Western Massachusetts

Western Massachusetts is a geographical region of the state of Massachusetts which contains the Berkshires and the Pioneer Valley. Although there is no exact definition of the boundaries of Western Massachusetts, the most common definition consists of the counties of Berkshire, Franklin, Hampshire, and Hampden. A number of towns in Worcester County are often included, especially those near the Quabbin Reservoir, such as Athol, Petersham and Royalston. Some people of the Berkshires will assume the term only applies to their region of the state.

Geography

Western Massachusetts can be divided into approximately four zones running from north to south across the region.

The Berkshires

The Berkshire Mountains are a branch of the ancient Appalachian Mountains in the extreme west of the state, consisting approximately of Berkshire County. The chief cities in the area are Pittsfield and North Adams.

The Hill Towns

The Hill Towns more or less include the areas of Franklin, Hampshire, and Hampden Counties between the Connecticut River valley towns and the Berkshires.

The Valley

The Connecticut River valley is formed on a fault line from when Africa subducted under North America millions of years ago, leaving part of itself behind. Cities in this region include Springfield, Greenfield, Northampton, South Hadley, and Holyoke.

The Amherst Hill Towns

The area to the east of the Valley does not have a general name, and thus is often mistakenly considered part of the valley itself. Pelham, Shutesbury, and Leverett are part of the Amherst school district, and also called the "Hill Towns," despite being on the other side of the river from other hill towns. This area includes the Quabbin Reservoir.

People

By the definition described at top, in the year 2000 the region had 834,358 residents, a population greater than that of five US states; however, Springfield and Hartford are often considered twin cities, which almost doubles the number of inhabitants in the region.

Personality

Many residents of Western Massachusetts take a cynical attitude towards Boston, the state's capital and largest city. The widespread belief -- fueled by incidents such as the former state House Speaker's use of parliamentary rules to deny Northampton an election to fill a vacant House seat -- is that Bostonians little know nor care about their part of the state.

Long a haven for small businesses, the region has expressed conflicted feelings towards corporate encroachment, leading to heated debates as to whether large companies such as Wal-Mart should be allowed in. The debate has been particularly strong in some of the more northern towns, particularly Greenfield, Massachusetts.

In Crash!ng the Party, Ralph Nader includes Amherst, along with Vermont and his home state of Connecticut, as one of the few places in the country where he believes small-town spirit is still strong.

History

Western Massachusetts was originally settled by several Native American societies including the Pocumtuck, Nonotuck Mohawk, and Mahican. The first European settlers came up from Connecticut to Springfield in 1636, and from Springfield to Northampton in 1654. In 1704 the French and their Native American allies led an attack on Deerfield, Massachusetts as part of the French and Indian War. After the revolution, a rebellion led by Daniel Shays, a farmer from East Pelham, culminated in a small battle at the federal arsenal in Springfield. Shays and his followers, the Regulators, hoped to win government reforms, including the issue of new currency and help for Continental soldiers who had incurred crushing debts while fighting for independence. Although crushed, this rebellion led Thomas Jefferson to declare that "a little revolution every twenty years or so is a good thing." Shays' Rebellion is often considered a watershed event in the creation of the United States Constitution.

Higher Education

Claims to Fame

The Hoosac Tunnel which runs from Florida to North Adams was once the second longest tunnel in the world and the longest tunnel in North America, and is still the longest transportation tunnel east of the Rocky Mountains.
Noah Webster of Amherst produced the first American Dictionary in 1806.
James Naismith invented basketball in Springfield in 1891.
New England's largest theme park, Six Flags New England is located in Agawam.
The Springfield Armory became a battlefield during Shays' Rebellion. The Springfield Armory also produced the famous Springfield Rifle for the United States Armed Forces.
In 1892, the first gasoline-powered car was produced in Springfield.
William G. Morgan invented volleyball in Holyoke in 1895
In 1901, the first American motorcycle company, Indian Motorcycle was founded in Springfield.
The MassMutual, Milton Bradley, Merriam-Webster, Spalding, Smith and Wesson, Channing Bete, Yankee Candle Company, Friendly's Ice Cream, Peter Pan Bus, and Big Y corporations are all based out of Western Massachusetts.
Northampton has a national reputation as a lesbian mecca.
The Clark Art Institute has one of the greatest collections of impressionist paintings in the world.
The Crane Paper Company, based in Dalton produces the paper used by the Federal Reserve in making American paper money

Famous residents

John Brown began his career as an abolitionist in 1847 in Springfield
Eric Carle, children's book author and illustrator of The Very Hungry Caterpillar, among other things, currently lives in Northampton
Calvin Coolidge first entered politics in Northampton
Bill Cosby currently resides in Franklin County
Emily Dickinson spent her entire life isolated in her house in Amherst
Robert Frost spent several years of his life in Amherst
Dr. Seuss (Theodor Seuss Geisel) was born in Springfield, Massachusetts
Sylvester Graham, dietary reformer, health food pioneer, inventor of graham flour, lived in Northampton
Arlo Guthrie attended school and later lived in Stockbridge
Joseph Hooker was born in Hadley
Tracy Kidder lives in Northampton
Timothy Leary, scientist, writer, and drug pioneer, was born in Springfield
J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr. was born and raised in Amherst
Norman Rockwell worked in The Berkshires
Uma Thurman was raised in Amherst; her father taught at Amherst College
Kurt Vonnegut lives in Northampton
Jane Yolen spends half her time in Western Massachusetts and half in Scotland but considers Western Mass her home.
H.P. Lovecraft would spend time in Heath, Massachusetts where he would explore the rocky hills. It is believed that he used the desolate landscape as a reference for some of the scenes in his stories mentioning "the blasted heath".

Tourism sites

External links

Geography of Massachusetts

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