I’ve always been interested in exploring Massachusetts, so on a whim a few years ago, my friend Lainey and I decided to go on a “photo safari” visiting every city and town in Massachusetts, taking photos along the way.
In this column, I’ll tell you about some of the places we’ve been so far. This month: Westfield.
Westfield was incorporated in 1669, making this its 350th year. The celebrations are over but the giant birthday cake is still in Park Square. Park Square is in the center area of Broad Street, Main Street and Rt. 202. Theodore Roosevelt gave a speech there on September 2, 1902 and it continues to be the hub of Westfield. Westfield has been a city since 1920. Westfield was the first city in all of New England to elect a female mayor, Alice Burke in 1940.
There is a plaque marking the journey Henry Knox made through town while he was moving cannons from Fort Ticonderoga in upper New York State to Boston, where they chased away the British. The marker is on the Main Street side of Tavern Restaurant at 2 Broad Street where he stayed over night.
The Westfield River runs all the way through south of the pike with four access points providing recreation and scenery. The Massachusetts Turnpike runs all the way through town north of the Westfield River, and could have come in handy for General Knox if it had existed then.
When I’m traveling through any town I enjoy checking out old cemeteries and looking for oddities. The oldest cemetery in town is located on four acres on Mechanic Street. It is named Old Burial Ground with the oldest burial being 1683.
In 1923, citizens desired an airport. Some apparently convincing businessmen talked to land owner Vincent Barnes and he just gave a 27-acre plot of land to the project for nothing. After things were going well in 1927 Barnes leased another 27-acre plot at $1 a year. That would be $25.87 in today’s money. In 1936, Barnes wife and daughter donated 297 acres to he City of Westfield. That’s when Westfield decided they should name the airports Barnes. I would hope they also gave them a couple of free flights. Now Westfield-Barnes Regional airport is one of Massachusetts largest public/military airports. It features two FAA-approved flight schools. Barnes Air National Guard base is home to the 104th Fighter Wing.
While we are on the subject of Barnes, the Noble half of Barnes and Noble was born in Westfield, Gilbert Clifford Noble. Barnes and Noble was established in 1917. There is a Barnes and Noble Bookstore on the Westfeld State College Campus. It is estimated that 15% of Westfield’s population are students at Westfield State College.
There is a hospital if you have a medical emergency named Baystate Noble Hospital. The hospital was founded by Reuben Noble. Mr. Noble had made a fortune in the whip industry. He suffered an injury and decided Westfield need a hospital and he was going to provide one. In 1897, Noble Hospital open its doors.
Westfield is still referred to as “Whip City” because back in the day they were way big in the buggy whip industry. Buggy whips were used to prod horses that were harnessed to carriages so they had long handles. I heard someone refer to it recently as “Park City” and that seems more fitting since it has many parks, so put on your walking shoes and here we go.
Gateway Entrance Park at North Elm and Union Ave is a 911 Memorial Park dedicated to the three people Westfield lost in 9/11 — Tara Shea-Creamer, Brian Murphy and Daniel Trant. Near the Green Bridge is Half Mile Falls Park at Union and Railroad. This park is loaded with must see water features including a waterfall and fountains. Alongside that is Temperance Women’s Park. Holding the clock tower is Wojtkeiwicz Park. This nice park has parking and access to the Westfield River Walk Trail which is a stone-dust walking path that runs along the Westfield River. It is 1.7 miles long, and intersects with the bike path which is called Columbia Greenway Rail Trail. The Greenway Rail Trail is 2.4 miles and it’s designated parking is behind Shaker Farms Country club at 866 Shaker Road.
Chapman Park is three acres on Saint Paul street that contains, a playground, restrooms, playing fields, basketball courts and a water spray park. It also has access to the Westfield River Walk. Arm Brook at 125 Lockhouse Road has a dog park called Dog Bark, along with fishing, small boating and walking/hiking paths on about 40 acres. Hampton Ponds State Park features a sandy beach, swimming, non motorized boating, fishing, picnic areas and Pavilion. Amelia Park Ice Arena, Memorial Garden at 21 South Broad Street was built by Albert Ferst in memory of his wife Amelia. The Ice Rink provides skating a few days a week to the public, seats 600, and is used by Westfield State Varsity Hockey team. It features, party rooms and a lounge. The Memorial Garden is in the back and features a water fall, fountain, gazebo, it can be rented for special events and has popular Tuesday Night Concerts. The Children’s Museum at 29 South Broad Street has a space-themed area, an interactive town and many hand exhibits. My late neighbor Doloros who was from Westfield told me about a place she used to go called Grandmother’s Garden. A few times we’d mentioned going so she could see what it looked like now but we never made it together. I went and found it in Chauncey Allen Park which is an 11-acre city-owned park. Grandmother’s Garden, constructed in 1933, is an amazing half acre garden inside that park with and entrance on Smith Ave.
See what I mean about all the parks? And there are way more, but get this: Frank Stanley Beveridge, founder of Stanley Home Products in Westfield, received a gift in 1948 of six black squirrels. The next year, he established Stanley Park of Westfield on 25 acres of land where his squirrels lived and flourished. Today, Stanley Park is more then 300 acres of must-explore park and wildlife sanctuary. The area contains a duck pond, frog pond, colonial village, recreational facilities, Carillon Tower, rose, herb and asian gardens, arboretum, picnic areas, the most gigantic school of koi fish I ever saw in my life and black squirrels. It’s a really great park and it is free as was all the other parks.
Michelle Pontbriant works in the Gazette’s circulation department. Follow along with her photo safari at facebook.com/laineyandmichelle.