City of Holyoke history

Second Congregational Church Collection The Second Congregational Church began in 1849.

Settled in 1725 as part of Springfield, it was included in West Springfield in 1774 until incorporated as a separate township in 1850.

Parsons Paper Collection The Parsons Paper Company was founded in Holyoke, Massachusetts in 1853 by Joseph Clark Parsons.

Holyoke Water Power Company Collection The Holyoke Water Power Company successfully operated and maintained the dam, canal system, and hydroelectric facilities along the Connecticut River in Holyoke, Massachusetts for 108 years beginning in 1859.

The present church which stands on the corner of Appleton and Maple Streets opened in 1885.

In 1888, Frank B. Towne became the treasurer, and Edward S. Towne, future president, became employed at the company.

In 1900, the wooden dam was replaced by a new stone dam, which had taken five years to construct.

Holyoke Gas & Electric Department The Holyoke Gas & Electric Department formed when the Holyoke Water Power Company sold its gas and electric works to the city in 1902.

In 1888, Frank B. Towne became the treasurer, and Edward S. Towne, future president, became employed at the company. It includes the Skinner Memorial Chapel which opened in 1912.

In 1925 the name was changed from the Holyoke District Nurse Association and incorporated as the Holyoke Visiting Nurse Association, Inc. (HVNA). The HVNA is still active in the region and currently includes South Hadley and Granby in its coverage area.

He debuted his well-known solo performance of Mark Twain Tonight at the Mountain Park Casino in 1957.

Junior League of Holyoke, Inc., Head Start Program Collection Holyoke’s Head Start Program was founded in 1965 by the Junior League of Holyoke, a young women’s organization of community volunteers.

John Olsen Collection John Olsen completed 49 original pen and ink drawings of Holyoke Landmarks in 1973 for Holyoke's Centennial Celebration.

Colonel Aaron Bagg of West Springfield was the company’s first president and his descendants ran the firm until 1977.

A business he founded in 1980, the year he turned 27, called Berkshire-Westwood Graphics Group was wound down by the Secretary of State.

Land records indicate BPS Realty bought it in 1989.

The Head Start Program still exists in Holyoke today, although the Junior League of Holyoke disbanded in 1997, due to the fact that fewer women had time to volunteer.

The company closed in 2005 when National Vulcanized Fiber filed for bankruptcy.

The former’s paperwork came through the Secretary’s office on November 9, 2007, months before Sullivan signed the last agreements with Kodak.

Berkshire-Westwood filed its last corporate report in 2008.

Sovereign Bank filed a commercial paper action against Berkshire-Westwood in Suffolk Superior Court on November 4, 2009.

On March 5, 2010, the docket notes, “Suggestion of bankruptcy by Defendant, Michael J Sullivan.” The docket does not state whether Sullivan was suggesting it for himself or the company, In his statement, Sullivan admitted an unclear “we” were considering bankruptcy at counsel’s suggestion.

On March 17, 2012, The Republican reported a spark Max Salvage produced while cutting metal at a Water Street mill in Holyoke caused a massive fire.

A lawsuit seeking an attachment hit Max Salvage in 2014.

Sullivan ran for City Council in 2015 on his business background and, notably, by distinguishing himself from the former similarly named mayor.

A photo of Max Salvage Work in 2016. (via Facebook)

In 2017, Max Salvage was on site of another job when a front-end loader fell into a canal, necessitating an environmental cleanup.

Another, Max Salvage & Maintenance omitted him as a director and officer starting in 2018.

However, a 2019 edition of BusinessWest listed Sullivan as Max Salvage’s chief executive.