Longmeadow's Memorial Day Celebration 99 Years Ago!

Memorial Boulder
on the Longmeadow Town Green

In 1922 Memorial Day was celebrated on Tuesday, May 30th.  This Memorial Day in Longmeadow, MA was a special celebration, because following the parade the Memorial Boulder on the Town Green was unveiled and dedicated.  Maj.Gen. Clarence R. Edwards was the invited guest speaker to address the large crowd that had gathered.  He had been the commander of the 26th (Yankee) Division in France in the "World war" (WWI).  The Memorial Boulder was a 16 ton granite boulder that had been donated by Mrs. Joseph Wesson with the aid of her son-in-law Flynt Lincoln (of 161 Forest Glen Road).  A bronze plaque located on the boulder was inscribed with the names of Longmeadow town residents who lost their lives in earlier wars and WWI, in addition to those who served during WWI.

Longmeadow Town Green- ca. 1925
Source: Longmeadow Historical Society

After the dedication and honored speakers were finished, the guests were led into the Longmeadow Cemetery to pay their respects to the brave soldiers.  In the cemetery George A. Beal was honored.  This young man was the first soldier from Longmeadow, MA who died during WWI.  He died a few months after enlisting.  There were a total of three Longmeadow men that made the ultimate sacrifice during World War I.  They were George A. Beal, R. S. McNair and Albert T. Wood.

 
Sources: Through The Lens Longmeadow Into The New Century 1890- 1920 by Judy and Jim Moran,  Springfield Republican- Jun 3, 1918, May 31, 1922, Arkansas Gazette- Feb 15, 1931 and Springfield Union-  May 25, 1959. 

~Written by Judy Moran         

Was This Block of Stores the Second "Longmeadow Shops"?

Block of Stores
on Corner of Longmeadow Street and South Park Avenue
Current Photo- 2021

Around the 1920's as more and more families moved to Longmeadow, MA more businesses also located here.  One of the businesses was the A. H. Phillips grocery store.  This store was one in a chain of grocery stores in the Connecticut Valley area that Alvin H. Phillips, Sr. founded.  He was a self made businessman who was born in Saco, Maine in 1871.  Mr. Phillips began his career as a "commercial traveler" (salesman) and then opened his first grocery store on Main Street in Springfield, MA.  Another grocery store was opened on Walnut Street in Springfield and the chain eventually grew to 189 grocery stores.  Mr. Phillips was one of the first businessmen to realize that he could reduce the cost of products to customers by mass purchasing the items and then selling them.

Alvin H. and Mary Phillips and their children lived in Springfield and then moved to 32 Longmeadow Street in Longmeadow before moving back to Springfield.  Mr. Phillips saw business potential in Longmeadow and he opened a new grocery store in 1921 at the Colonnade (that was located at the corner of Longmeadow Street and Bliss Road).  His biggest rival, The Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company, was already at this location.

Click here to read an earlier story about the Colonnade: Was the Colonnade the First "Longmeadow Shops"?

In the South Park Terrace area many more families were moving in.  In 1922 Mr. Phillips built a new block for seven stores on the corner of Longmeadow Street and South Park Avenue.  His A. H. Phillips grocery store relocated there.  In 1926 not only was his grocery store located there, but also a tailor, a baker, a meat retailer, a drug store and a shoe repairer.  The town of Longmeadow was growing and there were more choices for shopping.  The A. H. Phillips grocery store remained in this block of businesses until 1940.

An Advertisement for A. H. Phillips, Inc.
Specials for the July 4, 1933 Holiday

Source: Springfield Republican- Jun 30, 1933

Note:  In the above Ad the Grocery Manager and the Meat Manager are identified for the Longmeadow Store (in the upper right hand corner). 

 

Bottles of milk with the name A. H. Phillips were sold in his grocery stores.  Below is a half pint glass milk bottle.   

When Mr. Phillips died in 1950 at the age of 79 years he was still very active in running his grocery store chain.  In 1951 many of the stores in his large chain were sold to Popular Markets, Inc.  

Places of Business in 1926 in the block at the corner of Longmeadow Street and South Park Ave.
Source:  1926 Longmeadow Directory. 

Tailor & Repairer-      Benjamin Hirst            149 Longmeadow Street
Baker-                        Mrs. Ade E. Fox           151 Longmeadow Street
Meats Retail-              William D. Sullivan     153 Longmeadow Street
Grocer-                       A. H. Phillips, Inc.       155 Longmeadow Street
Shoe Repairer-           Frank Zito                     157 Longmeadow Street
Druggist-                     Bennett's Pharmacy     159 Longmeadow Street

Sources:  Springfield Republican- Mar 9 1921, Aug 31 1922 and Jan 27, 1923, Springfield Union- Aug 8, 1950 and Jul 02, 1952, 1917,  1920 and 1926 Longmeadow Directory.   

~Written by Judy Moran