The era of diners and dining cars was alive and well in the mid-20th century. One of the more popular spots in Holyoke was the Ross Diner, the subject of today's story.
The founders of the Ross Diner were Joseph and Mae Ross. Joseph Ross, who was originally from Woburn, Massachusetts, entered into a lease for the land with Margaret Kennedy on September 20, 1945. The land had been in the Kennedy family since 1884, when Margaret's father, James Kennedy, acquired it and an adjoining lot from the Holyoke Water Power Company.
Joseph Ross had the dining car built by the Worcester Railway Company, and towed it to Holyoke over back roads at night. Worcester dining cars were a type of restaurant structure popular in the mid-20th century, especially after World War II. The restaurant held its grand opening on April 8, 1946.
Within two weeks of opening, Mr. Ross obtained a permit to build a brick, one-story attached structure to accommodate additional diners. The Paddock dining room also hosted weddings and other banquet functions.
The restaurant itself was popular with workers in the many nearby factories. It was open for a period of time around the clock. Military personnel from nearby Westover Air Force Base also frequented the restaurant for a home-cooked meal. When bars closed for the night and after the nearby Valley Arena events let out, the Ross Diner was the place to go. Lionel Hampton, jazz bandleader and vibraphonist, dined at the restaurant during the times he performed in Holyoke.
The business supported the Boys Club and Brightside children by sponsoring sports teams and providing hot meals.
In 1958, the restaurant installed a pizza oven to expand its menu offerings. The diner advertised menu specials in celebration of its anniversaries.
In 1969, Joseph Ross died. The restaurant continued on with his widow, Mae Ross, and her twin sons, William and Robert Morton.
In 1971, the Mortons acquired the land on which the diner was situated, and the neighboring building at the southeast corner of Cabot and South Summer Streets. At the time, it was Holyoke's only remaining dining car restaurant.
The Mortons sponsored the annual Ross Diner Golf Tournament held at area country clubs.
On January 2, 1989, the Mortons placed a newspaper ad to sell the restaurant and land. Times had changed, and the Mortons wished to retire. On April 28, 1990, the Ross Diner closed for good.
41-year-old Josiah Lupton purchased the dining car. On April 10, 1991, the Ross Diner left Holyoke. It was placed on a flatbed trailer and delivered to its new home on Route 12A in West Lebanon, New Hampshire. It would be renamed The Old Diner, but the Ross Diner name would remain on the dining car for a period of time.
The brick addition, constructed in 1946, remained on Cabot Street for a short time and has not been on the property since at least 1996.
The plan in West Lebanon did not work out, and in 1992, the diner was sold and moved to the Timber Village Mall in Queche, Vermont, where it remains today, still serving food, as it did in 1946.
Citations:
Newspapers.com (paid subscription): Citations include Holyoke (Massachusetts) Transcript & Transcript-Telegram; publication dates and pages shown.
Assessors' Office, City of Holyoke, Massachusetts
Registry of Deeds, Hampden County, Springfield, Massachusetts
