The next Legislature was petitioned by Thomas H. Perkins, Geo.
W. Lyman, Edmund Dwight and others for an act of incorporation as the
Hadley Falls Company, "for the purpose of constructing and maintaining
a dam across the Connecticut River, and one or more locks and canals
in connection with said dam; and of creating a water power to be used
by the said corporation for manufacturing articles from cotton, wood,
iron, wool and other materials, and to be sold to other persons and
corporations, to be used for manufacturing or mechanical purposes and
also for the purposes of navigation." The capital stock was fixed
at $4,000.000. The Hadley Falls Company purchased the property and
franchise of the South Hadley Falls Locks and Canal Company, and
extinguished the fishing rights existing above the location of the dam.
In the year 1847, this territory embraced by the river-curve had
fourteen houses, a grist-mill and one little shop. There was also a
small cotton-mill. From the river, the land rises to the westward,
and a mile or more back, on the highway leading from Northampton to
Springfield, were two hamlets of farmhouses.
Pages:
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67