Holyoke, Mass

[While we have an awareness of the fast pace of life today compared to, say, the 1920s — this obituary is a reminder, especially regarding travel.  From the Holyoke Transcript, 11 September 1925.]

Lebreque Dies After Last Wish Granted

Five Children Arriving From Canada
Recognized by Father

Holyoke, September 10.—Alfred Lebreque, 72, died today at his home 771 Chicopee Street, after his dying wish had been granted. to see his 11 children before he died.  Five lived in Canada, four of them at Montreal, and the day before yesterday they were wired of their father’s condition.  The Canadian contingent hired an automobile, but yesterday it broke down in a remote Vermont hamlet, and it took all day to repair it.  They arrived in time for their father to recognize and speak to them.  He died a few minutes after they arrived.  The sons are Velairs, Joseph, Leon and Charles of Montreal; Adjutor of Willimansett and Wilfred, at home; the daughters, Mrs. Donat Gauthier of Willimansett; Mrs. Arthur Mason of Oklahoma, Canada; Mrs. Ovila Riopel of Holyoke; Mrs. Romaline Ducharme and Mrs. Wilfred Pare of Willimansett.  He also leaves five brothers, Ashael, Hermengilde and Joseph of Montreal; Thomas of Somersville, Ct., and Adelard of Worcester; and one sister Mrs. Ferdinand R. Turgeon of Canada.  The funeral will be held at the home Saturday morning at 3:30 followed by a solemn high requiem mass at the Nativity Church.  Burial will be in Notre Dame Cemetery.

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[Some of my family (Clarks) were in Holyoke during this period of rapid gowth and probably had children working in some of these places. Often families had few choices, as in the case of the Clark family, where the male head of household died very young. From the Holyoke Transcript, December 1882.]

Four Hundred and Nine More Children
at Work than in 1881.

Truant-officer Doyle has completed the mill census for 1882, which discloses some very interesting figures and to all who are at all interested in noting the rapid growth of the city, will prove an entertaining document.  The report gives the total number of children, between the ages of 10 and 16 years, employed in 43 of the local manufactories as follows:  Albion 8; Alpaca 288; Blanket 35; Beebe & Webber, 23; Beebe & Holbrook, 1; Blank Book, 5; Butterick & Flanders, 1; Buchanan & Bolt, 3; Crocker, 1; Chemical, 15; Connor Bros., 43; Excelsior, 2; Germania, 36; Holyoke Glazed Paper Co., 4; Hampden Glazed Paper Co., 1; Holyoke Envelope Co., 12; Holyoke Machine Co., 1; Holyoke Paper Co., 2; Hadley Thread Co., 177; Hampden Cotton Co., 93; Lyman Mills, 364; Merrick Thread Co., 196; Massasoit, 3; Massachusetts Screw Co., 14; Mackintosh Dye Works, 3; Newton Paper Co., 9; Nonotuck Paper Co., 5; Nichols Roll Works, 2; Parsons Paper Co., 1; Prentiss Wire Works, 1; Riverside Paper Co., 1; Tuttle Rubber Works, 3; Skinner Silk Mill, 37; Seymour Cutlery Works, 17; Syms & Dudley Paper Co., 6; Union Paper Co., 1; Valley Paper Co., 1; Winona Paper Co., 12; Wauregan Paper Co., 2; Whiting Paper Co., 6; Whitmore Manufacturing Co., 6; Warp Mill, 45; J.D. Whitmore Manufacturing, 15.

All told there are 1501 children employed in the mills this year to 1192 during 1881 or a gain of 408.  The abnormal growth of the city is still further shown by comparing the mill records of 1880 and the census of the present year.  The report of the former year shows that there were only 700 minors between the ages of 10 and 16 years employed in the mills, and in two years the census shows a gain of over 200 percent. 

The census by years shows only 15 children of 10 years of age that are at work against 26 for last year, 84 eleven years old against 57, 113 twelve against 118, 235 thirteen against 184, 406 fourteen against 261, 432 fifteen against 345, and 194 sixteen against 201 for 1881.

Related Links
Timeline of Child Labor Law
Holyoke Industry, 1879 (Companies)
Holyoke Industry, 1892 (Companies)

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Prohibition era Holyoke (January 16, 1920-December 5, 1933).  Such a lot of work per ounce. From the Holyoke Transcript, dated 28 January 1924: 

The police were successful in two liquor raids Saturday night.  About 5:30 a raiding squad entered the store of Arthur Perreault at 43 Sargeant Street and seized four bottles, each of which contained about a teaspoon of liquor.  The squad consisted of Inspector Peter J. Manning and Patrolmen Baush, O’Sullivan and Rose.

About 6:30 Patrolman O’Sullivan raided the Roma Restaurant in a basement at 28 Division street.  They seized about two gallons of Italian wine.

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About seven years ago or so I inventoried the tombstones at the Rock Valley Cemetery (the entire database is available elsewhere on this site).  When I was there, the cemetery was looking cared for and in pretty good shape. Over the years the condition of the cemetery has been, at times, severely neglected.  In fact Holyoke owes a lot to Earle Brick for the current restoration and maintenance of the cemetery.  All without remuneration I might add. 

However, this was not the first time Rocky Valley Cemetery was brought back from severe neglect. In a 1945 issue of the Holyoke Transcript there is an article about the city of Holyoke taking over Maintenance of the “Old West Holyoke” Cemetery formally known as the Rock Valley Cemetery.

The well-known and much beloved Rev. E. B. Robinson of Grace Church is said to have driven past the cemetery one day, and — unable to see the headstones due to the unchecked growth of the grounds — initiated action. First, a group of Amherst College student volunteers cleaned the site, then the City of Holyoke accepted responsibility for the maintenance. The Amherst College student volunteers were not involved by chance but through a connection to the College via a notable alum buried at Rock Valley.

Among the graves at Rock Valley Cemetery, the Perkins clan has a large family plot where buried were John in 1792 and his wife Mary in 1799.  The most famous of the Perkins family, and a man whom Holyoke as well as Amherst College lays claim to is Justin Perkins, who volunteered as the first missionary to the Nestorians in Uramia, Persia in 1834.

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As you can see, the site has been redesigned with the home page appearing in blog format. All of the former content is still very much available for viewing by selecting the links you see on this page or by accessing through the Sitemap.

If you are wondering about the format change, the purpose is to make the site more interactive. I’d like to hear more often from readers, encourage contributions and sharing of Holyoke history though photos, stories, biographies, genealogies — whatever you have to offer. With this type of format, it has the potential to become a dynamic and fun.

You will be seeing me add a few posts weekly — bits and blurbs of whatever strikes my fancy — but all related in some way to Holyoke.

I do hope to see you participate — I only ask that people act like respectful adults. No brickbats allowed here — I am of the opinion that people have the ability to express a dissenting opinion without anger, profanity, name-calling and the like. To that end I will be moderating comments — not censoring, but with the goal of spam avoidance and testing the waters (until I am able to get some of these elements automated).

Thank you — and welcome to the new HolyokeMass.com site.

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