Thinking of you, Pépère!

My post yesterday about the Belknap Mill started me thinking of my grandfather or, as we of Franco-American heritage call our grandfathers, Pépère. His name was Alcide Cormier and he went on to start his own hosiery mill, Cormier Hosiery Mill in Laconia, NH.

This photo was taken in 1914 when he was about 17 years old. He's standing in front of a row of knitting machines but this was typically girl's work (yes, they were very sexist in those days.) He was probably a turner boy, which were young boys that turned the socks inside or right side out, depending on what was needed. At 17, Pépère's job would not have been one of great skill or importance, but knowing him, he was taking it all in. The row of ladies near the window were probably mending or finishing the socks.

I'm not exactly sure which mill this was taken in, maybe the Busiel mill, or one of the many other mills that lined the river, but I'm pretty sure it was not the Belknap Mill.

I am currently researching my grandfather and his mills, so if you knew him or ever worked for him, I would love to hear from you.

Where Do You Live? Day 7

This is my favorite historic building in town. Not because of its looks (the library and train depot are more my taste in architecture) but because of its rich cultural history and my family's connection to it. This is the Historic Belknap Mill, a former hosiery mill, built in 1823.

My family is French-Canadian, and when times were tough in Québec, they headed south to work in the mills. My mother's family settled in Laconia and worked at the many mills that lined the river. My Dad's family settled in Manchester, NH and worked at the great Amoskeag Mills, at one time, the largest textile mill in the world.
This is a picture of the Busiel Mill next door. It currently houses offices. And beyond that is city hall.
The Belknap and Busiel Mills are one of New Hampshire's most prized landmarks. They are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Every spring the mill runs a program for school kids called "My First Day of Work in a Mill". From the Belknap Mill's website: "We take the children back to 1918, when production was at its peak, and the Belknap Mill was shipping socks overseas to soldiers fighting in the trenches. Children take on the identities of people who worked in this mill and learn the different jobs to make the socks. In addition to taking pride in their heritage and practicing good management and teamwork, they also learn business applications they can use for the rest of their lives."

I love this program and I've been volunteering there for three years now. I've graduated from a tour guide to a role player. I have a BLAST with those kids! I love chatting them up with what little French I know and see their little faces scrunch up, "huh?"

This pathway runs between the buildings. I wonder where it goes? Let's go see.
It leads to this bridge that crosses the Winnipesaukee river. In the back is Avery Dam. Across the river is Avery Hill, also known as French hill because that's where the French-Canadians settled. Every morning the mill would ring its bell, typically at sunrise, to let workers know it was time to report to work. They would walk down the hill and return at sunset.
Turning your head in the opposite direction, you would see another old mill, still being used by various manufacturing concerns. The grassy area next it it is now called Stewart Park, but was the site of Cormier Hosiery Mill, started by my grandfather, Alcide Cormier in 1939. He started out as a turner boy working in one of the other mills and learned the trade through years of hard work.

Here's the Gazebo built behind the mill where they have summer concerts. Inside the mill is an art gallery, concert hall and the only industrial knitting museum in the United States.

If you take a walk between city hall and the Busiel mill you will find these odd contraptions. They are sluice gates that used to let water through canals that ran under the mills to the turbines that would power them.

Here's a close up of the area behind the sluice gates. It's hard to make out, but if you look carefully to the right of the door, you will see bricks that form an archway. It used to be open below that and the water would run under the building there. When the Busiel mill was through with the water, it kept going onto the Belknap Mill and through their turbine. If you visit, the Belknap Mill still has their turbine set up.

The aerial shot was taken by Bill Hemmell of Lakes Region Aerial Photo. The building at the top is city hall, in the middle is the Busiel Mill, then the Belknap Mill at the bottom. You can see the pedestrian bridge and Avery dam above it. At the bottom center, you can barely see the gazebo.

Where Do You Live? Day 6

Here's the beautiful Laconia Passenger Station. It was built in 1892 and home to the Boston & Maine Railroad (Laconia station) until the 1960s. New York architect Bradford Lee Gilbert designed the building in the Romanesque Revival style. It's situated in the same square where the library is located. It currently houses a couple of restaurants and a bank branch. Check out this website which has a pretty extensive history of the building. Be sure to click on all the tabs at the top.

This amazing aerial shot was taken by Bill Hemmel of Lakes Region Aerial Photo.

Where Do You Live? Day 5

Here's is the old Laconia Car Company factory turned into office and restaurant space. It was founded by Charles Ranlet in 1848 and became the largest manufacturer in the area. They manufactured freight and passenger cars for trains, and later electric streetcars and trolleys. There are still a few examples being used or in existance today. Check this website for a more detailed history and some photos of the cars.
This is what it looked like in its heyday. From The Illustrated Laconian: History and Industries of Laconia, N.H and Google Book Search, published in 1899. Some of these buildings are still standing and have been repurposed. Another image can be seen at this website from 1892, a more expanded view.
On Another Note . . .
I am happy to report that I've been keeping up my commitment of writing 15 minutes each day (WFMAD) and my WIP is 1100 words the better for it. But hey . . . it's only been 3 days.

Where Do You Live? Day 4

One of my favorite places is the Laconia Public Library. Shouldn't everyone's library look like this? I think so. The children's librarian, Gail Drucker, is the president of the Denise Ortakales Fan Club. Of course, she's the ONLY member but . . . hey . . . say hi to her if you visit.

The library was built in 1903 in the Romaesque Revival Style. They say that there's a ghost that lives there, a former patron that hadn't returned his library books before he died. Now he is doomed the try to return them for eternity. Bwaaa, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!

Oh, yes, I have original art work from some of my books displayed there, too! In the children's section, of course.

This amazing aerial shot was taken by Bill Hemmel of Lakes Region Aerial Photo. It shows the new addition which is in back and around the corner from the previous photo. I think the new addition looks pretty nice. Much better than the freakish 1960s box that used to be there. See that roundish thing in the back? It's the fountain where my husband and I had our photos taken the day of our wedding. Awwwww!