Holyoke, Mass

11 May 1902

The Old Passenger Station at Holyoke

W. W. Ward’s Reminiscences

Concerning Early Railroading Up the Valley — City Affairs.

The face of William W. Ward, station agent of the Boston and Maine railroad at Holyoke, with its patriarchal white beard has been so long familiar that the regular day patron of the road would not feel that all was just right if a stranger appeared at the ticket window. the old Connecticut River railroad and Mr. Ward became acquainted about 1849, when he went to work in the freight house at Northampton. Dome two or three years after Josiah Hunt, then superintendent of the road, came up there and said to the freight agent, “I wonder if Ward will go to Holyoke. I want him for the ticket agent down there.” “I guess so, ask him,” was the reply. So with the promise of an additional “raise” in salary, Mr. Ward came down and began to sell tickets in the old wooden station that had then been built but a year or two, and was considered quite sumptuous. It is now being used or the less dignified, if wholly honorable, career of a blacksmith shop, and also as a sort of advertising billboard on Main Street. Passengers on the trolley cars often notice it, and recognize it as a former railroad station.

Some ideal of the vast magnitude of the travel can be gleaned by the reports of about that time. One one day in February, not Sunday, the following ticket sales were reported: Springfield 18, Cabot (Chicopee) six, Northampton three, Greenfield one,. This must not be taken as a fair sample, however, as the receipts were often more than that, and a glance at the accounts of 1849 shows that the sales increased from month to month. One month, March 1849, the total sales were $344; but Mr. Ward has seen the time when the monthly sales amounted to $17,000 in recent years. Mr. Ward succeeded H. D. Carroll of this city, who is still living, and who doubtless remembers plainly the little old shanty — it hardly could be called a station — that preceded the new structure that was built shortly before Mr. Ward’s arrival. There were then but few trains a day, the engines were all wood-burners, with the great stacks , inside cylinders, and rain between Holyoke and Springfield in perhaps half an hour. There was then but a single track, and the double track did not come until a number of years after.

William W. Ward

Tickets were sold only for points on the Connecticut River line. They were printed on plain white cardboard, and were kept n a tin trunk that was sent once in so often to the headquarters in Northampton, and a fresh supply of tickets returned. The road only extended to Greenfield, and at first there were first and second-class fare to your city from Holyoke, and from Holyoke to Northampton, was 25 cents; from Holyoke to Cabot, 15 cents; from Holyoke to Greenfield, 65 cents. In spite of the light engines and cars and road-bed, there have been few accidents on the line. Once in Deerfield a train ran down a kindly cow that was looking along the track for iron spikes to improve her digestion, and it promptly left that track in disgust, and tied itself up into a Cupid’s know. It took all the profits for several months to pay for that accident. Another time the ponderous engine “Whatley,” which must have weighed as much as 20 tons, and which any yard “switcher” of today would butt off the track with supreme contempt, fell into a washout a little above the sawmill. It was a time of high water, and the track was submerged and the “Whatley” was moving along when all of a sudden it dived down into 10 feet of water. It remained there, an interesting object lesson in navigation and a fine attraction for the citizens until three of four other 20-ton engines had joined their might together and yanked the offender back to rather drunken dignity upon the rails. Mr. Ward has some excel;lent pictures of this old wreck.

When Mr. Ward began selling tickets the greater part of Holyoke was a “howling wilderness.” The Holyoke house now the Hamilton had been erected and parsons hall across. The Lyman company had one or two mills, but elsewhere around but one or two small buildings were extant. The foundations were then being laid for the cotton mill which is now used by D. Mackintosh Sons. The 40 years that followed saw continual building and change. the Holyoke street railway company was represented by one horse car to a line that ran from the railroad station to the Holyoke Paper Mill. President Loomis and the Northampton board of aldermen had then not met and Mountain Park had not been evolved. the streets were sandy and dirt roads and the canals themselves had hardly been constructed and extended but a small fragment of the distance they now extend. This station stood a little south of where the bridge over the tracks at the foot of Dwight Street stands. Its Gothic design is not uncommon in some part of New England yet.

Adapted from The Springfield Republican.

10 May 1970

Mural on Closed Annex Door of Holyoke Community College, May 10, 1970

Striking students at Holyoke Community College painted a mural showing a clenched fist, symbol of revolution. When college and city officials complained that it defaced a public building, students added the staff of wheat and religious symbols pictured above. The painting is on what was the sealed entrance to the HCC annex.

My era at HCC. Maybe it is just me, but I think of Kent State on May 4th, not Star Wars.

Photo: The Springfield Sunday Republican.

Random Forestdale Cemetery Tombstone.

05 January 1913

Herbert E. and Laura E. (Smith) Ainley

Alderman Ainley Dies in Holyoke

Popular Member of Paper City Government Victim of Bright’s Disease

Deane Traffic Manager

Board of Aldermen to Act; Employees Adopt Resolutions; Grief Hastened Death

Alderman Herbert E. Ainley died at 8 o’clock this morning in the City Hospital of bright’s disease following a long illness. Grief over the death of his wife a year ago also hastened his death.

Mr. Ainley was about until a few weeks ago, when the illness became severe and the alderman was confined to his home. His condition became so serious that early in the present week friends determined to have him removed to the hospital and he was taken there on Wednesday. It was then plain that he could live but two or three days.

Mr. Ainley was born in Spencer 47 years ago, coming to this city in his yearly youth. After passing through the grammar schools he entered the employ of the Deane Steam Pump Company, where he had been engaged for 33 years, progressing from office boy through the various grades of the traffic department, until finally he was appointed manager of the branch. As traffic manager he had wide acquaintance among the railroad men and traffic managers of the country his ability and efficiency in this field being undisputed.

It was eight years ago when Mr. Ainley entered the field of politics, and the result was his election twice as alderman from Ward 6 on the Republican ticket. Subsequently, he was nominated by the Republicans as an alderman-at-large, and he would have begun next Monday morning the last year of his third term of two years in that capacity. During 1904, 1905, 1906, 907, 1908, 1909, 1911 and 1912 he served the city government. Nearly all of the time of his connection with the boar of aldermen his name was called first on roll calls, not infrequently a trying place, but he never was known to make speeches. He was satisfied with his vote, which expressed his attitude.

Alderman Ainley held membership in Hampden Lodge, Knights of Pythias, and he was just as popular with his fellow members of the order as with the colleagues of the city government and throughout the city. The marriage of Mr. Ainley and Miss Laura Smith of this city took place in 1887, Mrs. Ainley dying late in 1911. He leaves his mother, Mrs. Joseph Ainley of Northampton street, and two daughters, Mrs. Alphonse La France and Miss Beatrice Ainley of 144 Cabot Street.

Mr. Ainley and his daughter, Beatrice,  who is 14 years old, have been inseparable companions since the death of the girl’s mother. It had become a common sight to see the two walking hand in hand along High Street, the marriage of the elder daughter cementing the parental companionship of the father and the younger child.

The following expression of regard for Mr. Ainley was prepared by his associates in the Deane plant:

“Mr. Ainley was well known to railroad men all over the country in his capacity as traffic manager for the Deane Steam Pump Company and ranked high among the traffic men of the country. His many years of service with the Deane Stem Pump Company made him thoroughly expert in the line of its work, and he was a valued and trusted employee, and became a walking encyclopedia as regards the business of the Deane Steam Pump Company. His loss is very much regretted by the management and by his fellow members of the office staff, with whom he had always been a general favorite in all his business relations and dealings.”

The funeral will be held Monday afternoon at 3 o’clock, with services in the Second Baptist Church chapel, the body lying in the meanwhile in Alger’s undertaking rooms, where friends may view it. the aldermen assembled this evening to take suitable action on the death of Alderman Ainely. A floral tribute will be sent and a committee will represent the board at the funeral.

Adapted from The Springfield Republican.

08 May 1921

Holyoke Semi-Centennial Celebration Program

Celebration Will take Place in 1923 — Preparations Are Begun

The custom of taking note of the various anniversaries of one kind and another as they appear, has been growing of late years, and it is interesting to record that the Holyoke Chamber of Commerce is awake to the matter and is to have a committee appointed soon to see that the 50th anniversary of the founding of the city in 1923 does not go by without proper attention. It is only a little over a year and a half before the anniversary arrives and it is a good thing that the start is being made so early.

Adapted from The Springfield Republican.

05 May 1950

Donald O’Connor and Zasu Pitts in Francis. Costarring Francis the Talking Army Mule. Also playing: Unmasked.

At the Suffolk Theater: Francis