Monday April 24 is the 108th commemoration of the 1915 Armenian Genocide: “Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day.”
As the granddaughter, and great-granddaughter of survivors, my family and I are grateful that Fitchburg opened its arms to victims who fled Western Armenia (now Eastern Turkey) in 1915; as well as in the mid-1890s (“the Armenian Massacre”).
My grandfather, Krikor Mirijanian was a child when he survived horrific violence and the deaths of many family members including his mother in his home village of Arapkir, near Harpoot. My maternal grandparents, Martin Manooshian and Rose Boyajian Markarian Manooshian (she married twice after being widowed) escaped the massacres two decades earlier. The family settled in Cleghorn, overwhelmingly French-Canadian at that time, in a tenement at 178 Daniels St. (since burned in the 1990s, and rebuilt).
The majority of Armenians coming to New England settled in Watertown, Worcester, Lowell or Lawrence, drawn by the textile and shoe mills. However, enough Armenians came to our city to merit a chapter in Doris Kirkpatrick’s splendid and detailed “Around the World in Fitchburg” published in 1975 by the Fitchburg Historical Society.
What opportunities did the newly-arrived Armenians have here? Many Armenian arrivals immediately joined a church (St. Joseph for those in Cleghorn) and got a job. The 1924 poll tax documents at the Fitchburg Historical Society revealed that within a decade of the 1915 genocide, some 33 Armenian families comprising 77 individuals were paying taxes in Fitchburg. The majority of these (presumably) recent arrivals lived in Ward 2. More than a third (25, including my great-grandfather Martin Manooshian; and great-great Uncle Philip) worked nearby at Parkhill Mill.
My family, the Manooshians and Mirijanians went into dry-cleaning (Star Cleaners) as did the Chicknavorians (City Cleaners). Miran Miranshian was a tailor, and George Booradian, Nishan Vizigian, and Kerop Chakemanian went into shoe repair. Just one woman was listed as a business owner: Alice Varjabedian had a grocery store at 9 Chestnut St. from 1918 through 1924 (in 1925, she and “John H.” — possibly a son — were “removed to Chelsea”).
Recently Fitchburg Historical Society’s Facebook page posted an image scanned from a glass negative. Sharp-eyed readers immediately identified the writing on the window as Armenian, and award-winning local historian George Mirijanian (who is also my uncle) did some research and translated the sign to: “Haygagan Jasharan.”
George explains: “Haygagan” means Armenian, “Jasharan” means restaurant. Colloquial Armenian “Jash” means “to eat” and “aran” means “a place.” This gives us words like “Hokejash” – the meal after a funeral.”
And so, it turns out that Haygagan Jasahran may have been the heart of what was never known as “Little Armenia” but which had numerous Armenian businesses nearby, including tailor Krikor Havanian (78 River St.), barber Mugurdich Yarumian (82 River St.), and grocer Melkiset Melkisethian (84 River St.; he also worked at the Iver Johnson Arms & Cycle Works).
After the genocide of 1915, more Armenians arrived and opened businesses. Over time, many Armenian first names give way to English names. When my grandmother entered first grade in 1920, her teacher told her she had to change her name. So Shakie (pronounced SHAH-kay), became Charlotte. Her older sister Satenig had received a similar renaming by the same teacher and was subsequently known as Irene (perhaps after nationally-known dancer Irene Castle, who’d starred with her dance partner Vernon Castle in silent movie hit Patria, 1917). And my grandfather Krikor was given the name “George” when he arrived at Block Island.
In a generation — sometimes two — the Armenians left Cleghorn for other parts of Fitchburg or the region. However, we must doff our cap to fellow Armenians who have kept their business in Fitchburg for many years. Oriental Ispahan, owned and operated by Robert and Paula DerMarderosian, is an excellent place to purchase a quality rug (85 Lunenburg St., Fitchburg), and our cousin Stephen Keosian, who runs Keosa Brothers Shoe Repair is the best shoe repairman I know (201 Lunenburg St., Fitchburg).
Finally, we invite anyone interested in Armenian culture to join us at Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day at Leominster Public Library, 30 West St., Leominster this Sunday, April 23, starting at 2 p.m. We’ll talk about the history, poetry, language and culture, and “famous Armenians.” The remembrance is free to all and light refreshments will be served.
And remember, you can research your own family’s Fitchburg history at Fitchburg Historical Society, open to the public on Monday, Tuesday (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.), Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.), 781 Main St, Fitchburg. Call 978-345-1157.
Sally Cragin is an award-winning journalist and the director of Be PAWSitive Therapy Pets and Community Education.