In-Wee-Go

Heading north on Route 5, just beyond the Delaney House Restaurant at the intersection of Smith's Ferry Road, is the headquarters of Local 596, Construction and Construction Laborers Union. This building was erected in 1967; however, this topic concerns the business that preceded it: the In-Wee-Go Drive-in. 

On Valentine's Day, 1949, Elaine Wade and Joseph Ross purchased land on Northampton Highway from Patrick J. Kennedy Jr., on which they built the In-Wee-Go, a luncheonette and car hop. Holyoke City Directories dating back to 1941 showed this property as vacant. In May 1950, Ross transferred his ownership interest to Elaine Wade.

I could not locate news articles or advertisements about this business's Grand Opening. The first news account appeared in June 1950, when Elaine Wade received approval from the City of Holyoke to renew the common victualer's license for the In-Wee-Go luncheonette.

On November 25, 1952, Nathan Hatez, a restauranteur leasing the Puritan Diner at 1608 Northampton Street, executed a lease to operate the In-Wee-Go Drive-In. Hatez heavily promoted the restaurant through a series of newspaper advertisements. The five-year lease expired at the end of 1956. 

In 1958, Elaine Wade transferred the real estate to herself and Winifred Reardon as co-owners. In March 1959, a two-year lease to operate the In-WeeGo was signed by lessee Irving R. Hirshfield. The business name was changed to Hervey's.

In 1962, the real estate was foreclosed and sold to Max C. Krumpholz, who held the mortgage. He was the owner of Pickup Motors Company located on Elm Street.

In 1963, the business was leased to Peter Stathis, and the name reverted to In-Wee-Go. After Peter Stathis, the business was leased to Richard Woodley, who lived in a house trailer on the property. In May 1966, a fire struck the restaurant. 

In March 1967, Max Krumpholz sold the real estate to the Trustees of the Construction and General Laborers' Union #596. The ground-breaking for the new Labor Union building occurred shortly thereafter in June. The construction of the union hall was to be completed in two months.

Source of news articles: Newspapers.com (paid subscription), Citations, Holyoke Massachusetts Transcript-Telegram; Publication dates are shown.

Ferguson Steam Laundry & Dye Works (Away from the Canals, Edition 2)

Many have traveled up Hampden Street and have noticed the New England Archives Company, located near the intersection of Lincoln Street. Today's post explores the history of this building.

Archibald Ferguson, born in Scotland in 1842, emigrated to Pawtucket, Rhode Island, in 1869. Their stay was short, as the Ferguson family moved to Holyoke in 1873. In 1884, Archibald Ferguson opened City Dye Works at 386 High Street. The business cleaned, dyed, repaired, and altered apparel. He continued to operate the company at this location until 1900. 

On September 17, 1895, Mr. Ferguson purchased land from Henry J. Whitaker at 210-218 West Hampden Street (later renumbered 622 Hampden Street). On this land, the Ferguson Steam Laundry and Dye Works was constructed. This 175'x50' spacious one-and-a-half-story building accommodated modern laundry and dyeing equipment. The firm employed 40 and housed five teams of horses in a barn on the property used for making deliveries. The business office would remain at 386 High Street, and the West Hampden Street location started operations on April 2, 1900.

Various contractors were enlisted to erect this building, including John St. John (brickwork), Gibson (roofing), Lyman (plumbing), Kilbride (steam fitting), Polson (gas piping), Cooley (painting), and Parfitt (lettering).

In January 1920, Mr. Ferguson announced plans to close the business, dismantle the equipment, and make the necessary alterations to convert the space into a large garage. Previously, there had been interest in a silk mill moving to the premises. 

However, Archibald Ferguson died at age 77 in 1920. The building's plans did not come to fruition, and the Orange Savings Bank, which held the mortgage, foreclosed on the property and sold it on February 21, 1921.

It is noteworthy that Archibald Ferguson ventured into constructing brick tenement blocks. He erected buildings in Avon Place, Commercial Street, Plymouth Place, and two large apartment blocks in Ferguson Place. He also served two terms on the Board of Alderman in Holyoke.

Source of news articles: Newspapers.com (paid subscription): Holyoke (Massachusetts) Transcript-Telegram

Early 1900s photo: Source Holyoke: Past and Present, Progress and Prosperity, Historical and Industrial Notes (1910)

21st Century Photo.

1895 Deed ~ Henry J Whitaker sells real property on Hampden Street to Archibald Ferguson

Puritan Diner

During the mid-twentieth century, several diners dotted Holyoke's landscape for about 40 years. These included the Ross Diner, Holyoke Diner, Rene's Diner, and another informally known as the King of Diners, which will be the subject of a future post. The Puritan Diner, located at 1608 Northampton St, operated in Holyoke for 35 years.

The Puritan Diner was situated just south of Shawmut Avenue. It was constructed in 1928 by the Wason Manufacturing Company of Springfield, Mass., which produced passenger coaches and streetcars in the 19th and 20th centuries. For its time, the Puritan Diner was considered the latest in restaurant buildings and a self-contained unit. 

Robert Everett Newcomb, a Holyoke native and Cornell University Mechanical Engineering graduate, owned the Puritan Diner. From 1908 to 1929, he was employed as a mill superintendent for the Deane Works of Worthington Pump and Machinery Corporation. He held several patents for variable-speed electric motors.

He also owned the Puritan Gas Company, a distributor of gasoline lubricating and fuel oils to industrial concerns throughout New England. A gasoline station was located at High/Maple/South Streets, and when the diner was built, a second station was erected adjacent to it at 1600 Northampton Street. 

Mr. Newcomb first leased the diner to George F. Young, a resident of Sommerville, Mass., and a graduate of Holy Cross College. From this point forward, he either operated or leased the business to various restauranteurs into the early 1960s. The restaurant operated on a 24-hour schedule until World War II.

Probably the most notable leasee was restauranteur Nathan Hatez. Mr. Hatez operated the Puritan Diner from 1946 to 1952. Thereafter, he operated the Star Restaurant at the corner of High and Essex Streets, the In-Wee-Go Drive-In on Northampton Highway, Gus' Diner on Northampton Street, and Lang's on Main Street.

The Puritan Diner building was expanded to accommodate additional seating in 1939. 

In the early 1960s, a lessee encountered significant legal problems, and the restaurant was closed for some time. Hopes were renewed when new operators from Vermont reopened the restaurant in January 1963; however, in March 1963, the diner closed. It was demolished in 1964 to make way for the expansion of a neighboring gas station.

Source of news articles: Newspapers.com (paid subscription); Citations Holyoke (Massachusetts) Transcript-Telegram: publication dates are shown.

1950s

2018