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.

South Hadley Old Fire House Museum

South Hadley, MA - The Fire District No. 1 Firehouse was constructed in 1888-89. In addition to a firehouse it was also used as a polling place, a theater, a graduate site, a meeting hall and a social hall. This firehouse was used until 1974 when a new firehouse was built in Newton Street. In 1974 the Historical Society was chartered for the purpose of preserving the Old Firehouse. The Firehouse Museum was dedicated on July 3, 1976.
The museum is staffed by volunteers, all belonging to the South Hadley Historical Society. They are always looking for memorabilia to add to their collection; so if you have something historically significant they will be more than happy to display it in their museum.


The Old Firehouse, the bell from the tower was moved to the new firehouse.


Here is a 19th century hand pumper and a 1926 Dodge Fire Engine.


A motorized Ice Saw.


South Hadley Electrical Department display.

There is much more, I can't give it all away. There are somethings I will use in a future posting(you will just have to wait and see).

I just happened to stumble on the museum when it was opened for someone to make a donation to the displays.

Hours are: MAY - SEPT. 1:30 - 4:00
JULY - AUG WED 1:30 - 4:00

There is no admission charge but donations are welcome.

Info from museum handout.

Noble and Cooley Center for Historic Preservation - NCCHP

Granville, MA – This drum was manufactured in Granville MA in the early 1860s. It was picked up on the Gettysburg battlefield in 1863 by James Forrest who mustered into the Union army on 6-16-1863 as a musician in the 28th Pennsylvania Mil. Infantry regiment. Over 140 years later the drum has come back to Granville.

Noble & Cooley is in the process of renovating space to house a museum to exhibit the “Yankee ingenuity” in manufacturing from the 1850s to the 1950s. Much of the equipment in the Noble and Cooley Drum Shop is still in working order and is amazing in its simplicity and complexity. The hoops on this Civil War drum were bent on the same bending machine that is still used today to build high quality custom snare drums for today’s musicians.

If you would like to make a tax deductible donation to support the museum project the address is:

NCCHP
P.O. Box 325
Granville, Ma 01034

NORMAN ROCKWELL MUSEUM

Stockbridge, MA - This is the Norman Rockwell Museum which houses most of his paintings. The paintings are displayed on a rotating basis so you can go more than once and see different paintings. What struck me was the quality of his oil paintings. You have to see them in person to really appreciate how good they are. I found out that the early covers of the Saturday Evening Posts, where he made his mark were limited on how many colors could be reproduced; I think they could only print black, white, and red. This influenced his choice of colors in his illustrations. More about Norman Rockwell and the Museum




Trivia Alert: Norman has famous children, these statues are created by his son Peter who resides in Rome and works as a sculptor. His other son Thomas is the author of the book, "How to Eat Fried Worms" which was made into the movie of the same name. In the background is the Linwood House which is the administrative building (more about that house at another time).

NEWPORT ARTILLERY COMPANY

Newport RI - This building is the Artillery Company of Newport museum. It contains memorabilia from America and around the world. Some of the most prized items are
four 3-Pound bronze cannon cast by Paul Revere in his foundry in Boston in 1798 for the State of Rhode Island. It also has a large collections of uniforms from around the world including, Colin Powell, Generals Abrams, Leominster, Westmoreland. Foreign dignataries such as Anwar Sadat, King Hussein, and Price Phillip from England.

(Trivia Alert) - The museum has memorabilia from Rhode Island Civil War General Ambrose Burnside, from whom we get the term "sideburns" due to his unique facial hair. But I'm not done yet, he was also the first President of the NRA.

Sorry about the quality of the photos, it was almost dark when I took them.

Info: http://www.newportartillery.org/

PIRATES

Salem, MA - In Salem is the New England Pirate Museum where you can find all about the scoundrels. The even have a 80 foot long cave to explore and see where buried treasure lies.