Putnam patriot. [volume] (Putnam, Conn.) 1872-1962, 1910-01-28
The Coming OF Governor Weeks.

The coming visit oil Governor rank
Is. Weeks 10 Putnam is an event that
has aroused much pleasurahle interest
among our citizens. Our city being
situated on the extreme northeast cor
ner of the State, has not attracted pro-
| minent men of the State 10 its borders,
and has not received the attention that
its citizens think its claims deserve con-
sidering its past and present status.
Fifty-five years ago, it was started as
| a cotton manufacturing locality on ter
ritory belonging to Killingly, Thomp-
son, Woodstock and Pomfret. 1t pos.
sessed a valuable water power, and
| other manufacturing industries avail
ed themselves of its helpful power adj
vantages and located here.
The Putnam Wooden Company was
| among the first of these and is still
one of the largest industries, which vies
with any of its kind in the State.
Then the next TO CO me was the silk
industry, about thirty years ago, begin.
ming on a modest scale. but has grown
To large dimensions, with still proba-
BILE extension.
Then followed shoe shops, and build
ing establishments and small factories
of various kinds To meet the needs of
good sized population which the mills
required for their extensive business
and for the shops and other smaller
eallings.i
In the meantime, early in It's history,
the place was formally laid out and
named Putnam, after the old ReSoiu-
tionary hero, whose native place was
manipulating the place of Pomfret
Factory, by which, up to that time, il
had been known.
There was little thought of what the
town might become; or any plan for
larger growth than what the great mills
might require. The dwellings were
mainly for mill hands, but better than
most of them had ever known, howev-
er. They were laid out on narrow
streets, or promiscuously scattered on
spots that suited theiowner's taste and
convenience. Some Of. the mill own
ers built fine mansions, and some fine
dwellings were erected here and there
by the proprietors OF the various bu-
siness callings: 1t was up TO about
thirty-five years ago that Putnam was
simply factory village.
The earliest mill help were Ameri-
cans. Some time before that the Cana
dams of the poorer class, whose condi-
ton was pitifnl, had been coming into
the New England States attracted by
the large demand for labor in the cot
ton mills and other manufacturing in
! dustries which had rapidly grown up
under the fostering care of the Nation
al government. They soon found their
way to Putnam and there secured en-
ployment at wages greater than they
had ever known. They were indus
trious and frugal, but iight-hearted, re-
quiring a guiding influence TO aid them
TO benefit by their improved pecuniary
by the church TO which they belonged,
which is ever watchful that its men,
bers arefcared for, and a church was or
gained; and beautiful church build
ing erected followed by parish school,
anda fine Convent building, and has a
boarding school fonmisses that has won
high reputation as an educational in
stitution throughout the country as
we'll as at home.
With these religious and educational
privileges, with added social erganiza-
tions, new and higher aspiration was
created among these foreigners melting
them to better fit themselves for their
new environment. They began build
ing homes of their own aided by their
children, who had become wage earn
ers.
An intelligent Canadian who came
here forty years ago, with few other
educated men, recently stated that ON
his arrival here among the few hum
| bred Canadians there was scarcely a
dozen that could read or write, as they
had been deprived of educational adj
vantages, and but few could speak the
! English language. The first generation
has passed away, but their descend
ants to the fourth generation have
become educated, many of them filling
| business positions of all kinds and also
professional. They have become a ere
dit to the adopted country Of their fore
! fathers, and are among the honored
public-spirited citizens who are striv-
| ing to make their home city noted for
| its educational, social and attractive
| features.
| As distinct nationality the Cana
dian Americans number no less than
one third of our population, and con-
tinae to increase faster than all other
nationalities, and that with but few ac-
cessions of late years from Canada.
About twenty years ago, Putnam
was still in character and appearance
! but a manufacturing village. Even
on the main business streets the yards
we're enclosed with a varied kind of
wooden fences. There was also lack
,-of public interest, up to the period
mentioned, To make Putnam appear
I its large business activities. In the
very center Of the village was an Of
/ fen,iye pond There was not a proper