Urbe, the lookout
point of Mr. Foster Wilson. Farther south on the same street are the
residencies of Mr. Timothy Merrick, Donald Mackintosh, Oscar Ely, John
Cleary and others. The residence streets of Ward six are pleasant with
shade trees, blooming gardens and lovely houses. From the most sightly
eminence of the ward, the house of William Skinner of the silk-mill
overlooks the city. A central and pleasant square encloses the home of
W.A. Chase, the agent of the Water Power Company, and houses with all
the appointments of elegance and luxury are owned by Messrs. Whiting,
Dillon, Farr, Metcalf, Mackintosh, W.A. Prentiss Clark, E.W. Chapin,
Ramage, Newton, Corser and many others. Fairmount Square is a new
section just opened for good residences. In the southerly part of the
city is the farm of Congressman Wm. Whiting with its herds of beautiful
Jerseys, and on the Springfield road is the model Brightside farm, the
pet life-project of W.H. Wilkinson, blanket manufacturer. This farm is
also the home of splendid specimens of the Jersey cow. A majority of
the principal streets of Holyoke bear the names that were given them
when the town was first mapped out by its prophetic founders, At first
Holyoke was chiefly a cotton manufacturing town and of the streets laid
out from east to west the names of prominent cotton manufacturing
companies of the state alternated with the names of Massachusetts
counties. There are Franklin, Hampshire, Essex, Suffolk, and Hampden
streets, alternated with Jackson, Sargeant, Cabot, Appleton, Dwight and
Lyman, named for noted cotton manufacturing firms. Main street is a long
thoroughfare extending north and south and terminating at the river.
Canal, Race, and Bridge streets were named from their location. Bowers,
Mosher and Ely from former landowners of Depot Hill. John street and
Oliver street perpetuate the name of John Oliver; High street was named
for its sightly location. West of, and parallel with, High, the streets
have the names of woods, Maple, Chestnut, Elm, Walnut, Pine, Beach, Oak,
Linden and Sycamore. Many of the streets in Ward seven were named for
persons first owning and or building upon them. Northampton street, is
the county highway from Springfield to Northampton.

[Illustration: WINDSOR HOTEL.]

The total area of Holyoke is about fourteen square miles. The first city
government was organized in January 1874, and the first Mayor of the
city was Hon. Wm. B.C. Pearsons, now judge