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The "Big E" Incorporated
The "Big E" Incorporated
On this day in 1914, a group of western Massachusetts businessmen created a new organization, the Eastern States Agricultural and Industrial Exposition. Its purpose was to promote New England agriculture, which was in serious decline,...
Flood Devastates Springfield
Flood Devastates Springfield
On this day in 1936, the worst flood in the state's recorded history inundated the city of Springfield. An unusually cold and snowy winter, followed by a spell of warm and rainy weather, turned the...
First Students Arrive at Mt. Holyoke Seminary
First Students Arrive at Mt. Holyoke Seminary
On this day in 1837, 80 students arrived at Mount Holyoke Female Seminary in the Connecticut Valley village of South Hadley. Many had traveled for days to reach what would become the first of the...
Aerosmith Opens Lansdowne Street Music Hall
Aerosmith Opens Lansdowne Street Music Hall
On this day in 1994, Boston-based rock band Aerosmith opened the Mama Kin Music Hall. In the shadow of Fenway Park, the Lansdowne Street facility enjoyed moderate success as a live music venue before the...
UMass Plays in Final Four
UMass Plays in Final Four
On this day in 1996, the UMass Minutemen ended the winningest season in UMass basketball history. Coached by John Calipari and led by future NBA star Marcus Camby, the Minutemen racked up a 26 game...
Revolutionary War Commander Artemas Ward Dies
Revolutionary War Commander Artemas Ward Dies
On this day in 1800, the man who commanded the ragtag American force that chased the British Regulars back to Boston following the battles of Lexington and Concord died at home in Shrewsbury. Trusted and...
Boston Ends Discharge of Sewer Sludge into Harbor
Boston Ends Discharge of Sewer Sludge into Harbor
On this day in 1991, the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority ended an age-old practice of dumping sewer sludge directly into Boston Harbor. Proponents of the Boston Harbor Project celebrated this milestone in an 11-year, $3.6...
John Adams Dies
John Adams Dies
On this day in 1826, 50 years after the Declaration of Independence was adopted in Philadelphia, John Adams died at home in Braintree. One of the great men of the Revolutionary generation and the second...
First Steamboat Passes Through South Hadley Canal
First Steamboat Passes Through South Hadley Canal
On this day in 1826, the Barnet, the first steamboat to operate on the Connecticut River, passed through the South Hadley Canal on its way to Vermont. For centuries, despite waterfalls along the way, New...
Mabel Todd First Describes Emily Dickinson
Mabel Todd First Describes Emily Dickinson
On this day in 1882, Mabel Loomis Todd first recorded her impressions of her mysterious Amherst neighbor. Emily Dickinson always wore white and had her hair arranged "as was the fashion fifteen years ago." "She...