Northampton, Massachusetts
Chief town of Hampshire county. This is a very beautiful town, delightfully situated on the west bank of Connecticut river, and united to Hadley by a bridge. Since the first settlement on the Connecticut basin, this town has been an important point of attraction. This was the third town settled on Connecticut river in this state. Its Indian name was Nonatuck. The soil of the town is alluvial and its products exuberant. Both before and since the division of the old county into three, this place has been the seat of justice. The buildings are handsome and the most important county offices are fire proof. A fine stream passes through the centre of the town, possessing a good water power, on which are manufactories and mills of various kinds.
The manufactures of Northampton consist of woolen and silk goods, boots, shoes, leather, paper, brooms, chairs, iron, tin, and cabinet wares, &c.; total value the year ending April 1, 1837, about $350,000. The manufacture of sewing silk, ribbons, &c., is on a large scale, and the most flourishing establishment of the kind in the country. In 1837 there were 3750 sheep sheared in the town; the value of the wool was $7,075.
This place has considerable river and inland commerce, which will be increased by the Hampshire and Hampden canal, which meets the Connecticut river here and terminates at New Haven.
This town was incorporated, in 1654; population, 1820, 2,854, and in 1837, 3,576. It is 91 miles W. from Boston, 67 E. from Albany, 39 N. from Hartford, 22 S. from Greenfield, 17 N. by W. from Springfield, and 376 miles from Washington.
There are many institutions of a literary and religious character in this town, and its schools are of the first order. The country around the town is enchanting, and those who visit Mount Holyoke, 830 feet above the river, on the east side, or Mount Tom, 1,200 feet above the river, on the west side, will find a wonderful variety of landscape scenery, probably unsurpassed in beauty by any in the New England states.
