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26-550: Their territory was concentrated around the confluence of the Deerfield and Connecticut Rivers in today's Franklin County . Their homelands also included much of current-day Hampden and Hampshire Counties, plus areas now in northern Connecticut and southern Vermont . Their principal village, also known as Pocumtuck, was in the vicinity of the present day village of Deerfield, Massachusetts . Their language, now extinct,

52-672: A Historic Civil Engineering Landmark in 1975. The Bardwell's Ferry Bridge is a 198-foot-long (60 m) pin-connected through truss, built in 1882 and spanning the Deerfield River between the towns of Shelburne and Conway in Franklin County. It is the longest single-span lenticular bridge in Massachusetts. It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Activities on and around

78-519: A major inland transportation route. Archaeological and documentary evidence both testify to the fact that the Pocumtuc were skilled at maize horticulture. The fertile open meadows around present-day Deerfield were cleared and planted with corn, and dozens of short-term food storage pits pocked the surface of the glacial outcropping called Pine Hill. The Pocumtuck were decimated by smallpox epidemics after European contact. They had no immunity to

104-592: A river that runs for 76 miles (122 km) from southern Vermont through northwestern Massachusetts to the Connecticut River . The Deerfield River was historically influential in the settlement of western Franklin County, Massachusetts , and its namesake town . It is the Connecticut River's second-longest tributary in Massachusetts, 2.1 miles (3.4 km) shorter than Metropolitan Springfield's Westfield River . The river's confluence with

130-503: Is a census-designated place (CDP) with a population of 1,731 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts , Metropolitan Statistical Area . Silas Lamson was a 19th-century American inventor and manufacturer of scythe handles, agricultural implements, knives and cutlery. In 1834, Lamson patented a method for manufacturing curved snath handles for scythes used to harvest hay and wheat. The downward curve of

156-631: Is also an excellent trout fishery, great for fly fishing. Two sections between the Fife Brook dam and the Route 2 bridge are catch and release . There are 5 dams which control the majority of the river flow and allow selectable trout fishing through the year. Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts Shelburne Falls is a historic village in the towns of Shelburne and Buckland in Franklin County , Massachusetts , United States. The village

182-404: Is located on the river in the town of Florida, Massachusetts . It is a railroad tunnel, still in use, started in 1851 and completed in 1875. The Burleigh Rock Drill, one of the first pneumatic drills , was used in its construction. Construction also featured the first large-scale commercial use of nitroglycerine and electric blasting caps. The American Society of Civil Engineers made the tunnel

208-529: The census of 2000, there were 1,951 people, 815 households, and 466 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 296.6/km (768.3/mi ). There were 878 housing units at an average density of 133.5/km (345.8/mi ). The racial makeup of the CDP was 96.92% White , 0.26% African American , 0.67% Native American , 0.67% Asian , 0.05% Pacific Islander , 0.46% from other races , and 0.97% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.82% of

234-783: The "Dryway" for class IV paddlers. There are several tributaries of the Deerfield River that provide excellent whitewater creek runs, including the class IV-V West Branch of the Deerfield in Readsboro, Vermont , the class V Dunbar Brook in Monroe, Massachusetts , the class V Pelham Brook in Rowe, Massachusetts, the class IV Cold River in Florida and Charlemont, Massachusetts , and the class III Chickley River in Hawley, Massachusetts . This

260-627: The Connecticut is in Greenfield, Massachusetts , downstream of Turners Falls ( 42°34′37″N 72°34′40″W  /  42.57708°N 72.57784°W  / 42.57708; -72.57784 ). The Deerfield is one of the most heavily dammed rivers in the country with, on average, a dam almost every 7 miles (11 km) for its entire length. In Shelburne Falls , the glacial potholes and the Bridge of Flowers are popular tourist attractions around

286-525: The Deerfield include whitewater kayaking , canoeing, tubing, fishing, swimming , and camping . A popular swimming area by the Stillwater Bridge in Deerfield has waterside cliffs up to forty feet high that swimmers jump from; this activity is tolerated but not condoned. There are two sections of the river for whitewater paddling: the Fife Brook section for class II and III paddlers, and

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312-401: The average family size was 2.94. In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 21.8% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 25.3% from 25 to 44, 25.1% from 45 to 64, and 19.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.3 males. The median income for a household in the CDP

338-745: The close of the war, many Pocumtuck, Nipmuc, and other tribes fled to Schaghticoke , a village on the Hudson River . They remained there until the outbreak of the Seven Years' War in 1754, when most joined and merged into the Abenaki tribes at Saint-François-du-Lac, Quebec or moved further west. Among the members of the Pocumtuck tribe was Chief Wawanotewat (1670–ca. 1750), better known as Gray Lock . A famous warrior, he led Abenaki bands into Massachusetts after most of his followers had left

364-558: The conclusion of NEGT's Chapter 11 bankruptcy and liquidation of the assets of the USGen subsidiary in 2005. In 1994, an agreement on relicensing the various dams with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and the Massachusetts and Vermont state authorities that regulate water quality led to comprehensive coordinated water release and power generation schedules to enable more recreational use of

390-493: The early 1970s in conjunction with the development of the Bear Swamp Pumped Storage facility. This facility acts as a battery for power generated during times of low demand. By using excess electricity to pump water to the top of the mountain, where a reservoir was created by building levees around an existing high swamp, energy is stored. When electrical demand is higher (usually midday or afternoon/evening)

416-737: The handle was an ergonomic improvement over straight-handled scythes. Three years later he partnered with two of his sons and with Abel Goodnow to found Lamson & Goodnow, a knife manufacturing company, in Shelburne Falls. By the time of the Civil War, the company employed more than 500 workers, making it one of the largest cutlery companies in the United States. The company exists in the 21st century as Lamson, with an outlet store in Shelburne Falls. The Deerfield River bisects Shelburne Falls, and Massaemett Mountain rises east of

442-835: The new disease and suffered high fatalities. In addition, they lost tribal members due to taking part in wars among the Dutch, English, French, and their respective Native American allies. The Pocumtuck were originally allied with the Tunxis and Narragansett against Chief Uncas of the Mohegan and the Pequot . All these tribes united against the English colonists with the Wampanoag Confederacy in King Philip's War . At

468-407: The population. There were 815 households, out of which 27.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.3% were married couples living together, 12.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.7% were non-families. 34.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and

494-555: The river, with minimum water flow measures to mitigate the dam impact on riverine habitat. A 260-foot-tall (79 m) dam was proposed for the Stillwater section of the river in Deerfield in the mid to late twentieth century. Local opposition helped to defeat the proposal. Gardners Falls Deerfield #2 The hydroelectric development of the Deerfield River began in 1910 when the New England Power Company

520-544: The river. The great descent of the river of nearly 1,100 feet over 50 miles furnished water power at many places. Several streams nearly as large as the main river enter the Deerfield River from the north. Among its tributaries is the Green River . There are 10 dams on the Deerfield, owned by three different electric utilities: The various hydroelectric facilities were purchased from National Energy & Gas Transmission, Inc. (NEGT) subsidiary USGen New England, Inc. at

546-458: The state. There is a tradition that states that Mount Greylock in the Berkshires is named for him, (or that it was named for the grey clouds that surround the peak during the winter). The Pocumtucks are mentioned in the H. P. Lovecraft novella The Dunwich Horror as the presumed builders of the stone circles in the hills around Dunwich . Deerfield River Deerfield River is

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572-540: The village. According to the United States Census Bureau , the CDP has a total area of 6.8 km (2.6 mi ), of which 6.6 km (2.5 mi ) is land and 0.3 km (0.1 mi ) (3.79%) is water. Shelburne Falls is served by Massachusetts Route 2 , also known as the Mohawk Trail , as well as Routes 2A and 112 , the former being the main route through the village. As of

598-478: The water from the upper reservoir can be released through the turbines (which act as pumps in reverse) to meet demand. The third commercial nuclear reactor in the United States was built in the town of Rowe, Massachusetts , on the banks of the Deerfield River by Sherman Reservoir. Known as " Yankee Rowe ", it generated electricity for New England from 1960 to 1992. The eastern entrance of the Hoosac Tunnel

624-643: Was $ 36,333, and the median income for a family was $ 41,250. Males had a median income of $ 32,403 versus $ 26,534 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $ 18,367. About 7.4% of families and 10.1% of the population were below the poverty line , including 9.5% of those under age 18 and 9.6% of those age 65 or over. Notable sites include: Sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places include: Television shows produced in Shelburne Falls: In May 2007, selectmen from

650-649: Was an R-dialect of the Algonquian language family, most likely related to the Wappinger and nearby Mahican tribes of the Hudson River Valley . The Pocumtuc people likely led lifestyles similar to neighboring tribes in New England . They would have engaged in semi-sedentary agriculture of maize , beans , and squash . They also hunted game and fished in the Connecticut River, which served as

676-410: Was formed to acquire water rights on the Deerfield and construct dams. The largest dam, Harriman, was built in the early 1920s and has an unusual overflow structure known as the "Glory Hole." This structure is a funnel-like concrete tube that leads to a tunnel under the earthen dam and prevents high flows from overtopping the dam. The last dam built on the Deerfield was Fife Brook Dam, which was built in

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