Days 39-45: Heading to Wilbraham, Massachusetts

This week I practiced for nine hours, so that takes me nine more miles down US 20, heading west. Starting at house on the corner of US 20 and Dunhamtown Rd in Monson, MA, I end at a cute little diner in Wilbraham, Massachusetts, called The Fabulous Fifties Diner, at 2650 Boston Road (US 20) where I'll take a break.

Meanwhile, however, there are some interesting sights along the route. Palmer is the first town I encounter on my trek, and I very quickly cross the Quaboag River, a 26-mile long river that flows from Brookfield to Three Rivers, MA. Below is a pic and some historical information, taken from Wikipedia. 

"The river receives its name from Quaboag Pond, an Indian name meaning "red-water" (place or pond). At one time, this pond was called Podunk Pond. Early industry started along the Quaboag River downstream from West Brookfield, where the river started a 300-foot (91 m) change in elevation, providing significant waterpower. Major heavy industry was located in Warren, Massachusetts, because of the available waterpower from the river. Many of the dams on the river, used to provide waterpower, were destroyed during floods and not repaired or replaced. Parts of them remain, providing a hint of the river’s industrial past."

These days, the river is known as a good place for kayak paddling and fly fishing. This fun video, Quaboag River at 4 Ft, shows the videographer enjoying some paddling when the water was low, with some nice jazz music accompanying.

Palmer was first settled in 1716 by a man named John King, who came from England. He settled on the banks of the Quaboag River. Throughout the 18th century Palmer's name changed a few times, for a while being called Kingsfield after the town's first resident. The name Palmer came from a Chief Justice. The town was incorporated in 1775. It had a population of 12,140 in 2010, according to the census of that year. One of Palmer's claims to fame is its railroad depot, Union Station, designed by a famous architect, Henry Hobson Richardson, and its grounds were designed by Frederick Law Olmstead, who designed Central Park.

Passing through Palmer, I pass a number of businesses familiar along US highways: gas stations, taverns, strip malls, cafes, fast-food restaurants, retailers of various kinds, and industrial parks. One such park in Palmer is the Mapletree Industrial Center. Two businesses there are somewhat interesting; one is Iberia Foods, which distributes ethnic foods of various kinds to wholesalers and independent retailers throughout the US. The other is Australian Natural Soap, which imports and distributes fancy soaps from Australia.

Moving along, I come at last to Wilbraham, a town that was named after a couple of very old towns in England. It was first settled in 1740, but before that was a part of a tract purchased in 1636 from the Nipmuc by William Pynchon, who founded Springfield, of which Wilbraham is now considered a suburb. More information about the town can be found in this Wikipedia article: Wilbraham. We are obviously in the Appalachian foothills. Below is a topographical map that shows the elevation of the Wilbraham Mountains, a group of hills of varying heights surrounding US 20 at about the center of town. The red dot marks the location of the Taproom Bar and Grill, a bar and eatery on US 20. To the northeast you can see I-90 angling through, roughly paralleling the highway.

Taken from TopoZone

Well, I'm about at my destination now, so I'll stop and take a break. The Fabulous 50s Diner is not open for dine-in service right now because of Covid-19, but I can order take-out and enjoy it sitting on the little stone wall in front.

Fabulous Fifties Diner in Wilbraham, MA

 See you next week!