Radio Script #665

Little Talks on Common Things

November 7, 1965

Nearly fifty-seven years ago, in January. 1909 all Waterville was astir with controversy concerning the site of the new post office. The postal department in Washington had decided that the Waterville office must have larger and more easily accessible quarters than those provided in the old post office on Common Street. As usual the federal authorities were quite willing to let the local city government select a site, provided it would meet the federal needs as to space, ease of access, and other considerations. The local government, seeking advice from citizens, had asked the Waterville Board of Trade to investigate and make a recommendation. The Board of Trade had therefore set up a committee headed by Dr. J. F. Hill.

Three sites were soon under consideration. One was the Snell lot on the east side of Front Street. next to the river. Another was the Haines lot on Main Street, where later were erected the Haines Theater and the Professional Building. The third was the so-called heater piece at the junction of Main and Elm Streets.

A leader in the movement to obtain a new post office was Frank Redington. At a meeting held in City Hall on January 12, 1909 Mr. Redington expressed the fear that failure to decide promptly on a site might lose altogether the appropriation set up for the new building. He explained that the Board of Trade had finally succeeded, through Congressman Burleigh. in getting a Congressional appropriation of $120.000 for a new post office in Waterville, of which $25,000 was allotted to pay for a site.

Then Mr. Redington stated that the committee set up by the Board of Trade had accepted the Haines lot on his recommendation. Then the committee had decided to ask the Congressman to hold up final decision in Washington until a local decision could be reached regarding the heater piece. Redington then suggested that a definite proposal concerning the heater piece be taken to Washington by a sub-committee or by one man, or that any suggestion as to site be abandoned and the government be permitted to choose a location unhampered by local advice. Mr. Redington was frank to say that his first choice would be on Silver Street — a location that had not previously been mentioned and that, in order, he would next prefer the Snell lot on Front Street, the heater piece, and the Haines lot.

Dr. Thayer advised that they put an end to talk and get down to business. He said we must not pass the buck to Washington. The thing to do was to determine what a majority of our people want, and the way to find out would be to hold a mass meeting.

Hon. William T. Haines was asked to explain about his lot. He said he had intended to keep out of what he knew would be a controversial matter, but at the request of Postmaster Heald he had finally consented to submit a price on his lot at the corner of Main and Appleton Streets. Subsequently a federal inspector arrived in town and found the Haines lot suitable. Mr. Haines said he had done nothing either locally or in Washington to promote the choice of his lot. He said it made little difference to him where the post office was located. It was simply a matter that his lot was for sale and the government could have it at the price he had stated. Mr. Haines did say that he regarded a rectangular lot preferable to the heater piece triangle at Main and Elm Streets. Herbert Emery proposed that a public meeting be held at an early date. His motion was passed unanimously, and a committee composed of Horace Purinton, Frank Redington and J. F. Hill was appointed to make the arrangements.

A few days later Waterville citizens were startled to read at their breakfast tables the news that a delegation from Waterville had appeared in Washington and had secured the promise of federal authorities to place the new post office on the heater piece. Three men had made the trip to the national capital: Horace Purinton, J. F. Hill and Denis Bowman

When the trio returned to Waterville, they reported that they had gone to Washington on their own responsibility and did not represent any person or organization. The Waterville Sentinel declared: “Persons who want the post office on a lot other than the heater piece were a bit curious to know what right these men had to go to Washington in the way they did. All citizens eagerly await their report at the coming meeting.”

The next day the Sentinel had more to say on the subject: “As the matter now stands, the government has selected the Haines lot, but is withholding final decision pending an expression of opinion by the people. People not influenced by special interests probably prefer the heater piece. Nearly everyone admits that this is an ideal location. By clearing the land back to the Unitarian Church on Main and to the Public Library on Elm Street, there would be created one of the best civic beauty spots in all New England. Nearby would be the Baptist Church, Monument Park and Coburn. In front would be the Elmwood Square with its little park and beautiful trees. We would thus have a big area, right in the heart of the city, devoted to parks and public buildings. Most of College Avenue up to the Maine Central station will in time be covered with college buildings. Scattering lots down Elm Street would doubtless be taken for some of the best residences. In 50 years the whole section from the railroad station to Temple Street would be built up in a way that would surpass anything in Maine. This all may be a very ambitious scheme, but Waterville is equal to it.”

While there were still protests that the three who went to Washington had acted secretly to undercut the supporters of the Haines site, the Sentinel after a few days reported that all seemed to be settled, and that the post office would be built at the junction of Main and Elm Streets.

What had happened to the proposed mass meeting? On January 22 the Sentinel reported: “A special meeting of the Board of Trade last evening was a short horse soon curried. President Purinton asked Dr. Hill to report for the committee set up to arrange for a mass meeting regarding the post office site. Dr. Hill said his committee now believed the Board of Trade should not call a mass meeting, but should let the city government do it. John Nelson protested that it seemed strange that these gentlemen should have gone to Washington in the interests of the heater piece, when at a meeting of the Board of Trade it had been definitely decided not to make any decision, but to obtain prevailing public opinion at a mass meeting. Dr. Hill replied with some heat that the men had gone to Washington simply as private citizens and others had exactly the same privilege. He didn’t see how anyone could consider their action dishonorable. Nelson replied that he had not called it dishonorable, but only unfair. The hot discussion was ended when Reuben Dunn moved that the report be accepted, and it was so voted without opposition.

On January 27 the Sentinel announced that Secretary of the Treasury Cortelyou had publicly stated the choice by the government of the heater piece site for the Waterville post office.

Meanwhile Mayor Bunker had called a mass meeting for the evening of the 29th, and in commenting on the Treasury Secretary’s announcement the Sentinel said: “The formal acceptance of this location by the government will not stop the mass meeting which has been called by the Mayor. Once the government has decided on the heater piece, however, there is little that can be done. The government can, if it wishes, seize property by eminent domain.”

Not all of the large crowd that attended the mass meeting on the 29th were ready to let matters rest. They didn’t agree with the Sentinel that nothing could be done. On the morning of the 30th the Sentinel said of the meeting: “There was a feeling of irritation over the way the matter had been handled by members of the Board of Trade. Herbert Emery stoutly defended the three men who had gone to Washington. He contended the heater piece had never been adequately presented to the government. In other words, the Haines and the Snell lots need no further presentation, while the heater piece did.

“A bitter argument arose about the fire station. As now occupying part of the land needed for the post office, if that building should be built on the heater piece, the fire station would have to go. A new fire station would have to be built, and financially that would interfere with the city’s desperate need of a new high school.

“John Nelson said he had been a member of the general committee to examine all lots, but soon found a group working strenuously for the heater piece to the exclusion of all other consideration. Nelson said he was willing to fight and get licked, but he didn’t want to be sandbagged. He was a committee member, but no one had ever consulted him about a delegation going to Washington.”

Evidently some humor saved the day, for the Sentinel reported: “A cross fire of questions between Emery and Nelson carried considerable laughter.

“Mr. Emery finally moved that it be the sense of the meeting that the new post office be built on the heater piece. The two sides were pretty equally divided on the noisy yeas and nays, and a division was called. Those favoring the heater piece lined up on one side of the hall, those opposed on the other side. Mayor Bunker declared the motion carried.”

As everyone now knows, the post office was built at the junction of Main and Elm Streets, a huge building at its opening time, and considered adequate for a hundred years. Now, half a century later, it is much too small and already plans have been made for a new and much larger post office on College Avenue.

But once more, in that spring of 1909, before any construction had started or old buildings had begun to come down, plans for expansion of postal service were already under way. On March 3 the Sentinel said: “Postmaster Perham Heald has made arrangements for Waterville’s first sub-post office, soon to be opened in the north end. It will be located in the College Avenue Pharmacy just above the upper railroad crossing. The people living above the crossing are about a mile from the present post office and are put to great inconvenience. No regular mail will be received at the sub-office, but the office will handle stamps, registered letters and money orders.”

When we note how busy a place is our Waterville post office in 1965, with workers in it around the clock, it is interesting to note Postmaster Heald’s confident prediction in 1909. He said: “I expect to get all night service for the Waterville Post Office in due time. It is already badly needed, and when it comes it will be of great assistance in the regular work of this office, as at present all night mail has to be sorted early in the morning, a crew going on at 4 a.m. to get it ready for the city and rural carriers. Two clerks working all night could handle this to much greater advantage.”

Well, that is the story of how and where Waterville got a new post office in 1909.

Year: 1965