The Romance of Norwalk

There were no garages in those days so that owners of cars were forced to do all their own repair work. Dr. Clark said that every spare minute of his time not occupied with professional duties was put into the car, in order to keep the machine together. It is believed that Eben Hill (of the Iron Works “THE BRIDGE ” NORWALK 385 Co. Hills), had the second automobile, a “steamer.” Gen¬ eral Russell Frost, 41 High st., had the third automobile, an open Oldsmobile “buggy,” so called because of its re¬ semblance to a horse buggy. Later, he purchased a Winton. Dr. George Fawcett, 8 Washington st., had the first closed car. The natives were horrified, for they just knew he was going to be killed. In those days, only the brave and courageous purchased closed cars. Open ones were much more popular for the owners figured if anything terrible happened they could leap out. And how could that be managed in a closed car? BICYCLING DAYS Bicycles were much more popular with the local people in the “gay nineties” than were automobiles. Early in ’91 there was formed in this city, the Alpha Bicycle Club, members of which journeyed all over the country together and every 17th of June on Bunker Hill Day, held races from the Norwalk Green, Park st., down to Dorlon’s Point. Many prominent men were members including: Le Grand Raymond, Oliver B. Jackson, jeweler; William Gunther, secretary; Frank Lauder, Ralph Gregory, Fred Hanford, George Lockwood, Ed Thomas, George Allen, George Cur¬ tis, and Edward M. Jackson, photographer. The club con¬ tinued in action for five years, the last meeting being held in 1896. During the club’s existence, the so called “safety” bicycle was used, a standard wheel similar to those in use today. The “tandem” or two seater type wheel was the approved machine for beginners, the instructor being on the rear seat, the learner on the front. The old fashioned bicycle with the great high wheel in front and the little one behind was just going out of style when the Alpha Club was formed. It is thought that Joe Mathias of upper Norwalk had one of the first. When the new “safety” type came in, most of the Norwalkers pur- ROMANCE OF NORWALK 386 chased the latest style. Among the first were Dr. Clark and Roy Wheeler of Wheeler Brothers foundry. Speaking of wheels and other things, it might not be amiss to state here that Francis Boylston of Rowayton, built the first baby carriage on springs, offered for sale in the United States. Baby carriages do not rightly belong in this article, yet, after all, the fact must be taken into consideration, that they furnished the first means of locomotion for all the foregoing pioneers. NORWALK IN 19OI When the year 1901 rolled around, Norwalk had been settled just 250 years. What had been its progress? “The popular opinion is that Norwalk has not lived up to her possibilities and therefore has little reason for boasting,” says Edmund E. Crowe, present postmaster of the South Norwalk Post Office in an article on “Norwalk’s Indus¬ tries,” published in 1901. “This may in a large measure be true, but to the close observer it is evident that Norwalk, after all, is not unimportant in the world of business. Her reputation for air compressors, hats, shoes, corsets, locks, hardware, woolen goods and other manufactured products is as favorable in all parts of the world as to our own people.” According to the U. S. Census Bulletin of 1901 Norwalk had about 3,172 wage earners, a population of 19,932, and numerous manufactures. In 1901, Norwalk had 10 cigar and tobacco factories, two lock and hardware companies, 1 1 “workers in metal,” 6 confectionery establishments, four box making companies, three soda water factories, two shoe factories, 11 hat companies, 7 “workers in wood,” 28 oyster planters, one woolen goods factory, one felt company, one pottery, one company making overcoatings, three fur fac¬ tories, one shirt and shirt waist factory, one corset company, one straw hat factory, one air and gas compressors works, and 25 “miscellaneous” factories. CONSOLIDATION Chapter XXXIII Norwalk and South Norwalk Become One City After Fif¬ teen Years of Town Meetings on Matter — Francis /. Burnell is First Mayor — New Police Department Formed — Steel and Concrete Bridge Built Across Norwalk River in Lower End of City. After nearly 15 years of town meetings devoted to the matter of consolidation, Norwalk and South Norwalk be¬ came one, the City of Norwalk, by a special act of the state legislature, June 6, 1913. Back in the old days, long before consolidation, such bitter sectional feeling existed between Norwalk and South Norwalk that it was difficult for the resi¬ dents to work together on any subject which affected the town as a whole. Gang wars were frequent and old timers tell tales of the days when the boys and young men always traveled around in large groups, because they did not know at what moment a rival gang from some antagonistic sec¬ tion of the city, might set upon them. If the men didn’t “pull” together, neither did the women. The ladies of Norwalk, very conservative, would never have thought of inviting to their card parties, the ladies of South Norwalk, very progressive. And so it went. CONSOLIDATION The matter of consolidating Norwalk and South Norwalk into one city first appeared in the town records of February 27, 1899, when it was “voted that a committee consisting of one representative from each of the several school dis¬ tricts of the town, except South Norwalk Union School 387 ROMANCE OF NORWALK 388 district, two representatives from said South Norwalk Union School district, three representatives from the city of Nor¬ walk and three representatives from the fire district of East Norwalk, being a committee of 22 in all, be appointed, each representative by his respective district, or municipality, to meet and put into concrete form the various necessary and expedient provisions of a charter for consolidation of the City of Norwalk.” April 10, 1 899, General Russell Frost re¬ ported that a gathering of the representatives as specified in the February town meeting had been held in the Norwalk club. Hon. J. Belden Hurlbutt, one of the representatives had prepared a synopsis of a charter for the proposed city of Norwalk and this was read in town meeting. A motion was then made that Mr. Hurlbutt should complete the charter and deliver the same to Representative John H. Light, to be presented by him to the General Assembly of the state. Sometime later, the charter was presented. Many objections caused it to be laid aside. The matter was then laid to rest for four years. January 2, 1903, the question of consolidation came up again. Edwin O. Keeler as moderator was empowered to appoint a committee to draft a charter which would be presented at the next session of the state legislature. The charter was completed April 22, and it was voted to send it as a substitute bill to the legislature. Five days later, several amendments were proposed and then on May I, it was announced that the amended charter would go to Hartford. December 21, 1904 we find at town meeting, the fathers again planning a consolidation. There the matter apparently rested for eight years. March 29, 1912, a committee composed of Henry Gregory and Harvey Kent, first district; John Keogh and Herbert Mathewson, second; John J. Walsh, third; Frank W. Gregory, north section of town outside of city; and Charles F. Mills, south section of town outside of city, was authorized to draft a charter for the consolidation of the sections of Norwalk into one city. December 4, 1912, CONSOLIDATION 389 11 the committee reported, the charter was accepted and it was once again decided to send a charter to the General Assem¬ bly. Accordingly, the charter was presented at the January session of the state legislature in 1913. February 26, 1913, the town fathers showed a decided change of heart when they voted to recall from the General e Assembly “any consolidated measure pending therein.” Several changes were made and a substitute bill prepared. ^ This substitute bill, which is the basis for the present city k charter, was formally approved by the state legislature, s June 6, 1913, to be a law, subject to the unanimous approval y of Norwalk. June 30, 1913, the town voted on the ques- !1 tion of approval or disapproval of the act passed by the e General Assembly of the state at the January session, 1913, ■ entitled, “An Act Consolidating the Town Norwalk with f the Cities of Norwalk and South Norwalk and the East Norwalk Fire District Incorporating the City of Norwalk.” 2,256 voted yes and 1,606 voted no. October 6, 1913, the first officers of the new consolidated city of Norwalk were named as follows. Mayor, Francis I. Burnell; city treasurer, Wilfred Bod- ; well; city sheriff, Charles A. Volk; collector of taxes and ' assessments, Robert G. Mitchell. Board of education: J two years, Bernard J. Reynolds, John W. Olmstead, Henry ! Sherer; four years, Alexander J. Rummler, William P. i Ward, J. Milton Coburn; six years, William J. Tracey, 1 Harry Rider, Harry E. Scofield. Selectmen: Wallace Dann, 1 William G. Crockett, John H. Gorham. Town clerk: Herbert R. Smith. Councilmen: Michael J. Riordan, John D. Milne, first ward: Robert M. Wolfe and Harry W. Mather, second: Henry J. Hipson, third; Robert E. Lou¬ don, fourth; George W. Stevens, fifth. The mayors since the consolidation of the city have been as follows: 19 13-19 15 Francis I. Burnell, 19 15-19 17 Carl Harstrom, 1917-1921 Jeremiah Donovan, 1921-1923 Calvin Barton, 1923-1927 Thomas Robins, 1927-1931 Anson F. Keeler. The list of city and town officers elected 390 ROMANCE OF NORWALK by popular vote and the list of officers and boards appointed by the mayor and council, according to Norwalk’s modern form of government, are given in the appendix. NEW POLICE DEPARTMENT