History
of North Adams:
In May of 1739 three townships were
surveyed-Clarksburg, East Hoosuck, (now Adams and North Adams) and West
Hoosuck (now Williamstown). In 1741 the northern boundary of
Massachusetts was surveyed. A slight error in calculations by the
surveyor placed Williamstown and North Adams in Massachusetts instead of
Vermont. No settlers came at that time, and another survey was done in
1749 and laid out East Hoosuck, 7 miles north and south, and 5 miles
east and west.
In 1750 the General Court of Britain granted nearly
200 hundred acres of the township to Ephraim Williams on the condition
that he build and maintain a saw mill and a grist mill. In 1752 Captain
Williams had them built on the Hoosac River near the top of Main Street.
The Hoosac Valley was not suited for farming
because it was rough, rocky, and covered with both swamps and dense
forests. The earliest settlers were attracted by the forests of white
pine and the excellent water power resources. The Hoosac River that runs
through town was much deeper and wider. Flooding was common and that is
why many settlers chose to live in what is now Adams instead of North
Adams.
The earliest businesses were lumbering related.
Settlers made crude cabins of pine slabs and the best lumber was sold.
Many early buildings were built from the leftover pine slabs. The city
took on the nickname of "Slab City".
The first cloth manufacturing was done in 1799,
when a fulling mill was added to a grist mill. The first building
constructed for carding wool and dressing cloth was built in 1801. The
first regular mail and passenger line was established in 1814. The stage
ran between Greenfield and Albany. By 1825 the village was still small
but beginning to grow. Two factories were built that year. There were
also 2 carding and clothing works, 2 grist mills, a saw mill, an oil
mill, a machine shop and a tannery. There were 2 churches, 2 hotels, 2
blacksmith shops, 5 stores, 3 shoemakers, 1 milliner, 1 harness maker
and 1 tailor shop. The entire village included only Main, Eagle, and
Center Streets. There were only about 50 residences. In 1830, there were
87 houses and 1,100 inhabitants. In 1860 there were 400 dwellings and
4,000 inhabitants.
During the Civil War, the area furnished an
unusually large number of soldiers in proportion to the population of
the town. The people hated slavery and loved liberty and also had the
courage of their convictions. The men were inspired to fight by pure
patriotism. A monument stands at the top of Main Street and bears the
inscription "Presented to the town of North Adams by the Ladies
Soldiers Aid Society". The pedestal is brown freestone and on it
stands a simple marble statue representing a typical American soldier
standing at "parade rest".
The prosperity of North Adams was due in large part
to the water power available. It was also due to its citizens who worked
toward improving the means of transportation. Residents were in favor of
a railroad line from Boston to the West that would pierce the Hoosac
mountain and intersect the town. The Hoosac Tunnel was more difficult
and expensive to construct than anyone could have imagined. Work was not
completed on it until 1873, 21 years after it started. The first train
that came through caused rocks to fall from the ceiling of the
tunnel. The tunnel could not be used until a brick arch was completed.
Two million bricks were required for the project at a cost of
$14,000,000. In 1876 the tunnel was pronounced reasonably safe for
travel. North Adams was now the northern terminal for the Pittsfield and
North Adams Railroad and was on the line of the Troy and Greenfield
railroad. The town was a railway terminal for 6 important railroad
lines.
The last town census before the town was divided
was in 1875 showing 15,760 residents. It was decided that the town of
Adams (formerly East Hoosuck) had become too large and should be
divided. In 1878 the town of North Adams was incorporated.
The population of North Adams was rapidly
increasing. In 1880, the population was 10,191. In 1890, it grew to
16,074. By 1895 the town meeting system became too difficult and it was
decided to adopt a city form of government. North Adams became a
city in April 1895. The first elected city government took office on
Monday, January 6, 1896, with 21 respected men of the community serving
as councilmen and the Honorable Albert C. Houghton as mayor.
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