Lodge #1849 History
The initial institution of Elks Lodge #1849 in Chicope Massachusetts occured on Sunday May 25th 1952 at the Kirby Junior High School on McKinstry Avenue in the Willimansett section of Chicopee. The Deputy Grand Exhalted Ruler for Western Massachusetts James F. Clarke officiated over the procedings. A large congregation of 600 people were in attendance.
After first installing the first officers for this new Chicopee lodge, D.D.G.E.R Clarke also installed the first Lodge Exulted Ruler Stephen A. Zajchowski by presenting him with a gavel as the symbol of his leadership authority.
In March 1953 Lodge 1849 procured its original tract of real estate from Cyril Gagne who owned large expanses of land holdings in the vacinity of the new lodge. This approximately 14 acres of irregularly shaped land extended from the lodges addressed property line on Granby Road to about half of the distance down the sloping hillside towards a 525' property line paralell to the the Chicopee River below.
Lodge #1849 further expanded it's land holdings in December 1956 when it purchased additional land from Cyril Gagne. This additional acreage of primarily wooded property further expanded the lodge's previous holdings all the way down to the Chicopee River.
In 1974, Lodge 1849 engaged with Partyka Resources Management Companies, Inc., also located in Chicopee, to operate a sanitary landfill on the 15.6 acres of property directly behind where the current lodge building exists. Topgraphical maps indicate that this property was greatly depressed compared to surrounding areas and otherwise unusable for residential use. Known as Chicopee Elks Landfill, this landfill last accepted waste in 1985. Subsequently, the landfill area was properly capped and vented in accordance with EPA requirements.
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