In the two preceding installments, the stories of the Popular Super Market and Bray Park Garden Center were covered. This installment focuses on the man and his family who made these businesses possible and provided home-buying opportunities for hundreds after World War II.
Joseph Roger Mayer was born to Zoel and Marie Louise (Trudel) Mayer on March 6, 1912. His father, who was a carpenter and later part-owner of a saloon, had emigrated from Canada to the United States, arriving on April 1, 1888. The family grew to include 11 living children by 1912, Joseph Mayer being the youngest.
The family settled in South Holyoke, where Joseph Mayer attended the Precious Blood Schools. During World War II, Mr. Mayer served with the Seabees and was stationed in Maui, Hawaii.
It was after World War II that he went into the real estate development business. He and his wife, Florida (Gelinas) Mayer, formed the Elmwood Heights Realty Corporation. It was the start of the baby boom era, and many young families were seeking affordable housing to raise their children. Mr. Mayer's projects filled that need. Mayer Field will be explored in the next installment.
Many of Joseph Mayer's 10 brothers were house builders, constructing about 300 homes in the vicinity of Westfield Rd. Homestead Ave and Whiting Farms Rd. Emile, William and Theodore were closely associated with their brother, Joseph Mayer, with business undertakings.
The following is a list of many of its major land acquisitions planned for subdivisions. The years the land was purchased are shown.
1948 - 50 lots planned- Sunset Manor- Seller, Louise P. Moss
1949 - 20 lots planned - Mayerville - through Chretien Inc.
1949- 50 lots planned- Villa Vista- Seller, Louise P. Moss
1952 - 130 lots planned- Elmwood Heights- Seller Frank G. Bray "Bray's Farm"
If you live or have lived on the following listed streets, it is quite likely that Joseph and Florida Mayer or corporations they controlled, Elmwood Heights Realty Corporation or J & F Construction Company, built your residence. Mayerville was a collaborative effort with Construction Service Inc. of Chicopee, built under Chretien Inc.
Mayer Dr. South
Connecticut St.
Rhode Island St.
Vermont St.
York St.
Memorial Dr.
Franks Dr.
Johns Rd.
McGrady St.
Moss Ave.
Westfield Rd. (sections)
Meadowbrook Rd.
Kane Rd.
McMahon St.
Primrose Ln.
Villa Vista Pk.
Breton Ln.
Upland Rd.
Florida St.
Evergreen Dr.
Whiting Farms Rd.
Gordon Dr.
Lynch Dr.
Jeane Dr.
Bray Pk. Dr.
Erie Ave.
Huron Ave.
Ontario Ave.
Michigan Ave.
Superior Ave.
Downing Ave.
Homestead Ave. (sections)
This list was taken from Plan books researched at the Registry of Deeds and does not include streets that were yet to be named or subsequently renamed. There may be additional streets in these subdivisions and/or other subdivisions. This was intended to display the major projects on both sides of Westfield Rd and the western side of Whitings Farm Rd. that Mr. Mayer developed. Various plans recorded at the Registry of Deeds are displayed below. Unfortunately, not all are as clear as I would have liked.
As an aside, Joseph Mayer wanted to erect a memorial for his nephew, Norman Mayer, who was killed in action during World War II. This park was to be situated at his home on a hillside in the center of Mayer Drive. I'm unsure whether this memorial was installed or later removed.
Mr. Mayer was elected as an Alderman-at-Large in 1953 and 1959, and served as Ward 3 Alderman elected in 1955. He was a major advocate for improvements in and around Memorial Village Park, a topic which will be covered in the next installment.
Mr. Mayer left a lasting legacy with the number of neighborhoods he developed with affordable new homes, the land he owned for his Bray Park Garden Center and the land he sold to develop the Popular Super Market Plaza. He also had other real estate interests in the city.
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
Hampden County Registry of Deeds, Springfield, Massachusetts
December 1948
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