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The Pioneer Valley is a region consisting of the three counties that the Connecticut River passes through in Western Massachusetts, and especially those towns that are in the lowlands of the Connecticut River Valley. A county is a Land area of Regional Government within a larger State. The Connecticut River is the largest River in New England, flowing south from the Connecticut Lakes in northern New Hampshire, along the border Western Massachusetts is a loosely defined geographical region of the U The Connecticut River Valley stretches from the New Hampshire and Quebec border to Long Island Sound on the Connecticut coast A group of businessmen interested in promoting tourism gave the name to the region in 1939.

Contents

Geology

The Pioneer Valley covers approximately the second lowest quarter of the Connecticut River Valley, an ancient Rift Valley created by the breakup of the supercontinent Pangea along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge during the Triassic and Jurassic periods of the Mesozoic Era. The Connecticut River Valley stretches from the New Hampshire and Quebec border to Long Island Sound on the Connecticut coast A rift valley is a linear-shaped lowland between highlands or mountain ranges created by the action of a geologic Rift or fault. In Geology, a supercontinent is a Landmass comprising more than one Continental core or Craton. Pangaea, Pangæa or Pangea (pænˈdʒiːə from παν pan, meaning entire, and Γαῖα Gaea, meaning Earth in The Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR is a Mid-ocean ridge, a Divergent tectonic plate boundary located along the floor of the Atlantic Ocean. The Triassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about 251 to 199 Ma (million years ago The Jurassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about Ma (million years ago to  Ma that is from the end of the Triassic to the beginning The Mesozoic Era is one of three geologic eras of the Phanerozoic eon. The Connecticut River has been flowing through the Valley for millions of years, and was dammed to form glacial lake Hitchcock during the last ice age. The Connecticut River is the largest River in New England, flowing south from the Connecticut Lakes in northern New Hampshire, along the border A glacial lake is a Lake with origins in a melted Glacier. Glacial lakes can be green as a result of pulverized minerals ( Rock flour) that support Lake Hitchcock was a glacial lake that formed approximately 15000 years ago in the late Pleistocene epoch

Geologically interesting parts of the valley are the basalt flows and dinosaur tracks in South Hadley, a chain of basaltic traprock ridges along the ancient tectonic rift including the Mount Holyoke and Mount Tom ranges, layers of rock deposit laid down by the river, and the Lake Hitchcock varves and deltas. Basalt (bəˈsɔːlt ˈbeisɔːlt ˈbæsɔːlt is a common Extrusive Volcanic rock. The Connecticut River Valley trackways are the fossilised footprints of a number of Late Triassic Dinosaurs from the Sandstone beds of South Hadley South Hadley is a town in Hampshire County Massachusetts, United States Mount Holyoke a Traprock mountain peak elevation, is the western-most peak of the Holyoke Range and part of the 100-mile (160 km Metacomet Ridge Mount Tom may refer to any of 42 mountains in the United States including Mount Tom (California Mount Tom (Connecticut Lake Hitchcock was a glacial lake that formed approximately 15000 years ago in the late Pleistocene epoch A varve is an annual layer of Sediment or Sedimentary rock. The word 'varve' is derived from the Swedish word varv whose A delta is a Landform where the mouth of a River flows into an Ocean, Sea, Estuary, Lake or another river

Political geography

The Connecticut River, looking southward from Mount Sugarloaf in Deerfield.
The Connecticut River, looking southward from Mount Sugarloaf in Deerfield. The Connecticut River is the largest River in New England, flowing south from the Connecticut Lakes in northern New Hampshire, along the border Sugarloaf Mountain State Reservation, managed by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation is located in Deerfield Massachusetts, just west Deerfield is a town in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States.

The river valley and the neighboring Hill Towns comprise the entirety of the Pioneer Valley. Western Massachusetts is a loosely defined geographical region of the U

Franklin County

The rural Franklin County is the most rural county of Massachusetts. Franklin County is a non-governmental County located in the U Greenfield is the largest municipality. Greenfield is a city in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States.

Hampshire County

Hampshire County is the home of five prominent colleges. Hampshire County is a non-governmental County located in the U Significant municipalites are Northampton and Amherst. Northampton is a city in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. Amherst is a town in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States in the Connecticut River valley

Hampden County

The mostly urban Hampden County is dominated by the cities of Springfield, Chicopee, Westfield, and Holyoke (listed in order of population). Hampden County is a non-governmental County located in the Pioneer Valley of the U Springfield is a City in and the County seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. Chicopee (ˈtʃɪkəpi is a city located on the Connecticut River in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States of America. Westfield is a city in Hampden County, in the Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts, United States.

Demographics

Ethnicity

The ethnic and racial diversity varies greatly between urban and rural areas. Although long predominantly European-American, the region is rapidly growing in non-European diversity in urban areas, notably in Latino population. Among the European-American community, the population reflects the British Isles background of the original settlers and the immigrant population through the late-1800s, with large numbers of individuals with backgrounds of Irish, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, French Canadian, and Greek heritage. The Latino community has a significant Puerto Rican community. Amherst is home to the largest number of Asian-Americans, as well as South and East Asians. . Russian and Ukrainian immigrants from the former Soviet Union are increasing in Springfield and surrounding communities.

Educational institutions

The most well-known are the members of the Five Colleges consortium:

Other four-year colleges include:

Dedicated Graduate Schools include:

Community colleges in the area include:

In addition, there are private middle and high schools in the area, including:

History


Culture

The Pioneer Valley is sometimes known to its inhabitants as "Happy Valley", but more typically residents refer to it simply as "the Valley. The Five Colleges comprises four liberal arts colleges and one University in the Connecticut River Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts Amherst College is a private liberal arts college in Amherst, Massachusetts, USA. Hampshire College is a private liberal arts college located in Amherst, Massachusetts. Mount Holyoke College is a liberal arts women's college in South Hadley, Massachusetts. Smith College is a private, independent women's liberal arts college located in Northampton Massachusetts. The University of Massachusetts Amherst (otherwise known as UMass Amherst, Massachusetts, or UMass) is a research and Land-grant university in American International College is a private co-educational liberal-arts college located in the Mason Square neighborhood of Springfield Massachusetts. Bay Path College is a private women's college that is located in Longmeadow Massachusetts. Elms College also known as Our Lady of the Elms is a co-educational private catholic College located in Chicopee Massachusetts, about 2 miles north of downtown Springfield Springfield College is a College located in Springfield, Massachusetts. Western New England College is a private independent coeducational college founded in 1919 Westfield State College at 577 Western Avenue in Westfield, Massachusetts, USA, is a small liberal arts college located about 20 minutes from Springfield The Conway School of Landscape Design (CSLD founded in 1972 is a unique graduate program located on a campus in Conway Massachusetts. A community college is a type of Educational institution. The term has different meanings in different countries Greenfield Community College is a two-year Community College in Greenfield Massachusetts. Holyoke Community College ( HCC) is a state-funded public two-year Community college located in Holyoke Massachusetts. Springfield Technical Community College better known as STCC (pronounced "stick" by locals is a two-year Community college in Springfield Massachusetts Deerfield Academy is a private, Coeducational Boarding school located in Deerfield Massachusetts. Northfield Mount Hermon School (NMH is a ninth-twelfth grade private college preparatory school located near the Connecticut River in the town of Gill, The Williston Northampton School, or " Williston," is a private Co-educational preparatory school in Easthampton Massachusetts Quick Stats • Classical education with core requirements in English Latin history mathematics foreign language (four years and science • Emphasis on Community Cathedral High School is a Catholic College-preparatory High School in Springfield Massachusetts. " It is the "valley full o' Pioneer" in "the sleepy west of the woody east" of which the Pixies sang in the song "UMass. Pixies are an American Alternative rock band formed in Boston Massachusetts in 1986 "

Art

Valley residents also have a love of arts, both visual and performing, as demonstrated by numerous art galleries, countless theaters and performances, the residencies of both Dr. Seuss and Eric Carle in the valley, the visual Dr. Seuss Memorial in Springfield, and the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art. Theodor Seuss Geisel (ˈsɔɪs ˈɡaɪzəl March 2 1904 – September 24 1991 was an American Writer and Cartoonist, better known by his pen name Eric Carle (born June 25, 1929 The Dr Seuss National Memorial is a Sculpture garden located at The Quadrangle in Springfield Massachusetts, honoring the American children's The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art is a museum devoted to the Art contained in Picture books and especially Children's books

Local media

Independent bookstores

"Of the many quirks in the Montague Bookmill, a bookstore and cafe just outside Amherst and Northampton, perhaps the most serendipitous are on its bathroom walls."—The Boston Globe, 2005
"Of the many quirks in the Montague Bookmill, a bookstore and cafe just outside Amherst and Northampton, perhaps the most serendipitous are on its bathroom walls. Predvestnik ( Forerunner) is a Russian language newspaper published in the Pioneer Valley, Massachusetts. "—The Boston Globe, 2005

The New York Times noted that

while this charming pocket of the state, known as the Pioneer Valley, may be wild turkey country, as well as the approach to Vermont ski country, it's also used-book country. Our three-day visit was dedicated to browsing and buying amid the valley's rich and collegial network of bookshops and private dealers. More members of the Massachusetts and Rhode Island Antiquarian Booksellers (36) are to be found in this area than in bookish Greater Boston (25).

– [1]

with an independent bookstore in almost every town, several small publishers, and countless local authors, the Valley could well be counted as a reader's paradise. Amherst has at least four bookstores, South Hadley has at least one notable bookstore (The Odyssey Bookshop). The Odyssey Bookshop is an Independent bookstore in South Hadley Massachusetts. Since the late 1980s, Montague has had the Bookmill, and the World Eye Bookshop is in its 40th year in Greenfield. The Bookmill (sometimes "The Book Mill" is an Independent bookstore in Montague Northampton has least four independent bookstores. One of the more popular, Raven Used Books, features a wide variety of titles and subjects. [2]

Recreation

Economy

The Pioneer Valley has a broadly varied economic base.

Franklin County

Franklin County in the north serves as a significant agricultural region despite its size, due to the rich topsoil found in the area. Franklin County is a non-governmental County located in the U Topsoil is the upper outermost layer of soil usually the top 2 to 8 inches The valley's sweet corn and asparagus are considered, especially among New Englanders to be some of the world's finest. Sweet corn ( Zea mays var rugosa) also called indian corn, sweetcorn, sugar corn, pole corn, or simply corn Asparagus officinalis is a flowering plant species in the genus Asparagus from which the Vegetable known as asparagus is obtained History See also History of New England New England's earliest inhabitants were Algonquian -speaking Native Americans including the Cow Corn, potatoes, and shade-grown tobacco are also major crops. Maize (ˈmeɪz ( Zea mays L. ssp mays) known as corn in some countries is a cereal grain domesticated in Mesoamerica The potato is a Starchy Tuberous crop Vegetable from the perennial Solanum tuberosum of the Solanaceae Tobacco is an Agricultural product recognized as an addictive drug processed from the fresh Leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. Fields of all sort, particularly corn and tobacco fields, as well as numerous farmhouses and tobacco barns dot the landscape. Light industry is concentrated in the town of South Deerfield and the city of Greenfield, while service industries exist throughout the county. Increasingly Franklin County is becoming a place of bedroom communities, with the major transportation routes of Interstate 91, Route 2, and U. S. Route 5 facilitating a boom in residential building that has not kept pace with commercial development in many of the county's towns.

The Hallmark Institute of Photography is located in Turners Falls. Turners Falls is a Census-designated place in the town of Montague in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States.

Two major corporations, Channing Bete and Yankee Candle, are headquartered in South Deerfield and Greenfield. The Yankee Candle Company is the largest US manufacturer of scented Candles. South Deerfield is a Census-designated place (CDP in Deerfield, Franklin County Massachusetts, Massachusetts, United States. Greenfield is a city in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. Both communities have been had controversial zoning issues surrounding permitting variances to build big box stores such as Wal-Mart. Big-box store is a term that refers to a style of physically large Chain store, and by extension to the company behind the store Wal-Mart Stores Inc (or Walmart as written in its new logo is an American public corporation that runs a chain of large discount department stores Greenfield received national attention when its decision prevented Wal-Mart from building a store in town. Greenfield is a city in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. Wal-Mart Stores Inc (or Walmart as written in its new logo is an American public corporation that runs a chain of large discount department stores

The county also garners tourism due to such attractions as Historic Deerfield (which hosts a craft fair in the summer and an even larger and more popular fall craft fair) , and a Butterfly Garden located in South Deerfield. Historic Deerfield is an open-air museum dedicated to the heritage and preservation of Deerfield Massachusetts and the Connecticut River Valley with museums and programs that provide A butterfly is an Insect of the order Lepidoptera. Like all Lepidoptera butterflies are notable for their unusual life cycle with a The annual arrival of thousands of American and foreign tourists to observe the area's spectacular autumn foliage is a welcome boost to revenue.

Hampshire County

With the Five Colleges, Hampshire County has a significant part of its economy devoted to serving college students, including numerous independent bookstores and stationery shops. The Five Colleges comprises four liberal arts colleges and one University in the Connecticut River Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts

The area is also home to many restaurants, ranging in class from sports bars to steakhouses. A bar (also called a Pub or Tavern) is a business that serves drinks especially Alcoholic beverages such as beer liquor and mixed drinks for consumption thumb|right|200px|The Big Texan - Amarillo Texas steakhouse A steakhouse (or steak house) is a Restaurant that specializes in Beef Steaks Northampton (also known to some as Hamp and others as NoHo) is the culinary capital of Western Massachusetts as well as having a reputation as a lesbian Mecca. Northampton is a city in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. The practice of adding candy, crushed cookies, and nuts to ice cream was invented by Steve Herrell, proprietor of Herrell's ice cream parlor in Northampton. Ice cream or ice-cream (originally iced cream) is a frozen dessert made from Dairy products such as Milk and Cream, combined

With the exception of New England-based supermarkets (Big Y, Stop & Shop, Pricechopper), almost all of the big-box retailers in Hampshire County are located in the town of Hadley where the Hampshire Mall and the Mountain Farms Mall are located. Customer divider barjpg|thumb|In supermarkets sellers periodically change prices for classes of goods in response to market conditions rather than negotiating the price of each good Hadley is a town in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. Hampshire Mall is a one-story Shopping mall in Hadley Massachusetts, United States, with approximately 55 stores owned by the The Pyramid Companies Mountain Farms Mall is a one-story Shopping mall in Hadley Massachusetts, United States, with approximately 12 stores Save for Hadley, and perhaps Northampton, the rest of the region is a land of "mom and pop" stores and a spattering of chain convenience stores. A convenience store is a small store or shop. They are often located alongside busy roads or at gas/petrol stations.

Hampden County

With most of the large cities in Western Massachusetts, Hampden County generally has a more commercial-industrial economy than anywhere else in the region, a land of big-box retailers and heavy industry.

Tourism is also popular, particularly from the rest of New England, due to the museums at The Quadrangle, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, the Springfield Symphony Orchestra, and CityStage in Springfield, and attractions such as The Big E in the town of West Springfield, and Six Flags New England in Agawam. History See also History of New England New England's earliest inhabitants were Algonquian -speaking Native Americans including the The Quadrangle is the heart of the city of Springfield Massachusetts ' cultural community The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, located in downtown Springfield Massachusetts, honors players who have shown exceptional skill at Basketball The Springfield Symphony Orchestra is an Orchestra based in Springfield Massachusetts. Springfield is a City in and the County seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. The Big E, also known as The Eastern States Exposition, is billed as " New England 's Great State Fair " The Town of West Springfield is a city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. Six Flags New England, or SFNE, is a Theme park in the Six Flags chain of parks named for the New England region in which it is located The Town of Agawam is a city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. The Holyoke Mall at Ingleside in Holyoke, Memorial Drive in Chicopee, Riverdale Street (often referred to by locals as "Riverdale Road") in West Springfield, and Boston Road in Springfield are popular destinations for shopping. The Holyoke Mall at Ingleside is a Shopping mall located in Holyoke Massachusetts that serves the Springfield Massachusetts metropolitan area Chicopee (ˈtʃɪkəpi is a city located on the Connecticut River in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States of America. The Town of West Springfield is a city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. Springfield is a City in and the County seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States.

Outlying towns such as Tolland are sparsely populated and close enough to the Berkshires that outdoor activities such as camping make up a large part of their economy. Tolland is a town in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. Please note that this article on the Berkshires is about a geologic and cultural region in the United States for other uses see Berkshire (disambiguation Wilderness is generally defined as a Natural environment on Earth that has not been significantly modified by Human activity Definition Camping describes a range of activities Survivalist campers set off with little more than their boots whereas Recreational vehicle travelers arrive equipped

Conservation

Appreciation of the natural environs is a big part of the Valley life, with numerous non-profit nature sanctuaries, as well as state and municipal parks and forests. Because of the considerable natural and cultural resources of the Pioneer Valley, state environmental agencies have made a substantial investment in protecting undeveloped land in the region, particularly along the Connecticut River, and in the mostly rural 'hilltowns' to its west. Government conservation efforts have targeted wildlife and rare plant habitat, recreational sites and corridors including the Metacomet-Monadnock Trail, and the very rich agricultural soils in farming towns such as Hadley, Massachusetts. This topic is about the footpath located in Massachusetts and New Hampshire Hadley is a town in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. Their efforts have been augmented and assisted by local and regional conservation land trusts, and state-wide and national conservation organizations. A land trust is an agreement whereby one party (the trustee agrees to hold ownership of a piece of real property for the benefit of another party (the beneficiary Many of these organizations also protect additional land through direct ownership of conservation areas and land held under conservation easement. In the United States, a conservation easement is an Encumbrance &mdash sometimes including a transfer of usage rights ( Easement) &mdash which creates Many municipalities in the area also have conservation holdings, usually under the aegis of the community's 'conservation commission', the appointed body which also applies local and state environmental regulations, or held as part of local water supply systems.

One notable area consists of Mount Tom State Reservation, Mount Holyoke Range State Park, and Skinner State Park , which, joined with the 600-acre Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary held by the Massachusetts Audubon Society, form a long wildlife corridor stretching across the Connecticut River. The Massachusetts Audubon Society founded in 1896 and headquartered in Lincoln Massachusetts is a nonprofit organization dedicated to "Protecting the nature of Massachusetts

References

  1. ^ Hellman, Peter (1998): "WEEKEND EXCURSION; Every Town Is One for the Books. " The New York Times, March 13, 1998[1]

See also

External links

Massachusetts, the 7th smallest state in the United States, is bordered on the north by New Hampshire and Vermont Western Massachusetts is a loosely defined geographical region of the U Sugarloaf Mountain State Reservation, managed by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation is located in Deerfield Massachusetts, just west
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