The first half of the 20th century had passed, and more changes were emerging in the farmed areas. The suburban towns were growing, and the post-World War II baby boom was creating a demand for new family homes, supplanting previously farmed acreage, especially in cities and larger towns.
One consistent element of the Holyoke Farm Machinery Company was its annual John Deere Farmers Day celebration. In the 1950s, contests were held, such as the tallest cornstalk competition, as well as the usual handing out of souvenirs, pamphlets, a luncheon get-together, half a dozen farm movies, and informational sessions. The event was held from 10 A.M. to 4 P. M. to avoid interfering with cow milking sessions. 1,500 invitations were sent out annually to area farms, with farmers attending within a 35-mile radius of Holyoke
Farmers gathered to view the latest motorized farm equipment manufactured by the John Deere Company. Farm equipment had advanced significantly. A farmer from Southampton, Massachusetts, purchased a Model A rubber-tired tractor in 1951. In 1930, the same farmer had bought a steel-wheeled general-purpose tractor. The wheels had 5-inch spikes, which damaged roadways.
Another time-saving device was the introduction of a vacuum cleaner with four attachments for cleaning dirt from cows and other livestock.
The venue for the annual event was Kosciuszko Hall at 121 Lyman Street. The heavy equipment was placed in the outside yard for viewing. Farmers attended from Southwick to Greenfield, Massachusetts, covering the valley's three counties.
The store also provided expert advice to help farmers address issues they were experiencing.
In 1952, Louis Paradysz was elected President of the Western Massachusetts Farm Equipment Dealers Club.
The 1952 John Deere event featured tractors, cultivators, plows, front-end loaders, bulldozers, and manure spreaders for the 400 in attendance.
The winds in the farming industry were blowing north. In 1953, Holyoke Farm Machinery Company purchased 60 acres of land on Route 9 in Hadley. Urban areas were seeing a reduction in the number of farms, and the land from Hadley and Northampton along the Connecticut River, north to Vermont, was prime for farming.
In 1953, the 111-115 High Street store closed in favor of the 2-4 Division Street location.
In 1955, Andrew Dubiel, long a partner in the business who had retired several years earlier, died at age 80. In 1908, he purchased the four-story building at 111-115 High Street from Robert Sanderson, which subsequently became the home of the Holyoke Farm Machinery Company.
In January 1916, the City of Holyoke sent property taking notices to 12 real estate owners along Division Street. This was a legal step toward the owners' eviction in an eminent domain proceeding. One of the property owners was Louis Paradysz, who owned the 2-4 Division Street building used by the business. The city planned to demolish the buildings to construct an off-street parking lot on both sides of Division Street, capable of holding 208 cars.
On March 1, 1956, Holyoke Farm Equipment Company vacated its Division Street space and moved all its equipment to the Hadley store. The alternative was to pay the city $300 per month in the interim. This marked the end of the business's 33-year presence in Holyoke.
In November 1956, a settlement was reached, in which Mr. Paradysz was awarded $41,468 for the Division Street property. The business continued in Hadley until a liquidation sale was held in September 1960.
Interestingly, in 1963, the state of Massachusetts offered Mr. Paradysz $8,500 when 21 of his 60 acres of land in Hadley were taken by eminent domain for the Route 116 bypass off Route 9. Mr. Paradysz protested the low value, pursued legal action, and was awarded $50,000 plus interest by a jury. Days later, Mr. Paradysz died on June 25, 1963.
For one who was born and raised in Holyoke, it is still a challenge to fathom that Holyoke was the center of a valley-wide farm machinery business in the mid-20th century. But it was so, and this was a great story and a pleasant learning experience.
Citations:
Newspapers.com (paid subscription): Citations: Holyoke (Massachusetts) Transcript & Transcript-Telegram; Springfield (Massachusetts) Republican; publication dates and pages are shown.
Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System, Boston, Massachusetts
Ancestry.com (paid subscription): Price & Lee Holyoke, Massachusetts, City Directories
Hampden County Registry of Deeds, Springfield, Massachusetts
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