USA > Massachusetts > Hampden County > Springfield > Springfield city directory and business advertiser 1872-1873 > Part 3
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Hampden House Block, 436 to 440 Main street, north corner Court street ; entrance to offices, etc., up-stairs, 438.
Haynes' Hotel Block, 400 to 410 Main street, north corner Pynchon street ; entrance to Post-Office Rotunda, Hotel, etc., 406 ; ladies' entrance to hotel, 400. Hitchcock's Block, 313 to 320 Main street, adjoining Hale's Block.
Hubbard's Block, 463 to 471 State street, adjoining Gunn's Block; entrance to rooms up-stairs, 467.
Hurlbut's Block, 340 to 348 Main street, granite front, south corner of Bridge; entrance to offices, etc. up- stairs, 344.
Lincoln Hall Block, 492 to 496 Mill street, opposite Water Shops; entrance to hall, 494.
Massasoit Block, 240 to 252 Main street, next south railroad depot; ladies' entrance to up-stairs rooms of hotel, 242.
Massachusetts Mutual Life In- surance Block, 411 to 415 Main st, entrance to offices, etc., up-stairs 413. Mills' Block, 661 to 665 Main street, south corner Morris street; entrance up-stairs, 663.
Montague's Block, 90 to 98 Bridge street ; entrance to hall, up-stairs, 90. Music Hall Block, 412 to 416 Main street; entrance to hall and offices up- stairs, 414.
Old John Hancock Bank Block, 457 to 461 State street; entrance to rooms up-stairs, 450.
Old Post-Office Block, 3 to 13 Elm street ; entrances to offices, etc., up- stairs, 5 and 11.
Parker's Block, 218 Harrison avenue. Parsons' Block, 544 to 568 Main street, north corner Howard street; entrance to dwellings, etc., up-stairs, 556.
Patton & Loomis' Block, 270 to 284 Main street, south corner Hampden street; entrances to offices, etc., up- stairs, 274, 284.
Powers' Block, 231 and 233 Main street, adjoining Agawam Bank Block ; entrance to offices, etc., up stairs, 233.
Pynchon Bank Block, 484 to 488 Main street; entrance to bank, etc., up- stairs, 486.
Pynchon House Block, 239 to 249 Main street, south corner Lyman street; entrance to Hotel, up-stairs, 243.
Ray & Taylor's Block, 27 Worth- ington street, between Main and Water. Rice's Block, 149 to 161 State street, opposite Dwight street; entrances to rooms up-stairs, 149, 155, 159.
Rumrill's Block, 45 Morris street.
Savings Bank Block, 497 to 501 Main street, north Corner State ; en- trance to offices, Institute Hall, etc., 499. Sceery's Block, 43 to 47 Market street, corner East Court street; entrance to rooms up-stairs, 45.
Shaw's Block, 370 to 376 Main street, entrance to offices, etc., up-stairs, 374 .. Smith's Block, river bank, foot of Pyn- chon street.
16
SPRINGFIELD CITY DIRECTORY.
Stebbins' Block, 26 to 30 Main street, near Carew street ; entrance to dwell- ings up-stairs, 28.
Stockbridge Block, 517 to 521 Main street, north corner Stockbridge street; entrance to rooms up-stairs, 519.
Thompson's Block, 236 to 240 Union street, east of and near Maple.
Taylor & Olmstead's Block, 263 to 269 Main street, north corner Taylor street; entrance to offices up-stairs, 267. Trask's Block, river bank, near foot of Pynchon street.
Townsley's Block, 361 to 369 Main street, opposite Vernon street ; en- trance to offices, etc., up-stairs, 365.
Union Block, 383 to 395 Main street, south corner Harrison avenue ; entrance
to Central Hall, offices, etc., up-stairs, 389.
Union House Block, 526 to 540 Main street, south corner Bliss street ; en- trance to Union House, up-stairs, 528, and to Union Hall, 536.
Walker's Block, [dwellings,] 175 to 185 State street, west corner Maple st. Warner's Block, 150 to 154 Bridge street, with entrance to tenements, up- stairs, at 150; also 134 to 138 Dwight street, with entrance, up-stairs, at 136.
Wight's Block, north-east corner Main and Worthington streets.
Wilcox Block, 296 to 306 Main street, between Fort and Worthington; en- trances to dwellings, etc., up stairs, 298 and 304.
Springfield in 1872.
GROWTH OF THE CITY - CHANGES AND IMPROVEMENTS -NEW ENTERPRISES-TRADE AND MANUFACTURES-EXCITE- MENT IN REAL ESTATE-REMINISCENCES, ETC.
OLD RESIDENTS, and new-comers, as well, have a lively interest in facts pertaining to Springfield, as presented in this year's DIRECT- ORY. They begin to realize, as perhaps many have not heretofore, how rapidly the city is growing, even in its " suburbs." " Croak- ers," who oppose progress and fear improvements or an increase of taxes, are disappearing ; even the frogs of Town Brook cease to peep, so rapidly is the meadow filled and laid out for new buildings. There may be a few, who still suppose the old numbers on houses- or no numbers at all-will answer for a place so full of people, with 80 many new-comers, who are puzzled by the singular alternation of figures on different house-doors-as on Water street, for instance ; but even in such rare cases, residents open their eyes, when they find their lots are worth $400 a front foot, at a distance from Main street, because wanted for business, and likely to be still higher in value, as the toll-bridge is made free. We hear of one gentleman who regretted that he did not have the numbers put on his houses last year, and lost half-a-day's time, in trying to get some and put them on himself. Another found his customers had left him and gone elsewhere, because the new figures were not on his store. We shall do a kindness to such persons, if there are any now who have not the new numbers on, by saying that B. B. Hill and Daniel Schoonmaker will supply them for a mere trifle, and the City Engineer gives any needed information free.
Trade has prospered. The houses that have done a business of half a million dollars or over the past year, are many more than in any previous twelve months. The income returns are twenty per cent greater for this city, though much more is exempted than for- merly. Manufacturers have enlarged their shops, or are building
3
18
SPRINGFIELD CITY DIRECTORY.
new, and employing more hands, and still some are compelled to run over-time to keep up with orders. New business establishments come in. Some very good dividends are reported. The railroads bring more freights, are constantly adding new cars and engines, and have made satisfactory profits, no doubt ; and, it is pleasant to notice, have materially reduced the fares here from all directions, as well as afforded increased accommodations for travel. The new railroads, too, are coming in due season. Liberal yet judicious expenditures are made for schools, public buildings, widening and macadamizing streets, and for sewers and granite curbing on almost all. Yet our taxes are much lower than in the other cities and large towns of the state. Over two millions of dollars was added by the Assessors to the valuation of property last year. Population here was never increasing so fast as now. More strangers have settled among us this season, than in any equal period before. Nearly two hundred dwellings, including blocks, were erected last year ; and yet so quickly were they taken, that when a tenement was advertised lately, fifty-two applied for it the first day. One good lady told a real-estatist, that she had been house-hunting two weeks, and she was so glad he had a house for her, she would take it without seeing-if it was only a shelter ; she did not know that seven were then looking at the premises, desiring to hire, though it was an early hour.
Some twenty new streets are to be opened this season, by private enterprise. The city government is also moving in the same direc- tion, and is making a fine avenue, one hundred feet wide, from the south end towards Longmeadow. This new route opens a beautiful drive to the public, and is so far away from the railroad, that spirited horses will be in no danger of fright from the cars. So great is the demand for building lots, however, that land-owners do not wait for the city government. In not a few instances, a street is opened, handsomely planted with trees on either side, as is Bow- doin and Everett and so many others, and sewers put in, all at private expense, while the lots are quickly occupied. On the west side of North Main street, not far beyond Memorial Church, Mrs. Josiah Hooker has long piles of granite blocks stretched across her ground, at this end of it. Here the Town Brook is to be turned from its ox-bow course, and made to run from Main street westerly straight towards the culvert under the Connecticut River Railroad. The new channel, on Mrs. Hooker's part, is to be 446 feet long, well floored with plank, with granite sides, arched over with brick, and will be five feet wide and six feet high on the inside. The cost of this improvement alone is about $4,200, and over it will run the
19
SPRINGFIELD CITY DIRECTORY.
north sidewalk of Arch street. The old bed of the brook, a deep, winding chasm worth visiting, will be filled, and a sewer put in on Sheldon street, which is next north, so that the whole expenditure here by Mrs. Hooker will be at least ten thousand dollars. Yet she does it wisely ; and the city, in Ward One, will be benefited by having the drainage from Ferry and other streets northward, that flows through Town Brook, thus covered over and relieved of its offensive character west of Main street.
A change for the better in appearance certainly, has been accom- plished by the pulling down of old rookeries on Main and State streets, to make room for handsome blocks, and possibly for a large public market. The vacant ground or "park " in the rear of the City Hall has also been cleared and graded, and enclosed with a neat iron fence.
Improvements made by the city government pay handsomely, as the most cautious must admit. The widening and straightening of North Main street, at the junction of Carew, not only delights the eye of travelers, but has been followed by an offer of $40,000 for a lot near by, which cost the owner $12,000 four years ago, and which he is confident will by and by bring a much higher price.
In all parts of Springfield, wide-awake folk are studying where are to be new " centers of population," and occasionally buying tracts of ground, or considering how to open up what they have, with such taste and attractions as to secure speedy sales and occu- pancy. No wonder they hail any new light to be obtained from the careful canvass made for the DIRECTORY, and the information it aims to bring out. The excitement in real estate, however, is thus far only a legitimate result of the large and active demand for lots for immediate building purposes. There is little speculation, for- tunately for all. Buyers reap the advantage as land is brought into market, for prices rise on their hands; and at the same time the public welfare is best promoted, if as many as possible become owners of homesteads, instead of paying rents.
THE SITUATION.
Strangers, and indeed all, do well to consult the map in front of the DIRECTORY, and fix in mind the general arrangement and posi- tion of the streets, public buildings, and places of interest which are there shown. This is the more necessary, because of the absence of guide-boards from many of our thoroughfares,-an omission that the new Board of Public Works doubtless will soon remedy. A knowledge of the principal streets north and south, and the cross- lines, is easily mastered. 4
20
SPRINGFIELD CITY DIRECTORY.
Springfield, it will be seen, lies along the east bank of the Con- necticut River for some four and a half miles ; the Boston & Albany Railroad crossing the central part of the western boundary, while Brightwood is considerably to the northward, and Long Hill is at the south end, overlooking the "island," the mouths of the West- field River, and the steamers that ply upon the Connecticut. East- ward the city stretches toward Wilbraham and Ludlow some eight miles, taking in Sixteen Acres and Indian Orchard. Of course, the population is most dense near the river, but the hill portions are charmingly diversified. Whether the prospect is seen from the top of the Arsenal on State street, from Crescent Hill on Maple, from the high grounds south of Locust street, from the upper part of Liberty, from Round Hill and Brightwood, or even from the city's precious bank of sand in the eastern part of Carew street, as well as from numerous other places, the view in each case is new and wide-reaching. The lover of nature need not go far in any direc- tion without constantly increasing pleasure, as new and curious fea- tures of the landscape unexpectedly appear. Thus the advantages of the city and the pleasures of rural life are combined.
The facilities for intellectual, social and religious culture, as well as the material appliances and surroundings that mark a thriving place, may well be looked at in detail here, though briefly.
NEW CHURCHES.
The value of the new churches erected in the last seven years is nearly half a million dollars. This season three more are to be added, all fine specimens of architecture, and occupying new loca- tions. These are the North Congregational, on Salem street, which, in exterior appearance and material, will somewhat resemble the Church of the Unity, and will cost ultimately nearly $100,000 ; the new house of worship on State street for the Union street Metho- dist Church, which is to be a fine structure of brick and stone, and cost nearly $75,000; and a new house on the corner of Maple and High streets, for the South Congregational Church, plans for which are not yet fully matured, but it will probably be one of the finest buildings of its kind in this vicinity. There are also several new chapels, and another is to be built this summer at the south end, which will be tasteful in its design, and furnish some three hundred sittings.
SCHOOLS AND SCHOOL BUILDINGS.
The excellence of our public schools is remarked abroad as well as here. Pupils are fitted for college, and so well as to be received
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SPRINGFIELD CITY DIRECTORY.
at Harvard, Yale and other institutions sometimes in advanced classes. Ninety-three per cent. of all the children in the city were in the public schools last year. A half-time one, to provide for children in the mills at Indian Orchard, has been so successful and so much a new feature, as to bring many inquiries from leading educators in some of the other states.
Six large grammar school-houses have been built by the city since 1865, at an aggregate cost of not less than a quarter of a mil- lion dollars. They are handsome buildings, desirably located, pleas- ant and attractive, within and without, and furnished with valuable apparatus and all the modern conveniences.
A new High School-house is to be erected this year, on a fine lot next east of the Church of the Unity. Its cost will be about $100,000, and it is greatly needed to accommodate the increasing number of pupils. A detailed description will be found, under the head of " New Buildings," on a subsequent page.
THE CITY LIBRARY
Occupies one of the finest buildings in Springfield, on State street. It contains over 32,000 volumes, and new works are constantly added in various departments. It is practically free to the public, readers being allowed to consult books at the building, and only one dollar a year being required for membership and the privilege of taking books home. It is open daily, and also Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday evenings.
The museum, which is in the same building, contains a large col- lection of specimens, relics and curiosities, and is constantly increas- ing in value. As a means of educating the people, the city library and museum are only second to the schools ; and it is some consolation for the great number of dogs to be found, that the canine tax goes to such good objects.
A FREE READING-ROOM
Is also provided for the public, in a central location at the corner of Main and Bridge streets, by the Young Men's Christian Associa- tion.
RAILROADS.
The one great secret of the steady growth of Springfield is its importance as a railroad center. The Boston & Albany Railroad, two hundred miles long, with a capital of $20,000,000, forming a link in the most important line west from Boston, passes through the city from east to west, and has its principal offices here. The
22
SPRINGFIELD CITY DIRECTORY.
Springfield, Hartford & New Haven Railroad, with $6,300,000 cap- ital, finishes the southern connection, and, with the Boston & Albany road, forms part of the most popular through route between New York and Boston,-one the metropolis of the whole country, and the other of New England ; and the Connecticut River Railroad, with $1,700,000 of capital, takes the traveler northward, up the beautiful valley of the Connecticut, to connecting lines that will carry him to any part of northern New England or Canada. Three more new roads-the Springfield & Longmeadow, the Springfield & Farmington Valley, and the Springfield & Athol-are chartered, and will be completed in a few years, perhaps months. These new roads, while they are never likely to become important as through lines, like the roads already existing, are still sure to be valuable adjuncts to the present roads, and to bring tribute to the business of Springfield. Our city is already one of the most important rail- road centers of New England, and with the new roads completed it will have facilities for travel and transportation that will make it still more desirable for residence and business of all kinds. A new iron bridge will soon be finished by the Boston & Albany, across the river here, and probably the plans for a new depot will then be taken up. The work has been delayed by the necessity of making it large, and locating it so as to serve, if possible, all the railroads now here or that are soon coming.
MANUFACTURES.
Counting each firm as one person, there were here at the last census, over three hundred manufacturers, employing over four thousand men and over one thousand women and children. These numbers would now, of course, need to be considerably increased, and would include new branches of industry. The United States Armory ranks first upon the list, as it has heretofore ; but there is an increasing number of other large establishments, each employing nearly as many hands, taking the year through. A single firm employs nearly five hundred men making pistols. The Wason Manufacturing Company, in their shops, and in erecting new build- ings, are employing perhaps a larger number, and will soon have the largest establishment of the kind in the country. Others might be instanced, but are " too numerous to mention." Skilled workmen are in the majority, and not a few Springfield mechanics are success- ful inventors, and some have become the heads of large concerns, whose products go to all lands.
It would be impossible to mention in detail all the manufacturing
23
SPRINGFIELD CITY DIRECTORY.
interests of Springfield,-they are so numerous and varied. We must refer readers to the advertisements of each concern, elsewhere. The list would embrace railroad cars, bridges, cotton, woolen and rubber goods, architectural ornaments, patent roofing, artificial stone, paints and chemicals, fire-arms, swords, cartridges, watches, jewelry, gold pens, clothing, candy, carpeting, water filters, soda fountains, toys, games, children's carriages, corks, paper collars and boxes, envelopes, books, trunks, spectacles, glazed paper and card board, skates, hand stamps, steel dies, and a thousand things besides.
TRADE.
The very large outlay proposed here this season, in the aggregate, for new buildings and other enterprises, must make the season a lively one for trade and industry. The prosperity of the past year has been mentioned. It is noticeable also that more large wholesale establishments appear upon the side streets, as well as upon Main. One house, on Worthington street, handled twenty-nine hundred tons of rags and paper stock in 1871, besides their other business ; their transactions in the line mentioned have been more than three- fold greater than in the same period a few years ago. Others have perhaps done as well, and some better.
The wholesale business of Springfield merchants is estimated at over twenty millions a year, and the retail trade is very large. Springfield is the natural business center of a wide area of territory, containing many thrifty towns. People come a long distance to do their shopping here, and the general verdict is that nowhere can they do better for their money. May the time never come when our dealers have a less honorable and generous reputation than now. A very good idea of the business of the city may be gained by reading the brief cards scattered through the list of names in the Directory, and the advertisements preceding and following them.
NEW ENTERPRISES.
The list of the more noticeable new buildings in Springfield, erected since the last DIRECTORY was issued, or soon to be commenced, is unusually large. Among these are the new court house, costing, with land, nearly $200,000 ; three churches and the new high school- house, aggregating nearly $350,000 ; extensive works for the Wason Manufacturing Company at Brightwood; large business blocks on Main, Lyman, Worthington, Bridge, Water and other streets ; two woolen factories, a chapel and other buildings at the south end ; fine residences on Crescent Hill, Central, Carew, Bowdoin, Sheldon, Fac-
24
SPRINGFIELD CITY DIRECTORY.
tory and many other streets ; a hotel at Indian Orchard ; and a large number of houses of a better class than in former years, and only less costly than some in the localities above named.
A new enterprise of the city fathers may also be mentioned. Having a desire last year to gain some knowledge of water, as a beverage, they caused samples to be procured from different sources that are used, or from which a supply may be sought. These have been analyzed by a celebrated chemist, who pronounced the quality of all surprisingly good. Estimates were also made by a competent engineer for bringing water to the city, even so far as from the Chicopee River, and he concluded a million dollars would be suffi- cient. But as the aqueduct has held out here when most other cities were short, it is possible nothing would have been done, had not an unusual number of our citizens this spring voted for a change of drinks. Such an increased demand for the fluid, was followed by a movement of our city government for more water here. It is believed it can be brought in cheaply, and yet supplied abundantly to all, so that even the dust may be thoroughly kept down on the streets, and the expenses of the fire department greatly lessened as well as the rates of insurance. The act of the last Legislature for supplying the people of Springfield with pure water has been ac- cepted at a special election, and a Board of Water Commissioners elected. The list is given under the head of "City Government," in another place. The Board are vested with ample powers to pur- chase the present aqueduct property and make such further expendi- tures as are necessary, not exceeding one million dollars ; and their names are a guarantee that the work will be well done.
THE WEATHER,
In a community of busy, stirring people, is an important element of calculations. The telegraph bulletins from "Old Probabilities " at Washington are so sure to be verified, though often seeming improb- able, that new wonder and interest in an old topic are excited. Re- ports of the observations at our National Armory, as published oc- casionally the past year, have been read and preserved for compar- ison by scientific observers in other parts of the country, and are considered of special value, for their accuracy and place of record. Mr. Allin has kindly prepared for the DIRECTORY a more full and complete record than has appeared in the newspapers, as readers will notice on the opposite page.
Condensed Meteorological Record,
FROM THE NATIONAL ARMORY, SPRINGFIELD,
FOR THE YEAR 1871, AND UNTIL MAY 1, 1872.
Regular hours of Observation, 7 A. M., 2 P. M., and 9 P. M.
BY LUCIUS C. ALLIN.
1871.
EXTREMES OF TEM- PERATURE.
Mean temperature for
the month.
Barometer.
Humidity of atmosphere.
Inches of rain and
melted snow.
Depth of snow
in inches.
No. of days it
stormed.
Amount of cloud- iness per cent.
January, .
23
1.3 below
14
43
23.52
30.09
70.8
2.87
17.72
15
57.63
February, .
5
1.
25
45
26.49
29.93
70.8
2.84
14.53
9
45.83
March, .
28
34
12
53
40.98
29.90
67.0
5.63
3.4
19
54.41
April,
3
30
8
82
48.51
29.82
65.0
3.12
5.5
18
50.11
May,
5
32
30
94
58.40
29.89
63.6
4.28
11
36.24
June,
24
47
3
91
66.34
29.74
73.1
6.55
12
40.22
July,
25
50
13
88
71.05
29.87
73.1
2.21
18
50.86
August,
20
50
7
87
71.06
29.91
78.2
8.29
18
42.36
September,
22
30
6
80
57.36
30.03
74.9
1.32
7
30.11
October,
21
26
11
73
52.34
30.02
74.1
6,26
12
43.98
November,
30
4
1
63
34.81
29.90
72.2
3.71
4.2
10
49.78
December,
21
below 8
25
44
24.41
29.95
77.7
2.66
11.35
15
54.84
MEAN,
47.94
29.92
71.7
49.74
56.70
164
46.36
1872.
January, .
6
2
20
42
24.40
29.90
74.7
1.51
5.40
8
44.30
February, .
1
5
24
44
23.46
29.89
73.3
2.5
12.0
6
30.80
March,
5
5
29
46
24.69
29.88
73.1
3.35
22.15
14
49.25
April,
1
26
26
82
45.53
29.92
62.9
2.2
1.5
11
40.33
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