I'll Warrant Not Much Has Changed

I sing in a chorus that rehearses in a church hall in Worcester, Mass. On my way into chorus rehearsal a few weeks ago I came across this notice on the door. I was struck by how little has changed since the earliest days in Central Massachusetts when it was required to post the warrant for the annual meeting on the front door of the church. We're still electing a moderator and other officers, still voting on new and old business. And still physically posting the notification on the door!

Warrant for Annual Meeting of 31 Jan 2016, 2nd Parish, Worcester,
posted on the door to the First Unitarian Church,
photographed by Polly Kimmitt, 26 Jan 2016.

What has changed is who qualifies as an eligible voter. Only Freemen could vote in early town and parish meetings. That meant males over 18 who owed no money, were not in servitude, were in good standing with the town and church, and had taken the Freeman's Oath. Once they were Freemen they were allowed to own property and vote: a far cry from who is allowed to vote today.

Here is a transcription of a warrant for neighboring Shrewsbury, Massachusetts from 1756.

Transcription

Left Sidebar: Notification for the first precinct In Shrewsbury, November the 1, 1756

Body: These are to Notifie and warn all free Holders and other Inhabitants

Living in the first precinct In Shrewsbury Qualified by Law to

vote In precinct affairs to meet at the Meetinghouse in sd precinct on monday

the first Day of November - Next at one of the Clock In the afternoon

then and there In the first place to Chuse a moderator 2. To bring in precinct 

Depts and grant Money to pay the same 3 To see what the precinct will

give the Revd Mr Job Cushing for the present year to Make a sufficient

Sallary for his support 4 To Chuse a committee to Reckon with the

precinct Treasurer and to make Report at the Next Meeting \   \   \   \   \   \  

5 To Chuse a committee to Reckon with the Revd Mr Job Cushing In

order to get a Discharge 6 To See if the precinct will grant money

to Repair the windows of the Meeting house 7 To See if the precinct will

Chuse a committee to [Shut up?] the [ally] in the meetinghouse through the

Body of Seats as hath been voted or to act -- anything there on as the precinct 

shall think fitt 8 To See if the precinct will come into sum way to clear the

Burying place and to mend the fence or act anything thereon as the precinct

shall think fitt   \   \   \   \   \   \   \   \   \   \   \   \   \   \   \   \   \   \   \   \   \   \   

Shrewsbury first precinct                    Simon Maynard    }         precinct

Oct. the 11 1756                                  Ebenezer Keyes    }         Committee

                                                             Job Cushing Jr      }

"Colored Citizens of Worcester" Honor Roll, World War II

Worcester professor Thomas Doughton recently brought my attention to the fact that this "Colored Citizens" of Worcester [Massachusetts] Honor Roll from World War II is currently missing. It was installed outside the AME (African Methodist Episcopal) Zion Church at the corner of Clayton and Belmont Streets, but was removed during the construction of Route 290. I have asked for and received Prof. Doughton's permission to reproduce his photos of the memorial and pages from the dedication program. [1]

When the Worcester City Council met on 26 January 2016, the agenda included a request from William S. Coleman III to have the city administration support the efforts of Worcester's African American community to locate and [re-]establish a long lost World War II Memorial honoring Worcester’s "citizens of color who served our country.”[2] It was referred to the Veterans' and Military Affairs Committee. [3]

According to the program, the memorial was constructed by the Van Slett Advertising Company, sometime before August 1945 (the war was still on), on land donated by the AME Zion Church. Below is detail of a map of Worcester from 1891 in which the church can be seen, at the corner of Clayton and Belmont Streets. [4] Construction for Route 290 began in earnest about 1955-1960, I believe, so it was not up for long before it was removed and lost or destroyed.

A Google map of the area is below, rotated. It looks like the Route 290 E off-ramp is what used to be Clayton.

Here is a transcription of the names found on the memorial and in the booklet.

Adamson, Elijah	Harrison, Percy	Prince, Daniel J
Adamson, James	Hawley, Arthur V Jr	Prince, Walter A
Aikens, Mattie	Hawley, Erill	Randall, Geraldine W
Anderson, Kenneth A Jr	Hawley, William L	Richardson, Roland A
Anderson, Roger B	Hazzard, George W	Robbins, Alfred F
Bates, Ernest E	Hazzard, John H	Saunders, Kenneth B
Bates, Frederick S	Hazard, Leon	Schuyler, Webster W
Battle, John A	Hazzard, Leonard	Scott, Lyman E
Benjamin, Theodore R	Hencey, John E Jr	Shropshire, Louis T Jr
Benson, Eugene F	Hencey, Harry W	Smith, Carroll
Benson, William B	Higginbotham, Charles W Jr	Smith, Clarence E Jr
Black, Harold T	Higginbotham, Forrest I	Smith, James M
Boone, Frank	Higginbotham, Gordon H	Smothers, Tolbert Jr
Bostic, Edward S	Hogan, John H Jr	Spence, George O
Bradshaw, Andrew	Hogan, Thaddeus G	Spring, Ellis
Bradshaw, Wesley	Hoose, Howard F	Spring, Eugene R
Brevard, Ernest	Hopewell, Andrew C	Storms, Donald E
Brevard, Paul S	Hopewell, James H	Taylor, Waverly
Brevard, Robert D Jr	Hopewell, Robert D	Teixerla, Edward
Brisbane, James M	Howard, Alonzo E	Tolson, Joseph
Brown, Hadlin H	Jarrett, Robert	Toney, Albert M
Byard, John A	Jarrett, Willard	Toney, Frank A
Carlos, Stanley H	Jenkins, Rozell	Toney, Frederick L
Cato, Roy W	Johnston, Sidney W	Trusedell, Joseph N
Chatfield, Edward L	Johnson, William O	Tyrance, Leslie L
Clark, Robert C	Joyner, John A Jr	Vickers, Edward
Cole, Robert A	Kelley, Harry C	Wade, Robert A
DeBois, Joseph	Kelley, James W	Walley, Reginald H
Delgado, Antone J	Kennard, Henry C	Ward, James G
DeWitt, Arthur	Kennedy, Alfred Jr	Ward, James H
Downes, Clarence	Kennedy, Carlyle M	Wheaton, Bernard A
Dupree, Zack	Lane, Marvin A	White, James R
English, James L	Laws, John S	White, Wilmore H
Farrell, John W	Levicie, Lester P	Wicks, Luther B
Fisher, Earl F	Majors, George E	Williams, James D
Gaylord, Calvin D	Marshal, Ralph	Wilson, Charles F
Goldsberry, John J	Marshal, Robert	Wilson, Ellsworth
Gray, Holmes C	McCorn, William M	Wilson, Elwood P
Hadley, George L	Monroe, Henry D Jr	Wilson, Frank H
Hall, Eugene E	Nelson, William A	Wilson, Franklyn L
Hampton, Everett B Jr	Nevins, John J	Wilson, George M Jr
Hampton, Heywood	Nichols, Walter D Jr	Wilson, Herbert D
Hampton, Mahlon F	Perkins, Leroy D	Wilson, John D
Harper, Wesley H	Perkins, Leslie	Wilson, Leslie M, Jr
Harris, Harold L Jr	Perkins, Walter W	Wilson, Oliver U
Harris, Richard L	Pope, David F	Wilson, Ralph J
Harris, Waverly	Price, George W	Wilson, Robert W
Harris, Willie J	Price, Henry L	Wright, Carroll S
		Wright, Robert C

Also inscribed on the stone is "United We Stand," and "They serve their country in many places: United States, Iceland, Iran, China, North Africa, England, Australia, Italy."

Below are Professor Doughton's images of pages from the dedication booklet.

So where is it now? Inquiries are currently being made. Stay tuned! I will update this when/if we can track it down.

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Notes

1. Thomas Doughton, shared post to "Your (sic!) Probably from Worcester, MA if______," Facebook page, digital images and description of Colored Citizens of Worcester WW II Honor Roll memorial; Facebook (www.facebook.com : posted 1 February 2016).

2. Mike Benedetti, "Worcester City Council, Meeting Agenda, 26 January 2016"; Worcester.com, blog, (http://wrcstr.com : posted January 25, 2016).

3. "City of Worcester, Agenda of the City Council, February 9, 2016" Journal of the City Council, 26 January 2016; Worcester, Massachusetts, website (http://www.worcesterma.gov : accessed 11 February 2016).

4. G. H. and O. W. Walker, City of Worcester. Revised by Chas. A. Allen, C.E. (Boston: G. H. Walker, 1891); David Rumsey Collection (http://www.davidrumsey.com : accessed 11 February 2016).