Recreational Societies and Organizations
Americans in 1910 could entertain themselves at home with books, newspapers, magazines and even phonographs and musical instruments, but media such as radio and television were still several decades away. Fortunately for Willimantic's social scene, its relatively high population density allowed frequent face-to-face social contact. The majority of societies and organizations in Willimantic in 1910 could be categorized as recreational in nature. There was a diverse array of these cultural-community based societies and organizations.
Some of them were affiliated with members' heritage or were ethnic-based like the St. Jean Baptiste Society, which was dedicated to French-Canadians, specifically, those from Quebec. Another example would be the Hibernians (Irish Benevolent); they had a hall located in Willimantic in 1910 as well.
Some of the newest associations of 1910 in Willimantic were transportation-based, such as the Automobile Club of Willimantic and the Thread City Cyclers! Some of them were a little more ambiguous, or scattered in their purpose such as the Knights of Pythias and their subsection known as the Pythian Sisters. Others were more athletic, such as the Nipnet Canoe Club, Willimantic Golf Club, and the Obwebetuck Lodge. Although this organization was mentioned in the Gender-Based section of this exhibit, it is worth mentioning that the Willimantic Woman's Club also existed as a recreational outlet for the female-identifying population. Finally, there was the presence of a military-esque type of societies and organizations such as the Windham Encampment, the Francis S. Long Post, and their subsection, the Francis S. Long Woman's Relief Corps.
If you want to learn a bit more about the Thread City Cyclers click here.