Bird's eye view of Holyoke, Mass : 1877

Located on a bend of the Connecticut River adjacent to Hadley Falls, the industrial city of Holyoke is viewed from the southeast in this birds eye view. The dominant features of Baileys composition are the river, the falls, and a series of canals built to provide water power for potential industries. Although the area was settled in the early 18th century, large-scale industrial development did not become important in Holyoke until the late 1840s. At that time a group of Boston industrialists constructed a dam and canals and planned a company town. Laying out the town with a grid street pattern, these investors envisioned an industrial community comparable to Lowell or Lawrence. Thirty years later when this view was prepared, Holyoke had developed into a fledgling city with a population of approximately 20,000. While the grid pattern still displays many empty spaces, the legend contains forty-six entries, most of which are industries. Of these at least sixteen are paper mills, from which the community gained the nickname Paper City. In addition, there are nine textile mills or related industries and seventeen factories producing a variety of goods. Only one public building is identified city hall. None of the four or five churches are identified.
Courtesy of Boston Public Library