BAY STATE VILLAGE

Welcome to Bay State!

       Bay State Village is an hisotric section of Northampton, Massachusetts located between the business district and the Florence section of the city. It is comprised of a few miles of narrow winding streets lined with small vintage homes that hearken to simpler timein  history. Nearly all of my Irish emigrant ancestors lived in Bay State at one time or another. Most, if not all of them were employed either by the Silk mills or at Clement Manufacturing, a cutlery located at the end of Riverside Drive. My great-grandparents could see Clement from their home that overlooked the river. Indeed, my great-great-grandfather, John Clark worked there, as did, my great-grandfather, Jim Clark, my grandfather, Wilbur Cleary and Leo Clark, son of Jim.

 Today, there are few people who remember Clement Manufacturing and the impact had on local families. Little has been written about it. However, from the sparse material I have collected regarding the company, the working conditions were hellish. It has been written that Clement contributed to the demise of many hardworking men.  In those days, there were no laws or governmental agencies to address workplace safety and environmental concerns. Clement, not unlike other manufacturing facilities of the day, had few windows and poor ventilation. Particles of dust were spit from the grinding machines into the air creating a toxic environment. In 1882, W.W. Lee purchased the company. He installed state of the art machinery which improved the air quality to some degree. Still, Clement remained a dark, dank and unhealthy place to work.

 Manufacturing nontwithstanding, Bay State was and is a thriving part of the city. The old fire station, where Jim Clark served is still standing. The last fire he fought was at the Northampton State Hospital, just one week before he died. I often drive past my g-grandparents former home when I visit Northampton. The exterior has changed very little and it makes me smile to see the childrens toys strewn about the front porch; another era and another family enjoying the home.

Cutlery on Riverside Drive

The Clark Home