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.

    Springfield: Volume I
    Springfield: Volume I
    Springfield: Volume I
    Ebook180 pages1 hour

    Springfield: Volume I

    By Ginger Cruickshank

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    Situated at the crossroads of New England, Springfield, Massachusetts, was founded in 1636 by twelve families led by William Pynchon, who named the settlement after his birthplace in England. This book, the first of a two-volume set, is a collection of many never-before-seen photographs that tell the story of this city s history. Springfield is a city of firsts. The first successful gasoline-powered
    engine was built by the Duryea brothers here; the first U.S. musket was made at the Springfield Armory; and in 1891, resident Dr. James Naismith invented the game of basketball. The city s ties to the U.S. military are illustrated here, as are its many religious and ethnic communities. Within these pages, we can see images of a very different Springfield, including buildings much changed or long gone, and people remembered now in family albums.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherArcadia Publishing
    Release dateOct 12, 1999
    ISBN9781439627099
    Springfield: Volume I
    Author

    Ginger Cruickshank

    Join local native Ginger Cruickshank as she takes a look back at the people and organizations that built Springfield. Using rare images collected from dozens of local sources and carefully collected research, she tells a story that will evoke memories for many residents. This volume is sure to delight anyone who has taken time to appreciate this historic city.

    Related to Springfield

    Related ebooks

    United States History For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Strange Days

      Nov 3, 2022

      Strange Days
      3 min read

    • Article

      Hey, That’s Mine: Naked Man’s Wild Boar Chase Immortalised In Plastic

      Jul 28, 2021

      A woman whose photograph of a naked man in pursuit of a wild boar at a Berlin lakeside went viral has said she might take legal action against a company that has immortalised the spectacle for model railway enthusiasts. Adele Landauer, an actor and c

      1 min read

    • Article

      Archæology

      Feb 25, 2021

      Archæology
      3 min read

    • Article

      Badges And Liveries

      Jan 5, 2024

      Badges And Liveries
      3 min read

    • Article

      The History Of Surnames

      Aug 24, 2021

      The History Of Surnames
      6 min read

    • Article

      A Life In Stamps

      Sep 9, 2022

      Cheryl R. Ganz is an honoured American philatelist, and a major figure in the international stamp world. Between 2007 and 2014 she was the chief curator at the Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum in Washington, and is a board director of the America

      5 min read

    • Article

      Pride And Joy

      Sep 8, 2022

      Pride And Joy
      7 min read

    • Article

      Letters

      Nov 5, 2020

      Sadly, the wonderfully prescient quotation from Samuel Pepys [FT397:70], “A dram in exchange for the pox is an ill bargain indeed,” is not by the great diarist, but from a spoof Twitter account. (https://londonist.com/london/books-and-poetry/samuel-p

      13 min read

    • Article

      Fortean Traveller 123. East Haddam, Connecticut

      Nov 5, 2020

      East Haddam, Connecticut, rests at the mid-point between the urban area of Hartford to the northwest and the placid shoreline of the Long Island Sound that opens to the Atlantic. The nights are quiet and the skies are dark. From the early to mid-1900

      8 min read

    • Article

      A Boardgame From An Alien?

      Dec 2, 2021

      In the summer of 1990, a board game would find itself at the centre (quite literally) of the crop circle phenomenon. Operation Blackbird was already into its second night. This high profile, three-week investigation into crop circles was partly funde

      5 min read

    • Article

      Running With Wolf

      Apr 14, 2022

      Running With Wolf
      4 min read

    • Article

      A An Of Z Medieval Childhood

      Nov 24, 2022

      A An Of Z Medieval Childhood
      10 min read

    • Article

      Welcome

      Apr 25, 2019

      Welcome
      1 min read

    • Article

      Before The Bell

      May 19, 2022

      Before The Bell
      6 min read

    • Article

      IBEJI Means Twins

      Nov 1, 2019

      IBEJI Means Twins
      2 min read

    • Article

      Friends And Enemies In Times Of War

      Nov 1, 2019

      Friends And Enemies In Times Of War
      4 min read

    • Article

      Marginalia

      Oct 29, 2021

      Marginalia
      6 min read

    • Article

      Space Liberace

      Oct 7, 2021

      Space Liberace
      1 min read

    • Article

      The Struggles That Made Charles Dickens

      May 12, 2022

      In 1824, at just 12 years old, Charles John Huffam Dickens had no choice but to leave school and get a job. Born on 7 February 1812, his idyllic childhood had come crashing down when his father, John, who had always been reckless with the money he ea

      3 min read

    • Article

      The Ruskington Horror

      Jan 28, 2021

      The Ruskington Horror
      17 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Springfield

    0 ratings

    0 ratings0 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

      Book preview

      Springfield - Ginger Cruickshank

      Wszolek.

      INTRODUCTION

      As most histories about Springfield will tell you, William Pynchon and seven other men bartered for the land that was to become the current city. It all began as Agawam Plantation, and, since then, Springfield has gone through many changes and growing pains. What stands out, however, is the remarkable strength, resilience, and ingenuity of its citizens. A rich past tells the story of manufacturing, cultural, and social accomplishments that have earned the city the reputation as the city of firsts.

      What I have attempted to do with this book is to pay tribute to the people who were, and are, the fabric of Springfield’s exciting story. Beginning with the founder and the early citizens of the 1600s, and including immigrants from every corner of the world, they and their descendants became the inventors, business founders, church leaders, laborers, educators, and public employees of Springfield. Without them, this city would not have its unique blend of charm and tenacity, and it could not have survived the difficult times, which tore apart other cities that were never able to make a full recovery.

      Springfield deserves to be proud of its heritage and history, and based on all I have learned throughout this project, it will continue on its path to a bright and strong future.

      One

      THE EARLY YEARS

      Early maps show the Connecticut River as the most convenient way to travel, since few roads were in place then. The river was used by William Pynchon to ship furs and bring goods to the settlement. Along its banks, the future city was scattered with marshes, streams, some fertile ground, and pine barrens. (Courtesy of the Connecticut Valley Historical Museum.)

      This stone, erected by Joseph Wait in 1763, attests to the travel made along this road between Boston and Springfield. Many of the city’s earlier settlers came to the plantation from Boston on foot, which usually involved a two-week trek that covered 100 miles. (Courtesy of National Park Service, Springfield Armory NHS, Springfield, MA; 674-SA.a.1.)

      This statue of Miles Morgan, an early settler, was erected as a tribute by a fifth-generation descendant of his. The Forbes & Wallace Department Building can be seen in the background, and it is interesting to see, even then, the somewhat crowded parking conditions along the city streets. (Courtesy of Ramon Blood.)

      Members of the Pynchon family are shown here on December 1, 1927, at the dedication of the Pynchon Memorial Building. William Pynchon is considered to have founded Springfield in 1636. Pictured in the front row, from left to right, are as follows: Mrs. Stafford Hendricks, daughter of George Pynchon 9th; Mrs. George M. Pynchon Jr. (10th); and Mrs. Harold Pynchon, mother of William Pynchon 11th. In the back row, from left to right, are Mrs. Cora Pynchon Mallory, sister of George M. Pynchon 9th; George M. Pynchon 9th; and George M. Pynchon Jr. (10th). (Courtesy of Connecticut Valley Historical Museum.)

      William L. Smith, lawyer, democrat, and twice president of the Common Council, was elected mayor in 1870. He pledged allegiance to The laws of business and of common sense. In upholding that vow, he cut appropriations by 25% and held them steady in 1871, thereby balancing the budget for the first time in years. He was elected to the State Senate in 1872. (Courtesy of Connecticut Valley Historical Museum.)

      Samuel B. Spooner succeeded Smith in 1872 and continued his plan by backing the initiation of annual appropriations to reduce the debt. However, grandiose projects of the growing city doubled the expenditures so that by 1873, the debt was 1.1 million, and by 1875, it was 2.5 million. (Courtesy of Connecticut Valley Historical Museum.)

      In the late 1800s, the city’s Catholics launched a boycott of stores and businesses that had a policy of firing any person who refused to work on Christmas. The action was effective. It showed the determination of this group and also paved the way for the election of William P. Hayes as the first Irish-Catholic mayor of Springfield. (Courtesy of Connecticut Valley Historical Museum.)

      When the railroad arch was built in 1890 to

      Enjoying the preview?
      Page 1 of 1