Historic Montclair Community Assoc. Inc. (HMCAI)

55 Years Ago

Aug 12, 2003

One treasure that recently came to light, courtesy of Mrs. John Mott, is a copy of the 1947 Annual Report to the members of Montclair Improvement Association (MIA) by its president, Homer Talbot. Membership was 1,103, a record high at that time, and the treasury had $628. The previous year there were 776 paid-up members and the treasury had $416. Currently, HMCAI has 300+ members and $5,000+ in the bank.

Various references in the report indicate MIA?’s boundaries extended beyond Colfax to the north, Quebec to the east and Holly to the west. A major activity was ?“extending assistance?” to construction of an eight-room addition to the Montclair School building. The association hosted political evenings at the Molkery during which candidates for mayor and city council appealed for votes, Representative John A. Carroll spoke on outstanding problems before the U.S. Congress, and the merits of eleven proposed city bond issues were debated. MIA members were concerned in 1947 with establishing playgrounds near Cherry St., zoning standards, proposals for liquor taverns in residential areas, traffic hazards, street grading and oiling, garbage and trash collection, snow removal, addition of more mail pick-up boxes, and needed street lights.