When researching electrical contractors that started in the late 19th or early 20th century and which enjoyed longevity, names that come to mind include Roland T. Oakes & Company and Haskell Electric Co. Today's topic focuses on a third, which began operations in the 1920s, the Crane Electric Construction Company.
Dominick G. Crane was born in Holyoke on August 17, 1898, to Michael and Julia (O'Donnell) Crane, who had emigrated from Ireland during the 1880s. Dominick was the youngest of 7 living children shown on the 1900 and 1910 U.S. Federal Census. His father was a laborer at the Farr Alpaca Company, and the family lived at 120 Race Street, a street name prominent in this composition.
Dominick Crane resided at 277 Park Street in 1924 and was listed as an electrician in the City Directory. A year later, he relocated to 651 South Summer Street with his wife Sophie (Kuenzel) Crane. At the time, he was employed by the Roland T. Oakes concern.
In November 1928, Dominick Crane formed a corporation to conduct a construction and electrical engineering business. He was the President and Robert E. Bacon, the Treasurer, of the new Crane Electric Construction Company. The place of business throughout its existence was 238 Race Street. Sophia Crane was the company's bookkeeper.
The company rented or leased the real estate at 238 Race Street from John H. Woods from 1928 to 1936, then from Holyoke Savings Bank from 1936 to 1939. On December 1, 1939, Sophia Crane purchased the property, consisting of two lots at 230 to 238 Race Street, from the bank. The Crane family moved from their apartment at 292 Maple Street to 238 Race Street after acquiring the property.
The company performed extensive work in the mills, including electric motors, lighting, switchboards and power systems. The company also performed many wiring tasks, as well as theater electrical work and sound equipment.
In 1929, the company introduced Philco radios for sale. For a time, space was rented at 241 Maple Street to sell the Philco line of radios.
In 1935, the company used 20,000 feet of wiring to install new chimes at St. Jerome Church. Two years later, it was awarded the contract to wire the new Chapel of the Little Flower at St. Patrick's Church in South Hadley. In the late 1940s, the company was awarded a $5,000 contract to wire a new building at Westover Air Force Base.
In the early 1950s, the company performed all the wiring work at Holyoke Water Power Company's new Hydroelectric Station. In 1961, the company was one of several that volunteered labor and materials to add 200-amp service to the Holyoke Boys Club. 20 electricians participated in this charitable endeavor.
The business continued to operate for about 42 years before Dominick Crane retired. On June 20, 1972, the real estate consisting of two parcels from 230 to 238 Race Street was sold to the neighboring New England Etching Company, Incorporated (NECI). The parcels were subsequently razed, and a new 10,000-square-foot addition was constructed by P. A. Pearson Associates for NECI in 1974.
Citations:
Newspapers.com (paid subscription): Citations: Holyoke (Massachusetts) Transcript & Transcript-Telegram; publication dates and pages are shown.
Ancestry.com (paid subscription): Price & Lee, Holyoke, Massachusetts, City Directories
Massachusetts Cultural Research & Information System, Boston, Massachusetts
No comments:
Post a Comment