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The First Church of the Outward Commons on Springfield Mountain
The land comprising the present towns of Ludlow, Wilbraham, and Hampden was originally known as the Outward Commons of Springfield,...
Nov 30, 20238 min read
The Wilbraham Aqueduct Company
In the January session of 1796, the Senate and House of Representatives in the General Court assembled and granted the act to incorporate...
Sep 29, 20233 min read
Abraham Avery III and his devious saddle.
Abraham Avery III moved to Wilbraham from the Montville Connecticut area, sometime in the early 1800s. The home he lived in Wilbraham was...
Aug 30, 20235 min read
Historical Tidbits, did you know...
Did you know that Wilbraham almost had an airport? In 1957 Waldemar Hagerman was granted a variance under the Zoning By-Law to establish...
Jul 29, 202325 min read
The Grace Chapel Parish of Collins Depot
As we learn the history of this small church, we have to understand the area in which this church is located. Will discuss the colonial...
Jun 29, 20237 min read
In the past Lake George was known to be a summer getaway for many Wilbraham families.
I can guess what you are thinking, Lake George, the one that is located in upstate New York but the lake I am referring to is located in...
May 28, 20237 min read
Old Place Names, Locations, and References of the Outward Commons, Wilbraham and South Wilbraham.
The title of this research is a collection of names, locations, and references that we may or may not hear today. Many old local history...
Mar 31, 202324 min read
Newbury Ditches of 1729
What is now the town of Wilbraham and Hampden was once a part of the settlement of Springfield Plantation. William Pynchon and his...
Feb 28, 20235 min read
Wilbraham's Lost Burying Grounds
Wilbraham was home to at least two known private family cemeteries. In the late 18th century, three primary types of burial sites were...
Jan 30, 20236 min read
From the Bay Path to what we know today as our Boston Road, Route 20
Before we get into the history of the Bay Path, we would need to know a little background of this area we call the Connecticut River...
Jan 2, 202310 min read
South Wilbraham Manufacturing Company
The Town of Wilbraham was incorporated on June 15, 1763, and split into two parishes, the North and South, on June 20, 1782. Later these...
Nov 30, 20224 min read
Traveling to the North Parish and beyond, then to the gallows.
Saturday, November 9, 1805, about the middle of the afternoon on a cloudy day, a horse was noticed grazing in a mowing lot of John...
Oct 1, 202217 min read
Wilbraham in the era of Civil Defense
On May 20, 1941, the Office of Civilian Defense, United States Federal Emergency War Agency, was established by Executive Order 8757 to...
Sep 1, 20225 min read
The Electric Railway in North Wilbraham
Most people could not imagine that a trolley line came through Wilbraham. One would think that they were reserved only for the large...
Aug 1, 20223 min read
The Randolph Beebe House, its rattlesnake and the legend of the whippoorwill.
This house located at 48 Beebe Road in Wilbraham was built in 1785 and was originally occupied by Daniel Chappel, although he didn’t live...
Jul 5, 20222 min read
The Birthplace of Wilbraham's "Ethelbert Peaches"
Born in Monson on January 28, 1852, to Albert and Orpha Bishop Bliss, young Ethelbert joined his father in farm work following the...
May 30, 20226 min read
“Ye Olde” Burying Ground
In the summer of 1730, our first settler, Nathaniel Hitchcock, came out to the “Mountains,” or “Outward Commons” of Springfield cleared...
May 3, 20227 min read
Abigail and the Parson’s Rose of 1744
On May 26, 1741, the Worthy Mr. Noah Mirick (Merrick) accepted his nomination as the first minister of the fourth precinct of...
Mar 31, 20227 min read
The house at 6 Chapel Street
My first 23 years of life were spent growing up in this home. I have had many wonderful memories and believe the love of local history...
Mar 10, 20225 min read
Wilbraham and it's four railroad stations.
It took two different railroad companies to connect the City of Boston to the Town of Springfield, thus connecting the Town of Wilbraham...
Feb 11, 20224 min read
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