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The City of Holyoke Mass
is located by the Connecticut River where the first of several dams was
constructed in 1848 to take advantage of a 57-foot drop in the river level.
The water power created by the dam was transferred to new industrial sites
along 7.5 miles of hand dug canals. At one point, more than 25 paper mills
were in operation in Holyoke, annually producing the greatest tonnage of
paper of any city in the world. Although only one company continues to
manufacture paper, the dam, canals and much of the industrial and commercial
architecture remain intact.
Owing to the city's excellent location
at the junction of Routes I-90 and I-91, the reuse of many buildings has
proved to be economically feasible. The game of volleyball was invented
in 1895 by William G. Morgan at the Holyoke YMCA and the city is rightly
claimed to be the "Birthplace of Volleyball". Recreational attractions
include the Volleyball Hall of Fame, the Wistariahurst Museum and the Children's
Museum, and Holyoke Heritage State Park where the former Mt. Park Merry-Go-Round
is permanently housed.
The State Park also hosts "Celebrate
Holyoke", an annual three-day event which brings visitors from around the
region to enjoy nationally known performers. Residents feel Holyoke is
rightfully described as "The Best City by a Dam Site."
Holyoke Massachusetts is located
in Western Massachusetts in the Connecticut River Valley. Bordered by West
Springfield on the south; Westfield, Southampton, and Easthampton on the
west; and separated from South Hadley and Chicopee by the Connecticut River
on the east. |