The Workin’ Bridges community meeting will be held Monday, June 1st at 6:30pm at Leeds School Cafeteria. In addition to Workin’ Bridges presenting a plan for full restoration and the cost involved, a plan to open the bridge to foot traffic and bicycles while restoration funding is sought will be offered. The city of Northampton owns the bridge and must approve of any bridge opening. If the historic 1880 iron bridge can be opened in a safe way, it will greatly improve the enjoyment and movement of Leeds folks and others who relied on the bridge to cross the river. An open bridge will also increase restoration fund raising opportunities.
What made this special meeting come about:
The Community Preservation Act grant that was used in 2011 to hire Stantec Assoc. to assess the bridge had a balance of $5,292. Rather than use the funds for a Stantec public meeting about their findings (which are available for free on the Northampton website), the LCA requested that the money be used to hire Workin’ Bridges, a team of iron bridge specialists, to perform a site visit, submit a scope of work report, and hold a larger community meeting here in Leeds.
The LCA, DPW, and Workin’ Bridges took advantage of the frozen river in early March by quickly organizing the site-visit. The WB site-visit team consisted of iron worker, Nels Raynor of Bach Steele, Jim Schiffer, bridge engineer and Julie Bowers, project manager. They flew in, spent a day and a half assessing, measuring and photographing the top and bottom chord members, abutments and deck. The river was frozen solid so the team could inspect underneath while standing on the ice – no boat, no scaffolding necessary! The Workin’ Bridges’ Scope of Work report was recently submitted to the city and on Monday, June 1 at 6:30 the third part of the Workin’ Bridges contract will take place with a community meeting led by WB project manager, Julie Bowers. You are all invited, as well as the mayor, city officials, bridge historians and enthusiasts, engineering professors and students, bicyclists and walkers. Please mark your calendars, bring your friends and find out what it will take to open the Hotel Bridge.
National Register of Historic Places
Hotel Bridge has an excellent chance of being listed on the National Register of Historic Places which could allow access to grant funding for restoration. On Tuesday, April 28, the Northampton Department of Public Works submitted the Leeds Civic Association’s nomination for the Hotel Bridge to be officially recognized as a national historic place. The nomination must first be evaluated by the Massachusetts Historical Commission, a process which can take 14 to 18 months, before they then submit it to the the National Historic Register. Letters of support from Mayor Narkewicz; DPW director, Ned Huntley; The Mill River Greenway Initiative chairman, John Sinton; and Northampton Historical Commission Chair, David Drake were included with the application. Volunteer researchers, writers, and editors helped with the application. Many thanks to Penny Geis, Jim Montgomery, Jason Johnson, Sue Carbin, Heidi Stevens, Megan Freedman, Megan McNally, and Andy Kuether.
Leeds and Florence residents petition city for a new roadway in 1878
The winter freshet of 1878 completely isolated a dozen or so tenement houses on the western side of Main Street from any roadway. The heavy rain and melting snow cut a new channel into the Mill River wiping out the road residents on “Shanty Row” used to get back and forth from the village.
The local school was also located on the road. A petition by taxpayers of Leeds, Florence and Northampton lobbied for a new roadway and bridge to be built. A new roadway and bridge to cross the mill pond was approved in 1879. The “Old Sheperd’s Road Bridge”as the Hotel Bridge was once called was completed in January of 1881. The new route offered a picturesque passage across the Mill River for factory workers and village residents and travelers. Soon after in 1883 the Leeds Hotel was built on the north western side of the bridge.
What will it take to open the Hotel Bridge?
Leeds Mill River Greenway History Walk
by Penny Geis
photo by John Body, MRGI
Last year, I joined the Mill River Greenway Initiative on several of their river walks guided by people who know the history and the ecology of the river. On one walk I saw where the river used to run through downtown Northampton. This spring, an MRGI canoe trip took us through the floodplain forest and marsh just before our Mill River joins the Connecticut River at Acadia. An Audubon ecologist guided us to an owl nest, where his young daughter spotted a baby Great Horned Owl on a branch just above the water in front of us. For ten or fifteen minutes, we stilled our canoes and our hearts as we watched that baby owl just “this” far in front of us.
MRGI offers guided walks and paddles. I loved the walks – and highly recommend them. But don’t delay; you have to sign up early, because they fill up fast. Go to their website at MillRiverGreenway.org for information about this year’s walks, for information about the history and ecology of the Mill River, and to volunteer to help with projects in art, history, pulling invasive species, children’s activities, and more.
Important Community Meeting: June 1st
The Workin’ Bridges community meeting will be held Monday, June 1st at 6:30pm at Leeds School Cafeteria. In addition to Workin’ Bridges presenting a plan for full restoration and the cost involved, a plan to open the bridge to foot traffic and bicycles while restoration funding is sought will be offered. The city of Northampton owns the bridge and must approve of any bridge opening. If the historic 1880 iron bridge can be opened in a safe way, it will greatly improve the enjoyment and movement of Leeds folks and others who relied on the bridge to cross the river. An open bridge will also increase restoration fund raising opportunities.
What made this special meeting come about:
The Community Preservation Act grant that was used in 2011 to hire Stantec Assoc. to assess the bridge had a balance of $5,292. Rather than use the funds for a Stantec public meeting about their findings (which are available for free on the Northampton website), the LCA requested that the money be used to hire Workin’ Bridges, a team of iron bridge specialists, to perform a site visit, submit a scope of work report, and hold a larger community meeting here in Leeds.
The LCA, DPW, and Workin’ Bridges took advantage of the frozen river in early March by quickly organizing the site-visit. The WB site-visit team consisted of iron worker, Nels Raynor of Bach Steele, Jim Schiffer, bridge engineer and Julie Bowers, project manager. They flew in, spent a day and a half assessing, measuring and photographing the top and bottom chord members, abutments and deck. The river was frozen solid so the team could inspect underneath while standing on the ice – no boat, no scaffolding necessary! The Workin’ Bridges’ Scope of Work report was recently submitted to the city and on Monday, June 1 at 6:30 the third part of the Workin’ Bridges contract will take place with a community meeting led by WB project manager, Julie Bowers. You are all invited, as well as the mayor, city officials, bridge historians and enthusiasts, engineering professors and students, bicyclists and walkers. Please mark your calendars, bring your friends and find out what it will take to open the Hotel Bridge.
National Register of Historic Places
Hotel Bridge has an excellent chance of being listed on the National Register of Historic Places which could allow access to grant funding for restoration. On Tuesday, April 28, the Northampton Department of Public Works submitted the Leeds Civic Association’s nomination for the Hotel Bridge to be officially recognized as a national historic place. The nomination must first be evaluated by the Massachusetts Historical Commission, a process which can take 14 to 18 months, before they then submit it to the the National Historic Register. Letters of support from Mayor Narkewicz; DPW director, Ned Huntley; The Mill River Greenway Initiative chairman, John Sinton; and Northampton Historical Commission Chair, David Drake were included with the application. Volunteer researchers, writers, and editors helped with the application. Many thanks to Penny Geis, Jim Montgomery, Jason Johnson, Sue Carbin, Heidi Stevens, Megan Freedman, Megan McNally, and Andy Kuether.
People pitch in at Leeds Civic Litter Pick-Up
by Sue Carbin
The weather was pretty near perfect for the April 25th village clean up. Twenty seven volunteers turned out. Don Willard and his band of enthusiastic ATVers whipped through Sylvester Rd. Ben Weil, Jason Johnson, Tim Reynolds (and little helpers Rafe, Adi, Luco), Ananda Lennox, Rachel, Julia, Nava, and Patricia, did a great job on Reservoir Rd…they even pulled a sleeper couch out of Robert’s Meadow Brook! Joanne Kelliher covered Audubon as she does every year and Annie Morehouse and Mary Hulbert did Water St. Margie Riddle took care of Arch St. and Rob did the trail off of Arch down to Look Park. Penny Geis and her grandson, Leo, did the area around Top Dam. Chartpak sent two employees out on Friday, April 24th, to clean up River Rd. So, Leeds is looking pretty good.
The bad news is that while Rob was down picking up litter on the trail his bike was stolen. So, if anyone happened to see two guys pushing a bike or riding on a bike down Arch or Florence Street the morning of April 25th between 8 and 8:30am please let us know.
Tom Quinn and I hauled all the trash up to the dumpster provided by the Northampton DPW. And everybody got a coupon from Friendly’s for a free ice cream sundae!
Rail Trail spur to Hotel Bridge
Three Smith College engineering students have completed their senior capstone project designing a bike path spur from the Norwottuck Rail Trail to Main Street in Leeds. The bike spur would curve down to Main Street along the border of the Alternative Recycle lot. The proposed bike spur project helps to focus attention on the Hotel Bridge and how it is a much needed span that when opened offers folks a route to Water Street, Roberts Hill Conservation Area and Musante Beach.
Pizza Party 2015 photos
Thirsty, yes! But are there sandwiches?
‘’The Great Sandwich Hearing’’ which ran in three issues of the Gazette, January 5, 15, and 17, 1910.
The headline reads…
The Leeds Sandwich Case Develops the Existence of the Greatest Sandwich Industry of this Section and a Marked Weakness of Memory of Everything Else in Those Who Saw the Sandwiches.
This case packed the courthouse to the doors, with frequent applause and great sympathy shown for the hotel. Nearly 20 witnesses were called to testify, among them agents of the Anti-saloon league, Arthur Labree who was assulted in Leeds…etc. Most of the witnesses had been in the habit of going to the hotel Sunday’s, all of them testified they had sandwiches with their drinks. Two bartenders were required on Sundays. There was no demand for a hotel business in Leeds except on Sundays, and that the sandwiches that were sold were ‘’make-believe’’, and those going to the hotel were not guests in any sense of the word.
This goes on for pages, the topic sections read like a crime novel; The Spotters, Saw No Drunkenness, Saw Drunken Men…this section mentions the bridge…’’W.M. Purrington of Haydenville testified that when riding on the electric cars he had seen men reeling across the bridge, which is near the hotel, and some of them got on the car.’’ Adelard Lavelle testified to ‘’frequently going to the hotel on Sundays to drink beer, but never without having sandwiches, he told Mr. Hammond that they felt the need of something to eat when they had a drink of beer’’. Other memorable highlights include; Had Been Shutoff, The Kaiser Keeps Silent, A Great Sandwich Business Done, Weak Memories Developed.
After three days of interrigations, the prosecutors do get from the bartenders that they do sell as many as 200 drinks a day on Sundays, and then the pressure is upon the prosecutor to determine how they could not make 200 sandwiches for that day as well, which by this point the public is ridiculing their effort…’’We had supposed that the chief industry in Leeds was silk thread making but after that hotel license hearing we see our mistake;it is making sandwiches for Sunday. They must begin at it on Monday morning and keep at it till Saturday night. Everybody appears to take sandwiches out there on Sunday.’’
Expert Iron Bridge Team, Workin’ Bridges, Inspected Hotel Bridge
They climbed on and inspected the top chord, got a good look at the deck. Standing on the ice they could easily touch, measure, and photograph the components underneath. The site visit took place on Sunday, March 8th and there was a meeting with DPW and the LCA the next day. Workin’ Bridges will be sending their restoration recommendations and costs to the city in the next few weeks. Julie Bowers, WB project manager, will be returning to Leeds on June 1 for the Workin’ Bridges Town Hall style public meeting. She will lay out their findings and propose options for restoration. All Leeds residents are invited to come to this event and show support for restoring the oldest Pratt through truss iron bridge in the state….which happens to reside in our village of Leeds!
Little things and little amounts matter. Efforts by the LCA and volunteers over the past 5 years made the Workin’ Bridges site-visit possible. Four bicycle ride fund raisers occurred in the past 5 years, organized by Alice Baedecker and Stephy Cho. Several dozen Leeds hats, Hotel Bridge shirts, greeting cards, and mugs have been sold. All of the proceeds from these ventures were available in the LCA Hotel Bridge account when the time was ripe to have the iron bridge team assess our bridge’s needs. Thank you to everyone who contributed in these efforts or purchased an item. The LCA will continue to offer mugs, shirts and cards for sale to benefit the bridge restoration. Other fund raisers large and small are being planned. To find out how you can get involved please email: leedscivicassoc@gmail.com.
Out on a limb
Baby bear naps on a white pine branch on Grove Street.