Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    A Walking Tour of North Adams, Massachusetts
    A Walking Tour of North Adams, Massachusetts
    A Walking Tour of North Adams, Massachusetts
    Ebook20 pages13 minutes

    A Walking Tour of North Adams, Massachusetts

    By Doug Gelbert

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    There is no better way to see America than on foot. And there is no better way to appreciate what you are looking at than with a walking tour. Whether you are preparing for a road trip or just out to look at your own town in a new way, a downloadable walking tour is ready to explore when you are.

    Each walking tour describes historical and architectural landmarks and provides pictures to help out when those pesky street addresses are missing. Every tour also includes a quick primer on identifying architectural styles seen on American streets.

    For most of its existence, transportation has shaped the fortunes of North Adams - although early on not many people were stopping since the Hoosac Valley was not suitable for farming, riddled with rocky soil and dark, impenetrable swamps. The Mohawk Trail, an Indian trade route which connected Atlantic tribes with tribes in Upstate New York and beyond, passed through here. Eventually loggers discovered the richly forested slopes and settlement began in the 1730s and Fort Massachusetts was constructed at the confluence of the two branches of the Hoosic River; a town named for Boston patriot Samuel Adams was established in 1778.

    The streams flowing into the valley spawned numerous small-scale industries as Adams became a milltown. there were textile mills and saw mills, sleigh-makers, a marble works and an iron works. Industry in the town soared to a whole new level in 1848 when work was begun on a tunnel through Hoosac Mountain. The project had its beginnings in 1819 as a planned canal to connect Boston with upstate New York. By 1848, however, it was a railroad tunnel. No one could imagine the difficulties ahead.

    The tunnel would not be completed until 1875. More than $21 million was spent. It would cost 193 workers’ lives - by comparison there were 112 deaths in building the Hoover Dam and 11 on the Golden Gate Bridge. When it was finished the 4.75-mile Hoosac Tunnel was the second-longest in the world. Only an 8.5-mile tunnel in the French Alps was longer. It would be longest tunnel in North America for another 50 years. Even today it remains the longest active transportation tunnel east of the Rocky Mountains.

    The Hoosac Tunnel transformed North Adams. When construction began there were maybe 2,000 people in town; when the tunnel opened there were more than 15,000. in 1878, North Adams was broken off from Adams and in 1895 became its own city - today it is the smallest city in Massachusetts. North Adams charged into the new century with its industry firing on all pistons.

    By the 1980s the factories and mills were empty and rotting. Thomas Krens, director of the Williams College Museum of Art, saw the broken glass and scarred brick buildings as gallery space for large-scale modern art. His vision evolved into the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art that spreads over 13-acres and 25 19th century factory buildings. As a result, North Adams has now become a popular stopping point for travelers on the old Mohawk Trail that is now part of Massachusetts Route 2, which was created as one of the United States’ first scenic highways. But there is plenty to see on the outsides of those buildings as well and our walking tour to see what is there will begin at the traditional center of town...

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherDoug Gelbert
    Release dateFeb 15, 2011
    ISBN9781458194770
    A Walking Tour of North Adams, Massachusetts

    Read more from Doug Gelbert

    Related to A Walking Tour of North Adams, Massachusetts

    Related ebooks

    Americas (North, Central, South, West Indies) History For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Tracking Omaha’s Past

      Mar 24, 2020

      Tracking Omaha’s Past
      3 min read

    • Article

      Built To Last

      Jul 1, 2022

      These man-made objects have grown into important sources of national pride to Americans. They also are iconic U.S. symbols to international visitors. The futuristic Space Needle was built for the 1962 World’s Fair hosted by Seattle, Washington. That

      4 min read

    • Article

      The Midwest Main Street

      Apr 5, 2022

      The Midwest Main Street
      5 min read

    • Article

      Meet History In St. Louis

      Oct 29, 2019

      Meet History In St. Louis
      3 min read

    • Article

      Hill’s country

      Feb 22, 2022

      Hill’s country
      5 min read

    • Article

      Lowcountry Idyll

      Mar 16, 2021

      Lowcountry Idyll
      4 min read

    • Article

      Coal Mining and Toll Scrip

      Sep 5, 2023

      Coal Mining and Toll Scrip
      5 min read

    • Article

      A Mile Of Shopping

      Apr 1, 2020

      A Mile Of Shopping
      7 min read

    • Article

      A Gem In Southern Wyoming

      Oct 26, 2021

      A Gem In Southern Wyoming
      3 min read

    • Article

      Out On The Town

      Sep 24, 2019

      Out On The Town
      3 min read

    • Article

      Goin’ Direct

      Feb 13, 2019

      Kempsey is a significant rural centre named in 1836 by Enoch William Rudder after the small town of Kempsey which lies south of Worcester in the Severn Valley, England. Being nearly halfway between Sydney and the Queensland border, it is a popular st

      5 min read

    • Article

      Small Town Colorado Notes

      Oct 4, 2022

      Small Town Colorado Notes
      4 min read

    • Article

      Glasgow High Street

      Apr 14, 2022

      Glasgow High Street
      3 min read

    • Article

      Gilding The Lilies

      Jun 26, 2022

      Gilding The Lilies
      7 min read

    • Article

      A Jewel In Military Gothic

      Jan 4, 2022

      A Jewel In Military Gothic
      8 min read

    • Article

      Chair City

      Oct 17, 2023

      Chair City
      3 min read

    • Article

      Third Time Lucky

      Feb 13, 2019

      Third Time Lucky
      3 min read

    • Article

      Little Town On The Prairie

      Sep 12, 2023

      Little Town On The Prairie
      3 min read

    • Article

      Santa Fe Trail Highlights

      Aug 31, 2021

      Santa Fe Trail Highlights
      2 min read

    • Article

      Gold Hill, Nevada

      May 23, 2023

      Gold Hill, Nevada
      3 min read

    • Article

      Taking The Waters

      Aug 11, 2021

      Taking The Waters
      5 min read

    • Article

      Revival Las Vegas

      Aug 22, 2023

      Revival Las Vegas
      3 min read

    • Article

      Rich In Colorado History

      Jan 22, 2019

      Rich In Colorado History
      4 min read

    • Article

      Conway, North Dakota

      Nov 27, 2018

      Conway, North Dakota
      3 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for A Walking Tour of North Adams, Massachusetts

    0 ratings

    0 ratings0 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

      Book preview

      A Walking Tour of North Adams, Massachusetts - Doug Gelbert

      A Walking Tour of North Adams, Massachusetts

      a walking tour in the Look Up, America series from walkthetown.com

      by Doug Gelbert

      published by Cruden Bay Books at Smashwords

      Copyright 2010 by Doug Gelbert

      All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system without permission in writing from the Publisher.

      For most of its existence, transportation has shaped the fortunes of North Adams - although early on not many people were stopping since the Hoosac Valley was not suitable for farming, riddled with rocky soil and dark, impenetrable swamps. The Mohawk Trail, an Indian trade route which connected Atlantic tribes with tribes in Upstate New York and beyond, passed through here. Eventually loggers discovered the richly forested slopes and settlement began in the 1730s and Fort Massachusetts was constructed at the confluence of the two branches of the Hoosic River; a town named for Boston patriot Samuel

      Enjoying the preview?
      Page 1 of 1