History and Genealogy

New Holyoke Book in Print

2006-03-09T12:35:00.000-08:00

As of yesterday, 08 March 2006, the following book has been published:

Holyoke: : The Skinner Family and Wistariahurst , by Kate Navarra Thibodeau

From the Amazon website:

"Born in England in 1824, William Skinner was a tradesman who, at 19, immigrated to the United States. Skinner turned his skill and resourcefulness into a tremendous success. He first went to work in Northampton and eventually opened the Unquomonk Silk Mills in nearby Haydenville. Skinner would have remained there had a flood not destroyed his business. He built a new mill along the canals in Holyoke, one of America’s first planned industrial cities, and moved his family home, Wistariahurst, to the city by dismantling it piece by piece. Residing in Holyoke for eight decades, the Skinner family contributed greatly to the community. Holyoke: The Skinner Family and Wistariahurst contains a rich legacy of photographs, letters, journals, and oral histories that provide an amazing view into life at Wistariahurst and the adventures of the family and their servants." Buy this book now from Amazon!

New York and Its Institutions

2006-03-04T14:22:00.000-08:00

New York and Its Institutions, by J.F. Richmond. Published in 1871, this 600-page books contains a brief history of Manhattan -- Plus -- a history of various charitable institutions in the city.

Fascinating book.

Historic profile of Monson, Massachusetts

2006-02-14T12:10:00.000-08:00

Historic profile of Monson, Hampden County, Massachusetts. Extracted from Volume II of History of the Connecticut Valley in Massachusetts, by Louis H. Everts, 1879. Topics include geographical, natural features, early settlement, military, list of selectmen and town clerks, churches, schools, burial-places, industries, Monson's military record in the Rebellion.

Reorganization

2005-09-25T21:59:00.000-07:00

If you haven't noticed, there is a major reorganization of HolyokeMass that began over the weekend. Please bear with me as it may take a day or two to get everything just right.

In the meantime you might notice there is now a "suite" of six related sites, all with different content:

Holyoke, Mass
Berkshire County History
Hampshire County History
Franklin County History
Hampden County History
Western Massachusetts History

Enjoy!

Brief Historic Profile of Whately, Mass

2005-06-30T06:29:00.000-07:00

A brief historic profile of Whately, Massachusetts; extracted from Volume II of History of the Connecticut Valley in Massachusetts, by Louis H. Everts, 1879. Topics include geographical, natural features, early settlement, civil government, town clerks & selectmen, industry, religion, schools and Whately's military record, including the Rebellion of 1861-1865. Lots of names of early settlers.

Brief Historic Profile of Shutesbury, Mass

2005-06-30T06:28:00.000-07:00

A brief historic profile of Shutesbury, Massachusetts; extracted from Volume II of History of the Connecticut Valley in Massachusetts, by Louis H. Everts, 1879. Topics include geographical, natural features, early settlement, civil government, town clerks & selectmen, industry, religion, schools and Shutesbury's military record, including the Rebellion of 1861-1865. Lots of names of early settlers.

Brief Historic Profile of Leyden, Mass.

2005-06-30T06:26:00.000-07:00

A brief historic profile of Leyden, Massachusetts; extracted from Volume II of History of the Connecticut Valley in Massachusetts, by Louis H. Everts, 1879. Topics include geographical, natural features, early settlement, civil government, town clerks & selectmen, industry, religion, schools and Leyden's military record, including the Rebellion of 1861-1865. Lots of names of early settlers.

Brief Historic Profile of Leverett, Mass.

2005-06-30T06:24:00.000-07:00

A brief historic profile of Leverett, Massachusetts; extracted from Volume II of History of the Connecticut Valley in Massachusetts, by Louis H. Everts, 1879. Topics include geographical, natural features, early settlement, civil government, town clerks & selectmen, industry, religion, schools and Leverett's military record, including the Rebellion of 1861-1865. Lots of names of early settlers.

Brief Historic Profile of Colrain, Mass

2005-06-30T06:22:00.000-07:00

A brief historic profile of Colrain, Massachusetts; extracted from Volume II of History of the Connecticut Valley in Massachusetts, by Louis H. Everts, 1879. Topics include geographical, natural features, early settlement, civil government, town clerks & selectmen, indian troubles, industry, religion, schools and Colrain's military record, including the Rebellion of 1861-1865.

Brief Historic Profile of Ashfield, Mass.

2005-06-30T06:18:00.000-07:00

A brief historic profile of Ashfield, Massachusetts; extracted from Volume II of History of the Connecticut Valley in Massachusetts, by Louis H. Everts, 1879. Topics include geographical, natural features, early settlement, civil government, town clerks & selectmen, taverns, industry, religion, schools and Ashfield's military record, including the Rebellion of 1861-1865.

Brief Historic Profile of Hawley, Mass.

2005-06-22T16:10:00.000-07:00

A brief historic profile of Hawley, Massachusetts; extracted from Volume II of History of the Connecticut Valley in Massachusetts, by Louis H. Everts, 1879. Topics include geographical, natural features, early settlement, civil government, town clerks & selectmen, public highways, industry, religion, schools and Hawley's record in the Rebellion of 1861-1865.

Brief Historic Profile of Erving, MA

2005-06-22T10:02:00.000-07:00

A brief historic profile of Erving, Franklin County, MA; extracted from Volume II of History of the Connecticut Valley in Massachusetts, by Louis H. Everts, 1879. Topics include geographical, natural features, early settlement, organizations, villages, churches, burial places, societies, industry and Erving men who served during the Rebellion.

Brief Historic Profile of Heath, MA

2005-06-21T20:12:00.000-07:00

A brief historic profile of Heath, Franklin County, MA; extracted from Volume II of History of the Connecticut Valley in Massachusetts, by Louis H. Everts, 1879. Topics include geographical, public schools, manufacturing interests, the professions, land titles and pioneer settlers, list of selectmen and town clerks, churches, schools, burial-places, Heath men who served during the Rebellion.

Brief Historic Profile of Wendell, MA

2005-06-20T14:13:00.000-07:00

A brief historic profile of Wendell, Franklin County, MA; extracted from Volume II of History of the Connecticut Valley in Massachusetts, by Louis H. Everts, 1879. Topics include geographical, noteworthy incidents, military, list of selectmen and town clerks, villages within Wendell, churches, schools, burial-places, industries, Wendell's Rebellion Record.

Notes Concerning Nicholas Worthington

2005-06-20T05:55:00.000-07:00

Notes Concerning Nicholas Worthington and certain of his descendants, Hatfield, MA.
Self-published in Paris, 1888, by Nicholas-Lewis Worthingon, this 54 page booklet has the descendants of Nicholas Worthington (originally of England who died in Hatfield about 1683). Many of his descendants lived their life in Agawam and elsewhere, including one who became a member of the French Legion of Honor. Of general interest is excerpts from the 1837 diary of Amos Worthington who, along with his wife, took a trip to visit family in Ohio from Springfield, MA. Interesting description of travel upon inland waterways -- both canals and rivers.

Dedication of Peck School

2005-06-20T05:52:00.000-07:00

In September of 1973 the Dr. William R. Peck Junior High School opened and a building dedication ceremony was held. This is a reproduction of the program distributed at that event. My father, a teacher — later guidance counselor — in the building, attended the ceremony and kept his copy of the proceedings all these years. Read a short bio of William R. Peck, look at the building statistics, or just see how many names you recognize from this era.

625 Choice Recipes, 1886.

2005-05-08T08:01:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the updated HolyokeMass page! This is an ongoing process that will hopefully provide easier access to the various history and genealogy resources located on the site.

The latest addition is a transcription of a book from my personal library: "625 Choice Recipes From The Ladies of the Second Congregational Church, of Holyoke, Mass."

With few exceptions, each recipe in this cookbook was submitted by a female member of the Second Congregational Church in Holyoke. The Second Congregational Church was founded about 1853 and during the era in which this cookbook was published had an elevated social status in part because of the geographic area where parishoners resided, and partly because many of Holyoke's leading families were members. The less affluent families held membership in the Grace Church (which was closely affiliated with the Second Congregational) and were located "down the hill" as my grandmother used to call it. Closer to the manufacturing centers and serving the many employees who worked there. So, as you look through the name index in this cookbook, you will see families such as Allyn, Newton brothers, Skinners, Lyman, Loomis, Taft, Prentiss, and many others easily recognized if you are familiar with Holyoke. Although the women are cited through their husband's name — Mrs. J. S. McElwain, for example — most can be determined fairly easily by using the 1880 U.S. Federal Census.

Looking though the book is fascinating. Consider food preparation with a measurement of ingredients in a manner such as "butter the size of an egg." It is amazing to contemplate what the process of cooking for a family was like in 1886.

Lastly, take a moment to browse through the recipes in the "Food for the Sick" chapter. Most of these recipes were submitted by Holyoke physicians of the time. I expect they were commonly used, though not necessarily appealing.

Yearbook - Joseph Metcalf Class of 1951

2005-04-30T08:11:00.000-07:00

Online is the Joseph Metcalf School Class of 1951. According to the forword written by the principal, this is the fourth yearbook published for the Metcalf School. The first was a mimeographed version printed without photographs in 1948.

Included are individual photos of graduates, class photos of grades seven and eight, sports, activities, class will and prophecy. Another interesting feature is the "Metcalf Family Tree" listing relatives of the 1951 grads who also attended and graduated from the Metcalf School.

You can see the 1951 Metcalf School Yearbook here.

John J. Lynch 1953 Yearbook

2005-04-30T08:05:00.000-07:00

The Crossroads -- John J. Lynch Junior High School 1953 yearbook is now online. This would represent part of Holyoke High School Class graduating class of 1956. Photos, teachers, sports & activities with a name index for graduates and grades six though eight.

Available here.

History of the Town of Flatbush

2005-04-14T09:27:00.000-07:00

History of the Town of Flatbush, in Kings County, Long-Island. By Thomas M. Strong, D.D., Pastor of the Reformed Dutch Church of Flatbush, 1908 [1842]. Old and very general history of the early settling of Flatbush through the American Revolution with some obvious emphasis on the Battle of Brooklyn. Many recognizable names. Some history of Erasmus Hall and ecclesiastical history. Currently indexed by personal names only.

New England Manners And Customs In The Time Of Bryant's Early Life

2005-03-30T11:08:00.000-08:00

New England Manners And Customs In The Time Of Bryant's Early Life, by Mrs. H. G. Row. This article, originally published in Bay State Monthly in 1886, discusses various customs and cultural elements evident during the early life era of William Cullen Bryant (1794-1878).

An Old Deerfield Letter

2005-03-30T07:37:00.000-08:00

An Old Deerfield Letter. From New England Monthly, 1890. Four page letter by Ebenezer Grant written sometime after 1710 from events relayed to him by Lieutenant Childs and Mr. Hoit regarding a company led by Mr. Write [sic] who left Deerfield in 1710 to pursue Indians in Canada.

The Home of Josh Billings

2005-03-16T15:52:00.000-08:00

The Home of Josh Billings, by Edith Parker Thomson. Short article describing the author Henry Wheeler Shaw (1818-1885), who had the pen name of "Josh Billings." Shaw was a well-known humorist and was said to be better known in his time than his contemporary, Mark Twain. "Josh Billiings" is still quoted, even today. Shaw was originally from Lanesborough, a focus of this article.

The Massachusetts Slave Trade

2005-03-15T20:29:00.000-08:00

The Massachusetts Slave Trade, written by Lilian Brandt. Scholarly article with primary sources cited on the early involvement of Massachusetts both directly and indirectly with the slave trade. Originally published in New England Magazine, 1899.

Adams and North Adams

2005-03-15T15:21:00.000-08:00

Adams and North Adams, by Clinton Q. Richmond.
Twenty-one page article describing the history of Adams and North Adams, Massachusetts. Some of the topics addressed include geography, Fort Massachusetts, Ephraim Williams, French & Indian War, Manufacturing companies, prominent citizens, the state Normal School and the eventual split of Adams into two towns. Originally published in New England Magazine, 1899. Illustrated.

Before The Statue Of The Puritan

2005-03-14T20:07:00.000-08:00

The Puritan, statue by Augustus Saint-Gaudens (1848-1907), served as inspiration for this poem by F. Whitmore. Placed at the Quadrangle in 1899, the statue memorializes Deacon Samuel Chapin, one of Springfield's earliest settlers. From New England Magazine, 1900.

The Old Pittsfield Church & Yuletide In An Old English City

2005-03-12T22:41:00.000-08:00

The Old Pittsfield Church And Its Three Meeting-Houses, A Chapter of Evolution, by Mrs. H. M. Plunkett.
Vintage 1893 article, originally published in New England Monthly. Article provides a history of the three sequential meeting-houses (churches) in Pittsfield. Interesting look at ecclesiastical history and touches on early issues regarding separation of church & state. Illustrated.

and

Yuletide In An Old English City, by By Cecil Logsdail. Short article reminescing upon the customs and traditions of an old-fashioned English holiday season, including Christmas, Twelfth Night and New Year. Originally published in New England Magazine, 1893.

Mount Auburn Cemetery

2005-03-10T13:49:00.000-08:00

Mount Auburn, by Frank Foxcroft. Reproduced from a 1896 article published in New England Monthly. History of the cemetery and profiles of various buildings and monuments with some discussion of some of the more famous people buried within. Illustrated, including a detailed cemetery map.

Normal College of New York City

2005-03-09T15:46:00.000-08:00

Normal College of New York City, by William H. Rideing, 1878. Detailed discussion of the Normal College, its history, teacher course curriculum, rules and requirements. Some interesting observations on the daily proceedings within the school. Nice article on early higher education for women.

George Fuller

2005-03-08T08:14:00.000-08:00

George Fuller (1822 - 1884), a well-respected painter of his time was born in Deerfield, Franklin County Massachuetts. This article was published originally in New England Monthly the year of Fuller's death and focuses upon his career and painting. About ten pages. Interesting read with notes where a few of his paintings may be viewed.

Springfield, Massachusetts

2005-03-07T08:26:00.000-08:00

Reproduction of an1894 article originally published in New England Monthly. It is a twenty-five page concise history of Springfield that talks about early settlers, Shay's Rebellion, Churches, newspapers & publishing, the role of the Springfield Arsenal, slavery, leading citizens and much more. Many photographs and illustrations.

Springfield, Massachusetts, by Clarence E. Blake, Ph.D.

The Medieval Library

2005-03-06T08:35:00.000-08:00

The Medieval Library, by Ernest Cushing Richardson, Ph.D., Princeton Librarian, 1905. Interesting historic look at the development of libraries with a focus on monks & monasteries in the medieval period. Discusses book acquisition and reproduction, loans, chained library and more.

Knitting & Other Crafts

2005-03-04T10:08:00.000-08:00

One of the big regrets I have in life is my lack of documentation for my knitting and other projects. I simply created things and (mostly) gave them away as gifts. Now I realize I should have taken photos, but for me at the time, it was just the pure joy of doing these things.

Oh well a lesson well-learned.

I do have some photos and have started building a little area of my various creations. You are welcome to have a look.

Scotland

2005-03-03T08:55:00.000-08:00

After working on this one for more than a week, it is a pleasure to introduce 50 maps of Scotland, reproduced from the 1903 book entitled Handbook for Travellers in Scotland, Scott Moncrieff Penney, M.A., Editor.

I do object to online maps when nothing much on them is actually legible, so these maps are relatively large files ranging from 200kb - 650 kb. Probably not great for someone with dail-up. I'll be monitoring use closely -- if it becomes too much of a bandwidth burden upon my account the pages may have to be restructured. We'll see. So, for the moment, enjoy the detail!

New England: Dialect & Witches

2005-02-27T16:33:00.000-08:00

Added today:

New England Dialect, by By Isaac Bassett Choate, Bay State Monthly, 1888.The author attempts to show the origin of our New-England dialect, and to prove that all talk about an American language, as distinct from English, is without the shadow of reason in history or in common-sense.

The First New England Witch, by Willard H. Morse, M. D., Bay State Monthly, 1885Article describes the circumstances and trial of Elizabeth Morse of Newbury, MA who was arrested, tried and found guilty of witchcraft.

Of the two articles, I like the one on New England Dialect -- interesting to see where some of the so-called Yankee twang came from.

Hudson River & Modern Dwellings

2005-02-22T11:18:00.000-08:00

Added to the site today are:

Romance of the Hudson, Part I and Part II, by Benson J. Lossing, 1876. A brief history of the Hudson River in the greater NY metro area. Some wonderful descriptions of legends, lore, battles and facts by noted historian Benson John Lossing. Some interesting explanations regarding certain place names in the area, and much more.

On a personal note, I was charmed by this article because there is some fascinating content I had not heard of before (nor had my husband, a 30+ resident of Manhattan / Brooklyn). Specifically the name origin of place known as "en spuyt den duyvel."

Modern Dwelling, Part I and Part II, by H. Hudson Holly, 1876. Design of various American "cottages" circa 1876. Some discussion of architectural styles, adaptation in America, choosing a site, floorplans, and much more. Written by H. Holly Hudson, an influential architect of his time -- who was evidently in part responsible for the popularity of the Front Porch in American Architecture.

The Metropolitan Newspaper

2005-02-19T08:15:00.000-08:00

I really like this article, originally published in Harper's Monthly in 1877. The Metropolitan Newspaper is an interesting article that describes, in detail, the way a newpaper was put together in the late 1800s. Roles of the reporter, city editor and more are described. Some information on the origin and function of the Associated Press. Fun article to read and might be something interesting to work with if you teach journalism, particularly regarding the contrast and extraordinary changes between then and now.

Also uploaded is an article from 1904 published originally in New England Magazine, entitled Easthampton, Mass. It describes the founding and development of the town, located in Hampshire County, MA. Profile of leading citizens, including the Willistons and Williston Academy; early slaughter and kidnapping of settlers by non-local Native American tribe, churches, schools, businesses and more.

Life on Broadway

2005-02-17T13:47:00.000-08:00

Uploaded today is Life on Broadway -— William H. Rideing's presentation of Manhattan vignettes: people, shops, street vendors and scenes on Broadway, 1878. Obviously times have changed since this was published, but it is remarkable how many similarities remain today. Originally published in Harper's Monthly.

Also added is "A Historical Sketch of Pittsfield, Massachusetts.", by Frank W. Kaan. Reproduced from Bay State Monthly, 1885. This is an eighteen-page article outlining the founding of Pittsfield and profiles some of the leading citizens, churches, building, and industry. Nicely illustrated.

We had some problems yesterday as our new Hosting Service cut us off without warning. A result of what appears to have been an issue with someone hacking into one of our e-mail accounts and sending massive spam, unbeknowst to us of course. It seemed to take forever to resolve in part due to a huge gap in communication -- seriously, changing an e-mail password is not rocket science. It concerns me somewhat, we stayed with our last hosting service for five years with no problems at all (we left only because of pricing and resources). This is the first hosting problem ever in ten years of web publishing -- hopefully there will be no more bumps.

New Site Additions

2005-02-15T15:52:00.000-08:00

I am sitting here at nearly 7 p.m. EST listening to the sounds of Keyspan jackhammers rip up the street and repair a gas line that was leaking. The backgound noise could be better, but the response time for this emergency repair can only be applauded.

Added to the site today are the following:

Little Laborers of New York City, by C. L. Brace, 1873.
Article discussing early child labor laws and lack of, jobs performed by young children, wages and reform including early laws prohibtion chilren from employment. The work of the Children's Aid Society is mentioned.

Superstitions of a Cosmopolitan City, by Robert Shakleton, 1905
Odd, four-page treatise on some superstitions observed in New York City, most culturally related. Somewhat over-simplifed.

An Unpublished Legend of the Regicides, By Helen Evertson Smith
This is a 1904 article on the New England regicides, the mystery as seen by the eyes of (then child) Rev. Samuel Russell of Hadley, MA.

FYI I have the originals in my home library. I love reading these kinds of articles and looking at the illustrations when they exist. Enjoy!

The Beginning

2005-01-31T13:08:00.000-08:00

So this is the beginning of my "new" blog. I have another blog on LiveJournal that has been up and running for at least four years now, but it must have been about a year ago now my posts slowed down in part to my numerous other ongoing projects. I realized there was more available time and much more was actually getting accomplished in my so-called "real" life.

The purpose of this little blog is connected to my website, HolyokeMass.com. About 10 years ago I began to transcribe books and other bits of ephemera from my rather extensive collection here at home. These items have been spread around several online locations and for the most part have been well received by people. Some are genealogical in nature, others historic. Some things I happen to find interesting for any number of reasons ranging from my exposure to them through the interests of friends and family to some odd unknown interest.

And so this attempt at pulling all my material into one location has started, and it is here I will mention what I hope will be frequent updates though you can fully expect me to not limit my posts.

Because I am from Western Massachusetts, I have a lot of material posted about that area, particularly on Holyoke, the city were I was born. But that is not the only thing in life that interests me, I love the few years I lived in Manhattan and my current neighborhood in Brooklyn.

Look around my site and feel free to respond. Oh, by the way -- placing all these goodies online is a result of finding
Bliksem Hosting who have offers of 5-7 GB with the usual bells and whistles for $16.99 per month (two months free if you pay a year in advance). So, if you are in need of a massive amount of web hosting space, as I was, you may want to check them out.

Post Office, 22 Dec 2004, Church Ave

2004-12-23T09:05:00.000-08:00

After postponing a requisite visit to post office (Christmas packages, late again) I finally managed to get there late morning.

Walking in, it was a shock to see only about 20 people ahead of me, and another adjacent line with perhaps an equal amount of people who were picking up packages.

At the end of the queue, the man in front of me nodded an acknowledgement of my presence, as did I in response. A minute later he asked me to hold his place in line as he had to dash out for a second. He left his small pile of parcels on the counter.

Meanwhile, in the parcel pick-up line, a woman who looked about four feet high and four feet wide was screeching at the man behind her. I wish it had been possible to understand what she was saying, but her accent – or maybe it was a language – rendered it incomprehensible. She kept turning to screech at the man, who had responded to her rage by pulling his cel phone from his pocket and making calls. He was relatively normal looking, half her age though nearly twice her height. Yet, she did at some point lapse into some version of English where she threatened that she wasn’t scared and would be able to “take him.”

And so, while this ongoing tirade was in progress (think really loud high-pitched shrieking voice) another woman walked in and centered herself in the post office lobby in order to take full advantage of the captive audience. She began to preach to the crowd upon the meaning of Christmas and … well you can imagine. I will not elaborate.

My mind felt totally captive in the sense that there were two ongoing competitive events: a screeching bitch-out and an emotional preaching, neither of which I was interested in listening to. Finally they both ended, though it took a good fifteen minutes.

The guy in front of me was taking his good time returning and finally it was my turn to be waited upon when he made his appearance.

“I brought this for you,” he told me, handing me a copy of the a free local newspaper entitled Caribbean News.

I thanked him with little enthusiasm; I am overwhelmed by paper-clutter at home.

“I’m on page 56,” he told me.

“I’ll read it when I get home,” I assured him. The counter clerk was clearly getting pissed off I wasn’t giving him my complete attention.

The newspaper guy gave another copy to the postal clerk who was assisting him, and as I exited the building I heard her shriek “We have a celebrity in our midst.”

Start to finish post office time: 30 minutes. Not bad, especially for Christmas.