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The Passport to History The PVHN formed in 2006 from an informal was produced by the Pioneer Valley gathering of people connected with the History Network funding assistance historical institutions -- the museums, from the Credit Data Services, Inc. libraries, historical sites, and societies -- of Fund and the Community Foundation the Pioneer Valley of . of Western Massachusetts. The organization formed to help promote local history and tourism among the various historical locations in the region. For more information, visit our website: www.pioneervalleyhistorynetwork.org fold Agawam top Amherst Historical & History Museum Firehouse Museum 35 Elm St 2nd Sun- 67 Amity St Wednesdays Agawam, MA, 01001 day of each Amherst, MA, 01002 and Saturdays, /www.Agawam-history.org month, May- http://www.amhersthistory.org 12-4pm, May to 413-789-4631 December, 413-256-0678 October 1-4pm

Agawam is a town rich in history - from its The Amherst History Museum opened in 1916 founding in 1636, to its incorporation in 1855, and is governed by the Amherst Historical to having the first Zip Code in the United States. Society, which was founded in 1899. Housed in The Agawam Historical Association collects and the 1750-era Strong House, the Amherst History preserves that history.The Fire House Museum Museum takes visitors on a journey from the was built as a Fire Station in 1918 and was town’s colonial past, through its industrial age converted to a Museum by Association members and into the computer-driven present. and volunteer firemen after the Town built a new Handicapped Accessible: No station nearby. The first floor contains antique fire engines and apparatus and the second floor (with elevator access) is a display area. fold

Ashfield Buckland Historical Society Historical Society

Main St Saturdays, 32 Upper St. Ashfield, MA 10am-1pm or by Buckland, MA www.ashfieldhistorical.org appointment 413-628-4541

Ashfield is one of Massachusetts’ hilltowns, This museum building was originally a school a number of small communities nestled in the house built around 1855. The second floor was rolling hills between the and known as “Band Hall” and was used solely the Berkshire Mountains. for band practice for 30 years until 1888. The Handicapped Accessible: Yes building served as a school house for about 100 years. Now it houses the Historical Society’s collection of artifacts, memoriabilia and displays. Connecticut Valley top Conway Historical Historical Society Museum & Genealogy Library Closed until Oc- The Quadrangle 220 State St. 50 Main St Sundays, 2-4pm, tober 10th, while Springfield, MA, 01103 Conway, MA, 01341 July and August we move into the www.springfieldmuseums.org or by appoint- new Museum of 413-263-6800 ment Springfield History Learn more about the history and traditions of Assorted collection of Conway historical the Connecticut River Valley through our artifacts and records. permanent and changing exhibits that tell the Handicapped Accessible: Yes story of the region from 1636 to the present through the Museum’s collection of handcrafted furniture and silver by local craftsmen, motor- cycles and antique autos made in Springfield, industrial objects from the region’s factories, and historical firearms from the area’s gun industry, including selected revolvers from a premier Smith & Wesson collection. fold

Forbes Library Hadley Farm Museum

20 West St. Rte 9 and Rte 47 Northampton, MA, 01060 Hadley, MA http://www.forbeslibrary.org 413-587-1011

A complete renovation of the interior was Housed in a restored 1782 barn, this museum finished in 2001 accentuating many of the contains exhibits such as a 15 seat stagecoach, Forbes unique features such as the glass an oxcart, a peddler’s wagon, early mezzanine floors, expansive spaces, and the broom-making machinery and household and Guastavino arches which actually support the farm implements. second floor. Forbes Library’s special collections include the Calvin Coolidge Presidential Library & Museum and the Hampshire Room for Local History. Handicapped Accessible: Yes Hatfield Farm top Hatikvah Museum Holocaust Center

Billings Way Sundays, 1160 Dickinson St Hatfield, MA 2-4pm, from Springfield, MA 413-247-9349 May 30 to http://www.hatikvah-center.org October 15

The Hatfield Farm Museum is an early farmer’s Hatikvah Holocaust Education Center serves tobacco shed, filled with old farm tools - mostly Western and beyond as an from the 19th and early 20th centuries. educational and teaching facility and is a living The Museum also contains items relating to the memorial to both the victims and the survivors history of our volunteer fire company, ice of the Holocaust. We believe that by harvesting, and farm and domestic life. educating current and future generations we can Handicapped Accessible: Yes help eliminate prejudice, hatred, bigotry and discrimination in our world. Handicapped Accessible: Yes fold

Historic Deerfield Historic Northampton

Mon.-Sat. 80 Old Main St 10am-5pm; Deerfield, MA 46 Bridge St Sun., 12-5pm; http://www.historic-deerfield.org Northampton, MA, 01060 Closed on holidays www.historic-northampton.org 413-584-6011

Step into Early New England! Explore 11 mu- Historic Northampton is a museum of local his- seum houses with trained guides, world-class tory in the heart of the Connecticut River Valley. collections of antiques, special exhibitions, Its collection of approximately 50,000 objects and an outdoor Cooks’ Garden and Meadow and three historic buildings is the repository of Walk(seasonal). Experience early American life Northampton and Connecticut Valley history from the 1704 Deerfield Raid and the French from the pre-contact era to the present. The and Indian War, to the American Revolution museum maintains a permanent exhibit chroni- and the first decades of the new Republic. Enjoy cling the rich history of Northampton in its main family programs and hands-on activities, events, gallery and features changing exhibitions in its shopping, and lunch in a 330-year-old village. rotating exhibit space. Jewish Historical top Jones Library Society of Western Special Collections Massachusetts

7 Sugarloaf St Monday-Friday, 43 Amity St (in the Old Firehouse) 10am-5pm and Amherst South Deerfield, MA, 01373 Sundays by http://www.joneslibrary.org/specialcollections/ http://www.jhswm.org appointment 413-665-0066

The Jewish Historical Society provides a re- Special Collections at the Jones Library houses source facility for research on Jewish life and extensive collections that focus on the history of activities in Western Massachusetts* by col- Amherst and the surrounding Pioneer Valley. lecting and archiving papers, photographs, It is designed to be both a scholarly research tapes, ephemera and/or items of material culture center and a popular reading and exhibit space related to regional Jews* and by recording oral for the general public. Visitors come from histories and cultural events.The society around the world to view the library’s Emily enhances Jewish cultural life in Western Dickinson and Robert Frost Exhibit Room. The Massachusetts* through exhibitions, trainings, library’s Dickinson and Frost Collections are outreach, and other educational events. rich in original manuscripts, editions, and sec- Handicapped Accessible: Yes ondary research materials. fold

Leverett Longmeadow Historical Society Historical Society

Saturdays, 10-12pm (Family Museum) 1 Shutesbury Road Sundays, 2-4pm, 697 Longmeadow St. 3rd Sundays, Leverett, MA, 01054 May-November Longmeadow, MA June-September www.leveretthistorical.org (Historical Society) http://longmeadow.org and by appoint- 413-567-3600 ment

The Leverett Historical Society includes the Home of Richard Salter Storrs, second minister Field Family Museum and the Leverett School- of Longmeadow; built in 1786. The collection house.The Leverett Family Museum includes includes many artifacts from first minister antiques donated by Leverett families, the Stephen Wiliams, aka “boy captive of Deer- history of mills on Roaring Brook, and artifacts field.” Special and Annual Events: of the Beaman Frary Box Shop. The museum Longmeadow Days are hosted annually on the also includes some works by folk artist, Erastus second weekend in May. The Historical Society Salisbury Field who was a resident of Leverett. also hosts a Graveyard Event on the Friday be- fore Halloween. Annual meeting is in October. Handicapped Accessible: No