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 Western Massachusetts: Basketball, Volleyball, and a Real Athol Fully sated with ancestral stories, I drove out of Ipswich that afternoon and turned west for the first time on my trip around America. I was heading towards upstate New York to visit my brother Don and his family and planned to get there the next evening. After leaving Ipswich, I camped in a state park in central Massachusetts. The clouds moved in and it was, thankfully, much cooler than it had been during the past few days. It even sprinkled a bit as I made my dinner. I didn't mind, though, because it was much more pleasant than the hot, soupy weather I'd been dealing with the last several days.
The next morning I continued meandering west through Massachusetts and drove through the towns of – now get this – Athol and Belchertown. I wondered about their funny names but adhered strictly to a "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. Between all the "focks," Athols, and people apparently belching, I figured that Massachusetts was a pretty funny place.
I headed south from Athol and late in the morning reached Holyoke, an old mill town with a population of about 50,000. Holyoke, Massachusetts was settled around 1850 at a bend in the Connecticut River on the "Fall Line" (i.e., a waterfall in the river that prevented traveling further upstream by boat). A large dam was built here to divert the water of the Connecticut River through a series of parallel, stepped canals that were built throughout the city, amidst the houses and businesses. Each drop in water level, from one canal to the next, was harnessed to power the numerous textile and paper mills that were built here. It was quite an engineering marvel, I thought.
Holyoke today, though, like so many former mill towns in New England, struggles with unemployment and poverty. The town is filled with empty brick buildings and is trying to attract new industries. Despite those challenges, I found Holyoke quite interesting and spent a couple hours there.
Amazingly enough, not one but two popular sports were invented in this area during the late 1800s. First, James Naismith invented basketball in nearby Springfield, then a few years later, his friend, William Morgan, invented the sport of volleyball right here in Holyoke. Volleyball is my favorite sport and I was looking forward to seeing the Volleyball Hall of Fame, which I knew was in downtown Holyoke. But when I got there, I was disappointed to learn that it was closed that day.
I walked over to a nearby museum and met a friendly and outgoing caretaker named Charlie. We talked for a while, then I mentioned that I'd been looking forward to seeing the Volleyball Hall of Fame but it was closed. Sensing my dismay, Charlie replied, "I'll tell you what. I'll go over and open it for you if you want to go inside."
Sure enough, Charlie walked over and opened up the Hall of Fame for me. Then he said, "I'm going back to the museum. Just let me know when you're done." So thanks to Charlie, I got to walk around Holyoke's brand-new Volleyball Hall of Fame for a half-hour and had the whole building to myself. One of the exhibits, by the way, tested your ability to jump. I tried it out but... let's just say that it didn't go well. What's that they say about white guys not being able to jump?
After a half-hour, I picked out a "Volleyball Hall of Fame" t-shirt in the empty gift shop, then I walked back to the museum and gave Charlie money for the shirt. I wanted to take a picture of this kind caretaker but my camera batteries had just died. So instead, I'll just give a big THANKS to my new friend in Holyoke.
After I thanked Charlie and left the museum, I drove a few miles south to Springfield, Massachusetts (pop. 150,000). Like Holyoke, Springfield is an aging manufacturing city that's seen better days, and is filled with lots of old, empty brick buildings. I had to decide whether to visit the Basketball Hall of Fame, one of the main tourist attractions in Springfield, or the Springfield Armory because, needing to be in Syracuse that evening, I didn't have enough time to see both. I chose the armory.
The Springfield Armory produced many of the weapons that were used to defend America, from the Revolutionary War through the mid-1900s. It was, for instance, the home of the famed Springfield Rifle, which was used extensively by the Union Army during the Civil War. Later versions of the rifle, including the M1, were used during both World Wars. After producing weapons for nearly 200 years, the armory shut down in 1968 and the grounds were converted into, interestingly, a Community College. Part of the armory, though, is now a National Park historic site and is a great place to visit if you like guns. I've never owned a gun (and never will), but nonetheless, I thought the armory was fascinating. The informative displays here, set amidst endless rows of flintlocks, barrels, gun stocks, and rifle butts describe the historic evolution of armaments over the past three centuries. I could've spent several hours at the armory, but (or I should say, "butt") it was time to hit the road.
I left Springfield late in the afternoon and got back on the Mass Pike, then drove through the beautiful Berkshire Mountains of western Massachusetts, then west up the Mohawk River Valley of upstate New York. Around 9 p.m. I arrived at my brother's house in Manlius, New York, located on the outskirts of Syracuse. Despite having a sore "butt," not to mention having to deal with an occasional Athol, it had been a great day.
Above left: My favorite sport, volleyball, was invented in Holyoke during the 1890s. William Morgan, director of the Holyoke YMCA, wanted to create a sport that was less strenuous than that new sport called "basketball" invented a few miles away in Springfield by his friend, James Naismith. Morgan strung a tennis net across the wall – and the rest is history. Above right: Thanks to Charlie, I got to see the Volleyball Hall of Fame.
Above left: After leaving Holyoke, I drove a few miles down to Springfield. I didn't have time to visit the Basketball Hall of Fame but I did stop by the Springfield Armory. This is probably the only National Park site that has a metal detector at its entrance – not to keep guns out, but to keep the guns IN. Above right: Millions of armaments have been produced at the armory for every military conflict in American history from the Revolutionary War through Vietnam. I saw enough locks, stocks, and barrels to last a lifetime.
Above left: A tool manufacturing plant in Massachusetts where they make 'em the old-fashioned way. There are lots of "backwater" industrial towns like this throughout New England, many of which are located on small waterfalls. Back in the 1800s, the waterfalls were used, of course, to power the mills. Today, they make nice photographs. Above center: A rude town in Massachusetts. Above right: I think I know why people go here.
Above left: Back on the "Mass Pike" (i.e., the Massachusetts Turnpike). This is rolling through the rolling hills of the Berkshire Mountains – or as they probably call them, the "Berk Mounts." Above right: Driving on the New York Thruway (I'm in New York here, so full words are used instead of abbreviations). Only three hours to Syracuse.
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