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A Boston resident, he had a summer residence in Houghs Neck (the Cape Cod of its time at the turn of the century with its hotel, ballroom and amusement center). He had a very sports-oriented background and became friends with many of the Boston Red Sox in the early 1900s, hosting parties down 'The Neck'. It was due to this closeness that the team commissioned him to make the 1912 Red Sox World Series Presentation Watch Fob for the players.
About 1920 he moved the business to Winter Street and his son, Frank, joined him in 1924, opting to turn down New England Telephone & Telegraph's offer of a promotion if he transferred to Portland, ME (which apparently didn't sit too well with our grandmother, his bride of two months!).
The third generation of Gendreaus (yes, Frank) entered the business in 1952. These were the glory days of downtown Boston with great stores like Gilchrists, Conrad & Chandlers, R.H. Stearns, Stowells, and Whites led by the cornerstones - Filenes and Jordan Marsh.
The 1970s saw the addition of the next generation of Gendreaus, Frank (yet again!) and this time, David and Denise. By the 1980s Boston's shopping experience was surpassed by the popularity of the suburban malls and businesses were exploring the opportunities of the Route 128 and 495 belts.
In 1992, the Gendreau family diversified by buying from Ben Starr the business he and his family had run for forty years - Joyce Jewelers. It was a great fit - Ben was reluctant to sell his business to someone who would ruin the reputation he had built and we had wanted a place where customers had learned to rely on for value and quality.
Today, our business consists of Frank and Anne Gendreau, their children Frank, David and Denise, and the fifth generation is in training as David's daughter, Rachel, works on Saturdays and holidays.
The 1912 World Series Medal
The 1912 World Series Medal was made by our great-grandfather for the Boston Red Sox team for presentation to the players. This was before the tradition of presenting rings. The original medals had a 1 ct. diamond bezel set in the center and the medal was affixed to a leather fob to be worn with a pocketwatch. Our grandfather remembered his father saying that two months after they received them, most players had the diamonds removed and gave them to their wives or girlfriends - they weren't making a lot of money at the time and, hey, a 1 ct. diamond is a 1 ct. diamond!
As far as we can tell, there are only three left - one is at the Massachusetts Historical Society, a gentleman in New Jersey who we have talked to owns one and one came up at auction about five years ago but the buyer's whereabouts weren't disclosed.
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