Joseph A. Bonneau was born in St. Isadore, Canada in 1893. His family moved to Pittsfield, Massachusetts when he was a boy, and lived there for several years. In 1917, he enlisted in the military, serving nine months overseas in the air service.
Before his discharge, he served as a master sergeant in charge of recruiting in Holyoke. During the early 1920s, he started working locally as a building contractor. His works included constructing a building at the Belchertown State School and the Ward 2 swimming pool in Holyoke. He continued on with home construction.
In the late 1920s, he became the manager of the Holyoke Warehouse Company at 44 Park Street and Crescent Street. At this location, he established the Mt. Tom Box Company and became the owner of the Holyoke Warehouse Company, which he renamed Holyoke Storage Company.
Mt. Tom Box Company specializes in manufacturing a wide variety of corrugated boxes. Holyoke Storage Company advertised storing motor vehicles and furniture, among other items.
Reviewing Holyoke City Directories, the businesses remained on Park St. until moving to 105 Cabot St. in 1943, a building previously occupied by Farr Alpaca Co. It had taken the first three floors of the Girofsky Building, as it was named.
From 1947 to 1959 the Mt. Tom Box Co. & Holyoke Storage Co. were located on Water St., near Cabot in the former Zeloid plant.
Colonel Bonneau died in 1948 at age 55. He served with distinction in two world wars and was active in military affairs throughout his life.
In 1960, the companies needing additional space moved to 17 Bond Street at the corner of Appleton. This was a former Skinner Silk Mill warehouse, and the companies' offices were located at 11 Newton Street.
In 1971, The Commonwealth of Massachusetts discontinued the Public Warehouseman's license, effectively ending Holyoke Storage Company.
Over the years, Mt. Tom Box Co. has been shown to have 40-60 employees. Although a small company, accounting for several plants this size in Holyoke, it provided a livelihood for many families.
In 1979, the plant announced it was moving to the West Springfield Industrial Park to accommodate further expansion.
Sources of news articles and information:
Newspapers.com (paid subscription): Citations: Holyoke (Massachusetts) Transcript-Telegram; publication dates are shown.
Holyoke Public Library, Holyoke, Massachusetts, City Directories.
Registry of Deeds, Hampden County, Springfield, Massachusetts.
1929-1942
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