Windsor Locks High School - Herald Yearbook (Windsor Locks, CT)

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16 THE HIGH SCHOOL HERALD by the La Pointe Plascamold for a time. Next, there is the company of E. Horton and Sons. This was started by Eli Horton, who was the inventor of the Chuck which bears his name. T his Horton Chuck, which has become universally known, was placed on the market in 1855. Later on, in 1881, the Windsor Locks Machine Company was started by E. E. Latham, Edwin Upton and George Glover. Saint Marys Church was started in 1827. This was the first time that a priest, in response to a request of one of the very small number of Catholics here at the time, travelled all the way from New York for the purpose of making a sick call. Services were continued here until the coming of the first resident pastor. Reverend James Smythe, in June 1852. The corner stone of the Church was laid September 14, of the same year, and on Christmas day the church was occupied for the first time. The rectory, which stands adjoining the church, was built in 1879. Saint Mary ' s School, standing on Grove Street, was completed in 1889. It is interesting to note that many years ago, when a person passed away, he was carried on a bier on men s shoulders. The carriers formed a procession and from time to time changes were made by the men to relieve them from the weight of the bier. A man’s total funeral expenses in 1804, were less than six dollars. It was said that once, a man charged one of his neighbors for the use of his horse and wagon to attend a funeral, as there was never an undertaker seen at funerals. A fine granite building is located at the south end of the town. This is the Memorial Hall which was donated, in 1891, by Charles E. Chaffee. Just south of the main entrance and in front of the building is a polished marble slab with this inscription in gold letters: Soldiers ' Memorial Hall, built by Charles E. Chaffee and presented by him to J. H. Converse Post, No. 67, G. A. R. in memory of those who went from Windsor Locks and lost their lives in the service of our Country in the late Civil War.’’ It is here that the different organizations meet and hold socials, today. The opening of the 1 wentieth Century brought peace to the people of the town although during World War I and World War II, many of the local young men fought and some gave their lives for their country. During World War II, the United States Army set up a military base on some property at the north end of the town. This base was the headquarters for many soldiers. Later it was changed to a commercial flying field. Hence, Bradley Field has made Windsor Locks an important place in air travel. Today, the town has many places where its young people can get together for recreation. It has a public park, where recently a huge swimming pool has been con¬ structed. During the hot summer months the pool is a gathering place for youngsters and oldsters, as well. This year will mark the one hundredth year of the incorporation of Windsor Locks. There will be dances, contests, floats from the various organizations, and different contests to celebrate this event. June 1, 1954, will mark the beginning of another 100 years of history for the town of Windsor Locks. In the years to come, we hope this town will advance as rapidly in industry and in the opportunities offered its citizens as it has in the past. Maralyn Ciparelli ' 55

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THE HIGH SCHOOL HERALD 15 By education we do not mean merely well-versed people, but people who have benefited from the past and learned to think for themselves and base their opinions on knowledge they already have acquired and learned to apply. The value of book learning is lost when we fail to understand how to apply it and get full benefit from it in everyday life. Judy Parmelee ' 56 THE FIRST ONF HUNDRED YEARS OF WINDSOR LOCKS Some of the early settlers of Windsor came up to Pine Meadow to cultivate the land just thirty years after the Plymouth settlement there. The first settler in Windsor Locks was Harry Denslow, who built a house and brought his family to the higher end of Pine Meadow. In 1665, Elizabeth Denslow, Harry ' s daughter, was the first white child born in Windsor Locks. The next settler was Nathaniel Gaylord, who came here to live in 1678. Following Gaylord, Abraham Diddle brought his family to settle here in 1708. A few years later, in 1757, there were only five houses here, but nineteen years later there were nine families. In the summer of 1776, the head of each of the nine families comprising the population of Pine Meadow, with a single exception, were in the Army at New York. The village was made up of scattered farms and down to 1788, there were no public roads east of Center Street. The canal around Enfield Falls was completed in 1829. The digging of the canal was done by Irishmen who came here for that purpose. Because of this, the year 1854 was an important year for the town of Pine Meadow. This was the year the town was incorporated and its name changed to Windsor Locks, combining the name of Windsor with the canal improvements completed a few years back. The suspension bridge was built, in 1866, by a private corporation known as the Windsor Locks and Warehouse Point Bridge and Ferry Company. This bridge replaced the old ferry that used to transport people and products across the river to Warehouse Point. It had been in operation since 1783. While it was owned by a private corporation, it was a toll bridge. When it was purchased by the State in 1908, it was made free. The freeing of the bridge was made an occasion by the people, and public rejoicing was held by the two neighboring towns. By 1859, the population of Windsor Locks had grown to 1500. There were six paper mills, two thread mills, one rolling mill, one grist mill, a stockinet manufactory, seven stores, a Congregational church, a Catholic Church, and a Methodist church. Among the growing industries of the town were the J. R. Montgomery Company, established in 1871 for the purpose of manufacturing Cotton Warps which were used in Union cassimeres. The firm stands as a pioneer in this branch of textile industry in this country. In 1896, this company was the first in this country to place on the marker an entirely new product, Mercerized Cotton Yarn. Other companies were the George P. Clark Company, originated by George P. Clark, who in 1870, invented a rubber roll for wool scouring, which he placed on the market. C. H. Dexter and Sons was started by Charles H. Dexter in 1836. This is the oldest industry ' in the town and is today operated by the fifth generation. The Medlicott Company was started in 1863, by W. G. Medlicott. This company manufactured all kinds of woolen under¬ wear. In 1948, the Medlicott Company discontinued operations, but it was taken over

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THE HIGH SCHOOL HERALD 17 SENIOR CLASS NEWS President . Vice-President Secretary . Treasurer .. Robert Kelsey Stephen Kucharski .Janet Grabiec ..Judith Morin On September 22, the Senior Class held their first meeting to select members for the Budget Committee. Competition was keen, but three were finally chosen. They were Mary Simonetta, Joan Balletti, and Ronald Christian. William Booth, Delores Fontaine, Maureen Flanders, and Muriel Stewart were also chosen as repre¬ sentatives for the Athletic Association. Now the seniors were preparing for their all-important magazine sale. They knew they would have to work especially hard to break last year’s sales record. James Pesci and Judith Morin were elected to captain the two teams. Finally, the total figures for the sale were added, and we discovered we had broken last year’s record of sales by almost fifty dollars. Our profit for the sale was $1,089 35 out of a total of $3,250.20. The top salesmen were Maureen Flanders, Robert Kelsey, and Ann Fisher. On October 28, the losing team held a party for the winning team, the faculty, and the Juniors. Entertainment included movies, a skit, refreshments, and dancing. At another meeting, students were chosen to serve on the Election Day Luncheon. The class voted to have the same members for this committee that served on the Sandwich Sale Committee. In order to increase the treasury, a Card Committee was started. Serving on this committee were Delores Fontaine, Lynn Gondek and Joan Therrien. The Sandwich Sale Committee brought in a good profit throughout the year. Under the supervision of their chairman, Ann Fisher, the students took turns each week, bringing something that could be sold to the other students at recess. A Food Sale was held in the Town Clerk s Office on February 27. It proved a success and added $92.50 to the treasury. Mary Simonetta was given the DAR Award. This award is presented to a senior girl for being outstanding in dependability, service, leadership, and patriotism. The next big project was their class play. A committee was chosen to solicit advertisements for the class play program. Members on this committee were Robert Kelsey, Nelson Perry, Maureen Flanders, Ann Fisher, and Judith Morin. A Ticket Committee was also chosen. Janet Grabiec, Joan Balletti, Lynn Gondek, Muriel Stewart, Maureen Flanders, Robert Kelsey, and Nelson Perry were selected.