In 1919, they incorporated the business as Hegy's Inc. and included the new Springdale plant and remaining buildings on Brown Ave. The business was renamed Hegy's Cleaners and Dyers. The founder's sons, Frank J., Theobald A. J., John B., and George S. Hegy, continued to operate the business. Frank was Treasurer, Theobald President, John B. Vice-President, and George S. Hegy Corporate Secretary.
In September 1919, Frank J. Hegy closed on the purchase of two parcels on Dwight Street opposite City Hall, and east and adjacent to his business in the Pryor building. The $114,000 purchase from Gilbert Potvin, Jr. included space occupied by the Orient Chinese Restaurant and the Davis Company. A week earlier, he also purchased the Prior Building for $100,000. These valuable parcels gave Mr. Hegy 134 feet of frontage on Dwight Street in the central business district.
The restaurant operated under a 10-year lease, and the Davis Company's lease was set to expire in under a year. Mr. Hegy hoped to transfer several departments from the Springdale plant to the Davis space, which would soon be vacated.
In 1925, the company purchased land from the City of Holyoke adjacent to its Main Street plant. In mid-1927, the company connected a storage and cleaning plant to its main plant. The company added an eight-car garage and a cold storage vault with a capacity of 10,000 garments. The company used the garages because they were among the few in the country offering dry cleaning for car upholstery. A.D.T. installed a security system to prevent theft.
In January 1933, Theobald A. J. Hegy died at 52, the same age as his father. He resided at 37 Brown Ave.
In October 1945, Edward S. Frenier, owner of the Highland Laundry, purchased the 920 Main Street plant, along with businesses in Springfield, Westfield, and Northampton. Frank J. Hegy died shortly thereafter in November 1945.
In December 1947, Hegy's Inc. vacated its premises at 519 Dwight Street.
In 1948, Frank E. Kaplan purchased the plant and businesses from Mr. Fredette. Mr. Kaplan was born in Odessa, Russia, arrived in the United States in 1910, lived in New York State until 1927, then moved to Springfield, MA. He and his three brothers operated cleaning plants in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Pennsylvania.
In December 1948, Morris A. and Mollie Rothenberg of Holyoke bought the Hegy's Inc. realty at 525-527 Dwight Street, opposite Holyoke City Hall, for $30,000.
Except for a brief absence while working for another company, George S. Hegy Jr. served as General Manager of Hegy's Inc. Its only location at the time was at 920 Main Street, which handled cleaning, dyeing, plant operations, and customer service.
In 1948, McAuslan-Wakelin added a Hegy's Cleaners & Dyers shop in the basement of its store.
In November 1954, Hegy's Inc. purchased the former Hadley Falls Trust Co. building at 342-344 Dwight Street, at the corner of Main Street. After refurbishing the first floor and exterior, Hegy used the first floor of the three-story building as a cash-and-carry pickup station and laundromat. This was the company's first laundromat in its 77-year history. The company rented out the upper floors. The 1,500-square-foot shop opened on April 16, 1955.
In 1955, the company added a 30' by 15' addition to accommodate drive-up service and an office at 920 Main Street. They also completed a 30-car parking lot.
The final chapter explores the remaining years of Hegy's Cleaners and Dyers.
Citations:
Newspapers.com (paid subscription): Holyoke (Massachusetts) Transcript -Telegram; publication dates and pages shown.
Ancestry.com (paid subscription): Genealogy Records and Price & Lee, Holyoke, Massachusetts, City Directories. Special thanks to Heather Jamieson's comprehensive Hegy family genealogy, which contributed to this story.
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