Wednesday, July 28, 2021

Days 63-66: Traveling Through Westfield, MA

Taking a mile per day, making slow progress from 153 Russell Road in Westfield, at the one-mile mark I pass a double set of apartment buildings, each having two bedroom apartments. They are most likely designed to accomodate students who go to Westfield State University, which is nearby. Below is a photo of the apartment buildings at 472 Russell Road, or US 20.  And as you can see from the satellite image, the university is right across the road (although you can't drive to it from there). 

Westfield State seems like a nice school with many different majors that is probably less expensive than some other area schools. 


Saturday, July 10, 2021

Day 62: One mile down US 20 to 153 Russell Road, Westfield, MA

Well, I'm taking the slow route today, going one mile for each hour that I have practiced. One mile down US 20 from the Family Dollar store gets me to 153 Russell Road (or 153 US 20), where Robert J. Hinckley and his wife Melisa live. They own their little 984 square foot house and 23.5 acres of land, part of which is fronting US 20. There they have (at least until 2019) a nice little produce stand where they sell vegetables and, as you can see from the photo on the left, pumpkins in the fall. I have not been able to ascertain whether or not the business is still open currently. I hope it is, though. It looks like a nice little farm stand that at the time was called Hinckley Harvest Farms. The house was built in 1900 and was most recently sold in 1998. That was also the year Robert Hinckley lost his father; perhaps an inheritence allowed the Hinckleys to buy this house.  

Westfield was settled in the late 17th century as a part of the Massachusetts Colony. Here is a link to an interesting website that gives the history of the town and some of its historical buildings: Westfield History. There is also a college in the town: Westfield State University.