42°18′00″N72°36′00″W / 42.300°N 72.600°W /42.300; -72.600
ThePioneer Valley is the colloquial and promotional name for the portion of theConnecticut River Valley that is inMassachusetts in the United States.[1] It is generally taken to comprise the three counties ofHampden,Hampshire, andFranklin.[2] The lower Pioneer Valley corresponds to theSpringfield, Massachusetts metropolitan area, the region's urban center, and the seat ofHampden County. The upper Pioneer Valley region includes the smaller cities ofNorthampton andGreenfield, the county seats ofHampshire andFranklin counties, respectively.
Historically the northern part of the Valley was an agricultural region, known for growingConnecticut shade tobacco and other specialty crops likeHadleyasparagus; however, since the late nineteenth century its economy has become increasingly aknowledge economy, due to the prominence of theFive Colleges in Hampshire County. Similarly theSpringfield–Chicopee–Holyoke economies transformed from volume producers of goods such aspaper andarmaments, into a combination of specialized manufacturing and distribution services forBoston and New York City.
Many of the cities and towns include areas of forests, and Springfield itself, which in the early twentieth century was nicknamed "The City in a Forest," features nature within its city limits and over 12% parkland.[3] The Pioneer Valley is known[4][5] for its scenery and as a vacation destination. TheHolyoke Range,Mount Tom Range, and numerous rolling hills, bluffs, and meadows feature extravagant homes from theGilded Age, many of which surround New England's longest and largest river, theConnecticut River, which flows through the region.[6][7][1]
The name "Pioneer Valley" originates in the twentieth century with travel writers using it in the 1920s and 1930s to designate the region. In 1939 the Pioneer Valley Association was formed to promote the region using that name.[8]
The Pioneer Valley is a popular, year-round tourist destination—a role that it has played historically, prior to its deindustrialization (from approximately 1970–2000).[7][1] Travelers are drawn to the Pioneer Valley by its livelycollege towns, such asNorthampton andAmherst; the resurgent city ofSpringfield; its unspoiled nature, numerous parks, and recreational facilities, including New England's largest and most popular amusement park,Six Flags New England inAgawam; its cultural and historical sites, such as theEmily Dickinson House in Amherst, theSpringfield Armory National Historical Site, and theBasketball Hall of Fame on Springfield's riverfront. The region features alpine skiing at resorts such asBerkshire East and seasonal festivals that draw millions of visitors, such asThe Big E—all six New England states' collective, annual state fair inWest Springfield—and Bright Nights atSpringfield's Forest Park—an elaborate, high-tech lighting display during the holiday season.
The Pioneer Valley includes approximately half of the southernConnecticut River Valley—an ancientrift valley created by the breakup of thesupercontinentPangea along theMid-Atlantic Ridge during theTriassic andJurassic periods of theMesozoic Era. TheConnecticut River has been flowing through the valley for millions of years and was naturally dammed to formglacial lakeHitchcock during the last ice age.
According toKing's Handbook of Springfield, byMoses King, the Pioneer Valley "is not an ordinary river channel; it is, in fact, a trough between two systems of mountains. To the west lie the worn-down remnants of the once lofty Berkshire Mountains; on the east, the yet more degraded ridges which constitute what we may call the Eastern Massachusetts set of mountain ridges. These rocks now form many sharp hills and mountains in the Valley. During theTriassic time, Massachusetts's portion of the Connecticut River Valley formed a shallow arm of the sea," leaving deposits that enriched the Pioneer Valley's inordinately fertile soil.[7][1]
Geologically interesting parts of the Valley are thebasalt flows anddinosaur tracks inSouth Hadley andHolyoke, Massachusetts, a chain of basaltic traprock ridges known asMetacomet Ridge along the ancient tectonic rift including theMount Holyoke andMount Tom ranges, layers of rock deposit laid down by the river, andvarves anddeltasdeposited byLake Hitchcock during thePleistocene.
The region known as the Pioneer Valley constitutes Massachusetts's portion of the fertileConnecticut River Valley and thehill and mountain towns to its east and west. The following three counties—from north to south, and each with a different character—encompass the Pioneer Valley:
Franklin County is the most rural county in Massachusetts and thus reminiscent of southernVermont, which it borders.Greenfield is its largest municipality, a small city frequently used as a gateway to the region's many outdoor pursuits. The county offers downhill skiing at resorts such asBerkshire East, white-water rafting, zip-lining, hiking, kayaking, and other outdoor pursuits. In addition, Franklin County contains many rustic, former mill towns. Many of these have become quaint and scenic since the decline of the mills (e.g.,Turners Falls). Massachusetts's Routes 2 and 2A, which run through Franklin County, feature many antique stores.[9]
Hampshire County is the home to five prominent colleges and universities that cooperate with each other and are known collectively as theFive Colleges. They areUMass Amherst,Amherst,Mount Holyoke,Smith, andHampshire. Each of these highly regardedliberal arts colleges and universities contribute to Hampshire County'scollege town atmosphere, particularly in the significant college towns ofNorthampton andAmherst. Much of Hampshire County's cultural activity, vibrant nightlife, and musical venues are concentrated in these two small but lively municipalities that are separated by a mere seven miles. While the college towns in Hampshire County are known for their liberal political values and their embrace of alternative cultures and lifestyles, many of the county's outlying towns preserve their traditional, bucolic characters. In terms of political demographics, Hampshire County is one of the most liberal areas in the United States in both voter registration and election returns.
Hampden County is the most highly urbanized county inWestern Massachusetts; however, its environs have long been described asrus in urbe—cities amidst forests.[10]Springfield, Massachusetts—the "shire town" for which Hampden County was initially carved out of Hampshire County in 1814—is located in southern Hampden County, at a natural crossroads where three significant rivers flow intoConnecticut River (theWestfield, theChicopee, and theMill). Springfield's history is long, illustrious, and well-chronicled. It was one of the United States' most important precision manufacturing and defense centers until its relatively recent deindustrialization, which was catalyzed by the government's controversial closure of theSpringfield Armory during the Vietnam War. (In 1777, GeneralGeorge Washington andHenry Knox personally selected that site for the United States' Federal Arsenal.)[11] After nearly 30 years of decline, Springfield has since about 2006 experienced a cultural and economic resurgence, catalyzed by billions of dollars in private and public investment, including the funded construction of the United States' first high-speed bullet-train, known as theKnowledge Corridor intercity rail line as well as a sharp decreases in crime and new festivals that have renewed the city's traditionally robust civic pride. Springfield itself features international tourist attractions like theBasketball Hall of Fame and theSpringfield ArmoryNational Historic Site; it also features theDr. Seuss Memorial, Augustus Saint Gaudens's outdoor masterpiece,The Puritan, and five world-class art, science, and history museums at theQuadrangle.Forest Park, a city park of 745 acres (301 ha) designed following the principles ofFrederick Law Olmsted, who is most famous for designing New York City's Central Park, is comparably diverse and ornate. The city's economic base is also diverse, featuring Massachusetts's wealthiestFortune 100 company,MassMutual Insurance, as well as numerous universities and hospitals. Springfield features thousands ofVictorian eraPainted Lady mansions (like San Francisco's), e.g., in theMcKnight Historic District. In addition to the Connecticut River, Springfield featuresWatershops Pond, Porter Lake, and theMill River.
Less than two miles south of Springfield,Six Flags New England amusement park is located in suburbanAgawam; and one mile west of Springfield,The Big E—the collective state fairgrounds of all six New England States—is located inWest Springfield. North of Springfield, the U.S.Westover Air Force Base is located in the resurgent, former industrial city ofChicopee. The City of Chicopee features the confluence of the fast-movingChicopee River and the meanderingConnecticut River. The Chicopee River, although only 18.0 miles long, has the largest water basin in Massachusetts—and along the Connecticut River—at 741 square miles. Across from Chicopee, on the west side of the Connecticut River, theHolyoke Mall at Ingleside is one of the largest malls in New England. In addition to the mall, Holyoke is home to theMount Tom Range of mountains, theHolyoke Canal System, and theVolleyball Hall of Fame. (The sport of volleyball was invented in Holyoke in 1895.)
The city ofWestfield featuresWestfield State University, founded by renowned education reformerHorace Mann. Near to Westfield—approximately 15 miles west of Springfield—numerous outdoor opportunities are available, such as alpine skiing atBlandford Ski Area and the United States's oldest white-water rafting races on the 78.1 mileWestfield River, the longest Connecticut River tributary in Massachusetts.[12]
The international airport that serves Hampden County, and the Pioneer Valley in general, isBradley International Airport, which is located 12 miles south of Springfield in the town ofWindsor Locks, Connecticut, land that formerly belonged to Springfield.
Springfield is majority black, Latino and people of color. Currently, the Pioneer Valley's ethnic and racial diversity varies greatly from city to town. Predominantly British until the nineteenth century, and then European-American in the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries, as of the2010 census, the region features a rapidly growingHispanic population in nearly all urban areas. This influx includes large numbers ofPuerto Ricans. Among the European-American community, the Pioneer Valley's population reflects the British Isles background of its original settlers and the immigrant populations that settled it during the late-nineteenth century, including large numbers of residents with Irish, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, French Canadian, and Greek backgrounds. As of 2011, Springfield is home to a particularly large number of Vietnamese immigrants. Also, as of 2011, Russian and Ukrainian immigrants are increasing in Springfield, West Springfield, Westfield, and other communities.
According to the 2010 census, the Pioneer Valley features one of the highest per capita lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) populations in the United States. Indeed, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's2010 census statistics, Springfield was ranked one of the Top 10 gay cities in the United States. The 2010 census figures indicate the number of same-sex households per thousand. Springfield ranked No. 10, with 5.69 same-sex couples per thousand.[13] In January 2010, the nationalLGBT magazineThe Advocate rated Springfield No. 13 among its new "15 Gayest Secondary Cities in America," ahead of San Diego, California andAlbuquerque, New Mexico.[14] Springfield was the only Massachusetts city included onThe Advocate's list.
The cities of Northampton and Springfield, in particular, feature vibrantLGBT communities. Unlike in other communities across the United States, LGBT residents have largely integrated into Northampton and Springfield, i.e. neither city features agay ghetto. Generally, in the Pioneer Valley, LGBT people and straight people co-mingle in various bars, nightclubs, and cultural institutions. Still, both cities feature a robust and active LGBT nightlife – especially Northampton for lesbians, and Springfield for gay men.[15][16] The college towns of Amherst and South Hadley also feature significant LGBT populations.
Native American history in the Pioneer Valley stretches back thousands of years; its recorded history begins in 1635, whenRoxbury magistrateWilliam Pynchon commissioned land scouts John Cable and John Woodcock to look for theConnecticut River Valley's best site for both conducting trade and farming.[citation needed] The first 16 years of the history of the European settlement of the Pioneer Valley, before 1652, whenNorthampton, Massachusetts, was established, are coterminous with the history of Springfield, Massachusetts, as it was Pioneer Valley's only settlement. From 1633 to 1635, there had been three English settlements in the Connecticut River Valley:Wethersfield, Connecticut;Windsor, Connecticut; and the best situated of the three (because of its two rivers),Hartford, Connecticut. Cable and Woodcock continued northward until they came upon a spot that they agreed was the best situated of them all: modern-daySpringfield, Massachusetts.[citation needed]
Springfield sits at a natural crossroads, at the confluence of four rivers: to the west, the 78.1 mileWestfield River, (the Connecticut River's longest tributary river in Massachusetts); in the middle, the 418.0 mileConnecticut River, then known as "The Great River"; and to the east two smaller rivers: the 18.0 mileChicopee River, which featured the fast moving and the Connecticut River's largest water basin; and also, theMill River, which would become very important approximately 150 years later afterGeorge Washington's foundation of the U.S.Armory at Springfield.
| Town | Date of separation from Springfield[18] |
|---|---|
| Westfield | 1669 |
| Suffield (CT) | 1682 |
| Enfield (CT) | 1683 |
| Wilbraham | 1763 |
| West Springfield | 1774 |
| Ludlow | 1774 |
| Longmeadow | 1783 |
| Chicopee | 1848 |
At that time, on the western bank of the Connecticut River, the explorers found thePocomtuc (or perhapsNipmuck) Indian village of Agawam. Just south of theWestfield River, the colonists constructed a pre-fabricated house in what is present-dayAgawam, Massachusetts.[19]
In 1636, Pynchon led a settlement expedition with a larger group, including Henry Smith (Pynchon's son-in-law), Jehu Burr, William Blake, Matthew Mitchell, Edmund Wood, Thomas Ufford, and John Cable.[20] Springfield was Massachusetts' first settlement for non-religious reasons, although many of its settlers were very religious, as indicated by their first article of incorporation, "Wee intend by God's grace, as soon as we can, with all convenient speede to procure some Godly and faithfull minister we purpose to joyne in church covenant, to walk in all the ways of Christ"[7] In scouting Springfield, Cable, Woodcock, and Pynchon selected a spot just north ofEnfield Falls, the first spot on the Connecticut River where all travelers must stop to negotiate a waterfall, 32 feet (9.8 m) in height, and then transship their cargoes from ocean-going vessels to smaller shallops. Pynchon's party purchased land on both sides of Connecticut River from 18 tribesman who lived at a palisade fort at the current site of Springfield's Longhill Street. The price paid was 18 hoes, 18 fathoms of wampum, 18 coats, 18 hatchets and 18 knives.[21][22] Originally, in 1636, the English settlement was named Agawam Plantation. By founding "Agawam" in its particular location, Pynchon essentially forced all northerly river trade to move through his town.
After warnings from the Natives about the Connecticut River's west side being prone to flooding,[23] most Springfield settlers moved to the east side of the river, which was slightly less advantageous for farming because of its prominent bluffs and hills. The initial land grants to English families were made there in what is today Springfield'sMetro Center, along what is today Main Street.<name="King 1885"/> Long, narrow plots of farmland were created, extending outward from the river. In addition, more distant forested "wood lots" were offered. The original, main profit-generating industry for Springfield was trade with the Indians for beaver skins, which were then exported around the colonial world.[24]
In 1640 and 1641, two events took place that forever changed the political boundaries of the Connecticut River Valley. From its founding until that time, Springfield had been administered by Connecticut, along with Connecticut's three other settlements—atWethersfield,Hartford, andWindsor. In the spring of 1640, grain was very scarce; cattle were dying of starvation. The nearby Connecticut Colony settlements gave power to William Pynchon to buy corn for all four English settlements, (Springfield's natives were, by far, the most congenial to the English.) If the Natives would not sell their corn at market prices, then Pynchon was authorized to offer more money. The Natives refused to sell their corn at market prices, and then later refused to sell it at "reasonable" prices. Pynchon refused to buy it, believing it best not to broadcast the English colonists' weaknesses, and also wanting to keep market values steady.[25]
Leading citizens of (what would become) Hartford were furious with Pynchon for not purchasing any grain. With Windsor's and Wethersfield's consent, the three southerly settlements commissioned the famed Native American-conqueror CaptainJohn Mason to travel to Springfield with "money in one hand and a sword in the other."[26] On reaching (what would become) Springfield, Mason intimidated the local Natives with war if they did not sell their corn at a "reasonable price." The Natives capitulated and ultimately sold the colonists corn. Pynchon, an avowed "man of peace," believed in negotiation with the Natives (and thus, quickly made a fortune), whereas Mason—a hero of the Pequot Wars and conqueror of Connecticut—believed in subduing Natives by force if necessary. This philosophical difference led to Mason using "hard words" against Pynchon. Pynchon's settlement, however, agreed with him, and his philosophy, and that same year, voted to separate from the Connecticut Colony and be annexed by the Massachusetts Bay Colony. When the dust finally settled, William Pynchon was named magistrate of Agawam by the Massachusetts Bay Colony and, in honor of him, the settlement was renamed Springfield afterthe village of Springfield nearChelmsford, Essex in England, where Pynchon was born and raised.[25] For decades, Springfield—which, at the time, included modern-day Westfield—was the westernmost settlement in Massachusetts.
In 1645, 46 years before theSalem witch trials, Springfield experienced America's first accusations ofwitchcraft when Mary Parsons accused a widow named Marshfield, who had moved from Windsor to Springfield, with witchcraft—an offense then punishable by death.[7] For this, Mary Parsons was found guilty of slander. In 1651, Mary Parsons was accused of witchcraft—specifically "divers devilish practices by witchcraft, to the hurt of Martha and Rebeckah Moxon," two daughters of Springfield's first minister—and also of murdering her own child.[7] In turn, Mary Parsons then accused her own husband, Hugh Parsons, of witchcraft. At America's firstwitch trial, both Mary and Hugh Parsons were found not guilty of witchcraft for want of satisfactory evidence; however, Mary was found guilty of murdering her own child. For this, she was sentenced to death, but died in prison in 1651, before receiving her death sentence.[21]
In 1650, William Pynchon became infamous for writing the New World's first banned book.[7] In 1649, Pynchon found time to write a book,The Meritous Price of Our Redemption, a theological study that was published in London in 1650. Several copies made it back to the Massachusetts Bay Colony and its capital, Boston, which, this time reacted with rage to Pynchon rather than with support. For his critical attitude toward Massachusetts' CalvinistPuritanism, Pynchon was accused ofheresy, and his book was burned on theBoston Common. Only four copies survived.[27] By declaration of theMassachusetts General Court, in 1650,The Meritous Price of Our Redemption became the first-everbanned book in the New World.[28] In 1651, Pynchon was accused ofheresy by the Massachusetts General Court (at the same meeting of the Court where Springfielder Mary Parsons was sentenced to death in America's first witch trial).[27] Thus he is the first author to have his work "banned in Boston". Standing to lose all of his land-holdings—the largest in the Connecticut River Valley—William Pynchon transferred ownership to his son, John, and then, in 1652, moved back to England with his friend, the Reverend Moxon.[27][29]
William's son, John Pynchon, and his brother-in-law,Elizur Holyoke, quickly took on the settlement's leadership roles. They began moving Springfield away from the diminishing fur trade into agricultural pursuits, and also founded several new towns, includingNorthampton, Massachusetts.
The area now called Northampton was once known as Norwottuck, or Nonotuck, meaning "the midst of the river"[30] by its originalPocumtuc inhabitants. According to various accounts, Northampton was named by John King (1629–1703), one of its original settlers, or possibly in his honor, since it is supposed that he came to Massachusetts from Northampton, England.[31]
The Pocumtuc confederacy occupied theConnecticut River Valley, from what is now southern Vermont and New Hampshire into northern Connecticut. The Pocumtuc tribes wereAlgonquian, and traditionally allied with theMahican confederacy to the west. By 1606, an ongoing struggle between the Mahican andIroquois confederacies led to direct attacks on the Pocumtuc by the IroquoianMohawk nation.[32] The Mahican confederacy had been defeated by 1628, limiting Pocumtuc access to trade routes to the west. The area suffered a major smallpox epidemic in the 1630s, following the arrival of Dutch traders in theHudson Valley and English settlers in theMassachusetts Bay Colony during the previous two decades. It was in this context that the land making up the bulk of modern Northampton was sold to settlers fromSpringfield, Massachusetts, in 1653, and settled the following year.[33][34] The situation in the region further deteriorated when the Mohawk escalated hostilities against the Pocumtuc confederacy and other Algonquian tribes after 1655, forcing many of the plague-devastated Algonquian groups into defensive mergers.[32] This coincided with a souring of relations between theWampanoag and the Massachusetts Bay colonists, eventually leading to the expanded Algonquian alliance which took part inKing Philip's War.
Northampton's territory would be enlarged beyond the original settlement, but later portions would be carved up into separate cities, towns, and municipalities.Southampton, for example, was incorporated in 1775, and included parts of the territories of modernMontgomery (which was itself incorporated in 1780) and Easthampton.[35]Westhampton was incorporated in 1778, andEasthampton in 1809.[36] Formerly, a section of Northampton called Smith's Ferry was separated from the rest of the town by the boundaries of Easthampton. The shortest path to downtown was on a road near theConnecticut Riveroxbow, which was subject to frequent flooding. Smith's Ferry was ceded toHolyoke, Massachusetts, in 1909.[37]
Deerfield was the northwesternmost outpost of New England settlement for several decades during the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. It occupies a fertile portion of theConnecticut River Valley and was vulnerable to attack because of its position near theBerkshire Mountains. For these reasons it became the site of several Anglo-French and Indian skirmishes during its early history, as well as intertribal warfare.[38]
At the time of the English colonists' arrival, the Deerfield area was inhabited by theAlgonquian-speakingPocumtuck nation, with a major village by the same name. First settled by English colonists in 1673, Deerfield was incorporated in 1677. Settlement was the result of a court case in which the government inBoston agreed to return some of the land of the town ofDedham to Native American control, and allowed some of Dedham's residents to acquire land in the new township of Pocumtuck. To obtain this land, their agent John Plympton signed a treaty with some Pocumtuck men, including one named Chaulk. He had no authority to deed the land to the colonists, and appeared to have only a rough idea of what he was signing. Native Americans and English had quite differing ideas about property and land use, which contributed to their conflicts, along with competition for resources.
The settlers expelled the Pocumtuck tribe by force, who in turn sought French protection from colonists in Canada. At theBattle of Bloody Brook on September 18, 1675, the dispossessedIndians destroyed a small force under the command of Captain Thomas Lathrop before being driven off by reinforcements. Colonial casualties numbered about sixty. In retaliation, at dawn on May 19, 1676, Captain William Turner led an army of settlers in a surprise attack on Peskeompskut, in present-dayMontague, then a traditional native gathering place. They killed 200 natives, mostly women and children. When the men of the tribe returned, they routed Turner, who died of a mortal wound at Green River.
On February 29, 1704, duringQueen Anne's War, joint French and Indian forces attacked the town in what has become known as the1704 Raid on Deerfield. Under the command of Jean-Baptiste Hertel de Rouville were 47Canadiens and 200Abenaki,Kanienkehaka andWyandot, as well as a few Pocumtuck. They struck at dawn, razing Deerfield and killing 56 colonists, including 22 men, 9 women, and 25 children. They took as captives 109 survivors, including women and children, and "carried" them away on a months-long trek toQuebec. Many died along the way or were killed when they could not keep up.
Deerfield and other communities collected funds to ransom the captives, and negotiations were conducted between colonial governments. When New England released the French pirate, Canada arranged redemption of numerous Deerfield people, among them the ministerJohn Williams. He wrote acaptivity narrative about his experience, which was published in 1707 and became well known. Because of losses to war and disease, the Mohawk and other tribes often adopted younger captives into their tribes. Such was the case with Williams' daughterEunice, eight years old when captured. She became thoroughly assimilated, at age 16 marrying a Mohawk man. Most of the Deerfield captives eventually returned toNew England. During this period, other captives remained by choice in French and Native communities such asKahnawake for the rest of their lives.
As the frontier moved north, Deerfield became another colonial town with an unquiet early history. In 1753Greenfield was set off and incorporated. During the early nineteenth century, Deerfield's role in agricultural production of the Northeast declined. It was overtaken by the rapid development of theMidwestern United States into the nation'sbreadbasket, with transportation to eastern markets and New York City enhanced by construction of theErie Canal.
During theColonial Revival Movement of the late nineteenth century, Deerfield citizens rediscovered the town's past. Residents founded the Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association in 1870, and erected monuments to commemorate various events, including the Bloody Brook and 1704 attacks. In 1890, Charlotte Alice Baker returned to Deerfield to restore her family home, the Frary House.[39] Assisted by the Boston architectural firm ofShepley, Rutan & Coolidge, her project was one of the first inhistoric preservation in western Massachusetts. Today, tourism is the town's principal industry. Historic Deerfield, aNational Historic Landmark district with eleven house museums and a regional museum and visitors' center, and theYankee Candle Company are major attractions.
An account of the town's early history was written by local historian George Sheldon and published in the late nineteenth century.[40] By this time, South Deerfield and other New England villages were already absorbing a new wave of Eastern European immigration, particularly fromPoland. The new people influenced Deerfield's demographics and culture. They were mostlyCatholicpeasants, who built their own churches and first worked as laborers, forming a community later known as Old Polonia. Later twentieth-century immigrants from Poland tended to be more educated, but settled in the larger cities. Immigrants in smaller communities followed different paths, and their descendants often moved to cities for more opportunities.[41]
PocumtuckIndians first settled and originally inhabited the Greenfield area. Native American artifacts found in the area have been dated as originating between 7,000 and 9,000 years BC.[42] The Pocumtucks planted field crops and fished the rivers, but were wiped out as a tribe by theMohawks in 1664.[43] Thereafter, the newly unoccupied area - being the eastern terminus of theMohawk Trail, a principal route for Native American trade traveling west into New York - was colonized by the English in 1686 as part ofDeerfield. In 1753, Greenfield was set off from Deerfield and incorporated as a separate town, named for theGreen River.
In 1795, theSouth Hadley Canal opened, allowing boats to bypass the South Hadley falls and reach Greenfield via theConnecticut River. Located at theconfluence of theDeerfield and Green rivers, and not far from where they merge into the Connecticut River, Greenfield developed into a trade center. It was designated county seat when Franklin County was created from Hampshire County in 1811. Falls providedwater power for industry, and Greenfield grew into a prosperousmill town.
Residents benefit from a rich cultural array of fine arts, performances and notable architecture in college towns and in Springfield. According to the2010 census, per capita, Northampton has the highest concentration of lesbians in the United States, and perhaps the world.[44] Hampshire County is certainly the "Valley full o' Pioneer ... in the sleepy west of the woody east", of which thePixies sang in the song "U-Mass".
Springfield's cultural contributions to the United States and world at large have been so numerous that here, only brief descriptions of very important national and international cultural milestones will be mentioned.
As of 2011, Springfield's most famous cultural contribution worldwide is basketball, currently the world's 2nd most popular sport. That said, the "City of Progress" produced three other innovations, not nearly as well publicized, but which have proven to have proven to be just as significant, if not more so, to the world at large. In 1892–93, the first, functional, American gasoline-powered car was produced at theStacy Building in Springfield by theDuryea Brothers. The Duryea's car also won the world's first automobile race in 1895 in Chicago. In 1901, the first motorcycle company in the world was"Indian", produced in Springfield; in 1905, the first modern fire engines in the world were produced byKnox Automobile (which made Springfield's fire department the first modern fire department in the world;), and the first commercial radio station in the U.S.,WBZ, was broadcast from Springfield in 1921.[45]
Of national importance, Springfield featured the United States' firstwitch trial in 1646—decades before theSalem Witch Trials; and a few years later in 1650, a Springfielder wrote the New World's firstbanned book,The Meritorious Price of Our Redemption byWilliam Pynchon. Pynchon was the founder of the city of Springfield. His book, expressing views contrary to Puritan Calvinist doctrine, caused him to be brought before the high court in Boston and accused ofheresy. He later to return to England.[45]
In Springfield, in 1860,Milton Bradley invented and produced his popular parlor games, including the still popularThe Game of Life. Also in Springfield,Dr. Seuss grew up, and wrote several of the works for which he is now best known, (e.g. And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street.)[45] Psychiatrist andLSD activistTimothy Leary—the man who influenced a generations to "turn on, tune in, drop out"—was born and educated in Springfield. Earlier, from 1846 to 1850,John Brown, the famed abolitionist, lived in Springfield, where he met, for the first time the national leaders of the abolition movement likeFrederick Douglass andSojourner Truth. In Springfield, in response to theFugitive Slave Act, John Brown founded his first militant anti-slavery organization,The League of Gileadites. Brown's years in Springfield have often been called his "transformative years."[46]
To the extent that military history adds to a place's culture, Springfield's history is notably rich, beginning with the 1675Attack on Springfield duringKing Philip's War. Later, events such asGeorge Washington's andHenry Knox's founding of theSpringfield Armory atop a bluff in the town made Springfield one of the U.S. military's most important sites for centuries.Shays's Rebellion, which led directly to theU.S. Constitution, occurred at the Armory ten years after Washington's founding of it—and also forced him to come out of retirement.[45]
As regards literary works, the world's first American-English dictionary was published in Springfield in 1806, and is still published in the city byMerriam Webster. Also, the first comprehensive, major United States history book was written by SpringfielderGeorge Bancroft in 1830.[45]
To the extent that cultural contributions comprise invention, innovation, and progress, Springfield has been, historically, one of the nation's most innovative cities. In 1819, inventorThomas Blanchard invented thelathe in Springfield, which would catalyze manufacturing developments now known the world over asinterchangeable parts and theassembly line. In 1825, Blanchard also built the first American car, a "horseless carriage," which was powered by steam. In 1844, inventorCharles Goodyear perfected and patented his process for makingvulcanized rubber in Springfield—as of 2011, as it has been for many years previous, Goodyear's name is known the world over for rubber production.[45] In 1868, inventorMargaret E. Knight invented a machine for folding and gluing flat-bottomed paper bags.[47][48]
Other major cultural contributions from Springfield include the first U.S.postcard in 1873; the first American, nationalhorse show in 1853; the first Americandog show—and even the first Americanfriction match in 1834.[45]
Valley residents also have a love of arts, both visual and performing, as demonstrated by numerous art galleries, countless theaters and performances, the residencies of children's authorsDr. Seuss,Eric Carle in the valley, and theEric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst.[45]
Springfield'sQuadrangle features an extraordinary grouping of five museums, including two art museums, two history museums, and one science museum. Springfield's Science Museum features the United States' first planetarium.[45] Interspersed among the five museums is the sculpturalDr. Seuss Memorial garden, which recreates the Springfield author's whimsical characters in bronze.
In Springfield,Springfield Symphony Hall serves as the major focal point for classical music, Broadway tours, concerts and stand-up comedy shows in the Valley. Symphony Hall was built in 1911–13, and its ornamentation is a spectacle in itself. The major playhouse in Springfield is CityStage, which features an eclectic mix of entertainment. Both venues are managed by Springfield Performing Arts Development Corporation.
While this charming pocket of the state, known as the Pioneer Valley, may be wild turkey country, as well as the approach to Vermont ski country, it's also used-book country. Our three-day visit was dedicated to browsing and buying amid the valley's rich and collegial network of bookshops and private dealers. More members of the Massachusetts and Rhode Island Antiquarian Booksellers (36) are to be found in this area than in bookish Greater Boston (25).
— Peter Hellman, "Weekend Excursion; Every Town Is One for the Books",The New York Times (March 13, 1998)[53]
With an independent bookstore in almost every town, several small publishers, and countless local authors, the Valley could well be counted as a reader's paradise. Amherst has at least four bookstores (including Amherst Books and Food for Thought Bookstore), South Hadley has at least one notable bookstore (The Odyssey Bookshop). Since the late 1980s, Montague has hadThe Bookmill, and the World Eye Bookshop is in its 40th year in Greenfield. John Doe, Jr. used books and records opened in Greenfield the summer of 2009. Federal Street Books is another used bookstore in Greenfield. Northampton has least four independent bookstores (including Broadside Bookshop). One of the more popular, Raven Used Books, features a wide variety of titles and subjects. South Deerfield has New England Auctions, specializing in rare and antiquarian books.
The Pioneer Valley is home to a multitude of professional, amateur, and collegiate sports teams, as well as a rich athletic history.
TheSpringfield Thunderbirds are the region's only professional sports team, competing in theAmerican Hockey League. Historically, the city has had professional hockey dating back to the 1930s with the seven-timeCalder Cup championSpringfield Indians. The area has also had several minor-league baseball teams and theSpringfield Armor of theNBA Development League.
On the collegiate level, the only school in the region to be a full member of theNCAA'sDivision I is theUniversity of Massachusetts, although the ice hockey team atAmerican International College competes in theAtlantic Hockey Association, a hockey-only DI conference. There are a multitude of well-knownDivision III schools as well, includingAmherst College.
The most notable amateur team in the region is theHolyoke Blue Sox, members of theNew England Collegiate Baseball League.
The region has had many notable professional athletes see significant portions of their careers in the region.Eddie Shore played for and later became the owner of the very successful Springfield Indians franchise; his number 2 remains retired by the Thunderbirds.Julius Erving, one of the top basketball players of all time, played at UMass Amherst. WrestlerJohn Cena graduated fromSpringfield College prior to joining theWWE. The most notable athlete to be born in the region is hockey playerBill Guerin, aStanley Cup champion and Olympic Silver Medalist, who is fromWilbraham.
The region features a lot of independent professional wrestling shows, most notably Pioneer Valley Pro Wrestling, the former New Age Old Tyme Wrestling and The Way Wrestling Was Promotions. Aside from monthly shows, PVP Wrestling also runs charity shows for different benefits.
The region is also credited as being the home of both basketball (invented at Springfield College) and volleyball (invented in Holyoke), as created in the late 1890s; theNaismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and theVolleyball Hall of Fame are located in those cities.
Historically a region known for growingConnecticut shade tobacco, today the Pioneer Valley has a broad and varied economic base, featuring more than 16 universities andliberal arts colleges (many of which are considered among the United States' best, e.g.Amherst College); numerous hospitals and healthcare organizations (e.g.Baystate Health, Massachusetts' third largest employer), and numerous financial service organizations (e.g. theFortune 100MassMutual). Manufacturing remains a part of the Pioneer Valley's economy (e.g.Smith & Wesson), although its manufacturing base has dwindled since 1968, when theSpringfield Armory was controversially shut-down. The Pioneer Valley is considered to have a "mature economy", which means that its economic base is sufficiently varied so as not to be completely dependent on market fluctuations, like many places in the United States. This was illustrated during theGreat Recession, whenSpringfield, Massachusetts, and the Pioneer Valley performed within the Top 10 of all U.S. regional economies.[54]
Franklin County in the north serves as a significant agricultural region despite its size, due to the richtopsoil found in the area. The valley'ssweet corn andasparagus are cash crops.Cow corn, potatoes, and shade-grown tobacco are also major crops. Fields of all sort, particularly corn and tobacco fields, as well as numerous farmhouses and tobacco barns, dot the landscape. Light industry is concentrated in the town of South Deerfield and the city of Greenfield, while service industries exist throughout the county. Increasingly Franklin County is becoming a place of bedroom communities, with the major transportation routes of Interstate 91, Route 2, and U.S. Route 5 facilitating a boom in residential building that has not kept pace with commercial development in many of the county's towns.
TheHallmark Institute of Photography is located inTurners Falls.
Two major corporations,Channing Bete andYankee Candle, are headquartered inSouth Deerfield andGreenfield. Both communities have been had controversial zoning issues surrounding permitting variances to buildbig box stores such asWal-Mart. Greenfield received national attention when its decision prevented Wal-Mart from building a store in town.
The county also garners tourism due to such attractions asHistoric Deerfield (which hosts a craft fair in the summer and an even larger and more popular fall craft fair), and aButterfly Garden located in South Deerfield. The annual arrival of thousands of American and foreign tourists to observe the area's spectacular autumn foliage is a welcome boost to revenue.
With theFive Colleges, Hampshire County has a significant part of its economy devoted to serving university and liberal arts college students, including numerous independent bookstores and stationery shops. Hampshire County is also one of the most politically liberal counties in the United States, due in large part to Northampton, Amherst, and a large LGBT community centered on the Five College area.
The area is also home to many restaurants, ranging in character fromsports bars tosteakhouses.Northampton (also known to some as "Hamp" and others as "Noho") is—along with Springfield—the culinary capital of Western Massachusetts as well as a lesbian mecca, featuring the highest number of lesbians per capita according to the United States'2000 census.
Hampden County is centered on the region's major economic and cultural center,Springfield, Massachusetts. Springfield is a major transportation hub, lying equidistant to the Ports of Boston and Albany, New York, and also near to New York City and Montreal. Many of the projects that have catalyzed Springfield's recent economic resurgence have been related to transportation, e.g. the $1 billion-plusKnowledge Corridor intercity rail line and the Springfield-Northampton-Brattleboro intercity commuter line. Springfield is also a medical, government, and higher education center.Baystate Health's $300 million "Hospital of the Future" is scheduled for completion in 2012. Massachusetts $110 million high-tech data center—an adaptive re-use of the city's original Technical High School—will also be completed in 2012. Regarding higher education: in 2011,Western New England University andSpringfield College each added $45 million-plus additions to their respective campuses in Springfield. Remnants of a manufacturing economy remain in Springfield despite a dramatic de-industrialization in last quarter of the twentieth century; for example, in 2011,Smith & Wesson relocated 225 new jobs to its Springfield headquarters, bringing its total manufacturing workforce in Springfield to over 1150.
Chicopee's growth continues to be catalyzed by the growth ofWestover Air Force Base, especially around Memorial Avenue. As of 2011,Holyoke continues to see rapid growth in its high-tech sector, featuring new enterprises that capitalize on Holyoke's abundance of green energy, e.g. water power from theHolyoke Canal System, the nearby Falls, and a proposed wind farm. All three formerly industrialized cities—Springfield, Chicopee, and Holyoke—continue to face typical urban problems, such as gang activity and the drug trade in increasingly isolated parts of each city; however, these activities have lessened significantly during the past 20 years and a spirit of revitalization now pervades each city.Westfield's formerly moribund town center is in the midst of receiving a dramatic makeover, replete with 60-foot clock tower—scheduled to be completed in 2012.
Nearly all other towns and villages in Hampden County are either wealthy suburbs (e.g.Longmeadow, Massachusetts,Wilbraham, Massachusetts), or rural exurbs, (e.g.Palmer, Massachusetts, andBrimfield, Massachusetts). Hampden County also features numerous natural retreats like theMount Tom andMount Holyoke Ranges.
In this Hampden County, tourism is very popular.Six Flags New England features the No. 1 roller-coaster in the world ("Bizarro") and draws tourists from all over. Similarly, theBasketball Hall of Fame, a shrine to the world's 2nd most popular sport, invented in Springfield, draws hundreds of thousands of visitors per year. Other major tourist attractions include Western Massachusetts' only national park, theSpringfield Armory National Historic Site. TheQuadrangle in Springfield features five museums of varying themes, including the United States' firstplanetarium, gathered around the whimsical Dr. Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden.Forest Park (Springfield) designed byFrederick Law Olmsted (of NYC's Central Park fame) is one of the largest urban parks in the United States at 735 acres (297 ha). During the holiday season it features a nationally renowned light display called "Bright Nights". The New England States' collective state fair,The Big E, is held each September–October and generally draws millions of visitors. Springfield's "Parade of Big Balloons" takes place on November 1 each year, borrowing many of the balloons from Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and attracting 100,000 spectators. Each July, theHoops City Jazz Festival draws tens of thousands toMetro Center to hear famous jazz musicians. In 2011, the Vintage Sports Car Club of America moved its famous, annual Grand Prix from Pittsburgh to Springfield—theSpringfield Grand Prix took place in 2012, on a 1.6-mile track through the center of the city. Outlying Hampden County towns such asTolland are sparsely populated and close to theBerkshires—outdoor activities such ascamping make up a large part of their economy.
Politically, Hampden County leans liberal; however, it features several notably conservative cities and towns, such as Holyoke, Westfield, Agawam, Monson, and Palmer. Hampden County's largest city, Springfield, while historically moderate, politically, has become nearly as liberal as Hampshire County in recent years, according to voter registration and election results.
Appreciation of the natural environs has, historically, been a large part of the Pioneer Valley life. It features numerous non-profit nature sanctuaries, such as Friends of Wissatinnewag, Inc. 43 acres (17 ha) a sacred Native American burial grounds where the Turners Falls massacre occurred in 1676, as well as historic parks likeKing Phillip's Stockade in Springfield, the 735 acres (297 ha)Forest Park, designed byFrederick Law Olmsted, and Western Massachusetts' onlynational park, theSpringfield ArmoryNational Historic Site. The Great Falls Discovery Center,[55] the flagship visitor center of the multi-state,Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge is located in Turners Falls. In addition to these, there are hundreds of state and municipal parks and forests. Due to the considerable natural and cultural resources in the Pioneer Valley, environmental agencies have made a substantial investments in protecting unspoiled nature in the region, particularly along the Connecticut River, and in many of the Pioneer Valley's rural "hilltowns." Government conservation efforts have targeted wildlife and rare plant habitats, recreational sites and corridors including theMetacomet-Monadnock Trail, and the rich agricultural soils in farming towns such asHadley, Massachusetts. Efforts have been augmented and assisted by local and regional conservationland trusts and statewide and national conservation organizations. Many of these organizations protect additional land through direct ownership of conservation areas and land held underconservation easement. Many municipalities in the area also have conservation holdings, usually under the aegis of the community's 'conservation commission', the appointed body which also applies local and state environmental regulations.
One notable area consists ofMount Tom State Reservation,Mount Holyoke Range State Park, and Skinner State Park, which, joined with the 600-acre (2.4 km2) Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary held by theMassachusetts Audubon Society, form a longwildlife corridor stretching across the Connecticut River.
Recently, there has been a notable grassroots effort to reclaim Springfield's once easily accessible and pedestrian-friendly waterfront, which is now separated from the city by the eight-lane, elevated highwayInterstate 91. In 2010, theUrban Land Institute presented a plan that suggested how Springfield could reunite with its greatest natural resource, theConnecticut River.[56][57]
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