The history of the Log Cabin Restaurant is synonymous with Edna Rebecca Spies Williams, its longtime proprietor.
Edna Rebecca Fountain Spies (birth record) was born in Holyoke on April 18, 1903, the daughter of Milton S. Spies and Edna S. (Fountain) Spies. Edna Williams, as she will be referred to hereafter in this account, attended Rosary School, was a graduate of Holyoke High School, Chicopee's Elms Academy in 1920, and the School of Arts and Sciences at the College of New Rochelle in 1924.
After completing her education, she worked for Macy's Department Store in New York City for three and a half years, the final six months in its executive development program. She then left her employment and returned to Holyoke during the Great Depression.
Together with her husband, Raymond Williams, she opened a roadside sandwich shop that seated 75 patrons in 1932. The log cabin-style building was constructed for her father, Milton S. Spies, by Rene Fleury of Easthampton. Milton S. Spies was a tailor and former alderman in Holyoke.
At the time, the land was owned by Edna S. Spies, Edna Williams's mother. Edna S. Spies had previously acquired the land from her spouse. Edna Williams signed a family-friendly 20-year lease for the land and restaurant building in 1932. The lease included an option for Edna Williams to purchase the property for $5,000 at any time during the 20-year lease period.
In 1932, Edna S. Spies also operated a farm stand about 100 yards east of the restaurant. The location of the original restaurant was described as being in the lower parking area of the latter-day Log Cabin along Easthampton Road.
On May 26, 1952, a major fire destroyed the restaurant. The blaze may have been connected to a burglary that was later discovered, with a typewriter and an adding machine missing from the charred remains. She temporarily relocated to the former Franklin Restaurant on the south side of Suffolk Street, below High Street. The restaurant at this location was renamed "The Edna Williams".
Edna Williams envisioned opening her new restaurant and inn at the former Mackintosh estate at 1913 Northampton Street. Route 5 was a heavily travelled road before Interstate 91, and the location would be highly visible to attract out-of-area diners and convenient for local residents.
The city refused a certificate of occupancy, and after a hearing and subsequent appeal were unsuccessful, the plan was abandoned. The project drew significant opposition from neighbors and the nearby Catholic church.
One idea had failed; however, a new plan was soon unveiled, which led to the next 40 years of the restaurant's famed history.
Citations:
Newspapers.com (paid subscription): Citations: Holyoke (Massachusetts) Transcript & Transcript-Telegram; publication dates and pages are shown.
Ancestry.com (paid subscription): Price & Lee Holyoke, Massachusetts, City Directories
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