The Old Spillway 5 is at the juncture of Appleton Street and Water Street.
This is were the spillway number 5 used to be before it was taken out. Stand on Appleton Street between Water Street and the juncture of North Canal and South Canal Streets. Look to the north. There is the spillway. The water in the Second Level Canal once flowed a half mile farther south. Now this portion is just a safety canal. It is the southeastern end of the Second Level Canal.
The Norman Paper Mill is just to the east.
History of the Canals by their Development in Lengths
First Level Canal:
1847 to 1853 dug to 350 feet north of Dwight Street
1871 to 1872 dug to Appleton Street
1872 to 1880 dug to 75 feet north of Cabot Street
1880 to 1883 dug to Sargeant
Second Level Canal:
1847 to 1853 dug along the western branch from County Bridge to 150 feet north of Cabot and Race
1854 to 1857 dug south to the end
1872 to 1874 dug along the eastern branch from County Bridge to Lyman Street at the River
1880 to 1882 dug along the eastern branch to 600 feet more
1888 to 1892 dug to Appleton
Third Level Canal:
unknown – dug from Race to Cabot
1880 to 1884 dug from Cabot to Appleton
The mill to your west is the Whitmore Paper Mill
The mill to your southwest is the Marvellum or Springfield Photo Mount firm.
The Connor Brothers Woolen and Shoddy Mill are the makers of cassimeres, overcoating, cloakings, wool shoddies, flocks, extracts, wool waste, gig, and shear flocks.
They had two locations in Holyoke. One at the crossing of the Second and Third Levels and then at the First near the Skinner Mill. While there they were called Connor Brothers Satinette.
The A T Stewart Mill is from 1864. It would be run as the New York Mill until the early 1880s. The Connor Brothers would operate this until a 1901 bankruptcy.
1892 ad
Gig here means to raise the nap on fabric. Gig has many other meanings.
The Lyman Block at 358-364 High Street is still there. It was made in 1886 in a commercial style. Starting in 1912 Schermerhorn Fish Market (LINK) is here.
Maple Street is a very interesting street in Holyoke. It has Veteran Park and the Central Fire Station and more. Park at Pulaski Park at the northernmost end of Maple Street.
The church was on this city block. Read about the Mater Dolorosa campus HERE
block 3 – Lyman to Hampden
Samosett House – The Samosett was opened on April 8 1850 or so. It was a hotel in the beginning and had 50 rooms. The parapeted cornice is quite unique.
The Maple Street Playground was formed in about 1910. A 1911 scene is shown in the image just above. This park was located at the location now occupied by the Lawrence School.
block 10 – Hampshire to Sargeant
There are many tenement houses on this block. Housing went up very fast as the mills started to succeed in Holyoke. The Armand at 413 Maple Street and 129 Sargeant Street is from 1907.
block 11 – Sargeant to Franklin
The Richmond at 462-464 Maple Street is from 1910. It was designed by the famous Holyoke architect George Alderman.
The Falcetti Towers is one of the many low income housing sites around Holyoke. Behind it and to its south is a plot of land that will be used for low income housing.
block 13 – Jackson to South Street
Sheard Park is part of the Elmwood Park – read HERE at stop 3
