Belchertown (Images of America)

Belchertown, a photographic celebration of small-town life in western Massachusetts, depicts the story of the community from its settlement to the 1960s. An industrious group,Belchertown residents worked to establish shops, work fields, and manufacture carriages in the early years. The town was once known as the Detroit of the carriage industry. These labors and the benefits they generated are illustrated in this exciting new book. Despite changes in the transportation industry that made Belchertown increasingly accessible by trains and later by cars, residents succeeded in preserving the municipality’ssmall-town character. Through the opening and the closing of the Belchertown State School and the creation of the Quabbin Reservoir, the town remained a comfortable haven from the hustle and bustle of city life. Residents enjoyed doing business in town, attending local schools, churches, and civic organizations, and gathering together for the celebrated Belchertown Fair. The 200 vintage images in this book, primarily selected from the extensive photograph collection housed at the Stone House Museum of the Belchertown Historical Association, depict the idyllic nature of life in Belchertown through the years.