North Adams, MA - Local Historian Paul W. Marino has announced the next in his series of Walks for 2009, a walking tour of Main Street Walk, which he will lead on Sunday, July 19.
Lying on the track of the original Mohawk/Mahican Trail, Main Street predates North Adams by many, many years. It has been walked by soldiers of the third and fourth French and Indian Wars, the American Revolution, the Civil War and both World Wars, as well as by 95 of the most unusual strike breakers North Adams ever saw. Three of the city’s four major theaters fronted on Main Street. The first building in North Adams to have plate glass windows was on Main Street, and the first building erected on steel pilings still does. The Holiday Inn, North Adams’ only hotel, stands on a site that’s been occupied by a hotel since the community’s earliest days; another nearby hotel, demolished in 1912, housed the Post Office and one of the earliest theaters in town. Neither should anyone forget the high point of Main Street’s history, a Presidential visit to Monument Square.
Paul W. Marino is a life-long resident of North Adams. He has been leading cemetery walks and local history tours for more than fifteen years. He leads them with a sense of humor, a refined sense of showmanship and an eye toward historical accuracy, backing up what he says with photos, drawings and maps. He also encourages people to bring children on his walks. “Local history,” he says. “Is the story of where we come from as a community, and this is important information. It’s interesting to adults, but it’s essential for kids. They need to hear these stories.”
The Main Street Walk starts at 2:30pm at the west end of the street, past SubWay. Interested persons are advised to dress for the weather, wear a good pair of walking shoes, sun-block and a hat with a wide brim. They should carry a canteen or bottle of water, bring their own (or someone else’s) children, and be prepared to have their ears talked off. Rain or high wind cancels. For information, Marino can be reached at 1-413-207-1344.
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