Manchester New Hampshire’s 1946 Centennial Celebration

Mary M. Webster stands in the center with Arthur “Red” Hebert with the moustache (identified by great-granddaughter, see comments). 1946 Manchester City Centennial. Hoping someone will help identify the person in the dress. Photograph taken in 1946, copyright Janice W. Brown.

This story, as usually is the case, begins with a photograph–in this case several.  My mother (Mary Webster) was a “camera nut” and took hundreds of photographs in the Manchester area, but most were of family.  She did not take many of scenery without a human being included.

Four photographs are on the same page of her album, with her lovely hand writing in white ink: “Herty Ring – Arthur “Red” Hebert, Centennial Celebration.”  My mom is standing between two people looking youthful, and the photo pages are sandwiched between others of the World War 2 era.  This can only be Manchester’s 1946 Centennial.

View of the 1946 Manchester Centennial Parade on Elm Street, at the intersection of Amherst STreet; Eric M. Sanford photographer. Manchester Historical Association Photoprint Collection. Used with permission.

1946: It is a year after the end of World War II.  The soldiers were home, Americans were rebuilding their lives.  Manchester’s Amoskeag mills had closed a decade earlier, and the city was still trying to find manufacturers to fill the void.

To be honest, I don’t know a great deal about Manchester’s 1946 celebration, except for two things–that they held a parade, and a banquet.  The parade is evident by the photographs, and I am including not only the one’s my mother took here, but also a few from the Manchester Historic Association.  The banquet had to be postponed due to a polio outbreak.

Group Portrait Centennial Parade of 1936; Mrs. Albina How –; Mrs. Jennie Currier, Mrs. Mary Mullen; Mrs. Blanch Label and Mrs. Doris Mibran (the carriage driver is not identified). Zerwick Photographer. Manchester Historic Association Collection. Used with permission.

POLIO POSTPONES FETE FOR MANCHESTER — CITY DELAYS CELEBRATION OF CENTENNIAL UNTIL OCTOBER AFTER 30 CASES in MONTH
Manchester, N.H., Aug. 8 — (AP) — An outbreak of infantile paralysis marked by 30 cases in about a month forced postponement tonight of a Manchester centennial celebration scheduled for September 8-14.  Edward J. McShane, general chairman, said the centennial marking the 100th anniversary of the city’s incorporation would be celebrated October 6-12. He said the general committee thought it wise to defer rehearsals of an historical pageant that would have required a number of child actors.  City health authorities reported the polio situation improving. They said the first case in six days was reported Tuesday, and most of the patients now under treatment are “definitely improved.”  The disease has cost six lives in a month.

View of a crowd of people watching the Manchester NH Centennial Parade (1946) at the corner of Spruce and Elm Streets. Eric M. Sanford photographer. Manchester Historic Association Photo Collection. Used with Permission.

For those of you who are interested, the Manchester Historic Association has a scrap book of the 1946 celebrations ephemera containing newspaper clippings, programs, tickets, poster and pamphlets.

As for history, Manchester can, like many other places in New Hampshire, celebrate more than one birthday. Manchester, in fact,  can claim three dates as its starting points–1751, 1810, and 1846.  The anniversary of this last date, 1846, is the one celebrated in 1946.

———-1846 Celebrating Manchester as a CITY ———————-

First city [as opposed to a town] election was held 19 August 1846. There were four candidates for mayor: Hiram Brown, William C. Clarke, Thomas Brown and William Shepherd. Brown lacked 17 votes of an election. At a second trial Sept 1, the candidates were Hiram Brown, Thomas Brown, Isaac C. Flanders, and John S. Wiggin. Hiram Brown was elected by 24 majority over the other three.

City Government first organized 8 September 1846. Moses Fellows presiding and Rev. C.W. Wallace offering the prayer. Oath of office was administered to the mayor by Hon. Daniel Clark. 1896 was considered the city’s semi-centennial (celebrating 50 years of existence as a city).

The 1846 Semi-Centennial was held on the 50th anniversary of this date.  Next year (in 2016) Manchester will celebrate its 170th anniversary as a city.

————-1751 The charter of Derryfield ————–

1751 – Tyngstown rechartered as Derryfield. Following New Hampshire’s separation from Massachusetts, the former grant of this area was ruled invalid. Governor Benning Wentworth rechartered the town in 1751 as Derryfield.

The civil and political history of Manchester, though the town was at this time called Derryfield, begins on the 23 September 1751, when at the call of John MacMurphy the “proprietors, freeholders and inhabitants” of Derryfield assembled at the inn of John Hall for the purpose of laying the foundation of self government. This was twenty days after the granting of the town charter, as given in the records [i.e. 3 September 1751].

Site of Manchester NH’s first meetinghouse. Photograph  taken in 2002.Copyright Janice W. Brown

That meeting was held at a house built by John Hall, on what was the land of the late Isaac Huse, and with repairs and alterations from time to time stood until destroyed by fire in 1852. A stone on Mammoth Road, placed by the DAR, marks near the location of that building.

The one hundredth anniversary of Manchester was celebrated on  Oct. 22, 1851. There was an address by Rev. C.W. Wallace, and a poem read by William Stark. Next year (2016) will be Manchester’s 165th anniversary as a city.

———–1810 Name change from Derryfield to Manchester ———————–

On 13 March 1810 a committee, composed of Thomas Stickney, John G. Moor and Amos Weston, was appointed to petition the legislature to change the name of Derryfield to Manchester.

On June 13, 1810 by an act of the New Hampshire legislature, the village of Derryfield exchanged its name for the town of Manchester. At that time there were 113 residents and 17 non-resident tax payers on the tax list. The largest tax paid was by Isaac Huse, and his tax was $16.30. That same year, also in June of 1810 the Amoskeag Cotton and Woolen Manufacturing Company incorporated, succeeding “The Proprietors of the Amoskeag Cotton and Wool Factory” that was organized 31 January 1810. [Note: in 1831 it was incorporated as Amoskeag Manufacturing Company’]

There was a Centennial Celebration of Manchester NH, June 13, 1810-1910 by the Manchester Historic Association. This year is Manchester’s 205th anniversary of having its current name.

Arthur “Red” Hebert (with moustache on the right) and Herty Ring are two of these three people. Hoping someone can identify them ALL for me. Photograph take in 1946, taken by Mary M. Webster, property of J.W. Brown.

 —BACK TO MY MOM’s PHOTOGRAPHS—

Now, finally back to the photographs that my mother took. Who exactly did she pose with? Because there are four people and only three names, it is impossible for me, without help to positively identify more than one of the people.  I recognize my mother of course.  Arthur “Red” Hebert and “Herty” Ring are two of the other three people.

Arthur Raphael “J. Arthur” Hebert, one of the people in the photographs was manager of the Wilson Street Garage.  “Herty” Ring was Nelson Howard Ring, of NH Ring and Son, an automobile upholstering business located at  861 Page Street. My mother had been working as a bookkeeper for several of the local garages and auto businesses, and this is probably how she ended up in these photographs.  There is a third person who is a mystery unless someone comes forward to identify him. The little I know about Red Hebert and Herty Ring can be found below.

Arthur Raphael “J. Arthur” Hebert, son of Raphael & Elmerida (Plante) Hebert, b 6 Feb 1899 in Manchester NH, d. Dec 1981; m. 7 January 1918 in Manchester NH to Bertha Provost, dau of Frank & Hermina (Leblanc) Provost. He was a Truckman, manager of Wilson Street Garage.
——————–
1910 US Census > NH > Hillsborough > Manchester
Raphael Hebert Head M 46 Canada
Almenda Hebert wife F 48 Canada
Eva J. Hebert dau F 17 NH
Arthur R. Hebert so M 11 NH
Lawrence Mitchell boarder M 20 NH
——————–
1940 US Census > NH > Hillsborough > Manchester
43 Wilson Street
Hebert Arthur Head M W 42 married 7th grade NH manager auto garage
Hebert Bertha wife F W 44 married 6th grade Can-French
Hebert, Claire dau F W 19 single NH
Hebert, Yvette dau F W 18 single NH
Hebert, Juliette dau F W 15 single NH
Hebert, Arthur Jr. son M W 9 single NH
Hebert, Normand son M W 4 single NH
Comire, Roger grandson M W 1 single NH
——————–
Children of Arthur G. & Bertha (Laforge) Hebert:
1. Gerard Hebert, b. 18 Oct 1918, d. 25 Oct 1918, age 7 days (premature birth)
2. Violette Hebert, b abt 1919 NH, d. 2 Jan 1939 in Manchester NH; m. 2 Dec 1937 in Manchester NH to Roger W. Comire, son of W.L. & Aurilia (Panelon) Comire
3. Claire Albertine Hebert b abt 1921 NH; m. 28 Nov 1940 in Manchester NH to Henry Joseph Lessard, son of Henry J. & Eugenie (Michaud) Lessard.
4. Yvette Mandy Hebert b abt 1922 NH; m1) 12 June 1943 in Manchester NH to Arthur Michael St. Pierre, son of Arthur & Mary (Healy) St. Pierre; She m2) 27 April 1946 in Manchester NH to Roland Joseph Gagnon, son of Alcide & Cilanide (Trembley) Gagnon
5. Juliette Gertrude Hebert b abt 1925 NH; m. 1 Feb 1947 in Manchester NH to Roland Joseph Guevin, son of Oscar & Rose (Lessard) Guevin.
6. Arthur R. Hebert Jr. b 8 July 1930 Manchester NH, d. 30 March 2011 Manchester NH
7. Normand Hebert b abt 1936 NH

Nelson Harvey Ring, son of Carlton H. & Edith (Gettey) Ring, b 5 May 1896 Brigham PQ Canada, d. 8 June 1958 in Manchester NH; m. 10 May 1922 in Manchester NH to Gladys Ellison. Buried Pine Grove Cemetery
————————-
RING N H & Son (Nelson H Ring) automobile upholstering 861 Page
RING, Nelson H. (Gladys M. ) (NH Ring & Son ) h 861 Page
RING, Howard C. (NH Ring & Son) r 861 Page
————-
Child of Nelson H. & Glady (Ellison) Ring:
1. Howard C. Ring, born 26 Feb 1927, died 21 July 2004.

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