see Link for the Sanborn maps and the story
The Merrick started the Merrick Lumber Mill near the first train station. It started in 1881 and grew rapidly. They owned their own forest in Maine. The family members that ran it were:
A Judson Merrick (home at 314 Maple) death 19 October 1923 in Holyoke
John Merrick (home at 148 South) death at 10 June 1920
Joseph S Merrick (home at 225 Walnut) death at 9 January 1908
The Holyoke Machine Company was a maker of turbines. They had their origin in 1863.
The New York Woolen Mill was located at the junction of the second and third canals. Clearly, they made wool products. They were owned at first by A T Stewart. Read about the Connor Brothers HERE. One of the Connor Brothers was James and he went bankrupt in 1901.
Sanborn map analysis:
Sanborn 1889 map listed as Connor Brothers’ New York Woolen Mill
Sanborn 1895 map – gone after 1901
They are here replaced by the Holyoke Plush Co. LINK
As Hampton Paper it was completed in March 1872 on the first canal. Jared Beebe made the Beebe Mill in 1873. He made various types of fine paper there. The mill uses 4.5 mill powers.
Sanborn map analysis:
Sanborn 1949 map and belongs to the Holyoke Water Power Co
Sanborn 1956 map and belongs to the Holyoke Water Power Co
149 Elm
George Prentiss built the first Prentiss Wire Mill in 1857 on the First Level Canal. Mill number 1 closed in 1961 (and was razed in 1963) but the second mill is still there. He lived at 196 Northampton Street and his son lived at 207 Elm Street.
Its main product was steel and iron wire.
They would run the Holyoke Covered Wire Company out of their mill 2. This would be called also the Holyoke Company.
Sanborn map analysis:
Sanborn 1889 map shows both mills
David Butterfield started the Holyoke Paper Mill in 1857 near the junction of the first and second level canals. Its race is still visible from the Main Street side.
Sanborn map analysis:
Sanborn 1949 map the lot is nearly empty
Sanborn 1956 map shows a small generating station
1853 – The Hampden Mill was built as a cotton mill. It was first incorporated and the built by the Hadley Falls Company. They ran 10 thousand spindles and employed 300 people.
1854 – Donald Chase McKintosh (1819 to 1902) came from Scotland as a dyer – a boss dyer.
1868 – Donald McKintosh was fired by the Hampden Mills. Then he started MacKintosh Company near the Parsons Paper Mill near the dam. Fire destroyed this small mill. He moved the mill to Northampton. Then he moved back to Holyoke and located at Bigelow Street.
1881 – Name changed to McKintosh and Sons.
1883 – Crystal Spring Aqueduct Company starts in Hampden Mills. Crystal Springs is located near Community Field.
1888 – Hampden Mills went bankrupt. Donald McKintosh bought Hampden Mills. For many years their stock changed – cotton blend, cotton only, and then cotton yarn by 1918.
1943 – Still 300 workers and all seems happy but two years later there is a strike over wages.
1952 – McKintosh Mills is losing money so they move to Clover South Carolina.
family: Donald Chase McKintosh (1819 to 1902)
son – Charles McKintosh (1857 to 1932)
grandson – John McKintosh – banker in Holyoke and Springfield
great grandson – Donald
The Curran Block is at 370 to 372 High Street. It was made in 1886. This was a pharmacy for many decades.
Fortier the Pharmacist was here in 1885 (see that wonderful ad just above). He had his own line of products – Fortier’s Tasteless Cod Liver Oil.
In 1940 it is called the Western Massachusetts Realty Building.
Sanborn map analysis:
The Wedge and Ward Block is named after two men – a Joseph Wedge and a Ward. It is at 174-186 High Street.
These two men were bakers within the building and also owned the block.
One store owner in 1885 was John Howe the baker.
Sanborn map analysis:
Sanborn 1915 map shows that the Transcript newspaper was now in the building and in fact had grown to be three buildings wide and thus for the 1949 and 1956 Sanborn maps see the Transcript block
The Prew Building or the J R Smith is a grand Renaissance Revival building. It served as the produce store for J R Smith in its early days. Then John Prew owned it for a while.
