06-04-2025
Then & Now: Do you know where this is?
Before becoming governor of Massachusetts in 1925, Alvan T. Fuller established one of the top automobile dealerships in the country.
From his flagship spot on Commonwealth Avenue in Boston, Fuller first sold Packards, then Cadillacs and other makes. His salesmanship included promotional events on Washington's Birthday, later Presidents Day, said to be the origin of what became a major sales day in the auto industry.
In 1919, as part of a larger expansion, Fuller opened a Packard dealership in Worcester. His company had a 40-year presence in the city. The dealership is shown in this week's Then photo, from 1959, not long after it closed.
The building remains, although its facade is decidedly different.
Fuller's success in business was parlayed into success in electoral politics. He was elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1914, then under the Progressive Party, before ascending to the U.S. House of Representives in 1917, then as a Republican.
In 1920, he became the lieutenant governor of Massachusetts, serving under Gov. Channing Cox. Fuller became governor in 1924 after Cox decided against reelection. Fuller defeated Boston Mayor James Michael Curley in the general election.
After leaving the governor's seat in January 1929, Fuller toyed with a run for president and other offices. But his focus eventually returned to his auto empire.
See Monday's Telegram & Gazette, and for the answer.
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Then & Now: Do you know where this is?
