Main Street – May 13, 1948

 By Morris Rote-Rosen

Little known facts about Granville: The first ballot, of the first village election in 1885, contained the following names: D. D. Woodard, Abram Temple, George W. Henry, Charles E. McFadden, Byron H. Sykes, J. Warren Gray, Robert J. Williams, Marcus T. Day, Oscar Baldwin, Hugh G. Thomas and Andrew H. Green ... Did you know any of them? ... There is an ordinance which prohibits horses, cattle, swine and sheep to roam the village streets or sidewalks ... The village budget in 1886 was $1,500 ... In 1948 it is $44,730.79.

There was a standing reward to anyone reporting the names of those maliciously throwing rocks at the street kerosene lamps ... Chauncey H. Robinson, was appointed the first "Police-Constable" of the village in 1889 ... Special police to assist him were: George Dorsey, William P. White, William C. Searles, Lyman F. Raymond, William Tolman, Robert S. Roberts, James Walsh, Patrick Walsh, Truman Temple, B. F. Howard, Sidney Hannibal, Thomas Brown, Joseph Safford and William Gunther ... Quite a police department ... And today Chief Richard Stanton does it with the assistance of only three.

One hundred dollars reward was offered by the village board for the arrest of anyone desecrating the local grave yard ... Would any youngster today think of such an act? ... The people of this village weren't unanimous to have the kerosene lamps abolished for electric lighting. The vote was 88 for and 44 against the change ... "Jim" Walsh, the first chief of police, was paid $25 monthly salary with orders "to devote his whole time to the duties of his office" ... And those who remember "Jim" Walsh remember a chief who feared no one, not even the toughest of them.

Only a few old timers can recall the courage of "Jim" Walsh who took on all challengers of the law without fear. There was a professional prize fighter who lived in Granville, and who fought in New York and Philadelphia prize rings. With his prize money he would return to Granville, gather a crowd of hero-worshippers and make the rounds in the local saloons, setting them up for the house. Before the rounds were half completed the fighters pugilistic spirit mixed with the liquid kind would be aroused and he would rear his challenge to world combat. It was up to "Jim" Walsh to keep the peace.

When "Jim" called for order on the street, the prize-fighter and his mob of followers dared "Jim" to step into the crowd and arrest the hero. "Jim" tightened his belt, pulled out his billy club and waded into the crowd cracking skulls and laying the prize-fighter low. The crowd stood back amazed as "Jim", dragging the prize-fighter by the collar, headed for the lock-up. When the crowd became threatening, trying to save their hero, "Jim" came down with his billy on the fighter's head, knocking him out for the count. The others stepped back as "Jim" picked up the prostrate form of the "hero" and threw him in the lock-up.

One of the Main street landmarks was the wooden Indian in front of the Maurice Carter drug store. The Indian held a bunch of cigars in one hand and was painted in all the colors of the American aborigine. A shoe-shine stand stood near the curb under a huge elm tree where the local newsboys used to gather to discuss ... John L. Sullivan, Jim Jeffries, Jim Corbett, Terry McGovern and Jimmy Britt ... Their bicycle champ was Harry Elkes of Glens Falls, who was killed in a bicycle race ... Sunday newspapers were delivered with horse and wagon.

The village fathers did not worry about parking lots for motor vehicles. The merchant worried that he did not have enough hitching posts to accommodate his trade ... These hitching posts lined the business section on both sides of Main street and were made of iron pipe, wooden posts and slate stones, with rings in them for hitching horses ... When fifty teams of horses stood fetlock deep in mud, tied to these posts, it was a good business day in the village ... Factory street was known as Stevensville, East Potter Avenue was the Quarry Road and Pearl street was Stevens street.

What did the early Granville police men look like? Here is a description: "On and after the first day of August 1894, all regular police or patrolmen, within the village, shall at all times wear the following uniform, to wit - The regulation grey or blue pants, double-breasted frock coat with brass buttons; cap or helmet, belt and night stick, the uniform to be worn at all times while on duty." ... D. R. Haskins was the first to introduce the telephone in Granville by installing a crude switchboard in his drug store ... John W. Hewitt served as street commissioner at 20 cents per hour.

Special police were ordered to be at the depot at train time to keep the curious crowd moving, keep the platform clear of loafers and to see that the passengers could make their way to the train ... Broadview Terrace was better known as Carnarvon street ... A franchise was granted by the village of Granville for a trolley car line which was to be known as the Whitehall and Granville railroad company ... It was to run over North street, to East Main street, to the Vermont state line, and from Main Street to Church street and to Potter avenue to the Vermont state line. It was never built.

Granville was once known as a gamblers' paradise. Not only were high-stake poker games conducted here regularly, cock-fights were a regular feature in a barn off the Main street. The deputy sheriff, believe it or not, stood guard at the barn door to keep out law-enforcement officers from raiding the place ... Albert Martin was probably the most picturesque police justice this village ever had. He would make out all information, picking on a tobacco-juice covered typewriter, with one finger, and administered stern justice to drunks, tramps and bums. No one could read his handwriting, except Judge Martin. His slogan to bums, brought before him, always was the same: "I'll give you five minutes to get out of town."

Lucille Weller (now Mrs. Jack McHenry, Nutley, N. J.) was the first stenographer for the village clerk ... The original speed limit for automobiles passing through the village was eight miles per hour. It was later increased to ten miles per hour ... Today any one driving at ten miles an hour would be arrested for obstructing traffic ... Granville once had a curfew law which prohibited any minor, under fifteen, to be on the village streets after eight o'clock in the evening ... And how the kids used to scram for home when they heard the sad moan of that siren whistle ... Parents were fined ten dollars for its violation.

The Salvation Army in Granville used to hold nightly meetings on the village square and many drunkards "hit the trail" to salvation ... The Salvation Army lassies could go through the local saloons with their tambourines and were always received with courtesy by the habitues who never failed to drop a coin in the tambourine ... The Army even owned their own building, now the Granville Fish and Game Club, on River street ... The loss of the "big fire" of January 1911, which wiped out the buildings on both sides of West Main street, from the present Weinberg store to the track, totaled $250,000.