South Hadley Canal

South Hadley, MA - The Connecticut River was used as a highway to transport stones, hides, lumber, and other raw materials from the North and brought back Iron, Molasses, Sugar, Rum, and Manufactured goods. These items were transported by Flatboats which floated down the river and had to be poled or pulled back up. The round trip from Wells, VT to Hartford, CT took 25 days. The problem was around the South Hadley area, the river bed dropped 53 feet within 2 and a half miles causing rapids. A way to by-pass the rapids had to be found so a canal was built. The South Hadley Canal was the Nations first commercially operated canal. The canal was two and a half miles long and at the South Hadley Falls a unique way of getting the flatboats over the falls was built.

It was called the "Hampshire Machine" a 275 foot long, 30 foot wide, and 53 foot high stone inclined plain; it was capable of lifting 250,000 pounds. It took two years to build and was opened in 1795. Boats were floated onto a carriage and pulled up the inclined plain, waterwheels at the top supplied the power to pull the boats up; I believe a cable or rope was attached to the boat and the turning of the waterwheels would wrap around an axle and pull the boats up. The whole trip up the ramp took fifteen minutes. This model is located in the South Hadley Firehouse Museum.


This path brings you to a section of the canal still there. I walked down the path along the canal and did see "No Trespassing" signs so you can only go a short ways along the canal.


This part of the canal is still existing, there is a path from the Hadley Falls Canal Park(see bridge above ).


This is an overlook at Hadley Falls Canal Park, where you can have a great view of the Connecticut River and what is left of the canal.

A dam was built south of Northampton, MA to raise the water level to divert water into the canal. Citizens of Northampton brought suit against the canals proprietors in 1803, saying the backed up water caused them to suffer "fevers, miasma's(bad air caused by decaying material), and malaria". The inclined plain was close and a series of locks were put in in its place.

Sandisfield Historical Society Fair

Sandisfield, MA - I went out for a ride with my boys, my two dogs, and ran across this fair. The Sandisfield Historical Society Fair is held every year they last weekend in September. It is one of the smaller fairs but a fair none the less.


Inside the historical society building are items from a church that burned a hundred years ago. Only a few items were able to be salvaged before it all went up in flames.



Below is the quilt being raffled off to benefit the Congregational Church in town. I bought some tickets so wish me luck.



A farmstand across from the Historical Society.

MEMORIAL DAY 2007

Blandford, MA - I took a drive today to see what I could find to photograph. I ended up driving through Blandford and noticed the Historical Society building was open and people were gathering for a parade and speeches. Unfortunately, I brought my dogs with me and it was too hot to sit in the truck so I didn't want to stay for those events.

I did get some photos from inside the Historical Society. The things inside consisted mostly of war artifacts, uniforms, discharge papers, and other war related items. I find it both interesting and sad at the same time that history is mostly related to war.

There was also things made by local craftsman spanning the last two centuries.