Warsaw Restaurant

 The story of the Warsaw restaurant, which was a popular dining spot for serving Polish food during much of the 20th century, begins at 130 High Street in 1924. The restaurant was in the Fuller Building, which dates back to the mid-19th century and is located in one of Holyoke's first commercial districts.

Thomas Witek and his brother-in-law, Joseph Stopa, opened the Warszawski Rooming House at 128 High Street and the Warszawski Restaurant at 130 High Street in 1924. Both businesses were located in the Fuller Block at the corner of High and Oliver Street. Thomas Witek also operated a restaurant at 117 Lyman Street, according to the 1924 Price & Lee Holyoke City Directory. 

Joseph Stopa left the partnership soon thereafter, opening his restaurant at 119 High Street in 1925.

Thomas and his wife, Aniela "Nellie" (Grzesik) Witek, operated the restaurant from 1925 to 1945. After her husband's death in 1949, Aniela Witek continued to operate the rooming house until 1953.

Joseph Witek was issued a building permit in March 1945, as he planned to consolidate two store spaces at 137 High Street into one restaurant. 

The new Warsaw Restaurant opened on March 18, 1946, in the Stratton Block at 137 High Street. This was an older building across the street from the Warszawski, constructed in the 1860s. It was three stories, with two apartments on the upper floors. 

The new owners were Thomas and Aniela Witek's son and daughter-in-law. Joseph and Gladys (Szarek) Witek. Gladys Witek had worked at the Warszawski Restaurant since marrying Joseph in 1937. 

The restaurant was noted for serving an assortment of specialty Polish dishes and benefited from the heavily populated Polish Ward 4 section of Holyoke. Mater Dolorosa, the Polish Catholic church, was located a block and a half away on Lyman Street, and at the time, many residents lived in neighborhoods close to their church. 

Joseph Witek died in January 1965. The restaurant continued to operate for several months and was sold to Joseph Bogdanowicz in June 1965. 

Mr. Bogdanowicz operated Michael's Market across the street from the restaurant at 140 High Street. He took over the restaurant operation on June 14, 1965, and planned to sell the market he had operated for twenty years.

Due to health issues, Mr. Bogdanowicz and co-owner Sophie Mozeleski closed the restaurant in 1968. They held a grand re-opening on November 1, 1971. The business remained open until 1994, when the owners retired. The location and owners may have changed; however, the Warsaw Restaurant was enjoyed by many, serving Polish food in Holyoke for nearly 70 years.

Citations:

Newspapers.com (paid subscription): Citations: Holyoke (Massachusetts) Transcript & Transcript-Telegram; Springfield (Massachusetts) Republican; publication dates and pages are shown.

Price & Lee City Directories, Holyoke, Massachusetts, Holyoke Public Library.

1911 Richard's Atlas of the City of Holyoke, Massachusetts

MACRIS: Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System

                                    137 High Street location of the Warsaw Restaurant 1945-1994.

1911 Richard's Atlas: 

1924-1945 Location of the Warszawski Restaurant 130 High Street cor. Oliver Street

Google Maps View of 128-130 High Street (now 126 High Street)

August K. Gander, Tailor

 Every so often, I will encounter the name of an individual who served the public in a small business, and it will capture my interest. This was the case with August Gander, a tailor who operated on High Street. 

The Price & Lee City Directories indicate the number of tailors in Holyoke for the years identified:

1893 - 7

1903 - 15

1923 - 31 

1945 - 25

In the mid- to late 2010s, I saw a photo taken at some point in the 1940s of the Tuttle Building, located at the southwest corner of High and Essex Streets. Prominently displayed inside the second-floor window was an approximate 8 by 18-inch placard, showing August K. Gander Tailor.

August Gander was born in Silesia, Germany, on March 24, 1862. He immigrated to the United States with his wife and son and settled in Holyoke in 1888. One of his first recollections was the mountains of snow deposited by a record-breaking blizzard. 

He learned his craft in Germany under a strict apprenticeship system. Upon his arrival in the U.S., he worked for two tailors: Max A Marsh on Main Street and Jacob Hirt on High Street. 

In 1897, he ventured out independently, first operating a shop on High Street between Cabot and Essex Streets, which also housed Brown's Produce. In 1904, he moved to the Tuttle Block at the corner of Essex and High Street.

He married the former Hulda Blondine Mueller in 1887. They resided at 298 Elm Street, where they raised their seven children for many years. The couple marked their 60th anniversary in 1947.

Mr. Gander was active with the Holyoke Turn Verein on South Bridge Street. He was a special events floor director and a singer on other occasions. At the 72nd anniversary of the Turn Verein held in 1943, August Gander was presented a gold pin, signifying his 50 years as a club member. He was also a member of the Teutonia Lodge of the Sons of Hermann.

As a tailor, he made suits and clothing for some who became prominent at a national and state level. At age 80, he continued to work full-time, arriving at his shop at 7:30 each morning, and his work became more cleaning and pressing clothes. To the latter, he used a fifteen-pound iron to perform his trade.

He continued to work until he was 87 and retired in December 1949, several months after his wife died. He had been engaged as a tailor for 62 years in the United States and had seen eight landlords during his 52 years in the Tuttle Block.

On good weather days, at age 90, he would walk from his apartment on Elm Street, near Sargeant Street, to City Hall and back home. August Gander died in 1957 at the age of 95.

Citations:

Newspapers.com (paid subscription): Citations: Holyoke (Massachusetts) Transcript & Transcript-Telegram; publication dates and pages are shown.

Price & Lee City Directories, Holyoke, Massachusetts, Holyoke Public Library.

Google Maps, 910 Hampden Street, Nov. 2020

Photo Credit: MACRIS 1970s

Location of August Gander's Tailor Shop - 445-447 High Street