Parades in Willimantic - Part 2 by Pete Zizka 9-17-2022 |
This week we’ll continue our look at the importance of parades in early
days of the Willimantic area’s social life. Parades often bring to mind
a military presence be it just a marching band or a company of soldiers.
Willimantic took great pride in its Company “E” and Company “L” of the
Connecticut National Guard. In 1898, Company E was called to serve in
the Spanish-American War. Mayor Tanner issued a proclamation and most
factories and schools closed early and the entire city was decorated with flags for
the occasion. Almost every society, club and government body
participated in a parade from the Valley Street Armory to Union Station.
They returned to Willimantic in March, 1899. Of course they were met by
no fewer than three bands, several community groups and scores of people
who then paraded through several local streets and ended up at the new
Town Hall for a special supper for the troops. In 1916,
During WWI, several contingents of soldiers or draftees left Willimantic
and almost every one was escorted in a parade from the Town Hall to the
train station by at least one band and a platoon of police. Soldiers
called to duty during WWI were formally honored in August, 1919.
The parade had begun on Main Street at Watson Street. The
veterans reviewed the parade from the Town Hall and then took their
place in the parade and were, “escorted by 2,500 marchers, a total of 11
divisions representing the leading fraternal and industrial
organizations of the city” to Recreation Park. Parades were political
too. From at least 1870 through 1920, Democrats and Republicans held
parades not just in Willimantic but many surrounding towns to arouse
interest in upcoming elections and especially to celebrate winning an
election. Of course this was especially true in the years of
presidential elections. A very refreshing
aspect of these parades, and perhaps the politics of those years, is
that at least locally, there was no bad blood. After the November, 1880
election in which the Republicans won the presidency as well as town and
city offices, the Democrats still had a parade and one of the leading
Democrats, Edwin A Buck, in spite of losing the Mayor’s race,
“illuminated his residence” for the parade. “It
was much commented upon and received the compliments of everybody. It
surpassed anything in that line which has ever appeared in this town,
and showed off as brilliantly as any that we have ever seen.” In 1884,
Lebanon’s Democrats celebrated Grover Cleveland’s win. “There was a
parade of horsemen, carriages and footmen marching to the music of the
Lebanon Band.” The Lebanon Democrats, “gave expression to their joy in
the illumination of their homes”. In South Windham, “The town painting
process was in use here Wednesday evening, on the part of the democrats
to an extent never before seen here. The demonstration surprised
everyone. At 7PM, a procession headed by the band started to parade the
streets, and enthusiasm was plenty. Nearly every democrat lighted his
residence to a greater or less extent and colored fire, roman candles,
crackers and rockets were used in abundance along the line.” In 1892,
Willimantic Democrats celebrated their victory with “a parade with red
fire, Roman candles, rockets, tin horns, torches, brass bands and
transparancies”. The Republicans had their opportunity for celebration
in 1900 with the election of Teddy Roosevelt.
The huge post-election spectacle, complete with
muskets, shotguns and a cannon on Hosmer Mountain, featured a parade of
over 1,000 marchers and three bands who
made their way along 15 different streets, even going across the river
at Bridge Street, down Pleasant Street and crossing again at Jillson
Hill.It was said to have been one of the most enthusiastic affairs of
the kind ever undertaken in the city. “Everyone was enthusiastic and
even some of the local democrats seemed to partake in the general
jubilant feeling”. Citizens of Willimantic and nearby towns loved their
parades. Click on photo for larger version |
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