features of the day, and was a novelty. It was a representation of a flag composed of 350 chil- dren. The little people were arranged on a tier of seats extending twenty- five feet from base to top and seventy-two feet from end to end, making
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a flag seventy-two feet long and twenty-five wide. The field was made up mostly of boys, who were dressed in blue, and forty-five of them held white stars fastened to wands. The stripes were made up of girls, who wore red capes and white skirts. As the children were seated they made a complete picture of a flag, seven red and six white stripes in the cor- rect alternate order, and a blue field with forty-five white stars.
The children met in city hall and marched to the seats, making their appearance at 4.25 o'clock. They came on the seats in double file, the highest row first, marched up the center of the seats and separated, half going to the right and half to the left. Each row was preceded by and was in charge of two ladies who acted as guides or chaperons and who were seated at each end of each row. In all there were seven rows of about fifty in a row. The white skirts of the lowest row, which would have made a fourteenth stripe, were hidden by the occupants of the speakers' platform in front of them and the flag was perfect in appear- ance. It was a brilliant sight, one that the spectators appreciated and will never forget.
The flag was under the general charge of Mrs. W. F. Holbrook, who inaugurated the plan.
As inspiring as the sight of the flag was the singing of the children who composed it. In two choruses, "To Thee, O Country," and "Praise the Father," they were assisted by fifty adult voices, male and female, from the Keene Chorus Club. The rest of the choruses the young people sang alone. They were full of the spirit of the occasion and aroused the audience to hearty applause after every selection. They were under the direction of Mr. Nelson P. Coffin, the director of the Chorus Club, who achieved splendid results with them. At the same time it must not be forgotten that the basis was laid in the public schools, from which most of the children came.
Three accompanists aided in the choruses, Mrs. Berdia C. Huntress and Miss Florence Silsby on two pianos and Mr. E. H. Holbrook on an organ.
The exercises began at 4.45 and closed at 6.15. The remarks by the mayor were graceful and brief, and were greeted by a round of applause. He said :
"We are here today, not only to celebrate the birthday of our nation, but to commemorate another issue of the long ago, the founding of the city of Keene.
"As Keene was among the first of the pioneer towns to respond to the call of liberty, it is most fitting that as we call to mind the one, we remember the other.
"The purpose of our exercises today is largely educational; and the development of this plan has brought into a prominent place the chil- dren of our public schools. Through the inspiration of the hour we trust these children will better understand the true meaning of the day we celebrate; will have a deeper reverence for the things pertaining to the welfare of our cherished city.
"And may not we of maturer years catch this inspiration ? Standing
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at the junction of these magnificent streets bordered with stately elms, surrounded with institutions of learning and spires pointing Heavenward, may we not most fittingly call to mind the men whose lives and characters made possible the Keene of today."
From an anniversary point of view the chief event was the oration by Dr. Seward. Long residence in Keene and an intimate knowledge of its history enabled the speaker to do justice to the day and the place. He gave his fellow townsmen a discriminating, sympathetic and learned historical address, which was listened to closely by his hearers and was received with cordial approbation.
The band to furnish music for the above program was the City band of Rutland, Vt. Its two selections, the overture from "Poet and Peasant" and the popular two-step "Hiawatha," gave much pleasure.
The celebration was brought to a close with an exhibition of fire- works at the Keene Driving park, which attracted some seven thousand people.
The exhibition was given in the field southwest of the judges' stand and began at about 8.30 o'clock. The night was a magnificent one, the clear skies and bright moon adding much to the beauty of this closing feature of the celebration. The pyrotechnic display was a good one and was considered one of the best ever given in this city. It consisted of varied colored and floral shells, willows, cannon, tourbillions, serpentine rockets, Roman candles, whirlwinds, fountains and nine set pieces. Dur- ing the exhibition colored lights were frequently used.
The first set piece read "1753 Keene 1903." The second piece was that of a magic scroll. The third piece was a display of hanging lights in various colors, 100 feet long, and was one of the prettiest and most effective illuminations of the evening. The fourth piece showed illumi- nated wheels propelled by magic fires with such rapidity as to form beau- tiful rainbow circles producing quick successions of brilliant colors. The fifth set piece showed an old-fashioned windmill. It consisted of large re- volving arms and scrolls of colored lance jets. The sixth set piece was called "The Star of the Union" and was in crimson and blue colors. The next piece showed a kicking mule. The representation was a very good one, the comical performances of the animal provoking much laughter. The eighth piece represented a palm tree in various colors. The ninth showed "Good Night," the entire open space at the same time being illuminated by a blaze of color.
The electric road ran trains of from four to seven cars to and from the park as rapidly as possible from between 6 and 7 to 11 o'clock. The cars were packed to their utmost capacity and made trips once every half hour carrying from 1,000 to 1,500 an hour. Many barges and private carriages were also used. Nevertheless hundreds of people were obliged to walk to and from the park, Main street being lined with foot passengers from 7 o'clock until nearly 11. No accidents were reported. Many people, especially those having children, did not attempt to go to the park and a large number of families had private displays of fireworks.
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