Southwick's Board of Selectmen held a special town meeting in Consolidated School's auditorium at 7:30 p.m. on December 20, 1950. Articles up for vote included authorizing the board to purchase roughly 10 acres of land on College Highway from the heirs of the late Walter Stenstrom to expand the town's cemetery. Walter's mother, Johanna Marie ("Maria"), his younger sister, Margit, and his older brother, Edward, had no use for the property since they lived in New York. Back on September 15, Edward visited Walter's home. Not finding his brother in the house, he checked the barn outback and saw his brother's body hanging from the rafters. The medical examiner estimated that Walter had been dead for about six hours. He ruled the cause of death as suicide by hanging. Walter was only 47. The vote to expand the cemetery passed. (The sale did not include Walter's house and barn.) In 1949, Walter's wife, Sophie Rose (Simcak), filed for divorce. Sophie cl...

William Smith of Westfield, Massachusetts, went to Walker Wright's house in neighboring Southwick on Sunday, February 5, 1854. He traveled there with a man named Brooks, who lived with him. The men brought a quart of gin, taking two or three swigs along the way. In anticipation of seeing some rabbits in the woods, William also brought his musket. When they arrived at Wright's home, William placed his musket in the corner and sent for a pint of brandy. The drinking continued. Three unknown Irishmen arrived at Wright's house. The men had been drinking. As one of the men picked up the gun, Brooks said, "Smith, you better take care of your musket. It is loaded." As William started towards the man to retrieve his gun, it fired. The charge hit William's side, just below his arm, killing him instantly. Everyone was so drunk that they did not realize what had happened, except for the Irishmen, who fled, taking the musket with them. On Monday afternoon, someone discove...

Patrick Leonard was born in Ireland. He came to America and eventually settled in New Haven, Connecticut, where he worked for ice company Upson & Granniss.   In 1891, he traveled to Southwick, Massachusetts, to work on a new ice house his company was building. On July 26, Patrick was drinking heavily, as he was known to do. His son Thomas locked him in a hotel's shed, as he had done before, to stop him from drinking. About two hours later, the shed went up in flames. When the fire was out, folks found Patrick's charred remains among the glowing ruins of the shed. It is unclear how the fire started. Investigators first suspected Patrick's pipe caused the fire, but they found it some distance away from his body. The medical examiner ordered an inquest into Patrick's death. At a hearing on August 12, witness testimony removed all suspicion of foul play. The judge determined that smoking was more than likely the cause of the blaze. If you enjoyed this story, plea...

After the Crystal Ballroom at Balch's Beach closed, it became the second incarnation of the Brass Rail, managed by Louis "Gino" Boccasile, who also ran The Old Post Office Cafe in Springfield. The new location also brought a new name: Gino's Brass Rail, which held its grand opening on Thursday, May 27, 1937.  The customer entrance of Gino's new Brass Rail faced Point Grove Road, and there were two side exit doors, one facing west and the other east. Windows along the back and on the side of the building provided spectacular views of Middle Pond. Due to the building's location, patrons were treated to refreshing lake breezes and crosswinds when the doors and windows were open, giving Gino one leg up on his competition, which there was a lot of with the lake being a popular tourist destination, flooded with folks escaping the summer heat and those looking for a good time. The Brass Rail first opened on a seasonal basis. It quickly became known for its authentic ...

Charles Cushing Jr. A man found Charles B. Cushing Jr. unconscious on the side of a partially paved road in Monson, Massachusetts, on July 12, 1949. Upon closer look, he noticed that he had cuts on his face. He summoned help, who took Charles to a local hospital. Doctors treated his injuries and admitted him due to a brain concussion. Investigators believe that Charles was riding his motorcycle down the road when he hit a hole and lost control of the bike. They estimated that the motorcycle traveled about 125 feet before slamming into a wall and throwing Charles about another 20 feet. Charles served in the United States Army for about five years. Stationed in Japan, he returned home after being discharged in 1953-4. During his enlistment, Charles reportedly tried committing suicide several times and underwent a psychiatric evaluation in Italy. Charles's neighbors said he was never the same after returning from the Korean War. In February or March 1954, he asked Dorothy A. Warner to...

While chopping wood near the Southwick-Granby town line on March 7, 1913, a man in Peter T. Malone's employ found a man's skeleton frozen in ice and snow. Near the skeleton, he saw remnants of clothing (a black shirt and dark trousers) but no shoes or hat. The woodchopper reported his findings to police officers in Connecticut. They determined that the skeleton was in neighboring Southwick, Massachusetts, and notified selectmen there since it was out of their jurisdiction. Southwick Selecman H. L. Miller and Dr. Edward Smith, a medical examiner from Westfield, Massachusetts, were among those who viewed the skeletal remains. While searching the woods for clues, they found a skull with the lower jaw bone missing some distance away. They also found pieces of a suspender shaped like a noose and fragments of a handkerchief. And, looking up at the tree above the skeleton, they saw pieces of the same handkerchief hanging off a branch. They also saw other pieces of a suspender dangling...

Walter Dobbins bought the Southwick Hotel (today's Southwick Inn) in 1884. Authorities arrested him on at least two occasions for illegal liquor sales.  Walter fell severely ill sometime around 1887-8. His recovery was slow, possibly prompting him to sell the Southwick Hotel to Henry Smith in February 1888. The $5,400 sale included the hotel, farm, outbuildings, and furnishings. Walter fully recovered and bought the Lake House, at Southwick Ponds, later that same year.   The Lake House The Lake House was located on Lake Road (today's Congamond Road), across from Saunders Boat Livery, about where the now-closed Franklin House is today. It was about a two-minute walk from the Congamond Station, eliminating the need to hire a carriage. The Lake House dates back to the late 1800s and was a charming and popular venue for its grand clambakes and other family-friendly events in its grove, which had a dance floor. However, the Lake House underwent a dramatic transformation. It was...