Orange

From Wikipedia: Orange was first settled by Europeans in 1746, created from lands in the towns of Royalston, Warwick and Athol. The lands were not fully settled until the latter parts of the century, becoming the District of Orange in 1783, and finally being incorporated as a town in 1810. It was named for William, Prince of Orange. In 1790, the Millers River was dammed within town, and industry began in the former farming community. Small industry grew within the town, with the town being considered more of a mill town by 1840. By the late nineteenth century the New Home Sewing Machine Company was the largest industry in town, putting out 1.2 million machines at its peak in 1892. In 1900, it was home to the pioneer automobile company Grout, considered the first automobile built in a factory in the United States.

How It All Began

I've lived in the North Quabbin region of Massachusetts since 2002, for 19 years. But I still have a deep connection to friends and family in my hometown of Boston. So for 19 years, I've been driving up and down Massachusetts Route 2. I watched the signs whizz by, naming all the cities, towns, and villages I passed. I've traveled the entirety of the highway, from the New York border (and beyond) to Boston Common at the foot of the State House on Beacon Hill. Driving those miles and passing those places, I wondered about history in those towns and what's happening in those towns' art scene. Join me as I explore the art and history of Northern Massachusetts, making connections along Route Two.

n.b. This entry was originally published on my Facebook page in the ABOUT section. In it's ever present wisdom, Facebook has decided to eliminate the ABOUT section of our page. So I decided to post it here, because how it all began is important!

Belmont

From Wikipedia: Belmont was established on March 10, 1849, by former citizens of, and land from the bordering towns of Watertown, to the south; Waltham, to the west; and Arlington, then known as West Cambridge, to the north. They also wanted a town where no one could buy or sell alcohol (today, a person can buy alcohol in this town). The town was named after Bellmont, the 200 acre (0.8 km2) estate of the largest donor to its creation, John Perkins Cushing. Cushing Square is named after him and what was left of his estate after it nearly burned to the ground became a Belmont Public Library branch. The easternmost section of the town, including the western portion of Fresh Pond, was annexed by Cambridge in 1880 in a dispute over a slaughterhouse licensed in 1878 on Fresh Pond, so that Cambridge could protect Fresh Pond, a part of its municipal water system. 

Williamstown

Let's take a look at some of the towns the podcast will be visiting, starting with Williamstown. The entry from Wikipedia reads:

Originally called West Hoosac, the area was first settled in 1749. Prior to this time its position along the Mohawk Trail made it ideal Mohican hunting grounds. Its strategic location bordering Dutch colonies in New York led to its settlement, because it was needed as a buffer to stop the Dutch from encroaching on Massachusetts. Fort West Hoosac, the westernmost blockhouse and stockade in Massachusetts, was built in 1756. The town was incorporated in 1765 as Williamstown according to the will of Col. Ephraim Williams, who was killed in the French and Indian War. He bequeathed a significant sum to the town on the condition that the town would be named after him and that a free school would be established. In 1791 the school opened but only lasted a short time as a free school. It became Williams College in 1793.

And We're Back

I am back! I took a hiatus from working on Route 2 Connections over the holiday season. Well technically, I've been working on the production all this time, but I have not been posting to the website. And so it continues. A lot of the behind-the-scenes work is done. If anyone thinks creating a new podcast is easy drop me a line. I'll save you time - it's not. Perhaps had I known about everything that needed to be done, it wouldn't have happened. Lucky for me (and you) I had no clue and it's been an adventure. But I'm back now and I'll be posting every week. So stay tuned and watch for weekly postings, starting now.