Windsor Hotel 1880s

The Windsor Hotel was located at the northeast corner of Dwight & Front Streets. The hotel was erected by William Whiting who was head of the Whiting Paper Co. Whiting would go on to serve as mayor of the city and later Congressman. 

Also partially visible behind the hotel on Front Street (right) is the Holyoke Opera House. The hotel was destroyed by fire in 1899 while the Opera House stood for many years when it too was destroyed by fire in October of 1967.

Third Mt.Tom Summit House

After fire destroyed the second Summit House in 1929 (the first house was also destroyed by fire in 1901),  a third house was built just north of where the first two houses stood.  It was nowhere near as majestic as the previous houses, just a simple steel frame and corrugated metal sided structure. The house remained open until 1936 when trolley service along with the Mt. Tom Railroad ceased operation, and stood until 1939 when it was scrapped along with the incline rail line.  All that remains today of the third house is a concrete stairway and the concrete foundation blocks on which the house rested upon.

A visitor to Mt. Tom stands in front of the third Summit House in June of 1934. (Seminole Bailey Archive)

Before Amtrak....

Central Vermont Engine 231 travels north near Smiths Ferry in the late 1930s. Passenger service ran through Holyoke up until the early 1970s with the old Montrealer line and has now returned with Amtrak's rail service. (Seminole Bailey Archive)

The Orient Restaurant

Dubbed "Holyoke's Restaurant Beautiful", The Orient was a Chinese-American restaurant located at 515-519 Dwight Street downhill across from the City Hall. This photo, from the early 1930s, shows the trolley tracks and cobblestone that was paved over in the early 1940s after the demise of the trolley lines. (Seminole Bailey Archive)

New England Hurricane September, 1938

The flooding of the Connecticut River at the Holyoke/Chicopee line in the wake of the hurricane that hit the area on September 21. 1938. 

 Looking west towards Holyoke from the B&M Railroad bridge showing flooding water almost level with the Willimansett Bridge.

This photo taken from the Willimansett side of the Connecticut River showing water level at the B&M Railroad bridge. Notice the the coal cars on the bridge, probably there to help break the strong current if water was to rise that high.

Another view looking west toward the National Blank Book showing the power of the flooding waters. Notice the waves crashing into the railroad bridge.

This photo taken at the eastern end of the B&M Railroad bridge near Willimansett looking southwest towards the Willimansett Bridge. (photos courtesy of the Seminole Bailey Archive)

Empire Theater circa 1910

The Empire Theater was located at 147 High Street between Lyman and Hampden Streets. It was built in the early 1890s by Holyoke businessman L.B. White who was instrumental in developing what is now the Fairfield Avenue historic district.

The building was later purchased by T.F. Murray who represented  T.J. Flannagan who operated a wholesale liquor business in the city. The theater continued operations until 1915 when it was destroyed by fire.

For more info on the history of the Empire visit  http://holyokemass.com/2011/11/07/holyokes-new-empire-theater/  (Photo courtesy of the Seminole Bailey Archive)

So. Holyoke Hair Dressing Business early 1900s

An old cabinet photo of a hair dressing business located somewhere in South Holyoke. The building number above the door reads "314".  Possibly 314 Main Street which is now an empty lot across from Racing Mart. But the odd thing is the reflection in the storefront's window, that building looks very similar to the building on High Street where Wernick Furniture was located. ?????  (Photo:Abrams/Hoffman View Co.)

Panoramic View Of The City and Mt. Tom Range Circa 1920s

A panoramic view of Holyoke looking northwest from the roof top of the Indian Garden Restaurant atop the Nonotuck Hotel in the 1920s.  (Seminole Bailey Archive)

First Level Canal, Factories & Railroad  1879

A photo taken from the Water Power gatehouse looking down the First Level (upper) canal in 1879.   Factories shown in the picture include the Parsons Paper Mill on the left, and the Merrick Thread Co. (center).  The Parsons mill would later become American Writing Company's No. 2 mill. The building on the right was a storage building for the coal shed of the Holyoke Gas & Electric Company. The area is now the home of the skate board park located just below Pulaski Park.  (Seminole Bailey Archive)

View From "Little Mountain" 1899

This photo was taken looking east from the tower on Little Mountain (Little Mt. Tom) in the summer of 1899. The tower was one of three that gave spectacular views of the surrounding area. In the foreground is Cedar Knob and William Stiles Loomis' summer residence "The Crag". Notice in the middle right of the picture, the Jones Point area still not developed.  In the background is downtown Holyoke and the old Ward 4 section of the city. (Seminole Bailey Archive)

Lyman Mills - 1890s

 

A photo of the Lyman Mills factory located on the east side of the First Level Canal between Dwight & Lyman Streets. Looking northward towards Lyman Street in the distance is the Whiting Paper Mill No. 2 building. (photo courtesy of the Seminole Bailey Archive)

St. Patrick's Parade 1950s

 

Here are two photos of the S, Marks Paint Co. float that participated in the St. Patrick's Parade in the 1950s.  The company was located at the corner of Lyman & Maple Streets for many years, up until the 1990s. The float is pictured on Essex Street in the top photo, and around the corner on Pine Street in the bottom photo.

City officials march in the St. Patrick's Parade in the 1950s.  The parade is heading east on Lyman Street in front of the Mater Dolorosa Church. Up until the late 1960s, the parade route would head north down Chestnut Street from Appleton, take a turn east on Lyman, then south onto High Street. 

The building in the upper left was the Job Block which is now the parking lot across from Kay's Bakery.  This picture was taken from, you guessed it,  the S. Marks Paint Co. building.  (All photos courtesy of the Seminole Bailey Archive)

Holyoke Cove - September 1937

 

A nice photo taken on September 6th, 1937 of the Holyoke Cove and vicinity including "The Island", Old Ward Four, Pulaski Park, Holyoke Ice & Fuel, and the B&M Railroad.   The cove area at this time was the city dump and was the site of the burning of the city's trolleys when they ceased operation in 1936.  The entrance road to the dump was the old "Fireman's Road" off of Hampden Street that still exists. (Photo courtesy of Nancy Texiera & Mary Los)

Dwight Street - William Skinner & American Writing - September 1937

 

Dwight Street in the vicinity of the first level canal with the William Skinner Silk Mills in the background.  (Photo courtesy of Nancy Texiera & Mary Los)

Looking east down Dwight Street. The building in the center of the photo was part of the American Writing Paper Co. The first floor was occupied by the Drainers dept., second floor, Beaters, third floor, Rag Sorting, and the fourth floor was the Rag Storage dept. (Photo courtesy of Nancy Texiera & Mary Los)

Holyoke circa 1920s

A view of High Street looking south near Appleton Street. To the right on the west side, the Y.M.C.A. and further south, the Second Congregational Church.  On the left the east side, the Senior Building and further south, the Hotel La France. (Seminole Bailey Archive)

The First Presbyterian Church and Masonic Temple on Chestnut Street  opposite Library Park.  (Seminole Bailey Archive)

Mountain Park Ballroom and Pavilion as seen from Cedar Knob. (photo courtesy The Bad Hatter)