Holyoke Canoe Club - Circa 1899

Two photos of the second canoe club that was built in 1894 on the banks of the Connecticut River about a half a mile south of the Dinosaur Tracks.

Looking up the Connecticut River at a point near River Terrace.  The Canoe Club can be seen in the left of the picture.

The Canoe Club's history dates back to mid 1880s when the first canoe club was built just below the present day Pulaski Park just above the dam, north of the gatehouse. The second canoe club lasted until 1900, when the present canoe club in Smith's Ferry was built.

In this photo taken from the shore of the Connecticut River on River Road near Tiger Lane in South Hadley, above the canoe club you can see Kenilworth Castle which was built around 1895 and owned by E.C. Taft, founder of the Albion Paper Co.

Taft, who resided in a home on Suffolk street in the city of Holyoke, moved into the Castle in 1897, but died after only one week of residence there.

Also visible in the photo is the first Summit House on Mt. Tom which was built in 1897 and was destroyed by fire in 1901.

High & Dwight street Circa 1920

 Downtown Holyoke was bustling during this era. The population of Holyoke hit it's peak in the 1920s  when 60, 203 people called Holyoke home.  In this photo looking south from Dwight street, not much has changed in way of architecture while the trolley service ceased in 1936.