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Jennie Williams Bardwell: Life in Gill 1860-1950 ($50 donation)
A beautiful, full-color, hardcover book (published 2021) with more than 200 vintage photos, maps, artwork and documents. This book follows the life and times of Jennie Williams Bardwell and living in Gill through excerpts of her handwritten diary and letters. Learn about train travel in the Valley, farming, stone masonry and a glimpse into daily life of Jennie’s neighbors and relatives.
THE WILLIAMS FAMILY FROM THE 1860s to 1950s: Jennie Williams Bardwell wrote two years of diaries—1873 and 1876—and hundreds of letters. Annotations describe her neighbors and Gill relatives.
THE HISTORY OF AGRICULTURAL GILL AND GILL CENTER: The major buildings in Gill Center; the National Register Historic District; Main Road and major farms.
THE EASTHAMPTON BUTTON FACTORY: Hundreds of young women gained some independence with factory work.
TRAIN TRAVEL IN THE 1800s:Independent railroad companies allowed for travel up and down the Connecticut River valley.
JENNIE’S NEIGHBORS: Gill’s Main Road families—the Clapps, Blakes, Conants, and Purples—were an active part of Jennie’s life.
THE STONEMASONS: Many men quarried and shaped stone in Northfield and built dams, bridges, monuments, walls and fences, foundations and factories throughout Franklin County and beyond using stone block.24 Howes Brothers photos used, courtesy of Ashfield Historical Society. Special thanks to the Gill Cultural Council for their grant.
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