Threadcity Photo Gallery

 Around Town

 

"Quoiting at The Oaks"


Members of “The Acorns” quoit team practice at their new quoit court at The Oaks. Quoits was a popular pastime/sport in Willimatic into the 1930s. There were quoit courts at Rec Park and even at the Country Club. Willimantic had two excellent quoit teams – the Shamrocks, led by Police Captain “Big Dan” Killourey, and the Acorns, led by Bill Higgins
Defense Stamps



State Senator Pierre Laramee buys the first Defense Stamps issued in Willimantic In May, 1941, Willimantic Mayor and State Senator Pierre J. “Pete” Laramee was the first in Willimantic to purchase the new Defense Savings Stamps. From left to right are Street Superintendent Alexis J. Caisse, Jr., an unidentified woman, City Clerk and Treasurer Arthur Clark, Mayor Laramee and Chief of Police Grant Bombria
1939 Road WorkThe photo was taken on Mansfield Avenue near Pigeon Road.

Oliver Risley's Parlor


This room  belonged to Oliver Risley. He was the head cashier at the First National Bank. He was also an embezzler and forger. Shortly after his death, the bank collapsed due to his shady dealings. The Natchaug Silk Company and Morrison Machine came close to collapsing as well due to the forged paper. His room was located in the house at 80 Maple Avenue that was originally built in 1863 for Holland Silk Mill owner Goodrich Holland. After Risley’s death, the mansion was sold to Willimantic Mayor George Harrington. In 1903, it was sold to the Rev. Arthur deBruycker who transformed it into a convent. It is still owned by Saint Mary Parish.

Quarry Street Chicken Coops



This picture takes us back to a time when there were scores of poultry farms and folks who had their own chicken coops in the Windham area. The chicken coops shown in this photo were on Quarry St. Several people contacted us to say they were near Mansfield Avenue and were torn down when the doctors’ offices were built.

West Main Street Near Town Farm
1930s



We are looking for information for this week’s interesting photo. The caption says that the car is from “Leonard Brothers Garage”. This photo was taken looking west from where the old Public Works garage was on Main Street. We are told that some of the onlookers at the photo's left were public works employees one of whom is "Cowboy" Reed wearing his trademark hat.
Operation "Willimantic Plan"


1955 Civil Defense Drill

Fire department parade at conclusion of drill.
Operation "Willimantic Plan"


<Link to Willimantic Plan story>

<Link to more Willimantic Plan photos>









 
 

    

  


J.C. Boucher's Woodworking Shop
Valley Street
Busy Day on Main Street


see caption/information below
Daole Hatchery
Columbia Road





Produce Shopping in 1976


Photo courtesy of Joe DeFranco
Next to what is now the fish market and Oriental Cafe. The back of the Trolley Pub building is in the background (on the far right) in one of the photos.




Photo courtesy of Joe DeFranco		     
Boys at play outside Saint Mary's Church

 

Busy Day on Main Street Street
Notice how many interesting details are in this photo. The business signs themselves : Woolworth, Grants, Brown’s, Surplus CenterBenny’s....and further down: Dean’s Music Shop, Nathan Hale Dining Room. Just above the mirror on the Roessler’s truck one can see a woman and a girl and the woman is shading her eyes looking at where the “Walk” sign used to be placed on the traffic signal. At Bank Street, on an overhead wire, is the “squawker” that used to warn that fire engines would be entering Main Street from Bank Street. Interesting too is the highway sign in front of Woolworths. At that time, Main Street was not only U.S. RT 6 and CT 32 but also CT 89. And the photo must have been taken when CT was experimenting with colored route markers. The RT 32 sign would have been dark blue with white lettering and the RT89 sign a dark orange with white lettering.