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Over the Hoosac Tunnel, Mohawk Trail, Mass.

(c) Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, Deerfield MA. All rights reserved.
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Elisha Hawley, a commander at Fort Adams in Massachusetts, probably surveyed a road built in 1753 that connected the fort with the Hudson River in New York. By 1787, Hawley's route had become a chartered turnpike with stage service. The Mohawk Trail in Massachusetts is the name given to the approximately 40-mile section of this road, now Route 2, which runs from Greenfield to North Adams, Massachusetts. The improved highway in this postcard was built between 1912 and 1914, over the already-existing road. The Trail attracted many early motorists such as those pictured here. Drivers could enjoy panoramic views and scenes of "natural" beauty. At the same time, they could celebrate the industrial and technological achievements of the period, including the road they traveled on and the automobiles in which they traveled. This part of the Trail passes over the Hoosac Tunnel, an engineering marvel of the period.

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