New Year Celebrations in Lowell and Beyond – (PIP #90)

By Louise Peloquin

Happy, healthy, peaceful, fruitful new year to everyone everywhere!

L’Etoile – Front page, January 2, 1926

The New Year 1926 was received with open arms and grand, popular revelry – Dances, parties, dinners, speeches, intimate reunions, evening performances, fun and social entertainment, etc. etc.

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RESTAURANTS AND CLUBS

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     Lowellians celebrated the arrival of the New Year with a great deal of joy and fun. and also with the best possible social order. There were dances, parties, evening performances, dinners, jazz and live entertainment in various restaurants as well as rollicking programs in the city’s social clubs. We bid adieu to the Old Year 1925, which left as gently as possible, and saluted the New Year 1926, so full of promises.

     The police was on guard, ready to prevent all disorder, but remained arms crossed since the New Year arrived with peace and general harmony in Lowell.

     IN RESTAURANTS

     Many local restaurants organized extraordinary celebrations for the occasion, for example the Parthenon Restaurant on Market Street. There were more parties in Lowell than ever before since the legalization of prohibition.

     At Marie’s on Central Street, at least 250 banqueters frolicked in the middle of red and green Christmas decorations while an orchestra played excellent dance music and special performers gave graceful dance demonstrations. Likewise, at Sun Ho restaurant, the crowd had a good time until the early morning hours, entertained by a local dance orchestra and special artists from Boston.

     Chin Lee’s on Merrimack was equally thronged although there was no dancing.

IN CLUBS

     Club Lafayette had a very elaborate program on New Year’s Eve. A lunch and festivities gathered guests from Manchester, Nashua, Lynn and elsewhere. The event was directed by F. N. Labelle, committee president, assisted by Elphège Phaneuf, Joseph Gagnon, Arthur Lambert, Maurice Brossard, Zépherin A. Normandin and Alphonse Couture, ex-president of the Club.

     As usual, the Club des Citoyens-Américains (1) did things on a grand scale. At the stroke of midnight, at least 400 people rang in the New Year. A lunch and refreshments were served. Dancing and a grand march began at midnight. On behalf of club members and friends, Henri Achin extended best wishes for a happy New Year. Parkway Lunch served the buffet and the Simplex orchestra, directed by Roméo Couture, performed dance music. One of the evening’s special attractions was the dance demonstration by Bébé Rita Gauthier accompanied by her brother Ernest Gauthier.

     Onésime Tremblay, president; Timothée Roy, treasurer; Arthur Grenier, secretary; Oswald Turcotte; Eugène Beaulieu; Vidal Manseau; Trefflé Bordeleau and Alfred Harnois, president of the Club, were in charge of the entire event.

     At the Social Club de Centralville, at least 200 people attended the dance and enjoyed the evening’s entertainment. A grand march took place at midnight. The soirée was coordinated by Edouard Lafontaine, president; Albert St. George; Arthur Boisvert; George Martin and Arthur Duclos. Mr. Lafontaine directed the dance. Mr. St. George was in charge of the musical program and Mr. Boisvert managed the general entertainment.

     At least 100 people attended the Cercle Paroissiale Notre-Dame de Lourdes (2) party in the East Pine Street room. President Olive Bergeron inaugurated the festivities with a charming speech and took the opportunity to speak about the success of the Cercle’s recruitment campaign. Since October 12th, the campaign reached its goal of enrolling 50 new members. The New Year’s Eve celebration was organized by John. B. Savard, president; Wilfred Fortier, treasurer; Wilfred Labonne; Ernest Lambert and William Dunn.

     On New Year’s Eve, the North End Athletic and Social Club held its first annual fête for ladies. More than 100 members and their friends attended. President Ralph Porter began by welcoming everyone. Then, quite an elaborate program honored the Club members’ organizational accomplishments. Among the evening’s entertainers were André Frechette, George Desrosiers, Alfred Germain, Spiridion Lippé and Edward Farrell. An excellent trio, formed by violinist Hervé Mireault, pianist Edward Farrell and banjo player Georges Perron, was also on the program. President Edouard Dupont, Léo Ducharme, Wilfrid St.-Hilaire, Georges Bernier, Spiridion Lippé and Alfred Germain were in charge of the fête.

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Here are a couple of New Year escapades beyond Lowell.

L’Etoile – Front page, January 9, 1926

12-BELOW-ZERO SEA BATHING

     Biddeford, Me., 9 – In order to win a $2 bet, yesterday morning, Fletcher’s Neck Coast Guard member Wendall C. Urquhart undressed, swam 130 feet from the shore and remained in the icy ocean water for 20 minutes in 12-below-zero temperatures.

     “Nice day for a swim,” observed Coast Guard member Noyes Crowley while he rubbed his ears when meeting his comrade Urquhart. “Of course!” Responded Urquhart without flinching. A friendly discussion ensued and they won $2.

     “Once again this year, it is the best day for a swim,” declared Urquhart while pocketing his $2. He added that the water was hardly colder than it is during the summer.

     (Certain Lowellians who have already bathed off of the Maine coast during the summer say that the water can hardly be colder in winter than it is in summer – unless one is transformed into ice!.) 

L’Etoile – Front page, January 9, 1926

TO MAKE THE BLOOD CIRCULATE

     Miss IRENE HESENIUS, 17, of Winthrop, Mass., who broke a record last summer swimming 10 miles all the way to the Boston Light House, resolved to swim once a day in 1926. In order to honor her vow, she armed herself with an axe on New year’s Day and went to Orient Heights Yacht Club in East Boston where she chopped a hole for a dive into the icy water.

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L’Etoile – Front page, January 9. 1926

Parade of Masks to ring in the New Year in Philadelphia

     Here is one of the scenes which surprised joyous New Year’s Eve revellers in Philadelphia. These strangely-clad people were all disguised for the annual parade of masks, a New Year’s celebration.

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1. American Citizens’ Club.
2. The Notre-Dame de Lourdes Parish Social Circle.
3. Translations by Louise Peloquin.