Category: Uncategorized

• free public tours of the Wyckoff Park area come up about every 5 years
• private tours can be scheduled – RATES for one, two, or three hours – Also a one hour indoor presentation can be given.
• booklets of this TOUR and of the Olmsteds in Holyoke are available
• A self-tour is available for anyone using the maps and text seen below. – LOCATION

Wyckoff Park Neighborhood Walking Tour is a great way to see the homes and landscapes as designed by the Olmsted Brothers of Brookline. For a summary of their work in Holyoke see this LINK. You will notice in this park that there are winding streets, skewed arrangement of lots, and houses of various designs.

For information about any stop, click on the title of that stop.

stop 1 – Lewis Wyckoff house

[See link just above.] House is at 1040 Northampton Street (LOCATION)

Stop 2 – Edward Towne house

[See link just above.] House is at 1021 Northampton Street (LOCATION)

Stop 3 – James Wakelin house

[See link just above.] House is at 1067 Northampton Street (LOCATION)

Stop 4 – Mount Tom Golf Course Gates and Donald Ross home

The entrance gate to the golf course is on the highway. The Mount Tom Drive started here in 1911 and was greatly improved in 1922 by the Olmsteds. The trolley house to its side still has its base in place. The clubhouse was from 1911 to 1956 at what is now called Briarwood Drive. The pillars of the entrance gate were a gift from Joseph Skinner.

Briarwood Drive was added in 1956. The golf course entrance road was at this gate but is mostly gone. From here it did run from the middle of Briarwood up to the front of Steiger’s home.

The Mt Tom club house was from 1901 to 1911 at the top of the knoll were the William Anger home is. What a sight that most have been.

Directly across the street is the former home of the golf course designer Donald Ross at 1108 Northampton Street. He redesigned the Mt Tom Golf Course in Holyoke at the request of Lewis Wyckoff. Apparently he did this twice – once in 1914 and then in 1922. The Wyckoff Park Developers helped to pay for this second redesign (1922) since it was they who promoted the neighborhood that forced a move of the course westward.

Stop 5 – William Skinner house

[See link just above.] House is at 1155 Northampton Street (LOCATION)

Look across the street at the Nathan Avery home (1150 Northampton Street) (LOCATION). He was mayor of the city from 1904 to 1910 and also head of the parks department. He ordered the Olmsted report on the parks and then on the streets of the city.

Stop 6 – Joseph B Woodruff house

[See link just above.] House is at 28 Central Park Drive (LOCATION)

Stop 7 – Edward Twing (Otto Dreikorn) house near the highway

[See link just above.] House is at 62 Central Park Drive (LOCATION)

Mystery Stop – 118 Central Park Drive

The home at 118 Central Park Drive (LOCATION) is also in the Tudor revival style and has a nice landscape. Is it an Olmsted design in which the plans have not yet been found?

Stop 8 – Edward Twing house near the golf course

[See link just above.] House is at 198 and 208 Central Park Drive (LOCATION)

Stop 9 – Steiger Walking Path Gates

House is at 125 Mountain View Drive (LOCATION)

From your route on Central Park Drive turn right onto Mountain Park Drive. A couple of houses up see the wonderful stone gate. This is on the first of five adjacent lots that Albert Steiger bought in 1924. He made this gate as part of a walking path from the former clubhouse in the Briarwood Drive area to the first hole about 150 yards uphill.

[Now use the stop 9 link above.]

Stop 10 – Albert Steiger house

The Steiger house is at 170 Mountain View Drive (corner of Steiger Road) (LOCATION). Read of the business HERE. Albert Steiger owned a lot of land behind his house. He would often walk from his home across either a trail or the golf course road to the road around Whiting Street Reservoir and then around that and back. Both this old trail and this old road has been discovered in recent years. See stops 12 and 14a at the Whiting Street Reservoir tour.

On April 5, 1955 Steiger Road is built and perhaps finished by October.

[Now read the stop 10 link at the title above.]

Stop 11 – Mount Tom Country Club

House is at 200 Mountain View Drive (LOCATION)

The clubhouse was to be made anew at the top of Mountain View Drive as part of the 1922 Olmsted design. In the summer and fall of 1956 this was finally done. However, the landscape was done according to the Olmsted plans earlier than that.

The Mount Tom Golf Course was redesigned in 1922 when the neighborhood was reworked. The design is shown above. See that the hole 1 is between Central Park Drive and the top portion of Mountain View Drive.

In 1956 the course was renumbered such that holes 1 to 9 became holes 10 to 18 and holes 10 to 18 became holes 1 to 9. See the added renumbered course just above.

In 1963 the neighborhood had to be reworked once again. Interstate 91 was coming in and so the easternmost holes needed to be reworked to be placed into the land to the south. Albert Steiger had given land to the Holyoke Water Works in 1929. This land was sold to the golf course in 1963 so they could build the newer holes to the south. The 4th clubhouse was split in half and two houses were built in adjacent lots on the top of Mountain View Drive. The 5th clubhouse was made on the entrance from Easthampton Street.

Sanborn map analysis:

Sanborn 1949 map

Sanborn 1956 map

Restaurants in Chicopee	location	link
Munich Haus	13 Center Street	LINK
Lucky Strike	703 Grattan Street
Frontera Grill	1625 Memorial Drive	LINK

Stations in Chicopee	location	link
Bus Station		PVTA
Train Station	see Holyoke or Sprignfield	AMTRAK
Valley Bike Share Stations		MAP

Hotels	location	link
Hampton Inn

Restaurants in South Hadley	location	link
The Yarde Tavern in South Hadley		LINK

Station	location	link
Bus Station	Mount Holyoke College	PVTA
Train Station	see Holyoke	AMTRAK
Valley Bike Share Stations		MAP
South Hadley Town Parking Lot	Main Street

hotels				location	link
Daniel Stebbins House				1 Silver Street	LINK
Carson’s Bed & Breakfast and Salon				96 College Street	LINK

Fire Stations of Holyoke

The Elmwood Fire Station is also known as Holyoke Fire Station number 5. It is found at 490 South Street.

From at least 1893 to 1916, the station had Steamer Company number 5 an American Steam Fire Engine. They also had a Seagrave Hose and Chemical combination.

From at least 1918 to 1935, they had a 750-gallon triple combination pump – Pumping Company 5. Additionally, they had a Hook and Ladder Company number 5 which was a Seagrave combination chemical and two horse truck.

In 1919 it was called Engine 5 and Truck 5.

From at least 1949 to 1957, they had engine 5 there.

Sanborn map analysis:

Sanborn 1895 map shows a Hook and Ladder Truck and a Hose Cart – all earlier maps show nothing

Sanborn 1949 map

Sanborn 1956 map

The history of fire fighting in Holyoke is vast. There are still many of the old stations around Holyoke along with the new. The first motor fire truck (steam-driven) was in 1901. The last horse driven fire truck was in 1922.

Engine 9 is a 1935 Mack with a 750 GPM pumper. By 1965 it is in reserve only.

The types of jobs found in the Holyoke Fire department are: foreman, first assistant, clerk, driver, engineer, stoker, and hose driver.

A fire college was started in Holyoke in 1946.

In 1888 the fire hydrants are separated by 500 feet but workers installed more so that there was now 250 feet between them.

Firemen deaths from work:

Capt James J Long of Pumping Co 3 dies Aug 29 1922 four days after fighting a fire at the Parsons Paper Mill. Smoke inhalation caused a heart attack.

Fireman John J O’Connell dies June 24 1933 while at a fire at 858 Hampden Street for a motor horse van. He died of an acute heart attack. (appointed Dec 28 1926)

Findagrave

Fireman James P Kiely dies Dec 23 1938 a day after fighting a fire at 84 Hampshire Street. He had become a fireman on Oct 25 of that same year. Died of monoxide.

James F Lacey (appt September 28 1923) and dies in the line of duty on May 6 1960.

Lieutenant Joseph F Riley dies May 2 1968 at a 96 High Street fire.

Tragic Fires:

Precious Blood Church fire of 1875

West Street fire of 1964

Walter Scott medal (started in 1922)

year	name	date	locations
1922	Walter Scott Watt	March 17, 1922	30 Lyman Street
1923	George Hickson (police officer)
1924	Archibald Malcolm Daniel Cavanaugh	March 12 1923	High and Essex
1929	Roger Donoghue Louis Desilets		Second Level Canal
1931	Thomas McMahon	Jan 21 1931	113 Lyman Street
1932	Daniel McLean
1935	Christopher Manning	May 1 1935	High Street
1945	Arthur H Lane	Oct 26	393-9 Main St
1946	Wilfred Cote Thomas McGough	April 30	99 Essex
1947	Raymond Collins (captain)	Nov 7	26-28 Ely Street
1956	William Hart	April 9	High and Cabot
1958	William Fay
1961	Gerald O’Connor
2017	Philip Brian Kraus Anthony Deroy	Jan 1	106 North East St

(no awards 1923 – 1927 – 1928 – 1930 – 1933 – 1934 – 1936 to 1944 – 1951 from the Walter Scott Medal Board of Awards)

Only Boston, Detroit, New York City, Worcester, and Holyoke are the locations that have such an award. Argentine and Ireland also have the Scott medal.

29 Nov 1922 HTT

18 Nov 1933 HTT

The Smith’s Ferry Cemetery walking tour booklet is available from me. They cost $5 for a black-and-white stapled copy. Each additional copy after that is $3 more when shipped together. For a color copy, the cost is $8 and each additional copy in color is $6.

Email me from my contact page for details. The booklets that you order will be mailed to you via USPS so I need a physical address. Other booklets are available at the BOOKLET page.

Follow the tour HERE

Fire Stations of Holyoke

The Emerald Fire Station was at 62 Chestnut Street. This was Holyoke Fire Station number 7.

From at least 1893 to 1898 they housed the Emerald Hose Company number 7.

From 1899 to 1914 they housed Hose and Steamer number 6 (of two horses) which in 1911 technically changed to number 2.

Sanborn map analysis:

Sanborn 1884 map called a Hose House

Sanborn 1889 map called a Hose House

Sanborn 1895 map called Engine House number 3

Sanborn 1915 map it is gone

Fire Stations of Holyoke

The Mount Holyoke Fire Station was at 450 to 452 Main Street. From at least 1893 to 1916, they were called the Relief Engine House.

From 1893 to 1898, they had the Relief Steamer Company number 2 and the Mount Holyoke Hose Company number 6. From at least 1886 onward they had the Relief Engine Company number 2.

From 1899 to 1916, the station had Engine Company number 2 which was a Lafrance steam engine. They also had Hose number 6 which was a two horse hose. In 1911 they added a chemical wagon combination.

From 1918 to 1935, the station had

• Hose Company number 2-A (a Knox combination hose and chemical auto)
• Hose Company number 2-B (a two horse hose wagon)
• Truck Company number 2 (an aerial 75-foot ladder with American LaFrance tractor)
• American LaFrance steam fire engine

They also had a steamer and hose wagon during that period.

From at least 1949 to 1957, the South Holyoke Station had engine 2 and 6 and truck 2 (an aerial).

Sanborn map analysis:

Sanborn 1884 map

Sanborn 1889 map

Sanborn 1895 map

Sanborn 1915 map

• aerial truck
• 2nd class LaFrance engine
• hose wagons with 2 35-gallon tanks
• 4 pony extinguishers

Sanborn 1956 map

Fire Stations of Holyoke

The Highland (or the Ward Seven) Fire Station is at 1034 Hampden Street. This is known as Holyoke Fire Station number 3. It existed from 1884 to 1969. They had a steamer, hose wagon, and chemical engine.

They had a company called the Steamer Company number 3 from at least 1886 on. They used a LaFrance Steam Engine.

They also had a Metropolitan steam fire engine using three horses.

The Hook and Ladder Company number 3 was also here. From 1887 to 1903 this hook and ladder truck reached to 40 feet. In 1905 they used a Leverich Hook and Ladder (45 feet).

They had two hose companies: Hose Company number 3-A using a Knox combination hose and chemical auto and then Hose Company number 3-B an auto hose truck.

In 1919, they had Pump 3 and Truck 3.

In 1938 a new drill tower was added to the station.

Sanborn map analysis:

Sanborn 1895 map – the 1884 and 1889 maps show nothing

Sanborn 1915 map

• first class Amoskeag steamer
• motor combination wagon and hose
• 40 gallon chemical tank
• reserve horse drawn hose wagon
• hook and ladder truck

Sanborn 1949 map shows a greatly expanded station

Sanborn 1956 map

Fire Stations of Holyoke

The Mount Tom Fire Station is a very old fire station. Its beginnings were such that they were one company called the Mount Tom Hose Company number 1.

From 1893 to 1935 at least, there was the Mount Tom Hose Company number 4 housed in the station. This was a two horse hose wagon and steam engine. This hose company was organized in March of 1850.

From at least 1918 to 1957, there was the Engine Company number 4. This was a two horse combination hose and chemical wagon. They also had a second size Metropolitan steam fire engine of two horses.

Sanborn map analysis:

Sanborn 1884 map shows the Mt Tom Hose Co

Sanborn 1889 map shows a steamer and a hose wagon

Sanborn 1895 map

Sanborn 1915 map

Sanborn 1956 map