A new era at a new location was about to begin for the A. T. Gallup Company. Some 19 years earlier, in 1920, business associates and friends were congratulatory on Mr Gallup's acquisition of property on what was called "Holyoke's Most Valuable Corner," the corner of High and Suffolk streets.
Now, in 1939, A. T. Gallup Company was relocating. Once again, business associates and friends were congratulatory on Mr Gallup's acquisition of property on what was called "Holyoke's Most Valuable Corner." Yes, Mr. Gallup purchased the Dunbar building at 302 High Street and moved his store to the southeast corner of High and Suffolk Street. Dunbar-Murray Inc., a clothing store, was moving to 290 High Street.
A.T. Gallup Co. had operated since 1934 under two three-year leases with the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. Met Life was in negotiations with Schnee and Schnee, the Bridgeport real estate company, to sell the portion of the building that A. T. Gallup occupied. In the previously reviewed articles, Schnee and Schnee owed money to A. T. Gallup and others when they entered bankruptcy several years earlier. This may have precipitated the search for a new location, one Mr. Gallup would own and have control over.
The history of the Dunbar building will be reviewed in future episodes, as will the follow-up on the former A.T. Gallup location at 293-297 High Street.
As part of the purchase, A. T. Gallup leased to M. Hirsch & Sons, jewelers, the space at 306 High Street. The jewelry store was moving from 187 High Street. As part of the move, the Hirsch concern obtained permission to move the sidewalk clock, which stood at 187 High Street, to its new location. The Holyoke Board of Public Works granted permission for the relocation of the clock.
In February 1940, a fire destroyed the farmhouse, barns, and orchard of A. T. Gallup in South Hadley. One month later, the entire property was sold to Beatrice Brunelle, who, along with her husband, Alphonse, had been leasing it from Mr. Gallup.
In 1942, Mr. Gallup celebrated fifty years in the clothing business. William J. Mills of Besse-Mills Clothiers, also a 50-year retailer who started in the Windsor building, was on hand to celebrate with him.
In October 1943, Augustus T. Gallup sold his 8-room 247 Oak Street residence to Murvil Burnett of Northampton. Mr. Burnett operated the Sinclair oil station at 1607 Northampton Street.
Significant changes were on the horizon in 1945, signifying the beginning of a new chapter in the A. T. Gallup Company history.
Citations:
Newspapers.com (paid subscription): Citations: Holyoke (Massachusetts) Transcript & Transcript-Telegram; publication dates and pages are shown.
Parade Photo Credit: Facebook, Growing Up in Holyoke, Massachusetts
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