From eBay Back to Longmeadow: An Image of Elias Coomes

Elias Coomes, in Militia Coat Recently Acquired by Longmeadow Historical Society

Every once in a while, we add a new item to our collection at the Longmeadow Historical Society. This week the History Notes team asked our Board President, Al McKee, to share information about how and why we came to own our newest acquisition: a rare image of Elias Coomes of Longmeadow (1806-1851).

1. How did you come to discover this Elias Coomes image? I monitor several auction sites - both conventional auctions as well as eBay - for any items that may come up that may help the Longmeadow Historical Society better tell local history stories. This one came up on eBay. I spied the image on eBay of a man in militia uniform identified as Longmeadow resident Elias Coomes. The image of Elias Coomes is a photograph from an early Springfield photography studio of an earlier image (daguerreotype).

2. Why did this strike you as something that may be of value to add to the Longmeadow Historical Society collection?

Recently, while preparing for a presentation on the history of Longmeadow residents' involvement in military conflicts, we found that we needed to learn more about the militia. The Militia Act of 1792 provided federal standards for the organization of the militia. This act specified that every free, able-bodied, white male citizen aged eighteen years and under the age of forty-five years shall be enrolled in the militia. The historical society has several militia uniforms and so we went off to the Storrs House Museum to reexamine these items, learn how they had come to the historical society, and try to learn as much as we could about our objects. We identified three uniform coats.

Militia variant of the 1808 uniform adopted by the U.S. Army; c.1810-1820

Collection of the Longmeadow Historical Society

Militia coat c. 1850s Collection of the Longmeadow Historical Society

Militia Coat c. 1830-1840

Collection of the Longmeadow Historical Society

Expert evaluation indicates that the blue coat with flat buttons is a militia variant of the 1808 uniform adopted by the U.S. Army; dated roughly 1810-1820. The red coat with the militia buttons and epaulettes appears to be from the 1850s. The red coat with the ball buttons appears to date to the 1830-1840 period.

3. What is the process for making a decision about purchasing an item?

The Longmeadow Historical Society has collections policies that guide acquisitions and deaccessions of collection objects. When an item of potential interest becomes available for sale or is offered as a gift to the Longmeadow Historical Society, members of our collections committee review the object. We must decide whether it would contribute to our collection, and how it can be used to further our mission to preserve our Town's history and inspire public awareness of the people, places, and events that have contributed to Longmeadow’s history. We must also consider the object cost, our modest collections budget, the item's space requirements, and any conservation, special handling, or storage that the object will need. In this case, the eBay seller was willing to work with us concerning the price of the image and the board voted to proceed with the purchase. Thus the historical society was able to obtain this rare image for our collection.

4. Did you know much about Elias Coomes before finding this image?

No, I knew very little about this member of the Coomes family in Longmeadow.

5. What have you discovered about him since finding this image? Were there any clues within the image that made you curious?

Since acquiring this image of Elias Coomes in his militia uniform, it has led to a great deal of new research about Longmeadow men in the Massachusetts Militia. We have begun to learn information specifically related to this image. For example, the Aug. 16, 1844 issue of ‘The Boston Courier,’ shows Coomes serving as Major of the 10th Massachusetts Volunteer Militia Regiment, attached to the “Fifth Brigade” of Massachusetts Militia, and the Jan. 1847 “Massachusetts State Record and Year Book of General Information: Volume 1” shows that Elias Coomes had been promoted to Lieutenant Colonel of the 10th Massachusetts Militia Regiment, which was now comprised of six companies and attached to the “Sixth Brigade, Third Division.” We also communicated with two local militia history experts who confirmed that the coat in the image is consistent with the 1840s- Mass Militia officer's coat. As to the color of the coat, it could have been blue, red, or green.

6. What would you like to learn more about since finding the image?

There is much more to learn about Elias, the man, and his family. He died a relatively young man. His probate indicates that he owned brickmaking machines. I have begun researching brickmaking in general and brickmaking in Longmeadow - in which Elias and his brother Horatio were involved. His probate indicates that he had a large amount of lumber on hand at the time of his death, which is curious and leads to more questions. The probate also indicates that his home appeared to be quite well furnished. Telling history through the stories of past residents of our community makes history more interesting.

7. Now that LHS owns the image, what are your plans for it?

This image has already been incorporated into a presentation that has been developed on Longmeadow at War, and I imagine that an enlarged version may be part of a future graphic panel in an exhibit.

-Contributed by Al McKee and Melissa M. Cybulski, Longmeadow Historical Society Board President and Vice-President

Originally published May 12, 2022

A Modern Kitchen of 1933

Advertisement from the 1933 Longmeadow Sesquicentennial Program Book

The Official Souvenir Program Book of Longmeadow’s 1933 sesquicentennial year features articles covering a variety of topics related to the town’s history. It also features pages and pages of advertisements for local businesses: life insurance, printing companies, furniture stores, banks, contractors, etc. It really is a fascinating time capsule in and of itself.

One particularly striking advertisement is a three-page ad for Springfield Gas Light Co. which features the only page printed in color in the whole book. It’s an advertisement for “A Typical Modern Automatic All-Gas Kitchen” and gives a charming look into an ideal 1930s Longmeadow Kitchen.

“Life today in the modern Longmeadow all-gas kitchen is easy, comfortable, and convenient,” boasts the ad.

Clad in dresses far more formal than seen in today’s kitchens on any given day, two women stand in front of an open refrigerator door discussing the wonders of the appliance and the “gobs” of perfect ice cubes it can make, the remarkable quiet, and the fact that it can be run on less than a nickel of gas a day.

Renovating a kitchen? Perhaps you’ll take inspiration from this walk down memory lane. Bon Appetit!

Contributed by Melissa M. Cybulski, Longmeadow Historical Society Board Member

Originally Published May 5, 2022

Olmsted’s Longmeadow

This week mark's the 200th anniversary of the birth of Frederick Law Olmsted who is considered the father of American landscape architecture. He was born in Hartford, Connecticut April 26, 1822. His most famous work is Central Park in New York City designed in 1857. Other works include the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina, the grounds of the United States Capitol, the grounds of the White House, the 1893 Columbia Exposition (The White City) in Chicago, Illinois, and the Main Quad at Trinity College in Hartford, CT. Mr. Olmsted also was informally involved in the design of Forest Park in Springfield. He retired in 1895 and his sons John Charles Olmsted and Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. continued their father’s firm doing business as the Olmsted Brothers which lasted until 1980. Frederick Law Olmsted Sr died in 1903.

Olmsted Brothers had several projects in Longmeadow. From 1908 to 1936, various entities sought out the Olmsted Brothers landscape design firm to assist them in beautifying their properties. Sometimes an individual homeowner commissioned their services, sometimes owners of proposed residential developments such as the Colony Hills and Glen Arden neighborhoods, and twice the Town of Longmeadow solicited their services. In 1908, a group by the name of Longmeadow Street Improvement Association was quoted $100 plus travel expenses by the Olmsteds to come out from Brookline to advise them as they were, “anxious to have some capable landscape architect look over the street, or rather the 300 foot broad street of Longmeadow and offer suggestions as to permanent improvements beautifying it, setting out of shade trees, laying out of walks, etc.” There is no record of the group following through with the Olmsted’s though.

Olmsted Brothers Proposed Plan

for Longmeadow Resident, Stanford Haynes' Property

Olmsted Brothers created the landscape plans for the Glen Arden, Colony Hills and Laurel Manor neighborhoods.

Olmsted Brothers Plans for the Glen Arden neighborhood of Longmeadow

Olmsted Brothers plan for the Colony Hills neighborhood.

Olmsted Brothers plans for the Laurel Manor neighborhood off of Laurel Street.

Additional Olmsted Brothers plans for Glen Arden neighborhood

Another project designed by the Olmsted Brothers firm was the Longmeadow Golf Club, today know as the Longmeadow Country Club.

Olmsted Brothers design work for the Longmeadow Golf Club

It may also interest you to know that in 1934, the Town of Longmeadow did move forward with an intricate landscape design plan for what is today known as Laurel Park and Bliss Park, but then was planned as “Longmeadow Park,” a beautiful recreational oasis including a swimming pool at west end, performance space and stage, skating pond, and gardens. The work began in 1934 on land that had once been the domain of the town water department. The project was plagued by Depression era setbacks and bad weather. Ultimately funding was cut for the project by the town and it never came fully to fruition. The park, as it was deemed completed, was opened in 1936.

From the 1934 Longmeadow Annual Town Report

Article 1 sought to provide funding for design, etc of new park

Olmsted Brothers Plan for western section of "Longmeadow Park" 1934

Notice the swimming pool, pond, and amphitheater and stage in what is now Laurel Park

Olmsted Brothers proposal for "Longmeadow Park" in 1934.

Today it is Laurel and Bliss Parks

Olmsted Brothers Proposed Plan for "Longmeadow Park" 1934

featuring a swimming pool and bath houses at the west end.

This would be the Longmeadow Street side of Laurel Park

Laurel Park Construction, 1934

Laurel Park Construction, 1934

Laurel and Bliss Parks today

Laurel Park Plaque at Entrance

more accurately, the park was based on a design by Olmsted Brothers,

It is fascinating that within our town there are exquisite neighborhoods and grounds designed by one of the premier landscape architectural firms in the world. This is Longmeadow history that should be remembered.

With the exception of the Google view image and the Laurel Park Plaques, all images courtesy of the Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site.

-contributed by Lenny Shaker, Longmeadow Historical Society Board Member

Originally published April 28, 2022