Historical Collections of Massachusetts / History of Hampshire County Massachusetts

Worcester MA: Dorr, Howland & Co. The early days of Hampshire County, MA, and its various towns and townships are recalled through a mixture of colorful tales and factual data in this NEW 68 Page Booklet, reprinted primarily from two hard-to-find books: the 1839 edition of Historical Collections of Massachusetts by John Warner Barber, and Massachusetts, a Guide to its Places and People, a WPA project. The spiral-bound booklet is printed on 60# paper, with the print enlarged for easier reading. Clear vinyl sheets have been added to protect the covers. INSERTED IN THE BOOKLET is a copy of the Map of Massachusetts which accompanied the Barber book. The map is printed in black ink on natural parchtex paper. The communities mentioned include: Amherst, Belchertown, Chesterfield, Cummington, Easthampton, Enfield, Granby, Goshen, Greenwich, Hadley, Hatfield, Haydenville, Holyoke, Lithia, Middlefield, Northampton, Norwich, Pelham, Plainfield, Prescott, Searsville, Shutesbury, South Hadley, Southampton, Swift River, Ware, Ware Center, West Hatfield, West Worthington, Westhampton, Williamsburg, Worthington, and Worthington Corners. The Barber history covers the development of this area until about 1839, while excerpts from the WPA book, give a nostalgic glimpse from a 1940 vantage point, including interesting historical notes, especially as they relate to sightseeing possibilities. The many and diverse topics in the booklet include: Early Settlers and Industries; Amherst College, Mt. Holyoke Female Seminary and other Schools; Tombstone Inscriptions; a "Deer Ride"; William Cullen Bryant, poet, a native of Cummington; Indian Encounters; Escape of "the Regicides" Edmund Whalley and William Goffe and a tale of a Broomstick Fight; Famous Preachers: Jonathan Edwards, Solomon Stoddard, David Brainerd and Joseph Beals; an Indian tale of White Dove and Gray Eagle (overtones of Romeo and Juliet?); Floods, Dams, Reservoirs and the Towns they Inundated; an Accused Witch who Survived Hanging; Daniel Shays Rebellion Against Mortgage Foreclosures; Hatfield's Notable Educators; and other bits of history and trivia. . Limited Edition Reprint Leavenworth. Spiral/Comb. New/No Jacket. 8.5" x 11". Private Press.