Westfield Technical Academy librarian John Duval with Carmel Steger, president of the Friends of the Columbia Greenway Rail Trail.
Reminder Publishing submitted photo
WESTFIELD — Carmel Steger, president of the Friends of the Columbia Greenway Rail Trail met up with local author Robert Madison at the Westfield Technical Academy library last week to present a copy of his book to the school.
Madison, who lives in Feeding Hills, is the author of “The New Haven and Northampton Canal Greenway: Bike and Rail Trails Following the Historic Canal,” a rails-to-trails book whose roots originated from the longest canal system in New England. The book was published in 2016, and a copy is now in the library of every school in Westfield, thanks to the Friends of the Columbia Greenway Rail Trail.
“We got them out to all the schools. Westfield Technical Academy was the last one,” Steger said. She said the name of the whole distance of the rail trail that begins in New Haven and goes to Northampton, with some interruptions, is the New Haven to Northampton Canal Greenway. The Columbia Greenway Rail Trail is the Westfield portion.
The book details the history of the canals, boats and locks which delivered supplies and goods to the region before the railroads came in, bringing with them more commerce and passengers. Steger said in 1825, the builders of the Erie Canal came to Massachusetts to start working on the new canal.
The book is a comprehensive guide that includes trail maps, trailhead descriptions, attractions, distances and a little history of each of the 16 towns along with the history of the canal and the railroad. Included in the book are 16 watercolors by the author that blend the current view of the bike trails with the historic canal and railroad imaginings.
The Friends believe that so many individuals who are using the trail should know a little about the history behind it, Steger said. “People don’t think about the canal system in New England from Connecticut to Massachusetts. We want successive generations to know exactly what the rail trail is all about.”
Steger said students who are studying engineering for example would find fascinating how the canals and railroads were constructed. She said the book covers the history and current status of the canals and trains, and could also be useful for grant writing and for people identifying where the bike paths are.
She said the entire stretch from New Haven to Northampton is 87 miles, and is almost complete, with a few places in Connecticut, and locally, Southampton, that are not done.
“We just want to preserve the history of the Columbia Greenway Rail Trail and let people know that our trail is part of the longer system. We look forward to its completion, so people can ride uninterrupted from New Haven to Northampton,” Steger said.
“The New Haven and Northampton Canal Greenway: Bike and Rail Trails Following the Historic Canal” by Robert R. Madison, is also available for sale on Amazon.
