Spring Street got its start as a path for Williams College students from West College to draw water from a spring near the intersection with Walden Street.
Gradually, the eponymous Spring Street developed as the town’s foremost business street, overtaking Water Street in that regard.
A glance through records at the Williamstown House of Local History shows since 100 years ago, and 70 years ago, some businesses have remained the same, and some are only memories.
In 1931, according to the town directory at the House of Local History, a person going to Spring Street could send a telegram via Western Union, arrange for a delivery of coal or shoot a game of pool.
Those enterprises are long gone, as is the school that stood where the post office now stands, and the Boys’ Club. Nor is there any longer an automobile repair shop — nor, even the more recent service station, Art Lafave’s that closed just a year ago. Nor are there a photographer, an inn, nor a bookseller and print dealer.
Nor can you take a bath in the basement of the building that currently houses Where’d You Get That!?, St. Pierre’s barbershop, and the upstairs offices of the Williamstown Rural Lands Foundation. That building was moved from the area now occupied by the First Congregational Church on Main Street, where it housed Mather’s Store.
Nor can you find a taxi, at the long-vanished Seymour’s Garage, which advertised “trips made to all surrounding cities, anywhere, anytime.†For shoe repair and blacksmith’s work, you have to go elsewhere.
But some establishments keep up their traditions.
The Williams Newsroom was established in 1893, and continues to sell newspapers and periodicals and student supplies, just as it declared in its advertisement in the 1931 directory.
Hart’s Drug Store still sells prescriptions and fine scents and soaps, but it no longer bills itself as The Rexall Store.
McClelland’s stationers store is still operating, although its press has moved to North Street.
Geo. M. Hopkins still sells furniture, general household furnishings, and is a funeral director, although there may not be much call today for Vudor porch shades, since few people have sleeping porches nowadays.
St. Pierre’s barbershop is still trimming hair.
And although the names have changed, there is still a grocery store — now the Berkshire Hills Market — where Ruether & Co. once dealt in meats and poultry, fresh and smoked; a bank, now First Massachusetts, where once was the Williamstown National Bank; and a jeweler. There was, and is, a bakery, now Clarksburg Bakery, when once the Williamstown Food Shoppe billed itself as “The Home of Good Things to Eat, wedding and birthday cakes, made to order.†And Treet Cleaners operates where Drummond’s formerly did.
American Legion Post No. 152 still meets on the corner of Walden Street, although its new home is rising at the foot of the street, where Robin’s Restaurant was located.
One memorable image of that building, from the files of Randy Trabold, the late Transcript photographer, showed adjoining campaign headquarters, Republican and Democratic. The Sevenson supporters took advantage of the GOP “We Like Ike†slogan by adding their banner, just next to it, reading “But We’ll Vote for Stevenson.â€
The picture appeared on the front page of the New York Times and as a full page in Life magazine.
In the group pictured were Albert Keep, Walter S. Wilmott, Irwin and Bernice Shainman and Ralph Renzi.
Mr. Trabold caught the image, which was apparently of short duration, as the Republicans soon removed their Ike banner.
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Berkshire Food Project Closed for Power Issues
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Berkshire Food Project is closed Monday because of a power outage early in the morning.
"We are unable to get proper electricity and heat to the building," according to Executive Director Matthew Alcombright. "We hope that this can be resolved and be open tomorrow."
The project does have some sandwiches and frozen meals that will be distributed at the entry.
The city has lifted a boil water order — with several exceptions — that was issued late Monday morning following several water line breaks over the weekend. click for more
The bridge had been closed to all vehicle traffic since March 2023 after being deemed structurally deficient by the state Department of Transportation. click for more
