Why Worcester Is Not Capital of Massachusetts

Why Worcester Is Not the Capital of Massachusetts

During the late 18^th Century and the early 19^th Century the capitals of several Atlantic states moved from port cities to inland locations. This did not happen in Massachusetts and Worcester did not become the capital of the Baystate.

There are several reasons for this non event. The first is that the farmers of Massachusetts never were able to become significantly influential in the Commonwealth’s business. The farmers were reduced to being essentially outlaws with the failure of Shay’s Rebellion.

A second reason for Worcester not becoming the Capital is that most of the movements of state capitals inland were to locations easily accessible from the port cities by water or rail. Hartford was connected to New Haven by the Connecticut River and Albany to New York by the Hudson River.

Worcester was connected by river canal and by rail to Providence. During the 19^th Century it was easier to get to Providence from Worcester than it was to get to Boston from Worcester.  Worcester and points west were outside of Boston’s concerns.  There was no need for State offices outside of Boston.

The big change came with the Massachusetts Turnpike. The Worcester bosses were happy that Boston stayed out of their affairs. The Turnpike was to some extent the quickening of Worcester becoming a part of Boston and the reduction of the Worcester bosses.

The old timers in the unions I have spoken with say that the reason the Massachusetts Turnpike was for decades never in Worcester was the bosses wanted to keep  the General Motor assembly plant from being located on Airport Hill.  The Auto Workers during 20^th Century was the most progressive or left large union in the country.

The Worcester bosses won this battle and General Motors built the assembly plant in Framingham. The backward thinking bosses in Worcester still have their negative effects. There is no turnpike connection to the Worcester Airport.

With the improvement of passenger rail service to Worcester and the opening of the Route 146 Turnpike connection, and Route I190 to the twin cities of Leominster-Fitchburg there is a new wheel and spoke of the so called hub of Boston. In many ways Worcester is more of  a hub as it has highways going east.

The material conditions are such that the Commonwealth could begin to consolidate State buildings and jobs into the Worcester area.  The infrastructure exists.  For most people in Massachusetts including Metro West, North Shore, South Shore, Connecticut Valley and Western Massachusetts, it is easier to get to Worcester that it is to get to downtown Boston.

Of course there is no way that the Capital of Massachusetts will move out of Boston nor the Capitol from the Statehouse. The political and historical impediments are just too great.

However the sale of underutilized or obsolete State owned in Boston buildings might be a windfall for the Commonwealth. The construction of more efficient building in the Worcester area might be a money saver and a way to relieve the congested traffic issues of Boston.

Looking to the future along these lines will have to be done. It makes sense to start thinking about them sooner rather than later.

The Great Generation of the 20th Century

Honoring the Great Generation

On June 4, 2016 the City added to its World War II Memorial to the veterans of that war. The main additions are two monoliths with the names of veterans killed.

Previously there was only a circle of military symbols in that area of the Worcester Commons.  This circle is schedule to be made into some sort of fountain.

At times it was not clear to me whether the City was  honoring the veterans or whether the City brought together the veterans as props for this public works project. It was clear that City Manager Augustus has taken some credit for the project and that other City bosses had a nice photo opt.

 It was immediately clear that the veterans were thankful for the event. They were so happy that many went out of their way to shake people’s hands and to chat.

 All World War II veterans are at least in their 80’s. Most like my Dad have passed on. Some are disabled.

 Albert B. Southwick, a writer for a local newspaper, gave the key note speech, He is a World War II. He touched on  the dangers of Fascism and how the brave fighters defeated it. However he used the word “ evil” instead of “fascist”/Mr. 

Southwick being a historian, it was a disappointment that he did not mention the struggle by his generation to overcome the Great Depression created by an irrational capitalist system. The struggle against the impoverishment of the Great Generation by the Great Depression was as dire as the fight against Fascism.  Two of my aunts died then in infancy.

I suppose that it is not Politically Correct to say those things.

There were some war machines on display. I think these things are out of place when honoring the dead or the living for that matter.

 I spoke to one World War II veteran about the “Sherman” tank being used as a prop for photos. He responded that he had seen it.

I could tell from his response that he did not want to talk about it. It might have been because the Sherman tank was a death trap. It could not stop the German Panther tank.

There is a thin line between honoring veterans and glorifying war.

I did not notice one Black or dark skin veteran in the March of Veterans from Front St. to the seating area.  I did notice two Black men  in the audience I know as veterans, although not from World War II.

Of course the obvious questions arose, Was there any efforts made to include so called veterans of color. The struggle for the restoration of the Honor Roll for Veterans of Color has included at least one VFW post with Black Veterans.

When the song “Proud to be an American” played before the National Anthem I cringed. Although well intentioned. The line “at least I know I am free” is a form of slavery denial. I suppose none Black Vets and the controversial song are a reflection of a lack of diversity in the organization of the event, a sort of color blind disparate impact occurrence.

People of that era, veterans, genocide survivors, survivors of the Great Depression, partisans, and displaced people all should be honored. 

Who is Honored at City Hall

The Monuments Near the Worcester Commons

Yesterday  morning a friend called me to get historical information about the Worcester Commons.  She has lived in Worcester the majority of her life. She has seen the commons go through several iterations.

She is too young to have remember the Old South (Congregational) that doubled as a religious meeting house and the Town Hall.  The cemetery in the Commons are of parishioners. The Church still exist on Salisbury St.

She is not too young to remember the so called reflecting pool that only seemed to collect trash and restrict the foot traffic flow through the park. The architect seemed not to have read Jane Jacobs.

The jury is still out on the Oval which doubles as a skating rink in the winter and a sitting/eating area in the summer. I have never used the skating rink, but I like the tables and sun umbrellas in the summer.

Monuments sprinkle the Worcester Commons and nearby area.  Some of them are relatively new.

There is a monument concerning the genocide of Armenian people by the Turks during World War I.  This monument is located on the right hand of the front of City Hall as you face City Hall.

There is also an Irish Cross which symbolizes the 1916 Easter Rebellion by the Irish Republican Army against British rule.

The number of war memorials is surprising. The most surprising is that of the anti-imperialist and anti-racist founder of Worcester Polytechnical Institute, George Hoar. His image sits majestically wondering why the City has not changed much of its war mentality or its racist policies. Mr. Hoar opposed the Spanish American War.

The City has honored Colonel Biglow of Worcester who fought against he British in the War of American Independence.

The Civil War memorial has the names of the 398 soldiers from Worcester who died fighting the racist Confederacy and its system of chattel slavery.

There is a relatively new monument to the brave trooper who gave their lives in the Iraq Wars I and II. I suppose we will have to modify the monument to include Iraq War III.

On the side of City Hall there is a statue of an American GI. This generation fought the Nazis and the Axis of Fascism, Germany, Italy, and Japan government.  The Honor Roll of Black Veterans should be erected next to it, instead of on the isolated traffic island in Lincoln Square.

Across the street from the Worcester Commons is the first Vietnam War memorial. It predates the extravagance in Green Hill Park.  I thought for a while no one knew that it existed, but every once and a while I see flowers there.

A few blocks away is the Korean War memorial. Although the statue is moving, it is pretext. Nonetheless the soldiers who died and fought there performed their duty as they understood it. 

Unfortunately it has the feel of the Western savior. Many more Koreans dies in that Cnflict than Westerners.

The Commons’ character changed when the Worcester Regional Transportation moved it busses to the Hub.

What will the Commons be like with the demolition of Notre Dame and finished construction of City Square?

Worcester, Philadelphia, and Memorial Day

                                             

Worcester, Philadelphia, and Memorial Day

Writing about the missing Honor Roll of Colored Soldier of Worcester has brought up memories of other troopers including my dad, grandfather, father in law, sister in law, cousin, and nephew. They and millions of others have served honorably in  the United States Armed Forces. This column is dedicated to them.

Memorial Day started in the Southern United States near the end of the American Civil War. Many historians attribute the first Memorial Day to the ceremony and decoration of graves of Union soldiers by freed black people. This took place in South Carolina on May 1, 1965. Later in that year soldiers buried in Robert E. Lee’s plantation (now Arlington National Cemetery) were also honored by the United States. This tradition has continued to present day.

Throughout the Southern United States towns began to decorate the graves of Confederate soldiers in May of the year. These events were called Decoration Day. About 30 towns claim to be the originators of Decoration Day from which Memorial Day evolved. Virginia still call the day Decoration Memorial Day.

Memorial Day did not become a national holiday until 1970s. To some extent the day is a national day of remembrance for all deceased loved ones. 

For this Memorial Day I will remember African American soldiers and sailors. I promise to write about other military personnel for future Memorial Days.

Revolutionary War

   African American soldiers fought on both sides of the Revolutionary War. About twenty percent of the American armed forces were African Americans.

    The British who promised emancipation for all formerly enslaved Black soldiers had about 20 000 African Americans in their armed forces. The British promised an end to the institution of slavery should they retain control of the American colonies in rebellion.

War of 1812

   

  After their victory over the British, the American government forbade African American enlistments in the Army. Interestingly this forbiddance did not extend to the U. S. Navy. During the War of 1812 the majority of the American sailors were Black.

Civil War

   

The prohibition against colored troops in the U.S. Army existed until 1862 when segregated regiments were formed. The Union army was constantly in need of soldiers during this conflict in which possibly one million lives were lost.

Curiously the Confederacy in 1865 also tried to form segregated units of enslaved Black men with the promise of emancipation.

     The 54^th and 55^th Massachusetts were Black regiments. The men enlisted in these regiments were mainly from New England, but included men from other states that had no Colored Regiments. Black men from Philadelphia area made up a significant proportion of the 54^th Massachusetts.

  

                           

                                        Civil War Memorial Worcester Commons

        Many Native Indians joined the Colored Regiments as like African American there was a prohibition against their enlistment in the White regiments.

There is a Worcester connection to the Colored Regiments. These are some of the soldiers from Worcester. I recognize the name Toney whose family is still in Worcester.

John S. Brown 18 laborer

George L. Brown 23 barber

William HH Ebbits 22 yeoman

Alexander F. Hemmenway  28 barber

John H. Johnson  23 upholsterer

Philip Lee 21 yeoman

George R. Rome 29 foreman

Henry Toney 32 stonecutter

Elisha Toppin 43 paper hanger

Scouts

   

     There was a special service of the Army which existed until the 1940s. It was Scouts Service.

     Scout have been dramatized on TV and in the movies which depict Native Indians scouts, such as the Apache Scouts fighting against other Native Indians.    

  Not so well know are the Black Seminoles Scouts. These African Americans escaped slavery by seeking refuge with the Seminole Indians of Florida. Florida was rule by Spain until 1821.

   Most of the Black Seminoles were forced by the Indian Removal Act of 1836 to Oklahoma.  In 1849 a group of Black Seminoles migrated to Mexico when they were threatened with enslavement by plantation owners.

    The U.S. Army convinced this group of Black Seminoles to move back to the United States and their men to become Indian Scouts. The Black Seminoles Scouts were disbanded in 1914.

                                 

                                      Philippine Scout and family circa 1945

   

     However the Scout Service continued overseas in the Philippines, where the United Stated took control of that country from Spain in 1898.  After defeating the Spanish the American colonialists fought the native government in Luzon and then Muslim people in Mindanao. 

The new units were Philippine Scouts. They fought with the 10^th Calvary in the Philippine American Wars.

Tenth Calvary and Spanish American War

     The Tenth Calvary was one of four original “Buffalo Soldiers” regiments. It fought in the Indian Wars. It was the main force in the defeat of the Spanish Army at the battles of San Juan and Kettle Hills. Although Theodore Roosevelt and the “Rough Riders” claim other wise

                      

                   

                      10th Cavalry in Cuba.

World War I

   This war was known as the Great War or the War to End All Wars. The two Black or Colored Divisions to see combat in World War I were the 92^nd and 93^rd Divisions. These division had about 40, 000 soldiers.

World War II

     In World War II many Worcester Citizens served in the armed forces.

     The following names are found on the Honor Roll of Colored Citizens in the armed forces. Many of their descendants are still living in Worcester today.

Adamson, Elijah	Harrison, Percy	Prince, Daniel J
Adamson, James	Hawley, Arthur V Jr	Prince, Walter A
Aikens, Mattie	Hawley, Erill	Randall, Geraldine W
Anderson, Kenneth A Jr	Hawley, William L	Richardson, Roland A
Anderson, Roger B	Hazzard, George W	Robbins, Alfred F
Bates, Ernest E	Hazzard, John H	Saunders, Kenneth B
Bates, Frederick S	Hazard, Leon	Schuyler, Webster W
Battle, John A	Hazzard, Leonard	Scott, Lyman E
Benjamin, Theodore R	Hencey, John E Jr	Shropshire, Louis T Jr
Benson, Eugene F	Hencey, Harry W	Smith, Carroll
Benson, William B	Higginbotham, Charles W Jr	Smith, Clarence E Jr
Black, Harold T	Higginbotham, Forrest I	Smith, James M
Boone, Frank	Higginbotham, Gordon H	Smothers, Tolbert Jr
Bostic, Edward S	Hogan, John H Jr	Spence, George O
Bradshaw, Andrew	Hogan, Thaddeus G	Spring, Ellis
Bradshaw, Wesley	Hoose, Howard F	Spring, Eugene R
Brevard, Ernest	Hopewell, Andrew C	Storms, Donald E
Brevard, Paul S	Hopewell, James H	Taylor, Waverly
Brevard, Robert D Jr	Hopewell, Robert D	Teixerla, Edward
Brisbane, James M	Howard, Alonzo E	Tolson, Joseph
Brown, Hadlin H	Jarrett, Robert	Toney, Albert M
Byard, John A	Jarrett, Willard	Toney, Frank A
Carlos, Stanley H	Jenkins, Rozell	Toney, Frederick L
Cato, Roy W	Johnston, Sidney W	Trusedell, Joseph N
Chatfield, Edward L	Johnson, William O	Tyrance, Leslie L
Clark, Robert C	Joyner, John A Jr	Vickers, Edward
Cole, Robert A	Kelley, Harry C	Wade, Robert A
DeBois, Joseph	Kelley, James W	Walley, Reginald H
Delgado, Antone J	Kennard, Henry C	Ward, James G
DeWitt, Arthur	Kennedy, Alfred Jr	Ward, James H
Downes, Clarence	Kennedy, Carlyle M	Wheaton, Bernard A
Dupree, Zack	Lane, Marvin A	White, James R
English, James L	Laws, John S	White, Wilmore H
Farrell, John W	Levicie, Lester P	Wicks, Luther B
Fisher, Earl F	Majors, George E	Williams, James D
Gaylord, Calvin D	Marshal, Ralph	Wilson, Charles F
Goldsberry, John J	Marshal, Robert	Wilson, Ellsworth
Gray, Holmes C	McCorn, William M	Wilson, Elwood P
Hadley, George L	Monroe, Henry D Jr	Wilson, Frank H
Hall, Eugene E	Nelson, William A	Wilson, Franklyn L
Hampton, Everett B Jr	Nevins, John J	Wilson, George M Jr
Hampton, Heywood	Nichols, Walter D Jr	Wilson, Herbert D
Hampton, Mahlon F	Perkins, Leroy D	Wilson, John D
Harper, Wesley H	Perkins, Leslie	Wilson, Leslie M, Jr
Harris, Harold L Jr	Perkins, Walter W	Wilson, Oliver U
Harris, Richard L	Pope, David F	Wilson, Ralph J
Harris, Waverly	Price, George W	Wilson, Robert W
Harris, Willie J	Price, Henry L	Wright, Carroll S
		Wright, Robert C

Korean Conflict

    In 1948 President Harry S. Truman had issued his executive order desegregating the U.S. armed forces. This was not an Act of Congress nor a Constitutional amendment. Any President can re-segregate the armed forces at any time by another executive order.

  

                                                           My Dad with his comrades in Korea

    As with most bureaucracies the U. S. armed forces did not desegregate right away. The 8^th U.S. Army sent to Korea was mostly segregated. The 24^th Infantry regiment was the largest Black regiment to face combat.