"On Springfield Mountain"  is one of America’s earliest known ballads, recounting the tragic death of a young man fatally bitten by a rattlesnake while mowing a field. The song memorializes Timothy Merrick, who was recorded to have died of a snakebite on August 7, 1761, in the Outward Commons —an area that is now part of Wilbraham, Massachusetts. Recognized as a staple of early American folk tradition, the song appears in numerous collections and is often cited as an example

The story of the potato chip begins in the mid-1800s with George Crum, born George Speck, a chef of Native and African American heritage who worked at Moon’s Lake House in Saratoga Springs, New York. In 1853, a diner complained that Crum’s fried potatoes were too thick. In response, he sliced a new batch of paper-thin slices, fried them until perfectly crisp, and seasoned them with salt. To everyone’s surprise, the customer loved them, and soon “Saratoga Chips” became the tal

Members and guests entering the golf shop at the Country Club of Wilbraham (MA) may not realize it, but they are stepping into one of the most historic buildings in town The Country Club of Wilbraham as it appears today. Ken Cerino   I first became interested in the building after joining CCW a few years ago and noticed the date 1760 on the front right side. Research showed that this was the home of an early Wilbraham resident named Samuel Warner, and several generations of f

Friendly’s traces its origins to 1935, when brothers Prestley and Curtis Blake opened a small ice cream shop in Springfield,...

On a cold January day in 1816, tragedy struck the quiet community of South Wilbraham. Isaiah Leach, a 30-year-old farmer, was hauling...

Memorial School is one of Wilbraham’s true treasures. Its story begins in the years following World War II, a time when America was...

In Adams Cemetery stands a remarkable monument belonging to the Dane and Soule families—a piece unlike any other in the burial ground....

The towns of Wilbraham and Hampden, along with other communities in the Connecticut River Valley, were once partially covered by a vast...

One of the earliest maps of Wilbraham was created by Aaron Bliss in 1830. This map was part of a statewide effort prompted by the 1829...

Following King Philip’s War in 1675, many Native Americans in the valley relocated west, thereby making the land available for European...

Wilbraham holds a unique distinction among Massachusetts communities: it was traversed by both the first and the most recent turnpikes...

Long before Wilbraham was incorporated in 1763, Ludlow in 1774, and Hampden in 1878, the land these towns occupy today was known...

The Silas Bliss Homestead, 218 Mountain Road, Wilbraham, MA Before the English settled in this region, it was home to a vibrant and...

In the waning days of September 1777, with the echoes of gunfire from the Battle of Bennington still rippling through the valleys of the...

The origins of the Wilbraham Library trace back to 1782, when a group of residents purchased shares to establish and support a local...

As the population in the southern part of Wilbraham steadily increased during the 18th century, so did the desire for a place of worship...

As one walks through the peaceful grounds of Wilbraham’s oldest cemeteries, a quiet story unfolds in the weathered inscriptions carved...

According to Wilbraham historian Chauncey Peck, the earliest known resident of the farmhouse at 883 Tinkham Road was Loren Phelps. Built...

On September 28, 1853, in the quiet town of Wilbraham, nestled among its hills and wooded paths, a tragedy unfolded in the early autumn...

Historical records and local traditions indicate that during the mid-18th century, approximately between 1745 and 1780, at least five...