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 Memorial
Day Parade - 1908Chief
Edgar.H. Richmond (left) and
Lieutenant Daniel Killourey are
leading the Willimantic Police
(Patrolmen John Manley, Carl
Enander, Allan McArthur, Louis
Paulhus, Thomas Grady, P.J.
Hurley, E.P. Weeks, Edward
Leahy, Joseph Cartier and Henry
Chamberlin). They are followed
by Parade Marshal Luke Flynn and
his staff on horseback, Charles
Wheeler’s Willimantic Band,
Company “L” of the National
Guard and Garde Florimond.
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Memorial Day, 1911 - first
formations of the paradeCompany
“L” of the Connecticut National
Guard (first group of marchers
in the photo) had marched from
their Valley Street Armory down
to Broad Street. At Broad Street
they were joined by the Garde
Florimond (second group of
marchers) and the Tierney
Cadets. They marched down Broad
Street to Main and then up Main
Street to the Town Hall. There,
they were joined by twelve more
groups. The parade proceeded to
the Willimantic Cemetery where
the graves of the veterans were
decorated.
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Memorial Day 1911
This photo shows the 1911 Memorial Day
parade.The drum belonged to Wheeler's American
Band which accompanied the Police Department in
that parade and behind Wheeler's was the local
National Guard Company, Company "L". In back of
Company "L" is the French-Canadian paramilitary
organization, Garde Florimond. They had already
marched up Main St. and were "picking up" the
Grand Army of the Republic and Women’s Relief
Corps Floral Wagon, The Spanish-American War
veterans and a large contingent of children from
Natchaug School for the march to Willimantic
Cemetery. The parade of 1911 was the first in
which a group of schoolchildren was asked to
participate.
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 Old
Home and School Week -- 1915Old
Home and School Week featured a huge parade as
well as an address by former President Taft.
Here, the entire First Regiment of the CT
National Guard, which came from 5 different
cities, marches in in what, at the time, was
called "Willimantic's Biggest Day". |
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1928
Memorial Day ParadeOne
of the finest floats in every
Memorial Day Parade was the one
entered by the American Thread
Company. It is shown here
passing the old Hurley Block in
1928, and is pictured from the
roof of the Commercial Block,
which was destroyed by fire in
1968. The four businesses in the
Hurley Block are the Hurley
Grant Company, Martin's
photographers, the Rex
Restaurant and Rogers Pharmacy.
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WWI
Welcome Home ParadeWillimantic’s
August 16, 1919 World War I
Welcome Home Parade. It was part
of a daylong celebration that
included a clambake, sporting
contests, a dance at Lincoln
Square and a military ball. The
photo was taken on Main St. near
the YMCA and looking northwest.
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WWI
Welcome Home Parade
The parade was
part of a daylong celebration that began with a
memorial service on the Town Hall lawn and
finally ended with dancing at Lincoln Square.
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WWI
Welcome Home Parade
All photos
were labeled as WWI parade. Why some groups are
going East and some West is unclear.
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 WWI
Welcome Home Parade
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 WWI
Welcome Home Parade
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WWI
Welcome Home Parade
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Welcome Home Parade -
1946The
"Welcome Home" parade for WWII Veterans. It was
held on July 12, 1946. The photo was taken on
Main Street, just east of Walnut Street and
looking west.
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Welcome Home Parade -
1946
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 Welcome
Home Parade - 1946
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 Welcome
Home Parade - 1946
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 Welcome
Home Parade - 1946
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 Welcome
Home Parade - 1946
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Main
Street ParadeThis
circa 1895 photo was a favorite
of the late Chronicle publisher
Mrs. Lucy B. Crosbie who said
that parades were a prelude to
many local activities since a
parade called attention to the
event. She also liked that photo
because she felt that it was a
spontaneous idea to take a
photo. Since the exposure could
have taken as long as two
minutes, several people and a
wagon moved on before the photo
was set and it left the ghostly
images that are seen in the
photo.
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ATCO
Baseball TeamsIt's
September 1916, and the teams
involved in American Thread's
new baseball league march down
Main Street to commence the
baseball season on Recreation
Park.
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ATCO Baseball Teams
The teams approach Recreation Park. |
1897
ParadeThis
is a photo of a parade
supposedly held on Jully 4, 1897
and was taken at the corner of
North and Prospect Streets. No
information can be found
concerning the sign on the wagon
which reads, “Normal School
Steps. Bids are now open for the
season of 97. Secure them
early”
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 Community Reunion Week ParadeOn
June 17, 1930, a parade was one of many events
that celebrated “Community Reunion Week” over a
four day period. Eight bands, twenty floats and
just about every community organization
participated. Following the parade, huge
community entertainment venues were set up at
the Elks Park and the State Armory
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