Identifier: ourcountyitspeop00cope (find matches)
Title: "Our county and its people" : A history of Hampden County, Massachusetts.
Year: 1902 (1900s)
Authors: Copeland, Alfred M. (Alfred Minott), b. 1830, ed
Subjects: Hampden County (Mass.) -- History Hampden County (Mass.) -- Biography
Publisher: Boston : Century Memorial Pub. Co
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: Sloan Foundation

View Book Page: Book Viewer
About This Book: Catalog Entry
View All Images: All Images From Book
Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book.

Text Appearing Before Image:
hen the agricultural lands were all occupied, andwhen other and more modern means of travel had been provided,the old system became unpopular and soon afterward the gateswere removed. Following close upon the opening of the toll roads across thi-state there came a new era of progress and prosperity in the his-tory of Hampden county. As early as about the year 1818 aline of stages and transportation wagons for passengers and mer-chandise began running on the Boston road 1,etweeii ihe capitalcity of Ma.ssachTisetts and Albany; and within the next score ofyears at least half a dozen lines of stages were operatingthroughout the state. This was the most prosperous era in theannals of the towns of Massachusetts, and one in which everybranch or calling in business life was fostered and made better.Prom 1820 until the advent of the railroad every farmer founda ready market for all the products of the soil. Good prices pre-vailed and money was plenty; and in the general distribution of ( 159 )
Text Appearing After Image:
IMEhWAL JMrROVEMEMS cash llic fanii.T ivi-eivcd his full shaiv. This can hardly besaid of any iicriod during the last half century. In those daysthe farinei- was indeed thriftless who did not pay for liis landsand -lay !>y at least a small store of wealth for the fntiiiv com-fort of his family. Ai:ain. during the tirst (luailer of ih. nineteenth century,the towns of Massachusetts were contrilnitiiie their populationto southern and western New York and also to Ohio, andthroughout that period down to about 1S4.) tln warm months ofevery year witnessed a constant stream of ti-avel acros,s the statefrom east to west, and it is doubtful if thei-e was any ten milesof the old Boston road that had not its wayside tavern where re-freshment and good cheer were offered to the tiaveller. Andwhat is ti-ue of the Boston road is also true of nearly all the otherturnpike roads. During that pericxl Springticld was an impor-tant eenter of travel and trade, and the scenes of activity ai-oundthe old Ha

Note About Images