Pierre J.
Laramee
Pierre J. "Pete" Laramee served as the mayor of
Willimantic in 1937 and from 1940 - 1941. He
also served as the first person of French
Canadian descent to represent Willimantic in the
Connecticut State House of Representatives from
1917-1918, and 1923-1924 and as a Connecticut
State Senator from 1937 to 1942. He was the
owner of "The Laramee Company", a thriving meat
market on North Street and was a partner in the
"Al-Pierre Dance Hall" on Valley Street.
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Danny Dunn
Mayor Danny Dunn was a sports
enthusiast and one of Willimantic's most
outgoing Mayors. He was so popular that when he
ran for his fourth term in 1911, no one would
oppose him.
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Hormisdas
Dion
Mr. Dion was very involved in community affairs
and was, at different times, the city assessor,
member of the school board, councilman-at-large
and alderman. His final civic office was that of
Mayor of Willimantic. He became the city’s
eighth mayor in December, 1923 but his term was
cut short by a fatal heart attack on April 28,
1924.
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Ralph Crosthwaite
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Oscar O. Tanner
Willimantic mayor Oscar O. Tanner operated a
saloon and bottling works out of his building
at the
corner of North Street (originally called
Tanner’s Lane) and Main Street. Tanner served
two terms as Mayor, in 1898-199 and again in
1904-1905.
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Archille
Vegiard.
His name is actually misspelled on the card - it
is Archille J. Vegiard. He was an Alderman from
the Fourth Ward. For many years, he ran the
Brick and Sullivan Shoe Store and he was a
director of the Willimantic Savings and Loan
Assn. He died in 1972. |
Albert Piche
He was elected as the city
tax collector and also served as a town auditor
and was a Justice of the Peace. He was active in
a large number of local societies and clubs. He
died in 1955.
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Margaret
C. Hurley
Margaret Hurley was the wife of Willimantic
Mayor James Hurley. She was elected as
Representative of Windham to the State
Legislature in Nov., 1934. A graduate of the
Normal School, she was a schoolteacher and a
member of the Democratic State Central
Committee.
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Willimantic's First City Government
1. Mayor George M. Harrington, 2. Alderman
Charles A. Capes, 3. Alderman Herbert R.
Chappell, 4. Alderman Michael Nelligan, 5.
Alderman Walter D. Brifham, 6. James W.
Hillhouse, 7. Walter Bennett, 8. Councilman
James R. Ross, 9. Councilman Lorenzo Litchfield,
10. Councilman Fred Sanderson, 11. Councilman
Edmond A. Parent, 12. Councilman Leander
Freeman, 13. Councilman Anderson T. Walker, 14.
Councilman Timothy J. Regan, 15. City Clerk and
Treasurer Herbert A. Sanderson |
Police
Chief Grant Bombria
and Captain Frederick Laramie
Police Chief Grant Bombria is sitting in his
office at the Police Station which was then in
the Town Hall. Bombria became Chief in 1940
after the retirement of Chief Thomas Grady.
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Police
Chief Grant Bombria
and Captain Frederick Laramie
When Bombria retired in 1952, he had
been on the force for thirty-five years. He was
followed as Chief by the man standing on the
right, Captain Frederick R. Laramie.
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Mayor Laramee and
Corporation Counsel Gaucher
Willimantic mayor Pierre J. Laramee (left) and City Corporation Counsel
Harry S. Gaucher. They were preparing for a
baseball game during the annual Elks outing.
Laramee captained the Democrat team and Gaucher,
the Republican team. Laramee and Gaucher both
claimed victory. After a great deal of party
oriented yet good natured bantering, it was
still unclear as to who won the game
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Wade U.
Webster
Willimantic Fire Chief
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Charles E.
Leonard
Willimantic Fire Chief
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Charles
Reynolds
Willimantic Fire Chief
from 1931-1941
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Alexis
Caisse, Sr.Alexis J. Caisse,Sr.
was in business as a building contractor and was
active in Willimantic's social and political
life, especially in French-Canadian
organizations. He served as an Alderman of the
second ward and then as Alderman-at-large. He
was the father of longtime Streets
Superintendent Alexis J. Caisse, Jr.
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David Derosier
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The Rev. Roland Guilmette
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The
Rev. Florimond DeBruycker
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Rt. Rev. Msgr J.U.J. Papillon
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Rev.
F. X. Mulville
Father Francis X. Mulville was
extremely community oriented and was a member of
several organizations and groups. They included
the Knights of Columbus, the Montgomery Hose
Company and the Willimantic Gun Club.
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"Yankee
Farmer"
<<see story>> |
The Yankee Farmer |
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Abraham Krug
Abraham Krug inside his first lunch cart which
was located on Union Street where the railroad
tracks went across to Main Street. Years later
he moved to a location on Main Street between
Watson Street and Arnold’s Lane.
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Police Chief Grant Bombria
Police Chief Grant Bombria is
sitting in his office at the Police
Station which was then in the Town Hall.
Bombria became Chief in 1940 after the
retirement of Chief Thomas Grady. When
Bombria retired in 1952, he had been on
the force for thirty-five years. He was
followed as Chief by the man standing on
the right, Captain Frederick R.
Laramie.
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Al Saba
At the Elks Fair
Al is doing doing
what he did best, entertaining people. Al was
named as “Mister Romantic Willimantic” in 1981 .
He was an accomplished performer and over the
years he worked as a singing waiter, performed
at the hospital’s annual “Willim-Antics” Revues,
sang with Saint Mary’s Church choir and
entertained as a member of several local bands.
He was probably best known for his High Street
dry cleaning business with its motto of ,”You
wear ‘em and mess ‘em, we’ll clean ‘em and press
‘em”. Al died in August, 1986.
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Political Baseball Game
Willimantic Mayor Pierre J. Laramee (left) and City Corporation Counsel
Harry S. Gaucher. They were preparing for a
baseball game during the annual Elks outing.
Laramee captained the Democrat’s team and
Gaucher, the Republican team. At the end of the
game, both Laramee and Gaucher claimed victory.
After a great deal of good natured yet party
oriented bantering, it was still unclear as to
who won the game!
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Lucius Bigelow
Lucius Bigelow was a tin peddler from Simsbury who made the rounds of the city on a regular basis. Peddlers, especially tin peddlers, often incurred the distaste of local businesses because peddlers paid no taxes.
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Joe
Corsi
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Jim Sullivan
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Archduke Leopold Maria of Austria,
Prince of Tuscany (on left)
He emigrated to the United States where he was
known as "Mr. Leopold H Lorraine". He moved to
Willimantic, and settled into a small house with
his second wife and spent the rest of his life
as a factory worker. He became an American
citizen in 1953. His ashes are in tomb 91 of the
Imperial Crypt in Vienna
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"The Venerables"
"The Venerables". The criteria for joining the
group was that a person needed to be at least 70
years of age. The first meeting was held in
June, 1902 and the group continued to meet on a
yearly basis for about 20 years. The picture, we
think, is of the 1903 gathering.
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The Rosen
Family.
This picture was taken around 1915 on the corner
of Mayo and Lafayette Streets. Frank and Bertha
Rosen are the couple in the center of the
picture. Their children (left to right) are
Morris, Adele, Alice, Molly, Anna and Haskel .
Among the Rosen’s business interests were the
Windham Super Service Gas Station, an auto parts
store and Eastern Live Poultry.
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Paul
Pinkiewicz
aka "Pinkie" of the Windham Police; picture
taken in 1959 on Jackson Street, Willimantic.
Notice the old "Windham Police" cruiser. (photo
courtesy of Steve Marrotte)
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Sam Haddad
Dry goods peddler Sam Haddad and his son are in front of 62-66 Church
Street. The store on the left belonged to Hiram
Fenn. He was not only an undertaker but also a
photographer and picture frame maker. He took
many of the vintage photos of Willimantic that
were turned into postcards. The other store
belonged to grocer Frank Blish. |
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Charlotte Cook
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Fedor Litryn
The last owner of the Strand Theater, watches as
the Broad Street building was razed during
Willimantic’s Redevelopment period. |
Bahish Fiesel
( also spelled Fysal)
photo courtesy of Bob Biron
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Dr. Reuben Rothblatt
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Samuel G. Adams
Adams started a
bridge-building business and built many area
railroad bridges. He also operated a
house-moving company and at one time was said to
be one of the city's wealthiest citizens.
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Jerome B.
Baldwin
Mr. Baldwin was
partner in the Baldwin-Webb Clothing Store and
Director of the Phillips Venetian Blind Company.
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George
Augustus Bartlett
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Joseph Octave Blanchette
Mr.
Blachette operated a bakery and pastry shop on
Church Street in the Pomeroy Block..
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General Eugene Stowell Boss
Mr. Boss was a State Senator, a
Presidential Elector and, at one time, Warden of
the Borough of Willimantic
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Hon. J. Dwight Chaffee
Mr. Chaffee was the junior member and later,
owner of the O.S. Chaffee and Son silk mill on
Church Street.
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Alphonse Chagnon
Mr. Chagnon
worked in several grocery stores in Willimantic.
He was instrumental in the organization of the
Canadian Convention .
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Joseph Comtois
Mr. Comtois
owned a market on Main Street
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Hormidas Dion
Mr. Dion was very involved in community affairs
and was, at different times, the city assessor,
member of the school board, councilman-at-large
and alderman. His final civic office was that of
Mayor of Willimantic. He became the city’s
eighth mayor in December, 1923 but his term was
cut short by a fatal heart attack on April 28,
1924.
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Amos T. Fowler
Mr. Fowler
was a partner in the Carpenter and Fowler
Hardware Store. He was a indham selectman from
1886-1889
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Doctor Charles James Fox
Fox was a local
physician and a Fellow in the American Medical
Society.Dr. Fox
also practiced as a surgeon and was appointed
surgeon-general of the CT National Guard.
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Mary Theresa Garrity
Owned greenhouses
on Mansfield Avenue
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Charles Augustus Gates
Gates was Sheriff of
Windham County for 28 years as well as a State
Committeman and Willimantic Mayor.
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Honorable William Gates
The
honorable Mr. Gates was a state senator
and a member of the Grand Army of the
Republic
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Dr. Charles Girard
Dr. Girard
was considered to be one of Willimantic's finest
physicians and he developed a large clientele.He
was extremely influential in the
French-Canadian community.
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Josephine Lauter Greer
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Edwin Harrison Hall
Manufacturer of
cotton yarns
North Windham
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Hon. John
Hall
Mr.
Hall was a Willimantic attorney. Hee served as a
Justice of the Peace, a School Visitor and was a
director of the Dime Savings Bank.
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James Hayden
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Whiting Hayden
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Doctor T. Morton Hills
Considered to be "the
dean" of area physicians
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John Lathrop Hunter
Hunter was a local
attorney who was leter appointed as Windham
County State's Attorney
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John G. Keigwin
Mr. Keigwin
was an overseer at the Windham Cotton Mfg.
mills. He also ran a local retail store.
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Joseph Lewis
Nurseryman owner of
Lewis Cannery
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Allen B. Lincoln
Mr. Lincoln was one Willimantic's most
prolific historians. His masterpiece was the
two-volume "A Modern History of Windham County,
Connecticut".
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John J Maddox
Principal at WHS
1907-1910
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John M. Martin
Willimantic
Contractor
Member: Horseshoe Park
Association
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Joseph Mercer
Treasurer of the
Windham Cotton Mills Corp.
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Joseph Mullen
Mr. Mullen
was proprietor of a meat market on Union Street.
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Hugh Clark Murray
H.C Murray Company
aka "The Boston Store"
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Edmond Parent
Mr. Parent
owned a tea store and candy shop on Union Street
and was one of Willimantic's elected councilmen.
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Everett Peterson
Principal at WHS
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Arthur Potvin
Mr. Potvin
ran a beauty salon in the Opera House but later
moved to Union Street.
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Henry Fowler Royce
Royce was Treasurer
of the Willimantic Savings Institute and was the
owner of an investment-brokerage business.
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Dr. Edwin G. Sumner
Dr.
Sumner served as Assistant Surgeon in the Union
Army's 21st Regiment. He was a director of the
Dime Savings Bank.
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William Lathrop Williams
Local Engineer and
Inventor of
"pulp spool" for thread
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