Sunderland — Industries

Extracted from "History of the Connecticut Valley in Massachusetts, Volume II," by Louis H. Everts, 1879.


      The industrial pursuits of Sunderland are confined almost exclusively to agriculture. There are a few saw-mills, but no other manufactories. There was at North Sunderland, several years ago, the wicking-factory of Thos. E. Munsell, but it has been abandoned.
      Along the valley of the Connecticut the lands are fertile and richly productive, while generally the farming interest is a prosperous one, and the inhabitants of the town a thrifty and well-to-do people.
      The town contains 135 farms, which, in 1875, yielded agricultural and domestic products of the value of $184,520. For the same year the value of manufactures was but $800. The total assessed valuation of the town in 1878 was $398,402, of which the value of real estate was $349,073. The total tax—State, county, and town—was $5786.87, or a rate of about $1.66 per $100. The debt of the town, March 1, 1878, was $12,334.
      Sunderland has a flourishing Farmers' Club, which was organized in 1866, and which since that date has continued to have periodical assemblies, at which the members discuss agricultural topics and exchange opinions upon proposed schemes or newly-discovered ideas for the advancement of the interest of agriculture. It includes upon its membership-roll nearly every farmer in the town.




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