WESTFIELD MA Hampden County Town History & Genealogy/Business Directory RARE

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WESTFIELD MA Hampden County Town History & Genealogy/Business Directory RARE:
$20.50

FANTASTIC, ORIGINAL BOUND COLLECTION OF EARLY 20TH CENTURY ISSUES OF \"THE HIGH SCHOOL HERALD\" FROM WESTFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS. This scarcearchive of early school newspapers were written and compiled by students of Westfield High School in Westfield, MA. Collection consists of 20 individual issues comprising the two school years of September 1911 - June 1912, and September 1912 - June 1913 (10 consecutive issues of the High School Herald for each respective school year). (Scroll down for more pictures.)Fascinating collection is all things Westfield High School from the early 20th century. Separate sections feature editorials, alumni notes, athletics (Westfield High School sports teams going against teams from Warren, Holyoke, Chicopee, Springfield, West Springfield, Northampton, Monson Academy, Pittsfield, Greenfield, Hartford, Connecticut, etc.), local goings on, class statistics, stories contributed by students, etc. Class sizes at Westfield High School were relatively small over a hundred years ago, as the 1912 and 1913 graduating classes consisted of 57 students and 72 students respectfully. Among them are many established Westfield names and WHS student names past, present, and future throughout book make for a treasure trove of local genealogy. Interestingly, it appears there was both an academic course and \"business course\" track for WHS students at the time. Also found throughout the present bound volume of High School Heralds are ads for numerous Westfield businesses. An incredible time capsule of a bye-gone era in Westfield, Massachusetts.
Westfield is located in Hampden County, within the Pioneer Valley of western Massachusetts. According to recent census figures, the city is today home to a population of about 41,094 residents. First settled in 1660, the area was originally inhabited by the Pocomtuc tribe and was called Woronoco. Trading houses were built in 1639-40 by settlers from the Connecticut Colony. Massachusetts asserted jurisdiction, and prevailed after a boundary survey.In 1647, Massachusetts made Woronoco part of Springfield, Massachusetts. Land was incrementally purchased from the Native Americans and granted by the Springfield town meeting to English settlers, beginning in 1658. The area of Woronoco or \"Streamfield\" began to be permanently settled in the 1660s. In 1669, \"Westfield\" was incorporated as an independent town. in 1920 it would bere-incorporated as a city.From its founding until 1725, Westfield was the westernmost settlement in Massachusetts Colony, and portions of it fell within the Equivalent lands. Town meetings were heldin a church meeting house until 1839, when Town Hall was erected on Broad Street. This building also served as City Hall from 1920 to 1958. Due to its alluvial lands, the inhabitants of this area were entirely devoted to agricultural pursuits for about 150 years.Early in the 19th century, manufacture of bricks, whips, and cigars became economically important. At one point in the 19th century, Westfield was aprominent center of the buggy whip industry, and the city is still known as the \"Whip City.\" Other firms produced bicycles, paper products,pipe organs, boilers and radiators, textile machinery, abrasives, wood products, and precision tools. Westfield transformed itself from an agricultural town into a thriving industrial city in the 19th century, but in the second half of the 20th century its manufacturing base was eroded by wage competition in the U.S. Southeast, then overseas.Meanwhile,with cheap land and convenient access to east-west and north-south interstate highways, the north side developed into a warehousing center to C & S Wholesale, Home Depot, Lowes and other corporations. South of the river, the intersecting trends of growth of Westfield State University and declining manufacturing changed the city\'s character. Students comprise some 15% of Westfield\'s population and the old downtown business district caters increasingly to them while mainstream shopping relocates to a commercial strip called East Main St., actually part of U.S. Route 20.Only four buildings exceed four stories. Until a major fire on January 6th, 1952 the Westfield Professional Building covered half a downtown city block and was six stories tall. The entire building was consumed with extensive damage to neighboring buildings because fire department\'s ladder and snorkel vehicles weren\'t tall enough and the building did not have a sprinkler system. Subsequentzoning prohibited virtually all new construction over three stories, even after improvements in fire suppression technologies and vehicles became available. No building is allowed to be taller than the town\'s firetruck ladders.In the early 20th century, Westfield was at the center of the Pure Food movement, an effort to require stricter standards on the production of food. Lewis B. Allyn, a Westfield resident and pure foods expert for McClure\'s, lived in Westfield until his murder. In 1906, Congress passed the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906.Westfield is bordered on the north by Southampton, on the northeast by Holyoke, on the east by West Springfield, on the southeast by Agawam, onthe south by Southwick, on the southwest by Granville, on the west by Russell, and on the northwest by Montgomery. Westfield is split into the\"South Side\" and the \"North Side\" by the Westfield River, and the northwestern section of town is known as Wyben.Westfield is situated at the western edge of the Connecticut River Valley where the Westfield River emerges from the Berkshire Hills and flows through the center of the city on its way to the Connecticut River some ten miles downstream. Because of its large, steep and rocky upstream watershed theriver has a history of severe flood episodes, inundating adjacent partsof Westfield several times. In spite of a complicated system of pumps, dikes, waterways, and upstream dams, Westfield lies in a floodplain zoneand is still considered flood prone.Along with Westfield, Hampden County today also comprises the communities of Longmeadow, Wilbraham, Hampden, Montgomery, Tolland, Blandford, East Longmeadow, Southwick, Wales, Granville, Brimfield, Monson, Agawam, Holland, West Springfield, Palmer, Ludlow, Chester, Russell, Chicopee, Holyoke, and Springfield.Condition: Rare book remains in good to very good condition (see pictures). Volume bound in contemporary maroon buckram with \"1911 - 1913\" written in white ink on front cover and paper label taped to spine with additional docketed notation in white ink; moderate cover wear with spine a bit faded, old \"Westfield High School\" ink stamp to front blank,mild toning, occasional small closed edge tear, generally clean internally. Volume contains 20 contiguous issues with each issues averaging about 14 pp. in length; and measures approx 10\" tall x 7\" widex 1\" thick.Paymentand Shipping: Please see our response and offer with confidence. Never a reserve and very low opening offer as always. For international shipping quote, please contact us. buyers with no established response must contact us before offerding. Massachusetts residents must add 6.25% sales tax or include dealer tax resale number. Payment must be received within5 days after close of sale. Thanks for your interest!

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