King's Handbook of Springfield, Massachusetts: A Series of Monographs, Historical and Descriptive

Moses King

Jan 1884 · J.D. Gill, Publisher

Ratings and reviews

This is an excellent read about the City of Springfield, Massachusetts - especially in 2011, as Springfield is in the midst of a resurgence - and offers an historical perspective on popular Springfield sites such as the Springfield Armory, Springfield businesses like Smith & Wesson and MassMutual Financial, and Springfield luminaries like John Brown, Thomas Blanchard, and Daniel Shays. I was interested to read that Springfield was first nicknamed "The City of Progress," and "City in a Forest," because today its nicknames are the "City of Firsts" and the "City of Homes." Whereas the two contemporary names reflect on Springfield's 19th through mid-20th Century accomplishments, the original two nicknames are actually more appropriate today. In short, an excellent book about a truly great American city that's just being rediscovered after 40 years in the wilderness, so to speak.