History of Holyoke, Massachusetts, USA

Journey back in time to Holyoke, Massachusetts, USA

• 1745 - Holyoke is settled
  
  Massachusetts City and Town Incorporation and Settlement Dates
  
  
• 1850 - Holyoke is incorporated
  
  Massachusetts City and Town Incorporation and Settlement Dates
  
  
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  Hotel Hamilton. Holyoke, Mass.
  
  "...built around 1850 as a hotel called the Holyoke House. Located on Dwight Street, between Main and Race streets, it was later known as the Hotel Hamilton and was extensively remodeled and expanded around 1890. The building was purchased in 1911 by Joel Russell and then housed the J. Russell Hardware Company. The hotel closed in 1943..." mass.historicbuildings.com
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• 1854 - Holyoke
  Holyoke, a post-village of Hampden county, Massachusetts, on the right bank of the Connecticut river, and on the Connecticut River railroad, 8 miles N. from Springfield, and 106 miles by railroad W. by S. from Boston. The Hadley Falls Company, chartered in April, 1848, with a capital of $4,000,000. ...Read MORE...
  
  
  
•  1860 - A Noble Pair of Horses
  Mr. Russell Wood, of Holyoke, Massachusetts, had a very narrow and miraculous escape from death last Tuesday. While coming down a mountain with a load of wood, he fell off, and was so paralyzed as to be unable to move, and was obliged to remain under the wagon wheels from three o'clock in the...Read MORE...
  
  
  
• 1873 - Holyoke is incorporated as a city
  
  Massachusetts City and Town Incorporation and Settlement Dates
  
  
•  1874 - Dye-House Fire
  The dye-house of D. Macintosh, at Holyoke, Massachusetts, was burned on Friday night. Loss $5,000.
  The Emporia Weekly News
  Emporia, Kansas
  February 13, 1874
  
  
•  1875 - Another Summer Resort Burned.
  SPRINGFIELD, Mass., July 25.- 'Ingleside,' a well known summer resort, about three miles southwest of Holyoke, was completely destroyed by fire this evening. It was built by J. S. Davis, a few years ago, at a cost of $156,000. It has not been open for guests this season.
  The Philadelphia Inquirer
  Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  July 26, 1875
  
  
•  1875 - Burning of French Catholic Church
  The sad disaster caused by the burning of the French Catholic church at Holyoke, Massachusetts, still causes great gloom in that part of the country. The deaths number about 80. A considerable number of the victims were French Canadians, and their charred and mangled corpses have been sent to their ...Read MORE...
  
  
  
•  1877 - President Hayes Endorsed
  President Hayes was endorsed at Holyoke, Massachusetts, on Thursday evening, by an immense assembly of citizens, and in the exercises leading republicans equally shared. The soul of the great pacificator goes marching on. - Pittsburh Telegraph, rep.
  The Atlanta Constitution
  Atlanta, Georgia
  October 24, 1877
  
  
•  1882 - Fell Under Wagon
  V. V. Goddard, a brick mason, of Holyoke, Massachusetts, was instantly crushed to death yesterday morning, at South Hadley Falls, by falling under the wheels of a loaded brick wagon.
  
  Thomas Flattery and two other young men, whose names are unknown, were drowned in the river at Holyoke,...Read MORE...
  
  
  
•  1888 - A portion of the Holyoke (Mass.) Envelope Company;s mill was burned on the 22d. Loss, $325,000.
  
  St Joseph Herald
  Saint Joseph, Michigan
  January 28, 1888
  
  
• Holyoke Massachusetts, 1890
  HOLYOKE is a modern, enterprising and growing city, situated on the west side of the Connecticut River, and midway of the north side of Hampden County, 106 miles west of Boston. It is bounded on the north by Easthampton and the Mount Tom district, east by South Hadley and Chicopee, south by West...Read MORE...
  
  
  
•  1895 - February 9 – Mintonette, later known as volleyball, is created by William G. Morgan at Holyoke, Massachusetts.
  
  wikipedia.org
  February 9, 1895
  
  
• 1895 - Holyoke
  Holyoke, a city of Hampden co., Mass., on the W bank of the Connecticut River, 8 miles N. of Springfield and 9 miles S. of Northampton. It is on the Connecticut River Railroad, and is a terminus of the Holyoke Branch of the New Haven & Northampton Railroad. A dam 1019 feet long has been built...Read MORE...
  
  
  
•  1900 - FIRE DESTROYS THE SUMMIT HOUSE ATOP MOUNT TOM.
  Holyoke, Mass., Oct. 18 - The Summit House on the peak of Mount Tom, near Holyoke, Mass., was totally destroyed by a blaze that could be seen for many miles throughout the valley.
  
  The loss was placed at $60,000, and was fully covered by insurance.
  The News-Democrat
  Uhrichsville, Ohio
  October 18, 1900
  
  
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  City Hall, Holyoke, Mass.
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  Second Level Canal, Holyoke, Mass.
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  High Street, Holyoke, Mass.
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  Summit House, Mount Tom, Holyoke, Mass.
  
  "...The Mount Tom Hotel was constructed on the summit of Mount Tom in 1897, but it burned down three years later. Subsequently rebuilt, it burned again in 1929 and was never rebuilt..." wikipedia
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  Looking Up Dwight Street From Main Street. Holyoke, Mass.
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  Holyoke, Mass. YMCA.
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  3rd Lower Canal
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  First Level Canal
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  Public Library, 1905
  
  In 1870 along with John and Edwin Chase, William Whiting incorporated the Holyoke Public Library, serving as its first president. wikipedia
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•  1907 - MANY FINGERS CUT OFF. Two Accidents at Holyoke in Which These Valuable Members Were Lost.
  Yesterday was a bad day for Holyoke fingers. Nine were lopped off, as reported last evening, with outlying districts to be heard from. Fred Joyall, a lad of 15, who has been employed at the Norman division of the American writing paper company, got both hands caught in the calendar so that all...Read MORE...
  
  
  
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  View from Summit House of Mt. Tom showing upper station of Mt. Tom R.R.
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  Trolley Road to Mountain Park, 1909
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  Second Congregational Church, 1910
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  Holyoke Canoe Club, Smith's Ferry
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  Mt. Tom Railroad
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  Casino, Seating Capacity of 3000, Mountain Park
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  Restaurant, Mountain Park
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  Interior Nonotuck Hotel, 1910
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  Holyoke City Hospital
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  Mt. Tom Golf Club, 1911
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  Kenilworth Castle
  
  Kenilworth 'Castle,' built in 1894-1895 by Edward C. Taft, founder of the Albion Paper Company of Holyoke, originally as a summer residence. It was reported to have been outfitted luxuriously with materials, furniture, and paintings from around the world. The building was located on a large tract of land near the Smith's Ferry section of Northampton. An annexation agreement in 1909 made this area part of Holyoke. The home was demolished in 1959. digitalcommonwealth.org
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• 1916
  Holyoke, a city of Hampden oo., Mass., on the W. bank of the Connecticut River, 8 miles N. of Springfield, on the Boston and Maine and the New York, New Haven and Hartford Rs. A dam 1019 feet long has been built across the river, which falls 60 feet in the course of a mile and affords immense...Read MORE...
  
  
  
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  High School
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  B. & M. R.R. Station
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  Presbyterian Church and Masonic Temple
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  Post Office
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  Tower at Scott Park, Anniversary Hill
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