Much of the joy and satisfaction of writing these accounts comes from learning more about families who left their native lands with the great hopes of a better life with work opportunities in Holyoke. The story of the Bresnahan family and their dairy is one of many such stories that I eagerly write about today.
Patrick Bernard Bresnahan Jr. was born in Holyoke on July 30, 1898, to Patrick and Johanna (McCarthy) Bresnahan. He was educated in the Sacred Heart schools, near his family's residence at 654 High Street. This was a tenement building located at the northeast corner of High and Sargeant Streets in Holyoke's Churchill section.
The 1900 U.S. Federal Census records indicate Patrick Sr. had emigrated from Ireland in 1886, and Johanna in 1878. The Bresnahans were married for 9 years at the time of this census, and Patrick Sr. worked as a mason tender in the building trades.
The family moved a very short distance to 98 Sargeant Street, between High and Commercial Streets, around 1901 and remained at this apartment until about 1923.
In 1920, when Patrick Jr. was about 22 years old, he was employed as a steam Fitter for Holyoke Supply Company located on Race Street. He was living with his parents at 98 Sargeant Street. From 1922 to 1929, he was elected to seven consecutive one-year terms on the Board of Aldermen. During this period, in February 1928, he wed Mary H. (Moriarty) Bresnahan in a ceremony held at Blessed Sacrament Church.
For a period of time in the late 1920s, Patrick Bresnahan Jr. worked as an insurance agent for the John Hancock Life Insurance Company.
In 1933, Patrick B. Bresnahan Jr., then living with his wife, son James, father Patrick Sr. and aunt Mary Bresnahan, at 107 Sargeant Street, became a milk dealer. The Holyoke City Directory revealed there were close to 30 Holyoke businesses delivering milk in 1933.
On November 2, 1938, Patrick and Mary Bresnahan Jr. purchased a residence at 11 Brooks Ave, a home they purchased from Maud E. Hooks. There was a barn located behind their home, from which Mr. Bresnahan conducted his dairy business. The street and street numbers were later changed by the city to now reflect a continuation of O'Connor Ave. A historic atlas shown below identifies the location of 11 Brooks Ave., which is now quite likely 30 O'Connor Ave.
In 1940, Bresnahan's Dairy became the supplier of milk, cream and dairy products to Walgreens Drug Store. The company actively competed with other dairies to supply schools with milk products. Patrick Bresnahan Jr. was last shown in the milk business in 1954. In 1955, he was listed as an insurance agent working from home at 11 Brooks Ave.
In the 1950s, sons Patrick B. III and James B. Bresnahan joined the milk business. During this time, they became co-owners of the dairy, which was also referred to as Bresnahan Brothers Dairy.
Patrick Bresnahan III completed his education at Holyoke Catholic High School and Holyoke Junior College. He married Barbara Bullens on October 20, 1956, at St. Mary's Church in Westfield. On July 13, 1957, his brother James Bresnahan married Claire Jean Monahan at Holy Cross Church. James Bresnahan attended both Holyoke Community College and American International College.
In 1957, Patrick III entered the insurance field with his own agency representing the Travelers Insurance Company, operating from a room in his residence at 131 Jackson Parkway. Around 1959, he joined his father's insurance agency on the sixth floor of the Holyoke National Bank building at 225 High Street.
With Patrick Jr. and Patrick III now in the insurance business, James P. Bresnahan continued the dairy business, which was known as Jim Bresnahan Dairy Products. The business added milk vending machines to its services. In 1968, it was advertised as Holyoke's largest milk vendor, and the business continued into the early 1970s. James Bresnahan thereafter worked for the Massachusetts State Lottery Commission for 20 years.
Citations:
Newspapers.com (paid subscription): Citations: Holyoke (Massachusetts) Transcript & Transcript-Telegram; publication dates and pages are shown.
Ancestry.com (paid subscription): Price & Lee, Holyoke, Massachusetts, City Directories
Record of Births, City of Holyoke, 1898
1911 Richard's Atlas of the City of Holyoke, Massachusetts
