History of Northampton, Massachusetts, from its settlement in 1654;

1792.] MEMORIAL TO CONGRESS—CANALS—SCHOOLS. 575
early called to methods for its improvement. It was not,
however, till this town had seen nearly a century and a
half of existence that the efforts to that end met with any
measure of success.
River Navigation Above Springfield the passage of the river
much Interrupt- -^^g interrupted by numerous rapids, shal-
and Falls. lows and falls. The greatest of these obstructions
were the falls at South Hadley
and those at Montague, known as Turners Falls. Around
them both all freight moving in either direction, had to be
transported. Northampton from its settlement had a landing-place
in Springfield, afterwards West Springfield, and
now the thriving city of Holyoke. In settling the boundary
between Northampton and Springfield, a special agreement
was made by which the former town was allowed
access to the landing-place on the river, within the territory
of Springfield. This was below the rapids at what is now
Willimansett. From this point upward bound freight was
carted to its destination, if for Northampton or adjoining
towns, or to the landing-place above the falls at South
Hadley if intended for further transportation on the river.
Much of the land-carriage around the falls was done on the
west side of the river, from the Northampton landing in
Springfield to a convenient place on the river above the
falls. This was in the vicinity of Smiths Ferry, below the
"Bates House." Boats bound up the river came to this
point for their loads. There seems to have been a place in
Northampton where West India goods were delivered, that
was called "Newport." Probably it was above the falls
and may have been at the landing-place at Smiths Ferry.
The distance between the two landing-places, from that
above South Hadley Falls to a point below Willimansett,
was six miles, and the price for cartage either way was 5s.
per load. A team sometimes made two trips each way in
one day. ^
Canals decided upon. As Settlements multiplied, the demand for
improved facilities for transportation became
more and more imperative. For many years the
question of surmounting these difficulties was in contem-
1 Judd MSS.