Holyoke, Mass

Endsheet from HCHS 1968 yearbook, Unitas. Click to see a larger version.

View of Hampden Park and Environs, 1968

It was lots of fun at the 35th reunion of the class of 1920 from Holyoke High, Saturday night. Among those attending were, left to right: Mr. and Mrs. Howard B. Greaney, Mr. and Mrs. George H. Dooley and Mrs. Marion Carlson Cassie. The affair was at the Mt. Tom Golf Club.

1955, from an undated newspaper clipping

George Wilhelm of Louisville, Kentucky, received a prize Saturday night for the 1920 Holyoke High school graduate coming farthest to the 30th year reunion at the Mt. Tom Golf Club.

Other prize winners at the gathering attended by an estimated 75 persons were: Howard Johnson of Holyoke for the most children, which number six, and Mrs. Marjory Malcolm Shaw [sic] for having the largest number of grandchildren, which also number six.

On hand for the event were: School Supt. and Mrs. William R. Peck, Dr. Howard Conant, retired principal of Holyoke High School and his wife; Miss Margaret Powers and Miss Charlotte Norris, retired Holyoke High teachers as well as Mayor Edwin A Seibel, a member of the class and his wife.

John H. Lyons, Hampden County register of probate was master of ceremonies. Officers of the 1920 class are: Mrs. Minna Gardner Thompson of Williams St., secretary; Mrs. Marjory Malcolm Sharp [sic] of New Jersey, vice-president, and George P. Donoghue of Oak St., treasurer. The class president Alphonse Turgotte, is deceased.

04 February 2012

It is heart-breaking to see how many buildings in Holyoke have deteriorated to the point of becoming really dangerous. While I would say this is not one of the city’s most notable buildings, it is still interesting. Does anyone remember what this building was in terms of business? Looks like the second and third floors had apartments.

The location is Main Street, almost on the corner of Main and Hamilton Streets, across the street from the Greek Orthodox Church. Nueva Esperanza, Number 401 Main Street, is next door, on the corner (the building at the far right in the image below).  The building has the signage indicating the building is unsafe, important for firefighters to know. There is no roof on this building and the interior is a crumbling mess that looks dangerous and relatively accessible from the rear.

Condemned

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04 February 1894

Henry Stedman, a milkman, living at 287 Dwight Street in Holyoke, fell on the ice yesterday morning and broke one of his legs above the knee. He was attended by a physician and will get on all right.

William Nolan, a substitute carrier in the Holyoke post office was seriously injured yesterday afternoon by the falling of the glass of a skylight over the post office. The light was smashed by a fall of snow from the roof of the Hotel Hamilton. Nolan was passing under the light and received the force of the blow on one of his legs which was badly cut. No serious results are expected.

From The Springfield Republican.

Chapin Stone, Chicopee Street Burying Ground

Note: while the obituary states the burial will be in Forestdale, it appears the burial may have actually been at the Chicopee Street Burying Ground and makes some sense as this Chapin family was originally from Chicopee.

04 February 1906

Chalmers Chapin Passes Away at His Home in Elmwood Suddenly After Being in Poor Health Some Weeks.

Deacon Chalmers Chapin, 78, died suddenly yesterday morning about 9 at his home, 25 Lawler Street, Elmwood, in Holyoke, after a considerable period of poor health. He spoke to his wife just before 9 and then walked into another room and sat down, where he was found dead by her a few minutes after. He probably died almost instantly. He had been a deacon at the Second Congregational church since January 3, 1876, and at the annual meeting of the church last month was elected deacon for the 11th three-year term.

He was a man of high ideals and a faithful member of the church to which he belonged and had won the respect and confidence of the community in which he lived in a marked degree. In his earlier years he had held political office, being a member of the school board; and also a member of common council from ward 2 in 1876 under Mayor Pearsons, and in 1877 under Mayor Crafts. He had also been a candidate for representative on the republican ticket in the “double district” twice, and made a good showing in a hopelessly democratic section.

Chalmers Chapin was born August 10, 1827, in Chicopee. He was the son of Norman and Nancy (Williams) Chapin, his father being a contractor and is son working with him until he reached his majority. He then went to the Southworth paper company at Mittineague [sic] where he was employed for a score of years, coming to Holyoke about 1868, where he was in charge of the finishing department of the Holyoke Paper Company. In 1887 he was superintendent of the Union Paper Company, which position he held several years. He married March 21, 1840, Miss Amelia Stedman of Chicopee, who survives him, with three children, Edward C., Katherine and Elizabeth all of Holyoke. He also leaves two sisters, Mrs. N. Augusta Chapin of Holyoke, and Miss Lydia Chapin of Springfield. He was a member of the Mount Tom Lodge of Masons. The funeral will be held Monday afternoon at 2 at his house, 25 Lawler street. Rev. Dr. E. A. Reed will officiate, and the burial will be in the Forestdale Cemetery.

Adapted from The Springfield Republican; image from Find-A-Grave, © Earl Munday.