Primary Resources Archive

Illustrated and Descriptive Holyoke 1887
This booklet, Illustrated and Descriptive Holyoke, Massachusetts, published in 1887, and courtesy of Wistariarhurst Museum, Holyoke, MA, was written as an extended advertisement to help attract new manufacturers to the city. It includes population and financial statistics as well as representative photographs of the city. Information also includes political statistics, occupational statistics, as well as educational data.

This booklet not only gives readers an idea of what Holyoke was like in the late nineteenth century, it shows what traits manufacturers would have valued in the city and its workforce.

Front Cover [PDF]

Holyoke Dam 1887 [PDF]
This photograph (circa 1887) shows a panoramic view of the city of Holyoke. The Holyoke dam, depicted in the foreground, provided much of the energy for the city's paper and textile factories.

Population Statistics - p. 67 [PDF]
This page from Illustrated and Descriptive Holyoke, Massachusetts (1887) shows the population of Holyoke in the 1885 census broken down by ward and gender.

Age Distribution and Citizenship Rates of Holyoke Residents p. 68 [PDF]
This page from Illustrated and Descriptive Holyoke, Massachusetts examines the demographics of the city of Holyoke in 1887. At that time, the city's population was nearly half foreign-born.

Family Size Distribution in Holyoke- p. 69 [PDF]
This page from Illustrated and Descriptive Holyoke, Massachusetts (1887) breaks down the average family size by ward.

Holyoke Manufacturing from 1855 to 1887 - p. 70 [PDF]
This page from Illustrated and Descriptive Holyoke, Massachusetts (1887) illustrates the rise of Holyoke as a manufacturing center between 1855 and 1887. It also includes a table demonstrating the valuation and tax revenue generated by manufacturing in the city. The concurrent rise in the financial value of Holyoke's manufacturing enterprises is also examined.

Political Engagement in Holyoke - p. 71 [PDF]
This page from Illustrated and Descriptive Holyoke, Massachusetts (1887) enumerates the voting trends in the city in the late nineteenth century. Though only 10 per cent of Holyoke residents voted in the most recent election, the turnout was considered "the largest in the history of Holyoke."

Education and Literacy Rates in Holyoke - p. 72 [PDF]
This page from Illustrated and Descriptive Holyoke, Massachusetts (1887) examines literacy rates and educational spending in Holyoke in the late nineteenth century.

Distribution of Occupations in Holyoke - p. 73 [PDF]
This table in Illustrated and Descriptive Holyoke, Massachusetts (1887) breaks down the population of Holyoke in 1887 by gender and occupation.

Distribution of Occupations in Holyoke continued - p. 74 [PDF]
This page from Illustrated and Descriptive Holyoke, Massachusetts (1887) provides definitions for the categories listed in the occupational breakdown on page 73.

Distribution of Occupations in Holyoke continued - p. 75 [PDF]
This page from Illustrated and Descriptive Holyoke, Massachusetts (1887) provides definitions for the categories listed in the occupational breakdown on page 73.

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