Evidently, the old Curtis Hall was Party Central at the turn of the 20th Century. Just a few years later, the building would burn and be replaced by the current Curtis Hall. Read about the fire here.
Boston Daily Globe May 3, 1901
Protest To The Mayor.
Residents in the Vicinity of Curtis Hall, Jamaica Plain, Object to its Promiscuous Use and the Noise.
A movement has been started in protest against the promiscuous letting by the city of Boston of Curtis hall, South st, Jamaica Plain.
The letting of this hall is now done through the building department. Being situated on the main street on the line of the Jamaica Plain electric cars, it is easy of access to parties from all sections as far north as Roxbury, and about as convenient to parties from the South End.
It is only recently that the use of this hall has become general among organizations outside of West Roxbury. The low rate at which it can be engaged has been one cause of its recent popularity. During the past winter it has been in almost constant nightly use by dancing parties and for other forms of entertainment. Many of these parties have been continued until the morning hours, and the noise and shouting incident upon the breaking up of the dances has been a source of much annoyance to those living in the neighborhood.
The character of these gatherings has not always been of the highest, it is alleged, and the recent holdup of conductor Myers of the Boston elevated railway, when he was brutally assaulted and robbed by a crowd going home from one of the dances, is pointed to in proof of this assertion.
The police of division 13, which has charge of this district, come in for no share of criticism. A patrolman is in attendance at the hall each night a dance is scheduled to take place, but unless something criminal is done he cannot act and has no authority to arest anyone.
Mayor Hart has been written to about the matter, and the claim is made that the residents in the neighborhood of the hall are going to engage counsel to look after their interests, as their property is being depreciated in value because of this nuisance.
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Anyone know of the Caiger family who lived in Jamaica Plain in the early 1900's? Mrs. Caiger had four daughters, Lila, a secretary at the Boston Public Library, Grace, Jennie and Lillian.
ReplyDeleteI am interested in this family because I am transcribing my Grandfather's logs from this period and he was a frequent visitor at the Caiger house. He was William Seach, an enlisted man in the Navy then who had been awarded the Medal of Honor for his exploits in China in 1900 while serving with the Peking Relief Expeditionary Force under Admiral Seymour.
The Caigers were also friends of the Dougherty family who lived in Back Bay and sort of adopted my Grandfather.
Any information would be appreciated.
Steve Donovan
donovansteve568@gmail.com