Archives

Historical Lecture Series: Immigrant Communities in the Pioneer Valley

Were your ancestors immigrants? Are you finding a need to better understand the immigrant experience in Western Massachusetts? Wistariahurst Museum has lined up a series of historical lectures to examine various immigrant communities in the Pioneer valley and to better understand the cultural enrichment these folks brought with them.

Category: Community Based Education, Hampden County, History Tags: ancestory, History, Immigration, Pioneer Valley, western massachusetts, Wistariahurst Museum

Legacy of Music, People and Place: Holyoke 1800 – 1950

Wistariahurst Museum is launching a new historical and cultural project entitled, Legacy of Music, People and Place: Holyoke 1800 – 1950. With funding support from the Holyoke Cultural Council and the Country Dance and Song Society, Jacqueline Cooper is collaborating with the museum as the Project Director and is working to develop sketches of Holyoke’s past to form a collective of local music culture from 1800-1950. Cooper and Wistariahurst are seeking to… Read More

Category: Hampshire County, History, Museum Tags: folk stories, folks songs, History, Holyoke, Immigration, music culture, Pioneer Valley, Storytelling, Wistariahurst Museum

Historical Lecture Series at Wistariahurst Museum: Made in the Happy Valley

Made in the Happy Valley A Historical Lecture Series at Wistariahurst Museum Holyoke, MA The Pioneer Valley is home to an abundance of artists, writers, craftsmen, artisans, and tradesmen of all types – a fact that has long been true about the area. Ever since the first European settlers made their home in the Valley hundreds of years ago, the presence of a wide variety of craftsmen and artisans within the community… Read More

Category: Hampden County, Hilltown Families, History, Museum, Suggested Activity Tags: Happy Valley, Historical Trades, History, Pioneer Valley, western massachusetts, Wistariahurst Museum

History Exhibition Recalls Holyoke’s Industrial Past

Vacant paper mills line the narrow strip of land between Water Street and the Connecticut River in Holyoke, MA. Near the end of the 19th Century, Holyoke, with more than 25 paper mills, was the world’s largest paper manufacturer. Today these mills of The Paper City are skeletal reminders of a former age— some victims of fire, some demolished, a couple converted to other uses. “Echoes of Industry: The Death and Rebirth of Holyoke’s Mills,” a new photo/video exhibit at Wistarihurst Museum, explore this past and a new form of industry that is currently being shaped…

Category: Art, Hampden County, History, Holyoke Tags: History, Holyoke, Industry, paper manufacturers, paper mill, Pioneer Valley, The Paper City, Wistariahurst Museum

“Holyoke Remembers the Civil War” Exhibit at Wistariahurst Museum

Wistariahurst Museum is exhibiting a new display of artifacts from the Museum’s collection commemorating the one hundred fiftieth anniversary of Holyoke’s participation in the Civil War entitled, “Holyoke Remembers the Civil War.” To learn more about this rich time period and connect with local history, bring your family to check out the exhibit, through October 31, 2013.

Category: Community Based Education, Hampden County, Hilltown Families, History, Suggested Activity Tags: Civil War, George H. Smith, History, Holyoke, Pioneer Valley, Wistariahurst Museum

Trash-to-Treasure: Upcycling Craze in Holyoke

Join Wistariahurst Museum in Holyoke in the upcycling craze with kids’ craft events this month as part of a series of Trash-to-Treasure workshops! Can’t make it? Check out this DIY video on how to make one of these craft projects a home:

Category: Hampden County, Museum Tags: Crafts, upcycle, western massachusetts, Wistariahurst Museum

Victorian Valentines Workshop & Era Days at Wistariahurst Museum

Victorian Valentines Workshop Wistariahurst Museum in Holyoke Sunday, February 10th, 2013 On Sunday, February 10 from 1-3pm, come to Wistariahurst Museum for this fun and creative program that will inspire the artist in everyone! In 1847, the year she graduated from Mount Holyoke Female Seminary, Esther Howland of Worcester, Massachusetts received her first Valentine’s Day card. She was so pleased with this English novelty that she tried making some valentines of her… Read More

Category: Hampden County, Museum, Suggested Activity Tags: Holyoke, Non-Commercial, Valentine's Day, Victorian Valentines, western massachusetts, Wistariahurst Museum

The Holyoke History Walk: A Virtual Tour of the City

The Holyoke History Walk: A Virtual Tour of the City Have you ever walked, biked, or driven through downtown Holyoke and wondered about the history of the city’s numerous old buildings? Each empty mill, towering church, and brick rowhouse tells a story of the city’s past. An exploration of Holyoke’s history reveals a rich, diverse, and complicated history. Visitors to Holyoke can now learn about the city’s history themselves – from home… Read More

Category: Hampden County, Hilltown Families, History, Holyoke Tags: Historic Preservation, History, Holyoke, New England, Paper Mills, Virutal Tour, western massachusetts, Wistariahurst Museum

Houdini’s Magic Comes to Holyoke

Houdini’s Magic Come to Holyoke Opening Night: Friday, Sept. 14th Wistariahurst Museum During the months of September and October, the Wistariahurst Museum in Holyoke will house a special exhibit filled with magic history – featuring specifically many items used by the world famous magician Harry Houdini! The exhibit includes many different objects, including handcuffs, tools, posters, documents, and more, all from the collection of Houdini enthusiast and fellow magician Sidney Radner (known… Read More

Category: Hampden County, Hilltown Families, Museum, Suggested Activity Tags: Harry Houdini, Holyoke, Magic, Pioneer Valley, Wistariahurst Museum

Victorian Lawn Games & Intro to Classical Music in Holyoke

Wistariahurst Museum Hosts Victorian Game Day & Beethoven’s Wig Marjorie Latham of the Wistariahurst Museum in Holyoke, MA writes: Are you and your kids looking for some great ways to have fun this coming weekend? We would love to see you! Wistariahurst Museum is hosting two free youth events this Saturday and Sunday, June 2nd & 3rd! Victorian Game Day on the Lawn at Wistariahurst: On Saturday, June 2, from 1 to… Read More