Hello, In this morning's "MassMoments" e-mail, there is a story about Mt. Holyoke in the Hadley, MA, area. http://www.massmoments.org:80/moment.cfm?mid=55 One of the things it says is: In the 1820s, New Englanders began to view mountains as more than obstacles to travel. As Massachusetts became more urban and industrial, natural landscapes - especially mountains - acquired new significance. They offered the opportunity for recreation, inspiration, artistic creation, and simple sightseeing. The first Massachusetts mountain to be developed as a resort was Mt. Holyoke in Hadley. In 1821 Willis Pease bought nine acres near the summit for $27. He built a hut and advertised in the local paper that he had made arrangements for the public on the summit of Mt. Holyoke. Visitors were promised spirits, rum, cognac, gin, rum, wines - at a price twice what was charged in the valley - "Spanish segars," and other refreshments. Pease sold the land three years later for $600 -far more than local farmers thought it was worth; the land was sold again in 1826, this time for $1,500. and By the 1840s, there was an alternative to hiking. In 1846, a carriage road was built up the western slope. In 1849 newlyweds John and Fanny French Fanny visited the summit. Confident of its commercial potential, they bought the property and began constructing a two-story, eight-room hotel. When it opened on July 4, 1851, several hundred people attended the dedication. and French soon realized that, properly equipped, the tram could also transport people. He installed the body of a sleigh, and passengers were soon being carried over 600 feet up the mountain. Moving at a 38-degree angle, riders had the sensation of being pulled almost straight up. In 1856, French replaced the horse with a steam engine. As more and more visitors used the tramway, he covered it with a roof and added two six-passenger cars. FYI sites: http://www.chronos-historical.org/mtholyoke/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Holyoke_College http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/central/hksp.htm Betty (near Lowell, MA)