Turn Verein (Lawrence, MA)

The American Turners is a national organization founded in Cincinnati,Ohio in 1848 by German immigrants. Their motto, “A Sound Mind in a Sound Body”, explains the purpose of the American Turners. It is a family organization, encouraging people of all ages to be mentally and physically active.

Lawrence Turn Verein was the creation of Fritz Matthes and Wilhelm Patschkel.  In the year 1853 these two with a number of followers began to practice a variety of gymnastics at a house on Union Street.  The gym was composed of a high bar and parallel bars.  The dedication was enlivened by a five-man band, which was composed of three guitars, one accordion, and one fife.  Financial difficulties led to a dwindling of membership.  In 1859 with an increased number of German immigrants another Turn Verein was started at the corner of Jackson and Common Streets.  Continued membership and financial difficulties were eventually overcome when the original Mr. Matthes along with Fritz Schubert and fifteen others laid the groundwork for a Lawrence Turn Verein.  The new headquarters was on the third floor of a house on Essex Street.  Two years later in 1867 a summer Turnfield was prepared on a lot on Park Street.  The membership had reached 50 men.  In an effort to raise money to build a Turn Hall the membership presented a theatrical production.  At a cost of $1,675 Turn Hall of the first German Hall was built in 1868.  Lawrence Turn Verein joined the Boston Turn District.  In 1872 a large hall was built.  On November 23, 1894 the hall burned to the ground.  The new Turn Hall was dedicated June 12-14, 1896 was located at 44 Park Street.  The membership had reached 500 by the year 1900.  Women were first admitted in the nineteen fifties. 

The 42^nd national convention of the National American Turner Association met during the first week of September 1948 at Turn hall inLawrence.  300 delegates met over several days.  The Ladies Auxiliary met at the same time at the HoodSchool.  At the end of the first day a banquet was served at Turn Hall with a Kommers cabaret scheduled for evening entertainment.

Third War Loan Drive (Third Victory War Bond Drive) Lawrence, MA

The Library owns a digital copy of an image rich scrapbook about Third War Loan Drive owned by Charles Cronin, Lawrence Postmaster.

The Postmaster general of the United States, Fred Shuppe, sent out a notice August 30, 1943, to postmasters throughout the country.  The notice mentioned that the country needed to raise $15 billion to aid the war effort and that $5 billion of that would need to come from individuals.  To this effort every man, woman, and child would need to buy an extra bond in September.  This was followed by other letters particularly addressing the local postmaster to urge his employees to enroll 100%.  The first meeting of a committee formed to implement the drive was September 17, 1943.   Postal workers had already started to canvas their routes to sell war bonds and stamps.  By September 16 postmen had raised $8700.  September 18 the Spiggot Falls Hayshakers (musical group) played at a rally on the steps of the Lawrence Post Office while the postal workers worked the crowd selling bonds.  Appearances were made at the Breen School and the Polish National Church.  Bedsides the Postal Workers, the Ayer Mill, Cardillo chapter Italian-American World War Vets of the US, the YMHA, St. Francis Church, and the Polish-American unit helped raise money.   At the Block Party and Bond Drive September 21 Victor Mature, on leave from the Coast Guard appeared.  Admission was 25c in an area on Common Street west of Broadway.  Music was provided by Roland Russell’s Ramblers.  The Mistress of Ceremonies was Miss Rita Conroy.  Nine vaudeville acts were offered by two local nightclubs.  A group of French soldiers also entertained the crowd. 

 

U. S. Citizenship

The mill owners were very concerned about their workforce learning English and becoming citizens. Just after World War I the American Woolen Company in Lawrence, Massachusetts (and other locations) started a magazine for it’s workers called the American Woolen Company Employees’ Booster. It included a wealth of information about the employees and their families. The Lawrence Public Library is currently indexing the magazines particularly about information concerning employees. The company also provided information in this magazine of an informational nature particularly related to education and citizenship. The advertisement in this post was from a 1921 magazine.

Lawrence Telephone Books (Lawrence, MA)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have a patron who is interested in finding copies of Lawrence phone books of these dates:1966,1967,1968,1969,1970,1971,1972,1973,1974 and 1975.  If you have any of these volumes please contact me.

Turn Verein (Lawrence, MA)

Lawrence Turn Verein was the creation of Fritz Matthes and Wilhelm Patschkel.  The organization they were striving to found was dedicated to the sport of gymnastics.  The Turner motto is “A sound mind in a sound body.”  In the year 1853 these two with a number of followers began to practice a variety of gymnastics at a house on Union Street.  The gym was composed of a high bar and parallel bars.  The dedication was enlivened by a five-man band, which was composed of three guitars, one accordion, and one fife.  Financial difficulties led to a dwindling of membership.  In 1859 with an increased number of German immigrants another Turn Verein was started at the corner of Jackson and Common Streets.  Continued membership and financial difficulties were eventually overcome when the original Mr. Matthes along with Fritz Schubert and fifteen others laid the groundwork for a Lawrence Turn Verein.  The new headquarters was on the third floor of a house on Essex Street.  Two years later in 1867 a summer Turnfield was prepared on a lot on Park Street.  The membership had reached 50 men.  In an effort to raise money to build a Turn Hall the membership presented a theatrical production.  At a cost of $1,675 Turn Hall of the first German Hall was built in 1868.  Lawrence Turn Verein joined the Boston Turn District.  In 1872 a large hall was built.  On November 23, 1894 the hall burned to the ground.  The new Turn Hall was dedicated June 12-14, 1896 was located at 44 Park Street.  The membership had reached 500 by the year 1900.  Women were first admitted in the nineteen fifties.

Volleyball (Lawrence, MA)

This collection consists of 4 black and white snapshots:

1.     Unidentified women’s team standing next to a volleyball net.  Nine women in dark bloomers, white middy blouses, and white hats.  One girl is holding a pennant that reads “Lawrence, Mass.”. There is also a man in the picture holding a cigar.

2.     Unidentified women’s team standing next to a volleyball net.  Seven women in dark bloomers, white middy blouses, and white hats.  There are five men two of which are holding a pennant that reads “Lawrence, Mass.”.  You can see the feet of two more women.

3.     Two unidentified women in clothing from the teens.

4.     One unidentified woman in clothing from the teens

On the back of photos 3 and 4 it says “Developed and printed by the Robinson Hardware Co. 361 Essex St. cor. Of Amesbury St. Lawrence, Mass.”   Robinson Hardware was at that location in 1915.

Four-Theatres-in-a-Row (Lawrence, MA)

Broadway 1952

The coming of motion pictures changed the nature of entertainment.  Just after the turn of the 20^th century new theaters began to spring up, some in converted older buildings, most as new theaters.  At first the silent film program also included vaudeville shows or celebrities like John L. Sullivan or Helen Keller.  At first Toomey & Demara  (Thomas F. Toomey and Napoleon Demara) Amusement Co. owned and operated the Empire, Premier, Colonial, and Broadway (built by Louis B. Mayer) theaters.  Later The Empire Amusement Co., headed by Dr. Alexander l. Siskind, purchased the Empire, Palace, Broadway, and Premier and took a lease on the Colonial.  Dr. Siskind had started his association with the movie industry when he opened the Marquise Theater, one of Lawrence’s earliest cinemas.  His next purchase was the Victoria, which sat opposite the “4 theaters in a row.”   In the 20s the Empire, Palace, and Broadway were leased to Warner Brothers (the Empire would ultimately be called the Warner).

Again changing lifestyles saw the end of the once thriving movie industry.  One after another the buildings were torn down.  The Warner came down in 1976 to make way for a bank parking lot.  Below is a list of Lawrence theaters with alternate names and the date they were built and addresses.  The second list is a list of theaters for which we do not know their dates.

Auditorium	Summer 106	1927
Berkland	Appleton 25	1909
Broadway	Broadway 104-112,	1910-1964
Capitol Theater	Common 129	1928-1956
Central Theater	Oak 11 (33)?	1940-1975
City Hall	Common 200
Colonial	Hampshire 12	1904
Cosmopolitan Theater	Newbury 17	1916
Empire Theater	Lawrence 1	1915
Funny Land	Essex 523	1909
Imperial Theater	Broadway 92 (S.)	1916
Marquise	Essex 503	1908
Modern Theater	Broadway 98	1921-1959
Opera House	Essex 330	1881	Rialto	Wintergarden
Palace Theater	Broadway 126	1921-1969
Pastime Theater	Essex 386	1909
Premier Theater	Essex 554	1912-1968	Casino
Rialto Theater	Essex 326	1920
Specialty Theater	Essex 175	1916
Star Theater	Broadway 479	1913-1966
Strand Theater	Broadway 92	1917-1949	Astor49-56
Victoria Theater	Broadway 125-127	1910-1946	State 46-52
Warner Theater	Lawrence 1	1930-1975	Casto	Nickel	New Nickel	Empire

Thelma Todd (1906-1935)

Thelma Todd, a Hollywood legend, was a product of Lawrence.  She was born July 29, 1906 to John and Alice Todd.  Her father was a lieutenant on the Lawrence Police Department.  He later served as alderman and director of public health and charities.  She went through the Lawrence Public Schools graduating from Lawrence High School and going on to the Lowell State Normal School, a teacher’s college.  In the summers she worked part-time as a fashion model at the Empire Theater.  In 1925 Thelma and her friend, Ann MacMahon, were chosen to enter the Hood Practice School to get practical experience in teaching. 

Thelma, however, was not destined to become a schoolteacher.  Thelma possessed natural beauty and an innate sense of style and drama. That same year she was chosen as a finalist in the Miss Massachusetts beauty pageant.  The Lawrence Elks Lodge No. 65 had sponsored her and her mother pushed her to participate.  She was crowned Miss Massachusetts of 1925.  The day following her coronation, Thelma was invited to submit a screen test.  This would set Thelma on the road to Hollywood.

Thelma Todd entered the motion picture industry by way of Paramount Studios.  She started in silent films going on to talkies.  She made a series of very successful comedies for the Hal Roach Studio with Zazu Pitts.  She eloped with Pat DeCicco July 18, 1932.  They divorced March 2, 1934.  She appeared in the Marx brothers’ films Monkey Business and Horse Feathers.  The media gave her the sobriquets: “The Ice Cream Blonde” and “Hot Toddy.”  Ms. Todd died under mysterious circumstances December 17, 1935.   An exhaustive investigation followed and many theories have been expounded over the years, but the case has never been solved.

Vermont Tea and Butter Company (Lawrence, MA)

These two items are 8×10 black and white glossy photographs.  Handwritten on the back is the date Nov. 23, 1928, the photographer’s name E. Thibault, and the subject Vermont Store, Lawrence.  Both are interior shots of the Vermont Store.  The first one is from the interior looking at the open door; the second is from the door looking inward.  These photographs were taken at the Vermont Tea and Butter Store located at  201 Lawrence Street.

Maurice I. Paresky and Aaron J. Berenson began their careers as grocers in 1912, with the opening of the Vermont Tea and Butter Company at 91 Essex Street.  By 1928 there were 19 stores throughout Lawrence as well as a warehouse located at 461 Market Street.  The last year the Vermont Tea and Butter Company had a listing in the Lawrence City Directory was 1952.

Vertical file (Lawrence, MA)

The Lawrence Public Library has been adding to two vertical files with content of local interest for many decades.  Material in the vertical file includes newspaper clippings, magazine articles, and pieces of ephemera like programs, tickets, and flyers.  Names on folders are accessible on the website as verticalfile.  One of the files is indexed by suject; the other one is biographical.