Willimantic - A Good Place by Pete Zizka 10-15-2022 |
For over twenty years I have been doing research into and writing about
Willimantic/ Windham history and for the last three years have written a
weekly article for the Chronicle. I’ve always tried to stick to the
facts and have stayed away from expressing my own opinions. But, for a
couple years now, I’ve read some of the comments on Willimantic-related
social media sites and have been disturbed by them. Several, no…many
people seem to enjoy “knocking” Willimantic and focusing on any negative
aspect they can find. Especially annoying are the people who have moved
away and snidely remark how much better off they are. I moved out of the
area a little over five years ago but still miss it every day. Was the
area ever “perfect”? I don’t believe so. Was the downtown area ever
“picturesque”? Probably not so much. From my own perspective, being born
in the late 1940s, I’d say Willimantic’s finest period was probably the
1950s decade. But even then, there were problems, there were local
disagreements, there were some streets or parts of town that, if
possible, we tried to avoid. I’ve looked at literally thousands of
photos of Willimantic from its earliest days and I have to admit that
some parts of downtown were simply unattractive from the time the
buildings were erected. The “Temple of Fashion” building and the Bassett
Block (today’s photo)
were good examples of several facades that just didn’t
ever look good and yet were in
prominent positions. I don’t think Willimantic is at all “worse off”
today than at any other time or period. And speaking of that, what do
you think would the “worst period” in Willimantic’s life? In my opinion,
having done extensive research into the events playing out during that
time, I’d say it was the years from 1883 – 1900 (with 1895-1900 being
the low point), hands down. What was happening then? At town meetings,
decisions had to be made regarding building a public water works, a high
school, a Normal School and a Town Hall and about incorporating
Willimantic as a city. These meetings (especially the many concerning
the Town Hall) often turned bitterly contentious and, at first, greatly
divided the community. Then, when funding for the Town Hall was crucial,
a scandal of epic proportions gripped the city and led to two bank
failures, the temporary freezing of funds for many businesses and
depositors, the closure of an important manufacturer and shaky financial
ground for several other businesses. To add to that, several well-known
and respected residents were caught up in the scandal.
But what made Willimantic great, then, as now, was the fact that
resilient, hard-working residents overcame hardship and division and
worked together to remove obstacles and make good things happen. That’s
the Willimantic of early 1900, the Willimantic I remember and
Willimantic as it is today. A month ago I wrote about the Thread City
Cyclers and I received a note from Larry Waksman in response.
I share that note today because TCC is just one of many great,
caring, civic-minded groups and people that make Willimantic the
wonderful place it has been and continues to be. Larry wrote, “A
current version of TCC is very active today, and has been for about 21
years. Our membership is currently around 135 or so, and we host rides
every Saturday from April through October--most often riding the
beautiful and quiet roads (and trails) radiating from our usual starting
points of North Windham School or Garrison Park. We've also held many
social events during that time. But beyond cycling, TCC has a long
history of contributing to our local communities through several events
and activities: --In August,2022, we once again were honored to be a
Pillar of the Tour sponsor for the Steeple Chase Tour event--which
raises thousands of dollars for local Windham area charities and
non-profits. --In collaboration with Bike Walk Bolton, we've
participated in "Bike Rodeos" -- to coach and encourage youngsters to
ride smartly and safely.--We always have a big showing at the Tour de
Mansfield, in honor of a former TCC leader, John Jackman. --And we share
half the proceeds from our annual "TCC Century" with local cycling
advocacy groups. In addition to all the above, TCC and its members
participate in other local cycling advocacy efforts, such as Bike
Mansfield, Bike Walk Bolton, The Hop River Trail Alliance, and Friends
of Mansfield Hollow.” Willimantic is still, as always, a great place to
be. |
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