City Of Holyoke History

A time line.

Settlement and Indian wars.

1633 - 1680

 1633 Plymouth Plantation trading post established at Windsor (CT) on the Quinni-tukq-ut River.

 1635 - 1636 English settlements established at Windsor, Wethersfield, and Hartford (CT).

 1635 William Pynchon constructs a riverside trading post in Agawam.

Out of the Agawam settlement grew the Springfield settlement from which evolved West Springfield whose third parish, called

Ireland Parish,

later became Holyoke.

 1636 In July 15 deed, Indians convey Connecticut River valley to Pynchon and others.  1637 Pequot War ends.

 1640 Elizur Holyoke, constable, surveyor, and Indian fighter, weds Pynchon's daughter Mary.

 1660 Settlement of Ireland Parish begins.  1662 Mount Holyoke and Mount Tom named after Elizur Holyoke and Rowland Thomas during Nonotuck (Northampton, MA) plantation survey.  1675 - 76 King Philip's War moves westward after defeat in Rhode Island.

 1676 Elizur Holyoke dies in King Philip's War Falls area Native Americans depart the valley for all time .

 1684 John Riley purchases land in what will become Holyoke.  1704 French and Indian assaults in region.

 1707 Unsold land in region apportioned to settlers.  1745 Ireland Parish settlers participate in Capture of Louisburg.  1758 Ferry Service is established from Ireland Parish to Springfield and Chicopee.  1775 Ireland Parish settlers participate in Revolutionary War.  1783 Morgan sawmill is first industrial use of the river's power.

 1786 Shays' Rebellion troops pass through Ireland Parish. Ireland petitions for separate parish status from Chicopee.  1792 Ireland becomes Third Parish of W. Springfield. Baptists stake out Meeting House in Baptist Village (Elmwood).

Proprietors of Locks and Canals

incorporated to construct canals.  1794 Canal is constructed at South Hadley with inclined plane to raise and lower boats.

1800 - 1810 Series of locks replaces the inclined plane of the canal.

 1820s Swing Ferry is established between Holyoke and South Hadley.  1827 In France, B. Fourneyron designs a turbine which will later be used in Holyoke mills. First Hadley Falls Co. authorized to build a wing danm .

 1840-1849 Holyoke is chosen as site for planned industrial city and work begins on the plan, the dam and the canals. The

Irish arrive

in numbers.

 1845 George C. Ewing realizes the potential of the great falls and the “Field” and conceives the idea of the planned industrial city that will become Holyoke.  1847

Boston Associates

select Holyoke as the site for a planned industrial city, purchase and assume the name of the

Hadley Falls Company

and acquire controlling interest in the

Proprietors of the Locks and Canals.

First map of planned city is prepared by surveyors. The Irish arrive in Holyoke to construct the dam and canals and settle in the Patch, the Flats and Tigertown.  1848 Irish workers strike when wages for canal workers are reduced from 75¢ to 70¢ per day.

     1849 Second dam constructed in seven months. Squalid conditions in Irish neighborhoods cause Cholera epidemic.

1850 - 1859 Holyoke is incorporated and settlement of the new city begins slowly. Several textile mills, some paper mills and a machine shop begin production. Water power companies divest themselves of manufacturing assets.

1850 Holyoke is incorporated. First cotton mill begins operation. 1851 Machinery used in cotton mills begins to be manufactured. 1853 Holyoke Plan is published. 1854 Hadley Falls Company divests itself of cotton mills in order to raise money. The newly formed Lyman Mills purchases the plants.

 1855 Parsons Mill begins manufacture of paper.  1856 Irish Catholic Church established with the erection of St. Jerome's Church.  1857 Holyoke Paper Company is formed.  1859 Hadley Falls Company goes bankrupt and Holyoke Water Power assumes control of the dam and canals.

 1860 - 1869 Parsons Paper Company becomes the largest paper mill of its kind in the country. Numerous other paper companies are formed. With substantial immigration of French-Canadians the city's population doubles. Textile mills producing thread, woolens and fine quality cotton do well, while producers of coarse goods fare less well.  1862 Shortages of cotton resulting from the Civil War force Lyman Mills to shut down a number of buildings.

 1865 - 1866 Seven new paper mills are established.      1869 Abortive Fenian invasion of Canada embarrasses the Irish community. French-Canadian Catholic parish is established in Holyoke

1870 - 1879 City's population again doubles as Irish, French-Canadians and Germans arrive seeking mill employment. Advances in water power and manufacturing technology take place. Economic fluctuations in the textile industry continue.

1872 James Emerson sets up testing flume between the first and second level canals. 1873 City charter is received. 1874 Farr Alpaca and Skinner's Unquomonk Silk Mills are established. 1875 Hampden Mills close permanently.

 1876 Farr Alpaca wins the highest award at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia for production of cloth material with a permanent perspiration-proof finish. City Hall construction is completed.  1880 - 1889 In Holyoke's most prosperous decade, the city adopts new energy sources, becomes known as the "Paper City," and fosters the paper converting industry. Community and civic life is developed and liquor becomes an overriding local issue.  1880 Holyoke becomes known as Paper City. Steam power is first used in paper mills.  1881 National Blank Book, a paper converting company, locates in Holyoke.  1884 Eagle Lodge Union of Paper Makers is formed.  1885 - 1889 Irish dominate city politics.

 1885 Major dam renovation is undertaken. Textile workers led by German immigrants strike at Germania Mills and Skinner Unquomonk Silk Mills. Holyoke begins to generate electricity.

 1890 - 1899 Holyoke companies are taken over by trusts.

Polish immigrants arrive. New stone dam is constructed.  1892 Lyman Mills is city's largest employer with work force of 1,300.  1893 Canal system construction completed. Holyoke Street Railway purchases land on Mount Tom.  1894 Holyoke Street Railway opens Mountain Park with gardens, fountains, and an early merry-go-round.  1895 Volleyball, at first called

mintonette,

invented by William G. Morgan, athletic director at the Holyoke YMCA.  1896 Appointment of first Polish priest.

 1898 Merrick Thread Company sold to American Thread Company, a thread trust.  1899 American Writing Paper Company forms a paper trust. The trust will eventually acquire sixteen of Holyoke's paper companies.  1900 - 1929 Nineteenth century immigrant groups achieve social and economic advancement.  1900 Mater Dolorosa Polish church is completed. American Writing Paper Company controls 75% of the U.S. fine writing paper market.  1902 - 1905 Strikes occur within the paper industry.  1910 American Writing Paper's control of the paper market falls to 40%.  1923 American Writing Paper declares bankruptcy and goes into receivership.

  1927 American Writing Paper is reorganized. The Lyman Mills are closed.

1930 - 1939 National Blank Book becomes a force in the nation's paper converting industry while Farr Alpaca, the city's major textile manufacturer closes. The testing flume is put out of service. Continued fluctuations with American Writing Paper.  1933 American Writing Paper again declares bankruptcy.  1934 Germania Mills is reorganized as Livingston Worsted Mills.  1940 - 1959 Several textile mills are closed. The City develops an energy source.  1944 - 1957 Six textile mills close.  1950s First hydro-electric plant is developed.

 1959 Chemical Paper is sold to a non-Holyoke firm, Standard Packaging, which closes its Holyoke plants a few years thereafter.  1960 - 1980 Urban Renewal begins as the city's paper industry continues its decline.

Hispanic population arrives.

 1960 Boston and Maine Railroad installs five fountains on the second level canal.  1968 Economic recession in Puerto Rico results in emigration to the city by those seeking employment in the tobacco industry.  1976 Holyoke celebrates its bicentennial.  1978 The Volleyball Hall of Fame established.  1980 - Present Economic and Social Progress

 1980 William Skinner Mill burns to the ground. The mill site later becomes

Holyoke Heritage State Park

.   1996 January 2, Holyoke's 40th Mayor, Daniel Szostkiewicz inaugurated. At age 28, he is Holyoke's youngest Mayor ever.

2010 January 4 th , Holyoke’s 42 nd Mayor, Elaine A. Pluta inaugurated. She is Holyoke’s first woman Mayor.