New Britain herald., 1928-08-11
OLD HOME week
Is YEARS Ago.
Arguments Comparable to Those
Going on Today

| twenty-five years ago New Britain
was planning and arguing over an
event comparable in scope to the
| coming dedication of the world war
memorial but on that occasion
! what might seem to be ridiculously
puny obstacles in the way proved
too much to surmount and the
| hoped for "Old Home Week" fell
through. The idea came at about
the same time to New Britain and
Bristol, and this city planned to
sponsor a lavish observance lasting
| a week and offering varied attrac-
tons which would not only interest
residents of the city but would lure
back its former citizens for a good
reunion.
At that time the town and city
governments had not been con
solidated. so appointments by the
head of both governments We're
made when forming the committee
which would have charge of the
celebration. Mayor Samuel Bassett
named As men and First Selectman
Newton r. Hurlburt appointed five.
No effort like thatof this year was
made to interest the various nation
alities composing the citys popula-
ton. The Irish, Germans and
Swedes were the only racial groups
represented outside of old Yankee
stock, and the very few of these
nationalities who We're appointed
were those who had become so i'm
portant in city affairs that they
could not be neglected. The Irish
and Germans had been taken into
the ranks of Americans" in 1908
and the Swedes were beginning to
secure recognition. but these all
looked down upon the Poles. Lithu-
anians, Jews, and others who were
then recent arrivals and had still to
prove their worth in the new land.
1t was hoped TO send invita-
tons to all former residents and
have them all come back to New
Britain for a rousing celebration.
and the attra ctions which were to
llre them were to have been MANY.
Several parades were suggested, i'm
portant men were to be secured as
speakers, there were to be fire
works displays. and Sunday services
We're planned. The railroad was
asked to give special rates to
groups returning here for the week,
The committee of so appointed
an executive committee of ten and
this proceeded to name the chair
men of several subcommittee.
Ileut-Col A. l.. Thompson, the per-
pctual marshal. was naturally the
choice for the parades committee.
Other chairmen We're as follows:
decorations. II. D. Humphrey. mu-
sic, w. II. GLADDEN.; reception. May
or Bassett; invitations, Prof. d.
n. Camp; entertainment, former
Mayor w. G. Webster: speakers,
Judge John Walsh; finance, George
NJ Ianders; press, B. +. Gaffney;
fireworks c. b. Stanley: Sunday
services, d. Q. Rogers; and trans
portation. A, II. Able.
Then followed a long hot spell
during which it was impossible to
get members to do any work. and
when cooler weather came ardor
seemed to have cooled with the
neurological conditions. Talk of
postponlng the week of festi %y
was then preached. but an even
worse fate awaited the plans.
Sfr9Dpo facf b,I hoo,, ,,a%,,a
able ever since the idea OF an Old
Home Week had been suggested.
Although fairly late Corners to the
city had been quite active in plan
ming things. the real odd timrs,"
the natives who had been born
here, seemed to take little or no
interest in the event which sup
posedly would hold an attraction
Tor them more than anybody else
When this fact became too patent
10 be disguised, and when the date
of the proposed observance ap-
proach with no real work done, it
was decided to do nothing for an
other year and the whole thing
was dropped.
A list of the committee of 50 may
be interesting as showing who the
civic leaders were a quarter century
ago. The committee consisted of n.
N Camp. Philip Corbin, P. s. Judd,
Horace Booth. Norris Bailey, Will
liam II. Hart. John B. Talcott. John
Walsh. l., Hoyt Pease, George w.
NJ. c. Webster, Charles
Dickinson. Thomas H. Brady, A. ].
Sloper, A. H. Able, Samuel A.
Moore. Charles E. Steele r. G.. Hib
bard. James Cochrane, J. l.. Doyle,
George NJ. Landers. Harrie E. Hart.
l." F. Lee. E. NJ. Wightman. w. J..
Humason, NJ. l.. Bailey, NJ. c. Swift,
Howard S. Hart. Denis Riordan,
George W. Traut, w. T. Hartman. |
J. X. Andrews. James S. North, y. |
F, Gaffney, Charles J. Parker, +. S.
chamberlain. Z. U. Thompson, +. |
E. Bassett. S. J. Bergstrom. Charles
B. Stanley. Dwight A. Parsons. FL
ford B. Eddy. Patrick McCabe,
Frank H Johnston, Charles r.
Oldershaw. E. S Hart, ir, George
NJ. Barbour, Cornelius Andrews,
Henry Francis and Levi s. Wells