Editing Bondsville, Massachusetts (section)

== History ==

Born in 1800 in [[Brimfield, Massachusetts]], Emelius Bond arrived in what would become Bondsville in 1830 and started a mill that utilized the water power of the Swift River.  The Bond Village Manufacturing Company was later granted the legal rights to the waters of the Swift River in 1846.  Later, the company would be purchased and become known as the Boston Duck Company which produced fabrics and specialized in fabric for raincoats.  The Boston Duck Company closed its doors in 1941 where the building and many of its mill houses were auctioned off.  In October 1968, the entire complex which stood over much of Main Street, was destroyed in a multi-day massive fire.

[[File:Bondsville Trestle over Swift River 1910.jpg|thumb|The rear of the Boston Duck Company and the Boston and Maine Railroad headed north over the Swift River.]]

Overlooking Main Street is the former St. Bartholomew Roman Catholic church which was closed by [[Timothy A. McDonnell|Bishop Timothy A. McDonnell]] on Christmas Eve of 2009.  The church had been constructed between 1878 and 1879,<ref>{{Cite book|last=Byrne|first=William|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gJlQAAAAYAAJ&q=bartholomew+mckeany+bondsville+ma&pg=PA651|title=Diocese of Hartford [by] J. H. O'Donnell. Diocese of Burlington [by] J. S. Michaud. Diocese of Springfield [by] J. J. McCoy|date=1899|publisher=Hurd & Everts Company|language=en}}</ref> with the first Mass being said in the completed church proper on Christmas Day of 1879.  The church's first permanent pastor was Rev. [[Bartholomew L. McKeany]] who served from 1879 until his death in 1910.  

Two railroads served the village.  [[The Boston and Maine Railroad]] had a station on Maple Street behind the former Bleach and Dye Works building.  This station was located just south of the Swift River before a large train overpass.  The station has been tended to by stationmaster George Girouard, who was later awarded a golden ticket on the railroad for his years of service.  The second railroad was the [[Boston and Albany Railroad]] which had both a passenger and freight station which actually stood in the town of [[Belchertown, Massachusetts]] between Keyes Street and the Swift River.  This line would be discontinued at the creation of the [[Quabbin Reservoir]] as the next stop was in [[Enfield, Massachusetts]] which is now under the waters of the reservoir.