Before Uber and cell phones...
What's It Wednesdays
There was Morrissey Taxi and walkie-talkies
ACHC #2015.042.2
The Morrissey Taxi story begins in the late 1870s with horse stables that were first in Elm Square and then on Park Street.
"The old Elm House stables, … moved back and repaired and Mr. Higgins controls them, using them for storage and stall room. Six men are employed at Park Street stables, and everything that goes to make a first class livery and boarding stable is found here. Mr. Higgins also does a large sale business of horses, carriages, etc." (Andover Townsman 1896)
In 1908, George Higgins, in keeping with the changing times, turned one of the stables into a garage for cars. Three years later, Thomas Morrissey took over the business and provided the name which would last through the century.
32-36 Park Street location of garage and office for Morrissey Taxi in 1940s. ACHC Collection
Paul Collins was born and raised in Andover. When WWII started, he joined the US Army and served in Europe in a mechanized division commanded by Gen. George Patton. After his service, he returned to Andover.
In 1944, Paul purchased the Morrissey Taxi Co.
ACHC #2015.042.1, Paul Collins outside Morrissey Taxi office (top) and the taxi garage (bottom)
During the same years, Motorola (the radio company) that had supplied two-way radios (walkie talkies) to soldiers in combat, realized the potential of the radio technology for commercial use.
In 1947, Motorola (the radio company) began a new private line system of two-wave radios and marketed them to police and taxi services across the country. Paul Collins was an early customer. His mother assisted as the radio dispatcher.
And that’s why Andover's Paul Collins and Morrissey Taxi came to be featured in a national ad for Motorola.
Paul Collins continued to operate Morrissey Taxi Service for more than 40 years.
Do you remember Morrissey Taxi or Paul Collins?