City Hall and the Whiting Coal Co. circa 1870s

Wolcott Building - High & Dwight Streets

An early photo of City Hall taken from the northeast corner of Dwight and Front streets shortly after it's construction in 1871. The Wolcott Building is partially visible at the far right of the picture.

 The building below City Hall is the Whiting Coal Co. which was founded in 1870 by William Bailey Whiting. He built his operation on land leased from the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad at 458 Dwight street.

The W.B. Whiting Coal Co. was located at 458 Dwight street until the late 1960s. Founder William B. Whiting and wife Elizabeth Murphy had 11 children. Son William Whiting opened the Whiting Paper Co. (now the complex off Lyman street known as Open Square) in 1865, became a U.S. senator in 1873 and served as mayor of Holyoke in 1878 and 1879. 

Dwight Street looking east towards the "Flats". This photo was taken around 1904 from the roof of the Wolcott Building that was located on the southwest corner of High and Dwight streets. The Wolcott was destroyed in the famous fire in December of 1906.

The Wolcott Building at the southwest corner of High and Dwight streets in a photo taken in 1880. (Photo courtesy of holyokemass.com)