Western Massachusetts
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Western Massachusetts is a loosely defined geographical region of the state of Massachusetts which contains the Berkshires and the Pioneer Valley. Most commonly, the region is considered to include Berkshire, Franklin, Hampshire, and Hampden counties. The Massachusetts Turnpike spans in Western Mass from West Stockbridge to Brimfield. Some residents of the Berkshires assume that Western Massachusetts means the Berkshires.
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[edit] Geography
Western Massachusetts can be divided into approximately four zones running from north to south across the region. There are 103 towns and 11 cities in Western Massachusetts,the largest of these cities being Springfield, home of the Springfield Falcons. There are also 4 counties in Western Massachusetts; Hampden, Franklin, Hampshire, and Berkshire.
[edit] The Berkshires
The Berkshires are part of the ancient Appalachian Mountains in the western part of the state, consisting approximately of Berkshire County. The chief cities in the area are Pittsfield and North Adams. The Berkshires are known for their incredible beauty and autumn foliage.
[edit] The Hill Towns
The Hill Towns more or less include the areas of Franklin, Hampshire, and Hampden Counties between the Connecticut River valley towns and the Berkshires.
[edit] The Valley
The Connecticut River valley, sometimes called the Pioneer Valley. Significant towns and cities include Greenfield, Northampton, Amherst, Easthampton, Holyoke, Chicopee, West Springfield, Springfield, Ludlow and Westfield.
[edit] East of the Valley
The higher altitude area to the east of the Connecticut River valley does not have a popular name. This area could be considered to run from Northfield, Warwick and Athol at the New Hampshire border, south to Hampden, Monson, Wales and Holland on the Connecticut border, and includes the Quabbin Reservoir. The lower half of this area is known as the Quabog Hills Region, and includes towns such as Palmer and Ware.
[edit] Demographics
Berkshire, Franklin, Hampshire and Hampden counties, in the year 2000 collectively had 834,358 residents, a population greater than that of five U.S. states. The population amounted to approximately 13.1% of the 2000 population of the entire state of Massachusetts, which was 6,349,097.[citation needed] Significant neighboring metropolitan and urban influences on the region include Hartford, Connecticut; Worcester, Massachusetts; Albany, New York and of course Boston, Massachusetts.
[edit] History
[edit] Colonial and Early Federal period
Western Massachusetts was originally settled by several Native American societies including the Pocomtuc, Nonotuck Mohawk, and Mahican. The first European settlers came up from Connecticut to Springfield in 1636, and from Springfield to Northampton in 1654. In 1704 the French and their Native American allies led an attack on Deerfield, Massachusetts. After the American Revolution, a rebellion led by Daniel Shays, a farmer from East Pelham, culminated in a small battle at the federal arsenal in Springfield. Shays and his followers, the Regulators, hoped to win government reforms, including the issue of new currency and help for Continental soldiers who had incurred crushing debts while fighting for independence. Although crushed, this rebellion led Thomas Jefferson to declare that "a little revolution every twenty years or so is a good thing." Shays' Rebellion is often considered a watershed event in the creation of the United States Constitution.
[edit] Culture and Community
Many residents of Western Massachusetts take a critical attitude towards Boston, the state's capital and largest city. The widespread belief is that the Massachusetts legislature and executive branch know little of and care little about the western part of the state.[citation needed] Among the incidents that fuel this feeling:
- The events that led to Shay's Rebellion.
- The dismantling, submerging and disincorporation of four towns, Prescott, Enfield, Grenwich (formerly in Hampshire County) and Dana (formerly in Worcester County), to build the Quabbin Reservoir and supply water to Boston.[citation needed]
- Former state House Speaker Tom Finneran's use of parliamentary rules to deny Northampton an election to fill a vacant House seat.[citation needed]
Long a haven for small businesses, the region has expressed conflicted feelings towards giant retail corporations, leading to controversies about permitting zoning changes or variances that would allow companies such as Wal-Mart to build in local towns. The debate has been particularly strong in northern towns, particularly Greenfield, Massachusetts.[citation needed]
In Crash!ng the Party, Ralph Nader includes Amherst, along with Vermont and his home state of Connecticut, as one of the few places in the country where he believes small-town spirit is still strong.[citation needed]
[edit] Universities and Colleges
An Incomplete list:
- Amherst College
- American International College
- Bay Path College
- Berkshire Community College
- Elms College
- Five Colleges Association
- Greenfield Community College
- Hampshire College
- Holyoke Community College
- Mass College of Liberal Arts
- Mount Holyoke College
- Simon's Rock College
- Smith College
- Springfield College
- Springfield Technical Community College
- University of Massachusetts-Amherst
- Westfield State College
- Western New England College
- Williams College
[edit] Claims to fame
- The Hoosac Tunnel which runs from Florida, MA to North Adams, MA was once the second longest tunnel in the world and the longest tunnel in North America, and is still the longest transportation tunnel east of the Rocky Mountains.
- Noah Webster of Amherst produced the first American dictionary in 1806.
- James Naismith invented basketball in Springfield in 1891.
- New England's largest theme park, Six Flags New England is located in Agawam.
- The Springfield Armory became a battlefield during Shays' Rebellion. The Springfield Armory also produced the famous Springfield Rifle for the United States Armed Forces.
- In 1892, the first gasoline-powered car was produced in Springfield.
- William G. Morgan invented volleyball in Holyoke in 1895
- In 1901, the first American motorcycle company, Indian Motorcycle was founded in Springfield.
- The MassMutual, Milton Bradley, Merriam-Webster, Spalding, Smith and Wesson, Channing Bete, Yankee Candle Company, Friendly's Ice Cream, Peter Pan Bus, KB Toys and Big Y corporations are all based in Western Massachusetts.
- Northampton has a national reputation as a lesbian mecca.
- The Clark Art Institute has a large collection of impressionist paintings.
- The Crane Paper Company, based in Dalton produces the paper used by the U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing in making American paper money
[edit] Famous residents
- Elizabeth Banks actress seen in the Spider-Man franchise and The 40-Year-Old Virgin, born and raised in Pittsfield
- John Brown began his career as an abolitionist in 1847 in Springfield
- Eric Carle, children's book author and illustrator of The Very Hungry Caterpillar, among other things, currently lives in Northampton
- Calvin Coolidge first entered politics in Northampton
- Bill Cosby currently resides in Franklin County
- Emily Dickinson spent her entire life in Amherst
- W.E.B. DuBois was born in Great Barrington
- Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird created Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles while living in Northampton
- Robert Frost spent several years of his life in Amherst
- Dr. Seuss (Theodor Seuss Geisel) was born in Springfield
- Sylvester Graham, dietary reformer, health food pioneer, inventor of graham flour, lived in Northampton
- Arlo Guthrie attended school and later lived in Stockbridge
- Joseph Hooker was born in Hadley
- Penn Jillette was born and raised in Greenfield
- Tracy Kidder lives in Northampton
- Timothy Leary, scientist, writer, and drug pioneer, was born in Springfield
- H.P. Lovecraft would spend time in Heath where he would explore the rocky hills. It is believed that he used the desolate landscape as a reference for some of the scenes in his stories mentioning "the blasted heath".
- J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr. was born and raised in Amherst
- Norman Rockwell worked in The Berkshires
- Maureen Stapleton, film and theatre actress, lived in Lenox
- Uma Thurman was raised in Amherst; her father taught at Amherst College
- Kurt Vonnegut lived in Northampton
- Jane Yolen spends half her time in Western Massachusetts and half in Scotland but considers Western Mass her home.
- James Taylor lives in The Berkshires and alludes to Western Massachusetts in his song "Sweet Baby James."
[edit] Tourism sites
- Basketball Hall of Fame
- Clark Art Institute
- Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art
- Historic Deerfield
- Emily Dickinson Museum: The Homestead and The Evergreens
- MassMoCA
- National Yiddish Book Center
- The Quadrangle
- Norman Rockwell Museum
- Dr. Seuss Memorial
- Tanglewood
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Western Massachusetts Web Guide
- What to Do in Pioneer Valley
- Map of Massachusetts Cities and Towns
- Exploring Western Massachusetts (Local history blog)
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