Holyoke Heritage State Park Kiosk - Holyoke, MA - Massachusetts Historical Markers on Waymarking.com

In Holyoke, at the Holyoke Heritage State Park, there is a kiosk, located between the carousel and the Visitors' Center, that featurs some history of industry that once thrived along the canal. The kiosk is in a shaded area near a pathway junction.

The kiosk has two panels, each with different wording and images. They are as follows:

Panel 1

"Big Business on the First Level Canal

Three of Holyoke's largest industries had mills along the First Level Canal, along the Park site and across from it: the William Skinner Manufacturing Company, the American Thread Company, and the American Writing Paper Company. The Skinner Company purchased land on the Park site from 1903 to 1914. Later, its mills stretched fro Dwight to Appleton Streets. Known for fine silks in Holyoke from 1874, Skinner still employed 500 people in the 1950s - making synthetics. The mills closed in 1963; all the buildings except the 1949 addition (the Children's Museum) were destroyed by fire in 1980.

American Thread was a large combine or trust formed in 1898; it took over the Merrick Company Mills - still standing across the canan from the Park site. A similar trust, the American Writing Paper Company, bought out most of Holyoke's paper mnaufacturers, including three mills - Massasoit, Wanregan, and Beebe and Holbrook - also located across the canal from the Park site."

There are two captioned pictures also on this site.

Panel 2

"Diverse Commerce on the Park Site

Soon after the railroad yard was established, this site also became home for start up manufacturing processes and for coal dealers. Rufus Mosher, A. A. Wait, and Grovenor B. Bowers developed a flouring mill on Dwight Street at the First Level Canal in 1872. From the start they leased much-needed 'incubator' space to new, small scale manufacturing ventures and thus made an important contribution to the development of business in Holyoke.

In the 1880s the Mosher and Wait building was doubled in size, and in 1888 it was bought by Marciene Whitcomb who erected a second building. The Whitcomb buildings were sold to the Skinner Company in 1907.

Coal was an important part of activity on this property. In addition to the railroad's coal pocket, there were two coal dealers here: William B. Whiting and J. B. Woodruff. Whiting and company arrived in 1882 and began selling oil in the 1930s."

There are several captioned images that show buildings and advertisements."

Today, many of the buildings still stand along the canal. The canal is about 50 feet away to the east. You can walk along the canal to view the buildings. There is a large wheel, probably involved in transferring water power to usable mechanical power for the mills that is along the canal. There is also a railroad track to remind us of the railroad here. The nearby Visitors' Center has a modest exhibit of the industry here, as well as the people who traveled or immigrated here to work in the factories here. Check the link below for hours.

The parking lot is off of Appleton Street. The first thing you encounter is the carousel. Walk beyond this structure and walk toward the Visitors' Center until you find the sign.

Agency Responsible for Placement: Other (Place below) Agency Responsible for Placement (if not in list above): Commonwealth of Massachusetts (likely) Year Placed: Not known County: Hampden City/Town Name: Holyoke Relevant Web Site: [Web Link]

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