A House in Holyoke through Time features stories about the people that lived in a specific home in Holyoke through the timespan of the home. This is part of a larger series.
| presentation year | link | address | |
| 2022 | link | 181 Linden Street | |
| 2023 | link | 159 Chestnut Street | |
| 2024 | link | 250 Pleasant Street | |
| 2025 | link | Smith Homesteads | |
| 2026 | link | ||
The Taylor Burt Paper Mill of Holyoke is located on the Third Level Canal. They are located where the Excelsior Mill was. They lasted from 1905 to 1914.
They also have a mill on Woodbridge Street at the Batchelor Brook.
The Springfield Photo Mount were makers of photo albums, frames (wooden and metal), scrap books, address books, decorated papeteries, and calendars.
The presidents of this company were from the Shaine family (1950s and 1980s) and the Dorenbaum family (1960s). In 1941 they make their first appearance at the 475 North Canal Street address. They took over this location from the Pratt and Austin Company makers of stationery. Formerly, they were at 686 Main Street.
Sanborn 1915 map – no mill at that location on Canal St and the 686 Main location does not have the Springfield Photo Mount
The Chadwick and Chadwick Manufacturers of Imitation Seal Skin sold velours, lab robes, polarians, astrachans, plushes, moquettes, and furniture. Their biggest product was imitation seal skins.
velours – plush knitted cloth like velvet
polarians – coat ??
astrachan – astrakahn – looped wool-like cloth
moquettes – wove pile fabric
matelasses – quilt like fabric without stitches
Day Chadwick started the business in England but moved to Holyoke early on. FINDAGRAVE
In 1900 they were in the west wing of the Cabot Street Mill.
Sanborn map analysis:
hard to find after 1900
The Industrial Park on lower Appleton Street was made later in the history of the mills after electricity was invented. These mills do not need the canal power.
Sanborn map analysis:
Sanborn 1884 map – nothing
Sanborn 1889 map – nothing
Sanborn 1895 map shows the Holyoke Lead Pipe Company and the Brown Bed Comforters Mill both on Winter Street
Sanborn 1915 map shows McCormick Stone Cutter, the Perfect Safety Paper Co, and Eureka and to the north Am Pad, Holyoke Belting Co, and Smith Tablet
Sanborn 1949 map shows the Eureka Co, a lumber yard and a grocer and to the north Am Pad, Holyoke Belting Co, and Kamket Wire Binding – map B shows the Sinclair Co makers of dandy rolls
Sanborn 1956 map shows a lumber mill, sawmill, Sinclair Co, and Eureka and to the north Am Pad, Holyoke Belting Co, and Kamket Wire Binding – map B shows the Sinclair Co makers of dandy rolls
Holyoke Belting Mill
Buchanan and Bolt
AmPad
Eureka
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Lewis Wyckoff homestead at 1040 Northampton Street is another Olmsted Brothers design. Its back ridge is an Olmsted design from 1925 to 1928.
Read about his mill HERE.
FINDAGRAVE has his obituary
Sanborn map analysis:
181 Linden Street at the SW corner of Essex Street. The previous addresses for the house are 215 Linden Street and 175 Linden Street. The architect on the house was James Clough who designed a Queen Anne Victorian home.
Prior owners were:
William Syms (1890-1894) who started the Dudley and Syms Mill in Holyoke which would become the Mount Tom Paper Mill. STORY about him – MILL
William Fairfield Whiting (1894-1916) who moved in 1916 to 182 Elm Street (the home that his mother died in in 1915 FINDAGRAVE – He was Secretary of Commerce under Coolidge and president of Whiting Paper after his father’s death. IMAGE and STORY about him – MILL
Dr Frank and Dr Jean Celce (Frederick Celce in the US Army) (1919-1921) – in 1917 they lived at 264 Maple Street. FINDAGRAVE – Jean Celce was on the board of the Holyoke Municipal Milk Station that Getrude Greeley wife of Samuel Whiting had help to start. Dr Celce would deliver Gardner Cox II who would end up becoming the head of the Child Welfare Department.
Joseph M Towne (1921-1962) – Joseph owned the National Blank Book along with his brothers. His wife Jessie Louise Dodd was responsible for the design outline of the Olmsted Garden. The Olmsted Brothers worked on the landscape from 1923 to 1925. She had two sons (William b August 10 1914 and Robertson b January 4 1917) and they would have loved the children’s garden. FINDAGRAVE – MILL – Jessie Towne founded the Holyoke Community Chest in 1921 and in 1927 the Holyoke Council of World Relations. Both Joseph and Jessie Towne died in their Linden Street home.
Philip Sheridan (1962-1984) – who would make it to be president, treasurer, and head engineer at Tighe and Bond. FINDAGRAVE
Tighe and Bond was located at the corner of Pequot and Bower Streets (when in Holyoke) and is an engineering firm. The company has its history HERE.
family six – (1984 – 2018)
family seven – (2018 – 2022)
Summertime LINK
The major feature of the Olmsted plan for the grounds is the “Secret Flower Garden”. PLAN
Its modern appearance:
Sanborn map analysis:
Sanborn 1915 map and all prior year maps have nothing on this block
The Johnson family of South Hadley were best friends with the Newton family of Holyoke. Dudley Johnson wrote a diary in 1872 that describes the coming and goings of the Newton Brothers in that year.
Henry Johnson of Northfield had three wives – Fanny Fisher, Martha Wright, and Ellen Tenney. His children were Henry, Watson, Dudley, and Anna.
IMAGES of the Dudley Johnson diary from 1872 written in South Hadley.
The George Prentiss homestead is at 1399 Northampton Street in Holyoke. The Prentiss house is gone but a picture of it still exists – IMAGE. It was razed in late 1956 to make way for the homes on a new street – Carol Lane.
The Olmsted Brothers designed the landscape around the Prentiss home in 1915. This work was paid for by William Prentiss son of George.
This Olmsted design was finally worked on in 1924. The landscape like the home is gone.
What does remain is the carriage house and it is at 15 Carol Lane. The landscape around that house is Olmsted-like but is not the original. It has been reworked into a curved driveway and a masonry wall.
Sanborn map analysis:
William Whiting farmland
Sanborn map analysis:
Sanborn 1915 map and this is the last Sanborn map to show the farm
