Historical Topics of Northampton

The history of baseball in Northampton, from the days of baseball’s emergence as a sport to its heyday with several popular local teams.

Master furniture maker Sharon Mehrman describes what she learned while making a reproduction of the Sarah Strong chest (c. 1700).

In 2020, when we asked people to share what life was like to live in this area during Covid-19, they responded by sharing their stories, poetry and artwork.

In the 19th and early 20th centuries, more than 200 women made a living by working in women-owned dressmaking shops.

Northampton’s fire stations reflect their central roles in the community and the city’s growth.

One of the oldest newspapers in the U.S., the paper began in 1786 with news of Shays’ Rebellion.

Northampton’s population grew rapidly and was fueled by immigrants.

Explore a detailed timeline of the history of LGBTQ+ organizations, events, and businesses in Northampton, c. 1900-2004.

When the Williamsburg Reservoir Dam broke a giant floodwave destroyed four mill villages and killed 139 people, all within an hour.

This place now known as Northampton is part of a larger region known to Indigenous (Native American) people as Nonotuck or Norwottuck.

This armed uprising in Western Massachusetts in 1786-1787 against unjust taxes proved the need for strong government and showed the power of people’s protests.

At least 50 enslaved individuals lived here from the town’s English settlement in 1654 until 1783, when slavery was abolished in Massachusetts.