History of Western Massachusetts: Volume 2

The 2nd volume of this two-volume set is an invaluable resource of the beginnings and origins of the towns that incorporate Western Massachusetts. The area of Granville was sold by a Native American chief to James Cornish in 1686. The inhabitants of Chicopee fled to Springfield every time the native Americans attack Editor The present town of Ludlow was originally an area called "Stony Hill" that the author refers to as a "rude country" due to its wild environs. Southwick�s collection of records were partially misplaced and then used for a journal instead of their original purposes. In the 1720s Catherine Noble was the first teacher of Westfield and was paid 25 shillings a month. Northampton was the home of Caleb Strong who served the people for years as a Senator under the new Constitution and then Governor of Northampton for seven years. He retired vowing never to leave home again, until the people cried for him to serve. Holland takes particular pains to cite the facts around the area�s houses of worship to the minutest detail, even citing the assigned seating in the pews. When the town of Lee was first incorporated their first vote was to send soldiers off to war to fight for the Revolution. The first settlers in the town of Pittsfield were almost all Congregationalists. The famous Jonathan Edwards was sent to Stockbridge to be a missionary to the Housatonic Native Americans. These are just a few of the thousands of facts this book lays bare about this old American area Whether you are a Bay Stater or just a Mass-phile, this glimpse into the past can satisfy even the keenest historical scholar. First published in 1855 by publisher Samuel Bowles and Co. Springfield, Massachusetts.

• ISBN-13: 9781598381498
• 622 pages
• Hardcover: 5 x 8 inches