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ONE HUNDRED FIFTY YEARS OF MERIDEN
YEARS OF MERIDEN
PUBLISHED IN CONNECTION WITH
THE OBSERVANCE
OF THE CITY'S SESQUICENTENNIAL
MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT: 1956
COPYRIGHT I956 BY THE CITY OF MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT, U.S.A.
COMPOSED AND PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Song of Meriden
Pictorial Sections:
Facing pages 52, 84, 116, 148, 180, 212, 234, 216
1. Colonization
2. Indians
3. First Meeting Houses
4. Place Names
5. Old Houses
6. « Roads and Travel
7. Early Schools
8. Meriden in the Wars
9. Old Customs, Old Ways and Progress
MO. Separation from Wallingford
11. Meriden Mines
12. Slavery
13. The Railroad, Past and Present
14. Industry of the 19th Century
15. The Civil War
16. City Government Before 1900
17. The Spanish War
18. Street Railways
19. Notes of a Spacious Era
20. The Century Turns
21. The Automobile Age
22. Theaters, Past and Present 127
23. Sports Celebrities 134
24. World War I 138
25. World War I Memorial and Boulevard 143
26. The Depression 148
27. City Government in This Century 152
28. Local Industry Since 1900 168
29. World War II 183
30. The Korean War 193
31. Labor Unions 194
32. Public Utilities 196
33. Meriden Newspapers 201
34. Financial Institutions 207
35. Retail Business 218
36. Parks and Playgrounds 227
37. The Meriden Post Office 235
38. Public Institutions 238
39. Organizations 249
40. Meriden Churches 262
41. Meriden Schools; 1860-1956 273
42. Building Meriden 299
43. The Sesquicentennial 301
A city has many aspects, and these aspects change with advancing
But one aspect of Meriden is as immutable as the forces of
nature which brought it into being: its location in the pleasant
valley rimmed by the unique formations of up-ended stone which
are its heritage from the glacial age. These hills, with their wooded
slopes, are the blessing and inspiration of today's generation as
they were to the first inhabitants who set their homes and houses
of worship upon the high land in the eastern section to overlook
a morass which they were still unfitted to conquer.
Eventually the swamp was covered and made firm. The city
spread westward, wiping out all traces of the ancient wilderness.
For more than half of the nineteenth century Meriden was a
village, until, after 1867, it took shape as a municipality. By 1906
it had assumed much of the form we know today.
Meriden is fortunate in many respects, not the least of which
is its ability to retain some of the village's advantages while
growing to its present population of 48,000. One of these
advantages is the closely knit community spirit which binds and
has always bound it together. It is this spirit which earned for the
city, during World War II, the national title, officially bestowed
by the U. S. Government, of the "Ideal War Community." And
it is this spirit which promises well for future achievements as
we look now, with pride, at the best which has gone before.
The hundred years from 1806 to 1906, and the earlier era
when Meriden was a part of Wallingford, have been recorded
in previously published histories. But no book has been printed,
until now, to cover the last 50 years. This volume, authorized
by the General Committee for the Sesquicentennial, is the first
effort to bring the story up to date. Its compilation and writing
were entrusted to a committee of four, which has labored for
months to sift past and present sources of information and produce
a work as complete as possible within the limits of allotted space.
The committee owes much to previous historians, and to
numerous individuals of the present who have helped it to gather
material. Thankfully, it acknowledges the services rendered by
Robert W. Seekamp, Russell H. White, Florence Minkwitz,
F. Harold Grimes, Eleanor Dossin, Glover A. Snow, John F.
Molloy, Barbara White, Cyrus Baird, Arthur Service, Arthur
Barber, and members ,of the staffs of the Meriden Record and
the Meriden Journal for assistance along the way. Technical
advice on questions of publication and illustration was given
by Spencer H. Miller of Miller-Johnson, Inc. and by Harold
Hugo of the Meriden Gravure Company.
Sanford H. Wendover
Blanche Hixson Smith
Elmo A. Decherd
Charles A. Newton
A Gazetteer of Connecticut and Rhode Island (1819)
Pease & Niles
History of Connecticut — Its People and Institutions
George L. Clark
Facts About Connecticut Conn. Chamber of Commerce
Connecticut Historical Collections John Warner Barber
Story of Connecticut Charles W. Burpee
History of Meriden & Wallingford C. H. S. Davis
Century of Meriden Curtis — Gillespie
Guide to History & Historic Sites of Conn. Crofut
Story of Connecticut Lewis Sprague Mills
The Beginnings of New England John Fiske
Recollections of a New England Town
(Faith) Frances Breckenridge
Century of Silver Earl Chapin May
Meriden's Centennial Celebration compiled by Atwater
Historical Sketches of Meriden G. W. Perkins
History of The Meriden Historical Society
compiled by C. Marvin Curtis
1893-4 papers in collection of The Meriden Historical Society
Connecticut Past and Present Odell Shepard
Hartford Courant, Magazine section Jan. 1956
Railway Age (Article by Glover A. Snow)
Charter and By-laws of the City of Meriden, 1931
Code of the City of Meriden
Meriden Municipal Reports
Meriden City Directories
Records of the Meriden Chamber of Commerce
Records of the Manufacturers' Association
News from Home
(Letter from Meriden U.S.O. to Meriden men and women
in the service, copies from Nov. 1943 through Aug. 1955)
Records of Meriden National Guard Companies in World
War I Arthur A. Service
City Records of World War II compiled by Ernest Kirkby
Records of the Meriden Community Fund
History of New Haven County Rockney
Records compiled by the late Frank E. Sands
Special editions and the newspaper library of the Meriden Record
and Meriden Journal
Sono- of Meriden
In the heart of old Connecticut
A few miles from the sea,
There stands our city, Meriden,
Ideal Community;
Tims honored as our country'' s choice
To share the pride we feel,
That in the whole United States
Our city is ideal.
One hundred fifty years ago,
A small town was begun;
Surrounded by protective hills
And smiled on by the sun.
The early settlers planted deep
Their roots within this earth;
And now, in nineteen fifty-six,
We celebrate its birth.
The busy hum of industry
Is heard from day to day;
Our silvercraft and sparkling jewels
Are all on world display.
Although we're modern, up-to-date,
We are old-fashioned, too;
We love our concerts in the park,
Sweet summer's rendezvous.
Our City Hall commands a hill
In strong democracy,
From where a glance may rest upon
A mountain or a tree;
The Christian Church and Synagogue
Stand closely side by side,
In friejidly peace as God would wish
All people to abide.
To God we pray upon this day
That faith in Him increase,
To build for children after us
An everlasting peace;
That through all time we'll keep the name
We are so prideful of,
The Silver City of the world,
The place of home and love.
- LYDIA B. ATKINSON
One hundred and fifty years ago Meriden attained its identity
as a separate community. It was in 1806 that the General Assembly
in Hartford granted a petition from the residents of the northern
part of the town of Wallingford asking recognition as an incor-
porated town on equal footing with its parent, Wallingford.
The first town meeting of Meriden was held in June, 1806.
The history of Meriden, however, goes much further back.
It must include not only the Wallingford background from which
it stemmed. An understanding of the character of the people who
founded Meriden depends upon knowing something of the causes
of the migration which turned an erstwhile wilderness into cul-
tivated farmlands. Meriden's history does not go back to the
very beginnings of New England. Yet her character is shaped
by the Puritan exodus from Europe as surely as is the charac-
ter of Massachusetts where the colonists first took root.
Those first settlers in Massachusetts were rugged individualists.
Mayflower passengers were followed by a continuing flow of
immigration caused by religious strife in England. In 1630 a
thousand Puritan men found their way across the Atlantic with
John Winthrop at their head, and the Massachusetts settlements
were firmly established. These men were less in search of political
liberty than of freedom to live by the Bible as they interpreted
it. The Bible was to them a code of law. Anyone who would not
accept their interpretation had no place in their community.
Soon the seeds of discontent were sown. Massachusetts was
fertile ground for them. A provision of the colonial government
ordained that none but church members should vote or hold
office. Dissenters began to speak out against this narrowed assump-
tion of power. Not all the clergy approved of so much temporal
power in the hands of churchmen. One of the most eloquent
dissenters Was Thomas Hooker, a pastor in New Town, now
Cambridge. He said that "in matters which concern the com-
mon good, the general council, chosen by all, to transact busi-
nesses which concern all, I conceive most suitable to rule and
most safe for relief of the whole." This was in answer to Win-
throp who had said: "The best part is always the least, and of
the best part the wiser part is always the lesser."
As the historian John Fiske writes, "It is interesting to meet,
on the very threshold of American history, with such a lucid
statement of the strongly contrasted views which a hundred and
fifty years later were to be represented on a national scale by
Hamilton and Jefferson." It was Thomas Hooker who led a
hundred or more of his parishioners in 1636 to make a settlement
in the Connecticut valley, and to bring with them what we now
call the "Jeffersonian philosophy" of democratic government.
Thomas Hooker's followers made the Hartford settlement and
the separate existence of Connecticut began. The Hooker philos-
ophy was contained in his powerful sermon at the opening of
the General Court in 1638 when he said "the foundation of
authority is laid in the free consent of the people."
In the spring of that same year, 1638, New Haven was founded
under the leadership of another pastor, John Davenport. He had
been "converted" by Hooker and others when, back in England,
he had tried to dissuade them from their plan to emigrate to the
New World. Accordingly he recruited a group of merchants
from Yorkshire, Kent, and Hertfordshire to come with him.
Their arrival in Boston coincided with some of the bitterest dis-
putes between the tolerant and the intolerant. Davenport found
Boston uncomfortable. His flock wanted a good harbor and a
site with a commercial future. They also wanted a place where
they could match their civil management to their own particu-
lar interpretation of Scriptural guidance.
Davenport and his followers heard about a place called Quinni-
piack on Long Island Sound. Men who had been on a campaign
against the Pequot Indians reported in glowing terms on the
possibility of this location. So the Davenport party began
their project which rapidly grew to spill over eventually into
Wallingford and what is now Meriden. Also fresh arrivals from
England settled Guilford, and a New Haven overflow settled
Milford. When Stamford was added in 1640 the four towns united
in a republic of New Haven similar to the confederation of
towns around Hartford that constituted Connecticut.
There the similarity ended. Connecticut followed Hooker's
ideas that the choice of public officials "belongs to the people
by God's own allowance." In New Haven "pillars of the church"
governed and were judge-and-jury all in one. The New Haven
colony was less democratic than Massachusetts from which
Hookerites had fled. The first settlers of New Haven were the
wealthiest of any that came to any part of early New England.
They built large and handsome houses similar to the ones they
were accustomed to in England. Theophilus Eaton's house on
Elm street, New Haven, had 19 fireplaces. John Davenport's just
across the street had 13. One of the most interesting rooms in
the Davenport house was the "study." Mr. Davenport spent so
much time with his books that the Indians dubbed him "So
Big Study Man."
New Haven and Hartford had been settled for 35 years before
the settlement of Wallingford was undertaken. It was a formid-
able project at best. Unfriendly Indians were dangerous. Those
who professed friendship were viewed with a wary eye. Wolves
ran rampant and were a constant menace to man and beast. But
men who had come to this New World to make new lives for
themselves, had to have lands to cultivate, space to expand. Con-
sequently a committee from New Haven granted lands held by
New Haven for the new settlement of Wallingford upon the
solemn promise of the planters to live the same sort of godly
community life as the parent New Haven community did.
Wallingford grew. Farmers moved out in a northerly direction.
The north part of the town, though owned by Wallingford, was
not a part of Wallingford, writes Dr. C. H. S. Davis in his history
of Wallingford and Meriden. With transportation difficult and
little more than pathways for roads, farmers in the northern
area found it an increasing annoyance to attend church meetings
in Wallingford proper. The trip was particularly arduous in
winter. Probably as early as December, 1724, these Meriden
farmers held their own church services in homes. Some say there
were meetings in the Daniel Hall homestead prior to the building
of a meeting house.
During this same period Hartford was spilling southward in
its parallel growth, not only to Wethersfield but to Berlin and
on beyond. Thus did the Thomas Hooker influence from the
north meet that of John Davenport from the south right here
in Meriden. The melding here of the two communities is par-
ticularly evident in what happened to the Gilbert — later called
Belcher — farm in the northern part of Meriden.
The name of Meriden begins to figure in documents of Con-
necticut's history as early as August 28, 1661, when Jonathan
Gilbert was granted by the Connecticut Colony "a farm to ye
number of three hundred acres of upland and fifty acres of
meadow." When he took possession of the property, Mr. Gilbert
called it Meriden, although the spelling appears variously in doc-
uments as "Meridon," "Merrideen" or "Merridan."
Mr. Gilbert who was a man of considerable means and wide
interests did not occupy his farm personally. It was first lived
on by Edward Higbee as tenant, and later in 1686 was pur-
chased by Gilbert's son-in-law, Andrew Belcher. The name
Belcher has clung to the area down to present days. By purchase
and grant Mr. Belcher added to his holdings until the property
extended to the top of Mt. Lamentation.
In 1664 Edward Higbee rose in the world from his position
as Mr. Gilbert's tenant to become a landholder in his own right.
The land between the Gilbert property and Pilgrims' Harbour
was deeded to him by a Hartford Indian. Records show that all
the property north of Harbour Brook had been bought pre-
viously by New Haven in about 1638 from Montowese. The
land being more accessible to Hartford than to the New Haven
Colony, and the original right of the Indian to sell being ques-
tioned, positive ownership remained in doubt until Gilbert and
later Higbee established their grants by occupation.
The land reaching to the edge of the "Meriden Farm" had
been deeded to Wallingford in 1683 by John Talcott who had
purchased it from Adam Puit, who in turn claimed title through
an Indian deed. When the area now known as Meriden had its
petition granted to be a parish of that name as a part of its parent
Wallingford, the chance for further controversy about title to
the lands was officially ended.
In years that followed attempts were made, successfully blocked
by Wallingford where there was no desire to lose such a fast
growing community, to separate the two parishes. While the
struggle continued the part called Meriden lost to Berlin some
parts of the original farm which gave the name to the community.
The part of the original farm which extends from Corrigan's
Corner to the southern part of Cat Hole Mountain went by
petition to Berlin in 1798, and in 1803 another strip about a half
mile wide was added to Berlin in the same way.
Although Meriden lost some of the "Hookerites" in this
fashion, there was left enough overlapping into the New Haven
Colony influence to change the character of the community. It
might be said Meriden was a melting pot into which converged
fragments from those original migrations of organic commu-
nities to the north and to the south.
In The Beginnings of New England, John Fiske says that in
these movements, not of individuals, but of whole communities,
"united in allegiance to a church and a pastor, and fervid with
the instinct of self-government, we seem to see Greek History
renewed but with centuries of added political training." He
writes that the government of the United States is in lineal de-
scent more nearly related to that of Connecticut than to any of
the other thirteen colonies. Connecticut's strength lay in the fact
that it was a federation of independent towns with the individual
communities retaining all the attributes of sovereignty not ex-
pressly granted to the General Court of the colony.
In 1643 New Haven Colony joined with Massachusetts Bay,
Plymouth, and Connecticut to form the United Colonies of New
England. Soon after this Roger Ludlow was requested by the
Connecticut General Court "to take some paynes in drawing
forth a body of Lawes for the governing of this Comon welth."
His code of laws was adopted four years later. A quite different
code was put forth by the Colony of New Haven. These are the
two documents so often referred to as the "Blue Laws," both
containing precepts popularly supposed to be stiff-necked.
Connecticut Colony's John Winthrop was a man of great tact.
Somehow he persuaded Charles II to sign in 1662 the Charter
of Connecticut which gave that colony a freedom from the
mother country enjoyed by no other British colony. It was
possession of this Charter which persuaded New Haven Colony,
albeit unwillingly, to unite eventually with Connecticut Colony.
So it is that Meriden, sitting in the middle between the two
sections, occupied by people stemming from both, is marked by
a fusion of the spirit of both. Meriden's character always con-
tained considerable respect for the aristocratic and theocratic
features of the original new Haven Colony, but was from the first
permeated with fervent devotion to democratic principles char-
acteristic of the founders of Connecticut Colony.
In no part of New England were the Indians so numerous as
in Connecticut, says Dr. Davis in his history of Meriden and
Wallingford. Deforest as an expert on Connecticut Indians esti-
mated the number at from six to seven thousand. Other sources
push the number considerably higher. (The quantity of fish,
fowl, and game afforded by Connecticut made the area attrac-
tive to the Indians.) At any rate when John Davenport and his
followers arrived in New Haven they found red men in pos-
session.
The Mattabesitt tribe lived in and around the present site of
Middletown, — "river Indians," they lived near the waterway
but roamed for great distances. At the time of the settlement of
New Haven, Sowheag was the great sachem of the Mattabesitt
tribe ruling from a fort on high ground near the narrows of
the Connecticut River, his power extending over what are now
Meriden and Wallingford. It was this sachem who sold the land
to Davenport and his company.
To Sowheag, to the Quinnipiacs, and other Indians with any
claim to the area taken over including East, North, and New
Haven, Woodbridge, Orange, Branford, Cheshire, and Hamden
in addition to Meriden and Wallingford, the well-to-do mer-
chants from London via Boston paid in goods. Odell Shepard
lists the payment to the Quinnipiacs at twenty-four coats,
twelve hatchets, twelve hoes, two dozen knives, twelve spoons,
twelve pewter porringers, and four cases of French knives and
"sizers."
The deed for the transaction with the Mattabesitts deals with
the sachem's son Mantowese, whose mother seems to have been
the actual lineal inheritor of the land transferred. To Mantowese
Davenport, Theophilus Eaton, et al., paid eleven coats made of
trucking cloth, one coat for himself of English cloth, made after
the English manner, and one reserve piece of land for planting
what his small band of followers might need. It all seemed very
friendly with a mutual agreement to make reparation for any
damages incurred by either side — by the Indians' dogs on the
white man's cows or by the white man's hogs on the Indian corn.
Indians in this part of Connecticut actually welcomed the
arrival of the English among them. They hoped to obtain assist-
ance from the new settlers in defense against depredations of
Pequots and Mohawks. Both of these tribes were constantly on
the warpath and demanding tribute from weaker, less warlike
peoples like the Mattabesitts.
Meriden was never used as a permanent camping ground by
any tribe, but it was the happy hunting ground of both the
Quinnipiacs and Mattabesitts, says Robert W. Seekamp, past pres-
ident of the Archaelogical Society of Connecticut and a Meriden
resident. Mr. Seekamp has made an exhaustive study of Indian
lore and Indian relics. We are indebted to him for the following
The Quinnipiacs numbered some 400 when the Davenport
party purchased the New Haven area. For centuries they had
lived at the East Haven site on New Haven harbor during the
rigors of cold winters. Milder temperatures along the Sound and
access to salt water game and shellfish attracted them to make
their permanent home on the coast. During milder and warm
weather they journeyed up the Quinnipiac river, making tem-
porary campsites near spring holes or where game was most
plentiful.
The trails followed by those Indians are today the highways
we use. The road from Red Bridge to Cheshire was an Indian
trail, as is also Capitol Avenue from West Main through the
pass to Kensington, West Main to Milldale, East Main to the
reservoir, and Preston Avenue from Baldwin to Westfield Road.
Temporary campsites have left their marks in the presence of
a profusion of old weathered clam and oyster shells, flint and
quartz chips and Indian artifacts. Such reminders of the Indian
past have been found on the old Raven farm at Meriden airport,
around the spring on Meeting House Hill, in the vicinity of
Red Bridge and up on Allen Hill, in the hummocks north of
Peat Works Pond, at the base of Mt. Lamentation near the
Houston property, Spruce Glen, and down on the lower reaches
of South Broad street.
The historian John Fiske says there can be little doubt that the
material comfort of the Indians was for a time considerably im-
proved by their dealings with white men. Their want of fore-
sight and thrift left them to face an annual struggle against famine
during the harshness of winter. When the settlers came the In-
dians had a good market for the skin of every fur-covered animal
they could catch. If trade didn't provide them with all they
needed, they could count on the white man's charity.
Not only do Connecticut records show that every bit of land
was obtained by honest purchase from the Indians, save for
territory conquered in the Pequot war, but the general laws
prove there was every intent to treat the Indians justly. No mat-
ter how good the white man's intentions, his way of life, his very
aspirations that had brought him to the New World, made him
interfere with the ways of the Indian. Even the friendly Indians
of this section of Connecticut where Meriden is located, Indians
who remained allies of the English first in the Pequot war and
later in King Philip's War, found themselves pushed out in the
march of progress.
After all it is hard to tell today how much the Indians actually
understood what it meant to "sell" their property. They had
known no such thing as private ownership of land as the white
settlers understood it. They lived a tribal life. Their land be-
longed to the tribe for the use of everyone. They shared hunt-
ing and fishing rights on certain "preserves" with other tribes.
Their idea of the "sale" of land on which Meriden now stands
might very well have been that it was just a general invitation
to white men to share the tribal privilege in return for which
the white man would share his arts of defense against enemy
tribes. We cannot be too smug about the purchase by which
was acquired our Meriden heritage at the expense of the gradual
eclipse of the red men who once hunted and fished the land
and waters.
Remnants of the Mattabesitts became pitifully few. Hardly
more remained of the Quinnipiacs. Land was bought for them
eventually up Farmington way among the Tunxis, after their
last sachem died on the old reservation held in East Haven. The
Hartford Courant magazine section of January 22, 1956, carried
a piece by Lawrence C. Nizza about the four remaining Indian
Reservations in Connecticut. Situated in North Stonington, Led-
yard, Kent, and Trumbull, they comprise together 799 acres
and contain 15 houses. Only 23 recognized tribal members live
on the reservations part-time, or the year-round.
Most of the descendants of the original Indians have married
with other ethnic groups. Integration is so complete that there
seems no further need for reservations or special handling of
"Indian affairs." How much of our Mattabesitts or Quinnipiacs
from this section remains in the life blood of the present gen-
eration is a question. But the little knowledge we have of their
presence here when the white men came adds that aura of an-
tiquity to our history which gives it color. As Odell Shepard says
the possession of even a little Indian lore deepens the Connecti-
cut landscape enormously by lending the dimension of time.
Throughout Indian Connecticut, according to Shepard, it was
believed that the men who lived in this place had a special access
to the Divine. Indians here had a particular awe for stones. Indian
lore has it that larger boulders in field and forest were kept always
well supplied with offerings of corn or trailing moss. Huge rocks
were chosen for council meetings. So we may believe that Meri-
den's Hanging Hills and the rocky promontories of Mt. Lamen-
tation still echo with reverent, philosophical tributes from the
Indian orators of the distant past.
First Meeting Houses
As early as 1679 the people of Wallingford voted to build a
"meeting house," a building 28 feet long, 24 feet wide and 10
feet high. So small was the group, and so burdened were they
by poverty and the business of merely living, that it took several
years for the completion of this small building. Two years later
there was another vote, "to go on and finish the house." As their
population and wealth increased, they enlarged this first meeting
house to 40 by 28 feet. This was in 1690 when the town had
grown to 73 families. The following year it was voted to "ceiling
the house" and to build two pews. This was evidence of great
luxury because, before this, seating arrangements had been long
hard benches, occupied on one side of the house by men and
boys, and on the other by females of the congregation. Growth
and change continued, even as they do today, and in April 1706,
we find "The town chose Deken Hall, Samuel Roys and Goodman
Culvert, a commetee to procure workmen to come and buld
gallers (galleries) for the In largement of the meeting hous."
During this time the people who lived on farms scattered
about the north section of town had great difficulty in getting
to meeting, especially in winter. Roads were scarcely more than
paths through the woods and swamps, and horseback was the only
means of transportation. Consequently, these devout people peti-
tioned to hold their own religious services closer to their homes.
On the town records of Wallingford, under the date of Decem-
ber 1, 1724, appears the following: "In respect of ye north
farmers the town voated that they may hire a Minister four
months this winter on their own charge." This vote was the
first act that in any way separated the area of Meriden from
Wallingford, or that recognized that these north farmers num-
bering 35 families, were a distinct community.
That same spring, at the May session of the General Assembly,
this resolution was passed: "Upon the petition of the north
farmers in Wallingford and those inhabiting the land northward
of said Wallingford, commonly called Wallingford Purchase
Lands. This Assembly grants that they be a separate society for
setting up and carrying on the publick worship of God among
themselves, with all such liberties, powers and priviledges, as
other such societies in this colony have and do by law enjoy . . . "
In May 1728 the farm of Meriden was added, and the parish
from then on was known by that name.
Therefore, although there are no records to prove it, it can be
assumed that after December 1724 the farmers of Meriden no
longer made the arduous journey to Wallingford on Sunday,
but had a place of worship in their own territory. There is a tradi-
tion that these services were held in the Daniel Hall homestead
until the meeting house was built.
An entertaining tale, which may or may not be true, is often
told in connection with the building of this first church in
Meriden. According to the story, the farmers living in the most
northerly section, along the old road, and those to the west, in
Milking Yard and Pilgrim's Harbor, wanted the meeting house
to, be located near the junction of Curtis and Ann Streets; but
those living to the east, near Dog's Misery, insisted that it be
built nearer them, on what has since been called Meeting House
Hill. Finally, it was settled that the building should be placed
on the western slope of this hill, and the materials were collected
there, ready for the actual "raising." During the night a group
of the other faction — presumably the Royces, the Robinsons,
the Collinses, the Coles, the Fosters and the Merriams — brought
, teams and hauled the timbers down the hill, over the brook,
and westward, on what is now Ann Street, to the spot they
preferred. This, naturally, caused a great furor, but eventually
the Dog's Misery group won — the Yales, the Iveses, the Whitings,
the Levits and the Halls. The men who had worked so hard
in the night to carry out their scheme were forced to haul the
material back up the hill in broad daylight, their ears, no doubt,
ringing with the taunts of their adversaries.
At any rate, in 1727 the meeting house "about thirty feet
square and built in the very plainest style" was erected on Meet-
ing House Hill. The site, at what is now the corner of Ann Street
and Dryden Drive, is marked by a large boulder placed there
in 1904 by the First Congregational Society. The first burying
ground in Meriden was about fifty rods to the east, near the top
of the hill. Two years later the society resolved to form a Church,
and on October 22, 1729, after a day of fasting and prayer, the
Church was duly organized with 51 original members.
The Reverend Theophilus Hall, of Wallingford, was the first
preacher. He still held this post at the time of his death 30 years
later. Toward the end of his life his salary was raised, but for
many years it was £50 and firewood — about $175 annually —
a sum which might be paid in either money or provisions. Mr.
Hall lived in a house at the southeast corner of Curtis and Ann
Streets and he also owned a large farm in what is now the center
of uptown Meriden. It was on a part of this farm, slightly east
of the site of the present Center Church, that the second meet-
ing house was erected, probably between 1752 and 1755. Un-
fortunately, the society records until 1755 are missing. Under
the date of December 11, in that year, is found the first entry
relating to the new church — a receipt for £150 advanced by
Mr. Hall for building. Thus, it appears that the church was
built by Mr. Hall, and that the society gradually repaid him.
This new meeting house, about 64 by 44 feet in size, replaced
the earlier one which the society had outgrown in the 25 years
since it had been built with such unchristianlike behavior on
the part of its members. Originally, this second building had
no bell nor steeple, but these were added in 1803. For 75 years
this structure served continuously as a place of worship.
In 1831 the present Center Church was built on almost the
same spot. This was about the first building of any architectural
pretensions to grace our town. Together with its neighbor, the
First Baptist Church, built in 1847, it still adds charm and beauty
to our city today.
There was a division in the organization in 1848 when a part
of the congregation moved with their pastor to the "Corner"
in West Meriden and built a church there. Those who remained
took the name of Center Congregational Church. The white
colonial wooden church at the "Corner" was replaced in 1876
by the granite structure, located a little farther north on Colony
Street, and known today as the First Congregational Church.
The Baptists have the next longest history in this area. The
church which was organized in Wallingford, with about 10
families, in 1735 (or 1739) was the third Baptist Church in the
entire colony. This church, however, ceased to exist after a time,
but some of the families continued to hold to their faith, and in
1786 another Baptist Society, consisting of 12 members, was
organized in Meriden. For several years after this, meetings were
held in homes in the southeastern part of town. Their first house
of worship was a dwelling purchased near the present dividing
line of Meriden and Wallingford to accommodate Baptists liv-
ing in both towns. In 1815 the Meriden Baptists built a second
meeting house, nearer the center, on a site which is now the
south corner of Broad and Charles Streets. This building was
sometimes spoken of in derision as the "Salt Box," from its un-
pretentious appearance and scanty furnishings. Fifteen years
later the society moved this house to a lot directly across the
street, adjoining the Broad Street graveyard. At this time the
structure was raised over a basement story, and was also adorned
with a steeple. This remained the place of worship for the society
until 1847 when they built the beautiful church which today
stands almost next to the Center Congregational.
Here again, there appears to have been some argument, and
no doubt tempers once more were hot, because the Congregational
Society placed an injunction to deter the construction of this new
church so close to theirs. It was pointed out that there was no
objection to the Baptists "as a Christian people, as good neighbors
and worthy citizens." The Congregationalists' argument was that
the Baptist minister had "a peculiarly sharp ringing voice, so
that beyond a question, he would disturb their society in wor-
ship."
The Episcopal Church in Meriden was organized about 1789
in the Moses Andrews homestead on West Main Street, now
the home of the Meriden Historical Society. Samuel Andrews,
a brother of Moses Andrews, was the last missionary to the
Episcopal Church in Wallingford, in the service of "The Society
for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts." When the
Revolutionary War broke out all Episcopalians were suspected
of being Tories, and Moses Andrews was forbidden to leave his
farm without special permission of the town selectmen. After
his petition to attend church in Wallingford was denied, Moses
decided to have a church in his own home. Using slabs and
blocks of wood from a neighboring sawmill as benches, he in-
vited his neighbors in for weekly services, at which he was the
lay reader. With these simple beginnings, a society was formally
organized in 1789, preceded by a declaration of conformity to
the Church of England, and Moses became its first clerk. It was
not until 1816 that a tiny wooden structure was built on the
southeast corner of the old burying ground on Broad Street
(probably the very spot where Olive Street is now) and con-
secrated as St. Andrew's Church.
Mrs. Frances A. Breckenridge in her charming book, Recol-
lections of a New England Town, describes one of the festivals
held in this first church: "In the very first years of the existence
of St. Andrew's as a parish the yearly Christmas 'illumination',
as it was then called, was with tallow candles. Wooden frames
to fit the windows were so arranged that a candle was at each
window pane. These panes were about seven by nine inches, and
probably thirty panes to a window. The frames were carefully
kept from year to year to be produced and used at the proper
time. A chandelier of tin, precariously suspended from the arched
ceiling in the center of the church, and side lights of tin fastened
to the posts which supported the galleries, held the inevitable
tallow candles. All of these that were accessible were duly vis-
ited once in a half hour or so by someone armed with the
'snuffers'. The inaccessible lights had to be left with toppling
wicks to drip tallow onto whomsoever it might fall. The last
illumination was in 1833 or 1834. Until the later years of the
century the festival of Christmas was only observed by the
small congregation that worshiped at St. Andrew's Episcopal
Church. Except, that persons from other denominations would
attend there upon Christmas eve to hear the music. The little
church was always crowded on these occasions, as their annual
recurrence was the one musical event of the year."
This earlier church was replaced by "a new and elegant Gothic
church of brownstone" in 1848. Within twenty years the in-
creasing membership of the parish made it necessary to build a
larger place of worship. Therefore, in 1866, this second church
was taken down and the stone from it used for erecting the
present St. Andrew's Church on East Main Street.
This, then, is the story of the three church societies estab-
lished in Meriden during the eighteenth century, and of their
houses of worship which, in the early days of the last century,
clustered about the old burying ground on Broad Street.
One other denomination, the Methodist, was established in
town before the middle 1800's. About 1830 a meeting house was
built on East Main Street. Mrs. Breckenridge has this to say
about it: "Near the bars that lead into the East Cemetery is
the barnlike Methodist Church, with its bare wooden benches
and packing box pulpit. To this house, one bleak, snowy Jan-
uary day, queer Treacher' Baldwin brought his infant child
to be baptized by himself, his wife the only witness. He had the
grace and mercy to borrow a bowl of warm water . . . The
building . . . was bought, moved onto Curtis Street and made
into a joiner's shop. It was finally set on fire by some children
playing in the old pulpit, and was burned to the ground." Ac-
tually, the Methodist Society was not organized until 1844, fol-
lowing a series of revival meetings held in what was known as
"Old Bethel," a long shop owned by Charles Parker. Here the
congregation sat on boxes which gave them a good view of the
preacher. In summer a large tent was pitched in an open lot be-
tween High and Broad Streets. It was 1847 when the society
built a wooden church on Broad Street near Charles. This was
used until the First Methodist Episcopal Church, at the corner
of East Main and Pleasant Streets, was erected in 1867.
Perhaps we should digress for a moment to discover what
"going to meeting" was like in these early days of Meriden.
First of all, the houses of public worship were never heated. In-
deed, to have done so would have been considered a sign of
degeneracy, if not of actual profanation. Even as late as 1831,
when the present Center Congregational Church was built, "it
was with great difficulty that the society could be induced even
to allow chimneys to be built, though they were to be erected
gratuitously." In winter the temperature must have been bitter
for the people, many of whom had traveled several miles on
horseback or on foot to reach the meeting house. The only
artificial heat allowed was that from the women's foot stoves,
little square metal boxes filled with glowing coals from the home
hearth.
It has been told that men with bald spots were sometimes forced
to put their mittens on their heads to keep warm; and preachers
often complained that their voices were drowned by the noise
of persons stamping their feet to keep them from freezing. The
prayers, during which the congregation stood, were long and
sermons even longer. In 1849 the Reverend George W. Perkins
wrote, "As prayers and sermons then (before 1800) were much
longer than 'moderns' will endure, the winter hearers of those
days must have endured a species of martyrdom. ... As a partial
relief to such suffering, some persons built near the church, what
are often mentioned in the old records as 'Sabbath day houses' —
little cabins about 10 feet square, finished with a fireplace, chim-
ney and some chairs. Here the owner retired with his family
at the intermission, and partook of some refreshment prepara-
tory to the freezing process of the afternoon."
There were probably several Sabbath day houses around the
first meeting house, and one was plainly mentioned in a deed of
1740, as standing on land north of the church. But the second
meeting house must have had a rash of them, because at least
13, and maybe more, stood east and north of the church. The
first entry on the land records referring to these houses was
made on July 23, 1757, when Theophilus Hall deeded to "Deacon
Benjamin Whiting, Ensign Amos Camp and Bezaleel Ives a spot
of land sufficient for three Sabbath day houses with stables adjoin-
ing, of the dimensions of those now standing on said spot . . ."
These men lived in the extreme southeast district, too far away
for them to go to their homes during the "nooning" on Sundays.
Also near the church stood two "Sabba' day" houses, each of
which was 20 feet square and was probably shared by two or three
families. According to Mrs. Breckenridge, "The one room had a
fireplace, and the fuel and a barrel of cider were provided by
'joining'." This fireplace was also useful for replenishing the coals
in the women's foot stoves.
Even in the second Congregational meeting house the seats
must have been mere benches, because the story is told of a
restless little girl who "slipped from the seat and made her way
under the benches, on all fours, to the door where finally she was
captured by her dismayed pursuers on the last step."
In addition to frigid temperatures in winter, hard seats and
sermons "timed by an hourglass which was sometimes turned
twice before the word 'lastly' was heard," the congregations of
those days were plagued by the tithing man. He not only took
up the collection, but kept order, particularly in the galleries,
and tickled, with a fox tail or rabbit's foot on the end of a pole,
those inclined to sleep, and also prevented anyone from leaving
before meeting was ended.
The singing, too, was very different from our present idea of
church music. The two or three tunes, which never varied from
one year to another, were keyed from a pitch pipe and were
sung without benefit of instrumental accompaniment of any kind.
In old records there was frequent mention of a curious custom,
that of "beating the drum" on the Sabbath. Since the early
meeting houses had no bells, a substitute was found in a drum.
According to the records of 1673, one "Sam'll Monson shall be
allowed 40 s. for maintaining and beating the Drum in good
order for the yeare ensuing."
The name of Meriden derived from "Meriden Manor" by
which Andrew Belcher dignified the estate he owned by purchase
from Jonathan Gilbert. Since the property is referred to as
Meriden before it was acquired by Mr. Belcher, the supposition
is that the choice was Gilbert's. There is no proof of why he
selected the name. It has been suggested it was because it means
"pleasant valley" and consequently was, and still is, an apt de-
scription of that part of Meriden.
Perkins' Historical Sketches gives a totally different explana-
tion which has long been a popular folk story here. He says the
name is compounded of "merry" and "den." Since there were
so many merry meetings of travelers in the old stone house over
which Andrew Belcher presided as host of the inn, the place
acquired the affectionate nickname of "Merry-Den."
It is generally believed, however, that the true source of the
name is Meriden, England. Nor is this assumption less prosaic
than the folklore so suggestive of revels. Scenically, topographi-
cally, Meriden in Warwickshire is very like this piece of Con-
necticut. Furthermore it lies in the very center of England.
One of London's great daily newspapers carried some years
ago a feature article on the British Meriden which remains to
this day a quiet little town, quite outstripped in population and
industry by her American namesake in Connecticut. The writer of
the piece illustrated his feature by a drawing which represented a
cut-out map of England poised in perfect balance on the tip of
a sharply pointed pencil. The spot thus demonstrated as the exact
center of England was the village of Meriden.
Meriden, Connecticut, is not the precise center geographically
of its state. But its location earns the description of "central."
Moreover it was certainly the center upon which converged the
two strongest Puritan influences which fused into the democratic
philosophy which in turn sired our American Constitution.
There is a little story related by Odell Shepard in his Con-
necticut Past and Present which says a visiting Frenchman in
Washington to study our form of government heard of one
famous American after another who had been born in Con-
necticut. He looked in an atlas to discover the location of this
phenomenal place and found it to be "only a little yellow spot
on the map." Years later he was called upon for a Fourth of July
oration before a group of Americans in Paris. He spoke of Con-
necticut as "that little yellow spot on the map that makes the
clock-pedlar, the schoolmaster, and the senator. The first of these
gives you time; the second tells you what to do with it; and the
third makes your law and civilization."
Meriden has produced its clock-pedlars, schoolmasters and
senators. She is typical Connecticut. Odell Shepard also speaks
of the way "Meriden crouches . . . beside her mounded hills."
Between her hills there are valleys, ponds, and streams still known
by names used by the earliest settlers. For instance Jonathan
Gilbert's first grant of land was specified as in the "vicinity of
Cold Spring." Derivation of that name is easily understood since
waters welling out of masses of rocks there are sparkling and
cold.
Professor Silliman wrote about Cold Spring for the American
Journal of Science back in 1821. He described a natural icehouse
in the masses of fallen trap rock where "ice remains usually the
year around." He said the small brook running to the south of
the natural icehouse has "been known to the youth of the vicinity
since the middle of last century, so they have been accustomed
to resort to this place, in parties, for recreation, and to drink
the waters of the cold-flowing brook." At one time Cold Spring
was a projected spa on which considerable sums of money were
spent for development.
Nearby "Cat Hole" no doubt was so called because wild
animals posed a peculiar threat in that narrow cleft between rocky
hills through which one of the earliest known paths was trodden.
According to Doctor Davis in his history, Crow Hollow, the
"locality near Julius Parker's shops about two miles west of the
city," has an equally obvious source. There were a great many
crows wont to congregate in the vicinity. "Bangall" on the road
toward Middletown derived its name, he says, from the fact that
Captain Benjamin Hall who kept a tavern on the Noah Pomeroy
place, said a party from Middletown continued their frolics
there throughout one night and "banged all creation."
Pilgrim's Harbor, sometimes without an apostrophe and some-
times with the apostrophe after the S, was the name of the south-
western part of Meriden through which Harbor Brook runs. It
was called by that name in an Indian deed of 1664. Barber's
history written in 1838 says the name came from a tradition
about the regicides said to have stopped there in their wanderings.
But the assumption now is that the name, antedating those flights
of regicides from political persecution, came from the fact that
the area offered some protection from cold and winds in the
nature of a "harbor."
Black Pond still earns its name without question. Dog's Misery
nearby, south of the Middletown road, was a morass thickly
covered with tangled vegetation where wild animals took refuge
from the chase to the complete bafflement and sometimes to the
death of dogs on their trail. Meeting House Hill naturally ac-
quired its name from its selection as the site of the first house
of worship in Meriden.
Hanging Hills is another name entirely obvious in origin. Falls
Plains and Little Plain were once in common usage for the sec-
tion now referred to as Hanover and the upper section extend-
ing toward the old main road to Hartford. The first title also
obviously got its name from the falls in the river going through
the plain — a plain that was apparently regarded most favorably
by the pioneers since it was one of the first areas to be staked
off into lots.
Turning back to the northeastern section of Meriden, Mt.
Lamentation broods over the landscape. The Reverend Charles
A. Goodrich of Hartford writes the story of the source of that
name. It is a grim tale about a man named Chester who lost his
bearings one dark and stormy day. He wandered for two days
and nights, barely escaped plunging off a precipice, and be-
came slightly demented; and was loudly lamenting before a
searching party found him. The Goodrich book in which this
tale appears is called Stories on the History of Connecticut: De-
signed for the Instruction and Amusement of Young Persons.
If the Lamentation story is a good sample, the nature of the re-
vered gentleman's idea of amusement might well be questioned
by current censors of juvenile literature.
There are still standing in Meriden today a number of homes
which were built in the eighteenth century. Some have been
carefully preserved through the years, others have been lovingly
restored, and a few have been so altered that it is difficult to
recognize them for what they are.
The oldest house in town is undoubtedly the 1711 Club Inn,
on North Colony Street. As its name implies, it was built in that
year, by one Solomon Goffe of Wethersfield. His deed gave this
indefinite description of the property, "the farm is in the woods
and bounds west on the Country road and extends north, east
and south." The chimneys in the cellar of this house are enormous
and the stones are cemented with clay mixed with straw, as are
the foundation walls. The old rafters, huge floor beams, and split
laths also indicate the age of the building. The first addition
to the house, which looks as old as the rest, was probably made
by Jonathan Collins who bought the property in 1729. At present
it is, as it has been for a number of years, a popular eating place.
Less than a mile north of here, on the west side of the road, on
a bank protected by a stone wall, stands the Stephen Bailey
place. This was built in 1734 by John Dennie, a rich Boston
merchant who never occupied the house but leased it and the farm
to someone else. It, too, has an early addition on the north side.
This place has been very well kept, and must look much as it
did 200 years ago.
Some little distance farther, at 1376 North Colony Road, is an
old house belonging now to Wallace Miramant, florist. One of the
most interesting things about it is that it stands on the site of the
old Belcher Tavern. Although this house is unquestionably old, it
is not known exactly when it was built, nor by whom. However,
its hand-hewn white oak beams proclaim its age. In A Century
of Meriden, Mr. Curtis suggests, as the result of a conversation
he had with the granddaughter of Sidney Merriam, who came
into possession of the inn about 1812, that in 1833 the old build-
ing was moved to the rear for a wood shed and carriage house,
and the present house was erected on the ancient site. How-
ever, it appears to be older than this, and the contractor who
supervised its remodeling in 1949, felt that it was one of the
oldest houses in town. At one time it had eleven fireplaces. The
present owner has carefully stowed away in his attic an old sign,
found in the place, bearing the words "Hotel Belcher."
On the other side of the road, at number 1563, is the Yale place,
built in 1788 by John, a grandson of that John Yale who, in com-
pany with Jedediah Norton, bought the Belcher, or Meriden,
farm in 1741. This house has had some additions and has had its
clapboards replaced with shingles, but its earlier lines are clearly
discernible. It is owned and occupied by the Staszewski family.
Also in the north part of town, at 1065 Broad Street, near
Britannia, is the Asahel Curtis place. This house was built, prob-
ably by Joel Yale, in 1807 but was sold to Isaac Lewis and Asahel
Curtis a few years later. In a building adjoining, these two men
manufactured metal buttons. After a time Mr. Curtis bought
the house from his partner. Here his son, George R. Curtis, was
born. For many years now the place has belonged to Frank N.
Wilcox. It has apparently changed little since its early days,
except to improve.
The Andrews Homestead, on West Main Street, now the home
of the Meriden Historical Society, was built by Moses Andrews
probably about 1760. The double overhang of the second and
third stories indicates that it may be even older. This house,
like so many others, was enlarged at an early date. When the
sloping roof was raised to accommodate the addition in the
rear, the old end rafters were left and are still visible in the attic.
The massive timbers, sturdy wall planking, and wide floor-boards
are still in remarkablv fine condition. In one of the bedrooms
an area of the wall has been cut away so that the glassed-off
section shows the construction — the hand-hewn beams, hand-
split laths, hand-wrought nails, and wooden pegs. The place is
an excellent example of a large, comfortable, colonial farmhouse.
It follows the usual plan of that day — the small entrance hall,
where the delicately turned bannisters contrast strikingly with
the rugged stones of the huge center chimney; to the right the
dining room, to the left the withdrawing room, each with its
fireplace; and in the rear the keeping room, with its enormous
cooking fireplace, complete with Dutch ovens. It was in this
house that the first Episcopal church services in Meriden were
held.
In later years the place passed through a succession of hands,
becoming, at one time, a two-family house. It was acquired by the
Board of Education for the City of Meriden, and in 1933 and
1934 was renovated as a federal project to serve as a kinder-
garten for the Benjamin Franklin School, and a colonial museum
for the city. In 1940 when the School Board relinquished con-
trol of the property, two groups, the Andrews Homestead Com-
mittee and the Meriden Historical Society, which had been
defunct since 1895, united to save the old house. This was
accomplished and the Homestead, repaired, redecorated, and
furnished with antiques which had been given or loaned to the
society, was the scene of an Open House, January 14, 1942. The
following year, because of the war, the place was turned over
to the city for a Child Care Center, and its furnishings were
returned to their owners or safely stored for the duration.
Then in 1952 the Meriden Historical Society was again re-
vived and once more took over the Andrews Homestead. It has
been beautifully redecorated and furnished, insofar as possible,
with antiques of the period of 1760. In it, also, are housed col-
lections of old books, papers, and souvenirs of Meriden's past.
Certainly, Moses Andrews built well, and our town is fortunate
to have such a fine old house for its historical museum.
Meriden is likewise fortunate in possessing the Meriden His-
torical Society in its reactivated form, destined to perpetuate
and augment the house and contents of the Andrews Homestead.
Originally the society was organized in 1893 after a year of
planning for its proper functions. Papers were prepared for
reading at subsequent meetings, many of which are preserved in
a book housed at the Andrews Homestead and from which con-
siderable information has been gleaned for this volume. Despite
the obviously general interest in the organization's efforts to
gather material on Meriden's past, there seems to have been
no meeting after the one dated November 1, 1895.
When the fate of the Andrews Homestead became a matter
of public concern in 1940, the Meriden Historical Society was
reorganized to include the already active Andrews Homestead
Committee for the purpose of raising funds to maintain the
property as a center of historic interest. For the two years before
the Andrews Homestead "went to war" the society more than
fulfilled its mission.
After 10 years of wear and tear in community service, the
Homestead was in dire need of the attentions which only an
active Historical Society could give it. The organization was
again revived, its constitution brought up-to-date, and concen-
trated work begun to make over this handsome relic of Meri-
den's past. With financial aid from the Cuno Foundation, the
work has been completed. It is unthinkable that the museum
should ever again fall into other ways and other uses. The
Meriden Historical Society has become a necessary and vital
function in Meriden's affairs depended upon to carry on without
interruption the preservation of Meriden's past as a symbol of
all that makes Meriden happy and proud in celebrating in 1956
its sesquicentennial year.
Still farther west, on Johnson Avenue at the corner of Eaton,
stands the old Johnson place, now owned and occupied by the
Carter Whites. This house, with its lovely Palladian window
and hand-pegged divided stairway, was built by Israel Johnson
about 1785. In the early days West Main Street, as we know it,
did not exist and Johnson Avenue was the through street to the
west and later the stagecoach route to Waterbury. Originally
this house faced south on Johnson Avenue, but at a later period
was turned to face east on Eaton. The Johnson family owned
the mountain land to the north — all the way up to West Peak.
They had hoped to develop the property into a valuable mining
tract but, unfortunately, their prospecting did not reveal the
wealth of gold and copper they had expected to find. In spite
of this disappointment, however, the family lived in rather an
elegant manner, and rumor has it that it was considered quite
an honor to be invited to their home.
On Coe Avenue, within a short distance of each other, are
two good examples of eighteenth century houses. One is the
home of Victor Lucchini, Coe Farm, which has just been sold
to the city as the site of the new west-side high school. This
colonial house was here when the farm was sold by Samuel Rice
to Asa Barnes in 1795. Calvin Coe bought it in 1820 and it has
remained in the hands of his descendants until now. It is to be
hoped that this lovely old home can be saved when the high
school appears in the place where the house has stood for over
160 years.
The second house is the Rice place, built in 1781, by Ezekiel
Rice, Jr., a Revolutionary War soldier, on land given him by
his father. Its style is somewhat different from most of the houses
of this period, because instead of one large center chimney, it
has two, one at each end, and has a hallway running through
the center of the house. Until fairly recent years, this place
was still owned and occupied by members of the Rice family.
On Old Colony Road, at Archer's Corners, is the Deacon
Robert Royce, or Rice, house. It was standing there in 1740
when the highway running west from this spot on the old
Country Road to Hanover, now South Meriden, was opened.
In the latter part of the last century the place was sold to the
wife of Dr. H. A. Archer — hence the name Archer's Corners.
In 1906 this house had a porch on two sides. Now that has been
removed and so today, in spite of some recent shingling, the
house probably looks more as it did originally.
Just north of this old Robert Rice farm, on the site of Walnut
Grove Cemetery, was the farm bought by Dr. William Hough,
Wallingford's second physician, in 1730. Sometime between then
and 1740, when he moved to Cheshire, Dr. Hough built a house
on this property. His son, William, continued to live and conduct
a blacksmith shop here for many years. About 1930 Mr. Russell
White bought this Hough home from the cemetery association,
moved it piece by piece, and carefully reconstructed it in its
present location at the corner of Broad Street and Gale Avenue.
There it may be seen today, exactly as it stood for almost 200
years in its first location — complete even to its oversized chim-
ney and fireplaces. Looking at it, one would never guess that it
had not been right there for all of its long existence. It is now
the home of the Robert Bergers.
A short distance up Broad Street, at 309, is the Benjamin Hart
house, now owned by the John B. Kirbys. This was built in its
present location just before 1800. The original house faced on
Curtis Street and was built in 1729 by Captain John Webb.
When Mr. Hart inherited the home he wanted it to front on
the new turnpike, and so he tore it down and built the present
house, using many of the beams and other material from the
old house.
Around the corner, at 54 Curtis Street, is the Benjamin Curtis
house, owned by John Molloy. The first Benjamin Curtis, in
1729, acquired from his father, Nathaniel, a 200-acre farm front-
ing on this old street and spreading out fanlike to the east. For
many years the Curtis family continued to inhabit this section
of town, which accounts for the frequency of the name here.
This house was built probably about 1795, by the second Ben-
jamin when his own homestead, a short distance south, became
too small to hold all of his fourteen children. The house has
outwardly changed very little with the years.
Five houses beyond is the home of iMrs. Charles N. Flagg.
This is also reputedly a Curtis house, but when it was built, and
by which Curtis is not certain. The back ell part was evidently
the original house and the main building was added in front,
somewhat later. The inside was extensively remodeled when
the Flaggs bought the place about thirty-five years ago, but the
outside still preserves its original colonial lines.
Directly across the street is an attractive white-washed brick,
which is now the home of Airs. William H. Race. The long,
narrow, rectangular building was built originally for a spoon
factory, probably by Edwin E. Curtis whose home was at 112
Curtis Street and is still standing. Later it was a dame school
conducted by Miss Harriet Bradley. After awhile it fell on bad
times and became a disreputable looking two-family tenement,
referred to in the neighborhood as "the brick." About ten years
ago the Races bought it and converted it into the serene and
charming home it is today.
One of the oldest houses in iMeriden is at 160 Curtis, the home
of Mrs. Marion P. Heidel. It was built in 1730 by Lazarus Ives.
In 1740 Daniel Bradley owned it and had his blacksmith shop
here for a time. Then the house was sold to Daniel Hough, the
father of Dr. Ensign Hough, who with his family lived in it for
many years. After that it had a number of owners, and during
the Victorian era was considerably changed. Some years ago the
Heidels remodeled it and removed much of the ornateness, so
today, although not quite in its original form, it still retains
its early charm.
Far down on Curtis Street, almost to the Wallingford line,
stands a house which was built about 1778 or 1780 by Noah
Yale for his son, Thomas. This house was originally on a lane
which ran up to Yale Avenue, because this section of Curtis
Street was not opened until 1820. There is a story that in the
early part of the last century this place was used as an inocu-
lation hospital, on account of its remoteness, and because it was
not on a highway. It can easily be located, since it is at present
known as the Mother Goose Farm.
Almost directly east of this house, on Yale Avenue, is one
built by this same Noah Yale for himself in 1761. He was a
grandson of the original Thomas Yale to whom a large farm in
this section of Wallingford was granted sometime before 1702.
Noah Yale's house was certainly a fine, dignified colonial farm-
house, containing much good paneling and detail. Many meet-
ings of the Congregational Society were held here before the
Revolutionary War. This was also the home of the slave, Chatham
Freeman, who earned his freedom by serving in the war in
place of one of Mr. Yale's sons. Another story is told of this
same slave. Mr. Yale had a female slave at his farm whom Free-
man wanted to marry. His master said he would agree to the
marriage if Freeman would work for him seven years. He did
and then married the woman. Today, almost two hundred years
later, this house is still owned and occupied by Noah Yale's
descendant — his great, great, great grandson, David Yale.
The Ephriam Berry house, now owned by Frederick M.
Stevens, Jr., stands on the northeast corner of Parker Avenue
and Ann Street. This house was almost certainly built in 1743.
Its construction is excellent, there are fine details such as cup-
boards and paneling, and it has been carefully preserved through
the years. It is probably one of the finest examples of an early
colonial home to be found in Meriden.
There is, on the south side of Miller Avenue, a red house called
the 1777 Rest Home, owned and managed by Mrs. Edward
Punty. It is not certain who built it, but a story about it has
been handed down from father to son in that section for years.
According to this tale, the man could not decide just where he
wanted his home built. One day he walked to the top of the
hill on his property, and taking off his hat he flung it into the wind,
which was blowing strongly from the west, and said, "Where
the hat falls I will build my house." And so he did. This place was
occupied in the last century by Richard Miller whose name re-
mains in that of the street.
On the northwest corner of Miller Avenue and Paddock, which
in the early days was called Misery Road, is the Silas Rice place.
This house occupies the site of the dwelling of Captain Divan
Berry, of Revolutionary fame, which was destroyed by fire in
1796. On October third of that year, Deacon Silas Rice bought
the half finished house which was being erected on the same
spot. Even now, appearing much as it did when the Deacon com-
pleted it, this house is occupied by Robert S. Rice, a direct descen-
dant of the builder.
Farther north, on the east side of Paddock Avenue, is the large
farmhouse which was built by Isaac Hall, son of the doctor of
the same name, about the year 1770. For a long time this was
known as the Rollin S. Ives place. In recent years its walls have
been shingled, which helps to conceal its ancient character.
Still farther east, away over in what used to be called Dog's
Misery, is the old Noah Pomeroy place. The first mention of
this house in the records was in March 1751, when Israel Hall
and his wife deeded it and sixty acres of land to Phineas Hall.
It is the same place where Benjamin Hall was later supposed
to have kept the tavern which gave the section the name Bangall.
About 1816 or 1817 it was bought by Noah Pomeroy. At that
time it stood' at the junction of Pomeroy and Murdock Avenues,
but many years ago it was moved a few hundred feet to the
east, and now it stands at 24 Ives Avenue. It was in this old house
that the Universalists first assembled in 1821. Some thirty years
later the First Universalist Society of Meriden was organized.
Dr. Sherburne Campbell owns a home on East Main Street,
near the corner of Maple Avenue. This was apparently one of
several houses built by Samuel Baldwin. The date is given as 1772,
although it probably was earlier. The Almon Hall family was
the first to live here. Two of his children, Russell and Fanny,
continued to occupy the place for many years, until they died
at an advanced age. The story is told that Miss Fanny, in her last
years, became confused and was inclined to wander about. In
order to keep her safely in the house, it is said, she was chained
to an iron ring fastened into the floor of her room. In recent
years this house passed through a number of different hands. It
has been carefully restored, added to, and today is a perfect
example of how an eighteenth century home can be adapted to
comfortable, modern living.
Another house, no doubt of somewhat similar style when it
was built about 1795, is the Orchard Guy place on the corner
of East Main and Williams Street. A short distance east of here
is the Abel Yale place which is considerably older. The first
mention of it on the records was in 1737 when his brother,
Moses, quit-claimed to Abel all his interest in the house and farm.
During the years a number of additions have been built, and its
appearance has changed considerably. It is on the corner of East
Main and Horton Avenue.
Some other early homes which have lost much of their colonial
appearance through alterations and additions are the Edward
Collins house (1738) at 596 Colony Street; the Abel Rice or
William W. Plumb place (1733 or before) at 175 Hall Avenue,
near the junction of Gale; the Comfort Butler house (1770) at
67 Kensington Avenue; and that of Levi Allen (before 1784)
on Allen Avenue.
One of Meriden's oldest houses has come to rather a pathetic
end. It is now a three-family tenement, with a storeroom tacked
on the front. This is the home built originally by Captain Na-
thaniel Merriam, about 1730, on the present site of Saint Andrew's
Church. In 1866 it was moved, around the corner, to Miller
Street where it now stands, looking sad and forlorn, behind the
Connecticut Electric Equipment Co.
Probably no description of Meriden's old houses would be
complete without mention of the stately Eli Birdsey mansion,
even though it was built considerably later — not until 1830.
It was the first imposing residence to be erected in town. It has
now been made into apartments, but it is still dignified and beau-
tiful today, in its commanding location at the head of East
Main Street hill, almost across from the two colonial churches,
and in Meriden's most historic section.
The first settlers in what is now iMeriden entered virtually virgin
territory. This was not an area where Indians lived with any
permanence. It was their hunting ground so there were some
Indian trails winding in and out where moccasined feet had
picked the way. Some of our streets today no doubt follow the
general lines of such trails. Gradually those trails become trodden
ways beaten down by men on horseback. Later they were widened
into roads and new roads added as the settlement grew.
In 1729, George W. Perkins tells us in his history, there were
twenty-five families in Meriden. By 1770 the number had
expanded to 123 families. Meanwhile some sort of rude roadway
system was developing. One record shows that the General
Assembly in Hartford in 1666 ordered Edward Higby thus: "for
making and mainteineing the way over Pilgrums Harbour passable
for man & horse, shall have his estate and farme free of Countrey
(rates) for this yeare anp! next, he mainteining the way soe longe
as aforesaid."
As time went on a definite pattern emerged for reserving quite
a wide strip of land for roads wherever new grants were made.
For instance in 1707 the "towne chose Eliezer peeck, Joshua
culver, David Hall, a commetie to see that dogs missery hiway
may not be pinsht of the twenty rods in any place from the
town to misserie whare it was not laid out before the graint was
of said hiway."
Twenty rods is often mentioned as road width. Still oftener
the records speak of six rods for a highway. What the roads were
like is another matter. Other records indicate that it was custom-
ary for settlers adjacent to these "roads" to raise crops on
this public property. Since the strips were cleared but not too
well traveled, it was but a practical custom, quite "Yankee" in
According to historian Perkins the first wagon was brought
to Meriden in 1789. He says it was owned by Ezra Rice and was
of rude construction, being simply a square framed box placed
on four wheels, drawn by two horses, with ropes for traces, and
cords for the guiding or driving lines. Yet, he says, " it was then
thought to be a very elegant establishment." Previous to the
coming of that wagon, there had never been owned in the town
more than three two-wheel carriages. These he describes as being
very rude, awkward chaise bodies or uncovered seats hung on
two wheels. And he adds incidentally that he had it on what he
considered good authority, that of a man whose business took
him at various times into every house in the town (could he have
been a tax collector?), that in 1802 there was but one carpet in
the whole town of Meriden. As a further commentary on
Meriden's standard of living when she became a separate town,
the Century of Meriden carries the note that when Samuel Yale
died in 1816, the inventory of his belongings contains the first
notice we have of a stove in Meriden. The item appears on that
document as "stove and pipe" valued at $10.
Among papers written by Meridenites for the historical
society in the eighteen-nineties, is one by Allan B. Squire on the
railroad. In it he says the "first stage in Connecticut ran through
Meriden in 1784 on this old country road west of the central
village where the railroad is now located." He adds that until
the time the railroad was completed over half a century later the
"good people of Meriden had no other means of communication
with Hartford and New Haven except by private conveyance."
On that subject of private conveyance Welcome E. Benham says
in his paper in 1894: "I well remember that 60 years ago it was
quite common for persons to travel from town to town, several
miles on foot. I and others sometimes walked to New Haven and
back, 32 miles, and quite frequently to church on Sabbath to
Cheshire Center, four miles from home. . . ."
"Horse wagons were nearly all of the lumber box order, with
wood axletrees. The back chair seat was often supported on a
wooden spring; the forward seats were plain flat boards resting on
the upright sides. It was considered a luxury to have cushions or
blankets on them to alleviate the jolting over stone. When elliptic
springs were first introduced, they were considered a marvel, and
set the body of the wagon up so high that some feared danger
of toppling over. . . ."
He describes the stages as "uniformly built in egg or oval body
form, capable of seating from six to ten inside, and with additional
seats outside up back of the driver and on top." A large leather
boot was built on behind to carry trunks and baggage, and also
another in front to protect the driver. The whole was set on strong
leather side straps called "thorough braces," suspended from
elevated points front and rear, each resting firmly on the heavy
four-wheeled running gear, and gave "an easy, rollicking motion
to passengers when driven rapidly over rough places." The wide-
awake drivers were "well skilled in handling their four lines and
cracking their long lash stage whips over the backs of their
forward span of galloping steeds. On approaching their stopping
place they blew their shrill tin horn to notify hostlers to have
fresh horses harnessed ready for exchange. There was one stage
a day each way from New Haven and Hartford, a distance of
thirty-six miles, running time four hours."
When George W. Perkins describes travel in the earliest
days, a century before the above, he says: "... you see a traveller
starting from Hartford, on his way to New Haven. He is on
horseback, with heavy saddle-bags depending from the saddle,
and perhaps with pistols at his saddle-bow. After passing Wethers-
field, he drives into the forest, where there is only a 'bridle path'
cut through the trees. Slowly picking his way among stumps and
swamps, with now and then some trepidation as an Indian crosses
his path, he reaches toward nightfall the old stone house called
Meriden, and is glad to find that its stout doors and shutters can
resist all hostile attacks. The next morning, at early dawn, he
commences another hard day's journey, and has hardly gone
beyond the tavern door, when he spies a troop of gaunt wolves
upon Mount Lamentation."
One of the historical papers, written in 1893 by Albert H.
Wilcox, adds this about the stone house: "As the journey between
Hartford and New Haven formerly occupied 'two good days'
the Belcher Tavern and another tavern in Wallingford became
very notorious resorts especially during the French and Revolu-
tionary wars. Afterwards a wooden addition was built which was
kept as a tavern until the opening of the turnpike in 1799." He also
speaks of Bartlett's "Hotel Belcher" being built in the 1820's near
the old tavern and its adjoining forts.
Perkins describes how the horseman, in prestagecoach days,
was almost bemired in passing the swamp and unbridged stream
at Pilgrim's Harbor. It was no wonder the regular horseback
trail from Hartford swung by way of Wethersfield rather than
along the shorter route later taken by the railroad. As A. B. Squire
describes that route it is obvious how much swampy ground had
to be reclaimed. He speaks of the railroad passing by "Old Fly"
and "Beaver Pond" through meadows called "Green Swamp"
into Kensington parish and thence to its termination on Main
Street in Hartford.
The first step in progress from Indian trail to airplane came
with the advent of freight wagons and stagecoaches. The pack-
horse business had been profitable since it was the only means by
which to transmit mail and goods. So owners of the pack-horse
business were opposed to the "new-fangled" freight system which
called for the building of roads, just as later the stagecoach
companies opposed the coming of railroads, and railroads in turn
look askance at trucking on highways.
New highways passable for stagecoaches cost considerable in
money and effort. Neither state nor towns could keep them
up although some stretches were entrusted to the good offices
of settlers receiving land usage or other benefits in payment. So
the stage lines obtained charters from the state allowing them
to establish turnpikes, either by taking over and improving
existing roads, or by building their own with necessary bridges.
The first turnpike through Meriden was completed in 1799, a
big event in our history. Its building was the opening of what
is known as Broad Street. It necessitated the filling in of a deep
ravine which people called Nabb's Folly since a man of that name
had tried to build a road across it and failed. According to Mrs.
William Mackensie in a paper prepared some 30 years ago for
the D. A. R., it was "an uncommonly deep chasm, through which
ran a rapid, narrow stream of water." In her younger school days
she says it was known as the "Gulf."
The turnpike builders filled in the ravine enough to allow a
narrow road across it, although people had previously thought
it could never be filled and made safe. That sort of hazard was
many times multiplied before Connecticut villages were finally
connected by their network of turnpikes, now replaced by one
of the finest and most comprehensive road systems in the nation.
The north-south turnpike was soon traversed by an east-west
route to the further advantage of the old Central Tavern as a
convenient stopping place. Returning to Mr. Benham's paper we
find a description of the toll turnpikes where gates across the pike
forced travelers to stop to pay their fee before they could
continue. Generally the gates were of the high fence type that
swung, some were pivoted on a pole, and others were raised by
pulleys and weights from a high roof overhead. There were
gatekeepers who took the toll to fill the coffers of the turnpike
companies so they could maintain the system in at least passable
condition.
According to Mills in his Story of Connecticut the usual toll
was from 25 cents for a four-wheeled pleasure carriage down to
four cents for a rider on horseback. But people going to and
from churches on Sunday were allowed to pass free, as were
voters on their way to town meeting or farmers enroute to mills.
Funerals were always free. Mr. Benham places one toll gate on
the north-south turnpike on South Broad Street midway between
Meriden and Yalesville and another north of the Berlin woods
midway between Meriden center and Berlin. On the east-west
turnpike he says one gate was about a "mile west at the old
notch road corners just beyond the Parker foundry."
The turnpike companies also erected milestones along these
post roads. Some that once stood in the vicinity of Meriden are
still preserved although not in their original locations. The
Century of Silver recounts the recent story of two such markers.
One was on Colony Street in front of the house occupied until
her death by Miss Sally Collins, and since torn down to make
way for new construction. Only a few feet south of the Post
Office, this stone indicating 19 miles from New Haven was dear
to "Miss Sally's" heart. To her horror one day she looked out
just in time to see a steam shovel scoop the stone up in its gnawing
way preparing for a new street surface job.
Tearfully Miss Sally told the workmen of her shock. They were
sympathetic and toted the chipped relic to land behind her house.
Later she gave the stone to Roy C. Wilcox who subsequently
located milestone 20 far out North Colony Street in front of what
was Judge Dunn's house, the old Norton place. Mr. Wilcox,
possessed of respect for Meriden's historical relics, has the two
milestones flanking the doorway of his present residence on Allen
Hill.
Such stone markers have proved more durable than some of
the many markings used in the early 1700's. Land records and
those covering space reserved for roads commonly use such
terminals as "a heap of stones in the corner of the fence west of
the Path" and a "walnut bush marked with stones" or a "white
oak tree" to the "large chestnut stump."
A trail ran from New Haven to Hartford down in the bottom
of the valley through swampy land for a century before the turn-
pike was built. This was developed into a road sometime after the
turnpike came into being, roughly along the line of the present
Colony Street. The sandstone hill on which the center of old
Meriden grew, and its connecting ridges made far better terrain
for the first full-fledged highway. John Warner Barber notes in
his Connecticut Historical Collections that a road was constructed
in the northwestern part of Meriden to Berlin sometime in the
second decade of the 1800's. He says it went through "a narrow
and romantic glen, between two ridges of the Blue Mountains;
this pass, which is more than a mile in extent, is called Cat Hole."
In some parts of the glen, continues Mr. Barber, there was
barely room for a path because angular fragments of rock
protruded at a forty-five-degree angle. He says the rocks were
beaten down and covered with earth brought in for the purpose
in order to make what might be called a road. He also calls
attention to the elevated perpendicular rock on one side of the
road which once resembled the profile of a human face, some
saying it looked just like George Washington. Today one's
imagination has to be pretty good to see what may have been far
more sharply defined 150 years ago. But the Washington legend
lingers.
Stagecoaches took four days to go from New York to Boston.
The second day out of New York meant the passengers and
drivers had their noon meal in Meriden. This is why the Central
Tavern became in reality the heart of the town, shifting the
center from its former location at the junction of Curtis and
Ann Streets. A Hartford newspaper dated May 31, 1838, carries
the story of the fastest trip ever made from New York to Hartford
as eight hours and five minutes, actual time by steamboat and
stage. And the time consumed by stage from New Haven to
Hartford was four hours and ten minutes, including stops for
changes of horses and rest periods for passengers. The coming
of the railroad changed everything. For a century and a half
before it, communication between Meriden and the outer world
was a slow process.
All travelers were of interest to Meriden townspeople. Some-
times very important figures came this way. According to Mills
in his Story of Connecticut, George Washington traveled from
New Haven to Hartford on his way from Philadelphia to Cam-
bridge in 1775, presumably on the route we call Colony Street.
Again in 1789 he made a tour from New York and through New
Haven and Hartford on his way to Springfield and Boston. One
legend, entirely without authentication in any record, says that
Washington stopped overnight on one of these tours in a house
on North Colony Road that has long since disappeared from our
landscape.
Mr. Benham tells in the historical society collection of papers
of the visit to Meriden of a later President. He writes:
"I recall with interest the memorable occasion in about 1829
when General Andrew Jackson, President of the United States,
made his tour through New England, and in going from New
Haven to Hartford by carriage he stopped off uptown and gave
an open air public reception from the stone steps of the Center
church. He was greeted by quite a concourse of people, intro-
duced by General Walter Booth, and shook hands with a large
number of prominent men, passing one by one in line. He had
bright eyes, his gray hair stood up above his forehead, and as a
venerable, brave looking man he appeared worthy of his high
position. After this brief patriotic reception he and his honorable
escorts, including Martin Van Buren, re-entered their carriages
and proceeded to Hartford. Dr. Isaac I. Hough was then landlord
of the old Center hotel where the New Haven and Waterbury
stages always stopped."
The stage drivers were colorful figures themselves. It took
considerable skill to manage the job. In addition the personality
of the driver had much to do with making stagecoach travel
popular. All sorts of legends surround those figures of stagecoach
days, so imposing in their great coats and tall beaver hats. Quite
naturally the drivers were "treated" by passengers at their stops
at way stations. The story is that sometimes the drivers were
sharp businessmen who arranged with innkeepers to get a cut
on profits. In a sort of version of the "wooden nutmeg" legend
it is said that it was a common custom for the innkeeper to serve
the driver colored water when giving his treater the usual rum
or whiskey. Thereafter he and the driver could split the profit
made on the harmless substitute.
One of the famous stagecoach drivers lived in Meriden, Silas
Lawrence, whose home was on Broad Street. Since the Central
Tavern was a logical place for changing horses, there was a large
barn nearby for housing them. That building was still standing
until the second decade of this century. It was used for many
years before by John Holmes' tinsmith shop.
The stagecoach business was but a part of the turnpike's
importance. Much freight was carried over the road, particularly
in the winter months when the Connecticut River was closed to
navigation by ice. The freight teamsters customarily made the
Central Tavern an overnight stop. Freight was carried usually in
long heavy wagons with high board sides and arched canvas tops,
drawn by from four to ten horses according to the weight of the
load and the depth of the season's mud. These wagons gradually
disappeared from this area as new transportation methods devel-
oped. They went westward and were later known as "prairie
schooners" when figuring in the vast settlement projects that
opened our continent. When we remember that Fulton's steamer
made its trial trip in 1807, we can realize how essential stagecoach
and freight wagon were to the economy of this part of the
country well into the third and fourth decades of the 1800's.
Early Schools
As early as 1650 the General Court of Connecticut established
a code of laws which ordered that every township within its
jurisdiction comprising as many as fifty householders, should
appoint a schoolmaster to teach the children to read and write.
Thus, the school and the church took root together, and sprang
up almost with the first log cabins in the forest. Although a
school of sorts had evidently existed previously, the first allusion
to schools in the town records of Wallingford was in 1678. At
that time they voted "to allow for the encouragement of such
a school master as the select men shall approve of, ten pounds
a year in general, and three pence a week for all scholars, from
six to sixteen, as long as they shall go to school." Apparently, a
room was hired for this purpose, because it was not until 1702
that the town voted to build a schoolhouse. By 1722 it became
necessary to have several schools, and so appeared the beginning
of school districts.
In the earliest days there was no mention of any subject but
reading, writing, and spelling. It is quite probable that for a long
time nothing else was taught except occasionally the rudiments
of arithmetic. The books used in the schools were limited, both
in number and scope. The New England Primer, the Psalter,
Dilworth's Spelling Book, and Dilworth's Schoolmaster's Assist-
ant for arithmetic were the only ones in use. The teaching of
manners and respect for elders, particularly the dignitaries, was
greatly stressed. And once a month the minister catechised the
children in the meeting house, accompanying that catechism
with many a stern reproof.
The first schoolhouse in Meriden was a little low, red hut with
four small windows, which stood at first near Ann Street, but
was later moved to the slope between Gale Avenue and Holt
Hill bridge. Another one, just as red and just as small, was built
a few years after on the "old road," now Colony Street. Each
one had a fireplace "for the alternate freezing and roasting process
which the scholars underwent during the cold weather." Here
the children learned the alphabet and were taught to call "Z"
"izzard." The Primer for the younger pupils, and the New
Testament for the older were the school reading books in the
seventeen seventies. The first edition of this primer was strictly
religious in its axioms. Thus: "In Adam's fall we sinned all." The
woodcut was of an apple tree, beneath which were two figures
having a remote likeness to humanity, one of them offering the
other a big apple.
Even as early as 1773 the town records show that Meriden
was separated into school districts, because the taxes for school
purposes were then divided proportionately between the districts.
And by 1820 several schoolhouses had been built. In the western
part of town there was a particularly substantial one, known
as the Stone Schoolhouse. The uptown section had grown so
populous by 1832 that there was difficulty in deciding the loca-
tion of the Center School, and the question was settled by divid-
ing the area into the north and south centers. The south center
acquired for its school a small workshop at the northwest corner
of the Broad Street Cemetery, on a lane which is now Charles
Street. The North Center School was at a junction of Broad
and Wall Streets. In 1835 a district was set off at the Corner, and
a school was opened in a tiny building which stood just where
the Main Street railroad crossing now is. This school was moved
a few years later into the Lyceum building which was built
on what is now Church Street.
Our frequently quoted Mrs. Breckenridge attended the North
Center School during the winter of 1834. Here is her descrip-
tion of it: "The dimensions were probably twenty by twenty-
five feet. A large butternut tree grew at the northwest corner
of the building. Beneath this tree was the wood pile of logs to
be cut for fuel as wanted. This was by no means as often as
needed for warmth and comfort. Before the two doors, which
gave entrance to the house, lay flat stones, which served as door
steps. The doors gave access to two lobbies, where four or five
children could stand at once if they stood close. In the lobbies
or entries, as we called them, were kept the outer garments, the
dinner pails and other possessions of the scholars. In the middle of
the room a raised hearth or platform, about three feet square,
made of brick and the thickness of a brick in height, supported
a box stove. The room had four windows, two on a side. Around
the room on three sides was a sloping counter which served as
a desk, on which were kept, in more or less orderly fashion, the
books and slates of the larger scholars. In front of this counter,
on three sides, was a bench made of slabs, the flat side being
uppermost. In front of these were low seats, with an apology
for a back. On these the younger scholars and the very little
ones were seated. The windows were shadeless; neither blind
nor curtain tempered the glare. They were never washed, unless
in summer some young woman teacher . . . essayed, with the
help of the girls, a little housekeeping on her own account. The
room was swept once a week by the girls in turn.
"Oftener than not three dollars a week for a man teacher and
one dollar and a half for a woman, for six days' teaching, was
thought 'pretty easy.' An acceptable candidate for the winter
school must be able to teach reading, writing (for this he must 'set
copies') and Daboll's arithmetic, so far as or including the rule of
three; to make a quill pen, and to 'govern' the large boys.
"At nine in the morning those who loitered outside were
called in by a vigorous thumping on the window sash with a
ruler or ferule. This instrument was utilized as a timekeeper,
to line copy books, and as a means of castigation whenever
energetic disciplinary measures were in order. The pupils rushed
in with all the racket and clatter that vigorous youth, shod in
heavy cowhide boots and shoes, are capable of creating. The
boys who entered later perpetrated a curious side-long jerk of
the head, and the girls a perpendicular dip of the person, both
contortions being supposed to indicate 'manners.' When fairly
seated, Testaments were produced and school opened by the
first and second classes reading two verses as it came the turn
of each scholar.
"The reading over, all the large scholars turned their faces to
the wall and addressed themselves to Daboll's arithmetic, Wood-
bridge's geography or their home-made writing books. Of course,
the boys could turn on the long benches easily, but the girls
had to take pains to perform the gymnastic feat properly. It
was done by stooping and placing the hands on each side of the
skirts, then by a quick, circular movement throwing the feet
over the bench. This was usually done simultaneously. When
called upon for anything by the teacher the whole class whirled
"Webster's New Speller was the class book for spelling in the
school. The third class' having had their spelling lesson in words
of two syllables set for them to study, the little ones were called
up one by one to be ,taught their 'A, B, C's' .... It would now
be time for the second class to read and spell. A whirl of feet
and petticbats landed two rows of boys and girls standing on
the floor facing the teacher, who gave the order, 'Manners!'
and the jerking of necks and bobbing of skirts gave evidence that
school etiquette was understood. The spelling came first, after-
ward the reading from the same page, such things as:
'We burn oil in tin and glass lamps.'
'We can burn fish oil in lamps.'
A geography lesson, if anybody had one, mending pens, attend-
ing to sums and a playtime for the boys and one for the girls
brought the morning session to a close.
"The afternoon began by reading in the Columbian Orator.
The National Preceptor came into use a few years later. To some
of the scholars this was the best part of the day. More Daboll,
a geography lesson, and more alphabet for the little ones. Poor
little things! They sat patiently three hours on the hard benches,
with nothing to do and nothing to look at. The one virtue re-
quired of them was to keep still. More spelling by the first and
second classes, and at one o'clock the school day's work was
done. 'Manners' were required from each scholar on leaving
the room, and the genuflection was aimed at the wall, the benches,
the door or the teacher as it happened."
During this same period Meriden could boast of several private
schools. The first one in town was taught by an Episcopal clergy-
man, the Reverend Mr. Keeler. In 1834 Miss Julianne Eddy opened
a private school in the basement of the Center Congregational
Church. At that time it was only one large, cold, gloomy room,
filled with benches. The next year the school was moved into
the basement of the old Baptist Church on the northeast corner
of the cemetery, because the room here was lighter and warmer.
Some years later, after Miss Eddy's marriage, Miss Henrietta
Malone started a private school in Captain Collins' old house on
East Main Street near the corner of Parker Avenue. And in 1840
John D. Post established the "Academy," a boarding school in
a small way, on East Main at Elm. For a time this school had a
fair patronage from other towns, although there were well-
established boarding schools for young ladies in Hartford and
New Haven, and Cheshire Academy enjoyed considerable
prestige.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Meriden in the Wars
The terrible Pequot War was over before any settlement of
white men took place in the Meriden area. By the time King
Phillip's War was under way, Meriden was still a part of Walling-
ford. The entire community set up regular guard service with a
tight schedule for sentinels on duty throughout the dangerous
period. There was an elaborate system for alarms, not like our
present plans to warn of an atomic attack, but at least equally
adequate for the times.
. As has been said, the Indians in this neighborhood were friendly
to the white man and as afraid of warring tribes as any settler
worried for the fate of his family and property. But there was
no telling when enemy propaganda might win over a neighbor
Indian here and there. Those Indians knew the white man's
property as well as the settler did himself. They had the run of
the farms and were potentially too dangerous, in the event they
should become renegades, for the peace of the white settler's
In the Joseph Wadsworth papers discovered around 1900 in
an old pine box in the attic of the Wadsworth home in Hartford,
that man credited with hiding the Charter in Hartford's famous
oak tree says of King Philip's War that "fortunately Connecticut
was not called upon to make any sacrifices in this troublous time,
as aside from the burning of Simsbury there was no property lost
in the colony and I always believed that it would not have
happened if the people had remained in their homes instead of
rushing off. . . ."
However, many Connecticut men did "rush off." Of the 300
Connecticut Englishmen in the army of 1,000 raised for the
Narragansett campaign, there were a few from this section. Some
served in the disastrous Swamp Fort fight in Rhode Island. Some
years later land was given to the veterans in recognition of military
service. One of these was Samuel Hough, father of James who
built the Meriden mill later known as Baldwin's in the north-
eastern Section. His land in lieu of a pension or the more modern
"GI benefits" was in the Norwich section of Connecticut where
he lived at the time of his enlistment.
Only one Meriden man is listed as being in the Louisburg
expedition in 1745. He is Samuel Royce, son of Captain Ezekial
who is recorded as having made a death claim after his son died
in New London upon his return from Cape Breton. Quite a few
Meriden-Wallingford names are on the rolls of the French and
Indian Wars as participating in the Fort Ticonderoga campaign,
— names familiar in our history such as Daniel Hough, Benjamin
Curtis, Abraham Hall, Moses Curtis, Isaac Cook, Jr., and Benj.
Rexford.
Before recounting Meriden's part in the Revolution, the small
part played in the War of 1812 by local people can be quickly
told. This was not at all a popular cause in any part of New
England. Trade was too important to the inhabitants tasting the
early success of their manufacturing and merchandising talents.
The embargo on the port of Boston was a serious setback. Never-
theless a number of Meriden men enlisted for military service
although there is no indication that they were ever actively
engaged against the enemy. Their duty was apparently guard
work in New Haven or New London, and even that was of short
The colonists' ties with England, which had been stretched
taut for some years, reached the breaking point in 1775. The news
of Paul Revere's ride, the night of April 18, and of the following
day's fighting at Lexington and Concord spread like wildfire
throughout the colonies. Patriots hesitated no longer and eager
men hurried towards Boston. One company of 38 men, under
Captain John Couch, went from Meriden. These men were out
only seven days, hardly time to go to Boston and return. They
doubtless received notice while on the march that their services
were not needed. One Samuel Kilbourn rendered an account "for
ferrying across Connecticut River at Hartford in the Lexington
alarm Capt. Couch, of Meriden, with 18 men, 4 hourses and 1
waggon. Also Capt. Cook of Wallingford."
Captain John Couch, probably Meriden's outstanding Revolu-
tionary War hero, had come here in 1746 and bought a farm
from Aaron Lyman. He was, therefore, not a young man at the
outbreak of hostilities. He built his house on what is now the
junction of Wall and North Wall Streets. The Ransom Baldwin
place (1828) was once part of Captain Couch's farm.
Shortly after the Lexington alarm the Legislature issued the
first call for troops. The regiment was recruited in New Haven
county, and about September 28, 1775, it marched to the Northern
Department and took part in operations along Lakes George and
Champlain. In this campaign Captain Isaac Cook, of Wallingford,
commanded a company in which there were about ten Meriden
men, including Lieut. John Hough and Sergt. Samuel Hall.
In the expedition to Lakes George and Champlain, referred to
above, many of the soldiers were taken sick and the following
bills were paid by the state for medical attendance to Meriden
men. Dr. Insign Hough presented a bill for going after Benjamin
Austin to Stillwater, N. Y., on October 30, 1775:
To Horse hire 130 miles at 2d per mile £1-1-8
To my time 8 days at 3/8 per Day £1-4-0
To cash paid expenses on said Journey 18-5
Simeon Perkins presented a bill for bringing home his appren-
tice, Jared Benham, from beyond Albany.
Lieut. Joseph Shailer was taken sick at Putney, Vermont, after
the campaign and "was tended 16 days" at an expense of £1-10-0
and then was obliged to hire a man and a horse to bring him
home, a distance of 190 miles, at an expense of £6-16-18.
John Austin, of Wallingford, presented a bill for going for
his sick son, Amos, six miles this side of Albany.
A soldier on his way home from the campaign was taken sick
at Edward Collins' home, on North Colony Street, in Meriden,
and could go no farther, so there he remained helpless for six
weeks, with Dr. Insign Hough and Dr. Isaac Hall attending him,
and Mr. Collins furnishing nurses and watchers. The quantity of
rum and brandy administered to this sick man was prodigious
during the two weeks when he was "worst." He finally recovered
and went on his way, but his name is not given in the bill.
In the siege of Boston, which took place after the Battle of
Bunker Hill, the only official record of service from Meriden is
that of Captain John Couch. He was in Colonel Wadsworth's
regiment which reached there towards the end of January, 1776.
Probably there were with him several more Meriden men he had
commanded during the Lexington alarm, but the names of only
two have come down to us — Ezekiel Rice and Samuel Scovil.
Letters from Ezekiel Rice, Joseph Rice and Joseph Shailer (or
Shaylor), written while they were soldiers in the Revolution, are
quoted in Curtis's A Century of Meriden.
This Joseph Shailer served continuously in the army from the
beginning to the end of the war and attained the rank of first
lieutenant. He was in the battles of Long Island, White Plains,
and took part in the storming and capturing of Stony Point under
"Mad" Anthony Wayne, on July 15, 1779. His home was on
Gravel Street, a little south of Baldwin Avenue. He later moved
to Ohio.
After the British evacuated Boston, General Washington and
his army set out for New York. Captain Couch was at that time
in Col. Bradley's battalion in General Wadsworth's brigade which
"was stationed the greater part of the summer and early fall of
1776 at Bergen Heights and Paulus Hook (now Jersey City). In
October it moved up the river to the vicinity of Fort Lee, then
under General Greene's command. In November most of the
regiment was sent across the river to assist in defending Fort
Washington, which on the fall of the fort November 16, was
captured with the entire garrison." Captain Couch was taken
prisoner, together with the following Meriden men in his com-
pany: Gideon Ives, John Pierce, Samuel Rice, Jonathan Hall,
Benjamin Austin, Gideon Rice, Stephen Atwater, Moses Hall,
and possibly Nathaniel Yale.
Captain John Couch was in a British prison on Long Island for
some time after this capture. In the State Library at Hartford, in
Revolutionary War Documents, Vol. XII, are preserved various
receipts for money conveyed by the state to men in prison on
Long Island, 1777. John Couch's name is among the number of
those signing. He evidently gained his freedom during the year,
for he appears as captain of a company in a militia regiment
ordered to Peekskill in 1777.
Isaac Hall Jr., son of Dr. Isaac Hall, was apparently captain of
a company of militia which was, in 1776, attached to a regiment
of Light Horse. In 1777 he was in service in New York and
"parts adjacent," and in 1779 it is recorded that some men were
detached from "Capt. Isaac Hall's company to go to Greenwich."
His name also appears on the roll of those doing service in the
British invasion of New Haven in 1779.
Divan Berry was second lieutenant of a company in Wads-
worth's brigade, and was at Fort Washington, but it does not
appear that he was captured. Later that same year he was at
Ticonderoga under General Gates. In 1779 he was a captain on
coast guard duty near Greenwich, during the time of the British
expedition up the Sound under General Tryon. In 1780 he was a
captain in the 17th regiment.
John Hough, mentioned before as a lieutenant in Captain Cook's
company in 1775, did service in this state during the years 1776
and 1777. In 1779 he was captain of a company which served
in the Tryon invasion, and in 1780 he was a captain in the Seventh
militia regiment. In the month of October, 1777, Lieut. Colonel
Baldwin's regiment of militia was ordered to the Hudson at
Fishkill to aid the Continental army. They were out perhaps 30
days, and probably saw no active service. In this regiment,
besides this same Lieut. John Hough, were Captain Bezaleel Ives
and Captain Dan Collins.
Two Meriden slaves served in the Revolution. One was
Chatham Freeman, who undoubtedly assumed this surname when
he became free. He was the slave of Noah Yale, and the story
is that he was offered his freedom if he would go to war in place
of one of Mr. Yale's sons. Chatham served the enlistment, returned
home and was freed. The second slave was Black Boss who
belonged to Abel Curtis. On a report of the town of Wallingford
1779 in the State Library, appears the name of Boston negro,
next to the name of Chatham negro.
As the first enthusiasm of the war wore away it was found
necessary to make an inducement for men to join the army.
Accordingly, on March 31, 1777, it was "voted, that the town
will give a Bounty to those that engage in the Continental service.
Voted that each soldier that engages in the Continental service
for the quota of Wallingford shall be paid by the town the sum
of five pounds lawful money by the year for three years unless
sooner Discharged: to be paid by the beginning of each year."
This payment of bounty was carefully recorded, and in April,
1779, the town reported to the State War Department a list of
all those to whom bounties had been paid. A second report was
made in December, 1779 and at various times lists were furnished
of those soldiers whose families were assisted by the town during
their absence in the field.
Several references have been made to the British expedition up
the Sound, under General Tryon. This is probably as close as the
war came to iMeriden, since New Haven is nearer than Danbury.
The enemy came to anchor in New Haven harbor about midnight
on Sunday, July 4, 1779. No doubt beacon fires and scurrying
horsemen soon carried the news through the surrounding country,
and probably by daybreak of the fifth, the various militia com-
panies in this and adjoining parts of the state were on the march
to New Haven.
The British troops, about 3,000 strong, were landed at daybreak
on the east and west shores, and New Haven was soon in posses-
sion of the enemy. Several buildings were fired, a number of
people were killed, and numerous outrages were committed. On
the East Haven side there were many encounters with the local
militia and sharp fighting a good part of the day. The swiftly
gathering companies from up the state soon convinced the British
that their position was untenable and on the evening of the sixth
they embarked and set sail for New York, stopping on the way
at Fairfield and Norwalk, where they committed greater devasta-
tion and havoc than at New Haven.
Two companies of militia from Meriden marched to New
Haven, probably starting on the morning of July 5th. One was
under the command of Captain Dan Collins and the other under
Captain John Hough.
No doubt other Meriden men saw service in the Continental
army, but their names in the official records can not be positively
identified as belonging to men from this vicinity. The lack of a
middle name, an almost universal custom at the time, and the
failure to give in the records the addresses of the great majority
of the soldiers, makes it generally unwise to assume an address.
Today in the Curtis Memorial Library hangs a large bronze
plaque containing the following inscription and names:
In Memory of the Soldiers of the
American Revolution 1775-1783
— Parish of Meriden —
Erected by the Susan Carrington Clarke Chapter
Capt. John Couch
Capt. Divan Berry
Capt. Israel Johnson
Capt. Isaac Hall
Lieut. Joseph Shailer
Sergt. Samuel Hall
Sergt. Ezekiel Rich
Stephen Atwater
Abner Andrews
Isaac Atwater
Benjamin Austin
Jared Benham
Samuel Collins
Ebenezer Cowles
Joel Cowles
Joel Hall
Rufus Hall
Capt. Dan Collins
Lieut. James Hough
Ens. Brenton Hall
Sergt. Amos Ives
Corp. Daniel Janes
Corp. Ezra Rice
Sanborn Ford
Yale Bishop
John Barnes
John Couch
James Cabon
Abel Curtis
Timothy Foster
Daniel Hall
Moses Hall, Jr.
Bezaliel Ives
Timothy Ives
Benjamin Merriam
John Ives
Nathaniel Douglas
Chatham Freeman
Phineas Hough
Moses Hall
David Hall
Isaac Hall, Jr.
Benjamin Hart
Gideon Ives
Isaac Livingston
Phineas Lyman
Asaph Merriam
Ephriam Merriam
Boston Negro
Israel Hall
Isaac Rice
Gideon Rice
Wait Rice
Justus Rice
Jotham Rice
Solomon Rice
Joseph Rice
Levi Robinson
Benjamin Rexford, Sr.
Benjamin Rexford, Jr.
Thomas Spencer
Nash Yale
Nathaniel Yale
Waitstill Yale
Jotham Hall
Jesse Merriam
William Merriam
Joseph Merriam
Titus Merriam
Caleb Merriam
Elisha Scovil
Capt. John Hough
Lieut. Nathaniel Merriam
Ens. Thomas Foster
Sergt. Joseph Edwards
Sergt. Jonathan Yale
Sergt. Comfort Butler
Sergt. Giles Griswold
Willys Bishop
Asa Brown
Edward Collins
Elisha Curtis
Giles Foster
Ozias Foster
Jeremiah Farrington
Phineas Hall
Enos Hall
Marshall Merriam
Amasa Merriam
Samuel Merriam
Elisha Merriam
Daniel Mekye
Wyllys Mekye
Simeon Perkins
Samuel Rice
Elijah Scovil
David Scovil
Moses Way
John Yale
Abner Way
Amerton Yale
Daniel Yale
Many of these Revolutionary soldiers are buried in the old
cemetery on Broad Street. Here in 1931, a boulder with a bronze
tablet listing their names, was erected by the Captain John Couch
Branch, Sons of the American Revolution.
CHAPTER NINE
Old Customs, Old Ways and Progress
Perhaps it would be interesting to consider what life was like
in these old homes a hundred and fifty or two hundred years
ago. Since Meriden was an isolated farming community — a
suburb, really, of Wallingford — most of the homes were of the
simple farmhouse type. Inside, as we have seen, there were often
pleasing details, such as good paneling and attractive bannisters
and cupboards. But the clapboards were nailed directly to the
studding and, in the early houses, boards were used instead of
plaster on the inside of the outside walls. In winter how the wind
and cold must have whistled through the cracks! Blazing fires
were kept burning in great fireplaces, but rooms were still
draughty and cold. The bedrooms must have been almost unbear-
able. No wonder warming pans and feather beds were considered
Merely keeping alive was, in many respects, quite a difficult
matter. Besides the hazards of Indians and wild animals, there was
a great lack of medical knowledge, and physicians of any kind
were few. The mortality rate was much higher then than now,
particularly among young mothers. In reading over old records,
it is very noticeable that many men had two, three, and sometimes
even four wives.
A woman was almost an economic necessity for a man, in
those days, when she was not only his companion and the mother
of his children, but when it was she, alone and unaided by any
outside help or any mechanical gadgets, who kept his house
clean, prepared every morsel of food he ate, and made every
stitch he wore. Nearly every household had its great wheel for
spinning wool and its small, or flax, wheel for making linen
thread; plus a loom for weaving this thread into sheets, table
linen, and cloth for underwear for the entire family. The wool,
also, had to be woven into material, out of which the wife made
suits for her husband and clothes for herself and the children.
There were, in addition, socks to be knit from the carded wool.
Until about 1810 nearly all materials for common wear were
homemade. Besides all this, the housewife had to make her own
pillows, feather beds, soap, and candles. Candle making was a
serious affair. At first they were made by "dipping," then tin
moulds came into use and a number of candles could be poured
at one time. Even so, candles were used with the greatest
economy. In the realm of food, the lady of the house, of course,
churned butter, made cheese, baked bread, dried and salted food
for the winter, and helped with the butchering, the chickens, and
the vegetable garden. The old adage, "Women's work is never
done," was certainly true then.
The settlers in this area must have found an abundance of game,
but as early as 1760 there was a colonial law forbidding the killing
of deer from the first of January to the first of August. The
penalty was four pounds for every offense. Several times, in old
inventories, wild pigeon nets were mentioned. This indicates that
people took advantage of the great annual flights of these birds,
no doubt for food and to use the feathers for beds and pillows.
Every family lived on the produce of its farm or by the
proceeds of some useful trade, which was secondary to the work
of tilling the soil. Among the various families there was little
difference in the value of their possessions. There was no great
wealth anywhere. Mr. Perkins speaks of the almost complete lack
of money or circulating medium. In 1706 the entire circulating
cash in gold and silver in the colony was only about 2,000 pounds.
And, of course, there were no banks in existence. Bartering
produce was the accepted method of doing business.
Life was hard, in those early days, and pleasures were few.
Even though the all-day church attendance seems severe to us,
it provided a welcome change from the drudgery and monotony
of the rest of the week. And the "nooning," particularly in
summer, when it took on the air of a solemn and sedate picnic,
gave the women almost their only opportunity to get together.
In fact, the church, with its attendant ceremonies, provided
most of the social life known at that time. There were the dinners
and balls at the ordination of the minister, and the feasts, as at
Thanksgiving (Christmas then did not count at all) and at
weddings and funerals. At this time relatives and friends came
from afar, and were expected to stay and partake of the funeral
baked meats which custom required must be lavishly provided.
Outside of this feasting, the funerals were dreary, indeed. The
coffins, outlining as nearly as possible the shape of the body,
were made by the nearest carpenter. Sometimes they were
clumsily lined, but usually not; occasionally they were stained or
painted a crude blue color, but most often the wood was left
untouched. The term "bearers" was a literal one, because the
coffin, with its burden was carried on men's shoulders the entire
way to the roughly dug grave. Not a flower was ever used; it
would have seemed indecorous to try to lighten the gloom of
A quaint custom which has been lost with the years is described
by Mrs. Breckenridge: "The very greatest and most important of
all social functions was the ordination dinner and the ordination
ball that followed. Both for the dinner and ball a liberal supply
of liquors was supposed needful and proper. The last ordination
ball given in Meriden was in 1803 when the Rev. Erastus Ripley
was ordained. This ball was given in the old tavern ball-room.
The last real ordination dinner was given when the Rev. Charles
Hinsdale was installed in 1823. This dinner was at his own house
situated on Broad Street. At this feast onions held an honorable
and conspicuous place, and liquors were so copiously provided
that it was whispered a prominent member of society became
quite incoherent in conversation. . . . Ordination balls were very
serious and stately divertisements, and very rigid and formal
etiquette was observed; also, critical attention was given to the
dancing steps."
Naturally, these grand affairs did not happen often, and there
was very little entertainment, as we think of it, in the lives of
early Meridenites. There was scarcely even any reading material
available to them. The Bible, of course, was read and reread,
partly perhaps because of the scarcity of other books. The few
printing presses in the colony printed sermons of eminent
preachers. These were widely circulated and read. One of these
was a sermon of the Rev. Theophilus Hall, delivered on August
10, 1760, entitled, "A Saving Faith Scripturally Explained." The
annual almanac was a popular publication, since it provided
reading for the entire family and served, besides, as a farmer's
log book and weather predictor.
There were few children's books, other than the New England
Primer. But by 1796 Meriden had a small subscription library
of 153 volumes, mostly relating to divinity and theology. It is
The Meriden City Hall
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Andrews Homestead, 424 West Main Street
Built circa 1760
Interior Andrews Homestead
Meriden Historical Society hostesses in 18th century costumes
Meriden Center about 1834
looking north from junction of Curtis and Broad Streets
(From Barber's Historical Collections of Connecticut)
Curtis Street elms, as they were
1711 Club Inn
677 North Colony Street, built 1711
Residence Dr. Sherburne Campbell
1074 East Main Street, built before 1772
Wiliemess.
.Each. Houje .Lot" contcxins
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Common.
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OU"X> COLONS "ROAD f rom HaTl^ord To New Howe*. 1%
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aftertfie original by Perkins , l.it hog ro.pky . 128 Fulton St. N.M.
Original plan of the Town of Wallingford
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Map prepared by Joseph P. Beach of Cheshire
likely that this collection was housed in the basement of the old
meeting house where the Center Church now stands. In the early
part of the nineteenth century the only private libraries of any
size were owned by Dr. Isaac Hough and Mr. Fenner Bush.
Among the doctor's collection were the works of such English
authors as Smollet, Fielding, Richardson, Sterne, Dean Swift and
Fanny Burney. The American Lady's Preceptor, published in
Baltimore in 1821, was another favorite of the doctor's niece,
Mrs. Breckenridge, who says that he and Mr. Bush bought all
the new books as they came out.
In that far-ofl day, people in this little parish had no idea what
was happening in the outside world until long after it had
occurred. There was no newspaper, letters were extremely rare,
and news was brought only by travelers going through, perhaps
from Hartford or Boston to New Haven or even to Wallingford
for, in the early days, it was considered one of the large towns
in the colony.
That our town was not a place given to luxury may be assumed
from descriptions of living conditions in Perkins' Historical
Sketches. Mr. Perkins stated that in 1802 there was but one
carpet in all of Meriden. According to Mrs. Breckenridge,
carpeted parlors were common by 1836, but she questioned if
there were a dozen homes in town at that time where carpets
were in use in the living room.
We have come to think of these early settlers as exceedingly
strict and righteous, but apparently they, too, had their small
vices. In 1647 the colony ordered that no person under twenty
years of age should use any tobacco without a certificate from a
physician; and no others although addicted to its use, unless they
were ten miles from any house, and then not more than once a
day. Cider was the common beverage of the country, although
some beer was drunk. Among some old records this strange entry
was found, "It is ordered that there shall be one good hogshead
of beer for the captain and minister."
In early times rum was largely consumed. A half pint was
given, as a matter of course, to every day laborer, especially in
summer. In all families, rich or poor, it was offered to male visitors
as a sign of hospitality, or just plain good manners. Women had
their nip in the form of "Hopkins Elixir," which, at the same
time, probably promised to cure everything. Crying babies were
silenced with hot toddy because it was supposed to be good for
colic. Every man imbibed his morning dram, and this was
considered temperance. There is a story of a preacher who thus
lectured his parish, "I say nothing, my beloved brethren, against
taking a little bitters before breakfast, especially if you are used
to it. What I contend against is this dramming, dramming,
dramming at all hours of the day." Tavern haunting, especially
in winter when there was little to do, was common, even among
respectable farmers. A story is told of one man who frequently
went to the old Central Tavern to meet some cronies. Late one
cold winter night he said goodbye to his friends, wended his way
home, and tucked himself snugly in bed before he remembered
his patient nag left tied in the tavern shed more than a mile away.
Now and then in records or recollections of the days when
Meriden was in its infancy there is a reference to a "house
painted red." The inference is that Meriden, like the run of old
New England communities, was made up of houses unpainted for
the most part, whose shingles were allowed to mellow with the
weather. When paint was used, it was generally either bright
red or equally bright yellow. Even the meeting houses usually
glowed with the favorite red paint which was retained throughout
succeeding years as a favorite barn shade. The fashion for white
paint which is now so much a part of New England tradition,
didn't come in until the second or third decade of the nineteenth
century.
A description in Mrs. Breckenridge's Recollections of the old
Hough house so famous as a tavern is applicable on a smaller
scale to the plan of houses in general use at the time. The front
door opened into a square hall from which a narrow crooked
stair rose to the second floor. On either side of the hall, doors
opened into flanking rooms, each with its fireplace. From each of
these rooms doors gave access to the big kitchen, the actual center
of family life, its huge fireplace and brick ovens in constant use.
The family ate in the kitchen, spent their evenings there
reading, sewing, spinning, or knitting, commonly received their
visitors there. In some homes the kitchen also doubled as sleeping
quarters for a part of the brood growing too numerous for bed-
rooms. Low ceilings were far more common than the high ones
such as wealthier home owners affected. The furnishings were
quite simple — usually a few straight-backed chairs primly lined
against the wall, a dresser covered with an array of pewter and
whatever lusterware the housewife could collect, a small table,
a stand or two for candles, and a high-backed settee, maybe two,
beside the fireplace.
During the earliest days in Meriden, houses were provided with
strong barricades for doors and windows as protection from
marauding Indians. The Belcher Tavern was an example of the
sturdy defense system necessary to the times. After the com-
munity grew and the Indian menace was being forgotten, less
protection was needed. Door latches were first wooden and later
iron. The earliest ones had no thumb pieces. The latch was on
the inside of the door to which a cord was attached and run
through to the outside by way of a hole bored for the purpose.
Locking the door was simply accomplished by pulling the string
inside.
Some houses were built with a wide front door made of two
separated panels swinging in from each side. Such a doorway
remains in the old Johnson house on Eaton Avenue now owned
by Carter H. White. The simple handleless latch was no pro-
tection for such a double door. Locking, in such cases, was
accomplished by a stout wooden bar, longer than the width of
the door frame, carefully fitted into equally stout wooden arms
attached midway on the door casing, a device still in the old
Johnson house.
Ornamental trees on private property were neglected for many
years after the first settlement. Landowners were too busy
wresting a living from the stony land, which was actually a
blessing in disguise since to it may be credited the developing of
the creative, inventive genius of future Meridenites. But it was
the custom from the beginning of road building to plant lines of
trees to flank the highway. Lombardy poplars had a brief vogue,
probably a bit of French influence, the last specimen of which
was a scraggly tall skeleton near Hough's tavern felled in the
1890's. But poplars were never as popular as the stately elm so
much better suited to giving shade and graceful ornamentation.
Orchards were an early acquisition in the neighborhood. Fruit
trees never objected to their stony surroundings. Many barrels
of apples were stowed away in Meriden cellars. But more found
their way into presses of the cider mills. As early as 1718 there
is a record of official permission to one man to erect a cider mill.
Before Meriden became a separate town, cider mills were dotted
all around the community.
Creaking machinery could be heard throughout the apple
season as it squeezed the presses that drew sweet liquid from
fleshy pulp. No doubt Meriden boys used to congregate around
the tubs elbowing one another out of the way as each tried to
get his sucking-straw into the golden juice. Full barrels of cider
were carted home. Many families had cider on the table at every
meal. Sweet-apple cider was also boiled down to make "apple-
molasses" much desired in pies and puddings and sauces. Inciden-
tally tea was a beverage used only for special company. Coffee,
home ground of course, and sweetened with molasses, was far
more commonly used.
Just as "Yankee" became a synonym for ingeniousness, thrift,
and careful bargaining, — as has been said a Yankee "is a born
arguer, a born peddler, a Jack-at-all-trades and good at them all,"
— so is "Yankee housewife" a synonym for scrupulous cleanliness.
Indoors in Meriden, neatness was the supreme rule. Perhaps with
the advent of wallpaper and carpets and a great variety of
furniture and knickknacks, the neatness which was the well-
earned repute of the New England housewife took a bit of a
backward step. But cleanliness was always solidly next to godli-
ness. Mrs. Breckenridge gives a delightful description of the
hustle and bustle of seasonal housecleanings by which the early
Meriden housewife purged her house in almost the same fervor
that found its outlet in a spiritual revival.
When the settlers first moved into what is now Meriden there
was little fencing done. Pasture lands were more or less common
property during the days before threat from Indians was entirely
laid at rest and while wild animals were making their periodic
depredations on domestic breeds. Men found it safer to make a
joint project of protecting herds and flocks. It was from this
period that "Milking Yard" got the name that is still used for a
tract partially included in Walnut Grove property today. It
was out there a pen was built into which cows were driven at
milking time where owners came to milk, each his own cows.
Cattle were branded but strays from other areas now and then
found their way into Milking Yard, and others were too carelessly
marked for proper identification. One of the earliest requests
for the separation of Meriden into a village with its own
governmental system was based on the need for a more conveni-
ently located "Pound" for caring for such strays. Driving cattle to
Wallingford was far too irksome for the busy men of this
neighborhood.
Gradually the wilderness was being conquered. Soon it became
feasible to divide land into parcels for private use. The tinkling
of bells on cows and sheep that once had sent out merry tunes in
common pasturage was reduced from mass orchestration to
smaller units. Fences were built. Plenty of stone was at hand on
Meriden hills for the purpose. Unhappily those picturesque piles
of moss-grown, vine-covered rocks are fast disappearing. But in
the early 1800's they were an integral part of the landscape. In
the lowlands the usual fences were made by digging a ditch. On
the ridge made by the excavated dirt a low barrier of rails, stakes,
and brush was put up.
Oxen did most of the heavy farm work like plowing and
hauling. It was not until 1825 or later that horses took up that
burden. Farmers worked from daylight to dark, from seed time
to harvest. Tools were few and clumsy in the earliest days, but
the very plentitude of stones put native ingenuity to work at
devising new equipment, better than those of wood with rough
iron edges and points — a talent that was quickly extended to the
making of all sorts of handy gadgets that made the progress of
Yankee peddlers welcomed throughout the countryside.
There are many jokes about the wooden nutmegs, basswood
hams, and white-oak cheeses, but the Yankee peddler's knowledge
of his market, care in selecting useful goods, and integrity in
r driving what may have been a "hard bargain," planted the seed
from which American industry has made its sturdy and phenom-
enal growth. Some of the best seeds were planted by Meriden.
Charles and Hiram Yale sent out peddlers with their tinware. The
Twiss brothers marketed their Meriden-made clocks by peddlers.
Pratt's ivory combs went to market with peddlers. Charles Parker
got his start making and peddling household coffee-mills.
CHAPTER TEN
Separation from Wallingford
Not long after Meriden attained the dignity of being a parish
society with a name of its own, some of the settlers began to
agitate for a new step to importance and independence. Residents
in the north end of the parish found it inconvenient to go to
Wallingford to attend church, town, and freeman's meetings.
Several petitions were sent to the General Assembly requesting
permission to become a separate town, or at the least to be annexed
to other towns nearer than Wallingford.
By May 1786, feeling was waxing rather high on the subject.
A formal petition went to Hartford over the signatures of three
appointed agents^ John Couch, Sam Whiting, and Dan Collins.
Citing how grievously the inhabitants were subjected to "great
trouble, inconvenience & expence" in attending the "ordinary
Business of the Town, Proxys, Town Meetings, &c." and upon
their business at the County and Superior Courts, they asked that
the parish become the town of Meriden and annexed to the
County of Middlesex.
Wallingford countered by sending a special and eloquent
committee to speak against the petition, which they did success-
fully. Again in 1794 another petition to the same effect was
drawn up to be met with a counter proposal from Wallingford
that it would be "highly reasonable and expedient and likely to
unite the two Societies together and prevent a separation."
Recognizing the "disagreeableness" suffered by the society of
Meriden in attending meetings in Wallingford, it was proposed
to hold one-third of the meetings in Meriden, and the rest in
Wallingford.
Still the inhabitants of Meriden were determined to be set apart.
Attempts in 1803 and 1804 continued to fail, but Wallingford
leaders either tired of the struggle or accepted the inevitable. It
was voted to choose a committee of equal numbers from each
Wallingford and Meriden to confer. At last the final petition went
to the General Assembly in May, 1806, showing that Meriden
constituted in extent, population, and property more than one-
third of the parent town of Wallingford. Thereupon the Assembly
passed the resolution that "The inhabitants living within the limits
of the parish of Meriden be and they are hereby incorporated into
and made a Town by the name of Meriden."
The first town meeting was held in Meriden on the third
Monday in June, 1806, which was the 16th, at one o'clock, and
the town officers were elected. So it was that 150 years ago
Meriden joined the federation of independent communities so
distinctive of Connecticut, and in the direct pattern by which
our nation was consitiuted and has waxed in the freedom of the
self-governed.
The moderator, George W. Stanley, was selected by the
General Assembly. Under his chairmanship, clerk, selectmen,
constables, tax collector, treasurer, surveyors of the highways,
"fence viewers," pound keepers, jurors, and weight sealer were
elected. That was an exciting day for Meriden.
Some of the minutes of the meeting make amusing reading
today. Voted, they say, that any person may wear his hat in
Town meeting "Except" when addressing the Moderator. Voted,
That Geese shall not be suffered to run at large on the highways
unless they are well Yoaked.
On that day it was also voted to "lay a Tax for the purpose of
defraying the debts and expences to which this Town now is or
may be liable." Five mills was the first tax rate.
A paper on taxation preserved in the Historical Society's
collection says the list for 1826 for collections made by Asahiel
Curtis shows nine persons paid over eight dollars each for both
town and state tax. There were only 21 others who paid more
than five dollars. Some who were influential citizens paid much
less. The two smallest taxes were for a fraction of a cent, and
both of them marked on the record as paid. It is interesting to
note that in 1800, coaches were assessed at $168, chariots at $134,
phaetons at $75, curricles at $68, other four-wheel carriages
on springs at $30, each gold watch at $34, other watches at $10,
steel and brass wheel clocks at $20, clocks with wood wheels at $7.
According to the same paper, dwelling houses back in 1702
were put on the books at $5 for each fireplace. Sheep that were
sheared got a reduction on the list of 75 cents. There was a poll
tax on citizens from 18 to 21 at $30, from 21 to 70 at $60.
As George Munson Curtis said in his historical address for
iMeriden's Centennial celebration, "There was little about the
town in its early days which indicated that some day it would
grow to a place of considerable size; it was simply a quiet,
peaceful community, bent on getting a living as best it could
from the rather sterile soil. . . ." It was still primarily a farming
community when it attained its position as a separate town.
There were a few business places begun by citizens who were
looking for something other than an agricultural pursuit. The
agriculture of Connecticut which had so recently fed Washing-
ton's armies in Massachusetts and New York during the
Revolution, was already of too little profit to satisfy the ambitious
without sufficient love of the soil to compensate for its limited
productivity and remuneration therefrom. Some were beginning
to branch into other lines, to take what Judge Simeon Baldwin
called "a spot of earth . . . rough hills, far from the sea, with
no streams to furnish any considerable power, and by their
inventive faculty, their quick eye and ready hand, their wise
economy, their watch of markets and creation of markets. . . ."
turn this community into a place of diversified industry whose
products have a world-wide market.
But in 1806 Meriden still looked very much the farm com-
munity it was. Life revolved more or less around the tavern up
on the East Main Street hill at the corner of Broad. It was in
that tavern kept by Dr. Insign Hough that the town officers and
selectmen had their headquarters. It was there, also, that the
farmers gathered to talk over the news of the day and to discuss
and argue community affairs. Moreover the tavern offered an
opportunity for Meriden farmers to meet outsiders and to sample
opinions from other parts of the country, because it was the
popular stopping place for stagecoaches enroute from Hartford
to New Haven or bound the other way from New York to
Mrs. Breckenridge in her Recollections of a New England
Town says also that the stages brought glimpses of city fashions
as the passengers stopped at the famous "Hough's Tavern," the
"Halfway House," to dine or sleep. So we can imagine that the
tavern was a center of interest for Meriden women as well as
the men burdened with the vote and hence obliged to keep up
on the news.
Most of the houses built in Meriden in the years immediately
before and after the year it became a town are of modest
construction and lacking some of the elegant touches in wood-
work or appointment of those that came before and later. It
seems obvious that Meriden was a bit on the "poor" side in that
particular era — poor at least in what could be gleaned from the
land, but rich in possibilities. Little shops began to spring up,
places where one or two men working together were making
things they could sell. George Curtis says that by 1820, 105 of
the little more than 1,200 inhabitants were engaged in some sort
of manufacturing. By the end of another two decades the
proportion had increased to 21 per cent. Shops were larger;
goods were durable, handsome, and useful; Meriden was making
a name for herself in the commercial world.
These were the sort of men to whom Meriden must be
thankful for fashioning the shape which is our city's today. Back
in 1849 Reverend George W. Perkins pays his tribute to the
breed of men who founded Meriden, and their succeeding
generations who built the community: ". . . those fathers of ours
were men, Christian men, New England men."
There is a pertinent comment in one of the historical papers
written by Leland Ives to set down the history of his own family.
He prefaces his factual genealogical account with the dry remark
that in writing the Ives family history he was "by no means
embarrassed with a superfluity of interesting material. A suc-
cession of generations of most reputable New Englanders whose
quiet lives were devoted largely to farming and mercantile
pursuits, is not well calculated to inspire a stirring essay."
In this present generation we can take exception to that
judgment. It is so obvious now that the character of this city,
which has been called an "ideal community," was shaped by the
persistent efforts of the many "reputable New Englanders" who
were not spectacular in their own day, but who left behind them
a spectacular record. George W. Perkins in his history calls
attention to a reply the Connecticut Legislature made in 1680 to
a questionnaire from the mother country. "The country is a
mountainous country, full of rocks, swamps and hills; and most
that is fit for plantations is taken up," was what was in the report.
Yet the whole state contained only about 10,000 inhabitants then.
The men of "quiet lives", who were devoted to farming
and their children and who used their ingenuity to manufacture
desirable goods which could be made without an abundance of
water power, wrested a good living and built the foundation
for a happy life for succeeding generations out of meager
In another of the papers prepared for the early historical
society, Henry Dryhurst reports that "when in 1806 Meriden was
set apart from Wallingford, Amos White was named by President
Jefferson as the first postmaster. The office was located in a one-
story building ... on the southeast corner of Broad and East
Main (this was the Eli Birdsey property). He was followed by
Patrick Lewis who served until President Jackson appointed Levi
Yale who served the next 12 years, transferring his office to 641
Broad. The West Meriden post office was established in about
1845 with Joel H. Guy appointed as postmaster by President
Polk," — the office on West Main.
The center of town life was up around the white churches on
the top of East Main Street hill. Welcome Benham, whose paper
for the historical society has already been quoted, recalls in 1894
his own memory of the downtown part of Meriden as being
"a bog swamp extending from Colony Street on the west to
beyond Veteran on the east and southerly to South Colony
Bridge and northerly up to or beyond Cedar Street."
H. S. Wilcox writes in his paper for the historical collection
that for a period of over 125 years after the Boston merchant
Andrew Belcher built his old stone fort there is no record of any
merchant doing business in this place and "probably the early
settlers bought their supplies in Wallingford and Middletown."
Mr. Wilcox notes: "In the year 1792 John Butler started the
boot and shoe business on South Market Street (now Broad)
nearly opposite the Center Congregational Church. ... A few
years later Amos White had a grocery and provision store situated
a little south of the old Meriden bank. Mr. White was the first
town clerk of Meriden. ... Eli C. Birdsey had a dry goods store
on the corner of East Main and South Market Streets, occupying
the front portion of the brick building now standing there (paper
dated in 1893) and Alanson Birdsey occupied the rear part with
a stock of groceries."
The Century of Meriden notes there was a store run by
Amasa Curtis and Isaac Lewis in the former's house which stood
at the fork of Broad and Curtis. Across the street and a bit to
the north was Seth D. Plum's tavern. There was also a big barn
just east of the Central Tavern where the stagecoach horses were
kept. With the many residences in the area, this was Meriden's
busy center of activity. Another "center" was growing down
the hill near Harbor Brook, where Perkins' Blacksmith Shop
appears on the map of that era and houses were scattered along
the way up old Liberty Street hill past Cowles' stone-cutting
yard and toward a tannery still further to the northeast. But
the hilltop was the nucleus of the new town of Meriden.
Another of the same 1894 collection of historical papers that
fails to bear the name of its writer says: "Just what the state of
religion was in Meriden at the beginning of this century we don't
know, but soon after the Revolutionary War and during the
hard times and the unsettled state of the country following that
period, we have every reason to think it was at a low ebb. For
74 years there seems to be no record of a revival of religion in
this town." This anonymous writer refers with admiration to the
"great and wonderful reviving" that had occurred under Jonathan
Edwards in 1735. Also he expressed himself as being deeply
impressed by the revivals of 1852-53 under the same Perkins who
wrote our charming old history of Meriden.
It is Mr. Perkins who has something to say about that gap in
Meriden's spiritual growth. "So far as the morals of the town
are concerned," he writes, "there are some rather curious facts.
The number of taverns was astonishingly great. In 1790, and for
some time before, when the whole population of the town was
not more than nine hundred, and as late as 1812, there were five
if not eight taverns within the limits of Meriden. As those taverns
always kept ardent spirits, and as the population of the town
was small, and as the amount of travel then was much less than
it is now (1849) these facts indicate a low state of morals." He
continues by contrasting his own era with the old, pointing out
that but two taverns served Meriden in his day, a Meriden with a
population of 3000, and at only one of those "are spiritous liquors
sold."
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Meriden Mines
Meriden once had its era of seeking hidden wealth in the ground.
Soon after the town was settled, people began to think of what
riches might lie hidden in the rocks of our hills. As early as 1712
the legislature passed a law for the protection and encouragement
of potential miners in this area and in Simsbury. Shafts were sunk
in Meriden and some vigorous prospecting done, but by whom
nobody now knows. In 1737 a company was formed to try again
in the abandoned works located in "milking-yard hill."
Papers carefully copied by G. W. Perkins in his Historical
Sketches indicate the search was for gold as well as for copper.
He further relates that men who were "old inhabitants" in his
time said that in their boyhood it was a matter of current belief
that gold had actually been found here. The story also went that
the "foreigners" working the mine appropriated and kept for
themselves what gold was found. Anyway the means for smelting
ore was not at hand. One attempt to ship ore to England for
smelting resulted in disaster when the ship was lost at sea. Once
more the mine was abandoned, never to be tried again.
This was called the Golden Parlor Mine. Several records of
contracts for work were preserved into Mr. Perkins' time. They
indicated that what was then a very considerable sum of money
was expended on a futile search. The Golden Parlor in the Walnut
Grove section was not the only such venture. Land south of the
Belcher property amounting to some 50 acres was leased in 1735
"for digging all manners of metals." A good century and a half
after that ended as an unprofitable operation, Meridenites fre-
quently found fragments of good crystal quartz in the old pits —
some recollect discovering bits of "lovely blue quartz."
Still another try for buried treasure was made near the Hanging
Hills by Dan Johnson who is reported to have lost a small
fortune. His shafts were in what was then called Mining Hill —
what is now the island at the south end of Merimere, since waters
were backed up around it for our reservoir.
It may seem incongruous to us in this day and age to find our
canny forebears had what seems to us a pipe dream. But copper
was successfully mined in Granby and iron in Salisbury. In fact
the Salisbury mine and works were well known. The guns of the
Constitution and other early American warships were cast at
Salisbury out of iron mined there. Gold, silver, mica, lead,
asbestos, copper, and cobalt have been found not too far from
Meriden. None of it was ever in amounts that would fire a miner's
imagination today. Sandstone such as was used to make the old
turnpike milestones went from this neighborhood to build some
of the lush structures of New York's earlier days. The one
profitable product from Meriden's rocky surface is the trap rock,
which has given being to substantial businesses for many years and
with that we are content. Meriden's prosperity stems from the
minds and skills of the men and women who call it "Home."
CHAPTER TWELVE
In colonial days Connecticut and New Haven colonialists
thought it was as proper to buy, sell, or keep slaves as to do the
same with cattle, horses, or chickens. There are records of public
auctions of slaves in Middletown. Slavery began in Connecticut
in 1639 when one colored lad from Dutch Guiana was held as a
slave in Hartford. Many of the Pequot Indians captured in the
war with that enemy tribe were held as slaves. But Indians made
unwilling workers so the practice was discontinued, although
there was no hesitancy on the part of Connecticut people about
selling Indians who were captives into slavery in the West Indies.
But one of the first anti-slavery societies in the nation was
formed in New Haven in 1833, evidence that people in this area
were not backward in their awakening to the wrongs of the
practice. In Meriden the abolitionist movement was sparked by a
small group of "men of property and influence." Believing that
slavery was a "monstrous sin," they sought to convince other
Meridenites by bringing in a famous anti-slavery minister to speak
at the Congregational church.
There was also a strong and bitter anti-abolitionist feeling here
and the leaders on that side of the controversy determined to
break up the meeting. There ensued what is known as the
"Meriden Riot" when two brothers named Thompson, imports to
the community for the occasion, battered down the church door
with a log picked up in a neighboring woodpile. Eggs, rotten and
otherwise, and some stones were used as missiles. Women fainted,
there were many scuffles, and much excitement. But apparently
nobody was seriously hurt. It was, however, a cause celebre in
Connecticut, almost resulted in the summary dismissal of the
minister, and took many years to heal breaches caused in local
friendships.
An interesting postscript to this "Meriden Riot" incident is that
one of the Thompson brothers is said to have seen a local young
lady in church with whom he fell instantly in love. Against her
family's wishes and the advice of friends, she finally married him
— we assume after he served the six months' jail sentence imposed
for his part in the riot. Needless to say the couple left Meriden
for some unidentified place "in the West."
The slavery controversy boiled in Meriden for a long time.
Mrs. Breckenridge in her Recollections tells about the persecution
of two of Meriden's early manufacturers — Harlowe Isbell and
Homer Curtis who owned a shop for making door latches. These
two men were at the time the only local persons voting the anti-
slavery ticket. Twice their factory was set on fire and burned
down with all contents. Many word-of-mouth anecdotes have
been handed down through the years about the part these men
took in helping escaping slaves on their "underground" route to
freedom.
The root of the trouble in Meriden lay in disruption of trade
with the South. By the time of the outbreak of the Civil War few
if any slaves remained in what could be called a state of bondage
in this neighborhood. No Meridenite was to suffer loss of personal
property, valuable assets, by the freeing of slaves. But Meriden's
very existence depended upon continuing employment of crafts-
men and laborers in the variety of businesses finding ever wider
markets. Sudden disruption of trade with the South, a ready
market for some of Meriden's finest quality products, hit where
it hurt. When the inevitable came to pass, many a family faced
some extremely lean years before a subsequent readjustment
restored trade which was, and still is, Meriden's life-blood. The
shortages normal in war times were many times compounded by
unemployment. It was very natural that the moral issue of slavery
was confused in local minds by intrusion of serious dislocation
in budding industries.
Actual slavery in Meriden itself was of too small an extent to
make it a great local issue. Meriden was stirred in the controversy
by theoretical and religious conviction mainly. Perkins in his
history says only a few slaves were owned here. But their condi-
tion, living as they did singly in the families of their owners
and working side-by-side with them, was very different from that
of slaves worked in gangs under overseers as was done in the
South. Meriden slaves were considered members of the family
and baptized as such on the plan of "household baptism."
Mr. Perkins lists many records showing such baptisms and the
no less carefully recorded deaths. From 1728 to 1766 he says
29 deaths out of 316 were so worded as to indicate they were
slaves. He also notes that slave trade as such never existed in
Meriden although there were some transfers of slaves made in the
same manner as transfers of other personal property.
Emancipation by proclamation made little difference in
Meriden. Some of the local slaves had already been freed before
the great national decision was taken. Others were living in the
promise of early release and with the knowledge their children
would not be born into slavery. There was not a hitch in the
transition to the enlightened era for which the Civil War was
fought that was caused by slaves themselves, or by owners
reluctant to change their status. There were, however, honest
differences of opinion among Meriden's rugged individualists
about the issues that culminated in the bloody, heart-breaking
war. These left scars as deep if not as notorious as that made by
the "Meriden Riot."
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
rijrwrwvr
The Railroad, Past and Present
When the first "iron horse" snorted into Meriden on December
3, 1838, the stagecoach horses in the stable on Broad Street may
have pricked their ears and trembled with fright as the strange
sounds of its coming drifted up the hill. But the trainload of
dignitaries, pulled by a primitive locomotive, which arrived to
mark the opening of the new railroad, marked also the beginning
of the end of stagecoach days here. The horses were soon to be
retired from the business of hauling travelers between New Haven
and Hartford, and the mechanical steed was to take over this
task permanently.
No single factor has played a larger part in shaping the pattern
of Meriden's growth than the course taken by the railroad through
the low lands at the valley's deepest depression, where Harbor
Brook nows sluggishly on its way to join the Quinnipiac River.
The tracks were laid over a swamp, and there was quicksand
under the rails where they crossed East Main Street, a condition
which was to cause much trouble to maintenance crews in later
years. But an early proposal to run the line east of Broad Street,
then the center of the town, was strongly opposed, and the
thinly settled section of West Meriden was chosen. The westward
trend of the town's expansion was thus established.
The railroad was incorporated by the State Legislature in 1833,
when Andrew Jackson was still President. But the project did
not come to life until several years later. The interval was filled
with the loud complaints of those who saw their means of liveli-
hood threatened by the proposed line: tavern keepers, holders of
toll gate privileges, the center and fringes of the stagecoach
enterprise, including its many stockholders.
Two Meriden men, both large property owners in West
Meriden, were influential in backing the plan to run the railroad
through that section. They were Major Elisha A. Cowles and
Judge James S. Brooks, who sold part of their holdings to help
the railroad establish its right of way. With an eye for future
possibilities, they had assisted in pushing the bill of incorporation
through the State Legislature, and were well prepared for the
later moves.
Judge Brooks was an especially interesting figure. At the age
of 12, he had been bound out to a tavern keeper in Haddam, but
ran away after he had been threatened with a beating. He trudged
the 25 miles to Meriden with all his belongings wrapped in a
bandana, and his sister, who lived here, took him in. For a time,
he worked on a farm in Westfleld. He spent his spare hours
studying and finally was admitted to the Connecticut Bar. Gradu-
ally, he accumulated considerable property, and his farm, through
which the railroad was to run, was known as one of the finest in
Meriden. In selling land for the right of way, he made an astute
move, for, as business began to develop in West Meriden, he was
able to subdivide his property into business and residential streets.
Today, many of Aderiden's business blocks stand on the original
farm site. The First Congregational Church is located on land
once owned by him, and the factories and business blocks on
State Street are also placed on the Brooks farm lands. Brooks
Street took its name from the judge. Until her death in 1949, his
granddaughter, Miss Sarah Collins, lived in a little brown house,
filled with heirlooms, at the side of the tracks. This property
has gone the way of other old landmarks, so many of which were
effaced as business advanced. An old cow barn stood for years
on Miss Collins' property, converted into a garage. A viaduct
was incorporated into the deed to the railroad company so that
the judge's cows could be driven under the tracks to their
pastures. The judge, when selling his land, insisted on a provision
that all passenger trains stop in Meriden, and this proviso has
been brought forward at times when the railroad was considering
curtailing the number of station stops for express trains.
Rockney's History of New Haven County states that the first
depot was in Rogers Hotel from 1840 to 1842, when it was moved
across the street to the rear of Conklin's Hotel beside the railroad
track, where the "Railroad Refectory" contained the ticket office
and a waiting room for passengers. A paper prepared by Allen B.
Squire, when paymaster of the New Haven Railroad, contradicts
this version. Addressing the original Meriden Historical Society
in 1894, Mr. Squire stated that the first passenger station in
Meriden was on what is now Railroad Avenue, and was in
connection with Capt. Conklin's Hotel, which fronted on Main
Street. This building, he reported, was destroyed by fire, and the
station waiting room was temporarily located in the northeast
corner of the building which stood at the corner of East Main
and South Colony Streets. Major Cowles and Dr. Isaac Hough
owned the land and the building, which was later remodeled into
a hotel run by Hervey Rogers. In its later history, it was known
as the Rogers Block and contained Connors' Segar Store and a
shoe-shining establishment, until it was torn down to permit the
widening of the corner which is now the beginning of the Loop.
In November 1842, Nelson Merriam and H. M. Foster issued
a poster bearing the picture of the hotel which then occupied
the corner of East Main Street and Railroad Avenue, part of the
land on which the present Cherniack Building stands. It showed
the "Railroad Refectory" protruding beyond the rear of an
engine, with the freight station opposite, where the present
railroad platform is located.
The poster announced "respectfully" to "friends and the public
generally" that this "new and spacious establishment, eligibly
located at the Depot of the Hartford and New Haven Railroad,
is now open for the reception of Company." It boasted that "the
House has been furnished throughout with New Furniture, and
every arrangement has been made for the comfort and conveni-
ence of guests." Particular attention, it stated, "will be devoted
to Parties of Pleasure," and boasted that a "Refectory is con-
nected, where a variety of Refreshments are prepared for the
accommodation of PASSENGERS BY THE CARS." The
advertisement was signed by N. Merriam and H. M. Foster,
proprietors.
Like Judge Brooks, Major Cowles was a prosperous local
businessman who could look into the future and see visions of
even greater prosperity. The two men had engaged in a joint
transaction some years before the railroad route was planned.
They had bought seven acres, including the site of the present
Derecktor Building at the corner of West Main and Colony
Streets. In 1831, they conveyed to the town a strip of land 20
feet wide on the west side of Colony Street as far as the present
Wilcox Block to widen the street from a narrow road to its
present width. Both became directors of the new railroad, and
Judge Brooks was acting president in 1856 and signed the annual
report in 1859. Eli Butler was a director in 1868 and in 1909 John
L. Billard was a director. After the lease of the Boston and Maine
Railroad, Charles F. Linsley and Mr. Billard were directors of
that railroad. All these connections of local men with railroad
enterprise arose from the spadework done by the Cowles-Brooks
combination of interests in the early period.
South of Main Street, the railroad traversed the land it had
purchased from Major Cowles. North of Main Street, it ran over
property bought from Judge Brooks. Major Cowles, one of the
incorporators, served as a director for a number of years.
The line between New Haven and Meriden was the first link
in this section of the New York, New Haven & Hartford railroad
system. For a year after this link was completed, stagecoaches
carried the passengers on to Hartford. Eventually the Hartford
& New Haven, as it was called, combined with the later-built
Hartford and Springfield, and finally with the New York & New
Haven to form the New York, New Haven & Hartford. The
New York end was completed in 1849.
In 1847, Judge Brooks was elected president of the Springfield,
Hartford and New Haven Railroad, which had its southern
terminus at Belle Dock, New Haven, where connections were
made with New York and other places by steamboat until train
service to New York was established.
But in the Meriden of 1838 these possibilities were only guessed.
The tracks ran here and stopped, and business began to gather in
that neighborhood.
A tavern was not the ideal location for a station, although it
did offer accommodation to travelers in the way of quick refresh-
ments. Dr. Hough and the Major could compete with the Central
Tavern uptown on rather favorable terms, for the trains could
hold more passengers than the stagecoaches, but the stages ran
more frequently than the trains at the beginning of this new era.
The railroad at the start was a great novelty. The puffing
locomotive seemed like a great monster from another world.
People were awed by its appearance and the clamor of its coming.
Horses plunged and reared as they came near the crossing. John
Ives, who was to become a prosperous dry-goods merchant when
he grew up, often told the story of the day when he first heard
the steam engine whistle. He was then a boy on a farm in the
southeast district. The whistle blew as the train came through
Holt's Hill cut, and John ran home in fright to tell his mother
that some great beast was making terrible sounds in the woods.
But it didn't take long for the feeling of strangeness to wear
away, as the business possibilities in connection with the railroad's
location were recognized.
Meanwhile, the railroad was making some progress in its own
operations. The income for the first three months was $15,500,
which dropped to $8,000 during the next three months when the
Connecticut River was open. During the first summer, receipts
were $8,500, giving a gross income of $32,000 for the first nine
The road had four locomotives, valued at $18,000 for the lot.
Five four-wheel freight cars were valued at $1,500.
In the summer of 1845, T rails were substituted for the old
iron bars on the southern part of the line. During 1843, a little
more than $1,000 was expended in Meriden for station and depot
improvements. In 1846, the fare was reduced from a little more
than four cents to three cents a mile.
In 1850, a branch track from Berlin to Middletown was placed
in operation. In the same year, double track was laid from
Meriden to Berlin. A second track was laid on the southern
portion of the road about 1852, and in 1854 double tracking of
the whole main line was completed.
The business center of Meriden was to be well started toward
its present development before the railroad was to have a station
of its ownjln 1854, the railroad bought from William Hale for
$3,000 a tract of land then known as the Hale "garden plot." It
faced Colony Street and extended through to the railroad tracks.
On this land, the present site of the Colony Building, a brick
station was erected which was to be used for 28 years. The place
was later known as Winthrop Square.
Surrounding the station was an open plaza, where large elm
trees flourished on the Colony Street frontage. Majestic elms
lined Colony Street at that period, and remained undisturbed for
many years. They survived the leisurely horse-and-buggy era,
and were removed only when they were recognized as an obstacle
to the curbside parking of automobiles in front of Colony Street
stores.
But parking was no problem in the nineteenth century, and the
railroad plaza was not congested with traffic. Merriam's hackstand
near the station drew its patronage from the trains. It was the
forerunner of the taxicab companies which compete for business
near the present station.
In 1864, fire destroyed most of the buildings on the east side
of Colony Street, and the station was badly damaged. It was
repaired and continued in use for 19 more years.
When a new passenger station was built in Wallingford in
1878, Meriden was envious. Agitation was begun for a new station
here, and the railroad decided to meet the local demands. In 1865,
a new freight station had been erected on State Street extension,
and the site occupied by the old freight station, across the tracks
from the old passenger station, was chosen as the site for new
passenger facilities.
The new station was much larger than the station which now
serves Meriden. It had a mansard roof and cupola, two almost
inevitable details of the florid architectural style of the period.
Along the side nearest to the tracks ran a long platform covered
with a canopy upheld by iron struts. The interior was poorly
lighted and the general effect was depressing, especially so after
the building was allowed to run down in the course of the years.
But in the seventies, when all was new, the station was regarded
as one of the finest on the line.
The Winthrop Hotel was built not long after the big station
was opened to the public. A private way between the depot and
Colony Street was established along the southerly border of the
tract on which the old station stood, and the public was quick to
take advantage of the short cut. The narrow passage provided a
convenient route between the station and the hotel. The hotel
porters trucked trunks and baggage over it for many years. This
sort of traffic has ceased, but the passage is still used by many
pedestrians, and any hint that it might be closed has always
aroused a storm of protest.
As the years passed, pride in the station declined. More than
20 years ago, sentiment began to gather for a new station better
suited to Meriden's needs. The old station was too large for the
volume of passenger traffic served, railroad officials admitted. It
was also dingy and unattractive in all respects, and all too little
attention was devoted to keeping it clean.
Eventually, local efforts to induce the railroad to build a new
station were successful. The present brick building, a much more
compact structure, was erected in 1942, and formally opened on
September 21 of that year. It contained all the necessary facilities,
including an attractive waiting room. Combined with it is a
comfort station, built at city expense, and operated by the city
for the convenience of the public. A small building for the
Railway Express agency was built at the north end of the railroad
area.
Considerable thought was devoted to improving this area to
provide easy access to the station while interfering as little as
possible with the flow of traffic on State Street. A wide sweep
of concrete-paved driveway leads to the side of the building on
the east, and there is room here for the Hartford, New Haven,
and Middletown buses to take on and discharge passengers when
connecting with trains. A division separates this driveway from
State Street, giving a place for one taxi stand. Another taxicab
company is allowed to use space along the platform south of the
station. On the north side of the building is a railroad parking
area, where short-time parking is permitted. But the great increase
in traffic in the last ten years has produced new problems in
connection with the station's location, and the proposal to re-
locate it, which arose in 1955, was an attempt to solve them.
If the plan had gone through as outlined, the present freight
station on State Street Extension would have been converted into
a passenger station. The International Silver Company offered to
purchase from the railroad the site of the passenger station and
the adjacent land bordering its own property. Part of the land
thus acquired was to be re-sold to the city for an off-street parking
area. The Public Utilities Commission refused to approve this
transaction, believing that the new passenger facilities to be
provided would be inferior to the existing facilities. Its action
appears to have put a period to the negotiations.
Such problems as these were more than a century away from
the stuggling railroad of the 1840's. They were still undreamed
of when the railroad attained a virtual monopoly on transportation
here at the close of the Civil War. But there were other problems
just as serious.
The railroad had given a new aspect to Meriden. It had fostered
the growth which was to result in the incorporation of the city
in 1867. But the growing pains were acute, and some of them,
local industrialists and businessmen believed, were due to the
highhanded way in which the railroad was being managed.
The Short Lines
The first attempt to break the railroad monopoly came in 1869,
when a special town meeting appointed a committee to seek pas-
sage through the Legislature of a bill to authorize the town to
subscribe $100,000 to the capital stock of a proposed Meriden
and Cheshire Railroad. A little later, the town of Cheshire
authorized a subscription to the same enterprise.
At that time, the only independent north and south railroad was
the New Haven and Northampton Railroad, the Canal line, and
it was probable that the proposed line was to connect with it and
thus form a new route to New York, which would provide
competition and lower rates. But the New York, New Haven
and Hartford Railroad acquired control of the Canal line, and
the scheme for the Meriden and Cheshire Railroad was effectually
blocked.
The local manufacturers were still determined to find some way
of beating railroad rates, which they considered discriminatory.
The cost of bringing in coal and heavy supplies was a heavy
burden on manufacturing. A proposal was advanced to build a
railroad from Meriden to the Connecticut River at Cromwell,
there to connect with boat and barge service on the river to New
York and ports along the Atlantic coast. The announcement of
this plan in 1881 triggered immediate and unexpected results. The
Consolidated, as the New Haven Road was then known, reduced
freight rates to Meriden by 25 per cent. Local businessmen were
warned that this was just a trick, and that the advantages might
be only temporary. Sentiment for a competitive railroad con-
tinued strong, and one of Meriden's foremost industrialists did
all that he could to encourage it.
This man was Horace C. Wilcox, pioneer and leader in the
rapidly growing silver industry. The original capitalization of
the proposed road was set at $300,000 of which $230,000 was
pledged before the first organization meeting. Mr. Wilcox
declared himself ready to take any remaining stock, but he hoped
that the stock could be spread throughout the business com-
munity. About 150 citizens of the Meriden area attended the
initial meeting July 5, 1882, when 17 directors were elected, who,
a few days later, elected Mr. Wilcox as the president of the line.
The air was full of optimism. One newspaper comment was:
"It is fair to hope that the sound of the locomotive whistle will
be heard on the road before the snow flies." This was the summer
of 1884, when the route of the new line was being mapped.
The railroad was actually built during the following eight
months, with terminal facilities established in Cromwell. At this
end of the line, there was some dispute over the terminus site,
but it was finally decided to place the passenger and freight station
and the yards between Camp and Center Streets, the site now
occupied by the New Departure Division of General Motors.
The right of way skirted Brookside Park, then called Camp's
Meadow, and the south edge of Pratt's Pond. The road purchased
40 freight cars, one passenger coach, and one light engine, planning
to buy a heavy engine later.
On April 1, 1885 the State Railroad Commission made a trip
over the line and pronounced it fit for service. On April 6, service
actually began. The timetable gave the trains 35 minutes to make
the run to Cromwell, with flag stops at Highland, Smith's crossing
and Westneld. There were three round trips daily, timed to
connect with the Hartford-New York boats on the Connecticut
River. If shippers got their freight to the Meriden station by 5
p.m. it would be delivered in New York the next morning.
The Meriden and Cromwell line also tried to foster passenger
traffic by advertising excursions to New York via the Hartford
and New York steamboats. Such excursions were popular in the
eighties, and the down-river runs attracted large crowds. One
favorite run was via the steamer "Sunshine" to Sag Harbor,
Shelter Island, and Niantic. There was also a "circular" trip, by
way of Cromwell, the river run, and back by boat to New Haven,
leaving New York at 3 p.m., and reaching Meriden by the
"steamboat train" at 9 p.m. This gave a day in New York and
consumed a little more than 24 hours.
The initial success of the Meriden and Cromwell line, which
was able to show a small profit after nine months of operation,
produced many proposals for extensions to New Britain, Plain-
ville, Wallingford, and even New Haven, as well as to Bristol,
Waterbury, and Middletown.
"The one with the most steam behind it," according to Glover
A. Snow whose exhaustive article on the subject of early railroads
in this vicinity was published in the August 1953 issue of
Transportation, was "a projected extension to Waterbury."
In Waterbury, this proposal led to citizens' meetings, stock-
selling efforts, and a bid for legislative approval of consolidation
of the Meriden and Cromwell with the projected Meriden and
Waterbury railroad. It was pointed out that the Consolidated
freight rates were actually higher than they had been before the
announced 25 per cent reduction in 1881. And they had prac-
tically been frozen at high levels by the original Interstate Com-
merce Commission Act of 1887. But, when it came to picking
up a share of the check for the new line, Waterbury citizens
held back. The road was financed with great difficulty, and
Meriden had to take a much larger part of the investment than
originally contemplated.
The new line took off from the Meriden and Cromwell tracks
east of Twiss Pond in Meriden, went under Britannia and Broad
Streets, passed over North Colony Road just north of the old
city line, bridged the tracks of the New Haven, then turned
southwest and crossed numerous streets. Iron bridges were used
at North Colony Street, the crossing over the Consolidated, and
at Gracey, Kensington, and Lewis Avenues. Beyond Lewis
Avenue, the tracks were almost at street grade, but overpasses
were erected at street crossings. Land was purchased north of
West Main Street for a passenger station, yards, engine house,
shops, and turntable.
The most difficult feat of construction was in laying the tracks
from West Cheshire to Summit, a distance of three miles, with
an elevation reaching 549 feet.
Before the line could be completed, Horace C. Wilcox had to
rescue the financing by pouring into it much additional capital
of his own. He and other Meriden men dominated the enterprise,
although Charles Dickenson of Waterbury was elected president.
There were many squabbles over the right of way between the
new railroad and property holders along the route.
After numerous delays, one of them occasioned by the famous
blizzard of 1888, the Waterbury line was finally completed in
the spring of that year. On May 24, 1888, the Meriden and
Cromwell and the Meriden and Waterbury were consolidated as
the Meriden, Waterbury and Connecticut River Railroad Com-
pany. Horace C. Wilcox was elected president of the combined
lines. Among the directors were Abiram Chamberlain, later
governor of Connecticut, and George R. Curtis, both of Meriden.
The road earned seven per cent for its investors the first six
months it was in operation. A large volume of freight traffic
barged up the river to Cromwell was carried over the new line.
But the next six months told a different story. In March 1889 the
directors authorized an issue of $400,000 in second mortgage
bonds to obtain more capital. The expense of operating the
Meriden-Waterbury part of the line had proved much heavier
than was expected. Horace C. Wilcox again found the needed
funds.
The waiting room and ticket office at the West Main Street
station were opened June 17, 1889. But for passengers it was a
crude type of railroading. If a car went off the track, a rather
frequent type of accident, the people aboard had to get off and
walk or catch a ride in a horse-drawn vehicle. There were no
telephones with which to summon aid.
After the death of Horace C. Wilcox, August 26, 1890, the
road was without its strongest source of support. The Wilcox
estate held $176,000 and the Meriden Britannia Company, of
which he was president, $100,000 of the total capital invested, or
$276,000 of the $375,000 in stock which represented the invest-
ment of Meriden stockholders. The road was mortgaged for
$1,000,000.
The subsequent chapters in the line's history told a sad story.
In 1892, a syndicate headed by New York and Boston financiers
with large railroad interests obtained control, but several Meriden
men, including Mr. Chamberlain and Mr. Curtis remained on the
board. The New York, New Haven & Hartford and the New
York & New England railroads were both suspected of having a
hand in the deal, but the Consolidated spokesmen said they didn't
want it. Later, it was discovered that the New York & New
England had obtained a lease, but its validity had to be tested in
the courts. Somehow the road struggled along, but the New York
& New England went into bankruptcy and its assets were sold.
As a result, the New Haven obtained control, and all the special
rates for which Meriden had fought were abrogated. The purpose
of the line had been defeated.
For two years, operations ceased, and the line was threatened
with the loss of its charter. This brought action, and a new
corporation was formed in 1898 under the name of the Middle-
town, Meriden & Waterbury Railroad Company. Ownership was
in the hands of "friends of the New Haven Railroad," which really
controlled the line. The section between Westfleld and Cromwell
was abandoned. Trains were run into Middletown from Westfleld
over the Middletown-Berlin branch of the New Haven instead of
going into Cromwell. The first train from Meriden to Waterbury
went over the line on December 5, 1898. Mixed trains of freight
and passengers were run, and there was considerable traffic.
From 1902 on, the line was operated under direct lease by the
New Haven. By 1906, much of it had been electrified, and high-
speed cars were used. Instead of running to the West Main Street
station, a connection was made at Brookside Park with the city
trolley tracks on Pratt Street, and the New Haven Road's Meriden
station was the terminus for the Middletown interurban cars. The
Meriden to Middletown service was operated by the Connecticut
Company, the street railway subsidiary. The Meriden to Water-
bury part of the road had not been electrified with the rest of
it, and service was cut on that line until it finally went out of
operation on June 24, 1917.
Meriden to Middletown hourly service was continued until
1927, when buses took over. But trolley service ran as far as
Westfield until 1932.
Most of the roadbed of the old line, which furnished so many
picturesque incidents in the history of Meriden transportation, is
now covered over with trees, bushes, and weeds. Hikers still tramp
along parts of the right of way, but only the old-timers among
the walkers realize that they are passing along the route of an
ambitious venture, which had its high moments, but flopped when
the demand which brought it into being finally ceased.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
f WWWW
Industry of the 19 th Century
"Such is the surface of our town, so much of it covered with
rocky and barren ridges, or with swamps unfit for tillage, that
if we had remained exclusively an agricultural town, our popula-
tion would not have increased, probably for the last thirty years,
and our pecuniary circumstances would have been equally
cramped. . . . one who was acquainted with this place 35 years
ago, wearing every appearance of stagnation and dilapidation,
must, with high gratification, contrast that decay with the life,
thrift and taste now so characteristic of Meriden."
So wrote G. W. Perkins, historian of early Meriden in 1849,
when the industrial life of the community was in first bloom.
Whether or not the poverty of the land was the main incentive,
it is certain that the trend of occupations was away from agricul-
ture and toward manufacturing in the 1820's and the 1830's, and
that industry had been established as the chief source of livelihood
here by 1845. In that year, the records of the time showed that
640 Meriden men, out of a population of about 3,200, were
engaged in manufacturing. The town had grown by more than
1,000 residents in the previous 20 years, but growth was much
more rapid after that, and the growth of industry was the
principal reason.
The early stages of manufacturing here began with the appli-
cation of waterpower to turn the wheels of crude machinery for
finishing goods. The plants were scattered along the reaches of
Harbor Brook, from near its sources in the eastern part of the
town to where it joined the Quinnipiac. In 1825, these little
establishments included a carding and filling mill for processing
wool brought from surrounding towns, placed nearly where the
brook crosses the Middletown road; the sawmill of Asahel
Baldwin near the Westneld road, and a grist mill close at hand;
the ivory comb factory of Howard Pratt & Co. near the New
Haven and Hartford turnpike; the door latch factory of Isbell &
Curtis about two miles farther downstream; and a sawmill at the
crossing of the old Hanover Road, the last on Harbor Brook
INDUSTRY OF THE 1°TH CENTURY
before it joined the Quinnipiac. Sodom Brook had no industries.
Another tributary of the Quinnipiac was the little stream of
Crow Hollow which gave power to the brass works of Lauren
Merriam and the ivory comb works of Walter Webb & Co. Near
the Cheshire border, the power of the stream was utilized by
Henry Griswold for the manufacture of bone buttons. At
Hanover, the abundant water power turned the wheels of the
factory of Brooks & Tibbals, who made augers. Half a mile below
was the plant of Sanford Parmelee & Co., manufacturing augers
and skates.
The factories just enumerated comprised the whole list of
Meriden plants in 1830 that were operated by auxiliary power,
except the tannery works of John Butler at the corner of Liberty
and Broad Streets, and the pewter works of Ashbil Griswold at
his residence on Griswold Street, each of which used a horse
attached to a sort of merry-go-round to move light machinery.
In addition to the products of these factories were the products
turned out in little shops which were family affairs. The Curtis
family especially was noted for its production of pewter table-
wares. Nearly every Curtis, man and boy, acquired skill at this
trade. Several larger shops produced tinware, including Patrick
Clark & Sons of Clarksville, Goodrich & Rutty, south of the
center, and Noah Pomeroy on the east side. This was the type
of goods marketed by the peddlars with their wagons. These
family businesses laid the foundation for the great industry which
was to give Meriden the name of the Silver City.
But Meriden was not a silver town in 1840. Its chief industry
at that time was the manufacture of ivory combs, with tinware
J a close second. The tinware apprentices worked 12 hours daily
for about 75 cents, and their wages were considered high.
Julius Pratt & Company, successor to Howard Pratt & Co.,
became the leader in the comb industry. To this plant the great
elephant tusks, weighing from 60 to 80 pounds apiece, were
brought to be processed into combs in about 20 operations. Blanks
were fed to automatic machines which stamped out the combs
complete. In the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D. C, is
a solid ivory cane with gold mountings made by Julius Pratt &
Co. and presented by the firm to President John Quincy Adams.
The plant of Walter Webb & Co., at first in Crow Hollow and
later at Hanover, was a Pratt auxiliary, with purchases and sales
INDUSTRY OF THE 19TH CENTURY
for a joint account. In 1848, the Pratt factory was destroyed by
fire, and the Webb plant operated night and day for more than
a year to supply the demand for ivory combs, showing a profit
of 100 per cent on the invested capital. The Pratt plant was
rebuilt and continued in operation until profits went out of the
ivory comb business due to the substitution of cheaper and
eventually more satisfactory materials.
At one time, three fourths of the ivory combs made in America
were turned out by the Pratt interests.
There was a constant search here during the 40's and 50's for
products that would sell easily from peddlars' wagons. Carpetbags,
hoop skirts, and balmorals, a kind of woollen skirt, were turned
out by Jedediah Wilcox.
A peculiar article of neckwear called a "stock" was once
manufactured extensively by Allen and Hezekiah Rice. It was
made of silk or satin over a framework of bristles, three or four
inches wide, and clasped with a buckle at the back of the neck.
Ira Twiss & Brother built a factory at the head of Prattsville
Pond late in the 30's, and there turned out wooden wheels for
clockworks. These clocks were distributed by peddlars who
took care not to visit the same home twice, for expansion and
contraction of the wooden works made the clocks erratic time-
keepers. This industry declined rapidly after Chauncey Jerome
of Bristol in 1835 devised machinery with dies for stamping out
clock wheels, and thus furnished a springboard for the manufac-
ture of cheap clocks that would really keep time. The Bradley &
Hubbard Mfg. Company here turned out brass clock wheels for
a brief period about the middle of the century.
Meriden could establish a claim to priority in the manufacture
of table cutlery, but the industry here was 16 years in developing.
Julius Pratt & Co. had made bone handles for this type of ware,
brought to the United States by two Englishmen, Evans and
Longdon, in 1836. At first, production was "farmed out" to
convict labor at Wethersfield Prison in an attempt to overcome
the differential between the cost of American and English labor,
but the effort proved a failure. Walter Webb & Co. at Hanover
acquired the process, and the firm of Pratt, Ropes, Webb & Co.
was formed in 1845 to turn out the product. Ten years later, the
Meriden Cutlery Company was organized to continue with the
line, and bone-handled table cutlery remained an important
Meriden product for a long period.
But large-scale manufacture here awaited the introduction of
steam power. According to Julius Pratt, who returned to Meriden
for the Centennial celebration in 1906, the first steam engine used
here was installed before 1840 by Remick K. Clarke in his small
tinning factory, which was destroyed by fire shortly afterward.
Charles Parker, who founded the Charles Parker Company in 1832,
the only manufacturing concern of that period which has survived
to the present day, is credited with being the first successful user
of steam power here. As late as 1847, he was still the only local
user of steam to turn factory wheels.
But the practical application of steam was not the only "first"
for Charles Parker. His name stood for pioneering enterprise in
many fields. He was public spirited throughout his long career,
and ahead of his time in the quest for civic improvement. He was
one of the group which turned Meriden from a little country
town into an incorporated city, and he became its first mayor.
Mr. Parker was born on June 2, 1809 in Cheshire, and was
"bound out" to work on a farm. In 1828, he came to Meriden and
was hired by Patrick Lewis to make coffee mills. In December
1829, he went into business for himself with a capital of $70,
taking a contract for 1 3 months to make coffee mills for Lewis &
Holt. By 1831, he had accumulated enough capital to purchase
land near Broad Street and build a shop which was finished in
1832. The original power plant of the shop was a blind horse
hitched to a pole sweep, and the horse plodded hour after hour
in a circle in the rear of the shop. The principal product of this
small enterprise was coffee mills. In 1844, in an enlarged plant
powered by steam, Mr. Parker is reported to have been the first
local manufacturer to plate spoons and forks. Some holloware
was also made. Another enterprise with which he was connected
was the manufacture of steam engines, printing presses, and
machinists' tools. In this he was jointly engaged with Oliver Snow,
an ingenious mechanic.
There was also the C. and E. Parker Company which made
brass and iron castings.
By 1860, the various concerns in which Mr. Parker was
interested employed about 1,000 men and 100 women, with a
monthly payroll of S3 0,000 to $40,000, large-scale business for
those times.
Residence Frederick M. Stevens, Jr.
304 Parker Avenue, built 1743
Residence Carter H. White
203 Eaton Avenue, built circa 1785
FALLS Plain
February 49?
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Residence Robert S. Rice
651 Paddock Avenue, built 1796
Lucchini Homestead
234 Coe Avenue, built before 1795
Daniel Hough, or Alfred P. Curtis Homestead
Curtis Street Horsecar
Residence Robert Berger
164 Broad Street, built circa 1735
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The Old "Spoon Shop"
East Main Street, Middletown Road
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The Eli Birdsey House
Corner East Main and Broad Streets, built 1830
William H. Race Residence
93 Curtis Street, a spoon factory in the early 19th century
East Alain Street, circa 1885
To the original coffee mills of the Parker Company, a varied
line had been added by the mid-century, including German silver
knives, forks, and spoons, tobacco boxes, sewing birds, silver plated
spectacles, vises, waffle irons, miscellaneous hardware, sewing
machines, locks, and presses.
With the Civil War, the Parker Company turned to the
production of military rifles for the Union armies. They manu-
factured the regular standard breech-loading single-shot musket
used by the Northern troops, and also developed one of the first
repeating military rifles, which was used by the Kentucky Militia
and drew Confederate protests that it was a barbarous weapon.
After the war, the famous Parker gun was the result of the
experience the company had acquired in the manufacture of
firearms. It was continued as a local product until 1934, when the
business was sold to the Remington Arms Company of Con-
necticut. Parker guns are still highly prized.
Mr. Parker was his own salesman in the busy period after the
Civil War. He made one trip during the year, starting immediately
after New Year's Day, and visiting the wholesale hardware houses
which were accustomed to giving him orders for their full yearly
Meriden in the 1840's was shaking off the old, crude methods
of small shops and turning to the first trials of multiple machine
processes. Skilled craftsmanship, however, was to remain a mark
of Meriden products, and the best features of the old skills have
been retained up to the present. Their retention has helped to
uphold the reputation for quality which has always gone with
the goods sent out from here to circle the world.
Meriden's greatest industry — silver manufacturing — was still
in the embryo stage when the 40's began. It did not spring to
life as a fledgling of recognizable breed. At first, it was a sort
of hybrid creature with tin wings, a pewter body, and a head
faintly coated with a semblance of silver. This was the offspring
of the little shops.
Ashbil Griswold and others were making pewter kitchen
utensils in Meriden as early as 1808. Difficulty in obtaining tin
had interfered with the production of britannia metal by processes
known even earlier. Pewter ware was a sort of bridge to overcome
the scarcity of tin, and when tin became more plentiful, britannia
entered its day. It was more brilliant in appearance, harder and
more resistant to wear, and could be cleaned and polished to a
high lustre. The peddlars were able to sell britannia articles in
quantity to housewives.
By 1850, Ashbil Griswold, the pioneer, was producing britannia
ware in North Meriden or Fraryville. James A. Frary and Couch
& Benham made similar wares nearby. In East Meriden or Bangall,
Isaac C. Lewis, George Curtis, and Darius Bingham, Jr. turned
out britannia ware in addition to pewter. The Curtises, Edwin E.
and Lemuel J., were making britannia on Curtis Street. Enos Curtis
had a britannia factory at the north end on Britannia Street. The
pewter shop of William W. Lyman was also on Britannia Street.
S. L. Cone and L. G. Baldwin were also engaged in britannia
manufacture. The contribution of Charles Parker has already been
mentioned. Some factories employed 40 or more hands.
The expansion of the silver industry in the 50's and 60's was
being duplicated on a somewhat lesser scale by other Meriden
industries during the same period. It was a period of pioneering
in new lines of goods and new methods for making them.
Jedediah Wilcox was one of the manufacturers who seemed
to be making rapid progress. Starting in 1848, with carpetbags
as his first product, he founded J. Wilcox & Co. in 1853, and
began making leather belts. He was his own salesman, and soon
managed to run up his gross sales to $300,000 a year. Hoop skirts
and corsets were added to the line. The factory, at the corner
of Pratt and Camp Streets, employed more than 500 hands in
1860. In 1865, just as business was pouring in, the factory was
destroyed by fire. It was replaced with a new brick structure on
the other side of Pratt Street. About this time, Jedediah's interests
turned from woollen goods to silver. On Dec. 23, 1865, with his
brother Horace, Charles Parker, Aaron Collins, Hezekiah Miller
and others, he established the Wicox Silver Plate Company for the
manufacture of holloware. The company was installed in the
plant where woollen goods had been made.
Another Meriden concern which had its beginnings in the
same period took root and grew so flourishingly that it survived
all the vicissitudes which forced some other local plants to wither
and fade before the century ran out. Edward Miller & Co. was
incorporated in 1866, with a capital of $200,000, with Edward
Miller as president, F. J. Seymour as secretary and W. H. Perkins
as treasurer. The first products were lamp trimmings, for oil,
fluid, and kerosene lamps, together with numerous articles of
brass, copper, German silver, iron, and britannia.
Edward Miller, who had begun his career in the 40's making
candlestick springs, using foot and horse-power, was on the road
to becoming one of the city's foremost manufacturers. His
company went through every stage in the evolution of lighting
equipment, from the earliest types of oil lamps to the most modern
systems of fluorescent illumination in use today. With the advent
of electricity as a lighting source, it turned to the manufacture
of electric lamps, and the business has never ceased to progress
with the changing times. The later history of the company will
be considered in another chapter.
Foster, Merriam & Co., incorporated in 1866, is only a memory
today, although it survived for more than 30 years of the next
century. John SutlifT was president, when the corporation began,
and Albert Foster was secretary and treasurer. The original
product was furniture casters. The company employed 60
persons about 1870. It was the outgrowth of a business which
dated back to 1835.
Foster Merriam sold out the caster business in 1927. In 1914,
the company had been reorganized with a new group of men over
its operation. A further reorganization followed in 1926. In 1933,
part of the plant was destroyed by fire. J. B. Coggins bought the
remaining buildings in 1940. The business today is operated by
the J. B. Coggins Mfg. Company, with J. Blaine Coggins as
president. His son, Leslie Coggins, is associated with him as vice
president of the firm.
In 1849, a year which might be designated as opening the first
period of rapid industrial growth here, there were 35 principal
manufacturers, employing approximately 540 hands.
The stage was being set for greater enterprise when Horace
C. Wilcox took to the road with the Yankee peddlars. He was
an energetic young man with a keen eye for business, which he
kept open for saleable lines of merchandise to add to the stocks
on his neat wagon. Born in Westfield Parish, Middletown, in
1824, he had tired early of the life of the farm, and decided to
undertake selling peddlar's wares. His brother Dennis had similar
inclinations, and had done some peddling of tin between farm
crops before Horace owned his first wagon. The two brothers
were to become super-salesmen, and they never lost the touch of
master salesmanship even after many years of service as executives
of the industry they helped to found.
While still a peddlar, Horace became acquainted with the
Rogers brothers of Hartford, who had developed a new process
for the plating of silver. They imported German silver spoons
and forks which they were able to coat with pure silver. These
were most attractive articles for the peddlars' markets, and Horace
added a stock of them to his line, finding that they sold well.
They helped the Wilcox brothers to accumulate the capital to
participate in the founding of a new local enterprise.
This enterprise was the Meriden Britannia Company, organized
in 1852 by Horace C. Wilcox, Dennis C. Wilcox, Isaac C. Lewis,
William W. Lyman, Lemuel J. Curtis, John Munson, and James
A. Frary. The next year, Samuel Simpson of Wallingford entered
the group as an associate. The idea behind the project was to
produce a more practical and economical plan for selling the
products of the various shops. Horace and Dennis, with their
practical experience in selling, had much more to contribute than
their small stake of capital.
The first office and warerooms were in a building owned by
Horace C. Wilcox. It stood at the corner of West Main and South
Colony Streets.
The office was under the supervision of Horace and Dennis
Wilcox and Isaac C. Lewis, and the entire business was directed
from this headquarters.
West of the building, where the Palace Block now stands, was
the residence of Horace C. Wilcox. His son, George H. Wilcox,
who was to rise to the presidency of the industry which developed
from these beginnings, was born in this house a few years after
the Aieriden Britannia Company was founded.
Soon after the company began business, it started experimenting
with the process which the Rogers brothers in Hartford had
proved practicable. These experiments were conducted in a
building previously used as a barn. It was located on Hanover
Street, just south of the Wilcox residence.
A short time later, the company erected its first buildings for
finishing, assembling, and plating on the southeast corner of State
and Miller Streets. This plant was in operation by 1855. But until
the early sixties most of the actual manufacturing of britannia
holloware was conducted in the small, individual plants which had
been taken over in 1852.
In its first full year of operations, Meriden Britannia sold wares
made by its own plants and purchased from the other manuf ac-
. turers amounting to more than $250,000 gross.
By 1862, the Rogers brothers of Hartford were in financial
difficulties, and the Meriden Britannia Company bought their
equipment, including tools and dies, and moved all of this material
to Meriden. An arrangement was made with William, Asa, and
Simeon Rogers whereby they were to direct and supervise the
manufacture of 1847 Rogers Bros, silverplate in Meriden. Thus
one of the most famous brand names of American industry
became identified with this city.
The Civil War had begun, but war did not stay the progress
of the organization which had just passed its first decade. It
needed more manufacturing space and equipment. On July 1,
1863, ground was broken on the west side of State Street for the
first brick building. Soon, other large additions were made,
including a building to house the power plant, and a factory
chimney which was to stand for more than three-quarters of a
People were begining to call the State Street plant the u Big
Shop," a name which is heard to this day. But there was still more
than a trace of the primitive in the character of its trade. Many
miscellaneous items were carried in the line, including japanned
tinware. Britannia shipments were made in exchange for fur,
feathers, or cordwood. In 1858, the company sold $32,408 worth
of Lyman patent fruit jars. Another popular item was the sewing
bird for home seamstresses, of which $30,000 worth were sold
By 1860, the company employed 320 hands and produced half
a million dollars worth of plated wares annually. Agencies had
been opened in Chicago, New York, and San Francisco and
products were being shipped overseas.
By this time, the general office of the company was adjacent
to the doorway, still in existence, almost opposite Miller Street.
Isaac C. Lewis and George R. Curtis occupied this office until 1 866
when a one-story office building was constructed at the south
end of the plant. It was raised to four stories in 1 899. An additional
section was built in 1876 for the use of executives and directors of
In 1877, the business of Rogers, Smith & Co. of New Haven,
which the company owned, was moved here into a new building
erected for it on State Street.
The selling ability of Horace and Dennis Wilcox proved
fruitful for the company from the beginning. Both men, with
James D. Frary, made frequent sales trips and arranged for the
establishment of the various branches in large cities.
Meanwhile, the company's wares were winning favorable
attention wherever they were displayed. At the Centennial in
Philadelphia in 1876, in New Orleans in 1885, in Paris at the
Universal Exposition in 1889, and at the Columbian Exposition in
Chicago in 1893, they received high awards.
In 1869, Parker & Casper Co., a small local concern, was pur-
chased and consolidated with the Wilcox Silver Plate Company.
Samuel Dodd was secretary and treasurer, and remained in that
capacity until the International Silver Company was organized
Isaac C. Lewis, who had been president of the Meriden
Britannia Company from the beginning, as well as its general
superintendent, retired from both positions in 1866. He was a
quiet gentleman of many accomplishments, who made a deep
imprint upon Meriden affairs. He served as mayor for three years,
and as a representative in the legislature four times in the last
century. Horace C. Wilcox was elected to succeed him in the
company and Dennis Wilcox became secretary.
Since acquiring the Rogers Bros, trademark, sales had risen
rapidly, reaching a volume of $2,500,000 annually by 1878. To
care for the growing volume of business, a factory was erected
in Hamilton, Ontario, in 1879, and placed under the management
of J. H. Parker, formerly associated with various Meriden
industries.
George R. Curtis, treasurer of Meriden Britannia, and a director
of the Wilcox Silver Plate Company, was another leader in
company affairs and a community leader as well. He became
president of the Meriden Horse Railroad and of the Meriden Gas
Light Company, a director of the Home National Bank, and
served as alderman and councilman in the period between the
70's and the 90's. His son, George M. Curtis, began as a clerk
with Meriden Britannia and rose to become a director of the
company. He was a director also of the Home Bank and the
Curtis Library, which was presented to the city by Mrs. Augusta
Munson Curtis.
Horace C. Wilcox was president of Meriden Britannia from
1866 to 1889. He died in 1890. During his fruitful career, he was
also president of the Wilcox & White Organ Company. His
interest in the short line railways absorbed much of his time and
capital in his late years. He was Meriden's fifth mayor, and served
in the State Senate in 1877.
Prior to the formation of the International Silver Company, the
lines of the Meriden Britannia Company and the other local
silverplate company had already become the most important in
the entire silverware industry. In 1898, 13 independent companies,
not including those in Canada, were consolidated. The next year,
four were added, and several more in the years that followed. The
names of the companies participating in the consolidation into the
International were the Meriden Britannia Company, including
Hall, Elton & Co.; Rogers, Smith & Co.; Forbes Silver Co.; Wilcox
& Evertsen; Rogers & Bro.; Middletown Plate Co.; Wm. Rogers
Mfg. Co.; Wilcox Silver Plate Co., including Parker & Casper Co.;
Simpson, Hall, Miller & Co.; Simpson Nickel Co.; Meriden Silver
Plate Co.; Rogers Cutlery Co.; Derby Silver Co.; Manhattan Silver
Plate Co.; Holmes & Edwards Silver Co.; Barbour Silver Co.,
including Hartford Silver Plate Co.; Rogers & Hamilton Co.
Norwich Cutlery Co.; Watrous Mfg. Co.; C. Rogers & Bros.
LaPierre Mfg. Co.; E. G. Webster & Son; American Silver Co.
Rowley Mfg. Co.; Southington Cutlery Co., silverware depart-
ment; Silver City Plate Co.
Many of these concerns operating separate factories were
shortly combined or consolidated with others, and a new cutlery
plant was established in Northampton, Mass.
With the incorporation of the International Silver Company
in 1898, the following officers were elected: Samuel Dodd
president; George H. Wilcox, first vice president; George C.
Edwards, second vice president; C. A. Hamilton, third vice presi-
dent; Samuel Thomas, treasurer; George M. Curtis, assistant
treasurer; George Rockwell, secretary. Directors were: Samuel
L. Barbour, George M. Curtis, Samuel Dodd, George C. Edwards,
C. A. Hamilton, H. J. Lewis, G. D. Munson, Edwin M. Post,
George Rockwell, E. R. Thomas, O. F. Thomas, W. H. Watrous,
Frederick P. Wilcox, George H. Wilcox.
Most of the directors were actively engaged in the business.
Only five of them had no active part in its operations.
On the list will be recognized the names of men whose descen-
dants have continued to play an important part in the affairs of
the company to this day.
By 1890, Maltby, Stevens & Curtiss Co., headed by Elizur
Seneca Stevens, Chapman iMaltby and John Curtiss, were making
silverware in Wallingford in a plant built by Hall, Elton & Co.
Their output was silverplated by Wm. Rogers Mfg. Co. of
Hartford. Through this association, George D. Munson, a long-
time employee of W. H. Watrous and member of an old
Wallingford family, was brought into the new company. After
its affiliation, the Wallingford plant became Factory P. The
factory of Simpson, Hall, Miller & Co., makers of Rogers Brand
silverware, was also acquired, and this plant became the center
for the manufacture of sterling silverware.
The further progress of the company, chronologically, belongs
in the industrial history of Meriden during the twentieth century.
The Curtiss Way Company, large edition printers, was formed
by the late James A. Curtiss and William H. Way in 1899. The
late Roy J. Warren was president from 1915 until 1942. The
business was sold in 1942 to the Eastern Color Printing Company
of Waterbury, which retained the Pratt Street plant and erected
a new bindery on Gracey Avenue.
The Meriden Gravure Company, which specializes in full-tone
picture reproductions, was established in 1888 by the late J. F.
Allen. It has won national prominence by its illustrations for fine
books. The firm is still in the control of the Allen family. E. H.
Hugo is vice president and general manager.
The Journal Press was established in 1886 by The Journal
Publishing Company, and was sold in 1918 to the Connecticut
Calendar Company. Until 1956, the firm occupied quarters in the
Journal's old mechanical plant, which has been torn down. It
now occupies a new plant on South Broad Street. The business is
operated by Charles G. Dossin.
The Hull Printing Company was established in 1891 at 134
Hanover Street by the late Charles C. Hull, and has been owned
and operated for many years by his son, Charles C. Hull, Jr., who
erected the present plant at 35 Meridian Street.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
The expanding Meriden of the middle of the last century had
opened Southern markets for local products through the trips of
its enterprising peddlars into the South. These lively but
thoroughly respectable vendors were the forerunners of the
traveling salesmen and manufacturers' representatives who carried
the story of Meriden to all parts of the country in later eras.
Although they operated from wagons and did business along
country lanes, they built up a surprisingly large volume of trade.
They were an important link in the somewhat feeble line of
communications between North and South, for they acted as
unofficial roving ambassadors carrying portfolios of good will —
but they could do little to quiet the seething controversies of
the times.
Meriden stood on the side of the Union and against the con-
tention that rights of the individual states should outweigh the
principles on which the Union was founded. Meriden was strongly
opposed to the institution of slavery. Manufacturers and other
business interests here were quite capable of sacrificing trade to
uphold their opinions on these issues. They expressed themselves
vehemently as the debate gathered and spread.
But there were some in Connecticut who thought differently,
and who proposed to hold a convention to issue resolutions
favorable to the Southern cause. One representative of this group
called upon Julius Pratt, well known local comb manufacturer,
urging him to sign the call for the meeting. Mr. Pratt not only
refused to sign; after listening to the arguments that it was to
his interests to do so, he spoke up sharply. "If the people of the
South do not want to buy our Meriden combs because of what
we think, then let them go lousy."
A country lawyer named Abraham Lincoln was a rising figure
in the middle west, but Meriden knew little of him until the
Lincoln-Douglas debates of 1858 brought his name into promi-
nence, and even then the interest in him here was slight.
When Abraham Lincoln came to Meriden March 7, 1860 to
address a Republican rally in the town hall, few would have been
willing to concede that he had any chance for the presidency.
Although he had been mentioned as a possibility for the Repub-
lican nomination, his real strength was unsuspected. The famous
Cooper Union address had been delivered February 27, but its
effects had hardly begun to accumulate. He had spoken in New
Haven the day he came here, repeating some of the sentiments
he had uttered at Cooper Union, but there is no record of what
he said at the town hall. The only local newspaper of the day
was the Meriden Banner, a Democratic weekly published by A. B.
Stillman. It did not print the text or even excerpts from Lincoln's
address, but gave its own interpretation of his remarks. For
example, this passage: "The speaker, on being introduced to the
audience, commenced the exordium of a tediously dull and
uninteresting speech. It was commonplace in the extreme, and the
principles (or ideas) he labored to enforce were narrow, bigoted
and fallacious, directly antagonistic to the legislative action and
official decisions of the government from its inception down to
the present time."
There were few flourishes in connection with Lincoln's
reception, but a quartet sang during the intervals of the program.
Its members were Arthur Alfred Barker, partner in the clothing
firm of Barker & Finnegan, E. B. Everitt, agent of the Wilcox
Realty Company, and William K. Butler and Elisha K. Bradley,
both of whom left iMeriden years later to reside in Hartford.
The event was commemorated 88 years later, when a Lincoln
plaque, designed by Louis Gudebrod, local sculptor, was placed
on the city hall. This memorial was dedicated May 30, 1948,
when it was presented to Mayor Howard E. Houston, repre-
senting the city, by Francis C. Upham, representing the Lincoln
Memorial Committee. Mr. Upham is a son of Col. Charles L.
Upham, one of Meriden's outstanding soldiers in the war which
was to follow Lincoln's visit here by only 13 months.
On March 4, 1861, Lincoln was inaugurated as President. The
war clouds were gathering fast and spreading over Meriden as
they spread elsewhere. The Confederate States cf America had
been formed at Montgomery, Alabama, early in February, and
Jefferson Davis had been chosen president of the Confederacy.
The first incident of war occurred when Fort Sumter was
attacked on April 12, and the immediate effect was the President's
call for 75,000 volunteers a to repossess the forts, places and
property which has been seized, and to maintain the perpetuity
of popular government." By that signal, Connecticut was drawn
into the struggle beside the other loyal states of the Union, and
Meriden began preparing at once to do its part.
On April 16, Governor Buckingham called for volunteers to
form one regiment of infantry to serve three months. The
Meriden Light Guards, under Capt. Theodore Byxbee, was the
only military organization in Meriden. The morning after the
governor's proclamation was issued, Capt. Byxbee reported to
the adjutant general in Hartford that the organization was ready
to respond to the call.
A war meeting was held in the town hall on April 19. The
Hon. Charles Parker, who was to become the first mayor of the
incorporated city only eight years later, presided over the
meeting. Patriotic speeches were made by Orville H. Piatt, Dexter
R. Wright, the Rev. D. Henry Miller, and G. H. Wilson. It was
unanimously voted to instruct the selectmen to call a town
meeting immediately for the purpose of appropriating $5,000 to
equip the Meriden Light Guard. Mr. Parker, according to the
Century of Meriden, "announced his purpose to give each member
a Colt's revolver."
The $5,000 was voted in due course, with part of the money
to be devoted, if necessary, to supporting the families of the
volunteers. Isaac C. Lewis, John Parker, Humphrey Lyon, and
Moses Waterman were named as a committee to supervise the
expenditure of the funds.
The Light Guard was required to reorganize as a company of
volunteers and was mustered into the state service on April 22,
1861. It was assigned to the First Regiment, Connecticut Volun-
teers, as Company F, and left for Washington May 10, the first
body of men from Meriden to enter the struggle.
A second company to serve three months went into rendezvous
April 29, and was assigned to the Third Regiment as Rifle
Company B. It departed May 23. These Meriden companies were
in Keyes' Brigade, Tyler's Division. They met the rebels at Bull
Run, showing great gallantry. Upon their return to Meriden after
serving out the term of their enlistment, a grand parade and ball
were held to mark their homecoming.
In the summer of 1861, another company was formed, and
assigned to the Seventh Regiment as Company C. This company
was in the expedition to Port Royal, was the first to land, with
its flags first on the soil of South Carolina.
Company K of the Eighth Regiment was recruited late in the
summer of 1861. It left the state October 17, and became part of
the Burnside Expedition. From North Carolina, it was sent to
reinforce the Army of the Potomac when Lee invaded Maryland.
At the battle of Antietam, these volunteers advanced farther than
any other Union forces in their part of the field. Their losses
exceeded 50 per cent.
Company B of the Ninth Regiment was composed of Meriden
residents of Irish descent. It left the state November 4 for Lowell,
iMass., and was sent from there to Ship Island, Mississippi Sound.
It served with credit in the Department of the Gulf until 1864.
It was then sent to Bermuda Hundred and, in August 1864, to
Sheridan's Army in the Shenandoah Valley. It took part in the
battle of Cedar Creek, and was finally mustered out of service on
August 3, 1865.
Companies A and F of the 15th Regiment were organized
during August 1862. While in camp August 25, women of
Meriden, represented by the Misses Helen Bradley and Mary
Brooks, presented the company with a silk flag, and Orville Piatt
made the address of presentation. Col. Wright of the regiment
responded. To him a black stallion was presented by a group of
Meriden men, represented by the Hon. Charles Parker.
The regiment participated in the battle of Fredericksburg, the
siege of Suffolk and of Virginia by Longstreet, and in engage-
ments in North Carolina. It lost many men during an epidemic
of yellow fever and also lost severely in the actions before
Kingston, N. C, in 1865. The regiment was mustered out at New
Berne, N. C, and returned to New Haven July 4, 1865.
Company G of the 27th Regiment enlisted for nine months
and was mustered into service in October 1862. The regiment
became part of the Army of the Potomac. Its members were
actively engaged at the battles of Chancellorsville, Fredericksburg,
and Gettysburg. They were composed only in part of Meriden
men. The regiment was mustered out of service July 27, 1863.
Due to transfers from one military unit to another, it is
difficult to determine the exact number of men from Meriden
who served at one time or another during the Civil War, but the
companies mentioned mustered 671. Meriden men connected with
other units of the armed service numbered 286, omitting substi-
tutes who deserted.
According to Davis' History of Wallingford, Meriden and
Cheshire, published 1870, 108 Meriden soldiers lost their lives
in the struggle to preserve the Union.
Many local soldiers won commissions, the records show. There
were one general, three colonels, one lieutenant colonel, two
majors, three chaplains, 14 captains, 16 first lieutenants, 19 second
The losses, especially among those who served in the later
phases of the war, were severe, and the strain upon Meriden to
furnish recruits, in response to the ever-increasing demand, was
severe also.
To meet the demand, since service continued on a voluntary
basis, various expedients were adopted. Paying bounties for
volunteers became common practice, and Meriden town meetings
again and again grappled with the problem of making such
inducements sufficiently attractive.
A town meeting held July 16, 1862 voted that the town of
Meriden appropriate the sum of $50 bounty to be paid to each
recruit enlisting in any Connecticut regiment then in the field, or
in any subsequent regiment organized in the state in answer to
the President's latest call for 300,000 men. Payments were also to
be made to mothers and other dependents of such recruits, to
supplement the payments from the state for the support of wives
and children of volunteers. A town meeting on August 23, 1862
increased the bounty to $100 for nine-month volunteers.
There was still another problem for the town when Congress
on March 3, 1863, approved "an act for enrolling and calling out
the National forces and for other purposes," which meant that
a draft was imminent.
On August 24, 1863, a special town meeting took action to
meet this situation. It voted that the selectmen be authorized to
pay to each man who "may be hereafter drafted into the service
of the United States" the sum of $300 when mustered in. It also
voted to pay to any man drafted who could furnish an acceptable
substitute to serve in his own place a sum not to exceed $300 when
the substitute entered the service. This was an encouragement to
a practice which had already become rather common, and which
seemed to carry no stigma, probably because there was still
considerable opposition to service under compulsion.
Another town meeting on August 11, 1864, passed a resolu-
tion offered by the Hon. O. H. Piatt to appropriate $20,000 to
encourage enlistments and pay the expenses of Meriden under the
call for additional men. Up to $300 would be paid for a three-year
enlistment. Only two weeks later, a town meeting raised the
inducement to $600 for a three-year enlistment, and $300 for a
less period, the extra money to be raised by subscription. The
four banks of the town were requested to loan in equal amounts,
temporarily, the funds to put the resolutions into effect.
But the war was drawing to an end. If the practice of offering
bounties had continued much longer, Meriden might have
bankrupted itself. The surrender of Lee to Grant at Appomattox
on April 9, 1865 put an end to the fighting, and there was no
longer reason to pledge the town's funds to gain new soldiers.
Instead, the town could turn to the problems incident to the
resumption of normal ways of life.
Many of the Civil War veterans were to become outstanding
citizens of their generation. In the days ahead, they were to help
promote Aieriden's economic well-being, to become active in
every form of business and professional life and to assist in turning
the town into an incorporated city. That event was only two
years in the future.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
City Government Before 1900
Between 1840 and 1850, the leisurely little village of Meriden
was being taught to recognize some of its prospects for future
growth through the advancement of its industries. In the 50's, the
pace swiftened and the population practically doubled. The
census of 1860 placed the figure at 7,426, which was to increase
to 10,495 by 1870.
In 1866, with the Civil War in the background, the first efforts
to obtain a city charter were made. It was argued that, under a
charter, the community could have water works, street lights,
police and fire departments, and a program of street improvement.
For the first time, there was a sense of integration in the local
community, inspired in part by the veterans who had returned
from the war with restless energies that sought an outlet in civic
advancement. They banded with older leaders to improve con-
ditions here.
On June 7, 1867, Charles Parker and 644 other local residents
signed the petition for a charter, which was presented to the
General Assembly for approval. The Legislature granted the
charter only a little more than a month later.
The new city had an area of four square miles, and the list of
taxable property was $4,415,000.
A rather complex system of local government was installed at
the beginning. The city then consisted roughly of what is now
the second taxing district lying within the town, and the town
itself was divided into school districts, each governed by a district
committee which levied and collected its own school taxes. This
condition existed until July 1896, when the school districts were
consolidated. But consolidation of the city and the town did not
take place until January 1, 1922, after a long battle to be recorded
The city government at first consisted of four aldermen and
16 councilmen forming the common council. At first, there
were only four wards, but later a fifth was added. In June 1924,
the fifth ward was divided into two districts. In June 1927, the
second and third wards were similarly divided, and in 1941 the
fourth ward was also split into two parts, leaving the first ward
the only one with a single voting place.
The new city government began at once to make city bylaws,
but these were not printed until 1870 together with certain
amendments to the charter to give the authority needed. The only
known record of this action is preserved in the Curtis Memorial
Library. A copy printed in 1875 is filed in the office of the city
clerk. There are no known copies of the original charter in
existence, although the common council ordered that 100 copies
be published. The charter has been frequently amended and was
reprinted in 1900. Another revision was printed in 1931. The
bylaws have been reprinted, but no new edition of the charter
has appeared since 1931.
Charles Parker, the stalwart pioneer of local industry, entered
a new phase of his career as Meriden's first mayor. For him, 782
votes were cast in the first election against 17 "scattering." John
H. Bario, afterward colonel of the Second Regiment, Connecticut
National Guard, was elected city clerk with 808 votes in his
favor, and only three "scattering." The other city officials elected
were Asahel H. Curtis, treasurer; Joel H. Guy, auditor; Samuel
O. Church, collector; Patrick Garvey and James E. Belden, city
sheriffs. The aldermen elected were William J. Ives, Hiram Butler,
George W. Lyon, and Jedediah Wilcox. Councilmen were O. B.
Arnold, Lemuel J. Curtis, Charles L. Upham, Charles A. Roberts,
Eli Butler, Eli Ives, Hezekiah H. Miller, Augustus C. Markham,
Aaron L. Collins, Isaac C. Lewis, Jared R. Cook, Horace C.
Wilcox, Dennis C. Wilcox, John Byxbee, Walter Hubbard, and
Jared Lewis.
Local manufactures and other forms of business were well
represented in the governing group, which contained a liberal
sprinkling of veterans as well.
There was much to be done, and the new city government
lost no time in going into action.
One of the first necessities was for the provision of an adequate
water supply system. For this, an amendment to the new charter
was found necessary. It was approved July 24, 1868. But long
before that date a controversy had arisen over reservoir locations.
Mayor Parker on April 6, 1868 appointed a committee to search
out and recommend sites. The relative merits of West Mountain
and Black Pond were debated vigorously.
Meriden had suffered frequent water famines, and pumping
had to be done from outlying ponds. The problem of recurring
water scarcity was not to be solved overnight, even after it had
been approached in a concentrated and orderly manner. The
West Mountain location was approved, and in June 1869 a bond
issue of $20,000 at 7 per cent was authorized. Construction of
Merimere, the first reservoir, was begun. By 1873, it was reported
that 1,554 families were being served with water through the pipes
of the new system. In 1890, Kenmere reservoir was added, and
Hallmere came next in 1895. In 1905, the Taylor farm of 96 acres
was purchased for additional watershed. A further important step
was taken in 1907, when the city bought the Fellows farm on
Johnson Hill for a storage reservoir, but the storage basin was
not completed, with pumping facilities, until 1913. In the follow-
ing year, pipes were connected with Kenmere, and the new
set-up was ready for service. It has served satisfactorily since that
time, with certain changes and improvements as water demands
increased. But the largest single water source to supply Meriden
had already been made available to form a link in the system.
On February 1, 1909, the Broad Brook property of 23 acres
was purchased for $5,000, a bargain if there ever was one. The
city appropriated $350,000 in 1913 for the development of this
reservoir, which was placed in service October 2, 1916. A
filtration plant was added at Broad Brook in 1927. A new pumping
station was built at Kenmere in 1931.
Meanwhile, the growth of the city was making constantly
increasing demands upon the water system. Insufficient water
pressure on the east side was an almost constant complaint in dry
seasons. Taking advantage of the plentiful labor to be obtained
at low cost, with government aid, during the depression, a
pumping station was built under WPA at the corner of Charles
Street and Parker Avenue for the low figure of $6,205. This
proved only a partial solution to the problem.
Residents on the high hills of the eastern section continued to
complain of low pressure, especially during the summer months.
During the administrations of Mayor Francis R. Danaher, a
remedy was proposed in the form of a "Memorial" water tower,
from which water could be fed by gravity to the east side. But
nothing was done to place this measure in effect. Subsequently,
it was discovered that water pipes of small diameters were
impeding the flow of water. The system was overhauled at many
points to replace the pipe of old mains with pipe of larger
diameter. Even earlier, the work of pipe laying had not been
neglected. Under FERA, 9,655 feet of pipe were laid, and WPA
installed 8,438 feet. In 1933, 13,378 feet of water pipe went under
the ground, water sheds were cleared, and much of the system
was practically rebuilt. But there has been no let-up in the
demands for more water, and the future has to be considered.
Under iMayor Henry Altobello, the problem has been inten-
sively studied by state and city engineers, and an independent
firm has been engaged to make a survey. The full results of that
survey are still to be made known, and action awaits the final
recommendations of the engineers. But one measure has been
advocated repeatedly under the present administration: the con-
struction of a storage basin on the summit of one of the eastern
hills. The use of Black Pond water, to be fed by way of New
Dam, with a hook-up to Foster Lake could keep such a basin
filled, it has been argued. Measurements of the water potentials
of these sources has been made. But active steps to set the project
in motion have not been taken up to the time of this writing.
Many years have been spanned in this consideration of the
water system. But many other phases of the city's development
began in that period when Mayor Parker and his official family
were wrestling with the beginning problems of city government.
Fire protection was afforded on a haphazard basis by the old
volunteer companies, who fought fires vigorously, but were more
concerned in competing with one another than with quenching
a blaze under competent direction. Police protection was lacking,
also. Unpaved streets became seas of mud after every heavy rain.
The few sidewalks were crude, and afforded uncertain footing.
Street lights were missing altogether. There was no system of
sewers. The cesspool was only a short distance from the well in
many yards. All of these conditions called for immediate correc-
tion, but progress toward correcting them was slow. Mayor
Parker could only make a start.
To police Meriden in its earliest days as a city, a new department
was created in September, 1868, when the common council, with
Mayor Parker presiding, voted to replace the constabulary with
a permanent and regularly paid force. The department consisted
officially of a chief and three patrolmen. William Hagadon was
the first chief, and under him were Roger M. Ford, George Van
Nostrand and Samuel N. Beach. Beach succeeded Hagadon the
first year, and served until 1876. Other chiefs in order, during the
remainder of the century, were Albert I. Otis, Frank G. Bolles,
Roger M. Ford, and Captain George Van Nostrand, who had
been with the department from the beginning, and continued as
its head until 1906, shortly before Meriden celebrated its
Centennial.
The department had no headquarters when it started. The
lockup was in the basement of the town hall, and was a planked-in
enclosure. The chief was on duty from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. and the
patrolmen served from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., an arrangement of shifts
which could only provide the most desultory police protection.
But there were no large traffic problems to be dealt with, and
serious crimes occurred infrequently. At the beginning, the men
wore badges but had no uniforms. The most distinguishing
article of their dress was the large hat, with flaring brim upturned
at the side. Each man carried a club, a revolver, and "twisters"
of catgut and wood, used in place of handcuffs. The chief
received $2.75 a day and the men $2.50. In 1869, soon after Chief
Beach's appointment, the department was quartered in a city-
owned building on Pratt Street, where the fire department was
also stationed. In 1883, it was moved into a room in the Rogers
Block, at East Main and South Colony Streets. Four years later,
headquarters was established in the remodeled town hall.
The Gamewell signal system, by which patrolmen on beat were
able to make contact with headquarters periodically, was installed
in 1890, and was considered a great advance in police methods.
The plodding policeman on his beat was the mainstay of the
force, but the limit of his speed in pursuing criminals was the
limit of his running ability. A few horses and wagons helped to
raise the limit as time went on, but it was not until much later
that automobiles were employed. Of course, the crooks of the
last century were equally handicapped in the matter of going
places in a hurry, and some Meriden policemen came to be known
as fast runners.
The organization of a fire department was delayed for a number
of years after the incorporation of the city. The event which
spurred its creation was the great Meriden Britannia Company
fire which broke out early in the morning of July 16, 1870. Plans
had been made for a convocation of volunteer fire companies on
that day, and local citizen-firemen had met the preceding evening
to make plans for receiving visiting firemen from Middletown.
The first sack and bucket brigade, organized in 1849, was still
going strong, but more as a social body than a group of serious
fire fighters. Many other outfits of a similar nature had sprung
up during the years. Active in 1867 were the Washington Engine
Co. No. 2, Washington Hose Co. No. 2, the E. J. Doolittle Truck
Co., Parker's Engine Co. No. 3 and Parker's Hose Co. No. 3. All
of these had crude equipment, with pumps operated by hand.
These were connected with wells, streams, or ponds until the
installation of the water system made it possible for them to draw
water from city mains.
The "Big Shop" fire was first noticed shortly after 1 a.m. by
the pressroom foreman of the Daily Republican, which was
already being run off the press. He and the editor rushed toward
State Street, where smoke had already begun to billow. The
engine of a southbound train, just drawing into the station, let
off its whistle in long blasts and a gong sounded somewhere within
the burning plant. Aleriden's volunteers came running, dragging
their feeble engines, and from that time on it was a wild scramble
in which the rival companies were all engaged until the police had
to break it up. At first more water was poured by the firemen
on themselves than on the fire. Then the pumps of Meriden
Britannia went into action, but by that time it was too late. The
blaze was finally under control at about 6 a.m., but the plant was
wrecked. The damage to building and machinery was estimated
at $250,000, most of it covered by insurance. Meriden had never
seen a fire of such proportions, and the lesson was not to be
ignored.
The confusion displayed by the well meaning but undisciplined
volunteers on this occasion moved the Meriden Literary Recorder
to comment, "If there had been any head or tail to the fire depart-
ment, if John Byxbee or Charlie Warner had been chief engineer,
the fire would have been extinguished."
The words were prophetic, for John C. Byxbee became chief
engineer when a paid fire department was installed in 1873. He
received $500 a year, and was chief for two years. Edward A.
Roark succeeded him. Other chiefs of the century's last quarter
included Linus Moses, John F. Butler, Isaac B. Hyatt, Owen
Horan and John Tracy. Tracy, who became chief in 1893,
introduced white rubber coats and hats for the men of the
department to distinguish them in the groups that always gathered
at fires. The first horses to be used for drawing apparatus were
stabled at the Charter Oak fire house. Hyatt was the only chief
to serve twice. After resigning in 1888, he came back to the
department in 1890, and was reappointed chief after a turn of the
city administration in 1894.
Frank L. Cowing was made chief shortly before 1900 and
served until his death in 1903. William L. Lucas, who had grown
up with the department, succeeded him. By 1906, Meriden had a
department consisting of 91 men. There were 16 fire horses to
pull the heavy equipment, and 9,000 feet of hose. The apparatus
then consisted of one hook-and-ladder truck, one Silsby steam
fire engine, four hose wagons, and the chief's wagon. One two-
wheeled hose pumper was held in reserve. The total property was
valued at $100,000. There were few changes in this picture until
the introduction of motorized apparatus and the beginning of a
whole new era in the development of more effective fire-fighting
methods. But the fire companies, since the humiliating lessons of
the Meriden Britannia fire, have always done well. Chief Byxbee,
when he took charge, instituted the ward system of fire alarms.
The Britannia Shop's big gong sounded one, two, three or four
times to indicate in which of the four divisions the fire was
located. In 1881, a fire-alarm telegraph system was introduced.
St. Andrew's Church bell was used at first. Later a tower bell
was installed at the old firehouse on Pratt Street. E. B. Baker, then
manager of the Southern New England Telephone Company, was
the first fire-alarm superintendent.
There were no paved streets in Meriden until the nineties.
Photographs taken between 1870 and 1894 show the rutted,
muddy or dusty surface of the principal thoroughfares even in
the center of the city. In 1894, Belgian block paving was laid on
West Main Street. The blocks were of creosoted wood, and were
especially slippery in wet weather, but they were a great improve-
ment over the gravel which had been used previously. The blue-
stone blocks employed for crossings at intersections were re-
moved. In 1897, Hanover Street was paved, and the next year
the whole "Corner" section was macadamized. Colony Street was
paved in 1899, partly with asphalt and partly with Belgian block.
In 1901, paving was completed on State Street. For the East Main
Street hill, brick paving was selected, which remained in place for
many years. The trolley tracks in the center of the street, where
they abutted the bricks, were traps for automobile wheels, and
caused frequent skids.
Paving bonds to the amount of $200,000 were authorized by
the Legislature in 1913. State Street was widened in 1914 near its
intersection with East Main Street. A permanent paving program
was instituted at that time, and many streets where paving was
badly worn, were repaved. Another extensive program was
approved and carried out in 1931, when East and West Main
Streets, Hanover, Pratt, State, and Crown Streets and Cook
Avenue were completely resurfaced. For the next decade, most
of the work on streets was done as part of WPA projects. In 1941,
practically all that was left of the old brick paving was removed
and replaced with composition paving. Rails left from the era
of trolley street transportation were buried or taken away.
A new road between Chesire and Meriden was opened in 1929.
The Chamberlain Highway between Meriden and New Britain,
named for former Gov. Abiram Chamberlain, a native of Meriden,
was opened in 1935, and the Westfleld road was rebuilt the same
year. In 1941, the construction of a four-lane parkway from
North Broad Street to the Berlin line began. Eventually this route
was widened all the way to Hartford. The Wilbur Cross Parkway,
joining Route 5 into Hartford, was constructed during the 40's,
and took the bulk of through passenger-car traffic away from
Broad Street, although truck traffic continues to follow the old
route where the stagecoaches once ran. Efforts to obtain state aid
for the construction of an east- west by-pass of the city, to relieve
the steadily increasing traffic congestion on East and West Main
Streets, have so far been unavailing. The State Highway Depart-
ment has refused to give this proposal priority in its program.
Repeated efforts have been made to induce action by the Legisla-
ture on the project, but all have fallen flat.
No attempt was made at the time when the city was incorpor-
ated to provide a municipal system of waste disposal. Not until
20 years later was the first action taken in this direction. In 1887,
the common council ordered the first sewers installed on Main and
Veteran Streets, but the vote to establish a sewer system was
recorded September 23, 1891. On November 13 of that year, the
city bought 150 acres of land in South Meriden for sewer beds,
and the contract to construct the beds was let May 26, 1892.
These beds served, with little further improvement, until
complaints were made in the 30's that the Quinnipiac River was
being contaminated from underground seepage. In 1937, the
present sewage reduction plant was built, and opened March 18,
1938. The growth of Meriden since World War II has overtaxed
the system of sewers. One of the questions now confronting the
city is that of a complete overhauling of the system, and the
construction of a new plant for final disposal. It is a question
which calls for an answer in the near future.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
nvwvww
The Spanish War
The peaceful life of Meriden residents in the 90's was interrupted
by the Spanish War, which began in 1898. The sinking of the
U. S. battleship Maine in Havana Harbor, February 15, 1898,
made banner headlines in newspapers across the country. Indigna-
tion was almost universal, and the event was feverishly discussed
in many Meriden homes. War sentiment gathered rapidly.
President William McKinley demanded the withdrawal of Spain
from Cuba. A blockade of Cuban ports was placed in effect on
April 24. The next day, Congress declared that a state of war
had existed since April 21.
Company L, consisting of Meriden volunteers, was organized
under Capt. Charles B. Bowen in the summer of 1898, with
Delbert Jones as first lieutenant and Raymond Keeney as second
lieutenant. It was assigned to the First Connecticut Regiment and
mustered into service in July at the town hall. The company
was then transferred to Fort Knox, Maine for training, and was
sent from there to Niantic. It wound up in Camp Alger, Virginia,
where the local volunteers remained until their return to
Connecticut, where they were mustered out on October 31.
Although not actually engaged in combat at any period of their
service, the men of Company L underwent many trials, for
conditions in military camps during the war were far from what
they should have been. Rations were indescribably bad. Sanitary
conditions were even worse. Many in the local company became
ill, and some of them felt the after-effects for years.
The Spanish War has been minimized in some accounts through
comparison with some of the other conflicts in which this country
has engaged, but it was serious enough for those who had a part
in it. Followed by the Philippine insurrection, it lasted for four
years and two months, compared with four years for the Civil
War and one year and seven months for World War I. In it,
450,000 of our troops were engaged, exceeding the number in the
Revolutionary War, the Mexican War and the War of 1812.
Losses in deaths from all causes were 4.3 per cent as compared
with six-tenths of one per cent for the Civil War. These statistics
and others were furnished by Captain Charles B. Bowen Camp,
United Spanish War Veterans when it held an anniversary
observance April 25, 1936.
Since the death of the last Meriden veteran of the Civil War,
the Spanish War veterans are the senior group among all organi-
zations of veterans, and wear their responsibilities with becoming
vigilance and patriotic fervor in spite of their diminishing
numbers. There has been no event in commemoration of Meriden's
participation in the various wars in which these members of U. S.
W. V. have not played an organizational and inspirational role.
The Bowen Camp was organized in 1900, and became affiliated
with the U. S. W. V. on April 18, 1904. The organizers were
mainly men of Company L, but the group also included men who
had served in Cuba, the Philippines, Puerto Rico and China, as
well as in the U. S. Navy and various camps in addition to Camp
Alger.
Mementoes of the Spanish War are in various parts of the city.
A shell received from the War Department, as the result of efforts
by the late Thomas L. Reilly, who was mayor of Meriden and
later congressman and sheriff* of New Haven County, was placed
in City Park. There also is a large granite stone with a nameplate
in honor of Capt. Bowen. In the club room of the organization is
a bronze tablet, made of metal taken from the wreckage of the
battleship Maine.
But the most striking memorial of the services of the Spanish
War veterans is the Hiker Shaft on Memorial Boulevard, Broad
Street. On November 13, 1940, Francis R. Danaher, then mayor,
received a request from Past Commander Edward B. Hall,
memorial chairman of the Bowen Camp, for $3,000 of city funds
to be applied to the erection of this monument. Dr. Ernest W.
Spicer, adjutant of the camp, supplied a list of 206 names to be
inscribed upon it. The list was compiled by the late William G.
Hiller. The monument consists of the bronze figure of an
infantryman holding a rifle across his body. The figure is eight
feet high, and stands on a Barre granite base. It was placed on the
second green of the boulevard.
When the Hiker Memorial was dedicated, November 23, 1941,
the event was marked by a parade containing units of all veterans
groups and sons and daughters of veterans, with ceremonies held
afterward when the monument was unveiled. At that time, 18
members of Company L were alive, but the number has dwindled
since.
During World War II, on October 8, 1942, the Bo wen
Camp contributed to the scrap drive then in progress one of its
cherished mementoes, the cannon "Asaltador," which had helped
to defend Morro Castle on Havana Harbor.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Street Railways
While the battle of the "short lines" was moving toward a
climax through the extension of interurban railroads set up to
compete with the New Haven, Meriden was entering a new phase
of transportation within the city limits.
The street railway system began with the horse as its source
of motive power. The Meriden Horse Railroad started operations
in 1886, with lines along the principal streets of the city. The
growth of population and the spread of local industry assured its
success almost from the start. Horses, although slow, were reliable,
and riding the cars was a great improvement on walking to and
from work. For two years, the system did well — until the great
fire of January 10, 1888. The Pratt Street barns, where the horses
were stabled, burned to the ground with the loss of 79 horses,
and total destruction of property valued at $43,000.
This disaster did not put the road out of business, but it did
result in its electrification. On February 26, 1888 the Daft system
was adopted. Daft was an appropriate name for it, in view of the
defects of its design. Two sets of small wheels ran on parallel
overhead wires, the current from which was drawn through a
pole attached to the roof of the car. These wheels were often
dislodged, and the car's crew had to put them back into place.
The jiggling poles were a strain on the car's roof, and leaks
developed. In rainy weather, water poured down on the heads of
passengers. The new system went into operation July 11, 1888,
and the troubles began amost at once. After several months, the
company decided it had had enough of Daft, and went back to
horses.
On September 17, 1892, John W. Coe and C. W. Cahill, both
connected with the Swift packing interests, bought out the horse
railroad. They owned it until October 18, 1893 when a Phila-
delphia syndicate purchased it, and set plans in motion to electrify
it. The electrification was successful. Overhead wires were used
as before, and the current was carried through poles in the same
manner, but the connection to the wires was firm, and the cars
proved reliable in service. Nine new cars were put into operation
in January 1894. The horses were sold. One hundred of them
went to one purchaser.
A party of officials took the first trip over the line and attended
a gala performance of "Pinafore" at the Meriden Opera House.
The first accident to be recorded occurred January 6, 1894, at
Wallace's bridge, when one of the cars hit a wagon, but the only
damage was a broken axle on the wagon.
The Meriden trolleys ran until 1932, when all street railway
service was abandoned here, and the buses of the Connecticut
Company took over the assignment of providing public transpor-
tation within the city limits and to the suburbs.
The trolley rails were removed in some places and covered over
in others. The routes in service while the system was in full
operation included Colony Street, Britannia Street and Griswold
Street as far as Cambridge Street, with turn-outs opposite the
Bradley Home, then the residence of Clarence P. Bradley, and
near the center, about opposite Mosher's Drug Store; also the
length of East and West Alain Streets, with cars running as far
east as Pomeroy Avenue. A branch line served Curtis Street and
adjacent streets. Another line ran up Pratt Street to Broad, and
through cars followed the old route through Brookside Park,
across Broad Street and on to Westfield. There was also electric
car service on Hanover Street and to Hanover Park, which
flourished as an amusement park through the first quarter of the
century, although its heyday was probably in the "gay nineties."
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Notes of a Spacious Era
The three decades which closed the nineteenth century and the
opening decade of the twentieth century were an era of spacious,
leisured living. During these 40 years, plus a few extra for good
measure, Meriden was growing up. A pattern of industrial growth
had been established. The city was pushing ahead, but the pressure
applied was easy and natural. It was the difference between
shaking the reins over the old mare's back and cramming a heavy
foot upon the accelerator that lets loose the power of 200 horses.
There was probably never a time before or since when the
average citizen could get so much fun out of life with a minimum
of nervous strain. The so-called horse-and-buggy age was also an
age of bicycles, open-sided trolley cars in summer, basket picnics
for the whole family, band concerts, firemen's parades, special
excursions on the railroads and the short lines, Turner festivals,
Saengerbund conventions, and boating under the moon over
Hanover Pond.
There was roller skating at the iVIeriden rink on Hanover
Street, near the corner of Randolph Avenue, with instruction for
patrons who needed it, and music in the evenings. Exhibitions of
speed and fancy skating were held weekly. Roller polo, a game
for agile assassins, who banged at one another as much as at the
puck, provided added excitement. Roller polo leagues were pro-
moted for profit, and some of the individual stars gained a
statewide reputation. It was a game as fast as hockey, but even
rougher. Masquerade parties were also held at the rink. The
German-American Society sponsored some of the largest of these
From the 80's on, the carriage horse had a mechanical rival
that brought individual transportation within the reach of almost
everybody. It was the bicycle, which multiplied the possibilities
of the leg muscles for getting from place to place. The bicycle,
originally called a velocipede, had been designed as far back as
1865. A velocipede, ridden by a Frenchman named Lillement,
appeared in New Haven in 1871. The front wheel was enormous,
but the back wheel was about the size of the wheel of a baby
buggy, and it was all too easy to take a "header" over the handle-
bars. Nevertheless, there were plenty of young men in Meriden
willing to take a chance with one of these contraptions.
Meriden came in early in this sport, largely because of the
Meriden Wheel Club, organized December 18, 1880, when there
were only about a dozen local citizens who had ever ridden a
bicycle. At first the club met in the office of Dr. T. S. Rust,
dentist, but in 1882 moved into quarters in the Palace Block,
which it occupied until after its 25th anniversary, when the group
was disbanded.
The organization charged only 25 cents a year dues and gained
a membership of about 200. It was the oldest and easily the most
active of the wheel clubs of the state, exerting a powerful
influence for legislation favorable to cyclists. Henry T. King,
state representative, later to serve as Meriden's World War I
mayor, was secretary. With J. E. Brainard, president of the club,
he was instrumental in the organization of the Connecticut
Federation of Cyclists. They took the lead in drawing up, intro-
ducing, and supporting bills for the regulation of bicycle traffic
and the improvement of roads for the benefit of bicycle riders,
promoting the construction of graveled bicycle paths paralleling
the main highways. Other outstanding members of the club were
Dr. Rust, Max E. Miller, William Collins, Frank A. Stevens,
Reuben J. Rice, Wells McMasters, Joseph Hyde, E. J. Pooley,
Harry A. Stevens, Albert L. Stetson, John W. Lane, and C. Win
King.
The League of American Wheelmen held their national con-
vention here one year in the old city hall that was destroyed by
fire in 1904.
The local pioneers of bicycling were soon joined by many
others, both men and women. Introduction of the safety bicycle,
with wheels of the same size, popularized the sport with women.
When tandem bicycles came along, husband and wife, boy and
girl friend could go far into the country on Sunday afternoons,
with other companions or just as a twosome. The more zealous
cyclists took part in "century runs," covering a hundred miles or
more in one trip.
Some even went touring on their vacations astride of wheels.
A party consisting of A. H. Wilcox, W. H. Squire, J. E. Brainard,
L. C. Evarts, the Rev. J. W. Logan, W. F. Hutchinson, Arthur
E. Hall, G. N. Shepley, Charles Bryant, and George Brown took
a trip by wheel from Meriden to Nova Scotia and New Brunswick
in 1894. They covered more than 500 miles on their bicycles,
traveling the rest of the way on boats and trains.
The gentlemen riders, who took it easy and managed to survey
at least part of the countryside, were sometimes forced off the
road by the speed demons known as "scorchers." These were the
equivalent of the more reckless "hot rodders" of today. Wearing
loud caps and tight-fitting jerseys, they bent low over the handle-
bars, and made the dust and chickens fly.
There were real speed artists, the genuine article, who competed
in regulated contests. Meriden had a number of outstanding
wheelmen in this class, among them Arthur M. Curtis, who held
the New York to Boston record, and Daniel J. Canary, who
became world-famous as a trick cyclist as well as a fast rider. He
traveled all over the United States, in Britain and the countries
of Europe, giving exhibitions of his daring and skill.
Some local sportsmen liked to stage impromptu contests for side
bets. Arthur Curtis was once induced to take part in a novel race
with a running horse owned by Charles H. Cheeney as his
competitor. The race started from the corner of Cook Avenue
and Hanover Street, and the finish line was at the post office in
Yalesville. The horse was hitched to a sulky. Curtis was paced by
the tandem team of E. K. Brainard and W. L. Barnard, which
dropped out at Walnut Grove cemetery. By that time, the horse
was out of sight. But the cyclist put on an extra burst of speed
and caught up to the rig at the culvert in Yalesville. A little farther
along, he passed the horse, and crossed the finish line as the winner
by a considerable margin.
Tennis, often called "rackets," was becoming popular here in
the late 90's. At the old courts on Lincoln Street, some of the well-
known young business and professional men of the city liked to
play in the late summer afternoon. Abiram Chamberlain, presi-
dent of the Home National Bank was reported to be "no mean
adversary." Willis J. Prouty, of the high school faculty, was
another staunch contestant. Robert W. Carter, Dr. E. W. Pierce,
James P. Piatt, A. B. Mather, John W. Coe, and Buell Goodsell
were among the regulars of the period. The Meriden Lawn
Tennis Club was formed in 1887, and promoted the sport
vigorously for a decade or more.
Golf had its beginnings here a little later than tennis. The
Meriden Golf Club was organized in 1898 at the residence of Dr.
E. T. Bradstreet. A golf course in those days was known as a
"links," because the holes were laid out like a string of link
sausages bent into some peculiar shapes. The first golf links was
on North Colony Street, just beyond the railroad underpass. It
consisted of nine holes, hewn roughly out of cow pasture. Gutta
percha or "feather" balls were used, with a range, for the best
players, of 50 to 60 yards. When a new ball was invented that
would carry 150 to 175 yards, some of the players objected to it
because it could be lost too easily.
The second golf course was in Bradley Park, a nine-hole layout
which was in use for a dozen years or more. The former club-
house is still standing.
The Highland Country Club in Westfield was built in 1915.
In its early days, the membership was divided between Meriden
and Middletown residents. But the Middletown members with-
drew to found their own course in Cromwell, and the burden of
supporting the club eventually became too heavy for the Meriden
membership. The 18-hole course, a most picturesque layout, was
owned by the Wilcox Realty Company, which also owned the
clubhouse. After the club disbanded in the 30's, the course was
allowed to revert to its natural state, and few traces of it remain.
During World War II, the clubhouse was converted into
apartments for war housing. It was demolished after the war.
But golf was an exercise for the few during its early period.
The majority of residents took their exercise in other ways,
including baseball. Many baseball teams were promoted here, and
some excellent players were developed. Thomas L. Reilly, mayor
at the time of the Centennial, and Cornelius J. Danaher, when he
was an aggressive young attorney, were two ardent promoters
of the sport.
In Meriden and near its outskirts were several popular amuse-
ment resorts. Hemlock Grove and Terrace Garden drew crowds
in the summer evenings and over the week ends. But Hanover
Park, offering a greater variety of pastimes and more space in
which to indulge them, was the principal center of attraction.
There was a merry-go-round, with a double circle of animals,
almost life-size, and a mechanical source of music, powered by
Meriden Freight Depot and engine in the 1860's
Meriden, Cromwell & Waterbury Railway Locomotive
.'.■ •' •" .,".. ",
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The Meriden House after the Blizzard of 1888
Corner of Colony and West Main Streets
Locomotive at Meriden Railroad Station, same storm
Corner East Main and State Streets
when location was known as "Paddock's Corner"
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Meriden's Business Center
"The Loop" before 1880
Perkins Street, looking east. Crown Street in background
Parade on East Main Street in the 90's
Meriden Y.M.C.A. on Colony Street
Building stood on present site of Boynton's, Inc.
fe ::;
Y.M.C.A. Clubhouse and Tennis Courts
OfT Lincoln Street, early in this century
Looking south from the corner of Church Street, about 1885
steam, in the center of the ring. After the park had been
dismantled, one of the big lions from the carousel was borrowed
by the Meriden Lions Club and used for the crowning piece on its
float in the Tercentenary Parade of 1935.
Vaudeville acts, balloon ascensions, exhibits of various kinds
were weekly features at Hanover Park. Some fast baseball games
were played on the adjacent ball field. In one of these games, on
April 4, 1890, the New York world's champions met the Meriden
Resolutes, a semi-pro team made up of local stars. There were
manv others.
Hanover Park, which comprised 30 acres, could also boast of
its boating facilities. The boat house near the pavilion housed 36
rowboats and a naphtha launch in 1895. The sail around the lake
and up the Quinnipiac River on this launch, the "Amelia," was
available at the price of one dime per passenger.
Roller skating and dancing in the Casino were other diversions.
With its numerous concessions in action, the place looked like a
small section of Savin Rock. But there were wide lawns and big
trees to shelter the families which spread out basket picnics in the
shade. The electric cars brought them in swarms when the
weather was favorable. Every seat was crowded with adults and
youngsters, and some perched precariously on the running boards,
where they impeded the progress of the conductor as he edged
his way along to collect fares. Smokers occupied the last seat
in the car or the rear platform.
The styles in dress, for both men and women, were rather
elaborate in this period. In 1890, a fashion article in the Meriden
Journal stated:
"The girl of the year will be shaped in a new way. She will
have knees. To make knees, a woman has only one resort, which is
tying back the dress around the figure just at the line of the knees.
If you want to get yourself up to look exactly like the extremely
up-to-date girl of the year, begin at your underwear and have it
shaped as tightly to your figure as possible. If necessary, wear
tights. Have the dress fitted closely around the hips, and have it
begin to flare just below the belt in the back. Have the flare set
out like a great fan, taking care there is no fullness at the sides."
Many seasons were to pass before skirts would creep upward
to the knee line and even above — in the "flapper" fashions of the
turbulent 20's. The pancake hat, the peach basket hat, the wide-
brimmed sailor hat, the pompadour stuffed with a "rat," the
Princess gown, the sheath gown and many other vagaries of style
were to come and go. The snapshots in Meriden family albums
would show a long procession of these styles, all of which appear
strange to the modern eye — until they are revived by some
couturier claiming an "original" creation.
But the men of the 90's had their vanities, too.
To quote from The Journal of December 7, 1895:
"Is there a break in the front crease of your trousers just above
the shoe tops? Well, there should be. Notice the next dozen
well-dressed men you meet. If the break is there, they are not
only well dressed but correctly dressed, so far as their trousers
go. This year's derby has a full crown, brim of medium width
and well curled. A silk hat should always be worn with the Prince
Albert coat, and of course with full dress. The cutaway is still
the thing for business. New styles in cutaways are often worn
with waistcoats of contrasting material. The new topcoats are
in box effects — very striking."
Meriden business and professional men were careful about their
dress. Bankers, lawyers, and doctors wore somber black or gray,
but the young bloods of the city broke out in checks and plaids.
The derby hat crowned two men out of three during the colder
months. The others wore caps. Hard straw hats with wide brims
were affected, especially by the younger men, after the weather
turned warm. No man went without a hat. Nearly every man
had some sort of facial adornment in the form of whiskers. Those
without beards grew moustaches trained in handle-bar shapes or
allowed to droop at the sides of the mouth. Few moustaches
were closely trimmed. Barber shops displayed rows of shaving
mugs which were the individual property of their regular
customers. The mutton-chop whisker, edging down the cheek,
was the special tag of the banker, and at least one Meriden banker
sported this type of whisker until his death after the close of
World War L
Just as a fast sports car today is a possession for the young in
heart, so the fast trotting horse was a property for men with
sporting blood and youthful spirit before the automobile came
along. During the winters, when there was good sleighing, many
a trotting duel took place on the wider streets, some of them
spur-of-the-moment affairs; others arranged to draw out side bets.
During the summer, such activities were transferred to the old
trotting park at the north end, near Bailey Avenue. Traces of this
layout may still be observed from the air according to persons
who have flown over it recently.
Adjacent to the track were the fair grounds, where annual fairs
were held for many years. The Connecticut Agricultural Society
purchased the property, off Kensington Avenue, in 1890. But the
fairs began to wane in popularity not long after that, and were
discontinued in 1895.
During the Centennial in 1906, the trotting park was sold by
the Meriden Park Company to Albert N. Butler and Leonard
Suzio for about $10,000. The purchasers said they intended to
subdivide the 56 acres of land, between Kensington and Bailey
Avenues, into building lots. They stated also that the building on
high land near the grandstand would be retained as a clubhouse
to be rented for socials and outings. Much of the tract has been
built over, but the structure which once housed agricultural
exhibits, baked goods and fancy work, entered in competition for
prizes, is no longer standing.
The spaciousness characteristic of the era distinguished the
homes which were built by men of substance, and even those in
the middle income brackets were able to erect houses of eight
rooms or more. The dwelling of the average family was a
sprawling affair, with broad verandahs and bay windows on the
sides. Usually, there was a cupola to rise about the roof line, and
a port-cochere extending over the carriage drive. Inside, the
instincts of the period for over-elaborate decoration were given
full scope. Furniture in ungainly shapes crowded the living room.
Dark draperies hung beside the windows, with lace curtains at
the sash. Antimacassars on the backs of chairs caught the pomade
which might rub off the head of the over-barbered man.
Whatnots, covered with sea shells, little porcelain figurines, and
curios of all kinds stood in the corner. The hearth was flanked
with screens hand-painted by mother or one of the girls. A
French ormulu clock, covered with a glass dome, probably stood
on the mantel. The wallpaper might be dark green or red. The
woodwork was always dark, and generally of mahogany, cherry,
stained oak or black walnut. In such sombre rooms, the life of the
family was by no means gloomy or dull, for there were all sorts
of parlor diversions.
Musical evenings, when everyone gathered around the Wilcox
& White "pneumatic symphony" or self-playing organ, occurred
often. These organs, a much-prized possession in many Meriden
homes, were a local product. They could be played by hand, or
a perforated paper roll could be run through the mechanism to
produce "the most intricate and beautiful music without touching
the fingers to the keys." The player piano was a later development
of the same company in its factory on Cambridge Street and was
manufactured until the concern finally disbanded. The Aeolian
Company, at Tremont and Cambridge Streets, also made players
and went into the phonograph record business in its later
operations here. The parlor organs and player pianos were
gradually displaced by the phonograph which, in turn, suffered
a decline with the advent of radio broadcasting.
Meriden homes could be and often were well equipped with
local products before the dawn of the new century: silverware
from Meriden Britannia; lamps and lighting fixtures from a
number of companies, including the Miller Company, the Bradley
& Hubbard Mfg. Company, the Handel Company, the Meriden
Bronze Company; table knives and forks from the Meriden
Cutlery Company; porcelain and glass novelties from the C. F.
Monroe Company; nickel silver specialties from the E. A. Bliss
Company; cut glassware from the J. D. Bergen Company or T.
Niland & Co.; silver-plated napkin rings and salts and peppers
made by Wilbur B. Hall. Some of these names have been all but
forgotten, but they represented manufacturers important in the
Meriden of that day.
Meriden had its share of total abstainers, whose lips never
touched anything stronger than coffee or tea, but there were
also plenty of families which served beer and wine sold through
local enterprise. The Meriden Brewing Company, an affiliate of
the Connecticut Breweries Company, produced large quantities
of beer in its plant on South Colony Street, abutting on the line
of the Consolidated Railroad. It had a capacity of 100,000 barrels
a year. Its "Golden Pale Ale" and "Pale Extra Lager" were in
large demand in the 90's, but the business lapsed later. Attempts
were made to revive it at different periods, but the old brewery
finally fell into disuse for its original purpose. E. J. Burke's tire
recapping plant occupies part of the old buildings.
The California Wine Company, operated by J. A. McHugh
in 1894, sold "real, pure and unadulterated California wines such
as are often purchased by physicians for medical purposes." But
it may be assumed that a doctor's prescription was unnecessary
to obtain them here.
Distilled liquors were likely to be kept out of sight in Meriden
homes of this period, for the cocktail before dinner had not
become an institution, and young people were never allowed to
partake. The man of the family, if he wanted to "wet his whistle,"
as the saying went, had his choice of a large number of saloons,
or could drop in at his club. The old Winthrop bar was always
well patronized in the late afternoon, when businessmen gathered
there on their way home.
There was practically no "night life." The earliest sign of it
was at the cafe operated by Claude Terrell on Colony Street, in
the building which formerly housed Liggett's Drug Store. The
Ponselle sisters were entertainers there for a brief period some
years before Rosa took the path to stardom with the Metropolitan
Opera Company.
This chapter should not be concluded without reference to a
strange character who roamed these parts in the 70's and 80's.
He was known universally as the "Old Leather Man," and never
divulged his real name. His garments were fashioned entirely of
leather, tailored by himself, and much patched to hold them
together. Wherever he stopped, people were glad to feed him and
give him a lodging in some barn or shed. Never did he utter a
word, and the question as to whether he was dumb has never
been answered. There were numerous explanations of his garb
and behavior, some of them fantastic. His habitual itinerary
covered many parts of the state, and many feature stories have
been written about him. He died of exposure during a winter
storm in a barn in upper New York state.
CHAPTER TWENTY
The Century Turns
Whether or not there is truth in the old saying that the first
hundred years are the hardest, Meriden emerged from its first
century as a separate community with few scars from its worst
experiences and a rugged constitution that had proved itself able
to survive every test.
Its city government was well ordered and ran smoothly. Its
manufactures were thriving, and Meriden products were favor-
ably known throughout the world. Its people had proved
themselves industrious and thrifty. The business district was
spreading out, and stores offered a reasonable variety of mer-
chandise. The principal streets had been improved with new
paving. Street lighting had been greatly extended. Railroad and
street transportation facilities were even better, in some respects,
than at present, and there was a network of electric lines to
nearby communities. The school system did not suffer by
comparison with the systems of other cities near JVieriden's size.
Banks were strong and able to respond to the financial demands
of growing business and industry. There was no problem of
unemployment.
The time had come for the city to review its past and take
stock of its present while sending out feelers for the future. It
was the psychological moment for a celebration that would give
an opportunity for a display of civic pride and call attention to
local achievements. The occasion was ready-made, just as at
present, for in 1906 one hundred years could be counted since
the first town meeting.
The Centennial was a masterpiece of organization, so well
constructed that the group which planned the Sesquicentennial
for the current year was able to draw valuable hints from the
planning done 50 years ago. At least a year was devoted to
arranging the details. Invitations were sent far and wide to reach
former residents.
When the period of the celebration arrived, June 9 to 16, the
town was filled to overflowing with visitors. Hotels and boarding
houses were packed. Private homes opened their doors to take
in guests, many of whom came not for just a day or two but for
the entire week.
Factories closed at noon on June 9, to remain closed for the
duration of the observance. Main Street, east and west, Colony
Street, State Street, Pratt Street, and many residential streets were
decorated lavishly. Store fronts wore red, white and blue bunting,
which draped from the roofs and framed every window. Bands
were so numerous that the air was filled with music nearly all
day long. Small boys ran themselves out of breath trying to keep
up with the parades. It was a holiday time for all, but there were
serious moments, too.
The churches conducted special services to open the week.
The historical side of the occasion was amply presented in
addresses by those who knew it best. Incorporation Day, which
wound up the week, was marked by a reproduction of the first
town meeting. The late Sherman F. Johnson was the author of
the script, which was based on the record of that historic event,
so far as it could be pieced together from old documents.
By authority of the general committee, "A Century of
Meriden" was published as an official souvenir of the Centennial.
The book was divided into three parts, each fully indexed. The
early history of the town was written by George Munson Curtis.
The remaining content was compiled by C. Bancroft Gillespie. A
portion of the receipts from this volume, which was widely sold,
helped to defray the expenses of the celebration. Fifty years later,
there are still occasional demands for copies, but few who possess
the book can be persuaded to relinquish it.
Another book issued at the time was entitled "Meriden's
Centennial Celebration" In 400 pages, it contained a full account
of the occasion and many photographs.
Although a special town meeting had appropriated $5,000 to
defray expenses, the revenue received from other sources made
it unnecessary to draw more than $600 from this fund. The
general committee had more than $16,500 at its disposal to pay for
the event.
There were carnival aspects to the affair which brought in large
sums for the special licenses issued to vendors.
The sports program was almost continuous, with ball games,
a golf tournament and racing at the old trotting park, with field
events at the adjacent fair grounds.
An industrial exposition was held at Hanover Park, where there
were also evening band concerts and displays of fireworks.
Several state conventions were held here during the week,
including the Connecticut Bankers' Association at the Home Club,
at which ex-Governor Abiram Chamberlain, president of the
association and also president of the Home National Bank
presided.
On "Labor's Big Day," Wednesday, June 13, a mammoth street
parade was held, in which dozens of handsome floats were entered.
Thousands of labor union members took part.
Meriden's veterans of the Civil War, although aging, were still
vigorous. They were hosts for the Department of Connecticut
Grand Army encampment here on two days of the celebration.
On another day, two large parades were held: one by the 32
drum corps in the Connecticut Fif ers' and Drummers' Association;
the other by the Second Connecticut Regiment of the National
Guard. The drummers began marching shortly after daybreak,
and were still marching at the noon hour. The United Spanish
War Veterans also held an encampment here, extending over
two days.
Wallingford's place in connection with Meriden's early history
was not forgotten. One day of the affair was set aside as Walling-
ford Day. The Putnam Phalanx of Hartford came here to do
honor to the occasion, with its members in their ceremonial
uniforms carrying out the colonial tradition. They marched up
the hill to the city hall singing the song of the noble Duke of
York, and carrying flintlock muskets, each weighing eleven and
one-half pounds.
The Colonial Ball was held that evening, and proved one of
the most spectacular features of the entire celebration.
Meriden's Centennial attracted wide attention and received
favorable editorial comment in newspapers throughout the state.
It was so successful that there was serious discussion of the
proposal that the city hold some sort of public celebration
annually to proclaim its progress. Before a year passed, this
proposal had been forgotten. Other matters were more pressing.
But memories of the Centennial lingered with those who were
here when it was held, and older residents still like to recall it.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
The Automobile Age
The automobile Age had barely begun when the current century
was ushered in. There were only two cars in Meriden in 1900:
one, an Olds runabout owned by Wallace F. Bowe of A. Bowe
& Son; the other, a steam-powered car, make unidentified,
belonging to Dr. H. L. Patzold, a dentist.
But the urge to own an automobile spread rapidly. In 1903,
there were 38 cars registered here. It was the custom of the state
at that time to issue numbers to the possessors of motor vehicles
and let them make their own number plates. Some used slabs of
wood, others patent leather with brass figures, or painted oilcloth
with a stiff backing.
Three years later, at the time of the Centennial, there were
enough new cars to make an impressive showing in the street
parade. Some of them cost as much as $7,500, and the average cost
was more than half that sum. First prize for the most handsomely
decorated car went to the late Dr. F. L. Murdock, dentist, for
his "big Thomas car," covered with a blanket of flowers arching
above the heads of the passengers.
Among the early dealers were Wilbur F. Parker, agent for the
Thomas "Flyer"' and Thomas "40," and Arthur Meeks, who
handled several makes including the Cadillac "one lunger."
The purchase of an automobile was considered real news in
those days, and sales were reported regularly in the press.
The demand for cars grew each year, and more and more
businessmen joined the ranks of automobile dealers. Some of them
had gained mechanical experience tinkering with bicycles.
The Meriden Auto Station is, by long odds, the oldest agency
in the city. It was founded by Adam Englehart, and is still
conducted by his son Leon J. Englehart. The original garage was
where the Connecticut Light & Power Company building stands
today. Later in the Yost Block, it was moved finally to 231 West
Main Street. For most of these years, it has handled the same
make of car — the Buick.
John F. Miller engaged in business in 1911, handling the
air-cooled Franklin, and was still selling Franklins when the
company went out of business about 1934.
F. N. Hastings was another early dealer, representing the
Oakland car. His garage was in the rear of his home on Griswold
Charles H. Cheeney began to sell Studebakers in 1916, and was
one of the earliest Chevrolet dealers.
There were numerous others in the period just before and just
after World War I. The first great line-up of local dealers
occurred in 1922 when the first automobile show in Meriden was
presented at the New Departure plant shortly before it opened
for production. After that year, shows were staged annually for
a long period at the state armory. The incentive to hold them
began to disappear when most dealers opened showrooms of
their own, where they could display a variety of models.
Scores of makes of automoblies have been handled in Meriden
during the last 50 years, and the names of many would be
remembered only by older residents who knew what it was to
fumble through a tool kit while trying to make repairs on the
road, or to change one of the old clincher tires under similar
Among the older agencies listed today is Gilmartin Motor Sales
Corp., Dodge and Plymouth, founded by the late John Gilmartin
in partnership with the late John F. Day, as Gilmartin & Day, and
now conducted by John Gilmartin, Jr. The garage at 127 Colony
Street was built in 1910. John J. Scanlon, now handling Chrysler
and Plymouth at 34 Miller Street, began business in 1924. Max's
Automotive Service, DeSoto, Plymouth, at 172 West Main Street,
established 1933, is owned by Max Katz, whose connection with
the automobile business began much earlier when he was a
mechanic for Charles H. Cheeney.
The Alderman Motor Co., 65 Cook Avenue, Oldsmobile and
Cadillac, began business in 1923 at the corner of Cook Avenue
and Hanover Street, and later was on Pratt Street before moving
to the present quarters. The Ford agency of D. W. Flint, Inc. was
once in the same building. Later, the agency passed to Budd
Motors and finally to Danaher Bros., whose garage is on Parker
Avenue.
Other automobile dealerships here have much briefer histories.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Theaters, Past and Present
The centennial celebration was handicapped in one respect.
Arrangements had been made to hold a number of the most
important gatherings in the Meriden Theater on Church Street,
more generally known, through long tradition, as the Delavan
Opera House. But the old theater, which was practically the only
place of theatrical entertainment here for a quarter of a century,
burned down on March 27, 1906, forcing a revision of all the
plans to connect it with the program less than three months away.
The building so inconveniently destroyed had once housed
religious services. It was erected by the First Congregational
Society in 1847, when a portion of the membership of the uptown
church broke away to establish a new place of worship down-
town. It was used continuously as a church until 1879, when the
last communion was held on March 2. Then located at the corner
of Church and Colony Streets, the building was moved to the
rear and turned to face Church Street. The present First Congre-
gational Church on Colony Street was constructed at that time,
and the former church was purchased by Horace Wilcox. After
the removal of the edifice, he proceeded to erect the Wilcox
Block on the corner site. Meanwhile, the conversion of the church
into a theater proceeded, and the work was finished in time for
the scheduled opening performance on December 4, 1879. The
first play presented was "Our Bachelors," produced by Robinson
& Crane. It was written by Joseph Bradford, brother-in-law of
J. S. Norton, cashier of the Home National Bank. Charles S.
Perkins, later to fill the same position and to rise to the presidency
of the bank, was appointed manager of the theater by Mr. Wilcox.
Mr. Perkins remained as manager through the first season, but
was replaced the following year by Thomas Delavan. Delavan did
not remain long in charge. He left town. But his wife succeeded
him and directed the theater until the summer of 1901, when Jean
Jacques, who conducted a theater in Waterbury, took over the
lease. The Jacques management lasted until 1904. Ira W. Jackson
and William D. Reed of New London then assumed the lease,
changed the name to the Meriden Theater, and ran it until it
burned.
Many of the great and the near-great actors of the nineteenth
century played at the Delavan Opera House during its heyday.
The old productions required licenses, and records at the city
hall contain the illustrious names of Edwin Booth, E. H. Sothern,
Joseph Jefferson, Mary Anderson, Fanny Davenport, Modjeska,
Januschak, Emma Abbott, Pat Rooney, Sr., Sol Smith Russell,
Denman Thompson and Buffalo Bill.
The mainstay of the old theater was the "stock company." A
long succession of these companies performed such standard
plays of the period as "East Lynn," "Two Orphans," "Only a
Farmer's Daughter," "Pirates of Penzance," "The Old Home-
stead" made popular by Denman Thompson, "Rip Van Winkle"
with Joseph Jefferson in the title role, "The Celebrated Case,"
"Bess, the Waif," "Peck's Bad Boy," "Black Flag," "Power of
Money," "Wages of Sin," "The Black Crook," and many more.
"Uncle Tom's Cabin," based on the famous book by Harriet
Beecher Stowe, was presented on numerous occasions.
Minstrel performances were frequent attractions, always pre-
ceded by a "mammoth street parade."
Light opera companies with casts of 40 to 50 persons came
here often to present the equivalent of today's musical comedies.
After Mrs. Delavan gave up the lease in 1901, the character of
the shows began to change. Under Jackson and Reed, a decline in
attendance was noticeable, but by then motion pictures had begun
to offer some competition. The Meriden Theater began to show
movies to fill in the week's bill about a year before it burned. The
management promised to build a new theater, but could not
obtain the backing necessary for the venture.
Only a few traces remain of this once celebrated playhouse,
to be seen by those who look for them carefully. The entrance,
now boarded up, was at the east end of the Horton Printing
Company building. An archway of brownstone marks the spot.
A small area of much-worn marble flags may be noticed just
inside the archway. Near the ceiling are traces of ornamental iron
work in relief, the material which lined the lobby. Through this
entrance, theatergoers passed directly back to the box office and
from there to the auditorium at the rear. A yard, partially enclosed
by small garages, occupies the space where the audiences were
seated. The stage was at the west end of the auditorium, near the
retaining wall which rises to the municipal parking lot. Entrance
to the top balcony was gained by means of a door on the alley
which runs between the printing company's building and the rear
of the Wilcox Block.
At the corner of Church Street and High School Avenue stood
Austin's livery stable, where Mrs. Delavan kept the horse which
drew her light buggy and the heavier wagon used for bill-posting
excursions, and to convey scenery for the performances from the
railroad station to the theater. The wagon was backed up to an
alleyway which led from Church Street, and from there was
unloaded into a storage room beside the stage. The stage entrance
was beside this passage.
Meriden missed the opera house and the types of entertainment
which had been presented there. Not long after the fire, the
Meriden Board of Trade, predecessor of the Chamber of Com-
merce, started a movement to gain backing for a new theater.
Early in 1907, this effort was successful, for S. Z. Poli of New
Haven, who had already started a chain of theaters in New
England, told a local committee, headed by C. H. Tredennick, that
he would invest capital if a company could be formed to erect
a theater here, taking a long term lease on the house and guaran-
teeing a rental that would give investors a good return on their
money. The Meriden Theater Company was organized, with a
capital of $100,000, and C. W. Cahill, owner of the Cahill Block,
agreed to build the theater in the rear of this property, with a
lobby opening from East Main Street. On August 17, 1907, the
first brick of the new theater was laid by Mayor Thomas L.
Reilly.
The theater had 1,700 seats, originally, on main floor and first
and second balconies. The stage was 40 feet deep and the
proscenium arch measured 36 x 27 feet. The decorations were
ornate and the appointments impressive. Few theaters in New
England could match it at that period, and to it some of the best
legitimate attractions in the country were brought during its
earlier period. But even before World War I the competition
of motion pictures was making it unprofitable to send the better
class of road companies on tour into the smaller cities. Vaudeville
and variety shows were still in the ascendant. The Poli Theater
compromised by booking road shows occasionally while concen-
trating, through most of the season, on combination programs of
vaudeville and motion pictures. By that time, the S. Z. Poli chain
had access to the best acts in vaudeville. The bills changed twice
and sometimes three times weekly, and the house was well filled
throughout the fall and winter.
In 1920, Mr. Cahill offered $100,000 for the theater, its site,
and the equipment, and the offer was accepted by the directors
of the Meriden Theater Company, which then proceeded to
disband.
After the collapse of vaudeville, due mainly to the advent of
movies with sound, the Poli Theater became a motion picture
house entirely, except for occasional performances by amateurs,
such as the annual Charity Club show and the Fellowcraft
Minstrels, presented there for a number of years.
In 1928, the theater lease was taken over by the Loew interests,
combined with what was left of the original Poli enterprise.
The death sentence for the 45-year-old theater, which had often
served for community gatherings, such as war bond rallies during
World War I, came in 1952, when William J. Cahill, Jr., mayor at
that time, announced that the building would be razed. It was
torn down in 1953.
The Loew Poli Palace Theater on West Main Street is the
successor to a theatrical enterprise which began in 1921, when
the late Esidor Derecktor signed a contract with the Sutherland
Construction Company of St. Louis to construct a theater in the
rear of a business block which he owned. The St. Louis concern
agreed to put up the building for $225,000 and to sign a lease
for a term of 50 years. Some local capital, in addition to that
furnished by Mr. Derecktor, had been attracted to the venture,
and the enterprise was named the Community Playhouse. Its life
under these auspices was short. Even before the first year was out,
it was apparent that mistakes had been made, both in the design
of the theater and in its management. Built all on one floor, with
no balconies, the acoustical properties of the auditorium were
found to be deficient. Much space was wasted in the lobby, where
a fountain played. Some big names of the theatrical world had
been featured in occasional legitimate productions there, but the
general run of attractions brought poor to only fair attendance.
In 1922, Patrick F. McMahon, a former resident of Meriden, and
Nathan and Samuel Derecktor bought practically all of the stock
in the company, and took full control. But their reign was also
short.
The Sutherland Construction Company was still in the picture,
through the arrangements made originally, and it had the deciding
voice. The Community Playhouse was sold in 1924 to the S. Z.
Poli Theatrical Enterprises. Mr. Poli himself was still active. The
move gave him control of two theaters in Meriden, for he was
still operating the older house.
Although still young, the Community Playhouse was already
showing signs of wear, and Mr. Poli gave orders for its entire
renovation and for alterations to improve the arrangement and
acoustics. This work was completed, and the theater, entirely
changed in the interior, was opened for the first performance on
August 11, 1924, rechristened the Meriden Poli Palace.
Due to a combination between the Fox and Poli interests, the
name was again changed in 1930, when the theater became known
as the Fox-Poli Palace. Later the Fox name was dropped, after
a financial reorganization which brought the famous theatrical
name of Loew into the picture, and placed it beside the name of
Poli, which was equally well known in New England.
The Loew Poli Palace Theater has continued the successful
policies which were inaugurated after the Community Playhouse
venture failed. M-G-M productions are featured, but a wide
range of selections from Hollywood's best is offered throughout
the year.
The Capitol Theater on Grove Street is strictly a local enter-
prise. Originally called the Life Theater, the name was changed
to its present form in 1930, when J. M. Ricci, owner of the
property, decided to operate the business, and placed his son Leo
Ricci in charge. During the spring and summer of that year, the
theater was enlarged and entirely renovated. It underwent further
alterations in 1937. While they were in progress, the staff was
moved to the East Main Street Poli Theater, and the programs
were presented there. The personnel returned to the Capitol as
soon as the work was completed, and the house was reopened
December 17, 1937. Since then, it has been completely renovated
several times. In 1950, an addition was built, measuring 103 feet in
depth, 35 feet wide at the front and 22 feet wide in the rear, to
provide a new entrance and a new lounge. Air conditioning was
also installed. Leo Ricci has continued to manage the theater since
The latest addition to Meriden's theatrical enterprises is the
Meriden Theater on South Broad Street, near the Wallingford
town line. It was constructed on a portion of the old Watrous
farm. Three New Britain men, Nick Kounaris, A. Tolles, and
George Ulysses were originally involved, but there have been
changes in ownership since. The structure was designed to seat
from 950 to 1,000 persons in an air-conditioned auditorium. It
was completed in 1949.
There have been other theaters in Meriden since motion
pictures became a popular form of public entertainment. Among
them were the Star, Bijou, and Crystal which were opened in the
period between 1910 and 1920. All these were small movie houses.
For a time, an open-air theater was in operation on Church Street,
during the summers. Known as the Air Dome, it was under the
same ownership and management as the Crystal Theater on
Colony Street, opposite the Winthrop Hotel. Many older
residents had their first introduction to the movies in these tiny
theaters, which went out of business many years ago.
Meriden is the home city of many who rose to become
celebrities in the world of entertainment. Among them, none
achieved greater fame than Rosa Ponselle, born Rosa Ponzillo,
often rated as the finest dramatic soprano ever to join the
Metropolitan Opera Company. At the height of her career in the
20's, she sang with Enrico Caruso, Gigli, and other stars who have
never been excelled. Her sister, Carmela, was well known as an
opera and concert singer. Both sisters, when in their teens, sang
between movie reels at the old Star Theater on West Main Street,
and appeared frequently before various local organizations.
George Sklar, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ezak Sklar of this city,
began his successful career as a playwright when he was still in
Yale University. He has written a long succession of plays and
novels and adaptations for the screen. In some of his books, a
Meriden background was recognizable.
In the field of vaudeville, when it was in its prime, Meriden
produced many headliners of their day, among them Milton Bros.,
acrobats; Vesta and Teddy Wentworth; Jack and Dennis Hag-
gerty and their trained dog; the Savoys, another dog act; Kennedy
& Kramer, famous dance team, of whom the survivor, James
Kennedy, is still in Meriden and connected with the circulation
department of the Record- Journal; Eddie DeVoe, contortionist;
John Potts, celebrated clown; Walter Brasyl, dancer with Prim-
rose Minstrels; Harry Bolden and Hattie Sharp, singing and piano;
Eddie Dowling, with Dockstader's Minstrels; Charles Nellis, Jr.
with Guy Bros. Minstrels; Lee Harrissier Bros., with Guy Bros.;
Bill Dunham, singer; Mike Carron, acrobat; Eddie Garvey of
Girard & Garvey; Morris Slater, singer with Guy Bros.; Freddie
Miller, dancer; and George Rollins, dancer. LeRoi McCafferty,
well-known magician of the "big time" made his home here for
many years.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Sports Celebrities
Meriden's interest in all forms of sports has always been keen.
Many celebrities of the sports world have been born and bred in
Meriden, and others, equally famous have become local citizens
by adoption. Space does not permit the enumeration of all the
greater and lesser stars who have lived here at one stage or another
of their careers, but a few of special importance may be men-
tioned.
There was the beloved Connie Mack who came to Meriden
about 1884 as a lanky young catcher, signed by a local promoter
also know as Connie. Cornelius J. Danaher, then a youthful
attorney with a flair for arranging sports events, picked Cornelius
McGillicuddy to play on the Meriden team which was giving a
rub to many teams of the state in games at the old trotting park
off Kensington Avenue. Both Connies made good in their separate
ways. Connie Mack hit a triple the first time at bat. He later
caught in Hartford and graduated to Philadelphia, where he rose
to fame as manager and principal owner of the Philadelphia
Athletics. Mack's original sponsor, Connie Danaher, gained dis-
tinction as Connecticut's Labor Commissioner and in his long
career before the bar. He is the father of former Mayor Francis
R. Danaher and of John A. Danaher, who was elected U. S.
senator in 1938. At that time another Meriden man, the late
Francis T. Maloney, was also in the U. S. Senate. John Danaher
is now judge of the U. S. Court of Appeals of the District of
Jack Barry, born in Meriden in 1887, starred in sports at
Meriden High School and later at Holy Cross. He was signed by
Connie Mack directly from the Holy Cross campus in 1908 as
regular shortstop, and became an integral part of the illustrious
"$100,000 infield" which included Stuffy Mclnnis, Eddie Collins,
and "Home Run" Baker. When the quartet was disbanded,
Barry went to the Red Sox, and helped to spark the winning of
pennants in 1915 and 1916. He managed Boston to second place
in 1917. At present he is regarded as one of the nation's top
coaches at Holy Cross.
Sam Babcock, outstanding amateur and semi-pro hockey player,
has turned to officiating, and is now in his 16th year as National
Hockey League linesman. He is the oldest official in NHL in term
of service.
Lois Felix, Meriden tennis star, learned the game in Brookside
Park, in the rear of her home. She became local, state, and New
England champion without benefit of formal coaching. Miss
Felix participated in the Nationals at Forest Hills and also played
at Wimbledon in England. She was once ranked eighth nationally
in singles by the U. S. Lawn Tennis Association and was rated
fifth nationally in doubles.
Julius Woronick, Meriden's No. 1 professional wrestler,
appeared under the name of the Great Mephisto. He won the
recognized light heavyweight world's wrestling championship in
the early 1930's, and is still in competition. In Canada he is a
special favorite.
"Big Ed" Walsh, born in 1881 in Plains, Pa., came to Meriden
when he was 21, and played for this city in the old Connecticut
League. During his first year in Aieriden (1902) he won 15 and
lost 5. The White Sox of the American League bought him from
Newark after he had compiled a 9-5 record in 1903. In his first
season with Chicago (1904) Walsh won 6, lost 3. Chicago paid
$750 for him, probably baseball's greatest bargain. He gained the
height of his fame in 1908, when he won 40 games, lost 15,
appeared in 66, struck out 269, walked only 56 and worked 464
innings. His top salary was $3,500. He was named to the Baseball
Hall of Fame in 1946. His son, Young Ed, who seemed destined
for a brilliant future in baseball, died in 1937.
Louis "Kid" Kaplan retired as undefeated featherweight
champion of the world. He is regarded as one of the greatest of
all time in his division. Nicknamed the "Meriden Buzzsaw," he
won the title on Jan. 2, 1925 from Danny Kramer on a kayo
in the eighth round. Kaplan began fighting in Meriden in 1921
and had nine bouts that year; six in Meriden, three in Hartford.
He won all on decisions. His first fight was July 1, 1921 against
Sammy Waltz, which he won in 12 rounds. He retired Feb. 23,
1933, three days after he lost a 10-round decision to Cocoa Kid in
the New Haven Arena, a fight which did not cost him his title.
Harry Costello, regarded by many as the greatest football
player in the history of Georgetown University, was termed by
"Pop" Warner, the famous coach of the Carlisle Indians, "for his
inches, one of the finest players who ever lived." Joe Beecham,
former West Point coach, said of Costello, "He's the best football
player we had at West Point for as long as I can remember." He
could punt, pass, run, and drop kick with equal facility. At
Georgetown, he starred during the seasons 1910-1913.
Dennis McMahon, known all his life as "Dinny," was the
manager of world's champion Kid Kaplan. He is one of the few
to hold the coveted Gold Key awarded by Connecticut sports
writers. He is now State Athletic Commissioner.
Walter Surowiecki, one of Meriden's all-time great bowlers,
won the national singles bowling championship against thousands
of the country's top keglers with 445.
Steve Carr, born before the era of television, was the best of
his day in the light heavyweight division. He was undefeated in
1932 and 1934.
Ben Zajac, one of the city's finest basketball players, captained
Meriden High to the state and New England championships in
1935. He became a successful basketball coach at Wilcox Tech.
In schoolboy sports, many interesting chapters have been
written here. The three major sports, football, basketball, and
baseball have dominated the scene at Meriden High School, while
tennis, soccer, swimming, and golf have always been rated there
as minor sports. The high school's greatest successes have been
scored in football and basketball. The achievements of the 1916
and 1926 football teams and the 1934 and 1935 basketball teams
are best remembered by the older graduates.
Coach Frank Barnikow, who served M. H. S. from 1926 to 1946
is credited with one of the best coaching records of the kind in
the state. He gave the Red and Blue two state and New England
championship basketball teams in 1934 and 1935, and the second
unbeaten and untied football team in M. H. S. history in 1926.
Intersectional games were not taboo in high school sports in
those days, and Meriden beat Nashua, N. H. in 1926, the first
out-of-state journey ever taken by an M. H. S. eleven.
Meriden's first intersectional game was played earlier in the
20's, when Jimmie Fitzpatrick, a star on the first M. H. S. team
ever to attain a perfect record, came here from Portland, Maine
for a clash at Hanover Park which drew a crowd of 2,000.
The first paid coach at Meriden High School was Pat Meskell,
who was appointed to coach football in 1917.
In recent years, Little League baseball and Junior League
football have become popular in Meriden. A baseball park for
the Little Leaguers was created on Britannia Street, where games
are played throughout the season. Teams are uniformed and
sponsored by local business concerns. Meriden in 1954 was the
scene of sectional play-offs in Junior League football. In 1955,
the Meriden "All Stars" were sent to Redondo Beach, Cal., for the
play-offs there. The local eleven lost the big game by a close
margin, but gained more ground than their opponents. The
expenses of the trip were defrayed through local contributions.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
The assassination of an Austrian Archduke and his wife on June
28, 1914 was an event so remote from Meriden that none could
have guessed its implications, so far as this city was concerned.
But the deaths of Francis Ferdinand and the Duchess of
Hohenberg led to conflict between Austria and Serbia. The
rivalry of great European powers, already primed for war, soon
burst into full flame. On August 1, Germany declared war on
Russia, and against France on August 3. The German armies
invaded Belgium on August 4. This is not the place to record the
titanic struggle which raged up to the time the United States
entered the war on April 6, 1917. But from that moment, Meriden
was involved, along with the rest of the country.
Meriden companies of the National Guard had been seasoned
a year in advance, when the border troubles with Mexico began
in 1916. The State Armory here had been dedicated December
15, 1908, and the local guardsmen had received the standard
peacetime training in the form of drills and maneuvers. But the
Mexican border forays under the bandit general, Pancho Villa,
had cost American lives, and Gen. John J. Pershing, with 12,000
troops, was sent into Mexico. On June 6, 1916, Meriden
guardsmen were mobilized and sent to his support. On October
16 of that year, the local soldiers returned, and were ready when
the next duty called.
There was a hard core of experienced men available to form
the nucleus of the forces summoned from here as America's
entry into World War I. When the break in diplomatic relations
with Germany occurred on February 3, 1917, the National Guard
was mobilized. Two days later, the local companies were on
guard at the Westinghouse plant at the north end, where large
defense contracts were being rilled.
On March 8, there was full mobilization, and Companies I and
L were sent to Bridgeport for guard duty on April 1 with the
3rd battalion of the 2nd Connecticut Infantry in anticipation of
the declaration of war, which came only five days later. At that
time, Company I was in command of Capt. William H. Whitney,
with John R. Feegel as 1st lieutenant and Company L was under
Capt. Frank H. McGar, with Samuel Tyler as 1st lieutenant.
The Meriden soldiers served in Bridgeport until July 25, when
they were moved to Yale Field in New Haven, where the 2nd
Connecticut Regiment was assembled.
On August 25, the 2nd Connecticut Infantry became the 102nd
U. S. Infantry of the 51st Brigade, 26th Division. Company L was
increased to a strength of 250 men and six officers, with comple-
ments from Company L of the 1st Connecticut Infantry,
Company K of the 1st Vermont Infantry and casuals from the 6th
Massachusetts Infantry. Company I was undergoing much the
same process.
The Meriden soldiers, with other units of the 102 nd, entrained
from New Haven for Montreal, Canada on September 14, and
from there sailed to Europe. They landed at Liverpool, England
on October 2, and moved by way of Southampton to Le Havre,
France. On October 7, they arrived at Certilleaux, Vosges, and
were part of the 1st Corps Reserve until February 6, 1918, when
they were sent with other infantry units of the 26th Division to
Chassemy Wood, Vailly, France, in the Chemin des Dames
sector. The next transfer was to the American sector on the
Toule front. They arrived in Ansauville on April 1. On July 3,
they were drawn into the thick of the fighting in the sector
around Chateau-Thierry. Following the Champagne, Marne, and
Ainse-Marne operations, they were moved to Perrefette and Rupt
en Woevre for the St. Mihiel offensive, which began September
5. After the reduction of the St. Mihiel salient, the men from
Meriden were in the movement through Verdun to Bois des
Ormonte for the closing engagements of the war, ended by the
Armistice on November 11, 1918. After that, they were held in
Army reserves near General Headquarters, Chaumont, until
cleared for return to the United States. They sailed from Brest,
France, on April 1, 1919, and arrived in Boston, April 7. The local
units were demobilized at Camp Devens, Mass. on April 29.
The engagements in which Meriden soldiers took part were
the gas attack at Pargny-Filain, March 17-18, 1918; Seicheprey-
Toule front, April 20-21; Xivray-Marvoissin, Toule front, June
16; jump-off from Moresches for Chateau-Thierry counterattack,
July 18, to Epieds Trugny Aug. 4; St. Mihiel operation from
Woevre to Vigneulles, September 12-13; Wadonville, Saulx and
Marcheville, September 15-26 as diversion attacks and a feint at
Metz to cover preparations for the Meuse-Argonne offensive;
in the Meuse-Argonne offensive their assignment was to protect
the right flank of the 1st American Army at Bois d'Ormonte
October 16, and they helped to press the attack through to clear
the enemy from this area and push him back from the last of his
strongly entrenched positions.
The losses of Meriden men in the last phases of the war were
heavy. Eighty-four names are inscribed on the World War I
Memorial.
Throughout the war, the home front in Meriden was lending
all possible assistance in the support of the fighting forces.
One of the first essentials here was a uniformed force to replace
the National Guard in protecting war plants. On March 30, 1917,
the state called for enlistments in the State Guard. Several
companies were formed here, later reduced to two companies of
infantry, and Major Joseph DeCantillon was placed in command
of the Meriden battalion. Captain H. DeForest Lockwood, after-
ward promoted to major in the Medical Corps, formed an
Ambulance Corps. He was one of those who had seen service
with the National Guard at the Mexican border. A uniformed
Motor Transport Corps of five battalions was organized, and
Frank E. Sands was commissioned as major in command.
All of these companies drilled regularly at the State Army
and engaged in maneuvers from time to time. As the war
proceeded, many of the younger men in them became affiliated
with the fighting forces, and older men filled up the gaps.
In the fall of 1917, the Meriden War Council was organized
as an arm of the State Council of Defense.
Liberty Loan drives became frequent. The second such drive
went over the top on October 27, 1917, the third in April 1918,
the fourth a few months later, and the fifth in April 1919.
Shortages in various essential commodities began to appear in
the fall of 1917, but the first real pinch occurred on January 18,
1918, when factories here had to close for five days because of
lack of coal. It was an exceptionally severe winter, and many
homes were without fuel on some of the worst days. Again,
during the following August, deliveries of coal were reduced.
On September 21, 1917, for a period of about a month, "gasless
Sundays" were enforced, and no automobiles were allowed on
the roads except for the most essential uses under permit.
Newspapers had to be reduced in size to conserve newsprint.
On March 21, 1918, daylight saving went into effect for the
On February 28, 1918, dispatches received here carried the
first news that Meriden troops were engaged in action. On March
9, 1918, the machine gun company from Camp Devens entrained
Full war production in local plants was not achieved until the
summer of 1918, although war materials were shipped, in some
instances, in May.
Long before that time, Meriden had been almost stripped of its
young men, except those who had received exemption from the
draft because of physical defects or essential war service. The
first registration day was on July 5, 1917, and the first draft came
on July 20. The second registration day was held on September
12, 1918, embracing those who had reached the age of 21. On
September 17, all female aliens were required to register. On
September 16, 1918 the whole force of the Connecticut State
Guard was ordered to New Haven for review.
Home front activities appeared on every side in which women,
as well as men, took part. On May 8, 1918, a meeting of citizens
decided to organize a War Chest, covering many of the local
agencies which were taking part in war work. The drive was a
great success, and the inspiration carried ten years into the future,
when the Community Fund was formed.
The news of the Armistice broke prematurely, and was
greeted with wild rejoicing, but the crowds reassembled in even
greater number when the official announcement was published
on November 11, 1918. A large parade wound through the city's
principal streets.
On November 11, 1918, Mayor Henry T. King appointed a
Committee of Ninety to arrange a welcome home for Meriden
soldiers. The committee went to Boston the following April to
meet the first arrivals from overseas.
A "Welcome Home" monument was erected on Winthrop
Square to serve until the form of a permanent memorial could be
decided upon. During the war, a board with an honor roll had
been placed on this site, which was an open plot of land until
the present Colony Building was erected on it.
A long period was to ensue before Meriden's plans to honor its
war dead matured. Organizations of World War I veterans were
formed rapidly after the war, however, and took part in the
deliberations. On March 19, 1920, Meriden Post No. 45, American
Legion, sponsored a memorial service in the city hall auditorium
to pay tribute to those who had lost their lives in the struggle. On
that occasion, French awards to Meriden soldiers were presented,
some of them posthumously. Lt. Robert Leconte represented the
French High Command. Mayor Daniel J. Donovan spoke for the
city, and Dr. David P. Smith, then commander of the Legion
Post, opened the ceremonies.
The immortal Yankee Division, the 26th, in which so many
Meriden men had served, was made up originally entirely of
volunteers. When hostilities ceased, barely 15 per cent of them
remained. To its credit were nearly 150 citations, and more than
7,000 of its men were cited individually for their bravery. Meriden
soldiers had their full share of these honors, from their own
country and from the French Government as well.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
World War I Memorial
and Boulevard
The committee of Ninety, appointed by Mayor King, had as
its first duty the task of arranging a suitable reception for the
veterans, but it also looked forward to the time when the sacrifice
of those who could not return would be suitably marked with a
lasting memorial.
The committee voted on April 1, 1919 that any balance of
funds remaining after paying the expenses of welcoming celebra-
tions should be devoted to paying "part or the entire expense of
a suitable bronze memorial or — the entire expense of suitable
separate grave markers or monuments" in memory of the dead.
A canvass for funds resulted in donations of $9,813.70. After
paying for the welcome home exercises and the maintenance of
a Soldiers and Sailors club room in Journal Hall, a balance of
$3,262.20 remained.
At the same time Aaayor King appointed the Committee of
Ninety, he appointed another committee "to inquire into and
report to the people concerning a memorial to those who entered
the service of their country from Meriden." This committee
reported in favor of erecting a memorial building on the site of
the Charles S. Palmer residence, later the home of P. T. Ives. This
proposal did not meet with favor, and the smaller committee
took no further action.
Another plan for a large stone with a bronze plate affixed, to
stand at the southwest corner of the city hall was also rejected.
A third proposal was rejected because the chosen site was that
occupied by the G. A. R. monument to Civil War veterans.
Thomas L. Reilly, former mayor, moved that the council be
requested to appropriate "as much as was necessary of $25,000"
for the erection of a memorial.
Additional suggestions for various forms of memorials and
various sites were appearing frequently, but all fell flat, for one
reason or another.
WORLD WAR I MEMORIAL AND BOULEVARD
Six years had passed, and the city seemed to grow weary of
argument. No further proposal appeared until May 1928, when
the plan to make a portion of Broad Street into a Memorial
Boulevard, and to place a monument at the interesection of Broad
and East Main Streets was brought to the attention of the
Chamber of Commerce by Lorenzo Hamilton. Mr. Hamilton had
drawn plans to accompany his suggestion, and the Chamber's
directors appointed a committee to take up the matter with Mayor
Wales L. deBussy. The plans were submitted to the State High-
way Department, which approved Mr. Hamilton's design.
Through further conferences between local and state officials,
agreement was reached for the construction of Memorial Boule-
vard. The state was already committed to the repaving of Broad
Street as a state highway, and consented to assume the cost of the
strip on the east side of the dividing plot in the center of the
boulevard, assessing the cost of the west side against the city. The
state would also take and pay for any land needed to widen the
southeast corner of East Main Street where it intersected with
Broad Street, and the city agreed to acquire the land needed for
improving the opposite corner, west of Broad Street. The
residence of Daniel J. Donovan, which occupied the site where
the old Central Tavern had stood, had been sold, and was to be
removed to make room for a gasoline station. The new owners
came to an agreement with the city which permitted the widening
of this corner. Nothing further stood in the way of the proposed
Memorial Boulevard, but the question of the monument was still
unsettled.
On January 7, 1929, the council approved the appointment of
a committee of five aldermen to be known as the World War I
Memorial Committee, "whose duty it shall be to select a suitable
memorial and site . . . said committee to have full powers to
act in any manner in regard to this memorial."
Mayor deBussey appointed Mrs. Mildred Williams as chairman,
Alderman Horace F. Doolittle, secretary, and Aldermen Castelow,
Quinlan and Ficken. The committee's membership was later
increased by the appointment of 36 other citizens. Additional
sub-committees were appointed on site, ways and means, the
memorial, publicity, dedication, and reception.
The site committee reported favorably on the Broad Street
location, and on June 11, 1929, the general committee passed the
following vote:
"that Broad Street from the junction of East Main Street to
the junction of Curtis and South Broad Streets be adopted as
Memorial Boulevard and the site of the World War I Memorial,
and that the memorial itself be placed as near the junction of East
Main and Broad Streets as practical."
The council gave the committee power to take the necessary
steps. The ways and means sub-committee reported that the
funds should be raised by general taxation and favored the laying
of a one mill tax for the purpose. The Board of Apportionment
and Taxation followed this recommendation by laying a half mill
tax in 1930, with the understanding that the second half mill
would be applied the following year.
The contract for the Broad Street route was let to the L. Suzio
Construction Company of this city, and work was started on
November 30, 1929 at the north end of the junction of Berlin
Road and Broad Street. The roadway laid was 20 feet wide, of
reinforced concrete eight inches thick. The second contract, with
the same company, was signed June 17, 1930, and provided for
the central or boulevard section and the cut-off at Yalesville
leading to the old railroad underpass. The Southern New England
Telephone Company placed an additional contract for under-
ground conduits, and the city contracted for the laying of sewers.
The state contracts amounted to nearly $400,000, the telephone
company's to $220,000 and the sewer bill to $5,200.
After inspection of many monuments and designs, the sub-
committee on the form of the memorial recommended the design
submitted by the Gorham Company of Providence. A model was
exhibited, and the design was formally adopted. It was the work
of sculptor Aristide B. Cianfarani.
Another decision was made that the names to go on the
monument should be only those of the war dead, and another
contract was made with the Gorham Company to erect a Roll of
Honor on the section of the central parkway strip south of the
monument. Later, it was proposed that a flagpole be erected
nearby in honor of the Gold Star mothers, and a committee was
appointed to investigate this plan.
The World War I monument consists of a granite column,
surmounted by a bronze eagle and flanked at its base by four
bronze statues representing the Doughboy, the Marine, the Sailor
and the Nurse. The granite column is decorated with stars and
stripes, symbolizing the American flag. The eagle is conceived
as lighting on the top of the column with a laurel wreath of
Victory clutched in his talons. On the buttresses beneath each
statue are inscribed the names of those who died in service. The
buttress beneath the Doughboy, which faces down East Main
Street, is inscribed:
"Dedicated to the Memory of Those from Meriden Who Made
the Supreme Sacrifice in the Service of Their Country During
the World War."
There are four star-embellished bowls mounted on tripods
which illuminate the monument at night. These tripods are
mounted on heavy granite pedestals on which are inscribed the
names of the battles in which the Meriden men participated. The
extreme height of the monument from the street level is approxi-
mately 50 feet. The granite for the memorial was quarried at
Barre, Vermont.
This striking monument was dedicated November 8, 1930 with
ceremonies witnessed by thousands. The parade passed in review
before Governor John H. Trumbull and Major General Clarence
Edwards, commander of the Yankee Division. The reviewing
stand was filled with scores of men and women prominent in all
phases of the community's life.
Mrs. Mildred R. Williams, general chairman of the memorial
committee, presented the memorial, which was accepted, after
unveiling, by Mayor Francis T. Maloney on behalf of the city.
General Edwards delivered the dedicatory address.
The monument and the boulevard, overlooked by the two
historic white churches, constitute a scene which has probably
been more admired than any other feature of the more thickly
settled portions of Meriden. It is a scene which appeals at any
time of day or night, and at any season of the year. The boulevard
is illuminated by long rows of lights. When the churches are also
illuminated, the sight is doubly impressive. It is best of all, perhaps,
at the Christmas season.
The names of the World War I dead inscribed upon the
monument under the words "These Laid Down Their Lives" are:
Leslie H. Anderson James Bambax
Verner Anderson Fred M. Barsneck
Norman M. Angevine Leslie C. Bemis
John W. Berberich
Frank Bonarek
Constantine J. Bournique
Felix E. Brenner
Nicholas Briscoe
Richard H. Brown
John B. Bulluss
Henry G. Burbank
James C. Call
Edward Casey
Homer F. Cashen
Joseph H. Collins
Jesse M. Curtis
Joseph G. Cyphers
Lorenzo D'Amico
William DeLuca
Antonio DeSandre
John J. Doran
Frank Dworak
Joseph H. Felix
Joseph Ferraro
John F. Fielding
Fred J. Gershefski
David Goldsmith
Joseph L. Gorman
Nathan Hale
Joseph E. Hall
Leroy C. Higginson
Nelson Hitchcock
Charles W. Jackson
H. Raymond Jopson
Adam Kaczynski
Anthony Kalinowski
Frederick H. Kantack
Otto C. Ketelhut
James C. Killeen
Jesse M. King
Edward J. Kline
Joseph Kowalski
Hugo W. Kruth
Henry E. LaCroix
Ernest A. LaRochelle
Everett E. Learmont
James V. Lizzi
Aiichael Louisi
Edward T. McCarthy
George C. McKenzie
Leonard F. Meiklem
Stanley Mesiak
Nicholas Mezzanotte
Joseph A^rozek
George W. Mueller
Daniel E. Murdock
Walter Nalewajek
Stanley Nurawski
William L. O'Donnell
Raphael Paone
Harold K. Patten
Walenty Ptak
H. Leslie Pulver
William J. Recican
Arthur A. Rehm
Earl L. St. Arnauld
Thomas J. Siaflas
Horace G. Staniland
Harlan J. Stretch
George C. Summer
John Swider
Emil J. Tro trier
William J. Ulbrand
Joseph C. Underwood
William H. Washington
Stanley B. Wheeler
Henry F. White
Peter Wieszcholek
Charles E. Wilkinson
Harry Wooley
Emil W. Zabel
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
The Depression
The depression that followed the stock market crash of 1929
spread rapidly throughout the country. Meriden began to feel
its effects during the spring and summer of 1930. By January of
1931, the problem of the unemployed had become acute. Mayor
Francis T. Maloney proposed a bond issue of $250,000 for financ-
ing a program of public improvement, which was approved
unanimously by the council. The approval of the legislature was
necessary, and, by the time the General Assembly met, other
programs had begun to take shape.
A campaign to determine the amount of public work that could
be done here was undertaken after Mayor Maloney created the
Research Commission in February 1932. The survey produced a
figure of $666,253. By September 1932, there were so many
residents without jobs that a conference of city officials, bankers,
and manufacturers was called to devise a plan to raise $400,000
for relief. In October 1932, the council voted a bond issue of
$200,000 for sidewalks and other improvements.
On March 4, 1933 came the "bank holiday," when all financial
institutions were closed. Four days later emergency measures
were taken by the state legislature. Many banks in the country
went to the wall, but all of Meriden's financial institutions were
found to be in sound condition. They were allowed to reopen
on March 1 3 .
NRA was set up by the federal government, and pledges
were issued in accordance with this plan on July 27, 1933. The
next day the factories here adopted the code, and on July 31a
group meeting of merchants was held to agree on a code. By
August, the famous "Blue Eagle" symbol was displayed every-
where. Two hundred women and 150 men had canvassed for
converts to the program. For nearly two years, the program was
generally accepted, but on May 27, 1935 the Supreme Court
declared it unconstitutional. On December 13, 1935, President
Franklin D. Roosevelt pronounced NRA at an end, and the
Meriden Roller Skating Rink
Formerly near corner of Hanover Street and Randolph A venue
Early ambulance, Meriden Hospital
'.M
It-
First horsecar on Colony Street, 1887
Burning of the second Town Hall, 1904
The Meriden Trotting Park
as it was, off Kensington Avenue
^AS^JSi^A
Fruit Pavilion, Meriden Fair Grounds
Broad Street Fire House
Horse-drawn fire apparatus in the 90's
Fire Headquarters
Pratt Street
Police Department, 1883
Left to right: Capt. George Van Nostrand, Chief Frank G. Bolles,
Roger M. Ford, who succeeded Bolles as Chief
Chief Michael B. Carroll Pointing to Civil Defense Map
The Town Hall that burned in 1904
Stores decorated for the Centennial, 1906
Blue Eagles came down even more rapidly than they had been
posted.
As early as 1933, the federal government had to come to the
aid of distressed home owners. The Home Owners' Loan
Corporation was opened here on August 28 of that year, and by
January, 1935 there were 301 HOLC mortgages written for a
total of $1,201,454.
The work committee of the Research Commission, consisting
of Charles N. Flagg, William S. Clark and Paul F. Fagan, was
actively engaged in devising jobs for the unemployed. A muni-
cipal employment bureau under DeLloyd E. Beebe as manager
was set up, and many hundreds of the jobless filed applications.
The Community Fund set a goal of $119,687 in 1931, with $35,000
of it as a job fund. The goal was oversubscribed. A benefit card
party was staged by city employees to help the jobless, and the
Meriden Teachers Association voted to raise $1250 for the cause.
Unemployed were set to clearing the reservoirs and salvaging
firewood for the needy. By permission of the Connecticut Light
& Power Company the wood was stored at its yard on South
Colony Street.
These were bitter years for many, but the city administration,
under Mayor Maloney, who had been Commissioner of Charities
before his election as mayor, and who was to go on to a national
career as U. S. Representative and later U. S. Senator, was doing
everything possible for the relief of the distressed. Made-work
projects appeared on every side. The Lewis Avenue dump was
cleared and later turned into the city athletic field known as
Columbus Park. Nine additional holes were constructed at the
municipal golf course, giving employment to nearly 100 men at
a cost of $28,000. Total placements of the jobless in January, 1932
amounted to 1,248 out of the 1,870 who had registered by that
time. In spite of extra grants of $117,933, the city's auditors found
a surplus of $24,216 in February 1933, and the tax rate was fixed
at 24% mills, representing a half -mill cut.
The city, however, was tightening its purse strings in other
ways, with cuts in the salaries of city employees, including the
teachers. It was announced in March 1933, that Meriden had been
able to reduce its bonded indebtedness during a period when
many other Connecticut cities were in "hot water," and this in
spite of the fact that more than $500,000 had been spent on public
improvements since the depression began.
In March 1933, Post No. 45 of the American Legion promoted
a drive against depression under Capt. W. S. Alexander, then its
commander. The Legionnaires conducted a citywide survey of
property owners, who declared themselves ready to spend many
hundreds of thousands of dollars on improvements and in
purchases.
In June 1934, there was a grant of $105,400 for WPA to be
applied toward building a road through Cat Hole Pass. The road
was completed at a total cost of $256,621, and was dedicated
October 9, 1935 as the Chamberlain Highway. In October 1934,
there was a bond issue of $75,000 and in September 1935, ERA
and WPA announced appropriations here of $504,853.
The federal government granted $133,534 in November 1935
for improvements to the airport in South Meriden. Additional
allotments included $157,571 for the laying of concrete sidewalks,
$18,911 to replace old water pipes, $25,996 for new water pipes,
and $74,090 for concrete curbs.
The city was making large contributions also. An extra half
mill was added to the tax rate for relief. The Community Fund
was called upon to raise large sums after the drive in 1931, which
provided $35,000 for the purposes of the Research Commission.
In 1932, the amount was $90,000; the same in 1934, and $40,000
in 1935, a total of $225,000 from this source.
WPA hit a high mark in 1938 with 1,100 engaged here under
this agency. Among the projects were reconstructing the drive to
West Peak, the start of playgrounds in the north end, repairing
and oiling of streets, the municipal parking lot on Church Street,
Kenwood Camp for the Girl Scouts, Washington and Columbus
Park extensions and improvements, the cleaning of brooks,
repairing and repainting schools and other public buildings, con-
struction of new sewer beds, the Washington Park Fieldhouse,
The repairing of Hanover Dam, which had been swept away
in the hurricane of 1938, caused considerable trouble after it had
been proposed as a project. WPA approved, but army engineers
objected to the plans. After work had been started in 1939, a
"stop order" came through from Washington, and the city had
to finish the job.
By May 1937, 127 families had been dropped from relief. By
September the WPA was providing 415 with work, a considerable
reduction from previous figures. In October 1937, the Murdock
Avenue water main project was approved for $26,427. The load
seemed to be eased somewhat until a new crisis of unemployment
arrived in November. So great was the demand for work that
the state armory had to be used to accommodate the crowd of
applicants. By March 1938, 4,048 had applied. Relief expenses
doubled. Many lost their homes through HOLC foreclosures. In
the following year, the strain eased. By August, there was a sharp
decrease in relief costs. By October, the situation had so improved
that there was actually a shortage of WPA labor. In that year,
$200,000 in bonds provided money to rebuild streets, and $80,000
was appropriated for a sewage disposal plant.
In January 1940, 14 new projects were announced, and WPA
approved another $48,861 for water mains. But by April of that
year, WPA rolls were down to 80 persons, and by midsummer a
labor shortage was reported.
Employment began to pick up here in November 1939. By
March 1940, the New Departure Division of General Motors
announced a 51.1 per cent increase in payrolls. By late 1941, the
number of employees in 25 of the principal factories had increased
from 6,508 in 1934 to 10,691, and payrolls had risen from $104,630
to $450,075 for the same group during that period. Much of this
increase was due to the defense contracts received by local
industries. The depression was over, but the country was about
to enter World War II, with new problems even more serious
than those which had been left behind.
Bad as it was, the depression was far less severe in its effects
here than in many other Connecticut communities, for which
diversification of industries may be considered partially respon-
sible. Most factories were able to survive the period. There were
no bank failures, and business collapses were few. Relief was ably
administered, and the city's financial stability was never in doubt.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
\^m
City Government in This Century
Henry D. Altobello, now serving his second term, is the 28th
mayor of Meriden since the city was incorporated in 1867. He
has the honor of presiding in the city's Sesquicentennial year just
as Thomas L. Reilly, the 18th mayor, had the honor of being the
chief administrator when the Centennial was observed in 1906.
The complete succession of Meriden mayors is as follows,
the date given being the year of election: 1867, Charles S. Parker;
1869, Russell S. Gladwin; 1870, Isaac C. Lewis; 1872, Charles L.
Upham; 1874, Horace C. Wilcox; 1876, H. Wales Lines; 1879,
George R. Curtis; 1881, E. J. Doolittle; 1886, C. H. S. Davis;
1888, Wallace A. Miles; 1889, Benjamin Page; 1891, A. W. Tracy;
1892, G. H. Wilson; 1893, Amos Ives; 1899, E. E. West; 1901,
George Seeley; 1905, Thomas L. Reilly; 1911, Daniel J. Donovan;
1915, Joseph A. Cooke; 1917, Henry T. King; 1919, Daniel J.
Donovan; 1921, Henry T. King; 1925, Wales L. deBussy; 1929,
Francis T. Maloney; 1933, Stephen L. Smith; 1937, Francis R.
Danaher; 1947, Howard E. Houston; 1951, William J. Cahill, Jr;
1953, Henry D. Altobello.
Originally, mayors were elected for a term of one year. The
term was extended to two years about the turn of the century.
Daniel J. Donovan, elected in 1911, served two terms, and was
replaced by Dr. Joseph A. Cooke in 1915. He ran again in 1919,
and was successful, serving one more term.
Henry T. King, elected mayor in 1917, served one term, and
was defeated by Donovan in 1919. In 1921, he was again elected,
and served two terms. He was defeated by deBussy in 1925.
These have been men of diverse personalities, of different
political faiths, and various conceptions of the manner in which
the office of mayor should be administered. Each man left his
mark upon Meriden's history, and the present mayor will be no
exception, for the city is entering upon a new phase of its
development, with new programs to meet the demands arising
from its enlargement.
When Charles Parker began his term, municipal government
was housed in the original town hall, sometimes called the "town
house/' which had been dedicated December 5, 1855, with a
"Grand Congratulatory Festival." Its placement, on the site of
the present city hall, had been much disputed. Residents of the
east side, the oldest section of Meriden, wanted it built on or near
Broad Street. Residents of rapidly growing West Meriden, where
the railroad ran, sought just as earnestly to have the city hall
placed in that section. The East Main Street site, abtfut half-way
up the hill, was a compromise. As it turned out, the location was
sensibly chosen — far enough from the business center to avoid
extreme traffic congestion, yet near enough to the heart of the
city to be accessible to residents east, west, north, and south.
The first town hall served until 1889, when evidences were
found of structural weakness, and it was pronounced unsafe for
further use. An ornate building, similar in its general appearance
to the high school annex at the corner of Liberty and Catlin
Streets, was erected to replace it. In February 1904, this building
was destroyed by fire.
A long discussion ensued as to the type of building best suited
to the needs of expanding city government. The principal ground
for contention was the proposal to erect an auditorium as part of
the new city hall. Some considered this feature a needless expense,
and an injunction was sought to prevent its construction. But the
opposition was overcome and the plans were carried out, resulting
in a structure which has been a source of pride for many years.
In appearance, there are few more appealing public buildings
in New England, even today. Architecturally, the city hall fits
perfectly into its setting. The lines are unostentatious, but the
very simplicity of the design carries its own charm. The gold-
crested dome, rising above the clock tower, sparkles in the
sunlight, and the illuminated tower sends out radiance after dark.
The tall, marble columns flanking the entrance are graceful and
dignified. Their shafts are solid pieces of stone quarried in
Vermont. Such columns are generally fluted and in lengthwise
sections, or, if round, are in sectional blocks pieced together
horizontally. Architects have been known to visit Meriden just
to study this feature, which was considered unusual when the
city hall was constructed and is even more rare today.
From any angle the building gives an impression of solidity
and strength. It is unfortunate that the space provided within it
has become inadequate to the needs of the greatly enlarged city
In the immediate vicinity of the city hall are buildings
important to the cultural and religious life of the city, including
the Curtis Memorial Library, the First Methodist Church, Temple
B'Nai Abraham, St. Andrew's Church and the First Universalist
Church. The broad sweep of East Main Street, joined by Liberty
Street, Pleasant Street, and Catlin Street at this point, with
Norwood Street connecting East Main and Liberty, place the seat
of municipal government in an island position surrounded by
streams of converging traffic. The tides of many civic interests
are naturally drawn toward its shores.
The city hall cost 1212,000. Under the dual form of government
still prevailing when it was erected, the city paid $150,000 and the
town contributed $62,000, which defrayed the cost of the four
marble pillars and other features of the facade. The building was
formally accepted by both branches of government in 1907,
although part of it had been placed in use the previous year. The
auditorium was rushed to completion to house various portions
of the Centennial program.
The population of Meriden at that time was 28,695, and the
building was designed to serve a maximum population of 35,000.
It was estimated that this figure would be reached in about 20
years. By now it has been far exceeded, since current estimates
place the population at 48,900.
Many rearrangements of space have failed to solve the problem
of overcrowding in the city hall. Early in 1956, the mayor
announced a proposal which, he hopes, will relieve the congestion
eventually. Under this plan, the police department, the city
court and the probation department would be moved into the
old welfare building, once the high school, where the education
department is now quartered, and where certain high school
classes are still held. The plan cannot be placed in effect until
space is gained in the present high school building through the
construction of a new high school on the west side.
Under Meriden's form of government the mayor has wide
powers. As the chief executive officer he appoints the heads of
departments, with the exception of the education department,
which is under the elected Board of Education and its appointee,
the superintendent of schools. He is, ex officio, a member of all
ClTY GOVERNMENT IN THIS CENTURY
boards and usually presides at the meetings of the Board of
Apportionment and Taxation.
The Court of Common Council is an elective body, made up
of aldermen elected from each ward. It has the power to make,
alter, and repeal ordinances, and may take property for public
use by right of eminent domain, assessing benefits and damages.
It is also empowered to authorize the treasurer of the city to
obtain temporary loans and emergency loans. It passes upon bond
issues, and its approval must be obtained before the annual budget
of the city can be made effective, following review by the Board
of Apportionment and Taxation. Regulation of the inspection of
buildings, inspection of plumbing, inspection of milk and other
foods, and the licensing of vendors and dealers, are among the
other powers of the council. The council meets monthly to
consider the various proposals brought before it, and often refers
such proposals to committees within its membership for study
before action is taken. In practice, matters are often decided in
the caucus which is usually held before each meeting, and the
vote later is only a formality.
This system has prevailed since the days of the town meetings,
which were ended by consolidation of the town and city in 1922.
In the town meetings, citizens had the privilege of the floor when
recognized by the moderator, and could present their views. The
public hearings held today on questions of importance do not take
the place of the town meeting. The views presented by citizens
at these hearings are merely for the guidance of the council
which alone has the power of final action.
The old system of dual government died hard. The first
proposal to replace it was made at a regular town meeting in
1892, when a vote was passed to form a committee to take steps
toward consolidation. The committee named consisted of Levi E.
Coe, Seth J. Hall, Wilbur F. Davis, E. A. Merriman, George M.
Howell, George B. Murdock, Andrew J. Coe and George L. Hall.
The next town meeting tabled their proposals.
A new committee was named by a town meeting October 12,
1896. This committee recommended on January 6, 1897 that a bill
be introduced in the next General Assembly to authorize the
consolidation of city and town, but this proposal was defeated.
In 1899, Mayor Ives appointed a committee to draft a con-
solidation charter. The committee was authorized to act for the
city and town in attempting to obtain the approval of this charter
by the state legislature. On March 9, 1899, a turbulent town
meeting voted to rescind the action of the previous meeting. The
committee was instructed to oppose the bill instead of favoring it.
Again in 1902, a town meeting voted opposition to consolida-
tion. A committee appointed by Mayor Reilly shortly before the
Centennial made no headway with the proposal.
The subject lay dormant until 1913, when a consolidation bill
was presented to the legislature, but a special town meeting on
April 9 of that year instructed a committee to inform local
members of the General Assembly of its opposition to the bill. In
spite of this, the measure was passed and submitted to local voters
in a referendum in connection with the regular town election
October 6, 1913, when the proposal was defeated.
In the next session of the Assembly a new consolidation charter
was presented. It drew the specifications for a commission form
of government, a much more radical proposal than the form
eventually adopted in 1921. Under this plan, the government
would consist of a mayor, ten city "directors" or commissioners,
and the various boards. The selectman's duties were denned as
extending only to the admission of electors and entering or erasing
names from the registry lists of voters. Provision was made for
a city superintendent (whose duties corresponded with those of
the present city engineer). Other officers included a tax collector
and a health officer.
This charter was approved by the state legislature but defeated
in a local referendum. However, some of its provisions have since
been adopted, among them the payment of taxes in two install-
ments, and the creation of a board of charities, now the welfare
commission, as well as the appointment of a full time health
officer.
The final, successful effort for consolidation began in 1919,
instigated by the Chamber of Commerce. The motivating factor
was the rescinding by a town meeting of an appropriation passed
by a previous meeting to defray the expense of war gardens which
had been promoted by the manufacturers. A large part of the
sum voted had already been spent when the appropriation was
snatched away. This action aroused much indignation, and a mass
meeting was called, under the Chamber's auspices, to take steps
toward doing away with dual government. Henry C. Bibeau, well-
known Colony Street grocer, was named chairman of a committee
appointed to launch the effort. Judge Thomas P. Dunne, Charles
F. Rockwell and C. R. Gardinor were appointed a sub-committee
on copying features to be retained from the old charter. The
general plan was for one tax district to include the whole terri-
torial area of Meriden. A plan for a school board to consist of
five members was set up, with candidates to be nominated by
each party. The executive committee, with Mr. Bibeau at its
head, consisted of Dr. E. T. Bradstreet, Robert G. Church, C.
R. Gardinor, Joseph A. Greenbacker, Howard B. Hall, E. E.
Smith, David Higgins, William J. Luby, Victor E. Lucchini,
Harry W. Lyman, and William A. Schenck. The legislature
approved the charter, which was submitted at a special election
July 12, 1921, when a majority of the local voters gave its
endorsement. The "thirty years war" for consolidation had ended.
But it was not long before charter revision again became a live
issue.
Under Mayor Stephen L. Smith in 1934 a charter revision
committee was appointed with Robert M. Dowling, then a
representative in the state legislature, as its chairman. It was
non-partisan, with members chosen from both parties. Some of
the group were sympathetic to a city-manager type of govern-
ment. Eleven amendments were proposed for submission to the
legislature, but the effort died, and a dozen years passed before
a serious study of charter revision was attempted.
Early in 1948, another charter revision committee was ap-
pointed, and organized with Foster M. Johnson as its chairman.
The group voted on February 20 to ask city officials and others
to submit recommendations for charter changes not later than
April 1. It also voted to bring all proposed changes before the
Court of Common Council, urging that public hearings be held.
The committee early announced that it favored consolidation of
the two tax districts, with one tax rate for the entire city in
preference to the system, still in vogue, of two tax districts with
a lesser tax rate in the outer district. It also discussed the city-
manager form of government. Proposals for a full-time fire
marshal and a permanently appointed building inspector have
since been adopted.
In May, the committee decried the apparent lack of local
interest in charter revision. It sent out a questionnaire in an effort
to collect public opinion on controversial points. One change
favored was to hold city elections in November at the same time
as state and national elections, instead of in December. Public
hearings were held as recommended. Group meetings heard well
qualified speakers discuss the subject. Francis R. Danaher, former
mayor, opposed holding a referendum on consolidation on the
date of the national election, preferring a special election. Howard
E. Houston was then mayor, but Mr. Danaher, at the beginning
of his last term, had pronounced in favor of consolidation of the
two tax districts.
On July 6, 1948, acting on a recommendation from the
committee, the council voted to hold a special election, but set
Tuesday, December 7, as the date. The proposals were voted
down, but the question was not dead.
The charter revision committee continued its efforts. Mr.
Johnson appeared before the cities and boroughs committee of
the legislature on March 13, 1951 to explain a series of bills which
had been introduced to bring about revision. Controversial
provisions were submitted as separate bills. Special attention was
given to Section 9 of the charter. In the opinion of bonding
companies, this section was so worded that it interfered with
bonding for improvements, other than schools, in the outer tax
district. When the present charter was drawn in 1921, the first
or outer district consisted largely of farm lands, and it was felt
that a lower tax rate was justified for this type of property. A
more equitable distribution of the cost of fire and police pro-
tection was considered desirable by the committee.
On June 14, 1951, Gov. John Lodge signed five bills to be
voted on in a Meriden referendum on June 26. The first covered
the question of the World War II Veterans Memorial Hospital.
Next came the codification of the charter with changes which
had been inserted by the Democratic senate. Another bill covered
the change in election dates from December to November. The
consolidation of the tax districts and the creation of a parking
authority completed the list of measures to be submitted to the
local electorate.
Under state law, 5 1 per cent of the qualified voters had to cast
ballots in the referendum before the majority endorsement of any
bill could be accepted as placing the measure in effect. This
meant, as it turned out, that more than 6,200 votes of those cast
here had to be in favor of the revised charter and the parking
authority. More than 24,600 persons here were eligible to vote.
Former A4ayor Henry T. King urged a "no" vote on all five
questions. He said that charter revision could be attained through
a few simple amendments, and saw "jokers" in the bills proposed.
Consolidation of the tax districts, he thought, should be fought
out as a separate issue.
The codification proposal was defeated in the June referendum,
although the voters did approve a more equitable apportionment
of fire and police expenditures between the two districts, thus
opening the way to gradual consolidation. The results of the vote
on the five proposals in a second referendum that fall included
approval of the building of the Memorial Hospital with the city
to supply part of the funds, approval of the change in election
date, defeat of the revised charter, defeat of the extension of the
second distirct, and a tie vote on the question of a parking
authority. In the second referendum, only 7,000 votes were cast
on these questions, although more than 18,000 voted on the
candidates whose names were submitted in the regular election
held on the same date. Charter revision had been defeated twice
in one year.
In June 1954, Mayor Henry D. Altobello, then in his first term,
declared the appointment of a new charter revision committee
unnecessary, as the recommendations made by the committee
headed by Mr. Johnson could be presented to the legislature
with few changes, wherever it was considered advisable to do so.
Section 9 remained as a stumbling block to improvements in
the outer district, and this obstacle was seen as even more serious
because of the need to extend a sewer and water main to the
new plant which the International Silver Company is constructing
on South Broad Street. The impediment was removed when, on
December 1, 1955, in a special flood relief session of the legislature,
the cities and boroughs committee reported favorably on an
amendment to Section 9. The bill, introduced by State Senator
William J. Cahill, former mayor, was passed the following week
and signed by Gov. Abraham RibicofT. It permits the extension
of sewer and water mains into the outer district without restric-
Although many of the changes in the charter sought by the
various committees mentioned have been adopted, through
evolutionary processes, the charter in its published form remains
as it was in 1931. In that year it was printed as a paperbound
book by authority of the city. The second section contained all
the by-laws in force December 1, 1931, and this section, much
of which had become obsolete, did undergo complete revision.
In 1950, a clothbound book was published by order of the
council, containing the general ordinances of the city enacted as
a whole March 6, 1950, and effective May 1 of that year. This
book is entitled The Code of the City of Meriden, Connecticut.
The administrative officers of the city consist of the mayor,
the city and town clerk, the comptroller, the treasurer, the tax
collector, the chief of police, the chief of the fire department, the
superintendent of fire and police signal services, the city engineer,
the superintendent of public works, the superintendent of schools,
the director of the Curtis Memorial Library, the superintendent
of recreation, the superintendent of public welfare, the health
officer, the food and milk inspector, the restaurant and housing
inspector, the corporation counsel, the building inspector, the
fire marshal, the judge of probate, the judge of the city and police
courts, the deputy judge of the city and police courts, the city
attorney, the assistant city attorney, the clerk of the city and
police courts, the probation officer, the city sheriffs, the pound
keeper and dog warden, the sealer of weights and measures, the
tree warden, the superintendent of parks, and the chief clerk of
the board of assessors.
The boards and commissions are the Board of Apportionment
and Taxation, the Board of Public Safety, the City Planning
Commission, the Board of Plumbing and Heating Examiners, the
Welfare Commission, the Board of Electrical Examiners, the
Board of Oil Burner Examiners, the Park and Recreation Com-
mission, the Board of Trustees of the Memorial Hospital, the
Board of Public Works, the Health Board, the Meriden Housing
Authority, the Parking Authority, the Library Board, the Aviation
Commission, the Board of Education, the School Building Com-
mittee, the Board of Building Commissioners, the Public Cele-
brations Commission, the Francis Maloney Scholarship Com-
mittee, the Zoning Board of Appeals, the Jury Commission, the
Citizens Committee on Sub-Standard Housing, the Investigation
Committee on Comic Books, the Civil Defense Council and the
Board of Assessors.
The Court of Common Council is made up of 20 members,
four from each of the five wards. Its standing committees are
finance, by-laws, street, printing, claims, license, water, lighting,
fire-police, parks-recreation, Memorial Hospital, and sewer.
A few of the commissions were created to deal with special
situations, and have become inactive since the particular need
was covered. But the majority of the boards meet regularly and
have much to do. Their composition is likely to change with each
incoming administration, although mayors in recent years have
tended to retain or to appoint a certain number of commissioners
not of their own party. The Board of Apportionment and
Taxation is non-partisan, with an equal number of Republicans
and Democrats and some members not registered in any political
The City Clerk
One of the busiest and most important offices in the City Hall is
that of the city clerk, Miss Ruth E. Payne, who has held that
position, uncontested at elections, for many years. In her charge
are all the vital statistics of the city's population, both births and
deaths, as well as all records of real estate transactions, including
purchases of property, sales and transfers. These records, with
the exception of births and choses in action, are open to the public.
Lawyers and newspaper reporters must consult them frequently.
The land records stored in the city clerk's vaults date back to
the year when the town government was established, 1806 and,
in at least one case, even earlier. The first birth recorded was that
of Homer Foster, born to Matthew and Charlotte Foster, April
12, 1806, and the first property transfer was from Moses Barnes
to Eli Barnes, August 24, 1804. The office also issues the required
licenses for marriages, dog licenses, and hunting and fishing
licenses. Its duties multiply each year. In only one respect has
the city's clerk's work decreased. She need no longer conduct
title searches and make out legal papers connected with such
searches. These tasks are now performed by lawyers and pro-
fessional title searchers who require frequent access to the records
The Department of Health, under Dr. John E. Stoddard, director,
has more than 20 employees, including physicians, health nurses,
dentists, dental hygienists, sanitary inspectors, and a secretary.
The immunization program of the department ranges from
kindergarten through high school, and a program for adminis-
tering Salk vaccine against infantile paralysis was set up last year.
School cafeterias are inspected monthly. Food sanitation is an
important feature of the department's work, and public eating
establishments are visited regularly. Many recommendations for
the protection of public health are made annually.
Meriden Housing Authority
The Meriden Housing Authority, created in 1943, consisting of
five commissioners and an executive director, has charge of the
public housing projects of Johnson Farms, Yale Acres, and
Chamberlain Heights, all erected with state aid. The Gale Terrace
project, built during World War II to relieve a pressing need, was
continued after the war for a much longer period than had been
contemplated when it was planned. Consisting of temporary
housing units, it was intended for short-term occupancy. The
units were finally vacated and cleared in 1955.
Welfare Commission
The Welfare Commission is under Charles L. O'Brien, superin-
tendent, and deals with cases requiring relief. It has charge of
Cold Spring Home. Heavily loaded during the depression, the
pressures upon the department have diminished greatly since that
time, and the city's contributions toward the support of distressed
families and individuals have fallen year by year.
Fred H. Edwards is director of public works and C. Perry Prann
is city engineer. The department has more than 100 employees. It
has charge of the maintenance of the city's streets, bridges, basins
and drains, snow clearance, trimming and removal of trees,
garbage collection, dump maintenance, sewers, and sewage
The Water Department, also under the Board of Public Works,
has charge of the city's water system, and the reading of water
meters, as well as their installation.
The Engineering Department makes all surveys, maps, and profiles
for the establishment and record of all streets, buildings, walks,
curb lines and grades. It prepares reports for the Board of Public
Works, and the sewer and street committees of the Court of
Common Council, and also assigns house numbers whenever
applied for. The department is also responsible for keeping the
assessors' maps up-to-date.
Robert H. Hallbach is chief clerk of the Board of Assessors,
which records duplicates of all building permits and appraises
the value of local property, both real and personal. It must inspect
new buildings covered by permits, and furnishes the information
from which the Grand List is made up.
The Board of Tax Review hears the complaints of aggrieved
taxpayers and decides as to whether taxable lists shall be reduced.
The Zoning Board of Appeals holds public hearings on appli-
cations for variances submitted in accordance with the zoning
laws and general statutes.
Comptroller, Treasurer, Auditors
Matthew P. Kuta is city comptroller and Harold H. Flynn is
city treasurer.
The office submits an accounting for General Fund operations
each year. It records cash receipts and disbursements, and handles
the city's payroll. It also examines the tax collector's transactions,
and is responsible generally for the administration of the city's
finances. Thomas J. Moroney is tax collector. Tax bills, issued in
the spring, are payable in two installments.
The accounts of the city are audited annually by a firm of
certified public accountants.
Police Department In 1956
The Police Department is headed by Chief Michael B. Carroll,
who became chief August 1, 1932. It consists of 88 superiors and
patrolmen and 25 active supernumeraries. Fifty years ago, the
force was composed of 18 men.
Chief Carroll is the 12 th chief to serve since the appointment
of William Hagadon as the first chief in 1886. When he took
command of the department, there were no police cruisers, no
teletype machine, no radio system and only three telephones for
police use.
Today the department has seven police cars, of which one is
used by the chief and another by the Detective Bureau headed
by Capt. Walter L. Kurcon, who is also deputy chief.
The department now has a teletype machine and its own radio
system for communication with the cruisers equipped with two-
way radios. An important phase of police work is fingerprinting.
The National Bureau of Identification was started in 1928, and
the Meriden department became a contributing member.
In 1928, when the direction of automobile traffic had become
a serious problem, the department was equipped with automobiles
and motorcycles to facilitate the work. Today it has a parking
meter division, with a station wagon used in the collection of
coins from parking meters. It also has three specially designed
motorcycles to help in checking on parking violators.
The Police and Fire Signal Department is headed by Capt.
Charles Zimmer, who has charge of the installation and mainten-
ance of traffic lights, the signal system, and road signs.
A recent creation is the Records Division, headed by Lt. Lewis
V. Aloia as superintendent of records.
The functions of the department have multiplied many times
in recent years. In addition to traffic control and the investigation
of major and minor crimes and nuisances, it handles school patrol,
the policing of fires, investigation of traffic accidents, accidental
deaths and suicides, escort duty, search for missing persons,
obtaining physicians in emergencies, and furnishing testimony in
Fire Department In 1956
The Meriden Fire Department in this Sesquicentennial year is
composed of 72 full-time officers and men, headed by Fire Chief
Leonard A. Petrucelli, who was born in 1906, when the city
celebrated its Centennial.
The department consists of five companies: Engine Company
Three, Broad Street; Engine Company Four, Colony Street;
Engine Company One, Butler Street, and Engine Company Two
and Truck Company One, fire headquarters, Pratt Street.
The motorization of the department began in 1910, and by 1913
it had been completed. The five horses were replaced by
mechanized apparatus. The age of horse-drawn fire engines had
passed, never to return.
In 1913, the department had a ladder truck, a Webb pumper
manufactured in 1910, a Pope-Hartford fire engine and two
American LaFrance trucks.
Today it has eight vehicles for fighting fires, the oldest a 1930
American LaFrance pumper. The latest purchases were two 1955
pumpers of the same make.
The present 75-foot aerial ladder truck is of 1932 vintage.
However, the city has an appropriation of $32,000 for the
purchase of a new aerial truck. The chief's car, a 1947 sedan, will
be replaced during the current year.
The Fire Department now has 72 regular firemen and a number
of substitutes. Of the regulars, five are engaged in duties other
than the actual fighting of fires. One is Fire Marshal Joseph R.
Rogoz. Another is Deputy Fire Marshal Capt. Harry Drucquer,
and the other three are connected with the Police Fire and Signal
Department. They are Capt. Leonard Gudain and Firemen
Rodney Zimmer and Theodore Burdacki.
The rest of the men compose "the fire force," to use Chief
Petrucelli's term.
Twelve men are permanently assigned to each fire station
(exclusive of headquarters), plus four substitutes. At fire head-
quarters there are 15 regulars plus four substitutes. At head-
quarters, also, are stationed the chief and three assistant chiefs.
A two-platoon system was introduced in 1924. After 12
working days, a fireman had a full day off. This plan replaced a
system under which a fireman was stationed at a firehouse day
and night, and was allowed to go home twice a day for meals
and to attend church services on Sunday.
In October 1951, the three-platoon system was installed. Fire-
men now work 56 hours per week, alternating on a schedule of
three days and three nights, with off-duty time in the interim.
Fire Chief Petrucelli is on call around the clock, and answers
all box alarms. His driver is always posted on the whereabouts of
the chief.
The Meriden Fire Department is today efficient and well-
organized. Its effective work has received many compliments
locally and from municipal officials in other communities. Like
the Police Department, it is under the jurisdiction of the Board
of Public Safety, which makes the appointments and promotions
in the department besides fixing policies and deciding on questions
of discipline.
The Building Department
The Building Department, under the building inspector, is
heavily loaded with work as a result of the tremendous increase
in building here. Permits are required for all types of construction,
which must be in conformance with city regulations. Properties
are inspected while under construction. Under a revised building
code, recently approved by the council, boards of examiners have
been created for all trades to insure competence of workmen. The
examiners have been appointed by the mayor, and copies of the
new code are now available to tradesmen.
Maloney Memorial Scholarship
Senator Francis Maloney served the city of Meriden and the
nation faithfully and brilliantly, first as mayor of Meriden, then
as Congressman from this district, and later as United States
Senator. The beginning of the new year of 1945 found Meriden
people infinitely saddened by the Senator's sudden and untimely
death. Immediately a citywide desire to establish a special and
significant memorial to this distinguished native son took shape.
Mayor Francis Danaher appointed a Maloney Memorial com-
mittee under chairmanship of Dr. James F. Walsh to explore the
various proposals offered. Upon the recommendation of this
committee a petition was submitted to the Court of Common
Council at its April 2, 1945 meeting, and unanimously adopted.
It provided for the establishment of the Francis Maloney
Memorial Scholarship in the amount of $500 annually for four
years to be granted each year to a properly selected Meriden
resident qualified to continue the type of higher education of his
or her personal selection.
The question of legality of this unique memorial whereby the
city would be pledging $2000 for all future years, once the full
quota of deserving students should be recipients of the scholar-
ship, had to be settled. On May 17, 1945 the Connecticut Assembly
suspended its rules and passed bills presented by Senator Harold
C. Hall and Representatve William Jacobs authorizing the city of
Meriden to establish the scholarship in perpetuity.
Accordingly, in October of the same year, Mayor Danaher
appointed the first Maloney Scholarship committee of five with
Dr. Walsh its chairman. In 1946 the first Meriden High graduate
was selected for the honor. Each succeeding year has seen a local
boy or girl accepting the grant and the responsibility attendant
upon its acceptance.
The scholarship plan was originated because of Senator
Maloney's personal feelings on the subject of sufficient formal
education as preparation for life. He was forced to become self-
supporting and to assume partial support for others in his family
before he could finish high school. He never ceased to feel that
his shortened years of schooling constituted a lack in himself.
Life and experience and his extraordinarily keen mind had more
than compensated, but it remained his regret.
Consequently the scholarship was offered to perpetuate his
memory and in the belief that it would, and will continue to
encourage young men and women of outstanding ability to
emulate Senator Maloney's character and to follow in his footsteps
of great and wise public service. The memorial is unique in its
character and unprecedented in the record of municipal action.
It has been widely acclaimed by leaders in the field of national
public service impressed by Meriden's independence of action and
selectivity in designing a tribute to the man who was known in
Washington as the "Senator's Senator."
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Local Industry Since 1900
The industrial picture of Meriden at the beginning of the new
century included many details which have since been erased by
the changing course of events. But the substantial elements remain
unimpaired. The firms which have vanished into the misty past
have been replaced by others, painted in strong new colors. The
total number represented has been greatly increased, and the total
output has been multiplied many times.
Industries in 1900 were in a transition stage, from old to new
methods of production. Water power, by which the wheels of the
earliest factories were turned, had been replaced by steam power,
and many plants had already converted from steam power to
electric power. Industrial leaders were looking ahead and studying
ways and means of meeting competition with better quality
products made as economically as possible. The basic materials
used here were wood, ivory, bone, horn, iron, steel, copper, lead,
zinc, nickel, tin, silver, gold and glass. Alloys were still in their
infancy, but were applied as experimentation proved their worth.
The automobile industry was newly born, but showing
evidences of healthy growth. The internal combustion engine
had great potentials, it was recognized. It might, in time, supply
the new power factor needed.
The success of Meriden's Centennial observance gave the city
new confidence. The new model automobiles seen in the parades
of 1906 had more significance than the novelty of the spectacle.
They were the heralds of an entirely new enterprise with
enormous possibilities of growth in which Meriden later would
The list of factories in Meriden at the time of the Centennial,
with the years of their establishment, follows:
A. H. Jones, 1901; Jennings & Griffin, 1880; the Kelsey Com-
pany, 1872; Edward Miller Co., 1844; Meriden Cutlery Company,
1855; C. F. Monroe Co., 1886; Meriden Curtain Fixture Co., 1869;
Miller Bros. Cutlery Co., 1870; Meriden Fire Arms Co., 1905;
Manning Bowman & Co., 1872; Morehouse Bros., 1898; Meriden
Braid Co., 1906; Meriden Machine & Tool Co., 1889; J. J. Niland
Co., 1902; Elias Oefinger, 1900; Charles Parker Co., 1832; M. B.
Schenck Co., 1887; Silver City Glass Co., 1905; Charles E. Schu-
nack Co., 1891; Wilcox & White Co., 1887; Frank Wheeler &
Son, 1889; F. J. Wallace, 1876; Wm. Wheeler Co., 1891; Webster
& Brigmann, 1891; Helmschmied Mfg. Co., 1903; A. J. Hall Co.,
1899; Foster, Merriam & Co., 1850; Fritz Bros., 1903.
Before the entry of America into World War I, a new class of
production had become established. Soon after the war began in
Europe, it became apparent that the United States would be called
upon to supply large amounts of war materials to the combatant
nations.
As it became apparent that this country would be drawn into
the conflict, preparations of a defensive nature became urgent,
and the government began to issue large contracts for armaments
to equip its own forces. Other classes of products were needed
also, as the armed services grew. Before the war ended in 1918,
most Meriden industrial firms were fully engaged in war pro-
duction, and many companies which could not be strictly
classified as industrial, were contributing largely to the war effort
through the service of supply. Among them were many mentioned
previously in this chapter, and some established after 1906. A
survey, made especially for this volume, records the names of
A. H. Jones; the Jennings & Griffin Mfg. Company; the Kelsey
Co.; Julius Katt; Kennedy & Ragone Co.; Wm. J. Luby; Landers,
Frary & Clark (purchased the Meriden Cutlery Co. in 1919); S.
C. Lewis (wood planing and turning); Edward Miller Co.;
Meriden Cutlery Co.; C. F. Monroe Co.; Miller Bros. Cutlery Co.
(succeeded by the Meriden Knife Co.) ; Manning, Bowman & Co.;
Meriden Gravure Co.; Morehouse Bros.; Max Merklinger;
Meriden Press & Drop Co. (established 1911, successor to A. H.
Merriman) ; Merriam Metal Patterns and Model Works; Meriden
Braid Co. (succeeded by Pioneer Braid Co.); Meriden Optical &
Jewelry Co.; Meriden Jewelry Mfg. Co. (established 1914);
Meriden Machine & Tool Co.; J. J. Niland Co.; New England
Pottery Co.; New England Westinghouse Co. (in war pro-
duction 1916 to 1918, followed by the Colt Patent Firearms
Co. in the same building, now the International Silver Com-
pany's north end plant); Elias Oefinger; the Charles Parker
Company; The Penfield Mfg. Company (established 1911 to
make automobile spotlights); the Peerless Mfg. Company (estab-
lished 1917 to manufacture brass articles); the H. E. Rainaud
Company (1913 to 1929); Rockwell Silver Co.; Remo Co.; M. B.
Schenck Co. (a division of the Bassick Company in 1917; removed
in 1928); Silver City Glass Co.; Charles E. Schunack Co.; Saviteer
Memorial Works; J. H. Sanderson (electroplating); Tredennick
Paint Mfg. Company; W. H. Thompson Candy Co.; Tillinghast
Silver Co.; Henry B. Todd (X-ray machines and appliances);
Universal Music Co. (music rolls and records); Vacuum Specialty
Co.; Vocalion Organ Co.; Wilcox & White Co. (closed 1921;
recording laboratory and studios open until 1925); Frank Wheeler
& Sons; F. J. Wallace (saddlery hardware); Wolf's New Process
Abrasive Wheel, Inc. (1919); Wm. Wheeler Co. (photoen-
graving); White, Bottrell & Page Co. (printing); Webster &
Brigmann (glass cutters); Waterbury Clock Co. (branch);
Andrew Young & Sons (machine tools); Doolittle Box Co. (1918;
purchased by J. R. Hall 1930).
The Meriden Electric Light Company and the Meriden Gas
Light Company, then operated as separate companies, were
naturally all-important to the war effort as sources of light and
fuel.
Some concerns arrived shortly after the war period, just too
late to play a part in war production here. The principal company
to be noted in this class is New Departure, which began pro-
ducing in Meriden in 1920. Lemke & Reiske, metal work, was
established in 1924. The Meriden Rug Company, now the Perry
Rug Company, began business in 1929. Handley Bros. Co.,
founded in 1922, was part of the local business picture until 1949.
Production of goods for civilian consumption was resumed soon
after the war, and proceeded in growing volume until the
depression — dealt with in another chapter — began to curtail
demand. There were some industrial casualties in the years which
followed, among them the Handel Company, lamp manufacturers,
established in 1883. The factory ceased operations about 1935,
and the corporation was officially terminated in 1941. But in the
meantime, other companies had arrived to occupy most of the
Most of the companies previously mentioned, which had
played a part in World War I production and supply, had
another opportunity to serve as contributors to the new effort
which began as World War II loomed. By that time, there were
additional concerns to augment local industry, including wholesale
supply and other forms of business outside the retail picture.
Among them were Goodman Bros., who moved into the former
Morehouse Bros, plant; Miller-Johnson, Inc. (established 1936);
the Meriden Buffing Company; Mero Mfg. Co. (established
1926); Metallic Potters Co.; Mederick Marchand; Meriden Wire-
frame Co.; Monowatt Electric Corp.; Nutmeg Press; Ellmore
Silver Co. (established 1924); the General Electric Company
(branch factory established here in 1931, removed in 1948);
Packer Machine Co., automatic buffing and polishing machinery,
(established 1925); the W. J. Packer Mfg. Company; Charles W.
Parker, printer; Phillips Mfg. Company (established 1929); Rich
Display and Plastics (established 1929); Rockwell Silver Co.; H.
E. Rainaud Co.; Rubber Specialty Co.; Herco Art Mfg. Co.
(1927-1944; successor to H. E. Rainaud Co., now in Wallingford);
John R. Sexton Co., tinsel cord (established 1927); Henry E.
Shiner Co.; Storts Welding Co.; Standard Cutlery Co.; J.
SchaefTer Co., lamp shades; Tillinghast Silver Co.; Hyman Tanger
Co.; Lutz Co., silver products (1947-1952); Lambson Specialty
Co. (established 1942); Meriden Bedding Co.; Oregon Silver
Co. (established 1941); Puffe Tool and Die Co.; N. W. Parks Co.
(purchased C. E. Schunack Co. in 1944); Production Equipment
Co. (established 1939); Price Pattern Shop; James E. Bunting, Jr.;
Brooklyn Thermometer Co.; R. Bemont & Son; Chandler-Evans
Corp. (established 1940, removed 1945); Sonora Record Co. (sold
to Connecticut Record Mfg. Company, removed 1948); Con-
necticut Gas Products; Daylight Mfg. Company; Franklin Dress
Co. (established 1941); G. H. French & Co.; T. D. Hotchkiss
Co.; W. H. Leaman Co.; Meriden Electroplating & Finishing Co.;
Albert Mitchell; Meriden Welding Co.; R. & H. Machine Shop
(1943-1956); Shaw Paper Box Co.; Vincenzo Torchia; Frank M.
Whiting Co. (1939); E. C. Wilcox Corp.; F. L. Waller Co.;
Youngberg Bros.
Among the companies which have entered the local field since
the end of World War II are the Meriden Foundry Company, in
1946; Meriden Precision Screw Products in 1947; the Muirson
Label Company, which took over the former Chandler-Evans
plant in South Meriden in 1949 after it had been vacated by the
Nestle Lemur Company, which had occupied it from 1945; Rose
Window Products in 1950.
Larger Industries
The International Silver Company
The alliance of silver manufacturing concerns which had taken
place in the last decade of the 19th century was in a strong
position in 1900 to proceed to even greater gains. As the Inter-
national Silver Company, the consolidation had attained the
advantage of unified corporate management, and the best experi-
ence of each concern could be exploited for the benefit of all,
while weaker spots could be strengthened or else incised.
George H. Wilcox, first vice president when the new concern
was organized, succeeded to the presidency in 1907, and served in
that office until 1928, when he became chairman of the board.
Under him, the company made steady, consistent progress in
expanding sales and improving manufacturing processes. He died
Clifford R. Gardinor, who had been Mr. Wilcox's assistant for
seven years, was elected president in 1928. He had joined the
company in 1909 as purchasing agent. His death occurred in 1935.
Vice President Evarts C. Stevens, who had come up from the
bench in the silverware industry, was elected to succeed Mr.
Gardinor. His elder brother, Frederick M. Stevens, and his
younger brother, Maltby Stevens, were among his executive
associates. The Stevens family had a long tradition of silver-
making, dating back to the earliest days of the industry.
The new president set up an organization in which Executive
Vice President Roy C. Wilcox, elder son of George H. Wilcox,
was made responsible for the purchasing and traffic departments
in addition to other specific duties.
From 1915 until his death in 1928, George D. Munson had
been active in the company, serving as a member of the executive
committee and first vice president, and taking part in general
management. His son, Vice President Craig D. Munson, was made
general sales manager, responsible to the president. Alpeck
Zeitung, director of flatware sales, now retired, had charge of the
general advertising department as one of his responsibilities.
Horace C. Wilcox, younger son of "G. H.," was made director
of hollo ware sales. Herbert J. Reeves, who has since retired, was
in charge of the controller's office. He was succeeded in this
position by George L. Stringer.
Important changes in top management have taken place during
the last five years. On January 31, 1951, Maltby Stevens was
elected president of the company to succeed his brother, Evarts
C. Stevens, who was named chairman of the board of directors.
Maltby Stevens had been in charge of all the manufacturing
operations of the company for a number of years, and had made
an outstanding record in handling war production. Lee F. Revere
succeeded him in charge of manufacturing operations, and was
elected a vice president in March 1951.
Maltby Stevens died June 29, 1955, having served only a little
more than four years as president of the company with which he
had been connected from early youth.
On July 27 last year, Craig D. Munson of Wallingford was
elected president. Previously, he had been vice president for sales.
He joined the company in 1920, was made advertising manager
of the sterling division in 1924, and became manager of that
division and a company director in 1928. In 1929 he was made a
member of the executive committee, and was elected vice presi-
dent for sales in 1935.
To succeed Mr. Munson in charge of sales, John B. Stevens,
son of Evarts Stevens, was elected vice president, director and
executive committee member. He became affiliated with the
company in 1939 as manager of the statistical department, held
several managerial positions, and became general sales manager of
wholesale lines in 1954, the position which he held at the time of
his elevation to the new office.
Many changes in manufacturing methods have taken place in
the silver industry during this century. The Rogers Bros, of 1847
did their silverplating in a little tank holding only five or six
gallons of solution. The silver did not cling to the base material
as it does today. Occasionally, peeling took place. Now the plating
is done in 3,000-gallon tanks, and the process is completed within
a much shorter time, due to the stepping-up of the electrical
output, which has been multiplied 600 times over the amount of
current originally fed. The cleaning operation is sufficiently
thorough to hold the silverplate permanently, but mild enough
not to destroy the finely buffed finish of the base metal. A system
of solution, agitation and racking, plus laboratory control of the
solution's composition, enables the operator to make the silver-
plate heavier on the parts most subject to wear.
In 1923, the company purchased the Meriden Malleable Iron
plant to become the center of its cutlery departments, moved
there from Factory H. A modern electric casting and rolling
mill was erected at the north end. The Wilcox & Evertsen sterling
factory was transferred to the remodeled building on North
In 1928, International took over E. G. Webster & Son and
moved its operations from Brooklyn to Meriden. A year later,
LaPierre Mfg. Company of Newark, N. J. was moved to Walling-
ford. By 1932, the buildings on Colony Street, at the intersection
of Cross Street, which had originally been used by the Meriden
Silver Plate Company and the Barbour Silver Plate Company,
were remodeled into the Sales Service Institute. The plant in
Derby was closed in 1935, and in the same year the company took
over the American Silver Company in Bristol. The plant in
Waterbury, which had been producing flatware as Rogers &
Brother since 1858, was closed, but the line was continued.
The story of International's production during World War II
is a story in itself. The conversion from peacetime to wartime
efforts began in 1940, when silverware production in Meriden
and Wallingford was almost at a peak. By June of 1943, the
company was engaged practically 100 per cent in war production.
The products were numerous and varied, ranging from incendiary
bombs to surgical instruments. During this period, the company
and its workers won many awards for their contribution to the
war effort.
Readjustment of the whole pattern of production became
necessary once more after the war ended, and was accomplished
with a minimum of disclocations. By October 1945, the company
was delivering substantial quantities of its normal lines.
In 1947, construction of a new plant to house flatware produc-
tion was started north of Wallingford, just off route 5. It was
opened in 1949, and is considered the most modern plant of its
type in the world.
To meet the demands of defense production, the company has
built a $1,500,000 addition to its new Factory A in Wallingford.
It was constructed especially to handle contracts for component
parts for jet engines. Machinery and equipment were furnished
by the government, but the plant is owned by the company.
In February 1950 it was announced that International had
obtained an option on 35 acres of land on South Broad Street,
known as the Watrous farm, just within the city limits of
Meriden. A zoning variation was sought to permit the erection
of a new plant and an administration building on this site, and
the Court of Common Council on March 7, 1950 unanimously
voted for the change required. Ground was broken on September
6, 1955, but a further step was necessary before construction
could proceed. A new interpretation of Section 9 of the City
Charter had to be obtained from the state legislature to permit
the extension of sewer and water facilities to the site. Through
the efforts of Mayor Altobello and Meriden legislators this was
achieved last year without the necessity of a referendum. In the
construction permit the cost of the plant was placed at $4,000,000.
Eventually all the offices and production will be moved from
State Street to the new location.
New Departure Division of General Motors
The New Departure Division of General Motors, which began
operations here in 1922, manufactures anti-friction ball bearings
for a wide variety of uses. It employs approximately 4,000 persons
and has contributed much to the city's growth and prosperity.
Meriden is one of the three cities in which this division of
General Motors operates. The parent plant is in Bristol, where
the business was founded in 1888. Another plant in Sandusky,
Ohio, was opened in 1946.
The company acquired the "old woolen mill" on Pratt Street
in 1920. Practically the whole interior of the building was
removed during the renovations which followed. Office personnel
were located on the first floor, with the mechanical departments
on the second and third floors. Another building for manufac-
turing purposes was erected to the west, adjoining the office-
mechanical areas.
When operations began,, approximately 300 men and women
were on the payroll. Most of the supervisory personnel was
transferred from Elmwood and Bristol, including the plant's first
manager, the late Charles M. Gearing, who later became division
works manager. Later top executives were Milton L. Gearing,
son of the original plant manager, John J. Curry, William E.
Murden, and Robert T. Collins. The present plant manager is
Harry Burgess.
At the outset many of the local plant's employees were trans-
ported to and from Bristol, and participated in training operations
Since the Meriden plant was opened, ball bearings of the
smaller sizes have been added to production for such applications
as generators, household appliances, electric motors, and instru-
The production performance of New Departure here during
World War II was regarded as a marvel by all who had contact
with it. Millions of bearings were turned out to help equip the
armed forces. The plant operated on a three-shift basis around
the clock seven days a week. In January 1944, the Meriden divi-
sion recorded its all-time high in employment with 8,082 men and
women on the payroll. It received a number of awards from the
government for its achievements.
During the war, the production of instrument ball bearings
became especially important. The Meriden plant was selected to
begin the manufacture of these ultra-precise products. A plant
in Guilford, employing about 300 hands, was maintained at that
period, but it was closed after the war and most of its employees
came to Meriden.
In 1942, New Departure enlarged its manufacturing facilities
here by acquiring a plant, on the opposite side of Pratt Street,
from the International Silver Company. A section of the buildings
was razed later to provide additional parking space.
In December 1954, a modern industrial waste treatment system
was installed. It eliminates oils and chemicals from water used in
processing operations before it flows into Harbor Brook.
The local division has helped to promote and has contributed
largely to many community programs. Hundreds of plant em-
ployees over the years have engaged in many activities for civic
benefit.
Many improvements in manufacturing operations have been
made in recent years, resulting in products of better quality and
increased quantity.
Harry T. Burgess, manager of the Meriden plant, has been with
the bearing firm since 1928, rising through the positions of fore-
man, superintendent, personnel manager, and general superinten-
dent before being appointed to his present position. With him
are associated C. Frederick Crow, factory manager; John DiFran-
cesco, production manager; Oscar Liebreich, chief inspector;
Joseph Robinson, personnel manager; George Smith, master
mechanic, and Edward Noon, resident comptroller.
The Miller Company
The Miller Company, one of Meriden's oldest industrial plants,
is currently in its 1 12th year as a manufacturer of lighting fixtures.
The industry began in 1 844 in a small shop that produced candle-
sticks and oil-burning lamps. Today it has factories and offices
in Meriden and in Ohio.
When kerosene was distilled from bituminous coal in 1858,
Miller was the first concern in the country to design, produce,
and market a kerosene-burning lamp. During the Victorian era,
the company pioneered in the design and production of gas
fixtures. Later came the lamps using the Wellsbach mantle,
Edison's carbon filament incandescent lamp, mercury-vapor and,
in 1938, fluorescent lighting.
In addition to the illuminating division, the Miller Company
has in Meriden a brass rolling mill which was started in 1868. It
was originally intended to supply only the brass parts used here
in making lamps, but has since grown to become a national
supplier of phosphor bronze and brass.
The officers of the company are Burton G. Tremaine, chairman
of the board; Burton G. Tremaine, Jr., president; William H.
Fitzpatrick, secretary-treasurer; Frederick R. Slagle, vice presi-
dent and manager of the rolling mill division; Henry J. Milling-
ton, vice president and manager of the illuminating division, and
L. Melvin Grawemeyer, vice president in charge of sales for the
illuminating division.
The company's factories and offices in Meriden employ 282
persons in the illuminating and rolling mill divisions.
The rolling mill division is currently undergoing a five-year
million-dollar expansion and modernization program which began
A custom shop was established in connection with the illumin-
ating division two years ago. In it custom fixtures are hand made
for special orders received from churches, schools, offices, and
government buildings and installations.
Electronic equipment to accelerate payroll and billing pro-
cedures was recently installed. Communication between the
Meriden and Ohio plants is almost instantaneous by means of an
electronic device. Orders received in Meriden can be transmitted
to Ohio in a matter of seconds.
The fluorescent manufacturing facilities were transferred to
Ohio from Meriden in 1947, but there is an increasing demand
for the incandescent lighting equipment manufactured here,
offering great promise for future productivity.
The Charles Parker Company
The Charles Parker Company is the oldest industry in Meriden,
dating back to 1832. Its progress in the nineteenth century has
been recorded previously in this volume.
The most important change since 1900 occurred when the
Parker Company in 1940 purchased the Bradley & Hubbard Mfg.
Company, another old concern, founded in 1854. Through the
purchase additional manufacturing capacity was obtained. A line
of lighting fixtures and architectural metal work was added to
production, which was concentrated in the plants on Hanover
In addition to a complete rearrangement of facilities, a rebuild-
ing and modernization program was undertaken and machinery
was installed to meet modern competition. The concern has
approximately 300 employees.
Products include foundry-selected non-ferrous castings requir-
ing special alloys and treatment, as well as machine-finished
castings; structural iron fire escapes, staircases, grille work and
railings, both bridge and highway; sheet metal, precision instru-
ments and aircraft specification work; bathroom cabinets,
distributed through plumbing jobbers on a nationwide basis;
bathroom fixtures of chrome and anodized aluminum, in color,
for wood and tile applications; mirrors made with stainless steel
or brass with chrome plating; vises for machinists and the home
workshop; special lighting for churches, public buildings and
The officers of the company are Parker B. Allen, president;
C. T. Jordan, J. J. Connors and McRae Curtis, vice presidents;
O. C. Hugo, secretary; W. E. Ackroyd, treasurer. McRae Curtis
is factory manager.
The Cuno Engineering Corporation
The Cuno Engineering Corporation was established in 1912 by
Charles H. Cuno and his father, the late Charles F. Cuno. The
original products of the company were electrical automotive
specialties.
The company acquired the Board of Trade building on South
Vine Street in 1925, and made additions to it as its growth
continued. With the development of the Cuno "Auto Klean"
filter for aircraft engines and airplanes, the company began an
outstanding contribution to the aircraft industry. The filters were
rapidly adopted for the hydraulic systems of planes for retractable
landing gear, brakes, wing flaps, turrets, etc. During World War
II, the production of this type of equipment increased enormously,
and the company's contribution to the war effort was most
Since the war, the company has concentrated on the manufac-
ture of industrial niters and automotive electrical equipment. It
has 400 employees.
In 1951 an addition to the plant was constructed at a cost of
$470,000 to provide 42,600 square feet. Completely modern in
design, the new building is considered a model example of manu-
facturing facilities. In 1955, the Cuno output was valued at
Alfred Kroll is manufacturing manager.
The officers of the corporation are Murray McConnel, presi-
dent; Roy Scott, executive vice president; Carlton H. Winslow,
vice president and secretary; Philip Ricciardi, treasurer; Alvin
C. Bruel, Jr., assistant secretary; Lois Z. Fagan, assistant secretary;
D. Warren Brooks, assistant treasurer.
The Napier Company
The origin of the Napier Company may be traced back to the
firm of Whitney & Rice, founded in 1875 in North Attleboro,
Mass., which made massive gilt watch chains for men. The
company was purchased by E. A. Bliss and his business associate
Mr. Carpenter, who retired not long afterward. The E. A. Bliss
Company, with Mr. Bliss as its active head, was incorporated on
July 27, 1882 in Massachusetts. The company made a varied line
of jewelry and giftwares. In 1890, it moved to Meriden to occupy
a plant at the north end which had previously been one of the
first ornamental glassware producing factories in the country.
The firm then became incorporated in Connecticut.
In 1893 the manufacture of sterling silver giftwares was begun.
The company claims to be the first concern in Meriden to manu-
facture sterling silver merchandise.
Mr. Bliss made his first trip to Europe in 1897 to study
European fashions and to purchase materials. Since that time,
executives and members of the designing staff have crossed the
ocean frequently for the same reasons. Mr. Bliss died in 1911, and
his son, William E. Bliss, became the active head of the company.
In December 1914, James H. Napier became associated with the
company as general manager and director. Under his leadership
a program was instituted which resulted in new manufacturing
methods with the addition of new machinery, and a line of
products which rapidly gained entry into the world of fashion
jewelry and giftwares.
During World War I, the company was one of the first in
Meriden to convert to the manufacture of war materials, making
bayonet scabbards, gas masks, gas mask parts, trench mirrors and
vane braces.
Mr. Napier was elected president and general manager in 1920,
and the company's name was changed to the Napier-Bliss
Company. In 1922, the present name, the Napier Company, was
In March 1928, the company purchased the land and buildings
on Cambridge Street which it had been occupying since 1890.
Many changes were made, both exterior and interior, and addi-
tional land surrounding the building was purchased and land-
scaped attractively in 1929.
Early in World War II, the company again turned to the
manufacture of war materials. A new method of making bronze
and silver-clad bushings was developed, saving large quantities
of critical materials. Navy flying-boat landing frames were
produced from hard tempered aluminum, together with radar
tuning devices, radar instrument panels and many other essentials
for the war effort.
The plant was completely renovated in 1945, and a large
Chamberlain Heights, one of several public housing projects
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West Peak radio stations
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Meriden Municipal Golf Course
Tennis Instruction, Washington Park
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Baldwin's Beach
Aleriden High School
John Barry School Addition
addition to house the plating room was constructed. Much new
machinery and equipment were purchased and installed. The
company today occupies over 40,000 square feet of floor space
and employs between 350 and 500 persons, depending upon
seasonal conditions. Its ivy-covered walls give it the appearance
of a building on some college campus. The property, including
14 acres, is known as Napier Park. In 1955 the company received
the American Nurserymen's "Plant America" award for its
effective landscaping.
The Napier Company is the largest privately owned producer
of fashion jewelry in the United States. It sells its products
directly to retail stores, and maintains branch offices in New York,
Chicago, and Los Angeles.
Napier jewelry was shown at the opening in Rome of the
summer 1956 collection of gowns for the Fontana sisters. It was
the first time that American-designed jewelry had been featured
by a European couturier. In addition to jewelry, the company
produces sterling silver, silverplated and gold-plated giftwares,
including such varied gifts as bar accessories, smokers' accessories,
and many other items.
The Connecticut Telephone and Electric Corporation
The Connecticut Telephone and Electric Corporation, now under
new ownership and management, is an industry which has been
established here for 62 years. It was formed in 1894 as a partner-
ship between Ernest C. Wilcox and Burton L. Lawton for the
purpose of manufacturing telephone instruments.
Originally, the business was conducted at the old Malleable
Iron plant. Part of the present site on Britannia Street was
purchased in 1903, and in that year the present name of the
company was adopted. Later, the firm entered the automobile
ignition field and, in 1913, became the largest manufacturer of
automobile ignition systems in the world.
The company designed and manufactured portable antennae
field sets for the War Department at a time when radio was still
in its infancy. In 1920, it was cited by the War Department for
service rendered during World War I.
In World War II, its services were also extensive in the pre-
cision manufacture of equipment used by the armed services,
especially in the field of communications. Company and
employees were honored by the government for their war
The plant occupies a group of thoroughly modernized factory
buildings on Britannia Street, which have grown from the original
small factory.
In February 1956 the company was reorganized under the
control of local interests. Its present officers are C. A. Schultz,
president; H. B. Randall, vice president; H. N. Westhaver, vice
president; J. E. Whisler, vice president; W. M. Schultz, treasurer;
R. A. Schultz, assistant treasurer; C. W. Schultz, secretary.
Randall, Westhaver and Whisler have been associated with the
company for many years as executives.
The Schultz group owns the Silver City Glass Company, the
Silver City Crystal Company and Radio Station WMMW in
Meriden.
Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Division
The Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Division of United Aircraft
Corporation is an acknowledged world leader in the design,
development, and production of gas-turbine engines for aircraft.
The Meriden branch is a leased facility occupying the former
plant of Manning, Bowman & Co. at Pratt and Miller Streets. It
was established here in 1951, and is used as an inspection center
for parts, rough and finished, which go into P&WA engines.
The branch is under the direction of A. Lawrence Riker, chief
inspector, branch plants, and head of the Meriden facility.
About 900 are employed here. The total of Meriden residents
employed in all P&WA plants was 1,137 in March 1956.
There are 29 subcontractors or suppliers in Meriden from whom
the division buys parts or supplies.
Manning, Bowman & Co., one of the old companies no longer
in the local industrial picture, was established in 1859 by Thaddeus
Manning in Cromwell. The plant was moved to Middletown at
the close of the Civil War, and the business was brought to
Meriden in 1872. Its field was the fabrication of quality metal
products and the manufacture of electrical appliances. For many
years the business prospered, and the plant was enlarged to cover
two city blocks. Its later history was a story of decline under
severe competitive conditions which finally forced the dissolution
of the industry here.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
By 1941, the spreading conflagration in Europe had made it
apparent that it was only a question of time before the United
States would be starting counterblazes against aggression. Meriden
industries had been engaged in some phases of defense production
for at least two years. Early in 1940, military units from this city
had been summoned into training. On February 24, 1940, the
National Guard companies were inducted into service, and
entrained for Florida early in March. The 118th Medical Regi-
ment Band accompanied the other guardsmen.
The total registration for the first draft was 4,815 on October
16, 1940, and on October 29 the first drawing was held. The
second draft, for those who had become 21 during the interim,
was on July 17, 1941.
Organization of the city's defense effort proceeded rapidly
after the appointment by Mayor Francis R. Danaher of a Defense
Council, consisting of Captain John R. Feegel, chairman; Police
Chief Michael B. Carroll, Fire Chief John F. Moroney, Harry S.
Hanson, Boy Scout executive, Robert S. Kidder, John Holman,
John N. Brusie, and Charles A. Newton, executive secretary of
the Chamber of Commerce. Units for local defense were formed,
and Spencer H. Miller became Chief Warden, with many com-
mittees under him serving in the various phases of the work. The
city was divided into four zones, and many block wardens were
enlisted in each zone. The volunteers were indoctrinated, through
courses given in the City Hall auditorium, in what to do in case
of attack.
But these foretastes of war conditions had hardly prepared the
city for the shocking news which broke on December 7, 1941,
when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. War on Japan was
declared the following day. The formal declaration of war on
Germany and Italy was recorded December 11. Rumania declared
war on this country on December 12, and Bulgaria on December
13. But the United States took no action on these two declarations
until June 5, 1942, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt asked
for counterdeclarations, and Congress immediately complied.
The State Guard was called out for guard duty at defense
plants on December 12, 1941, but was recalled after two weeks.
The whole country was aroused by the Pearl Harbor attack,
and war sentiment was at fever heat. But the mood was even more
grim than at the start of World War I, and there was much less
of parading, but plenty of stern effort here.
On February 16, 1942, all males between 20 and 44 years old,
and not already registered, were required to register, and 2,711
living here responded to the call. The list of numbers assigned
was posted March 12, and the drawing was held in Washington
on March 17. Number 441 was the first number drawn in District
13 A. It was held by Stanley Zuckerman. The first number drawn
in District 13B was held by the Rev. James J. O'Conner, who had
been transferred, shortly before, to a church in Washington, D. C.
The fourth registration, for men from 45 to 65 years old, was
held in April 1942. The registration for those from 18 to 20 years
old followed on June 30.
Meriden had its first trial blackout on March 3, 1942. On March
18, the shortage of gasoline resulted in the rationing regulations
effective during the remainder of the war period. Rationing of
tires followed. Registration days for sugar and gasoline rationing
were held in May at the schoolhouses, and coupon books were
issued. The gasoline coupons were in different classes, and the
allowances granted were measured according to the type of use
of the car.
The war years that followed were well recorded in a unique
journal sent out by the Meriden Center of the United Service
Organizations to Meriden men and women in the service of their
country. Written and compiled by Arthur L. Barber, general
secretary of the Y.M.C.A., it was entitled News From Home.
Its publication and distribution, under the same name and auspices,
have continued since the war. In a format of only four typewritten
pages, News From Home gives a condensed version of interesting
and important news of Meriden from month to month. This first
issue appeared in November 1943. It reported: "The fellow in
his twenties who looks healthy feels as if he ought to be carrying
a sign explaining that his liver and one kidney are missing — or
something to that effect."
Scores of volunteers helped in the preparation and mailing of
this newsy sheet. In 1944 the Bradley Home staff took over the
complete job.
The city rapidly became inured to war demands. Nearly every
aspect of life had changed. The need for war workers in Meriden
industry could not be supplied entirely by local residents, and
thousands came here from other states. Most of them were
snapped up immediately by eager employment managers. Housing
to care for them became a paramount necessity. A survey was
taken of boarding accommodations. The Gale Terrace temporary
housing development was erected, and part of it was rilled up at
once by 60 Jamaicans brought here to ease the labor shortage.
Later the number rose to about 250. One man advertised offering
a war bond to anyone who would find him an apartment for rent.
Campaign followed campaign in rapid succession. Quotas were
topped here in war loan drives, and Meriden more than once led
all Connecticut cities in per capita sales of war bonds.
The city took good care of servicemen from other cities as
well as the local servicemen who came home on leave. They
were welcomed at the railroad station, provided with free over-
night accommodations at the Y.M.C.A., given passes to theaters,
dances, and bowling alleys.
There was no slacking in the almost universal war effort here.
Hardly a day went by without the announcement of some new
campaign. The agencies in the Community Fund were especially
active, and hundreds of thousands of dollars were raised to meet
their expanding needs. The USO had been added to the group,
and its appeal was oversubscribed, along with the appeals of other
organizations, including the Red Cross, which functioned for the
benefit of the war effort.
The smooth integration of Meriden's response to the demands
of war led to the most signal honor ever bestowed upon this city.
After a careful examination of the claims of other cities, the
Federal War Manpower Commission designated Meriden as "The
Nation's Ideal War Community.") This story broke on the first
pages of newspapers across the country, and drew national
attention to the manner in which the local war assignment had
been carried out.
There was a story behind the story. The Metro-Goldwyn-
Mayer motion picture company had collaborated with the War
Manpower Commission to produce a morale-building motion
picture entitled "Main Street Today." It was the second picture
of this type produced by the company. Seeking for the proper
community in which to hold the world premiere, the producers
consulted War Manpower Commissioner Paul V. McNutt, and
the choice fell on Meriden because it best met the standards
which had been set up.
At that time, early in 1944, 80 manufacturing companies here
were supplying the sinews of war on an enormous scale. Almost
complete conversion to war production had been achieved.
Wallingford and Southington in this area had more than 50 other
plants engaged in war output. The local population had increased
from about 40,000 at the beginning of the war to more than
46,000. The roll of war workers could muster at least 20,000, 54
per cent of whom were women. More than 5,000 Meriden men
and women were serving in the various branches of the armed
forces. At the same time, the home front was manned by nearly
the entire resident population. Even those who had retired from
employment years previously had found niches for usefulness.
There were other factors, too, which weighed in the selection
of Meriden for this honor. jQne of the most important was the
prevailing harmony in interracial and industrial relationships.
More than 60 per cent of the people here were either foreign
born or born of foreign or mixed parentage. These racial stocks
had mingled without friction.
All Meriden plants except the International Silver Company,
which had a special war set-up of its own, functioned through a
labor-management committee. This committee operated to find
transportation for war workers through car pools, to help in
war bond drives, to work out traffic plans with the city, and to
help solve numerous other problems. Interruptions of war pro-
duction because of disputes over hours, wages, or working
conditions were practically unknown. The committee promptly
ironed out the troubles which arose. Most plants were working
three shifts, and the average wage rates of Meriden and Walling-
ford combined were among the highest in the nation. Absenteeism
was also non-existent.
This city was the perfect setting for what the War Manpower
Commission had in mind, and Meriden responded to the news of
its honor by preparing an elaborate program for the official
celebration. A committee of community leaders was formed. All
local groups were represented. The churches played an especially
important part, for Sunday, March 19, was designated as Civic
Sunday, with non-sectarian worship in the City Hall at 7:30 p.m.
On Monday, March 20, Meriden gave its official reception for
the Hon. Paul McNutt and the party which he had brought with
him from Washington. Arriving at 5 p.m., he and the group were
escorted on a series of plant inspections. This was followed by a
dinner in the new cafeteria of the New Departure Division of
General Motors. The entire proceeds from the sale of tickets to
this affair went to the Meriden Chapter of the American Red
Cross.
The New Departure plant was next inspected, and the party
attended an exhibit of war products in the Y.M.C.A. Then, at
10:30 p.m., came the presentation of a program at the Loew-Poli
Palace Theater. Again the Red Cross benefited by the proceeds.
Mr. McNutt spoke in the theater, and his message was broadcast
to the country over the red network. Captain Glenn Miller's
band furnished the music for the program. Hollywood stars
Luise Rainer and Jimmie Durante made personal appearances.
Governor Raymond E. Baldwin represented the State of Con-
necticut on this occasion.
The Meriden Record and the Meriden Journal published special
editions in connection with the event, and reported the pro-
ceedings in many columns of space, and the principal wire services
carried liberal accounts to all parts of the country.
The official citation, embossed on a plaque presented to Mayor
Francis R. Danaher, acting on behalf of the city, read:
"A Commendation to the City of Meriden for its outstanding
achievements in the complete Mobilization of Manpower and
every Home Front Resource to effectively speed the War Effort.
Paul V. McNutt
Chairman the Manpower Commission."
While all this was happening at home, Meriden men and
women away from home were scattered all over the globe. The
lessons of war training had long since been translated into combat
experience for many. The war was being fought on many fronts:
in the European theater, on isolated islands of the Pacific, in the
Philippines, in the Far North, over the cold reaches of the
Atlantic, around the British Isles, in North Africa, at the "soft
under-belly" of Europe, and was creeping up to the shores of
Japan. Meriden soldiers, sailors, marines were engaged in practi-
cally all the phases of this unprecedented struggle, and were
giving a good account of themselves. But the mounting casualty
lists were bringing sorrow to many a Meriden home, and steeling
the resolve of the city at large to pour all of its resources into
the war effort.
The news of the invasion of Western Europe on D-Day was
received here with prayer, not jubilation. Invasion services were
held in all the churches. Work ceased in the factories while men
and women at the bench bowed their heads and prayed.
Again the city went over the top in the Fifth War Loan drive
in 1944, when $10,355,766 was subscribed in Meriden, $755,760
above the quota.
A second hurricane, somewhat less severe than the disastrous
hurricane of 1938, hit here in September 1944, causing the loss of
nearly 500 of the city's trees, putting more than 1,000 telephones
out of business, causing a failure of electric power in many parts
of the city.
This happened while the hurricane overseas was at its height.
Meriden servicemen were meeting in such far-off places as New
Delhi, India, Italy, England, France, the Hawaiian Islands, New
Guinea, on shipboard in the Pacific, in North Africa — and
writing home of these and other war experiences. On the lighter
side, a beard-raising contest promoted by the Y.M.C.A. produced
some startling photographs of Meridenites who were barely
recognizable behind their facial foliage.
The city in 1944 was already planning for its postwar
development, and especially to welcome and care for the needs
of returning members of the armed forces. Mayor Danaher
appointed a Veterans' Service Commission for advisory purposes
consisting of Joseph Bogucki, William Dibble, Harold Holmes,
C. I. Packer, Fred Slagle, William J. Wilcox and Arthur L.
News From Home was being sent at this time to a considerable
number of German and Japanese prisoners-of-war.
Early in 1945, the city exceeded its $8 million quota in the
Sixth War Loan by $400,000. Calls for blood found ready
response, and many on the home front gave until they were nearly
"bled white."
The Meriden U.S.O. report in February showed that nearly
5,000 free showers had been provided by the Y.M.C.A. for
servicemen, 1,500 of whom had been provided with lodgings, and
that 37,000 news letters had been sent out during 1944.
A municipal youth canteen, the "Tally-Ho" was opened in the
basement of the Welfare Building on Liberty Street.
In April 1945, the official records showed that 5,242 had left
Meriden for war service.
Meanwhile, plans for postwar Meriden were progressing step-
by-step. An architect was engaged to plan a $1,500,000 high
school — a plan later abandoned when the Board of Education
decided to proceed first with the building of elementary schools
before attempting the secondary schools phase of school con-
struction. The old Rogers Block, long an eyesore in the center
of the city, was removed. South Colony Street was widened at
this point, and the loop system of traffic regulation was placed
in effect. An option was obtained by the city to purchase a
portion of the Lyon & Billard property for the purpose of
widening Hanover Street, but the proposal was held in abeyance,
and eventually the check given by the city was voided with the
consent of the principals.
In the spring of 1945, victory was in sight, at least on the
continent of Europe. The German armies began surrendering
on May 4, and unconditional surrender was signed May 7 at
Rheims headquarters and in Berlin. This news found Meriden still
in a sober mood. Not a factory decreased operations. In fact,
attendance on the job averaged even higher than usual. There
were prayer services in every church on the evening of V-E Day,
and a U.S.O. community prayer and song service in Crown
Street Square.
At this time, Meriden was leading the state in the Seventh
War Loan campaign. It had raised $600,000 to increase the size
of the Meriden Hospital with a new addition.
News that brought rejoicing was the release of a large number
of Meriden men from German prison camps.
It was a tense summer here, as well as in all other parts of the
country. The invasion of Okinawa on April 1 had been followed
by 83 days of fighting. The first atomic bomb ever used in war
was dropped on Hiroshima on August 6, and complete victory
over Japan was achieved with the surrender on August 14. The
formal surrender on board the U.S.S. Missouri took place
September 2, Far Eastern time — V-J Day.
A reminder of the sacrifices which war had meant was afforded
by the dedication on July 17 of a memorial in Hubbard Park to
Major Donald T. Robison, formerly park superintendent, who
had given his life in the combat in the Pacific. On July 4, he was
posthumously awarded the nation's third highest honor, the
Legion of Merit. The memorial consisted of an inscribed boulder.
In common with most of the country, Meriden had two peace
celebrations, the first premature on August 12, touched off by a
wire-service dispatch which beat the formal announcement. Bells
started ringing wildly, and a scene of wild jubilation began in the
streets, lasting for about an hour before the dispatch was cor-
rected. Two days later, following the official announcement,
10,000 persons jammed the downtown section. The occasion was
unmarred by vandalism, but the crowds cut loose with songs and
cheers. On August 15, a peace parade was held, and many took
part in a block dance in Crown Street Square, to music from the
Record's amplifier with borrowed records. The band engaged
had failed to appear.
Ernest Kirby was engaged by the city in January 1944 to
compile Meriden's war records, and his report was made first in
July 1945. The following figures were taken from his statistics
at that time: 5,631 inducted (of whom 4,879 were still in uniform
in September 1945); 146 dead; 377 wounded; 28 prisoners (of
whom 20 had returned by early August); 3,104 in the Army;
1,060 in the Navy; 171 Marines and 161 in other branches; 156
women in the armed services, of whom 56 were WACs, 39
Waves, 10 Spars, 39 Army nurses, 7 Navy nurses, with 5 dis-
charged at the time when the first report was made. On
December 1, 615 from here were still in the service.
Organized to advise the returning veterans was the Veterans'
Advisory Center at 22 Liberty Street in the old high school
building, then called the Welfare Building.
The Volunteer Office of the War Council was located in the
same building. It was closed in October 1945, but Mrs. Matilda
A. Young, who had been in charge of the office, was appointed
secretary of the War History Office and continued the work of
the Volunteer Office on a part-time basis.
Meriden residents who lost their lives in the service of their
country in World War II were:
Albert R. Athorne
Leonard Baranski
Emil E. Beierle
Joseph E. Bergeron
William F. Berwick
Edward Bieluczyk
Arthur J. Biesak
Welles Bishop
Vincent J. Blachuta
Menceslaus Bogacz
James H. Brandenberger
Fred Emil Brechlin
Frank Budzinack
Joseph J. Byczynski
Joseph Cahill
Albert Caivano
Vincent S. Cannatelli
William J. Carrozella
John T. Cashen
Paul Carl Chaya
Carl J. Ciasulli
Louis M. Cook
William J. Cooper
Louis J. Corradino
Arthur H. Crooker
Jerome F. Curran
A. Morse Curtis, Jr.
Charles E. Cushing
Henry A. Dahlke
Ronaldo F. D'auria
Mark Daybill
John H. Dearborn
Anthony Dlugolenski
Walter J. Douksza
Frank R. Dowling
George E. Dupuis
Manfred R. Falk
Herman B. Faricelli
Thomas M. Fitzgibbons, Jr.
Robert W. Fowler
Francis E. Gaffey
Carl A. Gardon
Raymond W. Gearing
Hugh R. Gibney, Jr.
Lawrence Gleason
Howard T. Gracey
Michael J. Grieco, Jr.
Robert W. Grinold
Robert Halstein
Dana Harlow, Jr.
Wayne G. Havell
Donald A. Hofmeister
August W. Horton
Warren Hough
Harold Jobin
George J. Kafka
Walter W. Kaminsky
William Kapitzke
Norman P. Kelly
Robert S. Kidder
David M. Knell
Edward J. Koczon
John Kolek
Frank P. Konopka
Walter Koozmitch
Robert Kroeber, Jr.
Henry C. Landry
John R. LaRosa
Howard Lebo
Walter Lepack
Benjamin L. Liber
Alexander Logoyke
Ernest Luc a
Lionel J. Ludsier
Robert E. Lynes
George S. Macri
Joseph Paul Madona
Joseph Majewicz
Anthony Maletta
John J. Malm
Nestor J. Malone
William F. Malone
Francis R. Maney
John F. Mason
Paul E. McCarthy
Wesley J. Meiklem
Dorrance Merriam
Paul Mingrino
Michael Molon
Joseph Morelli
Donald W. Moyer
Benjamin Muzyczka
Julius A. Nessing
Stanley J. Niewiadomski
Arthur Nitsche
Russell P. O'Brien
Maurice O'Connell
Stanley Orzech
Dominic Paluconis
Arthur Panciera
Everett Parrish
Herbert T. Perkins
Theodore J. Pinkos
John Podgurski
Irving C. Pohl
Bronislaus Przywara
Joseph S. Pulaski
Arthur J. Radtke
Charles Rahner
Edwin W. Ridley
Robert I. Robinson
Donald T. Robison
Joseph E. Rogers
James Rosi
Kenneth C. Runge
Theodore J. Rzegocki
Edward O. St. Onge
Joseph F. St. Onge
Joseph C. Saleski
Bertrand K. Sawyer
John V. Scarfo
Francis J. Schaefer
Carl A. Scharmer, Jr.
Kenneth E. Smith
James V. Spinelli
Theodore T. Stafinski
Joseph A. Sullivan, Jr.
Edward J. Szymaszek
Donald J. Teagle
Albert J. Tetreault
Joseph J. Trigilio
Harold C. Trostel
William R. Whalon
Edgar Worley
Bronislaus Woronik
Herbert A. Wunsch
Carlton W. Wusterbarth
Richard H. Young
Raymond Zavaglia
Frank A. Zawacki
Rudolph J. Zebora
Victor Leo Zlotowski
Edward J. Zuraw
CHAPTER THIRTY
The Korean War which followed World War II, has been
described as a "police action" but its effects were those of all-out
war, so far as this country was concerned. American soldiers
fought and bled and died in large numbers, and at least 15 men
from Meriden were among those who perished as a result of their
It is unnecessary to rehearse here the steps which led up to the
conflict in which U. S. armed forces were involved, which began
when the North Korean army invaded South Korea on June
25, 1950. The Security Council of the United Nations demanded
immediate withdrawal. When this was refused, the U. S. ordered
Gen. Douglas MacArthur to send aid, and he was named com-
mander in chief of the U. N. forces. Bitter fighting ensued,
especially after 200,000 Red Chinese troops entered the war. The
long combat was finally ended when an armistice was signed by
the United Nations and the Communist delegates in Panmunjom
In this war, which resulted in a stalemate, the following Meriden
men died, according to records kept by the Record-Journal:
Francis H. Abele, killed in action in 1950; Robert P. Abele,
killed in action in 1950; Malcolm E. Aldrich, listed killed in action
in 1951; William H. Burke, lost at sea in 1950; Donald Dibble,
reported missing in action in 1950, no subsequent report; Derrick
Donovan, killed in action in 1951; Lorenzo Dupont, Jr., died of
injuries in 1952 when hit by a car in Germany; Robert J. Gervais,
killed in action in 1952; Burton A. Gracey, killed in action in
1951; Joseph C. M. Gravel, killed in action in 1951; Warren H.
Leining, killed in action in 1950; Frank J. O'Brien, Jr., killed in a
parachute jump in 1954; Joseph F. Owsianik, body found in San
Francisco Bay in 1952; Robert M. Strauss, killed in plane crash
in 1954; Joseph Zuber, killed in accident in 1951 at air force base
in Texas.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
As early as 1880, individual trades here were organized into
labor unions, but were not affiliated with any central body.
The Knights of Labor movement began to sweep the country
in 1883, motivated largely by a desire for political influence.
Almost anyone could be admitted to this organization except
liquor dealers and lawyers. The reasons for their exclusion were
not stated publicly.
Mechanics Assembly No. 2501 was instituted here in 1884 in
Circle Hall on Colony Street as a unit of the Knights of Labor.
Other units were soon formed in different trades, and the move-
ment flourished for four years, but disintegrated in 1889, when
the influence of the American Federation of Labor became
dominant. The strong Buffers and Polishers Assembly here with-
drew from the Knights of Labor to join the AFL, which led
the way for many other local unions to follow.
The Central Labor Union was organized September 21, 1890,
in Martin's Hall, State Street and soon gained strong support.
John Reynolds was the first president. In 1906, 23 local labor
organizations, representing every union in the city, were affiliated
with this body and took part in the Centennial celebration.
The organization remained active and gained strength. It was
instrumental in founding Undercliff Sanitarium, where beds were
established for the care of union members or members of their
families afflicted with tuberculosis.
In July 1915, the C. L. U. observed its 25th anniversary with
a celebration at Hanover Park at which Samuel Gompers, presi-
dent of the American Federation of Labor, spoke. Mr. Gompers
was taken on a sight-seeing trip through Meriden by Thomas L.
Reilly, then U. S. Representative; and Julius C. Stremlau, then
president of the Connecticut Federation of Labor, introduced Mr.
Gompers to the assembled unions. Meriden at that time had 2,500
members in unions affiliated with the Central Labor Union.
In 1944, the body moved its headquarters from 29 Colony
Street, where it had been located for 44 years, to 72% East Main
Street. During World War II, it set up a committee to give aid
and advice to returning veterans. This was done in response to a
request from the War Department, according to the late Frederick
L. Neebe, long secretary of C. L. U. Serving on the committee
were Henry J. Burke, president, John L. Moran, Joseph Bogucki,
Ernest T. Bradley and John T. McGlew.
The office of the Central Labor Union is still at 72^2 East
Main Street and John T. McGlew is president. More than 20
AFL unions are affiliated.
Although the merging of the American Federation of Labor
and Council of Industrial Organizations has been completed on
a national level, they have not yet been combined on the state
and local level, but this must be accomplished under the agree-
ment within two years.
Only two local factories have CIO unions: the New Departure
Division of General Motors Corporation and the Connecticut
Telephone and Electric Corporation: the first, UAW, local 987,
and the second the Electrical Workers Union.
It is planned to merge on a local level within a year, officials
have stated.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Electricity and Gas
It was 70 years ago this year that electricity was first made
available to Meriden people for lighting their homes, and 93 years
ago that gas was piped into homes for illumination and heat.
The subsequent years have seen mighty developments in
techniques and scope of service, thanks in large part to the
integration of the Meriden utilities into the Connecticut Light &
Power Co. network 30 years ago.
Whereas gas and electricity were both once produced locally
at plants on South Colony Street, consumers of the Meriden area
today burn gas which is a mixture of natural gas — coming to
them directly by pipeline from Texas and other southwestern
producing centers — plus locally manufactured gas. Similarly,
Meriden consumers today use electricity manufactured by steam
or water power at great power plants in the state, and soon will
be using electricity generated of atomic fission in facilities to
whose construction the Connecticut Light & Power Co. is contrib-
uting.
It was in 1863, during the Civil War, that gas was first
introduced into Meriden. A small 30,000-cubic-foot gas holder
stood on South Colony Street about opposite Gold Street. By
1875, the use of gas in Meriden had grown so substantially that a
larger installation was necessary, and a new plant was constructed
on Cooper Street on the site of the present CL&P facilities.
A large brick gas holder with a conical roof was built in 1875.
This was capable of storing 100,000 cubic feet of gas, which
seemed like an enormous amount at the time. By 1890, however,
the holder was far too small and its walls were extended another
20 feet, thereby doubling its capacity. The old holder continued
to serve for another decade or so, until 1901 when a much larger
steel gas holder was erected. The brick gas holder remained on
the premises until it was torn down in 1935.
Gas was made locally by burning soft coal. A by-product was
coke. During World War I and the years thereafter the local
gas works were the mecca of Meriden boys sent by their families
to draw home a bagful of coke on their hand express wagons.
Coal was short in those days, and boys from many parts of the
city made regular trips after school to the gas works, standing in
line until the burlap bag which they brought was filled with coke
which helped to keep the home fire burning.
The large telescopic steel tank which stood on the property
on Cooper Street finally became inadequate, even though it held
some 750,00 cubic feet of gas. In 1949 this tank gave way to the
large steel globes called hortonspheres in which the Connecticut
Light & Power Co. now stores a million cubic feet of gas each,
under 60 pounds pressure.
The erection of the hortonspheres, largest in the world at the
time of their erection, was just another step in the development
of a gas service which provided not only Meriden, but also
Middletown, Cromwell, Southington, and Cheshire with gas.
Since September 1953 natural gas has been brought to Meriden by
pipeline from the oil fields to be mixed with manufactured gas.
When gas was first introduced, it was largely for purposes
of illumination in homes, stores, and on streets. As an illuminant,
it displaced kerosene lamps which, in turn, had displaced candles.
Even in the 1890's, after electricity had been introduced, some
homes were piped for gas at the same time that they were wired
for electricity. Today, of course, gas finds little use as an illumi-
nant, but a great use industrially and an increasing use in home
heating.
Meriden has had electric lights since 1886. Two men, Fuller
and Wood, pioneered in electric lighting, starting with the old
carbon arc light which persisted for many years as a street light.
In 1885 Fuller and Wood set up a steam engine in the Lonigan
building on State Street, until recently the headquarters of Miner,
Read & Tullock. The steam engine powered an arc light machine.
They had a few lights attached so that local citizens could see
how they worked. Then the citizens were besought to form a
local electric light company.
That is what happened in Meriden. E. A. Fitzgerald was Fuller
& Wood's representative in Meriden. He set up three street lights
as a demonstration, one at West Main and Butler, another at
West Main and Colony Streets, and a third in Crown St. Square,
and he persuaded six local men to buy the plant. These men were
Charles F. Linsley, Charles L. Rockwell, Abiram Chamberlain,
E. B. Cowles, H. S. Geary, and John L. Billard. The men built
a small building next to the warehouse, and set up two arc light
machines, one for lighting stores, the other for the 30 street lights
which they installed. That was in 1886. In 1887 they exchanged
their stock for stock of the Aleriden Gas Light Co., and two years
later moved their plant to South Colony Street where electricity
continued to be generated for the next 26 years.
Great changes took place in the field of electric illumination.
Alternating current displaced direct current, and Thomas Edison
invented the incandescent lamp which displaced the old arc lights.
Edison showed his invention at the Columbia Exposition in 1893;
five years later incandescent lighting was in use in Aleriden.
It was in 1926 that the Connecticut Light & Power Co. entered
the picture in Aleriden by merger of the Aleriden Gas Light Co.,
the Aleriden Electric Light Co., the New Milford Electric Light
Co., the Woodbury Electric Light Co., and the Westport
Electric Light Co. J. Henry Roraback was president of the
CL&P at that time.
Aleriden's gas and electric companies have had an exceptional
record of continuous management. Joseph A. Hadley was mana-
ger from 1865 to 1895. Charles A. Learned became manager in
1895 and continued until after the merger of the local companies
with the CL&P Co. He was succeeded by Albert S. Jourdan of
30 Chestnut Street.
After Air. Jourdan's retirement, James H. Doak, the present
manager, was appointed.
Telephone Communications
Communication by telephone in Meriden has been possible for
more than 78 years. A commercial telephone exchange was opened
in Aleriden on January 31, 1878, just three days after the world's
first commercial telephone exchange was opened in New Haven,
making Aleriden the second city in the country to have commer-
cial telephone service.
There were only six subscribers when the Meriden exchange
first opened in 1878 under the management of Ellis B. Baker.
Today there are more than 20,000 telephones in Aleriden,
according to Einer C. Setterling, Meriden manager of the
Southern New England Telephone Co.
The story of the growth of the telephone in Meriden is one
of steady progress. As the city grew, the telephone service grew,
and new technical developments promptly found their way into
the service in Meriden.
The switchboard used in Meriden, which is the oldest com-
mercial switchboard still in existence ( the days-older New Haven
switchboard having been destroyed) was built in the Edward
Miller Co. in Meriden by Roger D. Blish. Today the old Meriden
switchboard is on display in the Bell System museum in New
York City.
Among the earliest subscribers who still use telephone service
are the Miller Co., in whose shop the switchboard was built, the
H. Wales Lines Co., and the Charles Parker Co. In their earliest
days, telephones were largely an accommodation for commerical
and industrial establishments; few homes had them at the be-
ginning.
Mr. Baker and Mr. Blish, who put together the first switchboard
in Meriden, used carriage bolts and the knobs from teapots for
some of the fixtures which were mounted on a walnut panel
about two by three feet in size. The office of I. L. Holt, insurance
agent, in the Wilcox block, accommodated Meriden's first
switchboard.
Shortly after the exchange was opened, it was moved to 10
Railroad Avenue in the rear of the coal office of Mr. Baker. In
1880, the exchange was located on the top floor of the Morse &
Cook block. The name of the company was changed to the
Connecticut Telephone Co. then and Elisha Ryder became the
local manager. He subsequently moved his office to the loft over
the Western Union Telegraph Co. office in the old railroad
passenger station which stood in Winthrop Square, now the site
of the Colony building, opposite the Winthrop Hotel.
Two years later, in 1882, the company was organized under
its present name of the Southern New England Telephone Co.
The office was moved to the second floor of the railroad station
which preceded the present brick station. There the exchange
remained until 1898 when it was shifted to the Lyon & Billard Co.
building, and in 1904 to the building on South Grove Street now
occupied by the State Employment Service.
All the changes of location were made in response to the need
of expanding service, and in April, 1925, the company moved to
a fine new building on Butler Street. This building, much
enlarged, is still the site of the company's local business office and
operating quarters in Meriden. One of the principal expansions
of the building came in 1950 when the business office was
expanded. During the reconstruction, the business office occupied
temporary quarters for some months at 67 East Main St., moving
into its renovated quarters in December, 1950. The present two-
story building will be raised to the height of four stories in 1957,
according to plans recently announced. The enlargement will be
made in anticipation of direct customer dialing on long distance
calls, expected to be placed in effect here in 1958.
Technical progress in telephonic communications has been
steadily reflected in the service of the Meriden exchange. As
early as 1889 the first metallic circuits in the exchange were used,
and the first long distance circuit of copper from New York to
Boston was connected through the Meriden office in the same
At the turn of the century, and for a few years thereafter,
telephone wires were strung overhead on poles bearing many
crossarms. These were removed, and subsequently gave way to
the underground conduits. Improved equipment, larger switch-
boards, greater speed in handling long distance calls, characterized
the growth of the local exchange. In 1949 there occurred a major
development in the cutover from manual operation to dial
telephones. Up until that time all calls required the assistance of
an operator. Now, under the dial system, only long distance calls
require operator assistance, and soon even that will be reduced to
a minimum.
When the Meriden exchange moved to its new quarters on
Butler Street, the late Carl T. Kent was manager. He had come
to Meriden in 1921, succeeding William Moran. Mr. Kent con-
tinued to serve here until 1947, when he was promoted to become
assistant to the district commercial manager.
Succeeding Mr. Kent as manager was T. Valmonte Hedgpeth,
who had been assistant manager. Mr. Hedgpeth continued as
manager in Meriden until 1955 when he became supervisor of
working practices at the New Haven headquarters. The present
manager of the Meriden office, Mr. Setterling, came to Meriden
in April, 1955.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Meriden Newspapers
Meriden, Wallingford, Cheshire, and Southington form one
contiguous area in the very heart of Connecticut. The four
communities have kindred interests which bind them closely
Two modern daily newspapers serve this area — The Meriden
Record and The Meriden Journal, both owned by The Meriden
Record Company and published in the Record-Journal plant at
Crown and Perkins Streets. More than 26,000 copies of the two
newspapers, according to audited circulation figures, are distrib-
uted daily.
The newspapers had separate histories prior to June, 1949,
when the Record purchased the Journal, and moved its entire
staff across the street to become integrated with the dual enter-
prise of morning and afternoon publication under single
ownership. Since that time, there has been constant improvement
in the plant and in the quality of the newspapers. Structural and
mechanical changes have been numerous and, at the same time,
the volume of news and features published has been greatly
increased, with corresponding increases in readership and
The Meriden Record
The Meriden Record traces its beginnings to 1860, when its
predecessor, the Meriden Republican, began as a weekly news-
paper. Later, the Republican became an afternoon daily.
On November 28, 1888, a number of pioneers in local industry
and banking took over the directorship of the newspaper
corporation, the Republican Publishing Company. The group
included Charles Parker, the city's first mayor, Nathaniel L.
Bradley, C. F. Linsley, John L. Billard, William F. Rockwell,
S. A. Hull, Horace C. Wilcox, W. F. Graham, and O. B. Arnold.
Four years later, William A. Kelsey, manufacturer of home
printing presses, offered to assume the liabilities of the corporation
in exchange for 60 per cent stock control, and the board was glad
to accept the offer. Its members had learned from experience
that newspaper management was not their province.
Mr. Kelsey initiated new and successful policies. He appointed
Thomas H. Warnock editor and Edwin E. Smith business
manager, and gave them authority to conduct the newspaper
according to their own ideas. At the time, he had already left
Meriden to reside in Washington, D. C, which remained his
home for the rest of his life.
The Record was started in 1 892 as a one cent morning associate.
In 1899, the two papers merged and became the Meriden Morning
Record. The Republican was continued until March 1, 1899 as a
weekly, and was then suspended.
The close association of Mr. Warnock and Mr. Smith endured
for more than 40 years and was ended only by the death of one
of the pair. Edwin E. Smith was made secretary of The
Republican Publishing Company when it was incorporated in
1887, with William F. Graham as president. Mr. Graham resigned
as president and treasurer the next year. He was editor and
business manager of the Republican until his death May 18, 1891,
when Mr. Warnock became editor. Tom Warnock, the first
editor of The Record, had gained his newspaper experience under
Mr. Graham, by whom he had first been employed in 1886. Mr.
Smith and Mr. Warnock worked together in building the news-
paper to a position of prestige and leadership until Mr. Smith's
death in 1934.
William A. Kelsey became president of the corporation in
1905, and Mr. Smith was elected vice president and treasurer.
Shortly afterwards, he was named publisher. After his death, his
son, Wayne C. Smith, became general manager, and later pub-
lisher. Mr. Kelsey served as president from 1905 to 1931, when he
was succeeded by Mr. Warnock as president. In 1948, Wayne C.
Smith was elected president and Mr. Warnock became chairman
of the board. The company changed its name to The Meriden
Record Company to conform to the name of the newspaper.
Mrs. Blanche Hixson Smith, wife of Publisher Wayne C. Smith,
joined the editorial staff of the Record in 1940, writing book and
theatrical reviews and editorials. After the purchase of the
Journal, she became executive editor of both newspapers. Carter
H. White, her son, an attorney, vice president and general
counsel of the corporation and active in the direction of its
affairs since 1948, is now the assistant publisher and general
manager of the Record and the Journal. After the death of Mr.
Warnock in 1952, Warren F. Gardner, who had been managing
editor under him, was raised to the position of editor.
Assisting in the editorship of the Record for more than 40
years was Julia Lansing Hull Warnock, who served as associate
editor, book and music critic, and editorial writer. She retired
from active newspaper work in 1943, shortly after her marriage
to Mr. Warnock. Her death preceded his by only a few months.
The first home of the Record was on Veteran Street in the
building which has been occupied for many years by the Meriden
Boys' Club. However, the Meriden Republican began operations
on East Main Street at the corner of Veteran Street. The present
main building, designed as a newspaper plant, was erected in
1905, but has been greatly altered and enlarged, with an addition
housing the garage, heating plant, and paper storage, while
complete modernization, both mechanical and in office quarters,
and the addition of executive offices, has taken place. A new
40-page Hoe press was installed in 1948 in the enlarged press-
room. The latest mechanical processes are used in the production
of both newspapers, including the automatic setting of type by
means of teletypesetter tape punched on special machines. The
Record also receives the Associated Press wire service on tape.
The Meriden Journal
The Meriden Journal was first published April 17, 1886 in the
Russell building on South Colony Street next to the Armour
plant. It was founded by Francis Atwater, Lew Allen, Thomas
L. Reilly and Frank E. Sands, four young men with slender
capital which was almost absorbed by the first month's rent. Mr.
Atwater, a practical printer, was in charge of the mechanical
processes; Mr. Sands handled business details and solicited adver-
tising; Mr. Allen was editor, and Mr. Reilly acted as city editor
and reporter as well. The growth of circulation was so rapid
that a new press became necessary in the fall of 1886.
The quarters in the Russell building were too small, and the
firm leased a three-story wooden building on the edge of Harbor
Brook from Morse & Cook. This building was occupied in 1888.
A year later, the company purchased the building and proceeded
to erect a fireproof printing plant around the old wooden
structure, continuing daily publication while the work was in
process. An office was established on East Main Street where the
Puritan Bank & Trust Company is now located, and was con-
nected to the mechanical plant. In 1912, an office building was
erected on property purchased from the H. Wales Lines
Company, and the two buildings were joined.
Mr. Atwater sold his interest in the company and retired in
1913, and Mr. Sands became president and publisher. Before that
time, both Mr. Allen and Mr. Reilly had retired, the latter to
become congressman and later sheriff of New Haven County.
C. Howard Tryon purchased an interest in 1915, was elected
treasurer and named business manager. Sanford H. Wendover,
who joined the company in 1916 as telegraph editor, became
secretary and advertising manager. Later, Mr. Tryon was elected
president, and also served as publisher. In 1943, Mr. Sands was
elected chairman of the board and Mr. Wendover vice president
to succeed Walter Allen, son of Lew Allen, who had been vice
president as well as managing editor for many years. Mr. Allen
then retired.
The Journal was published continuously in the two buildings
until it was purchased by The Meriden Record Company in 1949.
But it did not lose its identity through the sale. Its editorial and
news staffs are entirely separate from the Record staffs, working
at different hours, and its editorial page represents the views of
its own editors.
Mr. Sands, who had spent his entire business lifetime in the
conduct of the Journal, died in 1951. His death took the last
of the newspaper's founders. Mr. Tryon remained as assistant
publisher until 1950, when he retired. Mr. Wendover, who had
been editor of the Journal since 1946, has continued in that
capacity since the change. He is now the only former executive
of the Journal Publishing Company still active in newspaper work.
The Meriden Record Company sold the two buildings it had
bought from the Journal to the Meriden Savings Bank. The bank
remodeled the former office building as an enlargement of its
banking quarters at East Main and Crown Streets, and the two
buildings were connected. The former mechanical plant of the
Journal was torn down early this year.
Other Meriden Newspapers
The Northern Literary Messenger, published by O. G. Wilson,
was the first newspaper printed in Meriden. The date of the first
issue is in doubt, but a copy of a later issue, February 3, 1849,
bore the imprint Volume IV, indicating that it began late in 1844.
It claimed to be edited "by an Association of Gentlemen." Publi-
cation was suspended in 1849.
The second newspaper was the Meriden Weekly Mercury,
published by O. G. Wilson and George W. Weeks as a successor
to the Messenger. The Mercury's plant was destroyed by fire
about six weeks after it was started in 1849. The length of its
life after that time is unknown.
The Connecticut Organ was first published in 1851 by Franklin
E. Hinman and O. H. Piatt. Hinman was the printer and Mr.
Piatt, later to become famous in politics, was the editor. The
paper was sold in 1852 to James N. Phelps & Co. The date when
it ceased publication is uncertain.
The Connecticut Whig was next on the newspaper scene.
R. W. Lewis and O. H. Piatt were its publishers, and Mr. Piatt
was also editor. The paper was discontinued about 1854.
During the same period, the Meriden Transcript was published
by Lysander R. Webb & Co. When the Whig was suspended,
Mr. Piatt became editor of the Transcript, which lasted until
August 1856. At that time, Mr. Piatt's increasing practice as a
lawyer and his budding interest in politics influenced his with-
drawal from the newspaper business.
Robert Winston, a Canadian, came to Aaeriden in 1856 and
established a weekly called the Meriden Chronicle which lasted
for three years. It was purchased by A. B. Stillman who established
the Meriden Banner, which had the brief life of four weeks.
From then until 1863 Meriden was without a newspaper. On
August 29 of that year Luther G. Riggs started the Meriden
Literary Recorder.
All of the newspapers mentioned were weeklies. The first daily
was the Meriden Visitor, which began as the Weekly Visitor on
March 21, 1867, but changed to a daily on January 1, 1868. Only
three months later it was merged with the Weekly and Daily
Republican, published at first by Marcus L. Delavan and George
Gibbons, and later by William F. Graham.
Luther G. Riggs was interested in several short-lived news-
papers in addition to the Recorder. Among his other ventures
were the Daily News, the Evening Recorder, and the Morning
The Penny Press, established by J. H. Mabbett in December
1881, became the Evening Press the next year, and, on October
16, 1882, consolidated with Riggs' Daily and Weekly Recorder.
Under the name of the Press-Recorder, it continued until 1884.
For a brief period in 1872, William F. Graham published a news-
paper called the Evening Monitor, which was soon merged with
the Republican.
The Meriden Evening Times was started May 22, 1905, backed
by Henry C. L. Otto, who had no previous experience in the
newspaper business. Local investors lost about $30,000 in this
venture, which lasted less than 10 months.
The last casualty in the local newspaper field occurred when
the Meriden News-Digest ceased publication in April 1954. This
newspaper was the successor to the Meriden Star, a weekly
established June 15, 1950 with the backing of the International
Typographical Union after members of its local had walked out
of the Record-Journal plant. On July 17, 1951, the format was
changed from the orthodox page size to tabloid size. Before the
end, when the union had tired of enormous expenditures and the
rapidly mounting losses from the operations, efforts were made
unsuccessfully to attract local capital. The plant on South Colony
Street was closed and the equipment offered for sale. The final
edition appeared April 23, 1954.
The Independent, published by Robert L'Heureux, a former
employee of the News-Digest, was started here as a weekly on
May 20, 1954.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
One of the more important factors responsible for Meriden's
continuing growth and prosperity is the stability of its financial
institutions. Sound in the beginning, they have remained sound
through good times and bad. The worst periods of depression
have not weakened them materially. There has never been an
instance of a major bank failure here.
The thrifty habits of Meriden citizens are reflected in steadily
increasing savings accounts and in a large percentage of individual
home ownership. Business and industry are able to depend upon
the local banks for current financing and assistance in expansion.
The total assets of the nine institutions, as of December 31, 1955,
were $112,272,048.22, not counting the trust funds in their
keeping. Included in this figure are the assets of the Home
National Bank and Trust Company; the Connecticut Bank and
Trust Company, East Main and West Main branches; the Puritan
Bank and Trust Company; the Meriden Savings Bank; the City
Saving Bank; the Meriden Permanent Savings and Loan Associa-
tion; the First Federal Savings and Loan Association, and the
Meriden Trust and Safe Deposit Company.
Home National Bank and Trust Company
The Home National Bank and Trust Company completed its
first century in 1954, and held a special observance at the time of
its annual meeting, January 12, 1955.
A group of local businessmen met in 1854 to form a bank for
"home benefit," and the result was the "Home Bank of West
Meriden," which became the Home National Bank of Meriden
on January 6, 1865 and the Home National Bank and Trust
Company of Meriden on February 1, 1947. In the year when it
was founded, the population of Meriden was 3,559. The course
of business was steadily westward to concentrate in the vicinity
of the railroad. The bank was started with an initial subscription
of $100,000. Its first quarters were in rented rooms of the Young
Men's Institute in the Collins Block on the east side of Colony
Street. Two years later, in 1856, it was moved across the street
to the present location at Church and Colony Streets. The
building was owned by Henry Butler, and the bank purchased it
from him in 1858 for $3,750. In 1863, this old wooden structure
was removed, and the bank opened a large, new brick building,
erected on the same site to house its growing activities. At the
same time, the land immediately south was sold for $3,000, so the
corner property was obtained at a net cost to the stockholders of
$750. The original wooden building was moved to the corner of
Camp and Colony Streets, where it stood for many years.
The brick building erected in 1863 had been outgrown 20 years
later, and was completely remodeled in 1885.
Again, in 1921, the bank's directors agreed that larger banking
quarters were necessary. The brick building, occupied for 59 years,
was moved to the adjacent lot in the rear at 14 Vi Church Street,
and rechristened the Central Building. The present bank building
was erected on the corner site and opened in 1922. Several times
since, the quarters have been expanded. In 1949, the main office
was enlarged by the addition of a south wing, and in 1952 a
modernization program was completed to provide more space
for the bookkeeping department. In 1954, the main office was
connected with the building at the rear.
On June 2, 1946, an office was opened in Cheshire in rented
quarters. The response was gratifying, and in 1953 the bank
erected a colonial type brick building to serve Cheshire's banking
In Meriden, an uptown office was opened in leased quarters
at 489 Broad Street on February 1, 1950.
S. W. Baldwin was the first president of the bank and A. C.
Wetmore its first secretary. The original directors were Julius
Pratt, S. W. Baldwin, Eli Butler, Henry C. Butler, James S.
Brooks, Howell Merriman, A. C. Wetmore, James A. Frary and
Fenner Bush. The first cashier was H. C. Young. Among these
names will be recognized men who played a large part in the
development of Aleriden around the middle of the last century
and later.
Eli Butler became president in 1856 and Abiram Chamberlain
succeeded to that position in 1881 after Air. Butler's death. He
served 30 years as president, and was elected Governor of Con-
necticut in 1902 while holding the presidency of the bank.
The fourth president was Junius Norton, elected in 1911. After
his death in an automobile accident, Edgar J. Doolittle, a well-
known local manufacturer, was elected president in 1913. Charles
S. Perkins became president in 1926, after Mr. Doolittle's death.
George J. Sokel was elevated to the presidency in 1934, when
Mr. Perkins died. The late Arthur S. Lane was then elected to
the new office of chairman of the board.
The assets of the bank, as of December 31, 1955, were
$25,046,802, a figure which tells its own story of growth under
sound management.
Connecticut Bank & Trust Company
Through merger of the Hartford-Connecticut Trust Company
and the Phoenix State Bank and Trust Company of Hartford in
1954, the Connecticut Bank and Trust Company was created.
The East Main and West Main branches of the Hartford-Con-
necticut Trust Company then became branches of the consoli-
dated institutions under the new name. Separately, their identities
date back to much earlier periods in Meriden history, when they
were known respectively as the Meriden National Bank and the
First National Bank.
The Meriden National Bank, now the East Main Branch, is
the oldest bank in Meriden. It was chartered by the General
Assembly in June 1833, and began business with a capital of
$100,000 in the dwelling of William Yale at 447 Broad Street. The
following year, a new brick bank building was erected at 529
Broad Street, on the east side of the street, a short distance north
of East Main Street. The two-story brick building, with white
columns supporting the porch over the colonial doorway, later
became the residence of Hermon E. Hubbard.
The first board of directors consisted of Silas Mix, Samuel Yale,
Elisha Cowles, Stephen Taylor, Ashabel Griswold, James S.
Brooks, Noah Pomeroy, John D. Reynolds and Walter Booth.
Ashabel Griswold was the first president and Francis King the
first cashier.
In 1836, the bank's capital was increased to $150,000. General
Walter Booth became president and Harry Hayden was named
cashier after Mr. King's death in 1837.
Noah Pomeroy, Joel H. Guy and Joel I. Butler were other
early presidents. Owen B. Arnold, who followed Mr. Butler in
office, was president until his death in 1900.
The bank remained on Broad Street more than 50 years. In
1885, it moved downtown to occupy the four-story brick building
on East Main Street where it has been located ever since. Judge
Levi E. Coe became president in 1900, and died in 1905, when
he was succeeded by George M. Clark, who held the office until
his death in 1916. In that year, Herman Hess was elected president.
He was followed in that office by Harris S. Bartlett, who was
succeeded in 1935 by Burton L. Lawton.
In May 1946, when Harold F. Merz was president, the stock-
holders of the Meriden National Bank voted to tranfer all the
bank's assets and good will to the Hartford-Connecticut Trust
Company. Mr. iMerz was retained as vice president of the
Hartford Connecticut Trust Company and manager of the East
Main Branch. Today, he is vice president and manager of both
the East Main and West Main branches of the Connecticut Bank
and Trust Company. Howard F. Buttner, assistant vice president,
is stationed at the East Main Branch.
In November 1955, plans were announced by Lester E. Shippee,
chairman of the Connecticut Bank and Trust Company, to erect
a modern addition to the East Main Branch. It will adjoin the
present building, and will occupy land in front of the Main
Street Baptist Church. The bank has owned this site, at the corner
of East Main and Crown Streets since 1945. The new building
will be of modern design, with the use of much plate glass, and
will have a sidewalk teller's window.
The First National Bank, now the West Main Branch, was
established in 1863. Its original location was approximately the
site of the present building, which it shares with the City
Savings Bank and the Meriden Trust and Safe Deposit Company.
The small wooden structure, which it occupied when it started,
was replaced by a brick building in 1872. When the City Savings
Bank was organized in 1874, it located in the same building. The
Meriden Trust and Safe Deposit Company became the third
occupant of this building when it was organized in 1889. Addi-
tional room was required by all three institutions, and the entire
building was reconstructed in 1939. It was opened for public
inspection on January 20, 1940, and began business in its new
quarters immediately afterward.
The West Main Branch is on the west side of the main lobby,
and the City Savings Bank on the east. The Meriden Trust and
Safe Deposit Company has its quarters at the rear.
Joel H. Guy was the first president of the First National Bank.
John D. Billard succeeded to the presidency in 1881 after the
death of Mr. Guy. After Mr. Billard's death, Charles F. Rockwell,
who had been cashier, became president and served until his
death in 1923. He was succeeded by Floyd Curtis, with Ray E.
King as cashier. After the absorption of the First National Bank
by the Hartford-Connecticut Trust Company in 1933, Mr. Curtis
was elected vice president in charge of the local branch. Mr. King
was elected assistant vice president. Wilber W. Gibson at that
time became chairman of the advisory board, consisting of local
Mr. King has since retired, and Harold F. Merz is assistant
vice president in charge, with the East Main branch also under
his supervision. Dudley A. Dutton and Eric A. Walther are
assistant vice presidents.
The combined assets of the two branches, as of December 31,
1955, were $8,840,064.22.
Puritan Bank and Trust Company
The Puritan Bank and Trust Company had its origin when the
state legislature authorized its incorporation in 1907. The incor-
porators were Francis Atwater, Dr. Frederick L. Murdock, Henry
T. King and Charles C. Glock.
The first meeting of the incorporators took place in August
1912, five years after the legislature had taken action. The incor-
porators then voted to solicit subscriptions to the stock of the
proposed new bank, the shares to be sold at $100 par value.
One hundred and eighty-three subscribers took up $54,700 in
stock, which was later raised to an even $55,000, and the bank
was launched. In 1928, the capital was increased to $75,000, and,
in December of the same year, was stepped up to $100,000. The
capital stock of the bank is now $150,000, the last change in capital
structure having been made in 1945. The bank has been a member
of the Federal Reserve system since 1941, and all its deposits are
insured.
The first meeting of the stockholders was held October 10,
1912, with Gilbert Rogers as temporary chairman and Francis
Atwater as clerk. By-laws were adopted at that meeting, and the
following directors elected: Frank D. Smith, C. F. Fox, William
T. McKenzie, John R. Barnes, William A. Kelsey, Herbert Mills,
Gilbert Rogers, Hermon E. Hubbard, Lewis E. Clark, Henry C.
Bibeau, John R. Williams, D. M. Begley, H. W. Morse, Dr. E.
W. Smith and Sylvester Moscaletis. Gilbert Rogers was elected
the first president, and H. E. Kneath treasurer and secretary.
The bank began business in an old wooden building at 27 East
Main Street. At the end of the first year, its resources were
$233,306.24. In 1914, Mr. Rogers resigned as president, and C. E.
Schunack was elected to succeed him. After Mr. Schunack's
death in 1927, W. S. Alexander, who had been treasurer of the
bank since 1921, was elected president. In 1936, Clarence S.
Powers, who had been a director of the bank since 1928, and who
had served for a year as vice president, was elected to succeed
Mr. Alexander, who had resigned as president and moved away
from Meriden.
Today the bank is at the same location which it has occupied
since 1912, but its quarters have been completely modernized. In
1924, the old wooden structure w T as replaced from foundation to
roof and made into a modern, fireproof building. A new facade of
Indiana limestone and granite was installed, and the interior was
completely rearranged. A new vault was also installed. Changes
made since that time have kept pace with the institution's growth
and needs.
As of December 31, 1955, the assets of the Puritan Bank and
Trust Company were $3,718,884.49.
The Meriden Savings Bank
The Meriden Savings Bank received its charter on July 16, 1851,
which had been granted by the state on July 12. At its first
meeting, Enos H. Curtiss was elected president, Benjamin H.
Catlin vice president, and Julius Pratt, Charles Parker, Lewis Yale,
Joel H. Guy, Edwin E. Curtiss, Curtis L. North, David N. Ropes,
Howell Merriman, and Henry W. Saltonstall as directors. On
July 21, three vice presidents were added: Walter Booth, Elah
Camp, and Ashbil Griswold.
It was voted to locate the bank at the home of Joel H. Guy
on Broad Street. Mr. Guy was the first treasurer, and also held
the office of secretary.
'-i
\i
Roger Sherman School Addition
The Nathan Hale School
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Curtis Memorial Library
The Home Club
The Meriden Post Office
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Curtis Home for Aged Women
First Methodist Church
Temple B'Nai Abraham
Masonic Temple
Elks' Clubhouse
The Bradley Memorial Home
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Corner of Campus, Connecticut School for Boys
On August 2, 1851, the first actual deposit, amounting to $100,
was made by Asahel H. Curtiss. The first loan was to Wesley M.
Johnson on house and land at the corner of Liberty and Center
Streets.
In 1854, the bank moved to the Coe building on the southwest
corner of East Main and Broad Streets, next to the Center Congre-
gational Church. This building stood until 1894, when it was
condemned and torn down to widen the corner.
In 1864, the bank moved to the Town Hall, and used its vault
for the safekeeping of its securities. In 1870, E. E. Curtiss, Eli
Butler, and I. C. Lewis, a committee appointed to obtain a new
location, recommended the purchase of the P. J. Clark property,
at the corner of East Main and Veteran Streets. The bank
occupied the west store in this building until 1882, when the
building was moved back on Veteran Street and a new structure
erected in its place. This brick block remained the bank's quarters
until July 1925, when the new banking house erected at East Main
and Crown Streets was formally opened.
From 1851, the following have served as presidents of the
Meriden Savings Bank: Enos H. Curtiss, 1851-1854; and again
from 1857 to 1862; Benjamin H. Catlin, from 1854 to 1857; Edwin
E. Curtiss, from 1862 to 1881; Levi E. Coe, from 1881 to 1903;
John L. Billard, from 1903 to 1914; Eugene A. Hall, from 1914 to
1923; John G. Nagel from 1923 to 1941, and Llewellyn A. Tobie
Like all chartered Connecticut savings banks, the Meriden
Savings Bank is a mutual institution, owned by its depositors. Its
assets, as of December 31, 1955, were $23,485,682.03. Through
mortgage loans made on local property it has contributed greatly
to the growth of the city during its life span of nearly 105 years.
The City Savings Bank
The City Savings Bank was organized in 1874. The original
incorporators were Joel H. Guy, Charles L. Upham, John C.
Byxbee, Jared R. Cook, John D. Billard, John Tait, H. L.
Schleiter, George W. Smith, William H. Miller, A. C. Wetmore,
RatclirT Hicks, J. S. Wightman, Randolph Linsley, William
Lewis, E. B. Everitt, and Gilbert Rogers.
Joel H. Guy was the first president, and upon his death in 1881,
John D. Billard was elected to the presidency, serving until his
death in 1902. Charles L. Rockwell, who had been treasurer, was
his successor. Frederick H. Billard succeeded Mr. Rockwell as
president, and held that office until 1944, when he was elected
to the office of chairman of the board of directors. Harold L.
Wheatley, who has served the bank continuously since 1898, was
chosen to succeed him.
Mr. Billard held the office of chairman until his death. Mr.
Wheatley continued as president until the annual meeting on
January 19, 1955, when Henry L. Ketelhut, who had been asso-
ciated with the bank for 35 years, was elected president, and Mr.
Wheatley became chairman of the board.
The first annual meeting of the bank was held July 1, 1875,
when deposits of $20,418.03 were reported, with 185 separate
accounts. Assets as of December 31, 1955 were $12,760,162.37.
The bank has always assisted in home financing for responsible
persons on a sound basis, and its mortgage loans have done much
toward building the community to its present size. Steadily
increasing deposits over the years testify not only to the thrift of
Meriden people, but to their satisfaction in the service rendered.
The Meriden Trust and Safe Deposit Company
Quartered in the same building with the Connecticut Bank and
Trust Company and the City Savings Bank, the Meriden Trust
and Safe Deposit Company was organized in 1889 by Walter
Hubbard, Charles L. Rockwell, Charles F. Linsley, Isaac C. Lewis,
John L. Billard, Nathaniel L. Bradley, John D. Billard, George R.
Curtis, and Charles Parker. These men, all community leaders of
their time, had in mind the growing need for a permanent
institution to act as executor, administrator, guardian, and trustee
of estates. A special charter was obtained from the legislature
incorporating the company. Isaac C. Lewis was the first president,
succeeded in turn by Walter Hubbard, Charles L. Rockwell, and
W. B. Church, who still holds the presidency.
The company has gained a wide reputation for careful,
responsible management of estates. Serving on its board today,
as in the past, are men identified with some of the most important
interests in the city.
The vault, with full safety equipment, offers complete safety-
deposit protection.
The assets of the company, as of December 31, 1955, were
$319,145. Trust funds amounting to $23,429,090 were under the
care of the institution on that date.
The Meriden Permanent Savings and Loan Association
The Meriden Permanent Building and Loan Association was
organized September 28, 1888. The change in name, substituting
the word "savings" for "building," was made last year. The
association was incorporated in 1889. The incorporators were
Dr. C. H. S. Davis, Orlando Burgess, John Webb, W. W. Mosher,
Robert Bowman, William H. Miller, William G. Hooker, W. H.
Bulmer, Thomas Vernon, Charles L. Hinman, Albert Furniss,
Oliver McCarthy, William H. Neibour, E. G. Pepper, Charles C.
Powers, Benjamin Page, H. K. White, E. A. Chapman, and Frank
A. Camp. O. W. Burgess became the first president, John Webb,
secretary, and W. W. Mosher, treasurer. The first quarters were
in the old Byxbee Block in 1889. In 1894, the offices were removed
to the Wilcox Block and remained there until the present banking
building on Colony Street was constructed. The building was
opened for business on March 17, 1922.
Leonard S. Savage, who retired in 1929, was secretary of the
institution for 38 years. He died in 1932.
W. M. Miles was president at the time when the present
building was opened, succeeding D. F. Powers in that office in
1922. After the death of Mr. Miles in 1938, Irving J. Meiklem was
elected president to succeed him, and still holds that office. Albert
J. Lirot is vice president and secretary.
In 1950, the banking quarters of the institution were completely
remodeled. The front and main floor were rebuilt, and a new
facade and vestibule were installed. An addition was also con-
structed at the rear. A new vault was another feature of the
modernization program.
On April 1, 1955 an important addition to the association's
property was recorded when it took title to land and buildings
on Colony Street between its headquarters and the driveway of
the Post Office on the north. On the property was the office
building of the W. H. Squire Company, which it vacated,
removing to 204 Colony Street. The old Collins residence, which
had been remodeled for office tenants, was part of the deal
concluded with the Meriden Title Finance Corporation, Mrs.
Robert A. Squire, and Mrs. Roger W. Squire.
The Collins home was long the residence of Miss Sarah E.
Collins, who died in 1949. It was built the year she was born, 1859.
The land on which it stood was originally part of the Brooks
farm, a portion of which was sold by Judge James S. Brooks,
Miss Collins' maternal grandfather, to provide the railroad with a
right of way.
In September 1955, the association received a permit to erect
a $71,000 one-story addition to its facilities, on the land purchased
in April. Removal of the Collins home provides space for a 37-car
parking lot. A drive-in window for the convenience of share-
holders and savers, reached by means of a horseshoe-shaped
driveway, is a feature of the plan. The new addition joins the
building on the north side. The assets of the association have
increased by more than $5 million in the last four years, making
the expansion necessary. As of December 31, 1955, they were
>,991,315.17.
First Federal Savings and Loan Association
The First Federal Savings and Loan Association was originally
the Fourth Meriden Building and Loan Association, formed in
The late Fred Mills was president for many years, and was
succeeded after his death by his son Stanley Mills. Leo E. Weis-
leder was elected president in 1935. He was succeeded by H.
Dudley Mills, who had long been executive secretary of the
The original office was part of the office of the W. H. Squire
Company, when it was located in the Byxbee Block, and collec-
tions were made there on Tuesday nights. Later, offices were
located in the Morse and Cook Block and the Hall and Lewis
Building, now the Cherniack Building. Steadily increasing business
produced the need for a larger and permanent home, and the
association in 1926 purchased a building on Church Street from
Lew Aailler, building contractor, who had used it as his own
headquarters. The building was remodeled, and served until it
was decided in 1940 to erect a new building on the site, and the
old building was razed.
The formal opening of the new banking quarters took place
on July 12, 1941. It is a modified Georgian type, of brick con-
struction, with limestone and artificial stone trim. At the time,
the facilities were thought to be ample, but expansion was
required in less than a decade. In 1949, plans were announced by
Mr. Mills to construct an addition to double the floor space of
the institution, by utilizing the entire rear parking lot and drive-
way, thus gaining space 30 by 40 feet. Space in the front formerly
occupied by offices was added to the lobby. The completely
remodeled building was opened in April, 1950.
In 1936, the conversion of the Fourth Meriden Building and
Loan Association into the First Federal Savings and Loan Associa-
tion of Meriden took place, when a charter was issued by the
Federal Government, gaining more diversified plans of savings,
and insurance of all accounts. A direct mortgage reduction plan
was instituted at that time.
In his annual report on January 18 this year, Mr. Mills pointed
out that the association, entering its 55th year, had increased its
savings accounts to more than three times the total of 10 years
ago. At the end of 1955, savings amounted to 117,951,503.60, with
18,500 savings accounts in Meriden and the branch in Cheshire
operated by the institution. Assets as of December 31, 1955 were
$21,109,992.94.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
Retail Business
Meriden is a shopping center for this part of Connecticut.
Located almost exactly in the geographical center of Connecticut,
on the main line of the New Haven Railroad, with bus service
from all directions and excellent highways and parkways to and
through the city, its accessibility is a prime advantage for area
shoppers.
But accessibility by itself does not account for the large volume
of business done annually by Meriden retail stores. Local mer-
chants are, for the most part, alert and progressive. Nearly every
older store in or near the center has been altered in recent years
to bring it up to date. Many new stores have come into the retail
picture since the end of World War II. The style element in
merchandise has become increasingly important. Prices and values
compare favorably with the offerings presented in much larger
cities. Courteous consideration for the customer's needs is
stressed everywhere.
The city has cooperated with the merchants by providing
convenient municipal parking areas on Church Street, in the new
yard between South Grove Street and Butler Street, on South
Colony Street, and on Colony Street north of the Post Office. In
addition, there are parking areas in connection with a number of
stores and privately operated yards where parking space is
available for a small fee.
The curbs in the business district are metered, to prevent the
monopolization of space and give short-time shoppers a place to
The Merchants' Bureau of the Chamber of Commerce, to which
45 local business firms belong, conducts various shopping events
throughout the year and helps to keep retail standards high.
It is not the purpose of this volume to list all of the Meriden
stores which have come and gone in the last 150 years, or even to
mention all that are here at present. Space does not permit any
such enumeration. The best that can be done is to give briefly
the histories of some of the older establishments.
Upham's Department store is by far the oldest of these. It
traces its origin back to "Squire" Eli Birdsey, shrewd pioneer
of the uptown district, who opened a store near the intersection
of Broad and East Main Streets in 1836. When the business center
drifted westward, the firm of Ives, Upham & Rand opened a store
on Colony Street. This was soon after the Civil War, when Col.
Charles L. Upham and Lieut. Philip C. Rand became partners of
John Ives, who had worked for Mr. Birdsey in the uptown store.
When the Winthrop Hotel Block was erected in 1883, the store
moved there, and, in 1909, purchased land to the north and
erected a large addition. Additional land to the north of the
building was acquired in 1913. Col. Upham, who had served
brilliantly in the Civil War, who had held the office of mayor,
and who had taken part in many civic enterprises, died in 1929.
The business was carried forward by his three sons, Charles L.,
Francis C, and William H. Upham.
Boynton's, Inc., large ready-to-wear store for men and boys,
was founded in 1902 as the Besse-Boeker Company. For many
years, it was at 19 Colony Street. In 1920, the present four-story
and basement building was erected on the site of the old Meriden
Y.M.C.A. building. Arthur E. Boynton came here soon after
the business was opened, and became the resident managing
partner. The store was then known as the Besse-Boynton Com-
pany. Carlton P. Spear, Mr. Boynton's half-brother, became
associated with the firm, and united with him in purchasing the
business from the estate of Lyman Besse in 1930. Later, Clarence
E. Carr obtained an interest, and Mr. Spear's son, Lewis M. Spear,
also became an executive in the business.
Samuel L. Beloff founded the Styletex Company in 1920, and
became one of Meriden's most enterprising merchants in the
women's apparel business. His first store was at 19 Colony Street,
in the store which had been vacated by Besse-Boynton. In 1941,
he purchased the G.A.R. block on Colony Street, and remodeled
it into a handsome store of the latest design, later adding the store
just to the north of these premises. Mr. BelofT's sons, Arthur and
Marvin, are active in the management of the business.
Hamrah's moved to their present location, 19 Colony Street,
after occupying a store in the Cherniack Building, then the Hall &
Lewis Building, for a number of years. The business, conducted
by several members of the Hamrah family, handles household
linens, draperies, lingerie, imported novelties and many other
lines. Charles Hamrah conducts an establishment at 75 South
Colony Street devoted to rugs, other floor coverings, and rug
renovation.
The Reed-Holroyd Company, 7 Colony Street, has a long
history dating back to the time when Howard Bros, furniture
store occupied the same location. This business was purchased
early in the century by the Reed Housefurnishing Company
which, in turn, was absorbed by the present company, which also
operates stores in Wallingford and Middletown.
The Cherniack Company, another old firm, which began as a
fur establishment 69 years ago, purchased the Hall & Lewis
building in 1941 and remodeled it to provide quarters for its fur
and fashion shop at 2 Colony Street, as well as for its fur-fashion-
ing and fur-renovation business. The block is now known as the
Cherniack Building.
The New York Dress Goods Store at 25 Colony Street is the
outgrowth of the dry goods business founded in 1917 by the late
Samuel Umansky. It was originally located at 42 West Main
Street. The present store, with basement, was opened in 1919.
The Meriden Furniture Company, 55 Colony Street, was
established in 1890 by F. J. O'Neil and C. E. Flynn as O'Neil &
Flynn who, in addition to dealing in furniture, conducted an
undertaking business. Fred J. Winder was later taken into the
firm. Both of the original partners died, and Mr. Winder sold
out his interest in the business, which is now conducted by
Herman Gold.
The John F. Butler Company, now known as the Butler Paint
Company, at 51 Colony Street, is an even older concern. It was
established in 1876 under the name of Butler & Larkin. The
original place of business was in the Hicks Building on Colony
Street, next to the old Meriden House. Later, it was in the Wilcox
Block. The present building was erected in 1894 by Mr. Butler
in conjunction with O'Neil & Flynn. In 1907, William O. Butler,
son of the founder, became connected with the business which
he still operates.
The history of Emerson & Whitney, 43 Colony Street, began
in 1884, when the New England Boot and Shoe House was
founded by J. H. Warshauer. Since 1922, the business has been
located in the Colony Building. It was one of the original tenants
when the building was erected in that year.
Jepson's Book Store, 31 Colony Street, was established in 1910
by Miss Louise J. Jepson. The first store was at Crown and East
Main Street. In 1915 it moved to 4 Colony Street, in the Meriden
House Block. For a time it was at 7 West Main Street, just
around the corner. In 1922, another move took place, into the
new Colony Building, which had just been completed. The most
recent move, made several years ago, was to the present location.
Stockwell's, 36 Colony Street, is another old business. The
Boston & Meriden Clothing Company was doing business at 34
and 36 Colony Street in 1906. In 1915, the business was conducted
as the A. T. Gallup Company. By 1920, it had become Gallup,
Stockwell & Co., and the present name was adopted when Harry
Stockwell, long associated with the business, bought out the
Gallup interests in 1935. George F. Lewis and Harold J. Wuster-
barth took over the business after Mr. Stockwell's death, and Mr.
Lewis in 1956 became the sole proprietor.
Michaels Jewelers is the successor to Michaels-Maurer, a firm
which opened a store at 21 West Main Street in 1926. The business
actually dates back to 1900, when A. Michaels began business in
Halifax, Nova Scotia. The present large store is at 17 Colony
Most of the stores on West Main Street are products of more
recent times, although a few had their origins many years ago.
John F. Molloy, stationer, 20 West Main Street, is one of these.
He began business in 1904 at 5l l / 2 West Main Street. From
there, he moved to the Meriden House Block, then to the Byxbee
Block, and from there to 8 West Main Street. As the business
assumed larger proportions, especially in the distribution of
newspapers and periodicals, he found further expansion necessary,
and purchased the building in which the store is now housed, with
loading facilities opening on Hanover Street. The building was
remodeled, and an addition was constructed running through to
the street in the rear. Stanley McGar, associated with Mr. Molloy,
is part owner, and the structure is now known as the Molloy-
McGar Building.
The Ailing Rubber Company at 12 West Main Street was
established here in 1912 next to the present location of the
Reed-Holroyd Company on Colony Street. In 1919, it was moved
to the present location.
The greatest change on West Alain Street in recent history
occurred in 1941, when seven blocks of property on the south side
of the street, extending from the Connecticut Bank and Trust
Company building to Katt Bros, store were sold to the Tishman
interests of New York City and several large stores were con-
structed to take the place of the old stores which were razed. The
only exception was the Sugarman Block, which had been opened
in 1937. New companies were formed to hold the properties and
erect and lease the new stores. Occupying the stores built at that
time are Genung's, Inc., one of a series of stores operated in
New York state and Connecticut by the same firm; the W. T.
Grant Company, which moved from across the street to the
largest of the new stores on the south side of the street; Nugent's
Dress Shop, Berley's, and the Miles Shoes Company. The Genung
store has nearly 30,000 square feet of floor space and the Grant
store contains 32,000 square feet.
E. F. Powers Shoe Store was at 27 West Main Street at the
time of the Centennial. Years later, it moved to 6 West Main
Street. Manning & Conwell's Shoe Store, which had been located
on Colony Street, took over the business at this location.
Church & Morse were at 8 West Main Street in 1906, remaining
there until 1925, when their hardware business was removed to
25 South Colony Street, where the premises were completely
remodeled, with two stores thrown into one. Church & Morse was
established in 1872 under the firm name of Church & Sprague,
and was reorganized under the present name in 1879.
The J. C. Penney Company, one of the large system of
stores operated throughout the country under that name, has
been established here since 1928 at 43-45 West Main Street.
The F. W. Woolworth Company, formerly on Colony Street,
moved to 35 West Main Street, when the ground floor of the
Derecktor Building at Colony and W 7 est Main Streets was com-
pletely remodeled. The block in which the store is located was
purchased this year by Maurice Zuckerman, owner of the
Woman's Shop in the same building. The changes in the Dereck-
tor Building included a large store for the Liggett company, and
a store with entrances on Colony Street and West Main Street
for Kresge's.
The business of the J. Lacourciere Company at 55 Grove
Street was founded in 1900. It is one of the oldest stores in the
city handling paints and artist's supplies.
Bullard, Fowler & LaPlace, Inc., 75-79 West Main Street, was
established in 1926 by Irving M. Fowler, H. M. Bullard, and
S. R. LaPlace of Deep River. All three of the founders have since
died, but the furniture business has been continued.
Brown's Department Store, 54 West Main Street, was founded
in 1932 by Aaron Brown, who began the business as the Meriden
Bargain Store at 58 West Main Street. The store was later
expanded to take in the stores at 54 and 56 West Main Street, and
the present name was adopted.
The Growers Outlet at 82 West Main Street was started in
1934 in a building erected by the Griswold, Richmond & Glock
Company, an old Meriden firm long since disbanded.
At 20 Pratt Street, the men's clothing business of Harry Israel,
Inc., dates from the business established by the late Harry Israel
in 1904 at 64 1 / 2 East Main Street. Since his death, it has been
conducted by his brother, William Israel. The present large store
was opened in 1928, and has been remodeled several times since.
Also on Pratt Street is the firm of Oscar Gross & Sons, men's
and boys' clothiers, at No. 28, a store which was originally
known, when it was at 76 West Main Street 50 years ago, as
Hyman & Gross. Since the death of Oscar Gross, the business
has been conducted by his two sons, Samuel and Louis J. Gross.
The store has been greatly enlarged under their management.
One of the oldest stores in the downtown section is Little,
Somers & Hyatt at 77 East Main Street which was started in 1872
by Hubert Little as H. Little & Co. When J. E. Somers joined
the firm, the name was changed to Little & Somers. The
present name was adopted in 1883 when I. B. Hyatt bought an
interest. Willard C. Hyatt is the active head of the concern,
which specializes in paints, artists' materials and decorating.
Wusterbarth Bros., 82 East Main Street, was founded in 1900
on Miller Street, and was for many years at 45 Pratt Street until
it removed to the present location in 1930. Originally dealing in
sporting goods, it has specialized in toys in recent years.
Broderick & Curtin's Pharmacy, established 1886, was at its
present location, 42 East Main Street at the time of the Centennial.
It is now owned and operated by Thomas Joyce.
Charles J. Hayek's jewelry store, 17 East Main Street, is
successor to the store once conducted by A. Langner at 20 West
Main Street, which later became Langner & Hayek, and remained
under that name until Mr. Hayek took over the business, which
is now operated by his son, Charles J. Hayek, Jr.
Uptown Section
In the vicinity of Broad and East Main Streets, the original
shopping district, are stores with histories running far back into
the past. The J. F. Raven Hardware Company, 294 East Main
Street, had its origin when Eli C. Birdsey engaged in the hardware
business in 1854 in the same location. Upon Mr. Birdsey's retire-
ment in 1917, the present company was formed, with J. F. Raven,
Carl E. Raven and Guy Dutton in the active management. Carl E.
Raven today is the head of the business.
Fred L. Yale started in the grocery business in 1878 in the Coe
Block next to the Center Congregational Church, a building torn
down before the beginning of this century. The business was later
moved to the Barnes Block on East Main Street, and finally to the
present location, 298 East Main Street. Elwood Yale succeeded
his father as the head of the concern, and his two sons, Frederick
E. Yale and Oliver M. Yale, have long been associated with him
in the business.
The Lynch Drug Company, 298 East Main Street, was founded
in 1868 by E. Lyman Marvin, and was the third drug store to be
established in the city. In 1870, Mr. Marvin bought out the store
of Davis & Greenfield at the present location. He was succeeded
by his stepson, Willis N. Barber in 1891, who conducted the
business until 1919, when his interest was purchased by Raymond
M. Lynch, who took his brother William into partnership. The
business changed hands in 1952, when the Lynch brothers sold
out their interests to Walter J. Kopcza, Frank V. Chester, and
Bernadine S. Potrepka of Southington.
Anthony Mercaldi's shoe repair shop at 302 East Main Street,
known as the American Shoe Repairing Company, has been in
business for more than half a century. Anthony P. Mercaldi, Jr.
is associated with his father in the business.
Construction Firms
Meriden has a number of long established construction firms
which have acquired far more than a local reputation. They do
a large volume of business annually in many states.
The Lane Construction Corp., 965 East Main Street, occupies
the large administration building erected for it in 1951 near
the Wilbur Cross Parkway. The business was started in 1890 by
John S. Lane, then of Hartford, who erected a stone-crushing
plant on land leased from Bartholomew & Coe. Mr. Lane's first
road work was in Windsor Locks that same year, and, from this
start grew the present large business, which executes contracts
throughout New England, New York, and in Pennsylvania. The
Lane Construction Corp. was organized in 1902 to take over the
road building department. The company has built hundreds of
miles of excellent roads, including the new type of super-high-
ways, airports and other work of a similar nature. Arthur F.
Eggleston is president of the firm, and also of John S. Lane & Son,
Inc., which includes the quarry interests.
The H. Wales Lines Company, builder and distributor of
building materials, with offices and yards at 134 State Street, is
successor to George Bassett, who began business in 1843. He sold
out to Perkins & Lines in 1864. From this small beginning grew
the extensive business which has erected thousands of buildings
in towns and cities scattered through several states. The late H.
Wales Lines, who joined the business as a young man with
experience in bricklaying, had a large part in the growth of
Meriden. The business became H. Wales Lines & Co. in 1878, and
the present company was formed ten years later. Nearly every
important building in Meriden erected during the nineteenth
century, and many in this century, were built by this firm. The
present City Hall was one of its contracts. Charles S. Phelps, long
associated wtih Mr. Lines, is chairman of the board, and Carl R.
Langer is president.
The L. Suzio Construction Company, another large contracting
firm, was founded by the late Leonardo Suzio in 1896. Many large
highway contracts in Connecticut are the work of the Suzio
organization. The L. Suzio Concrete Company, an affiliated
concern, supplies ready-mixed concrete, and has a plant on
Westfield Road. Henry D. Altobello is president and treasurer
of both companies.
Another old contracting firm is the James T. Kay Company,
127 State Street, which specializes in plumbing and heating. It
was founded in 1872 by the late James T. Kay, and has been
conducted for many years by his son, Frank E. Kay.
The G. R. Cummings Roofing Company, 198-210 State Street,
has carried out important contracts in many states. The business
was established in 1899 by the late G. R. Cummings, and the
present company was incorporated in 1921. It has one of the most
modern and complete plants of the kind in the country. George
R. Cummings, son of the founders, is president and treasurer.
C. N. Flagg & Co., Inc. was organized in 1910 to do steam-
fitting and plumbing contracting for larger buildings. Plant
modernization became a specialty, together with wholesale piping
and supplies. The firm has handled large contracts in many states.
Its warehouses are at the corner of Griswold and Cambridge
Streets, and the general offices were moved recently to Elm Street.
Since the death of Charles N. Flagg, the founder, Peter Flagg, his
son, has been the executive head of the concern.
In the field of building supplies, the Lyon & Billard Company,
founded in 1847, is the oldest concern. It was established by John
D. Billard and George W. Lyon at 13 South Colony Street. In
1873, John L. Billard, son of John D., was admitted to partnership.
The business was incorporated in 1878. John L. Billard became
president in 1902. He retired in 1923, when he was succeeded by
A. J. White as president.
The Meriden Lumber Company at 174 State Street was started
in 1859 by Lyman & Clarke. The firm later became Clarke &
Converse and, still later, Converse and Seymore. The business was
incorporated in 1890 under its present name. W. F. Terrell, the
present general manager and treasurer, became associated with
the company in 1922. Charles H. Cuno is president, and Herbert
J. Reeves vice president and secretary. After a fire, which wiped
out most of the yard two years ago, it has been completely rebuilt.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
The Hanging Hills overlooking the city and visible in almost
every part of it are a constant reminder that Meriden possesses
one of the most beautiful recreation areas in the entire country.
These hills, known as East Peak and West Peak, are located on
the western boundary of Hubbard Park, comprising approxi-
mately 1,200 acres of carefully kept woodland, lake, and stream,
with playgrounds, tennis courts, swimming and wading pools,
flower gardens, and picnic spots among their attractions. An
extensive state park runs along the western ridge of mountains
adjoining the land owned by Meriden.
Hubbard Park does not stand alone. Spotted throughout the
city are other conveniently located parks and playgrounds, each
serving principally for a particular section, but open to all
residents, young and old.
In 1899, by an amendment of the city charter, the first park
commission was created and placed in charge of all the parks. The
playgrounds, as they developed, were administered separately
under a recreation commission until the two boards were com-
bined February 3, 1950 as the Meriden Park and Recreation
Commission with four members. A full-time park superintendent
and a director of recreation work together in supervising the
care and maintenance of the parks and playgrounds, and guiding
the activities of the planned program. During the summer months,
the playgrounds are staffed by well qualified leaders and assistants.
Lifeguards are stationed wherever there is public bathing, and
free instruction in swimming is furnished to children and adults.
Hubbard Park
Most of the land in Hubbard Park was presented to the city by
the late Walter Hubbard, who was president of the Bradley &
Hubbard Mfg. Company, later absorbed by the Charles Parker
Company. He gave it outright, with no strings attached, except
that everything connected with the park was to remain free for
the people of Meriden, and that no concessions for profit were
MERIDEN PARKS AND PLAYGROUNDS
ever to be allowed within the park area. In spite of sporadic efforts
to obtain permission for refreshment stands on a commercial
basis, the wishes of the donor have never been violated. This
complete freedom from all types of commercialism is one of the
principal charms of the park for nature lovers.
Mr. Hubbard created a trust fund of $50,000, the interest on
which was made available toward the upkeep of the park.
Clarence P. Bradley, the son of his business partner, Nathaniel
Bradley, set up a trust fund of equal amount in the terms of his
will. Today, the sum realized from these two funds annually
defrays only a small part of the expense of maintaining the park,
due to the extensive improvements which have been made and
the increasing cost of caring for the facilities.
But the donor spent largely during his lifetime to develop the
park according to his ideas. The outlay from his own resources
amounted to between $400,000 and $500,000. Beginning in 1897,
he cleared the land in the lower park, built numerous roads and
trails and constructed Mirror Lake. The tower on East Peak,
known as Castle Craig was another of his projects. It was
patterned after the towers built by the Turks along the Danube
River in the 12 th century.
These jutting, precipitous formations which overhang the
pleasant valley of A4eriden date from the glacial age, and are of
especial interest to geologists. But East and West Peaks, for the
average resident, have interests far separated from scientific
West Peak was once the site of a number of summer homes.
The first to build on the top of the mountain was W. H. Catlin,
whose cottage was occupied for a number of years by Police
Sergeant Herman Schuerer. Wilbur H. Squire built a spacious
home later used by the Y.W.C.A. during the summer. The site
was sold in 1939. Cornelius J. Danaher, Sr. erected a summer
residence on the mountain, which he and his family used for 35
years. Mr. Danaher also acquired about 40 acres of land near the
summit, and 60 acres in addition on the plateau below the peak.
Others who owned cottages on the mountain were Fred Hotchkiss
and Thomas H. Burkinshaw. Some who had bought land did not
build. Nearly all traces of the little colony have disappeared.
Mr. Danaher once proposed the construction of an electric
railway to the top of the mountain, but the proposal was defeated
in a city referendum, mainly on the ground that the water in
the reservoirs at the base might become contaminated.
There are now three radio stations on West Peak. The first
constructed is owned by Station WDRC of Hartford, one of
the first stations in the country to send out frequency modulation
broadcasts. It is located on land purchased from Mr. Danaher.
Station WMMW owns a station on the peak, which also does
FM broadcasting. It was built on land obtained from the late
Levon Kassabian. Station WATR-TV of Waterbury also owns
and operates a station on the peak. The Kassabian family still has
a cottage on the mountain, the only one remaining of the
numerous residences which were built for use there in the
Mr. Danaher has disposed of all his mountain holdings. He
sold about 100 acres of land to the State of Connecticut as a State
Park which remains as a reservation under state control.
For a number of years, the state has maintained an observation
tower there, used for spotting forest fires. It is manned during
the seasons where the danger of fire in the woodlands is considered
most serious.
A beautiful winding road leads to the summit of East Peak,
where the land in the vicinity of the tower has been leveled and
turned into a hard-surfaced parking area for the automobiles of
sightseers. Fireplaces for picnickers are close at hand. But many
come just for the view, which comprises the wide range of
territory from Mount Tom in Massachusetts to Long Island on
the south. Long Island Sound is visible on a clear day from the
top of the tower, which is reached by a flight of iron steps. The
city spreads out from the lower fringes of the park, with part
of the reservoir system in the foreground, and the high land on
the eastern edge of Meriden at the extreme range of vision in
that direction. The edges of this vantage point are protected by
a stone balustrade and railing.
There are several alternate routes up the mountainside. The
more rugged of these are fit only for the hardiest of hikers, but
there are easier paths for those with less climbing ability. One
route is by way of the Fairview drive at the south end of
Merimere Reservoir to the rest house half-way up the mountain,
and from there up a steeper trail to the summit.
For many years, motor vehicles were forbidden in the park,
but those were horse-and-buggy times, when a leisurely drive
in the family carriage was a favorite form of recreation. Large
numbers of automobiles now pass through the park or halt by
the roadside, and the parking area near Mirror Lake is always
crowded with cars on week ends, winter and summer.
The lake itself is a focal point for all-season activities. Swimming
is not permitted there, and has not been allowed for many years,
although at one time the lake shore was a public bathing beach.
Fishing is also forbidden, except once a year in the spring, when
the "fishing derby" is held for boys and girls, with a long list
of prizes for different age groups. Hundreds of children take part
in this event annually.
In the spring, the whole lower park is a mass of bloom with
thousands upon thousands of daffodils of many varieties. They
spread out among the trees bordering the lake and approach the
edges of the roadway, forming a sight which draws crowds of
visitors, some of whom come for long distances to enjoy this
lovely display.
But this is only the season's opener. As it advances, the scene
changes as more and more varieties of flowers burst into bloom
under the skillful nursing of the park crews supervised by Mr.
Barry. Some of the beds which have been developed show
elaborate arrangements of plants and flowers developed by the
expert gardeners.
In the fall, a magnificent display of chrysanthemums, grown in
the park greenhouses, is another attraction. Plant culture in the
park began in 1948 when the greenhouse was built by park
Well-kept tennis courts are a feature of the park. They are
open to all local tennis players during the season, but reservations
must be fitted into a tight schedule due to the large number
desiring to play.
One of the most widely used facilities ever installed in the
park is the Lions Club swimming pool, dedicated July 8, 1951.
The Meriden Lions Club initiated this project and raised the funds
to make it possible. Its members not only contributed liberally
themselves, but conducted a campaign soliciting the support of
the entire community. The money thus raised went far toward
the construction of the pool, and the city cooperated to complete
the project, which is maintained at city expense. Many types of
pools were examined before the plan reached final form. The
pool as built has proved most satisfactory. It contains 200,000
gallons. During the season, the water is continuously purified.
Thousands enjoy the facilities during the summer. Swimming
classes and water events are held there. The pool is under constant
supervision by qualified attendants employed by the city when
it is in use.
So great was the success of the swimming pool in the park
that the Lions Club has been besieged with requests from parents
on the east side to undertake the construction of a pool in that
part of the city. On March 2 of this year, the Meriden Lions
Welfare Project, Inc. announced that it would build the "Wishing
Pool" for east side children, using the same plans that have proved
so satisfactory in Hubbard Park.
The Lions Club also sponsored and raised funds for the con-
struction of a wading pool in the park for younger children,
replacing the old wading pool which had become obsolete. It was
opened in 1954.
Camp Hubbard, a day camp for Meriden children, is maintained
in the park during the summer by the Recreation Department.
The Junior Chamber of Commerce constructed a shelter there
in 1953. Buses carry the children to the park daily during the
camping season, where they enjoy supervised play, and learn
woodcraft and handicraft from the camp's staff of instructors and
attendants.
Band concerts in the park have become increasingly popular in
recent years. A rustic band shell, placed at the foot of the natural
amphitheater which slopes gradually down the crest of the hill
overlooking the busiest portion of the park's activities, is an
ideal spot for such concerts. A rustic bandstand at the foot of the
hill has proved inadequate for the use of the Meriden City Band,
made up of members of the local union of musicians, who have
given these concerts free of charge for years, with the help of an
appropriation from their national headquarters. In 1954, a cam-
paign was started to raise funds for a music shell. With the help
of the city, the new shell was constructed for the Sesquicentennial.
One interesting feature of the park is a large slab bearing
dinosaur footprints which are a reminder of the antediluvian
monsters who once roamed this vicinity.
Under rules adopted in 1953, Hubbard Park is closed from
10 p.m. to 6 a.m. No commercial vehicles are allowed at any time.
The speed limit within the park is 15 miles per hour.
In winter, when the ice is pronounced safe, Mirror Lake is an
ideal place for skating. The park crews clear the ice as soon as
possible after every snowstorm. Lights are strung up for night
skating, and the surface is thronged whenever conditions are
favorable. A pavilion beside the lake furnishes shelter and a place
where skates may be put on in comfort.
Nearby is a playground, with swings and other equipment.
Tables and chairs are placed at various vantage spots. On the
western shore of the lake is an area much favored by picnickers.
Near this area are the shelters for the flock of mallard ducks
which lives in the park, under the protection and care of James
Barry, park superintendent, and his helpers. The ducks show few
signs of wildness in the carefully guarded life to which they have
become accustomed.
City Park is the oldest park in the city. It has been in existence
since 1880, and was formerly much more largely used than at
present, especially in the years when public band concerts were
presented there from a bandstand built for that purpose.
Bounded by Bunker Avenue, Franklin Street, Park Avenue
and Warren Street, City Park is mainly a haven for residents of
the vicinity. There are nine acres within these boundaries. Some
of the park's large trees fell victims to the hurricanes of 1938
and 1944, but enough of them remain to provide delightful shade
in summer. The lawns are a playground for the numerous children
of the neighborhood.
During World War II, after a long attempt to find a suitable
location for quonset huts to be set up as accommodations for the
overflow of war workers, it was decided to place some of them in
City Park. After the war, when the housing situation was some-
what relieved, the huts were removed.
Brookside Park, like Hubbard Park, is a monument to the gener-
osity of Walter Hubbard, who purchased the land in 1901 and
turned it over to the city for park purposes. It contains 13 acres
and extends from Camp to Broad Street on both sides of Harbor
Brook, a distance of nearly three quarters of a mile. The brook
flows through the entire park, and is kept in its channel by
retaining walls for part of the distance. At one point, near the
lower end, a bathing pool furnishes fun for children in summer.
A bathhouse stands beside the pool. A wading pool and some
playground equipment add to the pleasures of the park for
younger children.
Before the Lions Pool in Hubbard Park was constructed,
Baldwin's Pond had practically a local monopoly as a place for
public swimming and bathing. Near the end of North Wall
Street, it may also be reached from the prolongation of Britannia
Street into Westfield Road. The city maintains a sandy beach
beside the pond. Bathhouses are provided, and there is also a
refreshment stand. Within easy swimming distance from shore,
there is a float equipped with a diving tower. Swimming is under
careful supervision by a staff employed by the Recreation Depart-
ment. The pond is drained every season, and the water is tested
frequently, as a sanitary precaution, after it has been refilled.
Other Recreation Areas
A beach at Beaver Pond is leased by the city to provide additional
bathing facilities during the summer months.
Dossin Park, below Hanover Pond, at the intersection of Coe
Avenue and the road to Cheshire, was named for the late Oscar
Dossin, who served Meriden for many years as a recreation com-
missioner. A beach and bathhouse were constructed there for the
use of the public, but tests revealed that the water was impure,
and swimming was forbidden. The old Red Bridge, just below this
point, is a spot where many residents of the older generations
swam as boys, long before tests of the water at public bathing
places became mandatory.
The city has seven athletic fields: Columbus Park, on Lewis
Avenue, 10 % acres; Washington Park, 11 acres; Ceppa Field, 4%
acres; North End Field, 1 l / 2 acres; South Meriden Field, 7 acres;
Bronson Avenue Field, 2 % acres; Legion Field, 4 acres (leased by
the city for a 10-year period). Some of these fields have been
extensively developed. Washington Park has tennis courts and a
field house, where a caretaker resides. Kindergarten classes are
conducted there. Ceppa Field, named for the late Monsignor
Ceppa of St. Stanislaus Church, which formerly owned the
property, is equipped with lights for night baseball and football.
The lights, gift of the International Silver Company, were
formerly installed at Insilco Field.
Twenty-three persons under the supervision of Bernard
Sprafke, director, compose the personnel for the eight-week play-
ground period. Only two school playgrounds are used in con-
nection with this program: the Hanover School in South Meriden
and the Benjamin Franklin School on the west side.
Park Department employees are Irving Danielson, assistant to
James Barry, park superintendent; William Remy, caretaker at
City and Brookside Parks, who is assisted by Joseph Carabetta;
John Erickson, Guido Bertagna, Fred Rudolph and Durwood
Tompkins. Four of the men are stationed at Hubbard Park, but
are moved to other areas as work is required. Lawrence Fraser is
caretaker of Washington Park and John Borek is caretaker of
Ceppa Field. During the summer, the following are engaged to
take care of the extra work load: Fred Schlette, Legion Park;
Michael Amoroso, Columbus Park; John Patrucco, Little League
Field (on Britannia Street); Edward Everard, Bronson Avenue
A new field in South Meriden will be opened for the first time
in the summer of 1956. It is on Meadow Street and borders on
Hanover Pond. The area has been graded and seeded during the
last two years. A backstop will be set up there, and a diamond
will be constructed for baseball games.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
Meriden Post Office, which now has receipts totaling one million
dollars a year, from five different stations, began in 1806 when
President Thomas Jefferson appointed Amos White as the first
postmaster. The postal service was established in the city the
same year it separated from Wallingford, in a building owned
by Patrick Lewis at Broad and East Main Street.
The present Federal Building at 87 Colony Street was built in
1902 at a cost of more than $100,000. There is a classified post
office, "Station A", at 231 East Main Street, and three contract
stations: No. 1 at 445 Colony Street, No. 5 at 120 Springdale
Avenue, and the South Meriden Station at 1 Main Street.
A parcel post annex and garage at 141 Grove Street was opened
in February 1955 for all parcels and the 14 government trucks.
An addition to the Federal Building was completed in 1934.
Joseph R. Ferrigno has been postmaster since March 17, 1955.
He was acting postmaster from August 1, 1953 to 1955. Assistant
postmaster is Maurice J. Looby, and superintendent of mails is
John E. Doherty.
The first postmaster, Amos White, was succeeded after several
years by Patrick Lewis, owner of the post office building, who
served until 1812. President Andrew Jackson appointed Levi
Yale who was postmaster for 12 years. The post office moved in
1828 to what is now 641 Broad Street, near Dayton Place.
President William Henry Harrison appointed Richard Dowd
who died after serving six months as postmaster. He was succeeded
by Walter Booth who served three years under President John
Tyler.
In 1844 the businessmen of "West Meriden" agitated for their
own post office. This was established in 1 845 on the Guy property
on West Main Street, with Joel H. Guy as postmaster until 1849.
Ira N. Yale was named "East Side" postmaster in 1845 by
President James K. Polk in 1845 but died after three years and
was succeeded by Almerson Ives. President Zachary Taylor
appointed Hiram Hall who moved the operation to a brick
building just for post office purposes. President Millard Fillmore
appointed Asha H. Curtiss and in 1853 Hiram Hall was appointed
for the second time and died in office.
President Franklin Pierce appointed Bertrand Yale, who served
seven years until President Abraham Lincoln reappointed Asha
H. Curtiss. The post office was moved to the Franklin Hall
Building, near the Congregational Church on Broad Street. In
1865, Linus Birdsey, appointed by President Andrew Johnson,
transferred the post office back to its old site.
Meanwhile, Noah A. Linsley was appointed West Meriden
postmaster by President Pierce, and moved the post office to 21
West Main Street on the property of the F. J. Wheeler Company.
When Joel Guy returned as postmaster in 1853, he moved it
again to the south side of West Main Street, and later to the
present site of the Connecticut Bank and Trust Company, 14
West Main Street. Samuel B. Morgan served from 1858 to 1861,
then George W. Rogers was appointed by President Lincoln.
Postmaster Rogers moved to a brick structure at the corner of
Colony and West Main Street, but the building was later
destroyed by fire.
A room was taken at 13 Colony Street, and in 1865 Wallis Bull
was appointed postmaster. The following year, the operation was
moved again to 37 Colony Street, in the north room of the old
Byxbee Block.
The East Side post office was transferred after the Civil War
to John Ives' brick house at 489 Broad Street. In 1869, President
Ulysses S. Grant appointed Lon Hall, who served for eight years,
1869 to 1877. His brother, William F. Hall, was appointed by
President Rutherford B. Hayes, and in 1880 the post office was
moved to 320 East Main Street, now known as "Station A."
The name "Meriden Post Office," the then official designation
of the East Side or uptown post office, was moved to the West
Side post office. The West Side post office had moved in 1877
to the Hill Building on Winthrop Square after the appointment
of Erwin D. Hall by President Hayes. In 1880 the post office was
in the Wilcox Block.
The next postmasters were William H. Miller, 1886-1890;
Henry Dryhurst, 1890-94; and 1898-1914; John J. Anderson,
1894-98; John F. Penders, 1914-23; James J. Fitzpatrick, 1923-36;
and John J. Scanlon, 1936-53.
Receipts in 1906, the Centennial year, were $75,000, with 20
carriers and 18 clerks. In 1951 delivery service was extended to
South Meriden.
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
The Meriden Hospital
The completely modernized Meriden Hospital of today is the
result of a program which started in 1942 and culminated when
the new addition was opened in 1952. Actually, the improvements
did not cease at that point, but have been almost continuous since,
and new goals appear at intervals above the horizon to keep pace
with the needs of the area served. Since 1942, capital expenditures
total approximately $2,400,000.
The new building raised the capacity of the hospital to 220
beds and 48 bassinets, or more than double its previous capacity.
After it had been placed in service, in March 1952, the old
building at the rear was completely remodeled and re-equipped
to match the new facilities, providing a hospital plant which
compares favorably with any hospital of its size.
Although the first movement toward expansion began in 1942,
it was impossible to begin construction during the war period,
even after plans had been accepted and the necessary funds had
been raised. There were further impediments in the period im-
mediately after the war, principally the shortage of structural
iron, steel, and other building materials. The first step was to build
a new laundry and power house with surplus capacity looking
far into the future. Then came the major structure, which had
been planned with infinite care, and in consideration of the
standards relating to the number of beds per thousand of popula-
tion as set up by the U. S. Department of Public Health to
provide for the areas of Meriden and Wallingford. During several
periods since it was placed in use, the hospital has operated at
full capacity.
The history of the Meriden Hospital dates back to 1874 when
Dr. James L. Terry, working in conjunction with Dr. E. T.
Bradstreet, enlisted the aid of Mrs. Abiram Chamberlain in raising
money for the establishment of the institution. As the result of a
meeting in the Town Hall, attended by many physicians, and
presided over by Mayor E. J. Doolittle, the mayor was authorized
to seek a charter from the state legislature. The charter was
granted by the General Assembly in January 1885.
The next important step was taken in December of the same
year, when a meeting was held at which Horace C. Wilcox, Seth
J. Hall, Charles Parker, Walter Hubbard, Nathaniel L. Bradley,
E. J. Doolittle, the Rev. J. H. Chapin, Levi E. Coe, and George
R. Curtis were elected directors of the newly formed corporation.
Six years were spent in settling upon a suitable site. The first
location chosen was the Camp property, an octagonally shaped
house on Franklin Street. But negotiations to purchase it were
unsuccessful. Meanwhile, 18 physicians, irked by the delay, signed
a petition urging the construction of an entirely new building.
In 1892, after long deliberations, the directors authorized the
purchase of the Jared R. Cook home on Cook Avenue, a mansard-
roofed house built about 1872. The hospital continued to use
this structure until it was torn down in 1923 to make room for
new construction at that time. The house was extensively
remodeled for hospital purposes, and various civic organizations
participated in furnishing it, including the City Mission Society,
the Women's Christian Temperance Union, and societies of the
First Congregational Church. Dedication took place December
The Women's Auxiliary, with an executive committee of 15
members, had an important part in the operation of the hospital.
The membership of the committee was eventually increased to
40, and it continued to supervise the management of the hospital
until 1920, when the institution had grown so large that the
by-laws were changed to create an executive board of five
members of the board of directors to take charge.
The first medical staff was appointed with the aid of the
Meriden Medical Society in March 1 894. Among the well-known
attending physicians and surgeons were Doctors E. T. Brad-
street, H. W. Delesdernier, J. D. Eggleston, N. Nickerson, S.
Otis, A. W. Tracy, A. H. Fenn, F. P. Griswold, O. J. D. Hughes,
H. A. Meeks, A. Ploetz, E. W. Smith, J. L. Gartland, E. W.
Pierce, E. A. Wilson, F. H. Monroe, G. A. Peck, and William
Galvin, together with a consulting staff of Doctors G. H. Wilson,
C. H. S. Davis, John Tait, and E. C. Newport.
The first matron was Mrs. Alice Baumann, who was succeeded
in 1896 by Miss Bessie Livingston Webb. At that time, the
medical staff was given full control over all nurses.
An addition to the hospital was completed in 1905, providing
an operating room, two wards, four private rooms, a diet kitchen,
a large basement, and living quarters on the top floor for the staff.
Again, many civic organizations assisted by providing equipment
and furnishings.
In 1910, N. L. Bradley, then president of the board of directors,
and Mrs. Bradley purchased a house at 171 Cook Avenue and
donated it to the hospital, completely furnished, to provide
quarters for the nurses of the institution. Clarence P. Bradley,
their son, donated $5,000 in 1915 for an addition to the nurses'
The first X-ray equipment was installed in 1913 under the
direction of Dr. L. F. Wheatley.
In 1918, Miss Bessie Etter was appointed to the newly created
position of superintendent of the Nurses' Training School. The
need for additional nursing accommodations was met in 1920,
when a house next to the nurses' home was purchased, remodeled,
and opened as a dormitory. Two more homes, at 12 and 16 King
Street, were purchased the same year.
By 1920, the need for enlarging the hospital had become urgent,
and a campaign to raise $300,000 for this purpose was begun. The
goal was oversubscribed by more than $300,000. A Wallingford
man, Edwin H. Brown, was made an incorporator in recognition
of Wallingford's contribution, and Wallingford has had a voice
in the hospital's direction since that time.
The new building was completed and occupied in 1924.
By 1929, the hospital had again outgrown its accommodations
for nurses. Clarence P. Bradley saved the situation with a gift of
$150,000 for a new nurses' home which was constructed in 1929
and named after the donor who had made it possible.
The tremendous growth of the Meriden Hospital was reflected
in its financial statement for the last fiscal year, ending September
30, 1955, which showed a net operating revenue of $1,388,727.98.
Operating expenses were $1,429,441.50. The operating loss of
$40,713.52 was offset by other income of $72,233.24, including
state and municipal grants, the Community Fund, endowment
funds, and miscellaneous. The hospital has nearly 400 full and
part-time employees, exclusive of students in the Nurses' Training
Warren L. Mottram, a Wallingford man, is president of the
Meriden Hospital. The medical board is headed by Dr. Michael
J. Conroy. Dr. David J. Cohen is director of medicine; Dr. Francis
GiurTrida, director of surgery; Dr. Hoyt C. Taylor, director of
obstetrics and gynecology. Dr. Richard Breck and Dr. Donald
Badner are members at large. Howard F. Saviteer has been
business administrator since 1945.
Practically all of the physicians in Meriden and many in
Wallingford have staff appointments, and use the hospital's
facilities.
World War II Veterans' Memorial Hospital
Even before World War II had ended, the question of a suitable
memorial to those who had given their lives had been raised here,
and discussion developed on all sides.
Mayor Francis R. Danaher took the first step toward the
solution of the many problems in connection with this subject
when he appointed on March 13, 1946 a committee to recommend
what he called a "living memorial." William H. Rybeck, a lieu-
tenant colonel in the U. S. Army during the second World War
was named to head this committee, which consisted of represen-
tatives of 12 veterans' organizations and a 47-man citizens' group.
A poll of this committee endorsed the "living memorial" idea, but
there were many proposals as to the form which it should take.
In July 1946, it was decided to take a poll of the public to
obtain guidance. A planning and survey committee, a finance
committee, and a publicity committee were also set up.
Of all the proposals which had been submitted, the proposal
to erect a Memorial Hospital gained the strongest support.
After months of exhaustive study, the committee voted 42 to 6
in favor of a Memorial Hospital. Incorporated in the plan pro-
posed was a Memorial Chapel, in which would be placed, eventu-
ally, photographs of the 147 Meriden men who lost their lives in
the conflict; the photos to be as nearly alike in format as possible.
The original plan was to build a small 100-bed hospital, but
the plan was revised, reducing the number of beds to 50, with
the idea that the grounds selected as a site should be large enough
to permit expansion.
The United Veterans' Council and the allied group of citizens
which had been incorporated in December 1951 as the Memorial
Hospital Association proceeded carefully, guided by advice from
many sources. A site was chosen on Paddock Avenue, which was
purchased by the association and donated to the City of Meriden.
Douglas Orr, well-known architect, a native of Meriden, drew
the plans. A campaign for pledges was started, and approximately
a quarter of the city's population agreed to contribute.
Through the association, a bill was presented to the state legis-
lature, authorizing the City of Meriden to build and operate the
hospital, and to appropriate $600,000 for that purpose, the money
to be provided through a bond issue. This special act was passed
May 15, 1951, subject to approval in a city-wide referendum. The
voters of Meriden endorsed the project in the referendum of
June 26, 1951. Ground for the hospital was broken in November
Movable equipment to the value of $74,000 was to be supplied
by the association. An amendment to the original act later
authorized the purchase of movable equipment from the balance
of the $600,000 avails of the bond issue after payment for the
hospital's construction.
The system set up for the hospital's government was that it
be managed by a board of trustees appointed by the Court of
Common Council. The five-member board was to serve for five
years, and the terms of members were staggered to create a
vacancy for a new chairman each year. The board was to serve
as a building committee during construction, with the help of the
city engineer, the building inspector, and two members of the
council, one from each major political party.
An advisory committee of not more than 30 was a feature of
the act's provisions, but, after its appointment, members com-
plained that it was not called into consultation by the trustees
for many months.
Recently, as a result of these complaints, the advisory com-
mittee was activated, and provided with a constitution and
by-laws as a separate body. It has the power to advise without
being summoned, and to submit to the council, at the close of
each calendar year, a report explaining its activities and the
advice offered. The term of each member of this board was set
at three years, with the terms of 10 members expiring each year,
to be replaced by 10 others.
The equipment fund has been swelled by the proceeds of
minstrel shows and other events. The Association on June 26,
1951 organized the Ladies Auxiliary, which was later incorporated
as the official Memorial Hospital Auxiliary. Members of the
Auxiliary have made large contributions through the proceeds of
card parties and entertainments held under their auspices.
More than 2,000 patients at the time of this writing had received
treatment at the Memorial Hospital, since it was dedicated July
18, 1954, and many paid tributes to the quality of surgical,
medical, and nursing care rendered by it. Dr. David P. Smith, first
president of the Memorial Hospital Association, is chief of staff.
The Memorial Chapel idea was carried out as planned, and the
photographs of the Meriden men who died in World War II
confront all those who enter the hospital. As a "living memorial"
the hospital is representative of the spirit of the community which
it serves.
The Bradley Home
The Bradley Home for the Aged, 320 Colony Street, was made
possible through a bequest in the will of the late Clarence P.
Bradley, who died in 1935. He left his entire property on Colony
Street, where his own residence was located, as a site for the
home, and set up funds for its establishment and maintenance.
In his will, he expressed the wish that the dwelling be revamped
as a permanent home for "aged and indigent men and women
inhabitants of this state, preferably those belonging to Meriden."
The home was chartered by the state in March 1936, and was
opened for residents the following month. The board of trustees
later acquired land for a new quadrangle by purchasing for
$425,000 the Wilcox property just to the north. On it stood the
home built by Horace C. Wilcox and occupied for years by his
grandson, Roy C. Wilcox.
New buildings were erected to house 80 residents. The cost
was defrayed entirely from the funds of the Bradley estate.
Acceptance of applicants is based on need, and also on the
ability of the individual to adjust to the living conditions at the
home, which have been made as pleasant as possible, with a
minimum of regulations.
The home itself, and the grounds which surround it, are
exceptionally beautiful.
Howard E. Houston, later elected mayor, came from the New
York Association for Improving the Condition of the Poor to
become the first superintendent of the Bradley Home.
During Air. Houston's military service in World War II, Mrs.
Wilma ML Frost was placed in charge until his return. Mr.
Houston returned to the position after his discharge from the
service, and continued to function during his terms as mayor.
Gov. John D. Lodge appointed him State Welfare Commissioner,
but in December 1955 he resigned the commissionership and the
superintendency of the Bradley Home to take an appointment
as deputy director of the U. S. Foreign Operations Administration
mission to India.
The present director of the Bradley Home is Dr. Cole B.
Gibson, who took the position after his retirement as superinten-
dent of Undercliff Sanatorium.
Undercliff Hospital
Undercliff Hospital, until recently known as Undercliff Sana-
torium, is a state institution, nestled protectively under the
"hanging hills." The movement which led to its creation began
here in 1907, instituted by members of the Central Labor Union,
who were concerned about the increasing number of cases of
tuberculosis among factory workers. A campaign to raise funds
for a sanatorium was started. A tag day and three-day carnival
in City Park in 1909 brought in some of the money needed —
enough to make a start. The old almshouse off Capitol Avenue
was used at first. In 1910, the institution was turned over to the
jurisdiction of the State of Connecticut.
For the next ten years, Undercliff cared mainly for tubercular
children, with advanced methods of treatment which won national
recognition. Meanwhile, new buildings were constructed, and the
institution was expanded in many ways. An infirmary was built
in 1930. During the period of WPA projects, further additions
were made, including a new administration building, hospital,
school building, and nurses' quarters. The capacity of Undercliff
was raised considerably at that time. Again the institution was
caring mainly for adult patients.
From 1917 to 1954, Dr. Cole B. Gibson was superintendent
Meriden Y.M.C.A.
Meriden Y.W.CA.
Meriden Boys' Club
(Under construction in 1956)
Meriden Girls' Club
(The former O. H. Piatt residence. Addition projected.)
Administration Building, UnderclifT Hospital
American Legion Home, Legion Park, South Meriden
Municipal Parking Yard, Church Street
Pratt Street, from East Main Street
West Main Street
Colony Street at the Christmas Season
President Harry S. Truman speaks in Crown Street Square — 1952
RECORD-Souftmi
The Record-Journal Plant
and medical director. Under his administration, Undercliff grew
from a small cluster of wooden buildings to its present large
proportions. Pioneer studies in the causes and treatment of tuber-
culosis were made during these years.
In 1954, a new chapter in Undercliff history began. The
institution became the Undercliff Hospital unit of the Commission
on the Care and Treatment of the Chronically 111, Aged and
Infirm. Dr. Paul Mason de la Vergne, who had been associated
with Dr. Gibson for many years, was appointed as the new
superintendent to succeed him upon his retirement.
Approximately 200 patients are currently receiving the benefits
of the institution.
Connecticut School for Boys
The Connecticut School for Boys is today an example of the
many changes in theory and practice in the treatment of juvenile
delinquency. The methods which prevailed when it was founded
more than 100 years ago have completely disappeared.
The school was started in 1850 at a time when there were only
three or four similar institutions in the entire country. The
General Assembly in 1851 provided $10,000 for the purchase of
a site in Meriden. The land on Colony Street just south of the
present Bradley Home property, was purchased, and the first
building was erected. Many local citizens contributed.
The first boys were admitted in 1854. They were housed in
five cottages, each holding 50 boys. George E. Howe was the first
director. The boys were kept under rigid supervision and treated
as prisoners, with harsh discipline administered for infractions
of the rules.
Manual training was introduced in 1900, when Charles Merriam
Williams, a superintendent with more liberal theories, was at the
head of the school. The boys wore gray pantaloons and blue
jackets turned out in the school's workshops.
In 1921, the legislature appropriated $530,000 for improvements
at the school. This was the beginning of a new system of housing
in cottages with a more homelike atmosphere than that provided
However, charges of cruelty and incompetence were leveled
against the school in 1930, while Edward Boyd was director.
After his forced resignation, Roy L. McLaughlin, the present
director was appointed to the position, and a new regime began.
One of the first changes under Mr. McLaughlin was in the
form of clothing worn by the boys. No longer were they forced
to wear a garb which made them conspicuous.
The extensive building program instituted a little later provided
the school with an entirely new campus, which was attractively
landscaped.
New educational courses were instituted. Academic and
vocational training were combined to prepare the boys to become
self-supporting and good citizens after leaving the school. Creative
expression was encouraged. The print shop began to publish a
school paper, the Hilltop Hubbub, which has been continued.
Today, the methods employed at the Connecticut School for
Boys have made it a model widely imitated throughout the
country. And most of its graduates have made good use of their
training to build successful, law-abiding careers.
As early as 1796, Meriden had a small subscription library with a
total of 153 volumes, but it was discontinued in 1809, and there
are no records to indicate the extent of its growth by that time.
Several other attempts to start a public library during the nine-
teenth century failed. The first successful effort occurred in
1898, when the Meriden Public Library was established with
funds raised by the Thursday Morning Club, an organization of
Meriden women which is still in existence. They sponsored a
series of successful lectures to make the project possible. On
January 30, 1899, they opened a reading room in a house on the
site of the Masonic Temple.
In 1900, Mrs. Augusta Munson Curtis, widow of George R.
Curtis, offered to spend $5,000 on the site for a public library
and to contribute $25,000 toward the erection of the building
if the city would agree to appropriate $3,000 annually for main-
tenance. A special town meeting on March 12, 190! accepted the
offer, and the Curtis Memorial Library was erected at the location
chosen, at the corner of East Main and Pleasant Streets at a cost
of approximately $750,000 for building, site, and equipment. The
design by Richard Williams, New Haven architect, is classical,
in the Greek tradition.
Miss Corinne A. Deshon was the first librarian. She had been
in charge of the previous Meriden Public Library, and was well
equipped for the position which she filled until her retirement
in 1927, when she was succeeded by Miss Martha Bartlett. Miss
Bartlett served for 18 years, retiring in 1946. She was succeeded
by Ransom L. Richardson, who undertook a program of expan-
sion, the effects of which are still visible. James L. Hillard
followed Mr. Richardson, and served until his acceptance of a
position with the U. S. Military Academy at West Point. Miss
Marion Cook is now in charge of the library's services.
The need for a branch library on the west side was stressed as
early as 1930 by Miss Bartlett, but there were many delays before
branch facilities were finally opened in September 1945 in the
Professional Building at West Main and Maple Streets. Since its
opening, this branch has more than doubled its original circulation
of about 30,000 books annually. The library also maintains eight
stations in the schools.
The use of the library has shown continuous gains in almost
every category of circulated materials. In the city's annual report,
published last year, the total circulation of volumes lent for home
use was 231,035, and, for the whole year of 1955, this figure was
materially increased. The library maintains a reference service,
and is microfilming its newspaper files. A collection of musical
recordings and a wide selection of art books are among the
materials available in its departments. Its collection of children's
books is among its more popular features. Large numbers of
school children make use of its facilities.
The Curtis Home
The Curtis Home on Crown Street was founded by the late
Lemuel J. Curtis, who provided the funds for its construction.
It was erected in conjunction with the work of St. Andrew's
Episcopal Church.
The first building was dedicated in 1884 as a home for children.
Mr. Curtis died in 1888, leaving funds for the maintenance of the
institution, and also making it possible to erect another building
for the care of elderly women. The second structure was built
In 1905 an addition was constructed as a facility for manual
training for the boys in the home. The same building was later
converted into a gymnasium. In 1950, it became a 2 5 -bed infirmary
for the women residents.
Thirty children and 36 women now live at the Curtis Home.
A homelike atmosphere prevails at the institution, which is under
the supervision of Miss Helen Stevens.
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
The scope of this volume does not permit a resume of all Meriden
organizations. There are scores of clubs, fraternities, church
groups and other associations in addition to those mentioned in
this chapter.
The histories presented here constitute only a limited selection,
dictated largely by the arbitrary boundary of allotted space.
Meriden Community Fund
The Meriden Community Fund was organized in 1929 by a
group of public spirited citizens in recognition of the growing
problem created by the multiplicity of fund-raising drives for
local welfare organizations. The value of most of these causes
was not questioned, but some of them were failing to obtain the
support they deserved because appeals came too frequently. It
was also becoming more and more difficult to round up volunteer
canvassers, because many persons were being asked again and
again during the same year to undertake this kind of work. The
Community Fund, by combining the major appeals, was able to
perform the same tasks much more effectively and, in addition,
to furnish assurance to the public that its contributions would be
carefully and openly accounted for and put to the best possible
uses.
Since the year of its establishment, the Community Fund has
raised $3,909,078 in its annual campaigns. The amount raised in
the 1956 campaign was $181,450 for the 15 agency members,
including the Boy Scouts, Boys' Club, Diocesan Bureau of Social
Service, Family Service Association, Girl Scouts, Girls' Club,
Meriden Hospital, Public Health and Visiting Nurse Association,
"News from Home," Salvation Army, St. Rose Community
Center, Y.M.C.A., Y.W.C.A., Meriden Community Fund and
Council, U. S. O.
The active management of the Community Fund is controlled
by its executive and budget committees which function at regular
meetings and special meetings called throughout the year. The
office is in charge of a salaried director, who is usually present
to furnish detailed information at committee meetings. The
budget committee scrutinizes thoroughly the budgets submitted
by each agency member, and the campaign goal is arrived at after
all budgets have been surveyed and approved.
On the board of directors, each agency in the Fund is
represented, and there are also 25 members at large. The annual
meeting is held in April, when officers are elected, together with
six new board members to replace those whose terms are expiring.
Approximately 135 citizens make up advisory groups which
are called into consultation during the year.
The Meriden Y.M.C.A.
The Meriden Y.M.C.A. dates back to 1866, but its organization
was probably influenced by the presence of the Meriden Young
Men's Institute established in 1853. The Institute's outstanding
accomplishment was to arrange for the visit of Henry Ward
Beecher, famous orator, to deliver an address at the dedication
of the Town Hall.
The first meetings of the Y.M.C.A. were held in the rooms of
a local church, where lecture programs were presented. During
the first year, $7,000 was raised to make it possible to obtain
permanent quarters in the building which stood where Boynton's
Inc. is now located. In 1872, a paid secretary was engaged to
administer the program.
As the result of a compaign in 1875, the association obtained
more than $20,000 to erect a new building on the same site as
the quarters which it had been occupying. Contributors were
assured that for 50 years, dating from the Y's establishment, it
would be used only for Y.M.C.A. purposes.
In 1885 the first general secretary was hired. The position was
filled by the janitor who had cared for the rooms. In the same
year, a telephone was installed. Later, facilities for baths were
provided, although the board feared they might overflow, causing
damage to the building. In 1895, the first petition was presented
for bowling alleys. The Lincoln Street tennis courts were added
to the association's facilities in 1901.
A proposal to erect a new building was brought before the
directors in 1907, but 14 years were to elapse before this goal
was reached. The necessary funds were finally raised in 1921, and
the present building on West Main Street was erected, providing
facilities for all Y.IVLCA. activities, and a dormitory which has
been fully occupied almost from the time when it was opened.
But much rearrangement has been necessary, and many new
facilities have been added up to the present. Further expansion
is being planned for the near future. The association's membership
has increased from year to year, and its services to members have
increased correspondingly, while its work in education and the
direction of youth activities has grown also.
The war, with its attendant gasoline shortage, saw the passing
of the Y Community Forum, which, for 11 years, had attracted
an average of 1,000 persons for each series. It also saw the
establishment of a teen-age project which has enrolled each year
an average of 1,000 young persons for 40 Saturday nights, with
an average attendance of 300 at each meeting of the Co-Ed Night
Club.
Since 1941, the association has invested $73,920 in capital
improvements. A city- wide campaign for complete modernization
will be conducted in April 1957.
The Meriden Y.W.C.A.
The Meriden Y.W.C.A. had its origin in the Young Woman's
League formed here in 1 890 under the sponsorship of the
Women's Christian Temperance Union. In March 1893, the
society was reorganized as the Y.W.C.A., with Mrs. C. H. Youngs
as president.
At first the Y.W.C.A. had its headquarters in BushnelPs Block,
77 West Main Street. Classes in practical nursing, gymnastics,
bookkeeping, German, grammar, and writing were formed, and
an employment bureau was opened. In 1894, larger quarters were
occupied in the same building. The Y.W.C.A. became affiliated
with the national organization about that time.
The day nursery was started in 1895. In 1897, a vacation house
was opened on West Peak, which was occupied during the
summers for a long term of years.
The present buildings on Crown Street were erected and
dedicated in 1908, and the day nursery was continued at that
location. In 1940, the nursery was discontinued. Occupancy of
the dormitory has continued high.
Many clubs with special purposes, formed within the organi-
zation, fit into the Y.W.C.A.'s extensive program for girls and
The Meriden Boys' Club, affiliated with the national organization
of Boys' Clubs, was founded in 1888. From the beginning, it has
provided a place for the recreational activities of teen-age boys,
with facilities for sports and games and other varied interests.
Its headquarters at 9 Veteran Street have long been recognized
as inadequate, and the movement to erect a new club began as far
back as the 1930's. Plans matured in 1955, and a campaign was
undertaken to raise a building fund of $250,000. This goal was
oversubscribed to the extent of about $40,000. Construction of
the new building, on a site at the corner of Colony and Washing-
ton Streets, opposite the Meriden Post Office, is now well
advanced. The club has a membership of more than 1,000 boys.
Joseph F. Coffey is the director.
The Meriden Girls' Club was launched in October 1919, spon-
sored by the Meriden Woman's Club, and intended originally
to promote worthwhile activities among older girls. Later, girls
in the younger age brackets became eligible as members. For
some years, the club occupied rented quarters on Colony Street.
In 1937, it moved into the Italian- American Club building on
Grove Street. In 1951, the club fell heir to the Piatt home on
Lincoln Street, residence of the late Senator Orville Piatt, and
occupied for many years by his widow. The club moved into
these new quarters in 1953, but soon found that the space was
inadequate for its expanded activities. In February 1956, a
campaign was launched to raise a building fund of $75,000, which
will permit the construction of a well-designed addition. Miss
Betty Rice is executive director of the club.
The Boy Scout movement in Meriden began after the national
movement started in 1910. Its 46th anniversary was celebrated in
February 1956. The Central Connecticut Council, Boy Scouts of
America, now has a membership of more than 2,000 boys and
adults in the area of its jurisdiction, which includes Meriden,
Wallingford, and Southington. It is the sixth oldest council in
Connecticut. John G. Nagel was the first president. The first
professional executive director was E. D. Curtis, in 1916-17,
followed by John D. Roberts. 1917-1939. Since that time, Harry
S. Hanson has served as executive director.
The Meriden Girl Scout Council was formed 26 years ago, and
affiliated with the national organization which celebrated its 44th
anniversary in March this year.
The council is divided into four districts, with from 15 to 30
troops in each district, each under a chairman assisted by troop
organizers and consultants.
The first troop was organized in Meriden in 1918. There were
13 troops when the council was incorporated in 1929. Today
there are 78 troops with 1,665 girl and adult members, 200 more
than last year. Mrs. Louis Desrochers is president. Fourteen new
troops, Brownie, intermediate and senior, have come into existence
since last year. They are sponsored by churches and schools,
some schools having two or three units.
Camp Glen Echo off Paddock Avenue is sponsored by the
council. It is a summer day-camp conducted for six weeks each
season.
Mrs. Catherine F. McNulty is executive director. The first
director was Mrs. Emily Greely.
Public Health and Visiting Nurse Association
The Meriden Public Health and Visiting Nurse Association is
the outgrowth of the Working Men's Free Bed Fund, which was
organized here in 1907 for tuberculosis control. In 1908, it
became the Meriden Anti-Tuberculosis Association, and obtained
support through five-cent weekly deductions from the pay of
factory employees willing to subscribe. In 1910, the name was
changed to the Meriden Tuberculosis Relief Association, and the
first visiting nurse was employed. Distribution of Christmas seals
also began at that time. A group from the association helped in
remodeling the old town farm building, a project which was the
genesis of Undercliff Sanatorium. In 1922, the association com-
bined with the Visiting Nurses to form the present organization.
Miss Elizabeth Bigelow was the first director, serving until her
death in 1941, when Miss Jessie Halbert, the present director, was
appointed to the position.
The Salvation Army was first organized in Meriden in 1911,
when the Citadel was built on Pratt Street. In 1940, in the will
of Mrs. James A. Curtis, funds were provided for the construction
of an addition which was dedicated in 1941. The front section
was remodeled, and a new wing was erected at the back, with a
gymnasium and basketball court on the second floor, showers and
lockers. In charge in 1956 is Capt. John J. Phelan.
Meriden Chamber of Commerce
The Meriden Chamber of Commerce is the outgrowth of the
Meriden Board of Trade, which was organized in May 1896, and
incorporated in 1902. In 1908, it was reincorporated and united
with the Meriden Business Men's Association. It continued under
that name until 1915, when the name changed to the Meriden
Chamber of Commerce, Inc. First president of the Business Men's
Association was Frank E. Sands. First secretary, in 1908, was
Albert A. May.
In 1915, offices were established in the Hall & Lewis Building,
now the Cherniack Building, and remained there for many years.
H. N. Clark became executive secretary in 1917. Charles A.
Newton became executive secretary in 1932, and has held that
office up to the present, with the exception of a period during
World War II, when Hollis D. Immick served as temporary
secretary while Mr. Newton was with the War Production Board
in New Haven.
The Chamber of Commerce has helped to promote the best
business and industrial interests of Meriden from the beginning,
and has succeeded in bringing many new industries here. Affili-
ated with it is the Merchant's Bureau, which has its own officers.
Bernard D. Kasack is president of the Chamber of Commerce
and E. W. Graffam is chairman of the Merchant's Bureau.
Junior Chamber of Commerce
Organized after World War II to encourage civic enterprise
and promote community betterment, the Junior Chamber of
Commerce is an active group of business and professional men in
the younger age brackets. It has sponsored annual products shows,
collected food and clothing for flood victims, and assisted in
numerous campaigns. Each year it honors the "Young Man of the
Year" selected through widely distributed ballots. Another of
its goals is to foster safe driving by teen-agers.
The Manufacturers' Association
The Manufacturers' Association of Meriden was organized in
June 1919 and incorporated in 1920 to consider questions of
manufacturing interest and encourage cooperation and industrial
progress. The principal Wallingford manufacturers affiliated with
the group, and the association serves both communities, a fact
which was recognized by the addition of Wallingford to the name.
William J. Wilcox is executive secretary, and offices are main-
tained at 43 Vi Colony Street.
The Employers' Association, an even older organization, kept
a separate identity until 1942, when the two organizations were
merged.
The late Clifford R. Gardinor was the first president of the
Manufacturers' Association, serving in 1920, 1921 and 1922. The
late Charles G. Phelps of Wallingford was the first secretary, and
held the position until his death in 1925.
Mr. Wilcox, the present secretary, assumed his duties in 1926.
The association has taken part in many worth-while civic
projects for the benefit of Meriden and Wallingford, and was
active in the promotion of building in periods of housing shortage.
In addition to Mr. Gardinor, the following have served as
president: W. H. Walther, Charles H. Cuno, William F. Handel,
Glover Snow, Parker B. Allen, Milton L. Gearing, Albert W.
Savage, Clifford I. Packer, W. Oden Hughart, John R. Sexton,
Robert W. Clark, William H. Grinold, Philip B. Watson, Harry
T. Burgess, and Norman J. Stringer. Mr. Stringer holds the office
at present.
United Veterans' Council
A movement for an organization to include all groups of Meriden
war veterans was started in 1945, when 10 posts and chapters
gathered at the invitation of Charles L. Upham Camp, Sons of
Union Veterans, to discuss the feasibility of the plan. From this
beginning, the United Veterans' Council resulted, and has been
active for the last 10 years. It was largely instrumental in the
successful campaign for the World War II Veterans' Memorial
Hospital, and has also loaned its influence to other local efforts
on the behalf of veterans.
Every veterans' organization in Meriden is included in its
membership, which embraces the following:
Sons of Union Veterans, Charles L. Upham Camp No. 7;
United Spanish War Veterans, Charles B. Bowen Camp; Veterans
of Foreign Wars, La Croix Murdock Post No. 585; Yankee
Division Veterans Association, Feegel-Tyler Chapter; the
American Legion, Meriden Post No. 45; Jewish War Veterans,
Post No. 92; Italian-iVmerican World War Veterans, D'Amico
Post No. 7; Marine Corps League, Silver City Detachment;
Adilitary Order of the Purple Heart, Meriden Chapter; Disabled
American Veterans, Chapter 6; Polish American Veterans, Meri-
den Post; Catholic War Veterans, A4ount Carmel Post No. 1053;
Catholic War Veterans, St. Joseph Post No. 1106; Catholic War
Veterans, St. Rose Post No. 1116; Catholic War Veterans, St.
Laurent Post No. 1135; Catholic War Veterans, St. Mary Post No.
Also the following women's auxiliaries:
Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion, Italian-American
War Veterans, Marine Corps League, Disabled American
Veterans, Polish American Veterans, Gold Star Association.
American Legion, Meriden Post 45
Post 45, American Legion, was founded September 18, 1919,
two days after Congress granted a charter to the national Legion
organization. For several years, it occupied the Coe home on
East Main Street, and remained at that location until 1923, when
the property was sold to become the site of the Masonic Temple.
The W. G. Warnock property at 212 Colony Street was pur-
chased, and continued to serve as the post's headquarters until
1946, when the Legionnaires decided that it would be inadvisable
to remodel it, and it was sold to provide new headquarters for the
Meriden Public Health and Visiting Nurse Association. Tem-
porarily, the Legion established quarters in the Winthrop Hotel
while plans for a new home were being discussed.
Several proposals were considered and rejected before Mar-
chand C. Blatchley, post commander at the time, announced on
July 19, 1950 the signing of contracts for a Legion Home on
property acquired at the former site of Hanover Park in South
Meriden which was rechristened Legion Park. The building was
designed by Lorenzo Hamilton, architect, and was planned to
furnish modern accommodations for all Legion activities.
The new home in Legion Park was dedicated May 20, 1951
with appropriate ceremonies. Since then, it has been the scene
of many events of the active Legion program. It is used also by
the Legion Auxiliary, which was founded about a year after the
post was established.
Captain John Couch Branch No. 2, Connecticut Society, Sons of
the American Revolution, held its first meeting in the Winthrop
Hotel on Feb. 28, 1893. Present were H. Wales Lines, E. J. Doo-
little, Arthur Proudman, W. W. Lee, Charles Rockwell, S. S.
Peck, M. F. Griswold, M. B. Schenck, LeGrand Bevins, George
C. Merriman, George E. Savage, and George N. Bowers. A com-
mittee of five was named to draw up a constitution and by-laws
and to apply to the Connecticut Society for a charter, which
was soon granted.
Seven active service organizations, all with national affiliations,
have contributed much to Meriden's civic welfare in the years
since the first service club was organized here.
The Meriden Rotary Club, chartered April 1, 1921, was the
first service club in the city.
The Meriden Lions Club was organized in 1923, and chartered
a year later.
The Meriden Exchange Club was also organized in 1923, and
received its charter March 25, 1924.
The Meriden Kiwanis Club was established here in 1930.
These were the pioneer service clubs for men. Service clubs
for women began nationally as far back as 1919, when Zonta
International was formed. The Meriden Zonta Club was organized
Soroptimist International of Meriden was chartered in 1949.
The Unison Club is another service organization. It was
founded here in 1953.
Women's Organizations
Ruth Hart Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, was
the sixth chapter in Connecticut, and was organized in 1893. Mrs.
Levi E. Coe was its first president. It has the perpetual care of
Meeting House Hill Burying Ground.
Susan Carrington Clarke Chapter, D. A. R., was organized in
1895. Mrs. Kate Foote Coe was its first regent.
The Meriden Colony of the National Society of New England
Women was formed in 1927, a branch of the national society
which began in 1895.
The City Mission Society, organized in 1886, through the
efforts of the Women's Christian Temperance Union, is Meriden's
oldest women's organization.
But the Meriden Charity Club also has a long history. It was
established in 1897 by 12 high school girls, members of a whist
club, who sought an outlet for their time and energies in charitable
work, and has been continuously active since that time.
The Meriden Woman's Club, largest of the women's organiza-
tions, was organized in 1917. First president was Mrs. William
Rice Smith, and the charter membership included 325 women.
The Thursday Morning Club, mentioned elsewhere for its con-
nection with the foundation of a public library here, helped the
new club in sponsoring lectures. Since that time, the activities
of the club have been many and varied in worth-while causes.
The Meriden Junior Woman's Club started in April 1947, with
Mrs. Marion Hawkins as its first president. Its membership is
limited to 250 women in the lower age brackets.
The Meriden Business and Professional Women's Club, an
affiliate of a national organization, was chartered in 1953.
The Home Club, 128 Colony Street, was located originally in
the Byxbee Block on Colony Street. In May 1893 it voted to
erect the present building, which was designed and furnished for
its own needs.
In 1946, the club instituted an $80,000 building program, under
which the building was completely remodeled, and an addition
measuring 18 by 44 feet was constructed in the rear. The dining
room was greatly enlarged and the kitchen was nearly trebled
in size. The bar was relocated. Facilities were provided for
serving meals to wives and guests of members. Luncheon and
dinner service is available on week days.
The club has a membership of more than 300, among which
many leaders of the business and industrial community are
represented.
The Turner Society
The Turner Society, one of Meriden's oldest organizations, was
organized in 1866. A young group of German immigrants formed
it to continue the gymnastic exercises they had practiced in their
native land. Originally, there were 46 members, but the member-
ship grew rapidly as similar groups were launched throughout
New England. In 1868 a house on State Street Extension was
obtained and remodeled as Turner Hall. Eventually, larger
quarters were found on Pratt Street, and later on Butler Street.
During the 80's and 90's and in the early part of this century,
Turner competitions on a state-wide basis were frequent. A large
meeting was held here during the Centennial, when hundreds took
part. In recent years, the organization has concentrated on choral
singing. The singing groups have won a number of prizes in
competitions with similar groups throughout the state.
Meriden Lodge No. 35, B. P. O. E.
Meriden Lodge No. 35, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks,
received its dispensation on June 19, 1885, and was instituted the
following week on June 26, in Grand Army hall. The formal
charter was granted December 12, 1886. There were 27 charter
The lodge continued to meet in Grand Army hall until a room
was fitted up for its purposes in the Cashen building on State
Street. Later, it moved into quarters in the Wilcox Block, and
met in Colonial hall for a number of years. The next change in
location was to a brick addition in the rear of the old Richmond
home on East Main Street. In 1922, a committee was named to
start a building fund.
The present clubhouse, opened in 1928, marked the culmination
of more than five years of fund-raising activities. It is a substantial
brick building, conveniently planned for the Elks' purposes,
handsomely furnished, and completely equipped throughout.
The order has made many civic contributions during its long
existence, mainly of a charitable and patriotic nature. It has a
large and active membership in the community.
The members of the Masonic fraternity in Meriden long held
their meetings in the Palace Block, but sought for years to find
ways and means of erecting a temple for all branches of the
organization. A committee of 50 Masons was appointed in 1921
to take the necessary steps toward this project. In 1923, it sub-
mitted a petition to the state legislature to authorize the Masonic
Temple Foundation with a capital stock of $25,000 to be held in
equal shares by the following Masonic bodies: Meridian Lodge
No. 77, Center Lodge No. 97, Keystone Chapter No. 27, Hamilton
Council No. 22, and St. Elmo Commandery, No. 9. The founda-
tion charter was granted and ratified by all these bodies.
The incorporators, after receiving this authority, purchased the
Coe property on East Main Street then occupied by the American
Legion. A successful campaign for funds followed, and the present
Masonic Temple, designed by Walter T. Arnold, was erected by
the H. Wales Lines Company. Mr. Lines, a prominent Mason, had
been identified with the movement for a temple from the begin-
ning. Ground for the building was broken on May 4, 1927 by
Eli C. Birdsey, president emeritus of the Foundation. The temple
was dedicated November 10, 1928, and has since served as head-
quarters for all the Masonic bodies in Meriden. On November
10, 1952, the mortgage on the property was burned by Frank E.
Kay, who had then served 25 years as president of the Masonic
Temple Foundation.
Silver City Council No. 2, Knights of Columbus, was the second
council to be instituted in the largest Roman Catholic fraternal
society in the world. The institution took place on May 16, 1883.
The Rev. Fr. A. Van Oppen of St. Laurent's Church was the first
chaplain, and the organization met for a time in the basement of
the church. Later, it moved into quarters in the Wilcox Block.
As the organization grew and strengthened, its members became
determined to possess their own home. This goal was realized
with the purchase of the dwelling at 377 Broad Street. It was
remodeled and suitably furnished, and was dedicated with
appropriate ceremonies on June 12, 1949, when the Rt. Rev.
Msgr. Joseph M. Griffin, permanent rector of St. Rose Church,
delivered the dedicatory address.
The Fraternal Order of Eagles has a commodious clubhouse at
66 Crown Street. A large addition was erected in 1937, and there
have been several enlargements since that time, with a complete
renovation of the interior, and complete facilities for the organi-
zation's many activities. One of Meriden's older fraternal societies,
it has a large and active membership.
Falcon Nest 68 was organized in 1906 by a group of Polish-
American residents, and is observing its fiftieth anniversary in the
same year as Meriden's Sesquicentennial. The first president was
Stanislaus Iwanicki. The Falcon Athletic Association has a club-
house at 43 Olive Street, built in 1912. Falcon Park, 210 Westfield
Road, was opened in 1949. It is a large tract, comprising an athletic
field, with adjacent club building and pavilion. The first buildings
erected there were burned in February 1951, and have since been
replaced.
Moose Club
The Moose Club maintains headquarters at 138 Colony Street,
formerly the home of George W. Lyon, which was purchased
by the local chapter of the Loyal Order of Moose in 1933.
CHAPTER FORTY
Meriden Churches
Broad Street on a Sunday morning presented a goodly spectacle
as the 19th century reached the half-way mark. The five churches
which mothered many of the present houses of worship were
ranged between East Alain and Charles Streets, on what is now
the Memorial Boulevard. Coaches and carriages filled with
prominent citizens from all areas of the town congregated in the
area, and hundreds more of the humbler parishioners made the
weekly pilgrimage on foot.
On the corner where it still stands was the Center Congrega-
tional Church, composed of members who had decided to reorgan-
ize and continue their worship at this historic spot when the First
Congregational Church was established in the present downtown
area. Next to it stood, and still stands, the First Baptist Church.
Just south of this the xMethodist Society had erected a house of
worship. Saint Andrew's Parish had just built a new structure
of Gothic design at the corner of what is now Charles Street.
To the south of this the newly organized Roman Catholic Church,
dedicated to St. Rose of Lima, held worship in the building
formerly used by the Episcopal congregation.
The First Congregational Church's new building on Colony
Street was the first to reflect the surge of growth to the west.
It was used until 1876, when the present building, a block to the
north of it, was completed. This new edifice cost $175,000 and
was recognized throughout the state as an outstanding example
of church architecture.
Extensive remodeling and redecoration were undertaken in
1929 in preparation for the church's 200th anniversary. A building
program to add room for educational and church-sponsored
community activities and to modernize existing facilities is cur-
rently being carried on.
Church records list the names of 2 1 ministers who have served
the church in its 225 years. Outstanding among them in more
recent times is that of the Rev. Dr. Albert J. Lord, who ministered
to the congregation between 1903 and 1938. The present pastor
is the Rev. William F. Edge, who began his duties in 1951.
The Center Congregational Church has continued to carry on
its program of worship, education, and good works in the lovely
old building on Broad Street which is widely recognized as typical
of the best in early 19th century churches. In the 1870's the
growth of the congregation made necessary a building program
which extended the building 20 feet to the west, adding a new
lecture room and parlors. Further improvements were made in
the 1890's and again in 1916. The Rev. Ray Marcus Miller is the
present pastor.
In 1847 the Baptists moved into their new church next to the
Center Congregational Church building. The house of worship
of the First Baptist Church is another example of the best in
post-colonial architecture, and one of which its members are
justly proud. For many years it maintained the Olive Branch
Chapel as a mission school and it has been generous in the spiritual
and financial support which it has provided for its offshoots which
grew into separate churches as the city expanded. Its pastor is
the Rev. Fred L. ShifTer.
Less than 20 years after the completion of its stone church on
Broad Street, the parishioners of St. Andrew's Episcopal Church
decided to construct a new building farther to the west to meet
the growing trend in that direction. Much of the present edifice,
standing diagonally across from the entrance to the City Hall, was
built with stone from the razed church. The new building was
dedicated in 1867 and has served the congregation, with improve-
ments and modernizations, until the present day. Extensive
modernization and redecoration were completed in 1953.
St. Andrew's was served by the Rev. Giles H. Deshon from
1850 to 1883 and by the Rev. Arthur T. Randall from 1883 to
1926, a total of 76 years. The Rev. John S. Kromer is the present
rector.
Methodism established a permanent station in Meriden in 1847,
and until 1867 the congregation was housed in the meeting house
on Broad Street. In that year a large stone church was built on
the present site at the corner of East Main and Pleasant Streets
and was in use until it was destroyed by fire in 1941. In 1912 the
Rogers Memorial Building was erected to house parish activities,
at a cost of $50,000.
The early history of the First Methodist Church is marked
by more than one instance in which its members showed their
generosity and gave their support to people of other denomina-
tions that were struggling to establish themselves. After the
disastrous fire which wiped out the church and severely damaged
the memorial building, the congregation of St. Paul's Universalist
Church across the street showed the same kind of generosity in
return when they shared their Sunday worship services with the
homeless Methodists. The new Methodist Church which rose on
the site of the old was completed in 1949, at an estimated cost
of $285,000. It is a beautiful edifice of brick and white-painted
wood, colonial in inspiration, and an outstanding addition to the
group of public buildings which clusters around this area.
With the opening of the railroad in 1839 a new contingent of
A^eriden citizens began to arrive. To minister to their spiritual
needs St. Rose Church, the mother Roman Catholic parish of
Meriden, was organized in 1848, with missions in Wallingford,
Cheshire and Southington attached. Regular services were held
in the building on Broad Street purchased from the Episcopal
congregation until 1856, when a church at the present location on
Center Street was built. Even before removal to the new building,
the church had begun parochial school classes for its children.
During the first quarter-century in the new location a new
parochial school was built, along with a convent and a chapel for
the Sisters of Mercy who came from County Clare, Ireland, to
teach in the school.
Enlargements were made to house the growing membership in
1868 and again in 1882. In 1883 the parish was the fourth largest
in the state. The present church edifice was formally consecrated
in 1926. Another milestone of this period was passed with the
erection of St. Rose Community Building.
A program of building and enlargement is currently in progress
under the direction of the Right Reverend Monsignor Joseph M.
Griffin, permanent rector of St. Rose Church since 1947.
Authentic records place the founding of the South Meriden
Methodist Church in 1851, when meetings were first held in the
village schoolhouse, and an ecclesiastical society was formed. The
Methodist Preaching House was built the same year at the cost
of $1,333, with the ground floor of the building to be rented as
living quarters for the sake of economy.
Until 1871 preaching was done on a supply basis by students
at Wesleyan. Later a regular supply minister serving several
parishes officiated. The first resident minister was appointed in
1884. Currently occupying the pulpit is the Reverend Kenneth
B. Welliver. Extensive improvements and enlargements over the
years have enabled the church to carry on community responsi-
bilities as well as serving as a house of worship.
Formerly known as St. Paul's Universalist Church, the First
Universalist Church was formally chartered in 1854. In 1860 a
small wooden building was erected at the present site on the
corner of Norwood and East Main Streets to house the growing
congregation. The society was placed on a permanent basis in
Rapid growth of the congregation during the 1880's resulted in
the need for a larger church and the present massive edifice was
dedicated in 1893. The old building was removed to the corner
of Norwood and Liberty Streets and was used temporarily for
town and city offices after the Town Hall burned in 1904.
In the years since the new century began, the church has
received valuable gifts and bequests from its members which
have enhanced its beauty and usefulness, and has been renovated
and modernized. The Rev. William E. Gardner is the present
minister.
The Main Street Baptist Church began its ministry in 1860
when 14 members of the First Baptist Church were granted letters
of dismissal to start a West Meriden Baptist Church. Its location
at the corner of Crown and East Main Streets is a reflection of
the shifting population and growth in the city subsequent to the
coming of the railroad. Its early years during the Civil War were
hard, but by 1868 the chapel which had served early worshippers
was supplanted by the brick building which still stands today and
which is the oldest church building in the center of the city.
The present name was assumed when the old name of West
Meriden went out of ordinary usage. During its history it has
done outstanding work with young people and has welcomed
Baptists coming to Meriden from foreign lands. Russian Baptists
from Meriden and surrounding communities are among the
members of the congregation today. Present pastor at the church
is the Rev. William V. Allen.
St. John's Lutheran Church was founded in 1865, just after the
end of the Civil War, by citizens of German descent, and its first
meeting was held in the courtroom at the Town Hall. The
Pennsylvania Synod, which had encouraged the Meriden
Lutherans in their attempts to set up a congregation, sent a pastor
and in 1867 the first church was built and dedicated. Membership
increased rapidly and an addition was soon necessary.
In 1886 a parochial school was opened, which was to continue
until it was finally closed last year. English services were instituted
and the parish hall was built and equipped during the 37-year
pastorate of the Rev. S. F. Glaser, who began his dutes in 1900.
The Rev. Adolph H. YVismar is the present pastor.
Another group of German immigrants founded the Liberty
Street Baptist Church, which was organized in 1874 as the "Ger-
man Baptist Society.'' Ten years of meetings in private homes had
preceded the church's formal establishment. A site on the corner
of Liberty and Twiss Streets was purchased, and the small con-
gregation erected the building which is still used today.
Change to the present name occurred after the First World
War, at which time English was adopted for use in the church's
wider ministry. During the last 30 years extensive alterations and
improvements have been made to the church and parsonage. The
present pastor is the Rev. August Lutz.
In 1880, St. Laurent's Roman Catholic Church was organized
to minister to the needs of the many French-Canadian and Ger-
man Catholics who had worshipped at St. Rose's. The Rev.
Alphonsus John Henry Van Oppen, who spoke German, French,
and English, was the first pastor and served for almost 40 years.
The church building on Camp Street was begun and its basement
put into use in 1881, and the completed structure was blessed in
1888. By 1894 a parochial school building, a convent, and the
rectory had been completed.
The present pastor, Rev. Edward A. Mathieu, assumed his
duties in 1945, and is the fourth to have charge of the parish since
its foundation. Many improvements on the school and the
convent, and the complete renovation of the exterior of the
church have been made during his pastorate.
Trinity Methodist Church was organized in answer to the city's
downtown and westward growth. Its first meetings in 1885 were
held in the Y.M.CA. building, then located on Colony Street,
and it made arrangements to share with the South Meriden
Methodists the services of their preacher. In 1887 a chapel was
completed and opened for worship on West Main Street, just
east of Butler Street and the minister was put on a full-time basis.
Growth of the church membership in the ensuing years led to
the purchase of the present site on West Main Street on the
corner of Cook Avenue, and the erection of the church building
which is still in use was completed in 1895. Numerous improve-
ments and enlargements have been made since. The Rev. Robert
Stith, pastor, resigned in March of this year.
All Saints' Episcopal Church on West Main Street is another
church built to serve the increasing parish to the west. Services
were first held in this part of town in 1885 by the rector of Saint
Andrew's, and the number that attended soon outgrew the
private homes and other quarters in which they met.
A bequest from the widow of a former rector was the basis
of the building drive for the new church, and parishioners of
Saint Andrew's were generous in their support of the new parish.
The church was built and consecrated in 1893 and has subse-
quently been enlarged and improved. For many years the rectors
of All Saints' have also served as priests-in-charge of St. John's
Episcopal Church in Yalesville. The Rev. Richard Elting is at
present the rector of All Saints'.
Next to the Methodist Church on East Main Street, across from
the City Hall, and one of the cluster of religious edifices in this
area, Temple B'Nai Abraham's location is an effective reminder
of the friendship and brotherhood of Meriden's religious institu-
tions. It was completed in 1952 and is an impressive brick building
for worship and community service, with a large wing containing
classrooms where the Hebrew language and traditions are taught.
The first Hebrew religious society was organized informally in
1887, 15 years after the first Jewish families came to Meriden. Two
years later an official charter was obtained and in 1891 the first
synagogue was erected on Cedar Street. The cornerstone for a
new and larger place of worship, also on Cedar Street, was laid
in 1908 and this building served until the erection of the present
Temple. Rabbi Albert Troy is the present spiritual leader.
Holy Angels' Church in South Meriden was built in 1887 as a
mission church to care for the spiritual needs of members of St.
Rose Parish living in that area. It was made a separate parish in
The Rev. Eugene A. Moriarty has been pastor of Holy Angels'
since 1950. His predecessor was the Rev. Walter A. McCrann,
who served the parish for more than two decades. The church
has grown in recent years and a chapel in the basement of the
church and two classrooms in the rectory have been added to
accommodate the expansion. Extensive new building plans are in a
formative stage. Plans for the erection of the Roman Catholic
church in Yalesville have been under the direction of the South
Meriden parish.
The Parker African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church was
begun as a missionary service conducted in local homes to care for
the spiritual needs of Meriden's Negro families in the 1880's. It is
named for Charles Parker, Meriden's first mayor, who contributed
generously to the founding and construction of the church on
Court Street.
Outstanding in its rolls of pastors is Mrs. Zoe Walters who
served the church from 1930 to 1945. Membership has reflected
the number of Negro families in Meriden which for many years
was very small but which has increased rapidly since 1942. A
building program to increase the church's beauty and facilities
for service is being planned. The present pastor is the Rev. George
C. Battle.
Founded by newly arrived Swedish immigrants who wanted a
spiritual home in which their native language was spoken, the
Park Avenue Baptist Church began its ministry as the Swedish
Baptist Church. For a time its services were held in a small hall
on Britannia Street and at the Main Street Baptist Church. The
present building was completed and dedicated in 1890.
Since 1923 enlargement of the membership to include people
of many national backgrounds has caused the use of English in
all church services. The Park Avenue Church has over the years
shown special interest and devotion to the fields of foreign service
and to youth organizations. Under the ministry of the present
pastor, the Rev. Herbert R. Peterson, who has served since 1932,
extensive improvements and additions to the church have been
The Evangelical Lutheran Immanuel Church was organized by
a group previously affiliated with St. John's Lutheran Church.
Immigrants of German descent, they wanted a church where their
own language was spoken and English services were first intro-
duced into the church and Bible School in 1910. A church
organization was set up in 1889 and the present site on the corner
of Cook Avenue and Hanover Street was settled on for a church
location. The First Lutheran Church of Southington sought
affiliation and the two congregations worshipped as one parish
until 1914. The Rev. C. Reinhold Tappert served as pastor in the
early years, from 1889 to 1912.
On New Year's Eve, 1917, fire destroyed the church com-
pletely. For several months services were conducted in the parish
house of St. John's, and later a building on West Main Street
was rented. Immanuel's parishioners decided to begin their re-
building program with a parish house, which was completed in
1920. The main church building was dedicated in 1925. Further
improvement and expansion was accomplished under the leader-
ship of Rev. George A. Hagedorn, who came here as pastor in
1943 and served until his death in December 1955. The Rev. Oscar
Werner then became supply pastor.
Meriden residents of Swedish birth formed the religious society
which became Augustana Lutheran Church. The first meetings
in 1889 resulted in the formal organization of the Swedish Evan-
gelical Lutheran Church of Meriden and the purchase in 1891 of
the present church site on Center Street. Ground was broken for
the new church in 1895 and the men of the parish did much of
the work of erecting the building. It served until 1934, when it
Plans for new building began at once. It was finally completed
in 1939, the congregation worshipping in the basement while
building and fund-raising went forward. The present program
of worship and service is carried on under the pastorate of Rev.
Charles R. Bomgren who began his duties in 1952.
St. Mary's Parish was founded in 1890 to serve as the spiritual
home of the German Catholics who had previously worshipped
at St. Laurent's. A wooden edifice was built on Church Street to
serve as church, parochial school, and convent and was dedicated
in 1891. The cornerstone of the present church building was laid
in 1912 on the site of the first wooden church, which was moved
to Grove Street to make room for it. Solidly built of brick and
Gothic in design, it was completed in 1913.
Since its beginning, St. Mary's has been under the care of four
regular pastors. One, the Rev. Nicholas F. X. Schneider, served
for nearly 35 years until his death in 1935. During the last two
MERIDEN" CHURCHES
decades important expansion has gone forward. The combined
school, convent, and parish hall were erected in 1937, and a new
rectory has been added. The present pastor, the Rev. B. J. Butcher,
has served since 1949.
Italian Catholic residents of Meriden, living mainly on the
west side, were provided with their own place of worship when
in 1894 a wooden church was erected for their use on Goodwill
Avenue. Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church held its worship services
in this building until 1935 when plans for badly needed expansion
matured to produce the present church building on Lewis
Avenue. It is of yellow brick faced with artificial stone, and is a
free adaptation of the Lombard style of architecture seen in
During the pastorate of the Rev. Walter J. Lyddy, who served
from 1930 to 1947, the church acquired by purchase from the
city a parochial school building which has the only complete
junior high school program among the city's parochial schools.
The Rev. John J. Kelly is the present pastor.
By 1895 St. Rose parish had increased in numbers and in area
so that services for people on the west side of Meriden were being
held on West Main Street, in a building purchased from the
Trinity Methodists. In 1901 St. Joseph's parish was formally
authorized, to serve that part of Meriden west of the railroad.
The cornerstone for the new church, between Goodwill and
Lewis Avenues on West Main Street, was laid in 1902, and the
former chapel was put to use as a parochial school.
A continuous program of building and improvement has
marked St. Joseph's progress. The school building was dedicated
in 1915 and numerous expansions and modernizations have been
carried on in the church plant since. Four pastors have served in
the direction of the church since its founding. The Rev. John T.
Lynch, the first pastor, served until his death in 1924 and Mon-
signor Jeremiah T. Duggan was pastor from then until 1944. The
present pastor is the Rev. Thomas B. McGarry.
St. Stanislaus' Roman Catholic Church, the first Polish Catholic
church in Connecticut, has grown and prospered in serving
Meriden families of Polish descent. In 1880 there were only ten
of these, who began meeting in the basement of St. Rose Church.
By 1892 they had become a separate congregation, meeting in
their own wooden church building which had been completed
on the corner of Jefferson Street.
In 1906 the Rev. John L. Ceppa began his duties at St. Stanis-
laus', duties which were to continue through the growing years
of the new church and which ended only with his death in 1948.
The present church building, a brick edifice of Gothic design,
on an eminence at the corner of Pleasant and Olive Streets, was
dedicated in 1908. In 1915 the new parochial school building was
completed. During Father Ceppa's long pastorate, improvements
and enlargements totaling in cost more than half a million dollars
were made and paid for. Among them were the convent and St.
Stanislaus Community Center, which includes an auditorium with
a gallery accommodating 1,200 persons. Ceppa Field, sold to the
city in 1941, was used for some years by the church as a play-
ground and athletic field. Father Ceppa was elevated to the
Monsignori in 1943. The Rev. Stanislaus F. Nalewajk, who began
his pastorate in 1948, is at present in charge of the parish. Current
plans call for a new convent of 30 rooms to be begun this year.
Further additions to the parochial school are also being planned.
First Church of Christ Scientist of Meriden was organized in
1899. Services were held in a succession of rented halls as the
membership and attendance grew. In 1922 the first meeting was
held in the present brick edifice at Bradley Park.
The Meriden church serves the surrounding area including
Wallingford, Southington, and Cheshire. It maintains a reading
room, serving members and the public, at 37 East Main Street.
Mrs. Edith Lipke Ulisney is president of the organization, Mr.
Howard B. Preble serves as First Reader, and Mrs. Elizabeth
Sembler is Second Reader.
In 1911 Sts. Peter & Paul Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic
Church was established, under the pastorate of the Very Reverend
Seraphim Oblivantseff and the church building on Bunker Avenue
was completed the following year. Under the direction of the
Very Reverend Alexander Pogrebniak, who officiated at the
church between 1933 and 1948, a parish and community building
was erected in 1939.
July of 1955 saw ground broken for a new church building
which is currently under construction. Plans call for completion
and dedication in July of this year. The Rev. John Mason is the
current pastor.
Meetings which led to the founding of the first Italian Baptist
Church were begun in the year 1909 when the minister of the
First Baptist Church held meetings for the people in the Spring-
dale Avenue area, bringing with him Sunday School teachers from
his own and from the Main Street Baptist Church. The organiza-
tion continued meeting in Columbus Hall under the leadership of
its first pastor, the Rev. Rolando Giuffrida, until the present
building was completed in 1912.
Recent improvements to church property include the purchase
of a parsonage in 1945 and the installation of an organ and chimes
in 1946 as a war memorial. In 1954 the men of the church redec-
orated and modernized the kitchen and Sunday School rooms.
The Rev. Samuel Binch is the present pastor.
St. Nicholas Parish serves the spiritual needs of the Byzantine
Rite Catholics of Meriden. The parish was organized in 1914 and
land was purchased for the church site in the same year. Until
the church building was completed the members of the parish
worshipped at special services organized for them at St. Joseph's
Ground was broken for the new church in 1919, and the
official dedication of the building took place in 1921, during the
pastorate of Father Vladimer Michalich, the first resident pastor.
The acquisition of a rectory in 1923 and recent additions and
improvements to the church property mark its growth. The
present pastor is the Rev. Peter P. Kichinko, who assumed his
duties in August, 1955.
Mt. Hebron Baptist Church is a Negro congregation organized
in 1945. It is currently meeting in a building at 21 Veteran Street
but plans are under way for the construction of a regular church
building. The Rev. F. H. Hicks who has officiated since 1951 is
the third pastor of the church.
Jehovah's Witnesses, established for some years at Kingdom
Hall on Grove Street, have recently completed a substantial brick
meeting house on Coe Avenue, erected largely through labor
supplied by members of the congregation. Meriden's Seventh Day
Adventists hold regular weekly services at 32 Crown Street. The
Salvation Army offers regular religious services as part of its
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
Meriden Schools; 1 860-1 956
Although the history of Meriden schools begins almost with
the first establishment of a settlement in this area, free public
schools as we know them did not come into being until 1863.
During the 18th century the parish acted in its annual meetings
in the capacity of a town meeting, appointing school committees,
mapping out school districts, and laying taxes for the support of
the schools.
In December of 1773, for example, it was voted "to lay a Rate
of one farthing upon the pound for ye use of schools and each
quarter or school to have their proportion of said money
according to ye list of each quarter." "Ye Society Committee"
voted in 1776 to "call in ye loan & excise money that belongs to
ye Parish for the use of schools next March & let it out with good
security to be paid yearly to said committee for use of
schools only. . . ."
The parish was divided into seven school districts in 1791,
presumably with the purpose of establishing seven separate school-
houses. These were designated as southeast, east, northeast,
northwest, west, southwest, and center. As the town grew these
districts were subdivided until in the mid-nineteenth century a
total of thirteen was recorded.
During the years before 1863 Meriden's schools were public
but they were not free. The responsibility for maintaining and
financing each school fell to the district in which it was located,
with little help or supervision from the town. Most of the cost
seems to have been made up by tuition charged on a per pupil
basis although the practice of making payment in kind, from
firewood for the schoolhouse stove to board and lodging for the
teacher, probably took the place of a cash payment in many
instances.
In 1863 the town voted that "all the public schools of the town
shall be free, and the expense of said schools, heretofore defrayed
from the avails of rate bills, shall be paid by the town." It was
also voted to increase the educational tax from three tenths to one
MERIDEN SCHOOLS; 1860-1956
and one twentieth of a mill on the dollar so as to cover all the
expenses of the several districts.
This modified district plan which was to remain in force for
nearly a quarter of a century was devised to keep the primary
responsibility and control of the schools directly in the hands of
the surrounding neighborhood, reserving certain important
powers and checks to the town and the state. Under it the voters
of each district elected each year a committee of one or more men
to hire teachers and to run the schools. The voters of the town at
large elected a Board of School Visitors to approve teacher hiring,
to examine choice of textbooks, and to oversee the condition of
the schoolhouses.
The Board of Visitors and the town selectmen acted as a joint
board of finance for the schools and recommended an appropria-
tion by the town sufficient to provide each district with funds
for ordinary running expenses, including teachers' salaries, pay-
ment for janitors, and fuel. Building and maintenance of the
schoolhouses was left in the hands of the districts, which set up
organizations for this purpose staffed with collectors, treasurers,
and auditors.
Most of the duties of the Board of Visitors were carried out by
the man designated Acting Visitor. This official was paid a small
salary and his duties resembled in a limited area those of a modern
school superintendent. He visited the schools, made recommenda-
tions to the district committees, and evaluated the teachers and
their work.
Control of the purse-strings was the power which the Acting
School Visitor and, through him, the Board could invoke to
improve district school conditions if it was deemed necessary.
However, withholding town tax money from the districts was a
drastic move, bound to stir up a storm, and Visitors only used it
as a last resort, after important recommendations had been
repeatedly and flagrantly ignored.
Such a situation arose over the schoolhouse in the Farms
district, which Visitors repeatedly criticized and condemned over
a period of years. Finally, in May of 1879, the district committee
was officially notified that "no further appropriations of school
money would be made until the accommodations were made
satisfactory." By September a new building had been erected by
the citizens of the district and was ready for use.
The official Visitors' Report of 1864-65 draws a clear profile
of the Meriden school system two years after the town assumed
control of its finances and made schooling free to all children.
The experiment was hailed by the Visitors as^ an outstanding
success. Through the new system a fairer distribution of the
economic burden was attained. Already increased attendance was
evident.
Children in Meriden between the ages of four and sixteen
numbered 1,675, an increase of 137 from the previous year. An
Academy and four private schools enrolled 250 of these children.
During the year, 1,128 students were registered in the public
schools. The winter term served 968 children, with an average
attendance of 757. In the summer term 948 were enrolled, with
an average attendance of 751. Three male and 21 female teachers
were employed.
Reading was the most-studied subject in the curriculum, with
a total of 1,112 students applying themselves to it during the two
sessions. Arithmetic came next, with geography a trailing third.
Grammar attracted only 111 students. History enrolled 77
students, while physiology and philosophy enrollment hovered
around 25. Fifteen students studed Latin, eight wrestled with
algebra, and one was learning bookkeeping.
Special praise was given to the "Grand Spelling Match" which
was held at the Town Hall on two successive evenings. The
programs of vocal music in several of the schools, daily reading
of the Bible in class, and "light gymnastics" were also commended.
It is worth remarking, for the sake of those who consider today's
youth uniquely ungovernable, that the need for "firm govern-
ment" is stressed as an ideal not always achieved in the schools
of the 1860's. "We have found that those schools where teachers
kept a daily report of deportment appeared the best," observed
the Visitors.
In assessing the work of each individual teacher, the report is
both specific and succinct. Of one unfortunate teacher in the
intermediate department of the Corner School it is recorded for
posterity that "though a Normal School scholar and an estimable
lady, (she) did not seem to restore the interest and bring the
school up to a desirable standard."
School finances as managed by the Visitors in the report are a
model of tidiness and exactitute. Receipts from the state school
fund of $1,892.90 plus $399.13 from the Town Deposit fund and
$4,500.95 from the educational tax add up to $6,792.98. Expendi-
tures of $5,761.25 for teachers' salaries plus $1,031.73 for fuel and
other expenses total in expenditures $6,792.98.
A legacy from even more halcyon days is the mention of the
Town Deposit fund. This is a memorial of the country's first
venture into federal aid to education, originating in 1836. In this
year our thrifty forefathers were faced with an overflow in the
United States treasury to the amount of 28 million dollars. This
money Congress lent to the states to be put out at interest.
Connecticut divided her share, $763,661, among the towns, creat-
ing the Town Deposit fund, the proceeds of which should be
"forever" devoted to school purposes.
The rising population of the state's school children plus a falling
interest rate have cut this fund so that it is today only a token of
a frugal past. But back a century ago it was not to be scorned.
It made a sizable part of the amount of money available for each
potential pupil of the population which was $4.05. The amount
actually spent, on a per-pupil registered basis, for a student's
education in Meriden was $6.00.
Already, with the free school system only two years old, the
shape of schools to come casts its shadow over the 1864-65 report.
The Corner School, in the present downtown area at Church and
Colony Streets, held one-third of all the pupils in Meriden and
was growing rapidly. A new building would soon be needed. The
pressing demand for a central high school was obvious. A move
to do away with the districts and to give the entire school
management to the town had been voted down, as it would be
repeatedly in the next 25 years, but its merits were expounded
by the Visitors. The report closes on a note still familiar to us in
1956: "The facilities for education are not commensurate with
the increase of population in the town."
During the decade from 1860 to 1870 the population of Meriden
spurted from 7,426 to 10,571. Increased school attendance in the
years following 1863 was marked. In that year 57 per cent of the
children of school age were registered in the schools, and among
these the attendance averaged 66 per cent. The Connecticut v
compulsory education law passed in the 1870's required three
months at least of education each year for all children between
President Franklin D. Roosevelt in Meriden — October, 1936
Left to right in car: Meriden Senator Francis T. Maloney, President
Roosevelt, Mrs. Roosevelt, Gov. Wilbur Cross
tdbpP^fe
President Theodore Roosevelt visits Meriden in 1903
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I X
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Cuno Engineering Corporation
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The Lane Construction Corporation
The Connecticut Telephone & Electric Corporation
Meriden Permanent Savings & Loan Association Addition
Addition to East Main Branch, Connecticut Bank & Trust Company
eight and fourteen. In 1874 attendance of those registered in the
Meriden schools rose to 8314 per cent.
The need for new school buildings was immediate and acute.
Happily, a healthy spirit of rivalry sprang up among the districts,
which vied with each other in their efforts to build bigger and
better schools. During the _182Q!s came the first real departure
from the little-red-schoolhouse concept of buildings and
teaching. In the Center and Corner districts were built brick
structures which by dint of counting the half-submerged base-
ments and the gabled attic rooms could be labeled as containing
four stories. Two-story buildings were erected in the West and
Hanover districts. Prattsville built the North Broad Street School,
an eight-room building described as a "model."
In 1879-80 the town distributed to the district treasurers for
school operation $29,647.23. The districts raised $11,877.17 by
taxes and $2,053 by loans, less than half what the town
appropriated.
The early 1880's saw another wave of population increase and
the erection of more substantial two-story brick buildings to
meet it. The South Broad Street School and the Samuel Hunting-
ton School on King Street belong to this period.
Several private schools flourished in the early and mid
1800's. The Meriden Academical Association in 1848 sold
shares for the purchase and reconditioning of the old Baptist
Church on the northeast corner of Broad Street, and for many
years it served as a private school and a cultural center. The base-
ment was rented for business purposes and the hall for traveling
shows such as "Tom Thumb" and the "Indian Exhibition" in
1849. It was much in demand for meetings of civic and fraternal
groups and religious and political meetings.
The stockholders never received any dividends from their
investment and frequently collections had to be taken at stock-
holders' meetings to meet small deficits. The school was run with
no attempt to make money; the rent charged to the teacher was
sometimes as high as $25 a quarter. The teacher ran the school
independently, with what books and equipment he happened to
own, and made his living by charging tuition. It was closed in
1869 when the newly built Center School proved more attractive
to students in the area.
From 1847 to 1853 the Meriden Institute acquired a high
reputation in secondary school training. It was located on the
north corner of Church Street, fronting Colony Street. The
building was later bought by the district to house the Corner
School and the Institute removed to King Street, where it operated
for some years.
In 1869 four private elementary schools were reported in
operation. The popularity of the private schools diminished as
public school buildings and educational techniques were improved
during the next two decades. A private school conducted by Mrs.
A. S. Booth enjoyed continued popularity and in 1894 had 111
pupils.
From 1879 till 1903 the German- American School Association
taught children of German descent in a private institution
designed to keep them familiar with the German language. The
school was housed in a building on Liberty Street. Enrollment of
pupils in the German- American school ran between 60 and 100
As early as 1864, the second year in which a free town school
system was in operation, the need for a central high school was
pointed out by the Visitors. Some secondary school work was
offered in most of the district schools but with one room and
one teacher, often poorly trained, serving all the children it
must have taken an exceptionally gifted and determined student
to profit by advanced studies. Prior to this time the privately run
Meriden Institute served the needs of most of Meriden's secondary
school students.
The Corner District School, installed in the old Meriden
Institute building on the corner of Church and Colony Streets,
had by 1864 an enrollment of 275 pupils and three teachers and
was the largest in the town. It was reported that this was the only
thoroughly graded school in the town which "receives children
in the elements and takes them through the successive stages of
the common and higher English branches and also enables them
to avail themselves of the facilities of a classical education."
This building burned and was replaced in 1868 by a large brick
structure erected on what is now the municipal parking lot. At
this time a regular high school department was organized in it
and by 1880 pupils from other districts were flocking here for v
their secondary school education. High School Avenue owes its
name to Meriden's recognition of the Corner School's training.
A senior department was also organized at the South Center
School and served more advanced students from other districts.
The fight for a Meriden High School was a long and stubborn
one. Finally in April, 1881, the town skirted the controversial
title by voting $3,000 with which to start a "Central school" and
the second floor of the German-American school on Liberty
Street was leased for classes. Henry S. Pratt was the first principal.
Applicants had to pass an examination for admission. Of the 73
applicants, 54 passed and 51 actually entered the school in
A special committee of five was elected yearly by the town at
large to administer the affairs of the High School as long as the
school district plan remained in force. High school subjects were
discontinued in all district schools. It is worth noting that Albert
B. Mather, who began his teaching career in the Corner School
in 1869 and was largely responsible for the success of its high
school department, received recognition of his ability when, a few
years after this, he was appointed Meriden's second superintendent
of schools.
In 1882 the name "Meriden High School" was formally
bestowed on the school, which graduated its first class of 13
members in 1883. The annual town meeting of that year voted
to appropriate $50,000 to procure a site and erect a high school
building. Later the sum was raised to $80,000. The High School
on the corner of Catlin and Liberty Streets was formally opened
in 1885 although its interior was not completely finished till 1890
when the number of students justified the use of all the rooms.
Meriden citizens took great pride in this first High School. The
Century of Meriden in 1906 describes it as "This beautiful and
imposing structure (into which) were incorporated the best ideas
of beauty and utility of design, and the best materials and
workmanship." Numerous gifts, large and small, from private
citizens are recorded. Especially praised was its library which
was reputed to be one of the best in the state.
The early 1890's saw another increase in population with more
school building to meet it. This is the period of the school with
the central octagonal corridor with rooms opening from it and
enclosed pupils' wardrobes. The old John Barry School, still in
use on Columbia Street, is the surviving example of this type.
In 1896 another major reform, long and stubbornly fought for,
was finally accomplished. Since the beginnings of free schools
on the district system, Visitors and education officials had advo-
cated the abandonment of the districts and the consolidation of
all schools under the town.^'Our schools should be equal as well
as free or we shall lose the benefits of experience and progress,"
was the way the Visitors put it in 1863 j The Visitors made a
similar recommendation which was again turned down in 1869.
Echoes of the battle can be detected in the reports of 1875 and
Only five votes provided the margin by which the change was
finally authorized in 1896. Under the new terms the town assumed
the property and indebtedness of the districts and became respon-
sible for all school costs. A committee of twelve men was
designated to handle all school business and act as School Board,
with an executive officer with the title of superintendent chosen
to administer school affairs.
At the time of consolidation the town school committee
reported the total value of all school property as being $234,987.42
though the combined reports of the district committees would
have put it as $413,548. The indebtedness of the districts assumed
by the town was $61,010.45, with ready assets listed at $2,488.91.
Some money had long been received from the state for school
purposes. The beginning of state aid can be traced to the sale of
Western Reserve lands in Ohio which yielded Connecticut more
than two million dollars. This was invested for the benefit of the
schools and was portioned out on a per capita child basis. In 1871
it provided $1.20 per scholar. In 1891, with more children in
the schools, and a lower interest rate, it was 75 cents. Total state
aid in that year, appropriated from the civil fist, was $1.50 per
scholar. In 1905 state aid had risen to $2.25 per child.
Evening school classes are first mentioned in 1872, when 127
pupils were registered. In 1874-75 the selectmen refused the use
of rooms for class use and the project was given up. Edward C.
Wheatley conducted a school for the West district in 1882-83
without any assistance from the town.
State aid for evening schools was forthcoming in 1886 and there
ensued a boom in enrollment. Four hundred ninety-eight pupils
were registered and the average attendance per night was 249.
This was more than double the enrollment in Hartford and one
third again that of New Haven. The town contributed liberally
in financial support. Men teachers received $2.50 per evening and
women $1.50. The next year attendance dropped to an average of
102 per session and the year after that to 45. The school was
discontinued the following year.
In 1893 the state passed a law which required towns of 10,000
or more to maintain evening schools and appropriated $3.00 per
average pupil membership on a 100-night basis for their support.
The city had evidently lost its enthusiasm for evening schools
because a threat of mandamus was required before one was
opened. It was conducted by Mrs. Adele S. Booth with the help
of scholars from her own private school, from the High School,
and even from the Central Grammar School, and in its attempts
to find quarters it led a roaming existence. Its cost to the city was
only $300 a year.
Use of the High School was authorized in 1905 and teachers
from the day school were appointed. This support was reflected
in the enrollment which reached 338, representing 29 nationalities.
In 1912 the evening school was active with an enrollment of
491. The wave of immigration was reflected by the number of
recent arrivals eager to learn the language and the ways of their
new home. One hundred thirteen students were recorded in the
non-English speaking classes and 131 in the non-English reading
and writing. Thirty-five of the students had their origins in
Germany, there were 25 from Sweden, 36 from Russia, 61 from
Poland, 64 from Italy, and 64 from Austria.
In 1905 when school superintendent William P. Kelly reviewed
the history of the schools for the Century of Meriden, the town
owned 1 8 school buildings, nine of which were of brick. Ten had
eight rooms or more, one had six rooms, four had four rooms, and
three one-room schools were still in operation in the outlying
districts. The total income to be expended for this year was
$115,980, which included a special appropriation of $10,000 which
was to furnish free textbooks to the pupils for the first time.
The first drawing supervisor had been appointed in 1896 and
singing had been introduced under a supervisor in 1898. The first
kindergarten was established at the Franklin Street School in 1903.
Willis J. Prouty has been principal of the High School, where
he had previously served as a math instructor, since 1899.
Average attendance at the High School climbed between 1897
and 1905-06 from 241 to 258. The entering class in 1897 numbered
MERIDEX schools; 1860-1956
110, with 31 continuing to graduation and ten of that number
continuing their education at college or some other institution
after they left high school. In 1905-06 the size of the entering class
shrank to 99, but the number graduating rose to 38, and 14
continued their post-high-school education.
School finances, according to Mr. Kelly, were complex. "The
first selectman pays all the bills from the appropriation as fast as
they are approved by the school committee, but turns over the
money for salaries in a lump sum each month to the clerk of the
school committee, who attends to paying the employees, who are
on salary.
"The treasurer of the school committee receives the library
grant from the state of $270 a year and a like amount of town
funds from the first selectman. These are increased by a few
tuition fees and other small sums. His receipts for 1904-05 were
$848.58 and his expenditures for books and apparatus were
$776.74.
"The principal of the High School collects tuition from non-
residents, and with it buys books for the High School library.
"Thus, at the present time, four different persons receive,
disburse, and account for the money used by the schools."
A $150,000 bond issue was authorized in 1905 for new school
construction and for additions and modernizations of existing
buildings. West Grammar School, still in use as Lincoln Junior
High, is today's memorial to that building program.
By 1911 the public school enrollment was 4,433. The cost of
transporting public school pupils was listed as: wagons, $750,
electric cars, $359.
iMeriden dentists volunteered their time and services in this
year to examine all children's teeth, classifying 1,648 mouths as
"bad," in need of immediate attention. The presence of 314
"exposed nerves" and 69 "ulcers" was discovered.
The census revealed that 714 children, 15 per cent of the school
enrollment, were working instead of attending school. By 1915
this figure had been reduced by 65 per cent.
In 1907-08 the annual school cost per child was $38.60. By 1914
it had climbed to $42.35 and in 1916 it was $50.48. It was $89.64
in 1920, 112 per cent over the 1914 figure.
After a quarter of a century of operation the Meriden High
School was bulging at the seams. A poem by a member of the
class of 1911 described the crisis:
"Our school is overcrowded quite
And something must be done
For being packed in like sardines
I tell you isn't fun.
The classes in geometry
Are hooked upon the walls;
And Cicero and Caesar
Are murdered in the halls.
Now won't the citizens, humane,
Please vote us a new school!
And if they will we promise that
We'll try to keep each rule."
This moving plea was finally answered when a site was secured
near the corner of Pleasant Street, and the opening of the present
High School building was solemnized in 1913.
The financial statement for 1917 shows a total of $209,982
spent, and a budget of $251,025 was requested for the year
1917-18. The average size of classes at this time was 34, with an
18-pupil average at the High School. A marked improvement in
the drop-out rate in the upper grades was evident over a ten-year
During the first two decades of the twentieth century a steady
rise in teachers' salaries is evident, paralleling the rise in the cost
and standard of living. In 1906 the beginning salary for teachers
was $400, with a $40 per year increase to a top of $560 or $600
dependent on the taking of some additional education courses.
By 1908, $480 was set as the minimum and $720 the maximum for
grade school teachers. Women who taught at the High School
could look to a top of $950 while men could qualify for posts
paying as high as $1,600.
In 1915 the maximum was $760 in the grades with a top of
$800 set for the eighth grade. Women principals found their
salaries pegged at $1,000. The 1917 schedule called for a $580
starting salary which ran to a top of $900 for eighth grade
teachers. Salaries for women teachers in the High School were
between $750 and $1,200 with the maximum for men at $1,700.
Women who were heads of departments were paid $1,350 and
men received $1,850. Forty-two per cent of the budget increases
due to teacher salaries occurred between 1911 and 1917.
Meriden ranked fifth among 67 cities in the East of comparable
size in 1920 in regards to median salary, with a minimum of $1,000
and a maximum for men teaching in the High School of $2,500.
Open-air classes were begun in 1918 in part of the old Church
Street School to serve pupils with a history of personal or family
tuberculosis and those who were underweight and in poor
physical condition. They were a popular educational feature of
the times. The cost to the city in that year was $7,292.18. In 1920,
53 children were registered in the open-air classes.
The Meriden Trade School opened its doors in September,
1918. Designed to meet the needs of the young men of Meriden
and surrounding communities for training in the mechanical arts,
it was organized by agreement with the State Board of Education
which furnished equipment and materials and paid the teachers.
Meriden provided and maintained the building, furnished the
heat, light, and power, and paid half the janitors' fees.
Located in a factory building on the east end of Charles Street
which was rented by the city, the school offered machine work,
carpentry, electrical work, and drafting. Later in the year, courses
in auto mechanics and pattern making were made available.
The regular course, designed to be completed in two years,
consisted of six hours of shop work and two of academic a day.
A three-year cooperative course with the High School made it
possible to attend that building in the mornings, complete the
requirements for training in a trade in the afternoons, and receive
a diploma from both institutions. Other schedules were possible
through arrangements with employers.
The School Board report for 1920 features a picture of a
complete six-room house built by Trade School boys under the
supervision of their instructors. One hundred forty-five students
were registered in the day courses that year and 150 in the
evening. The need for a new, more adequate building was already
being pointed out.
Since the consolidation of the school districts under the town,
school policy had been directed by a board composed of 12
members, half of whom were appointed by each political party.
The size of the group as well as its obvious political allegiances
and the fundamental split which this caused was a continuing
handicap to effective operation. The need had long been evident
for a smaller elective school board which would be answerable
directly to the voters and which would be in a position to make
decisions and to act with responsibility.
In 1921 Meriden's new city charter was approved by the Legis-
lature and embodied in it was the provision for a Board of Educa-
tion consisting of five members elected by the voters to serve on
a staggered schedule, each holding office for six years. The new
school board was voted into existence with the ratification of the
charter and at the same time the last traces of the old school
district system were obliterated.
As the Board was set up then and continues to operate, it is n
responsible for planning school policy which is executed by the
superintendent. The Board hires all teachers and other personnel,
accepting recommendations from the superintendent and from
other administrators. It is also responsible for maintenance of
buildings and their use, and for insurance. It decides on what
courses are to be offered or dropped.
The yearly school budget is contructed by the Board and it
approves all bills which the school system incurs. However, the
Board of Apportionment and Taxation must approve the budget,
and can and has cut it when it deems fit. State aid for Meriden
schools goes into the general city treasury, not directly into a
separate category of school funds.
The Board of Education meets twice a month, sometimes
oftener, and serves without pay. Currently its members are also
serving on the School Building Committee. Although candidates
for the Board of Education run for election on the tickets of the
two major parties, the Board has achieved a reputation for acting
nonpolitically and most members tend to forget party labels in
dealing with school problems. In this attitude they are carrying
on the tradition of the many Meriden citizens who over the last
century and a half have labored selflessly and intelligently,
without pay, for the betterment of their community and its
Hint of a controversy which is still legally unsettled in Con-
necticut and which probably will always continue to some degree
came in April of 1922. Although the Board of Education is and
has always been an organ of the State Department of Education
and is required by law to carry out the state's statutes on educa-
tional matters, it is the province of the city government to provide
MERIDEN" SCHOOLS; 1860-1956
the money by which this is accomplished. The conflict arises
when the Board of Education votes a policy which requires funds
to implement and the Board of Apportionment and Taxation
refuses to appropriate these funds.
State Education Commissioner Meredith pointed out to the
Board at that time that school committees are state agents bound
to carry out the intent of the state statutes regardless of financial
support. He advised the Board that if the town refuses to give
the money they, the Board, may "incur debt and if necessary take
the matter into the courts." The argument this time, as on other
occasions, was over the matter of a raise in teachers' salaries.
Junior ROTC on a compulsory basis for the High School was
instituted in 1921 at the request of the War Department. Carried
on till 1922, it was discontinued because of overcrowding and lack
of facilities.
With the High School on half sessions, and the use of obsolete
and inadequate buildings, including the Church Street School,
stirring criticism, another major building program was planned.
At its beginning the city was at 55 per cent of its debt limit.
Names of famous historical personages were given to the
schools in 1923, after some years of discussion. Contests were run
among the school children who wrote essays advancing the causes
of their favorite Revolutionary War heroes. Of the names chosen,
only the High School's of "George Washington" refused to stick.
Diplomas were issued under the title to the graduating classes of
1924 and 1925 but "Meriden High School" was too deeply
ingrained in the city's tradition, and in 1926 it reasserted itself.
Also dropped was the name "Robert xMorris" for the South
Meriden school. When the old building burned in 1932 the new
one which replaced it was christened "Hanover" by common
consent. The Nathan Hale School on Lewis Avenue was sold to
Mount Carmel Church in 1942 and not until the new school on
Baldwin Avenue was built did this popular and appropriate hero
again possess a memorial.
By 1925 the outlines of the Meriden school system as it is today
had emerged. Jefferson Junior High School was built. The old
West Grammar School was enlarged with the addition of a wing
containing an auditorium-gymnasium and room for shop work,
and was renamed Lincoln Junior High. These two schools took
all seventh, eighth, and ninth grade pupils in the city except those
in South iMeriden, who continued to attend the local school for
seventh and eighth grades until 1934. Jonathan Trumbull School
opened, the first elementary school to have a permanent stage,
and took over the pupils from North Broad and Franklin Street
Schools which were then closed.
Adoption of the junior high school system was a sign of the
changing philosophy of education. By 1921 the first experiments
in the approach to teaching which has become known as "pro-
gressive" were stirring the city to controversy. A policy was
introduced whereby pupils were promoted not only on the basis
of work completed in each grade but of ability to do more
advanced work as shown by tests. A number of students whose
test work ranked high were jumped a grade or half a grade.
High-ranking students in the eighth grade were given ninth grade
work to do and allowed to enter high school as sophomores.
Another new idea was the introduction on an experimental
basis by School Superintendent David Gibbs of the "platoon"
system. This scheme divided the children of the lower grades
into two equal groups, one of which studied academic subjects
while the other used the gym, attended assemblies, or engaged in
singing or drawing. It was designed to increase the capacity of
school facilities. At the High School an experiment was in
progress by which the students were divided into fast, medium,
and slow classes so that each group could progress to best
The junior high schools reflected the new philosophy of edu-
cation which shifted the emphasis away from total concentration
on academic subjects and undertook to provide a general cultural
and citizenship background along with vocational training for
the majority of young people who would not go to college. By
evolving a program which would better meet the needs of early
adolescents, educators hoped to combat the high drop-out rate.
Dr. Gibbs resigned in 1926 while the controversy over his
educational innovations was still raging. He was succeeded by
C. C. Thompson. By 1927 there were 5,814 pupils enrolled in the
public schools, reflecting the high birth rate of the World War
I years, and again the cry was raised for new buildings to relieve
overcrowding. The Roger Sherman School, opened in 1929, was
built on Liberty Street, and the John Barry Annex, now the main
building, went up on Columbia Street. In 1927 the Church Street
School was finally closed and the land on which it stood returned
to the city.
Until now school health had been largely the province of the
Child Welfare League, a public service organization supported
by public contributions. In 1924 this organization reported that
an examination of all high school girls had been completed. High
school boys were examined the next year and an inordinate
number were found to be afflicted with flat feet. It was suggested
that the wearing of sneakers might cause this.
The League reported in 1928 that because of lack of funds it
would be unable to carry on its work and the Board of Education
appropriated $11,792 for this purpose. It also accepted a dental
clinic outfit which had formerly been the property of the League
and the next year a dental hygienist was engaged.
The year 1930 marked the passing of one of childhood's most
cherished privileges. The system of no-school signals was dropped
and it became the responsibility of the parents to determine when
the weather was too bad to allow children to attend school.
The High School had the doubtful distinction in 1931 of offer-
ing the shortest school day of any high school in the state. An
addition was once more discussed but because of the depression,
the Board decided instead to house the overflow of students in
the old Central Elementary School.
On June 9 the State Trade School moved into its new building
on Miller Street when it was accepted by the state. It was
rechristened the Wilcox Technical School.
Nicholas Moseley took over the duties of superintendent in
1932. In spite of a continued climb in enrollment the school
budget was cut by $100,000 to $538,973, mostly by reducing
teachers' salaries.
September of 1934 found a total enrollment in public and
parochial schools of 8,568. It was voted to close two old schools
in the outlying districts, one, the city's oldest, the Southeast
School on Paddock Avenue which had been built in 1800. In a
move to consolidate elementary schools in the face of dropping
enrollment in the lower grades, the Willow Street School was
closed and sold to the Polish Knights of the Blessed Virgin. The
High School was put on half sessions. There was continued talk
of a need for new high school facilities and of an addition to the
Trade School, but no action was taken.
Controversy over "progressive" versus old-fashioned educa-
tional methods flared again in the mid 30's. It was pointed out that
modern teacher training stressed the newer methods which were
being reflected in public school teaching. In 1938 Mr. Moseley
resigned, to be replaced by Raymond N. Brown. Under Mr.
Brown a return to the more traditional ways of teaching was
encouraged.
Evening school enrollments climbed rapidly during the depres-
sion years. Many recent high school graduates were among the
784 registered in 1933. The enthusiasm and enterprise which
characterized Meriden's program were highly praised by the
state authorities. The high point was in 1934 with a registration of
947. In 1935, 600 were registered, 150 of them in the non-English
classes. The cost to the city per pupil per evening was less than
ten cents. The Trade School addition was completed in 1937.
After 75 years of operation, the North Colony Street School
was closed in 1940 because of dropping enrollment in the area
and was sold to the International Silver Company. Teacher
salaries, which had been cut during the depression, were on their
way up again, running from a starting rate of $1,251.25 to a top
for executive positions of $5,000. Most fell within the $1,500 to
$2,500 range. In 1943, the low birth rate of the depression years
was reflected in an enrollment of 4,494.
The Board of Education was praised in 1946 for providing
special refresher courses in the summer for returning veterans.
This program was discontinued in 1947 when the need for it
passed. Average cost per school child at this time was $177.36
per year compared with a state average of $161.08. The rule
barring married teachers from employment was questioned for
the first time, and was destined soon to be abandoned as the
growing teacher shortage made it impractical. The maximum in
this year for teacher salaries below the administrative and super-
visory level was set at $2,800 to $3,900 depending on training
and length of service.
By 1947 the increased birth rate of the war years began to be
reflected in school enrollments and it was obvious that a major
school building program would be necessary. No major building
had been undertaken since 1926. The city appropriated $35,000
in 1948 to recondition the old High School building at the corner
of Liberty and Catlin Streets, for use as an Annex. The Welfare
Department was moved out, making the Annex available for
classes in commercial subjects and the High School was put on
single session again.
The elementary school building program got under way in
1948 with a half million dollar bonding issue for the Roger
Sherman Annex. Six classrooms, an auditorium-gymnasium, a
lunch room with kitchen facilities, lavatories, and additional
office space were provided. Similar educational facilities were
included in the new 12 -room Israel Putnam School on Parker
Avenue and the 16-room Benjamin Franklin School. A $1,200,000
bond issue financed these buildings which were opened in 1951.
Badly needed expansion of the Hanover School was help up
in 1951 when bonding authorities objected to the restrictive clause
in the city charter barring capital improvements in the outer tax
district. The necessary change in the charter was ratified and
the Hanover addition opened its doors in 1954. An addition to the
John Barry School of 12 rooms and additional facilities was
completed in 1953, and four rooms were added to Jonathan
Trumbull.
The continued growth of school population made necessary
the construction in 1955 of a four-room addition to the Parker
Avenue Israel Putnam School and the construction of the new
Nathan Hale School on Baldwin Avenue. No bonding was
necessary for the Israel Putnam addition which was paid for out
of current revenue. The Nathan Hale School has 16 classrooms
but its extra-classroom facilities, which are not the equal of those
in other newly constructed schools, reflect an attempt by the city
to economize in the face of continued demand for expansion. A
bond issue of $600,000 was issued for construction of this school.
The Roger Sherman addition to the Annex, opened in 1949,
cost $506,256, with state aid to the extent of $162,153 returnable
over a 17-year period. It has 12 rooms.
Benjamin Franklin School, opened in 1951, contains 17 rooms
and cost $542,982, with $165,000 to be paid by the state over a
20-year period.
The new Israel Putnam School on Parker Avenue, opened in
1951 with 12 rooms, cost $484,013, with $120,000 returnable by
the state during 20 years. Four rooms which were built as an
addition to this school and opened in September, 1955, were
financed by an appropriation by the city of $100,000. Not yet
accepted by the state, the new rooms are expected to receive
about $36,000 in state aid, payable over a five-year period.
Four rooms added to Jonathan Trumbull School in 1952 were
built at a cost to the city of $192,400, with $59,414.80 returnable
in state aid over the following 20 years.
The John Barry School addition, opened in September of 1953
and containing 12 rooms, was built at a cost of $632,035, with
$158,335.40 returnable in state aid over a 20-year period.
South Meriden's Hanover School addition, opened in 1954 and
consisting of 10 rooms, cost $498,849.20 plus a sewer assessment
levied by the city of $37,841.55, part of which will be recovered
as additional users connect with the sewer line. State aid for
Hanover, payable over 20 years, comes to $154,334.80.
Costs are incomplete as yet for the Nathan Hale School on
Baldwin Avenue, consisting of 14 rooms plus two kindergartens
and due for use in September, 1956. It is estimated that state aid
may run to around $156,000.
Meriden is currently faced with a need for secondary school
expansion as higher enrollments make themselves felt in the upper
grades. When the High School opens in September it will be
operating at full capacity, and even with continued use of the
obsolete Annex, half sessions will be necessary by 1957, if no new
building is available. The junior high schools are above capacity
currently and face the alternatives in September, 1956 of going
on half sessions or housing some classrooms in temporary quarters.
Planned to meet the need are two new high schools, one on
Coe Avenue on the west side of Meriden and one on the east side,
capable together of handling the projected enrollment of at least
2,400 foreseen for the mid 1960's. The present High School would
then be converted for use as a junior high school. Lincoln Junior
High stands in need either of rebuilding or of enlargement and
drastic modernization and Jefferson is also slated for improvement.
The bill for Meriden taxpayers may run as high as six or seven
million dollars, with state aid defraying the balance of the cost.
Meriden's school building program since 1949 has been under
the direction of the School Building Committee. This group was
appointed by Mayor Howard Houston in accordance with a
state statute passed in that year. At the request of bonding
authorities, it handled financing for the Roger Sherman addition.
Enlarged in 1950, it now includes the five members of the Board
of Education, a member from the Court of Common Council,
one from the Board of Apportionment and Taxation, the Building
Inspector, a representative from the PTA, and three members
chosen from the public at large who, by custom, are often engi-
neers. Appointments are made by the mayor.
So well did the committee fulfill its function that it continued
to operate during the whole of the elementary school building
program. Late in 1953 a question arose over its standing because
at the time of the original appointments no term of office had been
set for its members. This oversight was remedied when the
council voted that the members serve two-year terms from the
time of appointment.
Elementary school buildings in use in 1956 are: Jonathan
Trumbull, opened in 1925 and added to in 1952; Israel Putnam
on Parker Avenue, built in 1951, with a four-room addition
completed in 1955, the old Israel Putnam School on South Broad
Street, built in 1884 and since enlarged by six rooms; the new Ben-
jamin Franklin School on West Main Street; Hanover in South
Meriden, built in 1937 and enlarged and modernized in 1954; Sam-
uel Huntington School on King Street, built in 1887 and recondi-
tioned in the mid 20's; the old John Barry on Columbia Street,
built in 1894 and slated for closing as soon as enrollments permit;
the John Barry Annex plus the new building which was completed
in 1953; Roger Sherman, built in 1929 and enlarged in 1949; and
the new Nathan Hale School, scheduled for use in September of
1956. There are two junior high schools: Jefferson on the east side,
built in 1926; and Lincoln, originally constructed for use as a
grammar school in 1905 and converted to its present use by
addition of a wing in 1926. The High School on Pleasant Street
was opened in 1913. Meriden's total, school plant, including sites,
buildings, and equipment, is at present valued at $7,862,500.
Currently, Meriden teachers receive a starting salary of $3,400
with the maximum for those with a bachelor's degree set at
$5,400. Further raises are probable as the city struggles to meet
the teacher shortage and to retain its position in a state-wide
competitive situation.
Report cards in the elementary grades reflected modern theories
of education when traditional marking was abandoned in 1951.
Seeking to give information on individual effort and achievement
as well as on pupils' standing in relation to the class, authorities
adopted a system which graded each subject in relation to the
pupil's effort plus an indication of his class standing. This was
found to be confusing and in 1955 a return was made to the more
orthodox method, with a special section provided to acquaint
parents with students' working habits and general levels of
All elementary schools except the old Israel Putnam on South
Broad Street and the Samuel Huntington have hot lunch pro-
grams, open to children within walking distance of the schools
as well as to bus children. The program shares in the Federal
Surplus Food arrangement and is self-supporting except for initial
capital investments of kitchen equipment.
Stimulated by the growing need for school expansion, branches
of the Parent-Teacher Association which had been dormant since
the mid-3 0's were reformed from 1948 on. PTA's are active in
all the elementary schools and the two junior high schools while
the High School has its equivalent in the Fathers' Club. Their
influence has been felt beyond the traditional area of better
understanding between parents and teachers. Through the PTA
Council, a consultive body made up of representatives of the
Meriden branches, information on school building needs and plans
has been relayed to members and the public, which has resulted
in better understanding of and support for Meriden's school
Since 1950 the health of all Meriden school children has been
the province of the Health Department. Previous to that time the
public school health program was under the control of the Board
of Education while the Health Department provided health
services to the parochial schools. This program began in 1923,
with the appointment of one full-time nurse and one part-time
physician to work with non-public school children.
The present program employs the services of a school health
advisor, a supervisor of nurses, eight school nurses and two
dental hygienists, all on a full-time basis, and six physicians and
two dentists part-time. Dr. John E. Stoddard, who served as
medical advisor and physician for athletics at the High School
from 1912 to 1954 on a voluntary basis, is currently school health
advisor.
Since the reorganization in 1950, a health manual to serve as
a comprehensive guide for all health procedures and activities has
been prepared and accepted and the standards for health service
in public and parochial schools have been equalized. A daily
screening of all pupils is carried out, hearing tests are made, and
nurse-teacher conferences are featured. High School students are
offered tuberculin tests and chest X-rays. Vaccination against
smallpox has been made compulsory for all pupils entering school.
Immunization against diptheria, whooping cough, and tetanus is
recommended and offered at school clinics but is given only after
written consent by the parent. Fluoride treatment for the teeth
of children in the lower grades has been made available, and a Salk
vaccine program against polio is partially completed.
School nurses are trained and equipped to help children who
suffer illness and accidents at school, but an important segment of
their effort is devoted to educational work which will improve
pupils' general health level and teach them to avoid disease and
accident. To this end they try to work closely with teachers and
parents on health education projects and to follow up and inter-
pret health tests on pupils involving such factors as sight, hearing,
dental conditions, and the like, with a view to their correction.
September, 1955, found 6,635 registered in Meriden's public
schools, an increase of 422 over the previous year. A count of
preschool children revealed 800 five-year olds, 985 three-year olds,
and 1,053 one-year olds, suggesting that expansion beyond what is
presently planned may eventually be necessary. 1,000 students
are registered at the High School, 1,419 in the junior highs, and
4,216 in the elementary schools. A total of 357 persons are
employed by the school system, of whom 257 are teachers. In
addition there are ten principals, three vice-principals, five super-
visors, 41 custodians, and 39 serving as clerks, librarians, and
cafeteria workers.
Wilcox Technical School, run by the state on buildings con-
structed and maintained by the city, had an enrollment last year
of 325, with 25 teachers. Students devote half their time here to
non-shop courses, choosing their shop training from a list which
includes mechanical drafting, auto mechanics, machine, electrical,
carpentry, silversmithing, printing, sheet metal, tool and die, and
ornamental design. Several girls are currently enrolled in the
ornamental design course.
According to the Connecticut Public Expenditure Council,
Meriden's per pupil cost for the school year ending in 1955 was
$250.60, a rank of 80th among 169 Connecticut towns. The school
budget for 1956 is $1,912,290.30 plus $254,387.50 in interest and
school bond payments. Meriden currently receives $58.75 per
pupil in state aid.
In February of 1956, evening school enrollment totaled 831,
of whom 52 were in classes for the foreign born, 508 were in the
general division, and the rest were in co-sponsored activities
which included navigation, the Savings and Loan Institute, and
the Investment Forum.
In 1955 George Magrath became Superintendent of Schools,
replacing Dr. Malcolm Rogers who had served from 1949. Mark
Bollman took over the post of principal of the High School
vacated by Mr. Magrath, and J. Ormonde Phelan assumed the
duties of administering the adult evening school, carried out since
1927 by Mr. Bollman.
The parochial school of St. John's Lutheran Church closed its
doors in 1955 after more than 70 years of service. It was founded
in 1886 with an enrollment of 27 scholars and in 1905 nearly 200
scholars were meeting for instruction in classrooms in the lower
part of the church. The spreading of the parish membership and
the problems of transportation and traffic hazards were among
the prime factors in the decision to discontinue the school.
St. Laurent's parochial school began with the arrival from
Nicolet, P.Q., Canada of five Assumption nuns to teach the
children of the parish. Classes were begun in the basement of the
church but by 1894 enrollment had risen to 300 and larger
quarters had become necessary. A brick structure of six rooms
was completed in 1903 and has since been enlarged.
Teaching is still done by the Sisters of the Assumption, who
have established an American novitiate at Petersham, Mass. Enroll-
ment at St. Laurent's as of September, 1955, stood at 318 students,
with nine teachers. French grammar and church doctrine are
stressed in the school's curriculum.
St. Mary's parochial school opened in 1896, six years after the
founding of the parish. Its pupils were and continue to be taught
by the Notre Dame Sisters of Baltimore, Md., of whom there are
at present four at the school. The present building which has five
classrooms, houses also the parish hall and the convent and was
constructed in 1937.
Currently, 166 students are enrolled in the classes at St. Mary's
which cover the first through the eighth grades. The school
stresses a well-rounded basic educational program and possesses a
well-stocked library of film strips for the enrichment of regular
classroom work.
The story of Meriden's parochial schools begins in 1855, seven
years before free public schools were established by the town. In
this year classes for Catholic children were started in the base-
ment of the church building at the corner of Broad and Olive
Streets which St. Rose's parish had bought from the Episcopal
congregation. By 1860 the school was able to move to the new
church building at the present location on Center Street, which
had been enlarged and provided with basement rooms for this
purpose. During these early years, students were instructed by lay
teachers under the direction of the pastor.
A new school building was constructed on Liberty Street in
1872, and later moved to the rear of the present building. To staff
the school, the church arranged to have a band of four Sisters of
Mercy obtain permission from their motherhouse in Ennis,
County Clare, Ireland, to come to Meriden. A chapel was built
for them in 1887 and an addition to the convent was constructed
in the same year.
Today the school consists of 12 classrooms, with the facilities
of St. Rose Community Building available for gymnasium and
other activities. Classes range from the first through the eighth
grades, and are taught by eight Sisters of Mercy from the Mt.
St. Joseph motherhouse in Hartford and four secular teachers.
September, 1955, showed an enrollment of 433 children. Teaching
stresses the three "R's" plus the fourth — Religion. A school
orchestra has been formed to participate in the Parochial School
Music Festival.
Generous oversubscription by parishioners to a school building
fund has made certain the construction of a new eight-room
addition to the school plant. The addition will make possible a
much larger enrollment and ninth-grade instruction is also
planned, along with increased junior high school facilities.
St. Stanislaus' parochial school opened its doors in 1897 with
one teacher and an enrollment of 20 scholars. By 1905 the enroll-
ment had climbed to 120 pupils, another room was added, and
two teachers gave instruction, one in Polish and one in English.
After the new church was built at its present location on Olive
Street, the former church building was used as a parochial school.
The new school, built at the present location, was completed
in 1915, of Gothic design to conform to the architecture of the
church. Its teachers are Sisters of St. Joseph whose motherhouse
in at St. Stevens Point, Wisconsin. St. Stanislaus is Meriden's
largest parochial school, with 703 scholars enrolled in classes
which run from the first through the eighth grades. Current plans
call for further expansion of the school, to meet the increasing
enrollment.
When St. Joseph's Church completed its new building on West
Main Street, the former chapel on the corner of Butler Street
which the congregation had purchased from the Trinity Metho-
dist Church was put to use as a parochial school. By 1905
instruction in the first through the sixth grades was being carried
on in five rooms by the Sisters of Mercy from the Convent of St.
Bridget, with an enrollment of 260 pupils.
Early in 1915 work began on the present parochial school,
located in the block adjoining the church, and the building was
dedicated in the same year. At about the same time a parochial
residence was built on Goodwill Avenue and a convent was pro-
vided for the Sisters of Mercy. Extensive improvements including
an enlargement of the playground have been made since. Enroll-
ment at St. Joseph's in September, 1955, was 350 pupils, under
the direction of nine teachers. Classes range from kindergarten
through eighth grade.
In 1944, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church purchased from the
city the Nathan Hale School on Lewis Avenue and arranged for
its conversion into a parochial school. The building has been
renovated to make it more fire resistant, and classes are taught
from kindergarten through the ninth grade.
Twelve classrooms are in use, with the ninth grade, the only
one in the city taught in a parochial school, employing three of
them for its commercial and classical instruction. Students are
taught by ten Religious Teachers Filippini from the motherhouse
in Morristown, New Jersey. A lay teacher is in charge of the
kindergarten. Italian is taught throughout the school in addition
to the regular school subjects. Special attention is given to recent
arrivals from Italy who speak little or no English; 14 of these
students have been enrolled during this year. All students from
fifth grade up are enrolled in Civics clubs which are chartered
with and receive material from the Catholic University of
America. Emphasis is on local and national problems of govern-
ment and community living.
Holy Angels' Church in South Meriden has acquired about eight
acres of land on Meadow Street as the eventual site of a new
church plant which will include for the first time a parochial
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
Buildino- Meriden
Building construction in Meriden since World War II has never
been fully able to keep pace with the demand. The city has been
spreading out in all directions to an extent almost beyond the
conception of the earthbound observer. Only from the air, on a
clear day, can the city's growth be seen in one wide panorama,
with its network of new streets in the outskirts, and new develop-
ments crowning every hill.
In 1955, a total of 1,167 building permits was issued, with a
valuation of $8,652,048, which by no means represents the full
value of these properties, which is always listed at only a
proportion of actual cost. Included in this figure were the new
International Silver Company factory and administration building
on South Broad Street, listed at $4,000,000; the Meriden Boys'
Club, listed at $200,000, and the new church of St. Peter and St.
Paul, listed at $134,000.
Of the total permits last year, 320 were for one-family units,
valued at $2,721,335. In each of the last Rvq years, this rate of
growth has been maintained. Most of the homes built were for
one-family occupancy. Exceptions were the Chamberlain Heights
development, which has been occupied for the last two years,
the Yale Acres, another moderate rental development of much
the same type, with multiple family apartment buildings, and the
Johnson Farms development in South Meriden.
A survey of Meriden building, taken in the fall of 1955, showed
an increase of more than a million dollars in building permits over
the preceding 12 months. Residential construction alone was half
a million dollars ahead for the same period.
The Meriden Planning Commission has had the task of examin-
ing plans for new developments to make sure that they meet the
requirements of the city, with respect to the layout of streets, the
character of the structures proposed, and many other details.
Zoning regulations must be adhered to, and variances are only
granted for the best of reasons.
When zoning was first instituted here, nothing could be done
BUILDING MERIDEN
about the disorganized growth which had taken place for much
longer than Meriden's first century. The regulations were for the
future, and they proved invaluable, especially in recent years.
Revision of the local building code, a project in long prepara-
tion, has been completed, and should prove of material assistance
in keeping building construction orderly and of a character in
keeping with the best interests of the city.
Mechanical installations of all types are well covered in the
code. Heating, air conditioning, oil burners, plumbing, and electri-
cal work are carefully inspected. Boards of examiners have been
established, each board consisting of a master tradesman and two
journeymen, each of the two having had at least 10 years experi-
ence. A Building Department representative sits as an ex officio
member. These boards conduct examinations for those seeking
licenses as master tradesmen or journeymen, and recommend in
writing to the building commissioners what action should be
taken on each application.
There is a further regulatory group — a board of appeals, with
authority to affirm, modify, or reverse a decision of the building
commissioners when acting upon an appeal. A further application
may be submitted by an aggrieved person to the Court of
Common Pleas for the area within 15 days after the filing of the
board's decision.
In this manner, the city is attempting to maintain high standards
for the protection of Meriden's future, and to avoid the repetition
of mistakes which may have been made in the past.
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
The Sesquicentennial
The first step toward the observance of Meriden's 150th birthday
was taken on February 18, 1955 when the Merchants' Bureau of
the Meriden Chamber of Commerce submitted a petition to
Mayor Altobello and the Court of Common Council asking that
a Sesquicentennial committee be named to embrace all interests
in the community.
The mayor approved the idea and the council gave its endorse-
ment. Parker B. Allen was named general chairman, and the
formation of committees began almost at once. An elaborate
framework of organization was drawn up, resembling in many
respects the plans for the Centennial celebration of 50 years ago.
The dates selected for the Sesquicentennial were June 17-23 of
the current year, and city-wide participation was assured from
the start. Invitations were sent far and wide to former residents,
and many wrote back almost at once to state that they were
The program adopted designated Sunday, June 17, as Church
Day; Monday, June 18, as School Day; Tuesday, June 19, as
Industrial Day; Wednesday, June 20, as Governor's Day; Thurs-
day, June 21, as Celebrity Day; Friday, June 22, as Homecoming
Day; Saturday, June 23, as Community Day.
Special events in keeping with these designations were arranged.
This book was prepared as one phase of the program, its cost
underwritten from the $28,000 fund approved by the council for
the expenses of the 150th anniversary observance. No profit will
be realized by any member of the committee which prepared it,
and receipts from its sale will be paid into the fund.
Abbott, Emma, 128
Abele, Francis H., 193
Abele, Robert P., 193
Ackroyd, W. E., 179
Adams, John Quincy, 82
Aldrich, Malcolm E., 193
Alexander, W. S., 150, 212
Allen, Levi, 29
Allen, Lew, 203 f.
Allen, Parker B., 178, 255, 301
Allen, Walter, 204
Allen, William V., 265
Aloia, Lewis V., 164
Altobello, Henry D., 102, 152, 159, 175, 225,
"Amelia" (launch), 117
American Lady's Preceptor, 53
Amoroso, Michael, 234
Anderson, John J., 236
Anderson, Leslie H., 146
Anderson, Mary, 128
Anderson, Verner, 146
Andrews, Abner, 49
Andrews, Moses, 13 f., 22 f.
Andrews, Samuel, 13
Andrews Homestead Committee, 23
Angevine, Norman, 146
Antietam, battle of, 96
Appomattox, surrender at, 98
Archaeological Society of Connecticut, 7
Archer, H. A., 25
Arnold, Owen B., 100, 201, 210
Arnold, Walter T., 260
Athletic fields: Bronson Avenue Field, 233 f.;
Ceppa Field, 233 f.; Columbus Park, 233
f. ; Legion Field, 233 f.; North End Field,
233; South Meriden Field, 233; Washing-
ton Park, 233 f.
Athorne, Albert R., 191
Atwater, Francis, 203 f., 211 f.
Atwater, Isaac, 49
Atwater, Stephen, 46, 49
Austin, Benjamin, 45 f., 49
Austin, John, 45
Automobiles, 125 ff.
Aviation Commission, 160
Babcock, Sam, 135
Badner, Donald, 241
Bailey, Stephen, 21
Baker, Ellis B., 105, 198 f.
Baker, "Home Run," 134
Baldwin, Lieutenant Colonel, 47
Baldwin, Asahel, 81
Baldwin, L. G., 86
Baldwin, "Preacher," 15
Baldwin, Ransom, 44
Baldwin, Raymond E., 187
Baldwin, S. W., 208
Baldwin, Samuel, 28
Baldwin, Simeon, 60
Bambax, James, 146
Bangall, 19, 28. See also East Meriden
Baranski, Leonard, 191
Barber, Arthur L., News from Home, 184,
Barber, John W., Connecticut Historical Col-
lections, 20, 35
Barber, Willis N., 224
Barbour, Samuel L., 91
Bario, John H., 100
Barker, Arthur Alfred, 94
Barnard, W. L., 115
Barnes, Asa, 24
Barnes, Eli, 161
Barnes, John, 49
Barnes, John R., 212
Barnes, Moses, 161
Barnikow, Frank, 136
Barry, Jack, 134
Barry, James, 230, 232, 234
Barsneck, Fred M., 146
Bartlett, Harris S., 210
Bartlett, Martha, 247
Bassett, George, 225
Battle, George C, 268
Baumann, Alice, 239
Beach, Samuel N., 103
Beebe, DeLloyd E., 149
Beecham, Joe, 136
Beecher, Henry Ward, 250
Begley, D. M., 212
Beierle, Emil E., 191
3elcher, Andrew, 4, 18, 62
Belden, James E., 100
Beloff, Arthur, 219
Beloff, Marvin, 219
Beloff, Samuel L., 219
Bemis, Leslie C, 146
Benham, Jared, 45, 49
Benham, Welcome E., 31, 33 f., 36, 62
Berberich, John W., 147
Berger, Robert, 25
Bergeron, Joseph E., 191
Berlin, Conn., 3 ff., 34 f., 73
Berry, Divan, 28, 46, 49
Berry, Ephraim, 27
Bertagna, Guido, 234
Berwick, William F., 191
Besse, Lyman, 219
Bevins, LeGrand, 257
Bibeau, Henry C, 156 f., 212
Bieluczyk, Edward, 191
Biesak, Arthur J., 191
Bigeiow, Elizabeth, 253
Billard, Frederick H., 214
Billard, John D., 211, 213 f., 226
Billard, John I., 71-2
Billard, John L., 198, 201, 213 f" 226
Binch, Samuel, 272
Bingham, Darius, Jr., 86
Birdsey, Alanson, 62
Birdsey, Eli C, 29, 62, 219, 224, 260
Birdsey, Linus, 236
Bishop, Welles, 191
Bishop, Willys, 49
Bishop, Yale, 49
Blachuta, Vincent J., 191
Black Boss, 47
Blatchley, Marchand C, 256
Blish, Roger D., 199
Biiss, E. A., 179 f.
Bliss, William E., 180
Blocks, buildings, and other properties: Allen
house, 29; Andrews homestead, 22 ff.;
Archer's Corners, 25; Bailey house, 21;
Baldwin house, 28, 44-5; Baldwin's Mill,
43; Barnes Block, 224; Belcher house, 64;
Belcher Tavern, 21, 32, 55; Berry house,
27; Birdsey house, 29, 62; Board of Trade
Building, 179; Brooks farm, 216; Bush-
nell's Block, 251; Butler house, 29; Byxbee
Block, 215 f., 221, 236, 258; Cahill Block,
129; Camp property, 239; Cashen Build-
ing, 259; Castle Craig, 228; Central Build-
ing, 208; Central Tavern, 33, 35 ff., 54,
63, 72, 144; Chamberlain Heights, 162,
299; Charter Oak Fire House, 105; Cher-
niack Building, 71, 216, 219 f., 254; Circle
Hall, 194; Citadel, 254; City Hall, 225;
Club Inn, 21; Coe Block, 224; Coe Build-
ing, 213; Coe farm, 24; Coe house, 256;
Coe property, 260; Cold Spring Home,
162; Collins Block, 207; Collins house,
29; Collins residence, 215 f.; Colonial
Hall, 259; Colony Building, 73, 142, 199,
220 f.; Columbus Hall, 272; Conklin's Hotel,
70; Connecticut Bank and Trust Co. Build-
ing, 222; Cook house, 239; Corrigan's
Corner, 4; Cowles' stone-cutting yard, 63;
Curtis house, 22, 25-6, 247-8; Derecktor
Building, 71, 222; Dunn house, 34; Farms
district, 274; Federal Building, 235; Fel-
lows farm, 101; Franklin Hall Building,
236; G.A.R. Block, 219; Gale Terrace, 162,
185; Gilbert-Belcher farm, 3-4; Grand
Army Hall, 259; Guy house, 29; Guy
property, 235; Hall house (Ives house),
28; Hall and Lewis Building, 216, 219 f.,
254; Hart house, 25; Hicks Building, 220;
Hill Building, 236; Holt Hill Bridge, 38;
Hough farm, 25; Hough house, 54;
Hough's Tavern, 55, 60; Italian-American
Club Building, 252; Ives house, see Hall
house; Johnson Farms, 162, 299; John-
son house, 24, 55; Journal Hall, 143;
Legion Home, 257; Lonigan Building,
197; Loop, 71; Lyceum Building, 39;
Lyon and Billard property, 189, 199;
Martin's Hall, 194; Masonic Temple, 246,
256, 260; Meriden House, 220; Meriden
House Block, 221; Meriden Institute Build-
ing, 278; Meriden Opera House, 112;
Meriden Roller Skating Rink, 113; Merriam
house, 29; Milking Yard, 11, 56; Molloy-
McGar Building, 221; Morse and Cook
Block, 199, 216; Moses Andrews home-
stead, 13; Moses Hall, 49; Mother Goose
Farm, 27; Nabb's Folly, 33; Norton house,
34; Palace Block, 88, 114, 260; Piatt
house, 252; Plumb house, see Rice house;
Plum's Tavern, 63; Pomeroy house, 28;
Professional Building, 247; "Railroad Re-
fectory," 71; Raven farm, 7; Rest Home,
27; Rice house (Plumb house), 25, 28 f.,
see also Royce house; Richmond house,
259; Rogers Block, 103, 189; Rogers Ho-
tel, 70 f.; Rogers Memorial Building, 263;
Royce (Deacon Robert) house, 25; Russell
Building, 203; St. Rose Community Build-
ing, 264, 296; St. Rose Community Center,
249; St. Stanislaus Community Center,
271; Sugarman Block, 222; Taylor farm,
101; Terrace Garden, 116; Town Hall, 238,
265, 275; Turner Hall, 259; Veterans' Ad-
visory Center, 190; W. G. Warnock prop-
erty, 256; Washington Park Field House,
150; Watrous farm, 132, 175; Welfare
Building, 190; Wilcox Block, 127, 129,
199, 215, 220, 236, 259 f. ; Wilcox prop-
erty, 243; Winthrop Bar, 121; Winthrop
Hotel, 74, 132, 199, 256 f.; Winthrop
Hotel Block, 219; Winthrop Square, 73,
141, 199, 236; Yale Acres, 162, 299; Yale
houses, 22, 27-8, 29; Yost Block, 125;
Y.M.C.A. Building, 219, 266 f.
Blue Laws, 5
Bogacz, Menceslaus, 191
Bogucki, Joseph, 188, 195
Bolden, Harry, 133
Bolles, Frank G., 103
Bollman, Mark, 295
Bomgren, Charles R., 269
Bonarek, Frank, 147
Booth, Adele S., 278, 281
Booth, Edwin, 128
Booth, Walter, 209, 212, 235
Booth, Walter, General, 36
Borek, John, 234
Boston, 2, 35, 44
Bournique, Constantine J., 147
Bowe, Wallace F., 125
Bowen, Charles B., 108 ff.
Bowers, George N., 257
Bowman, Robert, 215
Boyd, Edward, 245
Boynton, Arthur E., 219
Bradford, Joseph, 127
Bradley, Clarence P., 112, 228, 240, 243
Bradley, Colonel, 46
Bradley, Daniel, 26
Bradley, Elisha K., 94
Bradley, Ernest T., 195
Bradley, Harriet, 26
Bradley, Helen, 96
Bradley, Nathaniel L., 201, 214, 228, 239 f.
Bradley, Mrs. Nathaniel L., 240
Bradley Home for the Aged, 112, 185, 243-4,
Bradstreet, E. T., 116, 157, 238 f.
Brainard, E. K., 115
Brainard, J. E., 114
Brandenberger, James H., 191
Branford, 6
Brasyl, Walter, 133
Brechlin, Fred Emil, 191
Breck, Richard, 241
Breckenridge, Frances A., Recollections of a
New England Town, 14 ff., 39, 52 ff.,
Brenner, Felix E., 147
Briscoe, Nicholas, 147
Bristol, 77, 83
Broad Street Cemetery, 39
Brooks, D. Warren, 179
Brooks, James S., Judge, 69 ff., 208 f., 216
Brooks, Mary, 96
Brown, Aaron, 223
Brown, Asa, 49
Brown, Edwin H., 240
Brown, George, 115
Brown, Raymond N., 289
Brown, Richard H., 147
Bruel, Alvin C, Jr., 179
Brusie, John N., 183
Bryant, Charles, 115
Buckingham, Governor, 95
Budzinack, Frank, 191
Buffalo Bill, 128
Bull, Wallis, 236
Bull Run, battle of, 95
Bullard, H. M., 223
Bulluss, John B., 147
Bulmer, W. H., 215
Bunting, James E., Jr., 171
Burbank, Henry G., 147
Burdacki, Theodore, 165
Burgess, Harry T., 176, 255
Burgess, Orlando, 215
Burke, E. J., 120
Burke, Henry J., 195
Burke, William H., 193
Burkinshaw, Thomas H., 228
Burney, Fanny, 53
Burnside Expedition, 96
Bush, Fenner, 53, 208
Business and industrial firms: Aeolian Co.,
120; Alderman Motor Co., 126; Ailing
Rubber Co., 221; American Shoe Repairing
Co., 224; American Silver Co., 91, 174;
Armour plant, 203; Barbour Silver Co.,
91; Barbour Silver Plate Co., 174; Barker
and Finnegan, 94; Bartholomew and Coe,
225; R. Bemont and Son, 171; J. D. Ber-
gen Co., 120; Berley's, 222; Besse-Boeker
Co., 219; Besse-Boynton Co., 219; E. A.
Bliss Co., 120, 179; Boston and Meriden
Clothing Co., 221; A. Bowe and Son, 125;
Boynton's, Inc., 219, 250; Bradley and
Hubbard Mfg. Co., 83, 120, 178, 227;
Broderick and Curtin's Pharmacy, 223;
Brooklyn Thermometer Co., 171; Brooks
and Tibbals, 82; Brown's Department
Store, 223; Budd Motors, 126; Bullard,
Fowler and LaPlace, Inc., 223; Butler and
Larkin, 220; Butler Paint Co., 220; Cali-
fornia Wine Co., 120; Chandler-Evans
Corp., 171; Cherniack Co., 220; Church
and Morse, 222; Church and Sprague, 222;
Patrick Clark and Sons, 82; Clarke and
Converse, 226; J. B. Coggins Mfg. Co.,
87; Colt Patent Firearms Co., 169; Con-
necticut Breweries Co., 120; Connecticut
Electric Equipment Co., 29; Connecticut
Gas Products, 171; Connecticut Record
Mfg. Co., 171; Connors' "Segar" Store,
71; Converse and Seymore, 226; Couch
and Benham, 86; G. R. Cummings Roof-
ing Co., 226; Cuno Engineering Corp.,
179; Davis and Greenfield, 224; Danaher
Bros., 126; Daylight Mfg. Co., 171; Derby
Silver Co., 91; Doolittle Box Co., 170;
E. J. Doolittle Truck Co., 104; Ellmore
Silver Co., 171; Emerson and Whitney,
220; Evans and Longdon, 83; C. N. Flagg
and Co., 226; D. W. Flint, Inc., 126;
Forbes Silver Co., 91; Foster Merriam and
Co., Inc., 87; Franklin Dress Co., 171;
G. H. French and Co., 171; Fritz Bros.,
169; Fuller and Wood, 197; Gallup,
Stockwell and Co., 221; A. T. Gallup Co.,
221; General Electric Co., 171; Genung's,
Inc., 222; Gilmartin and Day, 126; Gil-
martin Motor Sales Corp., 126; Girard
and Garvey, 133; Goodman Bros., 171;
Goodrich and Rutty, 82; W. T. Grant Co.,
222; Griswold, Richmond and Glock Co.,
223; Oscar Gross and Sons, 223; Growers
Outlet, 223; Hall, Elton and Co., 91 f. ;
A. J. Hall Co., 169; J. R. Hall Co., 170;
Hamrah's, 219; Handel Co., 120, 170;
Handley Bros. Co., 170; Harrissier, Lee
and Bros., 133; Hartford Silver Plate Co.,
91; Charles J. Hayek's Jewelry Store, 223;
Helmschmied Mfg. Co., 169; Herco Art
Mfg. Co. (successor to H. E. Rain and
Co.), 171; Holmes and Edwards Silver
Co., 91; Horton Printing Co., 128; T. D.
Hotchkiss Co., 171; Howard Bros., 220;
Howard Pratt and Co., 81; Hull Printing
Co., 92; Hyman and Gross, 223; Interna-
tional Silver Co., 75, 90 f., 159, 169,
172-5, 176, 186, 234, 289, 299; Isbell and
Curtis Co., 81; Harry Israel, Inc., 223;
Ives, Upham and Rand, 219; Jepson's
Book Store, 221; Jennings and Griffin
Mfg. Co., 168 f.; A. H. Jones, 168 f.;
Journal Publishing Co., 204; Katt Bros.,
222; Julius Katt, 169; James T. Kay Co.,
225; Kelsey Co., 168 f.; Kennedy and
Ragone Co., 169; Kresge's, 222; J. La-
courciere Co., 222; Lambson Specialty
Co., 171; Landers, Frary and Clark, 169;
Lane Construction Co., 225; John S. Lane
and Son, Inc., 225; Langner and Hayek,
224; LaPierre Mfg. Co., 91, 174; W. H.
Leaman Co., 171; Lemke and Reiske, 170;
Lewis and Holt, 84; S. C. Lewis, 169;
Liggett's Drug Store, 121; Liggett Co.,
222; H. Wales Lines Co., 199, 204, 225,
260; Little and Somers, 223; Little, Somers
and Hyatt, 223; H. Little and Co., 223;
William J. Luby, 169; Lutz Co., 171;
Lyman and Clarke, 226; Lynch Drug Co.,
224; Lyon and Billard Co., 226; Maltby,
Stevens and Curtiss Co., 92; Manhattan
Silver Plate Co., 91; Manning, Bowman
and Co., 168 f., 182; Manning and Con-
well's Shoe Store, 222; Max's Automotive
Service, 126; Meriden Auto Station, 125;
Meriden Bargain Store, 223; Meriden
Bedding Co., 171; Meriden Braid Co. (suc-
ceeded by Pioneer Braid Co.), 168-9;
Meriden Brewing Co., 120; Meriden Bri-
tannia Co., 79, 88 ff., 104 f., 120; Meri-
den Bronze Co., 120; Meriden Buffing
Co., 171; Meriden Curtain Fixture Co.,
168; Meriden Cutlery Co., 83, 120, 168
f.; Meriden Electric Light Co., 170, 198;
Meriden Electroplating and Finishing Co.,
171; Meriden Fire Arms Co., 168; Meriden
Foundry Co., 171; Meriden Furniture Co.,
220; Meriden Gas Light Co., 90, 170, 198;
Meriden Gravure Co., 92, 169; Meriden
Jewelry Mfg. Co., 169; Meriden Lumber
Co., 226; Meriden Machine and Tool Co.,
169; Meriden Malleable Iron Co., 174,
181; Meriden Optical and Jewelry Co.,
169; Meriden Park Co., 119; Meriden
Precision Screw Products, 171; Meriden
Press and Drop Co. (successor to A. H.
Merriman), 169; Meriden Record Co., 202,
204; Meriden Rug Co. (now Perry Rug
Co.), 170; Meriden Silver Plate Co., 91,
174; Meriden Theater Co., 129 f.; Meri-
den Title Finance Corp., 215; Meriden
Welding Co., 171; Meriden Wireframe
Co., 171; Mero Mfg. Co., 171; Metallic
Potters Co., 171; Max Merklinger, 169;
Merriam Metal Patterns and Model Works,
169; Michaels Jewelers, 221; Middleton
Plate Co., 91; Michaels-Maurer, 221; Mil-
ler Bros. Cutlery Co. (Meriden Knife Co.),
168 f. ; Edward Miller Co., 86, 120, 169,
177-8, 188, 199; Miller-Johnson, Inc., 171;
Miles Shoe Co., 222; Miner, Read and
Tullock, 197; John F. Molloy, 221; Mono-
watt Electric Corp., 171; C. F. Monroe
Co., 120, 168 f.; Morehouse Bros., 168 f.,
171; Morse and Cook, 203; Mosher's Drug
Store, 112; Muirson Label Co., 171;
Napier Co. (formerly Napier-Bliss Co.),
179-81; Nestle Lemur Co., 172; New De-
parture Division, General Motors, 77, 126,
151, 170, 175-7, 187, 195; New England
Boot and Shoe House, 220; New Eng-
land Pottery Co., 169; New England
Westinghouse Co., 138, 169; New Mil-
ford Electric Light Co., 198; New York
Dress Goods Store, 220; J. J. Niland Co.,
169; T. Niland and Co., 120; Norwich
Cutlery Co., 91; Nugent's Dress Shop,
222; Nutmeg Press, 171; Elias Oefinger,
169; O'Neil and Flynn, 220; Oregon Sil-
ver Co., 171; Packer Machine Co., 171;
W. J. Packer Mfg. Co., 171; Parker and
Casper Co., 90 f.; C. and E. Parker Co.,
84; Charles Parker Co., 84 f., 169, 178-9,
199, 227; Charles W. Parker (printer),
171; N. W. Parks Co. (purchased C. E.
Schunack Co.), 171;- Sanford Parmelee
and Co., 82; Peerless Mfg. Co., 170; Pen-
field Mfg. Co., 169; J. C. Penney Co.,
222; Perkins' Blacksmith Shop, 63; Perkins
and Lines, 225; Perry Rug Co. (formerly
Meriden Rug Co.), 170; James N. Phelps
and Co., 205; Phillips Mfg. Co., 171; E.
F. Powers Shoe Store, 222; Pratt, Ropes,
Webb and Co., 83; Pratt and Whitney
Aircraft Division, United Aircraft Corp.,
182; Howard Pratt and Co., 82; Julius
Pratt and Co., 57, 82 f.; Price Pattern
Shop, 171; Production Equipment Co.,
171; Puffe Tool and Die Co., 171; R. and
H. Machine Shop, 171; H. E. Rain and
Co., 170 f.; J. F. Raven Hardware Co.,
224; Reed-Holroyd Co., 220 f.; Reed
House furnishing Co., 220; Remington
Arms Co., 85; Remo Co., 170; Republican
Publishing Co., 201 f.; Rich Display and
Plastics, 171; Rockwell Silver Co., 170 f.;
Rogers and Bro., 91, 174; Rogers Bros., 88
ff., 173; Rogers Cutlery Co., 91; Rogers and
Hamilton Co., 91; Rogers, Smith and Co.,
90 f. ; C. Rogers and Bros., 91; William
Rogers Mfg., 91 f.; Rose Window Products,
172; Rowley Mfg. Co., 91; Rubber Spe-
cialty Co., 171; Sales Service Institute,
174; J. H. Sanderson, 170; Saviteer Me-
morial Works, 170; J. Schaeffer Co., 171;
M. B. Schenck Co., 169 f. ; Charles E.
Schunack Co., 169 f.; John R. Sexton Co.,
171; Shaw Paper Box Co., 171; Henry E.
Shiner Co., 171; Silver City Crystal Co.,
182; Silver City Glass Co., 169 f., 182;
Silver City Plate Co., 91; Simpson, Hall,
Miller and Co., 91 f.; Simpson Nickel Co.,
91; Sonora Record Co., 171; Southington
Cutlery Co., 91; Stockwell's, 221; W. H.
Squire Co., 215 f.; Standard Cutlery Co.,
171; Styletex Co., 219; L. Suzio Concrete
Co., 225; L. Suzio Construction Co., 145,
225; Hyman Tanger Co., 171; W. H.
Thompson Candy Co., 170; Tillinghast
Silver Co., 170 f.; Tishman interests, 222;
Henry B. Todd, 170; Vincenzo Torchia,
171; Tredennick Paint Mfg. Co., 170; Ira
Twiss and Bro., 83; Universal Music Co.,
170; Upham's Department Store, 219;
Vacuum Specialty Co., 170; Vocalion
Organ Co., 170; F. J. Wallace, 169 f. ;
F. L. Waller Co., 171; Waterbury Clock
Co., 170; Watrous Mfg. Co., 91; Curtiss
Way Co., 92; Lysander R. Webb and Co.,
205; Walter Webb and Co., 82 f.; Web-
ster and Brigmann, 169 f.; E. G. Webster
and Son, 91, 174; Western Union Tele-
graph Co., 199; Westport Electric Light Co.,
198; F. J. Wheeler Co., 236; Frank
Wheeler and Son, 169 f.; William Wheeler
Co., 169 f; White, Bottrell and Page
Co., 170; Frank M. Whiting Co., 171;
Whitney and Rice, 179; Wilcox and Evert-
sen Co., 91, 174; Wilcox Realty Co., 94,
116; Wilcox Silver Plate Co., 86, 90 f.;
Wilcox and White Organ Co., 91, 120,
169 f. ; E. C. Wilcox Corp., 171; J. Wilcox
and Co., 86; Wolf's New Process Abrasive
Wheel, Inc., 170; Woman's Shop, 222;
Woodbury Electric Light Co., 198; F. W.
Woolworth Co., 222; Wusterbarth Bros.,
223; Yale Grocery Store, 224; Andrew
Young and Sons, 170; Youngberg Bros.,
Butcher, B. J., 270
Butler, Albert, N., 119
Butler, Comfort, 29, 49
Butler, Eli, 71, 100, 208, 213
Butler, Henry C, 208
Butler, Hiram, 100
Butler, Joel I., 209 f.
Butler, John, 62, 82
Butler, John F., 105, 220
Butler, William K., 94
Butler, William O., 220
Buttner, Howard F., 210
Byczynski, Joseph J., 191
Byxbee, John, 100, 104 f., 213
Byxbee, Theodore, 95
Cabon, James, 49
Cahill, C. W., Ill, 129 f.
Cahill, Joseph, 191
Cahill, William J., Jr., 130, 152, 159
Caivano, Albert, 191
Call, James C, 147
Cambridge, Mass., 1, 36
Camp, Amos, 16
Camp, Elah, 212
Camp, Frank A., 215
Camp Glen Echo, 253
Camp Hubbard, 231
Campbell, Sherburne, 28
Canary, Daniel J., 115
Cannatelli, Vincent S., 191
Cape Breton, 44
Carabetta, Joseph, 234
Carr, Clarence E., 219
Carr, Steve, 136
Carroll, Michael B" 163, 183
Carron, Mike, 133
Carrozella, William J., 191
Carter, Robert W., 115
Caruso, Enrico, 132
Casey, Edward, 147
Cashen, Homer F., 147
Cashen, John T., 191
Castelow, Alderman, 144
Cat Hole, 4, 19, 35, 150
Cat Hole Mountain, 4
Catholic University of America, 298
Catholic war veterans' organizations: Mount
Carmel Post No. 1053, 256; St. Joseph
Post No. 1106, 256; St. Laurent Post No.
1135, 256; St. Mary Post No. 1136, 256;
St. Rose Post No. 1116, 256
Catlin, Benjamin H., 212 f.
Catlin, W. H., 228
Cedar Creek, battle of, 96
Centennial, 122-4, 168, 222, 237, 259, 301
Ceppa, John L., 234, 271
Chamberlain, Abiram, 78 f., 106, 115, 124,
Chamberlain, Mrs. Abiram, 238
Chancellorsville, battle of, 96
Chapin, J. H., 239
Chapman, E. A., 215
Charles 11,5
Chaya, Paul Carl, 191
Cheeney, Charles H., 115, 126
Cheshire, 6 f., 25, 31, 76, 82, 84, 106, 197,
Cheshire Academy, 42
Chester, Mr., 20
Chester, Frank V., 224
Church, Robert G., 157
Church, Samuel O., 100
Church, W. B., 214
Church of England, 14
Churches: All Saints' Episcopal, 267; Bap-
tist, 12-13, 41, See also First Baptism-
Center Congregational, 12, 15, 36, 41, 53,
62, 213, 224, 262, f.; Congregational, 66,
236; Episcopal, 13, see also St. Andrew's
Church; Evangelical Lutheran Immanuel,
268 f.; First Baptist, 12, 262 f., 265, 272;
First Church of Christ Scientist, 271; First
Congregational, 12, 70, 127, 239, 262;
First Lutheran Church of Southington, 269;
First Methodist, 154, 263, 267; First
Methodist Episcopal, 15; First Universalist
(St. Paul's), 154, 264 f.; Holy Angels'
(South Meriden), 267, 298; Italian Bap-
tist, 272; Kingdom Hall, 272; Liberty
Street Baptist, 266; Main Street Baptist
(West Meriden Baptist), 210, 265, 268,
272; Methodist, 15; Methodist Preaching
House, 264; Mt. Hebron Baptist, 272; Our
Lady of Mt. Carmel, 270, 286, 297; Park
Avenue Baptist (Swedish Baptist), 268;
Parker African Methodist Episcopal Zion,
268; St. Andrew's Episcopal, 14, 29, 105,
154, 247, 262 f., 267; St. John's Episcopal
(Yalesville), 267; St. John's Lutheran, 265,
268, 295; St. Joseph's, 272, 297; St.
Laurent's, 260, 266, 295; St. Mary's, 269-
70, 295; St. Nicholas (Byzantine Rite
Catholics), 272; Sts. Peter and Paul Rus-
sian Orthodox Greek Catholic, 271, 299;
St. Rose, 261 f., 264, 270, 296; St. Stan-
islaus, 234, 270-1, 296-7; "Salt Box," 13;
South Meriden Methodist, 264; Swedish
Evangelical Lutheran (Augustana Luth-
eran), 269; Temple B'Nai Abraham, 154,
267; Trinity Methodist, 266, 270, 297
Cianfarani, Aristide B., 145
Ciasulli, Carl J., 191
City Government, divisions of: Board of
Apportionment and Taxation, 155, 160,
285 f., 292; Board of Assessors, 160, 163;
Board of Building Commissioners, 160;
Board of Education, 23, 154, 160, 189,
280, 284, 285, 288 f., 292 f. ; Board of
Electrical Examiners, 160; Board of Oil
Burner Examiners, 160; Board of Plumb-
ing and Heating Examiners, 160; Board
of Public Safety, 160, 166; Board of
Public Welfare, 160, 162 f.; Board of
School Visitors, 274, Report of, 275;
Board of Tax Review, 163; Building De-
partment, 166, 300; Building Inspector,
292; City Auditors, 163; City Clerk, 161;
City Comptroller, 163; City Planning
Commission, 160; City Treasurer, 163;
Department of Health, 160, 161-2, 293;
Engineering Department, 163; Fire De-
partment, 164-6; Jury Commission, 160;
Park and Recreation Commission, 160,
227; Police Department, 163-4, 166,
Records Division, 164; Police and Fire
Signal Department, 164 f.; Post Office,
235-7; Recreation Department, 231, 233;
Water Department, 162; Welfare Commis-
sion, 160, 162; Welfare Department, 290;
Zoning Board of Appeals, 160, 163
Civic committees and service organizations:
Boy Scouts, 249, 252-3; Boys' Club, 203,
249, 252, 299; Charity Club, 130; Child
Welfare League, 288; Citizens Committee
on Sub-Standard Housing, 160; City Mis-
sion Society, 239; Civil Defense Council,
160; Commission on the Care and Treat-
ment of the Chronically III, Aged and
Infirm, 245; Diocesan Bureau of Social
Service, 249; Employers' Association, 255;
Family Service Association, 249; Girl
Scouts, 249, 253; Girls' Club, 249, 252;
Investigation Committee on Comic Books,
160; Junior Chamber of Commerce, 231,
254-5; Junior ROTC, 286; Manufacturers'
Association, 255; Merchants' Bureau, 254,
301; Meriden Academical Association,
277; Meriden Anti-Tuberculosis Associa-
tion, 253; Meriden Board of Trade, 129,
254; Meriden Business Men's Association,
254; Meriden Chamber of Commerce, 129,
156, 176, 183, 218, 254, 301; Meriden
Historical Society, 13, 22 ff., 59, 70; Meri-
den Housing Authority, 160, 162; Meriden
Medical Society, 239; Meriden Planning
Commission, 299; Meriden Teachers Asso-
ciation, 149; Meriden Tuberculosis Relief
Association, 253; Meriden War Council,
140; Parent-Teacher Association, 292 f.;
Parking Authority, 160; Public Celebra-
tions Commission, 160; Public Health and
Visiting Nurse Association, 249, 253-4,
256; Public Utilities Commission, 75; Red
Cross, 185, 187; Salvation Army, 249,
254, 272; School Building Committee, 160,
285, 291; Service clubs (Exchange Club,
257; Kiwanis Club, 257; Lions Club, 230
f., 233, 257; Rotary Club, 257; Soroptimist
International, 257; Unison Club, 257;
Zonta Club, 257); War Council, Volunteer
Office, 190; War History Office, 190;
Women's Christian Temperance Union,
239, 251; Y.M.C.A., 187 ff., 249, 250-1;
Young Men's Institute, 207, 250; Y.W.C.A.,
228, 249, 251-2; Young Woman's League,
Civil War, 67, 75, 85, 89, 93 ff., 219, 236,
Clark, George M., 210
Clark, H. N., 254
Clark, Lewis E., 212
Clark, P. J., 213
Clark, Robert W., 255
Clark, William S., 149
Clarke, Remick K., 84
Clarke, Susan C, 49
Clarksville, 82
Cocoa Kid, 135
Code of the City of Meriden, Connecticut,
Coe, Andrew J., 155
Coe, Calvin, 24
Coe, John W., Ill, 115
Coe, Kate Foote, 258
Coe, Levi E., 155, 210, 213, 239
Coe, Mrs. Levi E., 258
Coffey, Joseph F., 252
Coggins, J. B., 87
Coggins, Leslie, 87
Cohen, David J., 241
Cold Spring, 19
Cole family, 1 1
Collins, Aaron L., 86, 100
Collins, Captain, 41
Collins, Dan, 47 ff., 58
Collins, Eddie, 134
Collins, Edward, 29, 45, 49
Collins, Jonathon, 21
Collins, Joseph H., 147
Collins, Robert T., 176
Collins, Sally, 34
Collins, Samuel, 49
Collins, Sarah, 70
Collins, Sarah E., 216
Collins, William, 114
Collins family, 1 1
Columbian Exposition, 198
Columbian Orator, 41
Community Fund, 185, 240
Cone, S. L., 86
Congregational Society, 27
Connecticut Agricultural Society, 119
Connecticut Colony, 5
Connecticut Co., 80, 112
Connecticut Light and Power Co., 125, 149,
196 ff.
Connecticut Organ, 205
Connecticut Public Expenditure Council, 294
Connecticut Telephone and Electric Co., 181-
2, 195, 199
Connecticut Whig, 205
Connors, J. J., 178
Conroy, Michael J., 241
Convent of St. Bridget, 297
Cook, Isaac, 44 f., 47
Cook, Isaac, Jr., 44
Cook, Jared R., 100, 213
Cook, Louis M., 191
Cook, Marion, 247
Cooke, Joseph A., 152
Cooper, William J., 191
Corradino, Louis J., 191
Costello, Harry, 135
Couch, John, 44, 46, 49, 58
Court of Common Council, 155, 157, 161,
Court of Common Pleas, 300
Cowing, Frank L., 105
Cowles, E. B., 198
Cowles, Ebenezer, 49
Cowles, Elisha A., 69, 209
Cowles, Joel, 49
Cowles, Major, 71 f.
Cromwell, Conn., 76, 79. 116, 182, 197
Crooker, Arthur H., 191
Crow, C. Frederick, 177
Culbert, "Goodman," 10
Culver, Joshua, 30
Cummings, G. R., 226
Cummings, George R. (son of G. R.), 226
Cuno, Charles F., 179
Cuno, Charles H., 179, 226, 255
Cuno Foundation, 24
Curran, Jerome F., 191
Curry, John J., 176
Curtis, A. Morse, Jr., 191
Curtis, Abel, 47, 49
Curtis, Amasa, 62
Curtis, Arthur M., 115
Curtis, Asahel, 22, 59, 100, 213
Curtis, Augusta Munson, 91, 246
Curtis, Benjamin, 25 f., 44
Curtis, E. D., 253
Curtis, Edwin E., 26, 86
Curtis, Elisha, 49
Curtis, Enos, 86
Curtis, Floyd, 211
Curtis, George M., 59, 61, 90 f.
Curtis, George Munson, and Gillespie, C.
Bancroft, A Century of Meriden, 21, 31,
46, 62, 95, 123, 279, 281
Curtis, George R., 22, 78 f., 86, 89 f., 152,
Curtis, Homer, 67
Curtis, Mrs. James A., 254
Curtis, Jesse M., 147
Curtis, Lemuel J., 86, 88, 100, 247
Curtis, MacRae, 178 f.
Curtis, Moses, 44
Curtis, Nathaniel, 26
Curtis family, 82
Curtis Memorial Library, 91, 100, 154, 160,
Curtiss, Asha H., 236
Curtiss, Edwin E., 212 f.
Curtiss, Enos H., 212 f.
Curtiss, John, 92
Cushing, Charles E., 191
Customs, 50 ff.
Cyphers, Joseph G., 147
Daboll's "arithmetic," 40
Dahlke, Henry A., 191
Daily News, 206
Daily Republican, 104
D'Amico, Lorenzo, 147
Danaher, Cornelius J., Sr., 116, 134, 228 f.
Danaher, Francis R., 101, 109, 134, 152, 158,
166 f., 183, 187 f., 241
Danaher, John A., 134
Danbury, 48
Danielson, Irving, 234
D'auria, Ronaldo F., 191
Davenport, Fanny, 128
Davenport, John, 2 f., 6
Davis, C. H. S., History of Wallingford,
Meriden and Cheshire, 3, 6, 19, 97, 152,
Davis, Jefferson, 94
Davis, Wilbur F., 155
Day, John F., 126
Daybill, Mark, 191
De la Vergne, Paul Mason, 245
Dearborn, John H., 191
DeBussy, Wales L., 144, 152
De Cantilion, Joseph, 140
Deep River, 223
Deforest (expert on Conn. Indians), 6
Delavan, Marcus L., 205
Delavan, Thomas, 127
Delavan, Mrs. Thomas, 127 ff.
Delesdernier, H. W., 239
DeLuca, William, 147
Dennie, John, 21
Derecktor, Esidor, 130
Derecktor, Nathan, 130
Derecktor, Samuel, 130
De Sandre, Antonio, 147
Deshon, Corinne A., 246
Deshon, Giles H., 263
DeVoe, Eddie, 133
Dibble, Donald, 193
Dibble, William, 188
Dickenson, Charles, 78
DiFrancesco, John, 177
Dilworth, Spelling Book and Schoolmaster's
Assistant, 38
Dlugolenski, Anthony, 191
Doak, James H., 198
Dodd, Samuel, 90 f.
Doherty, John E., 235
Donovan, Daniel J., 142, 144, 152
Donovan, Derrick, 193
Doolittle, Edgar J., 104, 152, 209, 239, 257
Doolittle, Horace F., 144
Doran, John J., 147
Dossin, Oscar, 233
Douglas, Nathaniel, 49
Douglas, Stephen, 93
Douksza, Walter J., 191
Dowd, Richard, 235
Dowling, Eddie, 133
Dowling, Frank R., 191
Dowling, Robert M., 157
Drucquer, Harry, 165
Dryhurst, Henry, 62, 236
Duggan, Jeremiah T., 270
Dunham, Bill, 133
Dunn, Judge, 34
Dunne, Thomas P., 157
Dupont, Lorenzo, Jr., 193
Dupuis, George E., 191
Durante, Jimmie, 187
Dutton, Dudley A., 211
Dutton, Guy, 224
Dworak, Frank, 147
East Cemetery, 15
East Haven, 6 ff., 48
East Meriden, 86
Eaton, Theophilus, 3, 6
Eddy, Julianne, 41
Edge, William F., 263
Edison, Thomas A., 198
Edwards, Clarence, 146
Edwards, Fred H., 162
Edwards, George C, 91
Edwards, Jonathan, 63
Edwards, Joseph, 49
Eggleston, Arthur F., 225
Eggleston, J. D., 239
Elting, Richard, 267
Englehart, Adam, 125
Englehart, Leon J., 125
Erickson, John, 234
Etter, Bessie, 240
Evarts, L. C, 115
Evening Monitor, 206
Evening Press, 206
Evening Recorder, 206
Everard, Edward, 234
Everitt, E. B., 94, 213
Fagan, Lois Z., 179
Fagan, Paul F., 149
Falcon Athletic Association, 261
Folk, Manfred R., 191
Falls Plains, 20
Faricelli, Herman B., 191
Farmington, 8
Farrington, Jeremiah, 49
Feegal, John R., 139, 183
Felix, Joseph H., 147
Felix, Lois, 135
Fellowcraft Minstrels, 130
Fenn, A. H" 239
Ferraro, Joseph, 147
Ferrigno, Joseph R., 235
Ficken, Alderman, 144
Fielding, Henry, 53
Fielding, John F., 147
Fillmore, Millard, 236
Financial institutions: City Savings Bank,
207, 210 f., 213-14; Connecticut Bank and
Trust Co., 207, 209-11, 214, 236; Connect-
icut Bankers' Association, 124; First Fed-
eral Savings and Loan Association, 207,
216-17; First National Bank, 209 ff.;
Fourth Meriden Building and Loan Asso-
ciation, 216 f.; Hartford-Connecticut Trust
Co., 209 ff.; Home National Bank and
Trust Co., 90, 115, 127, 207-9; Home
Owners' Loan Corporation, 149; Meriden
National Bank, 209 f.; Meriden Perma-
nent Savings and Loan Association, 207,
215-16; Meriden Savings Bank, 204, 207,
212-13; Meriden Trust and Safe Deposit
Co., 207, 210 f., 214-15; Phoenix State
Bank and Trust Co., 209; Puritan Bank
and Trust Co., 204, 207, 211-12; Savings
and Loan Institute, 295
First Congregational Society, 11, 127
First Universalist Society, 28
Fiske, John, 2, 5, 7
Fitzgerald, E. A., 197
Fitzgibbons, Thomas M., Jr., 191
Fitzpatrick, James J., 236
Fitzpatrick, Jimmie, 136
Fitzpatrick, William H., 177
Flagg, Charles N., 149, 226
Flagg, Mrs. Charles N., 26
Flagg, Peter, 226
Flagg family, 26
Flynn, C. E., 220
Flynn, Harold H., 163
Ford, Roger M., 102 f.
Ford, Sanborn, 49
Fort Sumter, 94
Fort Ticonderoga campaign, 44, 47
Foster, Albert, 87
Foster, Charlotte, 161
Foster, Giles, 49
Foster, H. M., 71
Foster, Homer, 161
Foster, Matthew, 161
Foster, Ozias, 49
Foster, Thomas, 49
Foster, Timothy, 49
Foster family, 11
Fowler, Irving M., 223
Fowler, Robert W., 191
Fox, C. F., 212
Francis Moloney Scholarship Committee, 160
Frary, James A., 86, 88, 208
Frary, James D., 90
Fraryville. See North Meriden
Fraser, Lawrence, 234
Fraternal and social organizations: Benevo-
lent and Protective Order of Elks, Meri-
den Lodge No. 35, 259-60; Connecticut
Federation of Cyclists, 114; Connecticut
Fifers' and Drummers' Association, 124;
Daughters of the American Revolution,
49; Falcon Nest 68, 261; Fraternal Order
of Eagles, 261; German-American Society,
113; German Baptist Society, 266; High-
land Country Club, 116; Home Club, 124,
258-9; Knights of Columbus, Silver City
Council No. 2, 260; League of American
Wheelman, 114; Loyal Order of Moose,
261; Masonic lodges (Center Lodge No.
97, 260; Hamilton Council No. 22, 260;
Keystone Chapter No. 27, 260; Meridian
Lodge No. 77, 260; St. Elmo Commandery,
No. 9, 260); Meriden Golf Club, 116;
Meriden Lawn Tennis Club, 115; Meriden
Light Guards, 95; Meriden Wheel Club,
114; Meriden Woman's Club, 252; Polish
Knights of the Blessed Virgin, 288; Put-
nam Phalanx of Hartford, 124; Turner
Society, 259. See also Women's auxiliaries
Fredericksburg, battle of, 96
Freeman, Chatham, 27, 47, 49
Frost, Wilma M., 244
Fulton, Robert, 37
Furniss, Albert, 215
Gaffey, Francis E., 191
Galvin, William, 239
Gardinor, Clifford R., 157, 172, 255
Gardner, Warren F., 203
Gardner, William E., 265
Gordon, Carl A., 191
Gartland, J. L., 239
Garvey, Eddie, 133
Garvey, Patrick, 100
Gates, General, 47
Gearing, Charles M., 175
Gearing, Milton L., 176, 255
Gearing, Raymond W., 191
Geary, H. S., 198
Gerschefski, Fred J., 147
Gervais, Robert J., 193
Gettysburg, battle of, 96
Gibbons, George, 205
Gibbs, David, 287
Gibney, Hugh R., Jr., 191
Gibson, Cole B., 244 f.
Gibson, Wilber W., 211
Gigli, 132
Gilbert, Jonathan, 4, 18 f.
Gilmartin, John, 126
Gilmartin, John, Jr., 126
Giuffrida, Francis, 241
Giuffrida, Rolando, 272
Gladwin, Russell S., 152
Glaser, S. F., 266
Gleason, Lawrence, 191
Glock, Charles C, 211
Goffe, Solomon, 21
Gold, Herman, 220
Goldsmith, David, 147
Gompers, Samuel, 194
Goodrich, Charles A., Stories on the History
of Connecticut; Designed for the Instruc-
tion and Amusement of Young Persons,
Goodsell, Buell, 115
Gorman, Joseph L., 147
Gracey, Burton A., 193
Gracey, Howard T., 191
Graffam, E. W., 254
Graham, William F., 201 f., 205 f.
Granby, 65
Grant, U. S., 98, 236
Gravel, Joseph C. M., 193
Grawemeyer, L. Melvin, 177
Greely, Emily, 253
Greenbacker, Joseph A., 157
Greene, General, 46
Gregory, Robert, 191
Grieco, Michael J., Jr., 191
Griffin, Joseph M., 261, 264
Grinold, Robert W., 191
Grinold, William H., 255
Griswold, Ashbil, 82, 85 f., 212, 209
Griswold, F. P., 239
Griswold, Giles, 49
Griswold, Henry, 82
Griswold, M. F., 257
Gross, Louis J., 223
Gross, Oscar, 223
Gross, Samuel, 223
Gudain, Leonard, 165
Gudebrod, Louis, 94
Guilford, 2, 176
Guy, Joel H., 62, 100, 209, 211 ff., 235 f.
Guy, Orchard, 29
Hadley, Joseph A., 198
Hagadon, William, 103, 164
Hagedorn, George A., 269
Haggerty, Dennis, 132
Haggerty, Jack, 132
Halbert, Jessie, 254
Hale, Nathan, 147
Hale, William, 73
Hall, Abraham, 44
Hall, Almon, 28
Hall, Arthur E., 115
Hall, Benjamin, 19, 28
Hall, Brenton, 49
Hall, Daniel, 3, 11, 49
Hall, David, 30, 49
Hall, "Deken," 10
Hall, Edward B., 109
Hall, Enos, 49
Hall, Erwin D., 236
Hall, Eugene A., 213
Hall, Fanny, 28
Hall, George L, 155
Hall, Harold C, 166-7
Hall, Hiram, 235 f.
Hall, Howard B., 157
Hall, Isaac, 28, 45 f., 49
Hall, Isaac, Jr., 46, 49
Hall, Israel, 28, 49
Hall, Joel, 49
Hall, Jonathan, 46, 49
Hall, Jotham, 49
Hall, Joseph E" 147
Hall, Lon, 236
Hall, Moses, 46
Hall, Moses, Jr., 49
Hall, Phineas, 28, 49
Hall, Rufus, 49
Hall, Russell, 28
Hall, Samuel, 45, 49
Hall, Seth J., 155, 239
Hall, Theophilus, 12, 16,52
Hail, Wilbur B., 120
Hall, William F., 236
Hallbach, Robert H., 163
Hallmere Reservoir, 101
Halls Family, 11
Halstein, Robert, 191
Hamden, 6
Hamilton, Alexander, 2
Hamilton, C. A., 91
Hamilton, Lorenzo, 144, 257
Hamrah, Charles, 220
Handel, William F., 255
Hanover, 20, 25, 82 f.
Hanover Dam, 150
Hanson, Harry S., 183, 253
Harlow, Dana, Jr., 191
Harrison, William Henry, 235
Hart, Benjamin, 25, 49
Hartford, ff., 3, 20, 31, ff., 35 f., 42 f.,
69, 72, 88 f., 92, 106, 124, 134, 280
Hartford Courant, 8
Hastings, F. N., 126
Havell, Wayne G., 191
Hawkins, Marion, 258
Hayden, Harry, 209
Hayek, Charles J., Jr., 224
Hayes, Rutherford B., 236
Hedgpeth, T. Valmonte, 200
Heidel, Marion P., 26
Hess, Herman, 210
Hicks, F. H., 272
Hicks, Ratcliff, 213
Higbee or Higby, Edward, 4, 30
Higgins, David, 157
Higginson, Leroy C, 147
Highland, 77
Hiker Memorial, 109
Hillard, James L, 247
Hiller, William G., 109
Hinman, Charles L, 215
Hinman, Franklin E., 205
Hinsdale, Charles, 52
Hitchcock, Nelson, 147
Hofmeister, Donald A., 191
Holman, John, 183
Holmes, Harold, 188
Holmes, John, 37
Holt, I. L, 199
Hooker, Thomas, ff., 3
Hooker, William G., 215
Hookerites, 3, 5
Horan, Owen, 105
Horton, August W., 191
Hospitals: Meriden Hospital, 189, 238-41,
249; Undercliff Hospital (Undercliff Sana-
torium), 244-5, 253; World War II Vet-
erans' Memorial Hospital, 158 ff., 241-3,
Association, 242 f .
Hotchkiss, Fred, 228
Hough, Daniel, 26, 44
Hough, Ensign, 26
Hough, Insign, 45, 60
Hough, Isaac, 53, 71, 72
Hough, Isaac I., 36
Hough, James, 43, 49
Hough, John, 45, 47, ff.
Hough, Phineas, 49
Hough, Samuel, 43
Hough, William, 25
Hough, Warren, 191
Houston, Howard E., 94, 152, 158, 244
Howe, George E., 245
Howell, George M., 155
Hubbard, Herman E.. 209, 212
Hubbard, Walter, 100, 214, 227, f., 232, 239
Hughart, W. Oden, 255
Hughes, O. J. D., 239
Hugo, O. C, 179
Hull, S. A., 201
Hutchinson, W. F., 115
Hyatt, Isaac B., 105, 223
Hyatt, Willard C, 223
Hyde, Joseph, 1l4
Immick, Hollis D., 254
Independent, 206
Indians, 6 ff.
Industry, 81 ff.; since 1900, 168 ff.
Investment Forum, 295
Isbell, Harlow. 67
Israel, Harry, 223
Israel, William, 223
Ives, Almerson, 235
Ives, Amos, 49, 152, 155
Ives, Bezaleel, 16, 47, 49
Ives, Eli, 100
Ives, Gideon, 46, 49
Ives, John, 49, 72, 219, 236
Ives, Lazarus, 26
Ives, Leland, 6
Ives, P. T., 143
Ives, Rollin S., 28
Ives, Timothy, 49
Ives, William J., 100
Ives Familv, 1 1
Iwanicki, Stanislaus, 261
Jackson, Andrew, 36, 62, 235
Jackson, Charles W., 147
Jackson, Ira W., 127 f.
Jacobs, William, 167
Jacques, Jean, 127
Janes, Daniel, 49
Januschak, 128
Jefferson, Joseph, 128
Jefferson, Thomas, 2, 235
Jehovah's Witnesses, 272
Jepson, Louise J., 221
Jerome, Chauncey, 83
Jobin, Harold, 191
Johnson, Andrew, 236
Johnson, Dan, 64
Johnson, Foster M., 157 ff.
Johnson, Israel, 24, 49
Johnson, Samuel, 49
Johnson, Sherman G., 123
Johnson, Wesley M., 213
Jones, Delbert, 108
Jopson, H. Raymond, 147
Jordan, C. T., 178
Jourdan, Albert S., 198
Journal Press, 92
Joyce, Thomas, 223
Kaczynski, Adam, 147
Kafka, George J., 191
Kalinowski, Anthony, 147
Kaminsky, Walter W., 191
Kantack, Frederick H., 147
Kapitzke, William, 191
Kaplan, Louis "Kid," 135 f.
Kasack, Bernard D., 254
Kassabian, Levon, 229
Katz, Max, 126
Kay, Frank E., 225, 260
Kay, James T., 225
Keeler, Reverend Mr., 41
Keeney, Raymond, 108
Kelly, John J., 270
Kelly, Norman P., 191
Kelly, William P., 281 f.
Kelsey, William A., 201 f., 212
Kenmere Reservoir, 101
Kennedy and Kramer (dance team), 132
Kennedy, James, 132-3
Kensington parish, 33
Kent, 8
Kent, Carl T., 200
Kenwood Camp, 150
Ketelhut, Henry L, 214
Ketelhut, Otto C, 147
Keys' Brigade, 95
Kichinko, Peter P., 272
Kidder, Robert S., 183, 191
Kilbourn, Samuel, 44
Killeen, James C, 147
King, C. Win, 114
King, Francis, 209
King, Henry T., 114, 141, 143, 152, 159,
King, Jesse M., 147
King Philip's War, 8, 43
King, Ray E., 211
Kirby, Ernest, 190
Kirby, John B., 25
Kline, Edward J., 147
Kneath, H. E., 212
Knell, David M., 191
Koczon, Edward J., 191
Kolek, John, 191
Konopka, Frank P., 191
Koozmitch, Walter, 191
Kopcza, Walter J., 224
Korean War, 193 ff.
Kounaris, Nick, 132
Kowalski, Joseph, 147
Kramer, Danny, 135
Kroeber, Robert, Jr., 191
Kroll, Alfred, 179
Kromer, John S., 263
Kruth, Hugo W., 147
Kurcon, Walter L, 164
Kuta, Matthew P., 163
Labor organizations: American Federation
of Labor, 194 f.; Central Labor Union,
194 f., 244; Connecticut Federation of
Labor, 194; Council of Industrial Organi-
zations, 195; Electrical Workers Union,
195; International Typographical Union,
206; Knights of Labor: Buffers and Pol-
ishers Assembly, 194; Mechanics Assembly
No. 2501, 194; United Auto Workers,
local 987, 195
LaCroix, Henry E., 147
Landry, Henry C, 191
Lane, Arthur S., 209
Lane, John S., 225
Lane, John W., 114
Longer, Carl R., 225
Langner, A., 223
LaPierre Manufacturing Co., 174
LaPlace, S. R., 223
LaRochelle, Ernest A., 147
LaRo;a, John R., 191
Lawrence, Silas, 37
Lawton, Burton L., 181, 210
Learmont, Everett E., 147
Learned, Charles A., 198
Lebo, Howard, 191
Leconte, Robert, 142
Ledyard, 8
Lee, Robert E., 98
Lee, W. W., 257
Leining, Warren H., 193
Lepack, Walter, 191
Levit Family, 11
Lewis, George F., 221
Lewis, H. J., 91
Le T52 ilTf C " 22 ' 62 ' ^ 88 *•' 95, 10 °'
Lewis, Jared, 100
Lewis, Patrick, 62, 84, 235
Lewis, R. W., 205
Lewis, William, 213
L'Heureux, Robert, 206
Liber, Benjamin L., 191
Library Board, 160
Liebreich, Oscar, 177
Lillement, 113
Lincoln, Abraham, 93 f, 236
Lines, H. Wales, 152, 225, 257, 260
Linsley, Charles F., 72, 198, 201, 214
Linsley, Noah, 236
Linsley, Randolph, 213
Lirot, Albert J., 215
Little, Hubert, 223
Livingston, Isaac, 49
Lizzi, James V., 147
Lockwood, H. DeForest, 140
Lodge, John D., 158, 244
Logan, J. W., 115
Logoyke, Alexander, 191
Long Island, battle of, 46
Longstreet, General, 96
Looby, Maurice J., 235
Lord, Albert J., 262
Louisburg expedition (1745), 44
Louisi, Michael, 147
Luby, William J., 157
Luca, Ernest, 191
Lucas, William L., 105
Lucchini, Victor E., 24, 157
Ludlow, Roger, 5
Ludsier, Lionel J., 191
Lutz, August, 266
Lyddy, Walter J., 270
Lyman, Aaron, 44
Lyman, Harry W., 157
Lyman, Phineas, 49
Lyman, William W., 86, 88
Lynch, John T., 270
Lynch, Raymond M., 224
Lynch, William, 224
Lynes, Robert E., 191
Lyon, George W., 100, 226, 26
Lyon, Humphrey, 95
Mabbett, J. H., 206
MacArthur, Douglas, 193
Mack (McGillicuddy), Connie, 134
Mackensie, Mrs. William, 33
Macri, George S., 191
Madona, Joseph Paul, 191
Magrath, George, 295
Maine, sinking of, 108
Majewicz, Joseph, 191
Maletta, Anthony, 191
Malm, John J., 192
Malone, Henrietta, 41
Malone, Nestor, J., 192
Malone, William F., 192
Moloney, Francis T., 134, 146, 148 f., 152,
166 f.
Moloney Memorial Scholarship, 166-7
Maltby, Chapman, 92
Money, Francis R., 192
Manning, Thaddeus, 182
Markham, Augustus C, 100
Marvin, E. Lyman, 224
Mason, John, 271
Mason, John F., 192
Masonic Temple Foundation, 260
Massachusetts Bay Colony, 5
Mather, Albert B., 115, 279
Mathieu, Edward A., 266
Mattabesitt Tribe, 6, 8 f.
May, Albert A., 254
May, Earl C, Century of Silver, 34
McCafferty, LeRoi, 133
McCarthy, Edward T., 147
McCarthy, Oliver, 215
McCarthy, Paul E., 192
McConnel, Murray, 179
McCrann, Walter A., 268
McGar, Frank H., 139
McGar, Stanley, 221
McGarry, Thomas B., 270
McGlew, John T., 195
McHugh, J. A., 120
Mclnnis, Stuffy, 134
McKenzie, George C, 147
McKenzie, William T., 212
McKinley, William, 108
McLaughlin, Roy L, 245 f.
McMahon, Dennis, 136
McMahon, Patrick F., 130
McMasters, Wells, 114
McNulty, Catherine F., 253
McNutt, Paul V., 186 f.
Mederick, Marchand, 171
Meeks, Arthur, 125
Meeks, H. A., 239
Meeting House Hill Burying Ground, 258
Meeting houses, 10 ff.
Meiklem, Irving J., 215
Meiklem, Leonard F., 147
Meiklem, Wesley J., 192
Mekye, Daniel, 49
Mekye, Wyllys, 49
Memorial Boulevard, 143 ff., 266
Memorial Chapel, 241, 243
Mercaldi, Anthony P., 224
Mercaldi, Anthony P., Jr., 224
Meredith, (State Education Commissioner),
Meriden, Conn.: incorporation, 1; origin, 4,
11; early spellings of name, 4;origin of
name, 18; number of early families, 30;
separation from Wallingford, 58 ff.; first
town meeting, 59; postmasters, 62; first
town clerk, 62; first mayor, 84; city gov-
ernment before 1900, 99 ff.; first chief of
police, 103; first chief of fire depart-
ment, 105; succession of mayors, 152;
population, 154; government, 152 ff.;
designation as nation's ideal war com-
munity, 185-7; first postmaster, 235
Meriden "All Stars," 137
Meriden Banner, 94, 205
Meriden Chronicle, 205
Meriden City Band, 231
Meriden Community Fund, 249-50
Meriden Evening Times, 206
Meriden Journal, 117 f., 187, 201 ff., 203-4
Meriden Lions Welfare Project, Inc., 231
Meriden Literary Recorder, 104, 205 f.
Meriden Morning Record, 202
Meriden News-Digest, 206
Meriden Record, 187, 190, 201-3.
Meriden Record-Journal, 133, 193, 206
Meriden Republican, 201, 203, 205
Meriden Resolutes, 117
"Meriden Riot," 66, 68
Meriden Star, 206
Meriden Theater, 127 ff.
Meriden Theater (South Broad Street), 132
Meriden Transcript, 205
Meriden Visitor, 205
Meriden Warwickshire, England, 18
Meriden Weekly Mercury, 205
Meriden's Centennial Celebration, 123
Merimere, 64
Merimere Reservoir, 101, 229
Merriam, Amasa, 49
Merriam, Asaph, 49
Merriam, Benjamin, 49
Merriam, Caleb, 49
Merriam, Dorrance, 192
Merriam, E. A., 155
Merriam, Elisha, 49
Merriam, Ephriam, 49
Merriam, Jesse, 49
Merriam, Joseph, 49
Merriam, Lauren, 82
Merriam, Marshall, 49
Merriam, N., 71
Merriam, Nathaniel, 29, 49
Merriam, Nelson, 71
Merriam, Samuel, 49
Merriam, Sidney, 21
Merriam, Titus, 49
Merriam, William, 49
Merriam Family, 11
Merriman, George C, 257
Merriman, Howell, 208, 212
Merz, Harold F., 210 f.
Mesiak, Stanley, 147
Meskell, Pat, 137
Methodist Society, 15, 262
Metropolitan Opera Co., 121, 132
Mezzanotte, Nicholas, 147
Michaels, A., 221
Michalich, Vladimer, 272
Middletown, 6, 73, 77, 80, 87, 116, 182, 197,
Miles, John, 49
Miles, W. M., 215
Miles, Wallace A., 152
Miller, D. Henry, 95
Miller, Edward, 86 f.
Miller, Freddie, 133
Miller, Glenn, 187
Miller, Hezekiah, 86
Miller, John F., 125
Miller, Lew, 216
Miller, Max E., 114
Miller, Ray Marcus, 263
Miller, Richard, 27
Miller, Spencer H., 183
Miller, William H., 213, 215, 236
Millington, Henry J., 177
Mills, Fred, 216
Mills, H. Dudley, 216 f.
Mills, Herbert, 212
Mills, Lewis S., Story of Connecticut, 34, 36
Mills, Stanley, 216
Milton brothers, 132
Mines, 64 ff.
Mingrino, Paul, 192
Miramont, Wallace, 21
Mitchell, Albert, 171
Mix, Silas, 209
Modjeska, 128
Mohawk Tribe, 7
Molloy, John, 26
Molloy, John F., 221
Molon, Michael, 192
Monroe, F. H., 239
Monson, Samuel, 17
Montowese, 4, 6
Moran, John L., 195
Moran, William, 200
Morelli, Joseph, 192
Morgan, John, 49
Morgan, Samuel B., 236
Moriarty, Eugene A., 267
Morning Call, 206
Moroney, John F., 183
Moroney, Thomas J., 163
Morse, H. W., 212
Moscaletis, Sylvester, 212
Moseley, Nicholas, 288 f.
Moses, Linus, 105
Mosher, W. W., 215
Mottram, Warren L., 241
Moyer, Donald W., 192
Mrozek, Joseph, 147
Mueller, George W., 147
Munson, Craig D., 172 f.
Munson, George D., 91 f., 172
Munson, John, 88
Murden, William E., 176
Murdock, Daniel E., 147
Murdock, Frederick L, 125, 211
Murdock, George B., 155
Muzyczka, Benjamin, 192
Nagel, John G., 213, 253
Nalewajek, Walter, 147
Nalewajk, Stanislaus, F., 271
Napier, James H., 180
Narragansett Tribe, 43
National Guard, 124, 138 ff., 183
National Preceptor, 41
Neebe, Frederick, L, 195
Negro, Boston, 49
Neibour, William H., 215
Nellis, Charles, Jr., 133
Nessing, Julius A., 192
New Britain, 77, 132
New Dam, 102
New England Primer, 38, 52
New England Testament, 39
New Haven, 4, 31 f., 34 ff., 42, 48, 66, 69,
72, 77, 94, 109, 129, 135, 139, 198, 200,
New Haven Colony, 2 f., 5
New Haven, "republic" of, 2
New London, 44
New Town, See Cambridge, Mass.
New York City, 35
Newport, E. C, 239
Newspapers. 201 ff.
Newton, Charles A., 183, 254
Niantic, 77, 108
Nickerson, N., 239
Niewiadomski, Stanley J., 192
Nitsche, Arthur, 192
Nizza, Lawrence C, 8
Noon, Edward, 177
North, Curtis L., 212
North Haven, 6
North Meriden, 86
North Stonington, 8
Northern Literary Messenger, 205
Norton, J. S., 127
Norton, Jedediah, 22
Norton, Junius, 209
Norwich, 44
Notre Dame Sisters, 295
Nurawski, Stanley, 147
Oblivantseff, Seraphim, 271
O'Brien, Charles L., 162
O'Brien, Frank J., Jr., 193
O'Brien, Russell P., 192
O'Connell, Maurice, 192
O'Conner, James J., 184
O'Donnell, William L., 147
Old Bethel, 15
"Old Fry," 33
Old houses, 21 ff.
O'Neil, F. J., 220
Orange, 6
Orr, Douglas, 242
Orzech, Stanley, 192
Otis, Albert I., 103
Otis, S., 239
Otto, Henry C. L., 206
Owsianik, Joseph F., 193
Packer, Clifford I., 188, 255
Page, Benjamin, 152, 215
Palmer, Charles S., 143
Paluconis, Dominic, 192
Pancho Villa, 138
Panciera, Arthur, 192
Paone, Raphael, 147
Parker, Charles, 15, 57, 84, 86, 95 f, 99 f,
102 f., 152, 201, 212, 214, 239, 268
Parker, J. H., 90
Parker, John, 95
Parker, Julius, 19
Parker, Wilbur F., 125
Parker's Engine Co. No. 3, 104
Parker's Hose Co. No. 3, 104
Parks and playgrounds, 277 ff.
Parochial School Music Festival, 296
Parrish, Everett, 192
Patrucco, John, 234
Patten, Harold K., 147
Patzold, H. L., 125
Payne, Ruth E., 161
Peck, G. A., 239
Peck, S. S., 257
Peeck, Eliezer, 30
Penders, John G., 236
Penny Press, 206
Pepper, E. G., 215
Pequot Tribe, 7, 66
Pequot War, 8, 43
Perkins, Charles S., 127, 209
Perkins, George W., Historical Sketches of
Meriden, 15, 18, 30, 32, 51, 61, 63 f
Perkins, Herbert T., 192
Perkins, Simeon, 45, 49
Perkins, Stephen, 49
Perkins, W. H., 86
Pershing, John J., 138
Peterson, Herbert R., 268
Petrucelli, Leonard A., 164 f.
Phelan, J. Ormonde, 295
Phelan, John J., 254
Phelps, Charles G., 255
Phelps, Charles S., 225
Philadelphia, 36
Pierce, E. W., 115, 239
Pierce, Franklin, 236
Pierce, John, 46, 49
Pinkos, Theodore J., 192
Piace names, 18 ff.
Plainville, 77
Piatt, James P., 115
Piatt, Orville H., 95 f., 98, 205, 252
Ploetz, A., 239
Plum, Seth D., 63
Plumb, William W., 29
Plymouth Colony, 5
Podgurski, John, 192
Pogrebniak, Alexander, 271
Pohl, Irving C, 192
Poli, S. Z., 129 ff.
Polk, James K., 62, 235
Pomeroy, Noah, 19, 28, 82, 209
Ponselle, Carmela, 132
Ponselle, Rosa, 121, 132
Pooley, E. J., 114
Port Royal, expedition to, 96
Post, Edwin M., 91
Post, John D., 41
Potrepka, Bernadine S., 224
Potts, John, 133
Powers, Charles C, 215
Powers, Clarence S., 212
Powers, D. F., 215
Prann, C. Perry, 162
Pratt, Henry S., 279
Pratt, Julius, 84, 93, 208, 212
Prattsville, 277
Preble, Howard B., 271
Press- Recorder, 206
Proudman, Arthur, 257
Prouty, Willis J., 115, 281
Przywara, Bronislaus, 192
Psalter, 38
Ptak, Walenty, 147
Public institutions, 238 ff.
Puit, Adam, 4
Pulaski, Joseph S., 192
Pulver, H. Leslie, 147
Punty, Mrs. Edward, 27
Quinlan, Alderman, 144
Quinnipiac Tribe, 6 ff.
Quinnipiack, 2
Race, Mrs. William H., 26
Radio Stations: W.D.R.C., Hartford, 229;
W.M.M.W., Meriden, 182, 229; W.A.T.R.-
TV., Waterbury, 229
Radtke, Arthur J., 192
Rahner, Charles, 192
Railroads: Boston and Maine Railroad, 72;
Consolidated Railroad (New Haven), 76,
78; Hartford and New Haven Railroad,
71 f.; Hartford and Springfield Railroad,
72; Meriden and Cheshire Railroad, 75;
Meriden and Cromwell railroad line, 76,
78; Meriden Horse Railroad, 90, 111;
Meriden, Waterbury and Connecticut
River Railroad Co., 78; Meriden and
Waterbury Railroad, 78-9; Middletown,
Meriden, and Waterbury Railroad Co.,
79; New Haven and Northampton Rail-
road, 75; New Haven Railroad, 70; New
York and New England Railroad, 79;
New York and New Haven Railroad, 72;
New York, New Haven and Hartford
Railroad, 72, 75, 79 f., Ill, 218; Spring-
field, Hartford, and New Haven Rail-
road, 72
Railway Express, 75
Rainer, Luise, 187
Rand, Philip C, 219
Randall, Arthur T., 263
Randall, H. B., 182
Raven, Carl E., 224
Raven, J. F., 224
Recican, William J., 147
Reed, William D., 127 f.
Reeves, Herbert J., 173, 226
Rehm, Arthur A., 147
Reilly, Robert, 192
Reilly, Thomas L, 109, 116, 129, 143, 152,
156, 194, 203 f.
Religious Teachers Filippini, 297
Remy, William, 234
Retail business, 218 ff.
Revere, Lee F., 173
Revere, Paul, 44
Revolutionary War, 44-9, 60
Rexford, Benjamin, 44, 49
Rexford, Benjamin, Jr., 49
Reynolds, John, 194
Reynolds, John D., 209
Ribicoff, Abraham, 159
Ricci, J. M., 131
Ricci, Leo, 131 f.
Ricciardi, Philip, 179
Rice, Abel, 29
Rice, Allen, 83
Rice, Betty, 252
Rice, Ezekiel, 45
Rice, Ezekiel, Jr., 25
Rice, Ezra, 30, 49
Rice, Gideon, 46, 49
Rice, Hezekiah, 83
Rice, Isaac, 49
Rice, Joseph, 45, 49
Rice, Jotham, 49
Rice, Justus, 49
Rice, Reuben, J., 114
Rice, Robert S., 28
Rice, Samuel, 24, 46, 49
Rice, Silas, 28
Rice, Solomon, 49
Rice, Wait, 49
Rice family, 25
Rich, Ezekiel, 49
Richardson, Ransom L., 247
Richardson, Samuel, 53
Ridley, Edwin W., 192
Riggs, Luther G., 205 f.
Riker, A. Lawrence, 182
Ripley, Erastus, 52
Roads and Travel, 30 ff.
Roark, Edward A., 105
Roberts, Charles A., 100
Roberts, John D., 253
Robinson, Donald T., 190, 192
Robinson, John, 49
Robinson, Joseph, 177
Robinson, Levi, 49
Robinson, Robert I., 192
Robinson family, 11
Rockney, History of New Haven County, 70
Rockwell, Charles, 257
Rockwell, Charles F., 157, 211
Rockwell, Charles L., 198, 214
Rockwell, George, 91
Rockwell, William F., 201
Rogers, Asa, 89
Rogers, George W., 236
Rogers, Gilbert, 211 ff.
Rogers, Hervey, 71
Rogers, Joseph E., 192
Rogers, Malcolm, 295
Rogers, Simeon, 89
Rogers, William, 89
Rogoz, Joseph R., 165
Rollins, George, 133
Rooney, Pat, Sr., 128
Roosevelt, Franklin D., 148, 183
Ropes, David N., 212
Roraback, J. Henry, 198
Rosi, James, 192
Royce, Ezekial, 44
Royce, Samuel, 44
Royce family, 1 1
Roys, Samuel, 10
Rudolph, Fred, 234
Runge, Kenneth C, 192
Russell, Sol Smith, 128
Rust, T. S., 114
Rybeck, William H., 241
Ryder, Elisha, 199
Rzegocki, Theodore J., 192
St. Arnauld, Earl L., 147
St. Onge, Edward O., 192
St. Onge, Joseph F., 192
Saleski, Joseph C, 192
Salisbury, 65
Saltonstall, Henry W., 212
Sands, Frank E., 140, 203 f., 254
Savage, Albert W., 255
Savage, George E., 257
Savage, Leonard S., 215
Saviteer, Howard F., 241
Savoys, The, 132
Sawyer, Bertrand K., 192
Scanlon, John J., 126, 236
Scarfo, John V., 192
Schaefer, Francis J., 192
Scharmer, Carl A., Jr., 192
Schenck, M. B., 257
Schenck, William A., 157
Schleiter, H. L., 213
Schlette, Fred, 234
Schneider, Nicholas F. X., 269
Schools: Benjamin Franklin, 23, 234, 290,
292; Center School, 39, 277; "Central
School," 279; Central Grammar, 281, 288;
Church Street, 284, 286 f.; Connecticut
School for Boys, 245-6; Corner District,
278 f.; evening classes, 280-1, 289; Frank-
lin Street, 287; Hanover (Robert Morris),
234, 286, 290; High School Annex, 289-
90; Israel Putnam, 290, 292 f.; Jefferson
Junior High, 286, 291 f.; John Barry,
279, 287, 290 ff.; Jonathan Trumbull,
287, 290 ff.; Lincoln Junior High (West
Grammar), 282, 286, 291 f.; Meriden
High School, 134, 136 f., 167, 279, 281-4,
286, 288 ff.; Meriden Institute, 277 f.;
Meriden Trade, 284; Nathan Hale, 286,
290 ff., 297; North Broad Street, 277,
287; North Center School, 39-41; North
Colony Street, 289; Nurses' Training
School, 240 f. ; of Adele S. Booth, 278,
281; of Edward C. Wheatley, 280; of
German-American School Association, 278
f.; Roger Sherman, 287, 292, (Annex,
290 ff.); St. John's Parochial, 295; St.
Joseph's Parochial, 297; St. Laurent's
Parochial, 295; St. Mary's Parochial, 295
f.; St. Rose's Parochial, 296; St. Stanis-
laus' Parochial, 296-7; Samuel Hunting-
ton, 277, 292 f. ; South Broad Street, 277,
292; South Center, 279; Southeast, 288;
Stone Schoolhouse, 39; Wilcox Technical
(State Trade), 136, 288 f., 294; Willow
Street, 288
Schuerer, Herman, 228
Schultz, C. A., 182
Schultz, C. W., 182
Schultz, R. A., 182
Schultz, W. M., 182
Schunack, C. E., 212
Scott, Roy, 179
Scovil, David, 49
Scovil, Elijah, 49
Scovil, Elisha, 49
Scovil, Samuel, 45
Seekamp, Robert W., 7
Seeley, George, 1952
Sembler, Elizabeth, 271
Sesquicentennial, 122, 231, 261, 301
Setterling, Einer C, 198, 200
Seventh Day Adventists, 272
Sexton, John R., 255
Seymour, F. J., 86
Shailer, Joseph, 45 f., 49
Sharp, Hattie, 133
Shepard, Odell, 6, 9; Connecticut Past and
Present, 18 f.
Shepley, G. N., 115
Sheridan's Army, 96
Shiffer, Fred L, 263
Shippee, Lester E., 210
Siaflas, Thomas J., 147
Silliman, Benjamin, in American Journal
of Science, 19
Simpson, Samuel, 88
Simsbury, 43, 64
Sisters of The Assumption, 295
Sisters of Mercy, 264, 296 f.
Sisters of St. Joseph, 297
Sklar, Mr. and Mrs. Ezak, 132
Sklar, George, 132
Slagle, Frederick, R., 177, 188
Slater, Morris, 133
Slavery, 66 ff.
Smith, Blanche, Hixson, 202
Smith, David P., 142, 243
Smith, E. E., 157
Smith, E. W., 212, 239
Smith, Edwin, 202
Smith, Frank D., 212
Smith, George, 177
Smith, George W., 213
Smith, Kenneth E., 192
Smith, Stephen L., 152, 157
Smith, Wayne C, 202
Smith, Mrs. William Rice, 258
Smithsonian Institution, 82
Smollett, Tobias Co., 53
Snow, Glover A., 77, 255
Snow, Oliver, 84
"The Society for the Propagation of the
Gospel in Foreign Parts," 13
Sokel, George J., 209
Somers, J. E., 223
Song of Meriden, xi
Sothern, E. H., 128
South Meriden, 25, 107, 171, 234 f, 237,
257, 267 f., 287, 298 f.
Southern New England Telephone Co., 105,
Southington, 186, 197, 201, 224, 253, 264,
Sowheag, 6
Spanish War, 108 ff.
Spear, Carlton P., 219
Spear, Lewis M., 219
Spencer, Thomas, 49
Spicer, Ernest W., 109
Spinelli, James V., 192
Sports celebrities, 134 ff.
Sprafke, Bernard, 234
Springfield, Mass., 36
Spruce Glen, 7
Squire, Allan B., 31, 33, 70
Squire, Mrs. Robert A., 215
Squire, Mrs. Roger W., 215
Squire, Wilbur H., 114, 228
Stafinski, Theodore T., 192
Stamford, 2
Staniland, Horace G., 147
Stanley, George W., 59
Staszewski family, 22
State Board Department of Education, 284ff.
State Employment Service, 199
State Guard, 184
State Railroad Commission, 77
Sterne, Laurence, 53
Stetson, Albert L., 114
Stevens, Elizur Seneca, 92
Stevens, Evarts C, 172 f.
Stevens, Frank A., 114
Stevens, Frederick M., 172
Stevens, Frederick M., Jr., 27
Stevens, Harry A., 114
Stevens, Helen, 248
Stevens, John B., 173
Stevens, Maltby, 172 f.
Stillman, A. B., 94, 205
Stith, Robert, 267
Stockwell, Harry, 221
Stoddard, John E., 161, 293
Stormy Point, battle of, 46
Storts Welding Co., 171
Stowe, Harriet Beecher, 128
Strauss, Robert M., 193
Stremlau, Julius C, 194
Stretch, Harlan J., 147
Stringer, George L., 173
Stringer, Norman J., 255
Suffolk, siege of, 96
Sullivan, Joseph A., Jr., 192
Summer, George C, 147
Summit, 78
"Sunshine" (steamer), 77
Sutliff, John, 87
Surowiecki, Walter, 136
Suzio, Leonard, 119, 225
Swamp Fort, battle of, 43
Swider, John, 147
Swift, Jonathan, 53
Szymaszek, Edward J., 192
Tait, John, 213, 239
Talcott, John, 4
Tappert, C. Reinhold, 269
Taylor, Hoyt C, 241
Taylor, Stephen, 209
Taylor, Zachary, 235
Teagle, Donald J., 192
Terrell, Claude, 121
Terrell, W. F., 226
Terry, James T., 238
Tetreault, Albert J., 192
Theaters: Air Dome Theater, 132; Bijou
Theater, 132; Capitol Theater, 131; Com-
munity Playhouse, 130 f.; Crystal Theater,
132; Delavan Opera House, 127f.; East
Main Street Poli Theater, 131; Fox-Poli
Palace, 131; Life Theater, 131; Loew PoH
Palace Theater, 130 f., 187; Meriden Poll
Palace, 131; Poli Theater, 129 f.; Star
Theater, 132
Thomas, E. R., 91
Thomas, O. F., 91
Thomas, Samuel, 91
Thompson, C. C, 287
Thompson, Denman, 128
Thompson brothers, 66
Tobie, Llewellyn A., 213
Tolles, A., 132
Tompkins, Durwood, 234
Topographical features, parks, and playing
fields: Allen Hill, 7, 34; Baldwin's Beach,
233; Baldwin's Pond, 233; Beaver Pond, 33,
233; Black Pond, 20, 101 f.; Blue Mountains,
35; Bradley Park, 116, 271; Broad Brook,
101; Brookside Park, 77, 112, 135, 232-3,
234; Camp's Meadow, 77; Ceppa Field, 271;
City Park, 232, 234, 244; Columbus Park,
149 f. ; Connecticut River, 37, 73, 75;
Crow Hollow, 19, 82; Dog's Misery, 11,
20, 28, 30; Dossin Park, 233; East Main
Street Hill, 62; East Peak, 227 ff., Foster
Lake, 102; Golden Parlor Mine, 64; "Green
Swamp," 33; Hanging Hills, 20, 64, 227,
244; Hanover Park, 112, 116 f., 124, 136,
194, 257; Hanover Pond, 113, 233 f.;
Harbor Brook, 4, 20, 63, 69, 81 f., 176,
203, 232-3; Hemlock Grove, 116; Holt's
Hill, 72; Hubbard Park, 190, 227-32, 234;
Insilco Field, 234; Johnson Hill, 101;
Legion Park, 257; Little League Field,
234; Little Plain, 20; Meeting House Hill,
7, 11, 20; Mining Hill, 64; Mirror Lake,
228, 230, 232; Mt. Lamentation, 4, 7, 9,
20; Mt. St. Joseph, 296; Mt. Tom, 229;
Napier Park, 181; Peat Works Pond, 7;
Pilgrim's Harbor, 4, 11, 20, 30, 32;
Pratt's Pond, 77, 83; Quinnipiac River, 7,
69, 81 f, 107, 117; Red Bridge, 7, 233;
Sag Harbor, 77; Shelter Island, 77;
Smith's Crossing, 77; Sodom Brook, 82;
Twiss Pond, 78; Wallace's Bridge, 112;
Walnut Grove, 56, 64, 115; Washington
Park, 150; West Mountain, 100 f.; West
Peak, 24, 150, 227 f., 251
Tracy, A. W., 152, 239
Tracy, John, 105
Transportation (journal), 77
Tredennick, C. H., 129
Tremaine, Burton G., 177
Tremaine, Burton G., Jr., 177
Trigilio, Joseph J., 192
Trostel, Harold C, 192
Trottier, Emil J., 147
Troy, Albert, 267
Trumbull, 8
Trumbull, John H., 146
Tryon, General, 47
Tryon, C. Howard, 204
Tunxis Tribe, 8
Twiss brothers, 57
Tyler, John, 235
Tyler, Samuel, 139
Tyler's Division, 95
Ulbrand, William J., 147
Ulisney, Edith Lipke, 271
Ulysses, George, 132
Umansky, Samuel, 220
Underwood, Joseph C, 147
United Colonies of New England, 5
Upham, Charles L., 94, 100, 152, 213, 219
Upham, Francis C, 94, 219
Upham, William H., 219
Van Buren, Martin, 36
Van Nostrand, George, 103
Van Oppen, Alphonsus John Henry, 260,
Vernon, Thomas, 215
Veterans' Organizations: American Legion,
Meriden Post No. 45, 142, 150, 256-7,
260; Disabled American Veterans, Chap-
ter 6, 256; Grand Army of the Republic,
124, 143; Italian-American World War
Veterans, D'Amico Post No. 7, 256; Jewish
War Veterans, Post No. 92, 256; Marine
Corps League, Silver City Detachment,
256; Military Order of the Purple Heart,
Meriden Chapter, 256; Polish American
Veterans, Meriden Post, 256; Sons of the
American Revolution, 49; Captain John
Couch Branch No. 2, Connecticut Society,
257; Sons of Union Veterans, Charles L.
Upham Camp No. 7, 255 f.; United Serv-
ice Organizations, Meriden Center, 184 f.,
188 f.; United Spanish War Veterans,
Captain Charles B. Bowen Camp, 109,
124, 256; United Veterans' Council, 242,
255-6; Veterans of Foreign Wars, La
Croix Murdock Post No. 585, 256; Vet-
erans' Service Commission, 188; Yankee
Division Veterans Association, Feegoi-
Tyler Chapter, 256. See also Catholic
War veterans' organizations;
Virginia, siege of, 96
Wadsworth, Colonel, 45
Wadsworth, General, 46
Wadsworth, Joseph, 43
Wallingford, 1 ff., 6, 10 f., 32, 38, 47, 50,
58 ff., 74, 77, 92, 124, 132, 174, 186, 201,
220, 235, 238, 240 f., 253, 255, 264, 271
Wallingford Purchase Lands, 10-11
Walnut Grove Cemetery, 25
Walsh, "Big Ed," 135
Walsh, James F., 166 f.
Walsh, Young Ed, 135
Walters, Zoe, 268
Walther, Eric A., 211
Walther, W. H., 255
Waltz, Sammy, 135
War of 1812, 44
Warner, Charles, 104
Warner, "Pop," 136
Warnock, Julia Lansing Hull, 203
Warnock, Thomas H., 202 f.
Warshauer, J. H., 220
Washington, George, 35 f., 46, 60
Washington, William H., 147
Washington Engine Co. No. 2, 104
Washington Hose Co. No. 2, 104
Waterbury, 24, 77
Waterman, Moses, 95
Watrous, W. H., 91 f.
Watson, Philip B., 255
Way, Abner, 49
Way, Moses, 49
Wayne, Anthony, 46
Webb, Bessie Livingston, 240
Webb, John, 25, 215
Webster, Noah, New Speller, 41
Weeks, George W., 205
Weisleder, Leo E., 216
Welliver, Kenneth B., 265
Wendover, Sanford H., 204
Wentworth, Teddy, 132
Wentworth, Vesta, 132
Werner, Oscar, 269
Wesleyan University, 264
West Cheshire, 78
West, E. E., 152
West Meriden, 12, 62, 69, 153, 235, 265
Westfield, 77, 80, 176
Westhaver, H. N., 182
Wethersfieid, 21, 32 f.
Wethersfield Prison, 83
Wetmore, A. C, 208, 213
Whalon, William R., 192
Wheatley, Edward C, 280
Wheatley, Harold L., 214
Wheatley, L. F., 240
Wheeler, Stanley B., 147
Whisler, J. E., 182
White, A. J., 226
White, Amos, 62, 235
White, Carter H., 24, 55, 202
White, H. K., 215
White, Henry F., 147
White, Russell, 25
White family, 25
White Plains, battle of, 46
Whiting, Samuel, 58
Whiting family, 11
Whitney, Benjamin, 16
Whitney, William H., 139
Wieszcholek, Peter, 147
Wightman, J. S., 213
Wifcox, Albert H., 32, 114
Wilcox, Dennis C, 87 f., 90, 100
Wilcox, Ernest C, 181
Wilcox, Frank N., 22
Wilcox, Frederick P., 91
Wilcox, George H., 88, 91, 172
Wilcox, H. S., 62
Wilcox, Horace C, 75, 78 f., 86 ff., 90 f.,
Wilcox, Jedediah, 83, 86, 100
Wilcox, Roy C, 34, 172, 243
Wilcox, William J., 188, 255
Wilkinson, Charles E., 147
Williams, Charles Merriam, 245
Williams, Jack, 192
Williams, John R., 212
Williams, Mildred R., 144, 146
Williams, Richard, 246
Wilson, E. A., 239
Wilson, G. H., 95, 152, 239
Wilson, O. G., 205
Winder, Fred J., 220
Winslow, Carlton H., 179
Winston, Robert, 205
Winthrop, John, 1 f., 5
Wismar, Adolph H., 266
Women's Auxiliaries: American Legion, 256
f.; Disabled American Veterans, 256;
Gold Star Association, 256; Italian-Amer-
ican War Veterans, 256; Marine Corps
League, 256; Memorial Hospital, 243;
Meriden Hospital, 239; Polish-American
Veterans, 256; Veterans of Foreign Wars,
Women's organizations: Business and Pro-
fessional Women's Club, 258; Charity
Club, 258; City Mission Society, 258;
Ruth Hart Chapter, 258; Susan Carrington
Clarke Chapter, 258; Junior Woman's Club,
258; National Society of New England
Women, Meriden Colony, 258; Thursday
Morning Club, 246, 258; Woman's Club,
258; Women's Christian Temperance Union,
258. See also Service Clubs, Women's
Auxiliaries.
Woodbridge, 6
Woodbridge's "geography," 40
Wooley, Harry, 147
Working Men's Free Bed Fund, 253
Works Program Administration, 244
World War 1, 118, 129 f., 138 ff., 169 f.,
180 f., 197, 287
World War I Memorial, 143 ff.
World War II, 116, 151, 171, 174, 176,
179 ff., 183 ff., 195, 218, 232, 241, 254,
Worley, Edgar, 192
Woronick, Bronislaus, 192
Woronick, Julius (Great Mephisto), 135
Wright, Colonel, 96
Wright, Dexter R., 95
Wunsch, Herbert A., 192
Wusterbarth, Carlton W., 192
Wusterbarth, Harold J., 221
Y Community Forum, 251
Yale, Abel, 29
Yale, Amerton, 49
Yale, Bertrand, 236
Yale, Charles, 57
Vale, Daniel, 49
Yale, David, 27
Yale, Elwood, 224
Yale, Fred L., 224
Yale, Frederick E., 224
Yale, Hiram, 57
Yale, Ira N., 235
Yale, Joel, 22
Yale, John, 22, 49
Yale, Jonathan, 49
Yale, Levi, 62, 235
Yale, Lewis, 212
Yale, Moses, 29
Yale, Nash, 49
Yale, Nathaniel, 46, 49
Yale, Noah, 26 f., 47
Yale, Oliver M., 224
Yale, Samuel, 31, 209
Yale, Thomas, 26 f.
Yale, Waitstill, 49
Yale, William, 209
Yale family, 1 1
Yale University, 132
Yalesville, 34, 115, 145, 267 f.
Young, H. C, 208
Young, Matilda A., 190
Young, Richard H., 192
Youngs, Mrs. C. H., 251
Zabel, Emil W., 147
Zajac, Ben, 136
Zavaglia, Raymond, 192
Zawacki, Frank A., 192
Zebora, Rudolph J., 192
Zeitung, Alpeck, 172
Zimmer, Charles, 164
Zimmer, Rodney, 165
Zlotowski, Victor Leo, 192
Zubler, Joseph, 193
Zuckerman, Maurice, 222
Zuckerman, Stanley, 184
Zuraw, Edward J., 192
Celebration Week
SUNDAY, JUNE 17th CHURCH DAY - RELIGION
Master of Ceremonies — Parker B. Allen, General Chairman
President , Charles Parker Co.
A.M. Special Services, All Churches
8-8 p.m. Open House Ground Observer Corps., G. O. C. Post,
Buckwheat Hill
12-8 p.m. Open House, Aleriden Historical Society, Andrews
2-5 Arts & Crafts Association Exhibition, Horace Wilcox
Technical School
2- 5 Open House, Meriden Hospital, Cook Avenue
2- 5 Open House, Memorial Hospital, Paddock Avenue
2:30 Band Concert, Hubbard Park
3: 30 Official Opening of Meriden Sesquicentennial Celebration —
General Chairman — Hubbard Park
Address — Mayor
Dedication of Music Shell
Choral Group Singing
7 Pet Show, Columbus Park
9:15 Fireworks, Columbus Park
MONDAY, JUNE 18th SCHOOL DAY - EDUCATION
Master of Ceremonies — Attorney George E. McGoldrick
President, Meriden Board of Education
Visitation of public and parochial schools all day,
especially by former students and teachers.
Special Sesqui exercises
8- 8 p.m. Open House, Ground Observer Corps., G. O. C. Post,
9-9 Special Displays, Curtis Memorial Library
12-8 p.m. Open House, Meriden Historical Society, Andrews
6-12 midnight Silver City Side Show & Rides, Columbus Park
1 Open House, Y.M.C.A.
2- 5 Arts & Crafts Association Exhibition, Horace Wilcox
3 Tennis Match C. C. I. L., Hubbard Park
4 Golf Tournament (local), Municipal Golf Course
6:30 Exhibition Softball Game, Washington Park
7 Preview Meriden Industrial Exhibit, State Armory
7:15 Sesqui Social, City Hall Auditorium
7:30 Coronation of Miss Sesquicentennial, Insilco Field
8 Block Dance, John Barry School Yard
8:30 Historical Pageant, Insilco Field
TUESDAY, JUNE 19th INDUSTRIAL DAY
Master of Ceremonies — Norman J. Stringer
President, The Manufacturer's Association of Meriden
and Wallingford, Inc.
8- 8 p.m. Open House Ground Observer Corps., G. O. C. Post,
9- 9 p.m. Special Displays, Curtis Memorial Library
12-12 midnight Silver City Side Show & Rides, Columbus Park
2-10 Industrial Exhibit, State Armory
3:30 Elementary School Track Meet, 1, 2, and 3 grades,
3:30 Junior High School Track Meet, Ceppa Field
8 Choral Festival, Music Shell, Hubbard Park
9 Sesqui Dance, City Hall Auditorium
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 20th GOVERNOR'S DAY
Master of Ceremonies — Judge Denis T. O'Brien, Jr.
3 Tennis Matches C. C. I. L. (finals), Hubbard Park
3 High School Track Meet, Ceppa Field
3 Elementary School Track Meet, 4, 5, and 6 grades
6 Invitation Softball Teams, Washington Park
6 Exhibition Water Ballet Teams, Hubbard Park Swimming
9 Brothers of the Bush Rock and Roll Dance, City Hall
THURSDAY, JUNE 21st CELEBRITY DAY
Master of Ceremonies —
Former Mayor, Attorney Francis R. Danaher
9- 9 Special Displays, Curtis Memorial Library
3:30 Doll Carriage Parade, Washington Park
3:30 Marble Contest, Washington Park
3:30 Bicycle Races, Washington Park
6 Invitation Softball Tournament, Washington Park
8 Block Dancing, John Barry School Yard
FRIDAY, JUNE 22nd HOMECOMING DAY
Master of Ceremonies — Former Mayor William J. Cahill, Jr.
All Day, Family Reunions and Visitations to Points of Interest
10-5 p.m. Static Displays, Local Airport
4 Golf Tournament (local), Muncipal Golf Course
6 Softball Tournament (Semi-finals), Washington Park
8 Meriden Symphony Orchestra, Music Shell, Hubbard Park
SATURDAY, JUNE 23rd COMMUNITY DAY
Master of Ceremonies — Arthur F. Eggleston
President, The Lane Construction Corporation
9-12 Special Displays, Curtis Memorial Library
9 Local Golf Tournament (Semi-finals), Municipal Golf
2 Sesqui Parade
9 Senior Sesqui Ball, State Armory
9 Junior Sesqui Ball, Crystal Ballroom
SUNDAY, JUNE 24th CARRY-OVER ACTIVITIES
9 Golf Tournament Finals (local), Municipal Golf Course
9- 5 p.m. Model Airplane Meet, Columbus Park
10 Softball Tournament Finals, Washington Park