122-124 High Street ~ Daly's Hotel ~ (The Final Chapter 1940-1982)

 Amazingly, the story of Daly's Hotel namesake originated from the brief period Timothy and Bridget Daly operated the establishment in the 1930s. The building stood from about the mid-1860s until 1982, and the Dalys operated it for seven years. 

Over the next 46 years, there were business leases to the various tavern and rooming house proprietors. The proprietors included Timothy and Bridget Daly (1933-1940), Michael Frodyma (1940-1957), and Thaddeus Makowski (1957-1959). 

In 1959, Stanley J. Wielgosz Sr. became the manager of the business, and he continued to own the real estate he acquired in 1936. He was also proprietor of Yoerg's Garage on Chesnut Street, which he purchased in 1952.

Daly's Hotel continued on as a tavern and rooming house into the early 1980s. On a sub-zero early winter's morning on January 19, 1982, a fire started by an improperly disposed cigarette, resulting in a significant fire. Two lives were lost. 

Firefighter Raymond Deshaies suffered significant injuries when a brick wall collapsed atop the cab of the fire truck he was about to enter. He died the following day. Raymond "Sarge" Finn, a retired Air Force sergeant and boarder at Daly's, also perished. Sixteen other boarders were able to exit the building safely. Thankfully, smoke alarms had been installed in the building.

This marked the end of a standing structure at 122-124 High Street. The debris was cleared, and Wernick Furniture Company purchased the empty land in March 1985, converting it into a parking lot for their customers. The liquor license was transferred in the preceding year to Good Ole Days on Northampton Street.

Citations:

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

Ancestry.com (paid subscription), Price & Lee City Directories, Holyoke, Massachusetts.

Registry of Deeds, Hampden County, Springfield, Massachusetts

                                                                                                                          

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122-124 High Street ~ Hotel Washington and Daly's Hotel, The Early Years (Part 3-1920-1940)

 Three hotels came and went with varying degrees of success during the first twenty years of the 20th century. Andrej Rogowski, who purchased the building at the foreclosure sale held in late July 1920, owned a restaurant at 117 Lyman Street. 

The hotel was renamed the Hotel Washington and Lunch, and Mr. Rogowski partnered with Stanley Wielgosz in its operation. The new hotel and restaurant opened on September 25, 1920. The grand opening featured an orchestra and a souvenir for every patron. Waitstaff service was available from 10 A.M. to 9 P.M. for lunch and dinner service. 

By 1933, after the restaurant turned over with several operators, Timothy J. & Bridget V. Daly took over the renamed Daly's Hotel Washington Lunch. They advertised the availability of beer and lunch. On March 2, 1935, the grand opening of Daly's dine and dance hall was celebrated on the second floor of Daly's Hotel.

In September 1936, Josephine Rogowski, who had acquired the building from her spouse in 1929, sold it to Stanley Wielgosz Sr. 

The Dalys continued to operate the business until 1940. Daly's Hotel finally had a name that it would carry forward.

The story of Daly's Hotel from the 1940s to its tragic fire in 1982 continues in the final installment.

Citations:

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

Ancestry.com (paid subscription), Price & Lee City Directories, Holyoke, Massachusetts.

Registry of Deeds, Hampden County, Springfield, Massachusetts

122-124 High Street ~ Hotel Carmody, Hotel Gorman & Hotel Polski (Part 2-1900-1920)

 After being operated as a tenement building with furnished and unfurnished rooms, the use of the S.J. Donohue Building transitioned into more of a hotel operation in the 20th century. Today's installment centers on three hotels that operated at 122-124 High Street from 1900 to 1920.

The first of the three was the Hotel Carmody. The estate of Honora (Donahue) Manning, who died in May 1899, was in a state of flux, as her two sisters were contesting a will drawn near her time of death. In 1900, the estate entered into a five-year lease for the building and its operation to Patrick F. Carmody at $75 per month, far below its market value. Mr. Carmody secured a liquor license and offered beers, ales, porters, and liquors.

In February 1905, the estate matters were sufficiently settled, and the trustees sold the building to Honora Manning's sisters, Annie M. O'Connor and Mary T. Buckley, for $15,500. A new lease went into effect with Mr. Carmody at $125 per month, remaining below market value for the business. Three months later, Mr. Carmody purchased the building from the sisters.

On June 30, 1909, Patrick F. Carmody sold the building and business to Edward Gorman, who renamed the company the Hotel Gorman. Richard W. Powers joined in to form a partnership with Mr. Gorman.

On July 10, 1916, Edward Gorman sold the real estate and business to Peter Job, Alexander Swinicki, Edward Swinicki, and John Wyszatycki. A new company was formed, and the hotel's name was changed to the Hotel Polski. 

This enterprise encountered difficulties with the legal authorities. Partner Alexander Swinicki left the business in 1916, Peter Job in 1918, and Edward Swinicki in 1919. The license was suspended for violating the Sunday alcohol selling laws and the production of wood alcohol, which resulted in illness and death. Illegal alcohol was seized during raids. 

Patrick F. Carmody reentered the picture, as the owners in September 1917 had borrowed $34,000 and were in default in their payments to him. Mr. Carmody foreclosed on the mortgage and, in July 1920, sold the property for $30,000 to Andrew Rogowski, a High Street restaurant owner. In the twentieth century, a new owner meant a new hotel name. The business was now known as the Hotel George Washington, soon renamed the Hotel Washington. 

The story continues with the Hotel Washington and Daly's Hotel in the next installment of 122-124 High Street.

Citations:

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

Ancestry.com (paid subscription), Price & Lee City Directories, Holyoke, Massachusetts.

Registry of Deeds, Hampden County, Springfield, Massachusetts