David R. and Vina Spence Collection
Title
Subject
Chicopee High School (Chicopee, Mass.)
Industries--Chicopee (Mass.)
Cemeteries--History, local
Description
David R. Spence was born in Ireland, but emigrated to Chicopee, MA in ~1882, and remained until his death in 1970. He graduated from the Hyannis State Teacher's College and went on to work in the Springfield school system. He was a historian, avid traveler, and lecturer; and was known for his presentations on local & global histories as well as those on his travels.
Vina (Spence) Hughes was David's daughter, born in Chicopee in 1907. She earned a BA from Mount Holyoke College in 1929, and a MA from Clark University in 1930. Her Master's thesis is titled "The Manufacturing Industries of the City of Chicopee, Mass." and gives a history of local industry from 1659-1930. A bound copy is held in the History Room of the Chicopee Public Library.
In addition to Vina Spence's thesis, the collection consists of materials related to the Chicopee High School classes of 1925 and 1926; a scrapbook of newspaper clippings and letters relating to David Spence's lectures; as well as drafts of lectures and articles, and other material related to his historic interests.
Creator
David R. Spence
Contributor
Rights
The Chicopee Public Library holds copyright to select content in the Chicopee Archives Online. Copyright to other content may be held by authors or their heirs, or may be in the public domain.
Requests to reproduce, distribute, or publish content in the Chicopee Archives Online should be sent to cpl@chicopeepubliclibrary.org.
Language
Temporal Coverage
Provenance
Identifier
Collection Items
"The Campbell Clan"A genealogy labeled "The Campbell Clan," which includes David R. and Vina Spence. The document has hand-painted plaid decorations in the letterhead,…
"Springfield in 1837, and the Varied Attractions of Chicopee" ArticleA newspaper clipping fixed to a larger sheet of paper, on which are brackets encircling the latter 2/3 of the article with a note saying "Chicopee."…
Lifetime PassA gold card with black type reading: Life Pass[;] This is to certify that David R. Spence by official vote of the Chicopee School Committee is…
"A Legend of Mt Tom"A 19-leaf booklet, hand-bound with (possibly brass) pronged fasteners (removed for digitization. The booklet is a typed poem, with annotations and…
Chicopee Savings Bank CardA quarter-folded card with a colorful bird on the front made of feathers. The interior of the card details the history of the Chicopee Savings Bank on…
Dalton Cottage, Bridgeton MEA small black and white snapshot of three people standing in front of a house and holding a very full line of fish. The back is hand labeled: "Left to…
Cochran Street SleighA small black and white snapshot of a horse-drawn sleigh with five passengers. The back is hand-labeled: "Front seat - David Spence + *Elizabeth…
The Spectator, June 11 1925A bifold copy of The Spectator, the Chicopee High newsletter. Volume 6, number 15, June 11, 1925; this is the Class Day issue. Printed in blue ink on…
A poem by David Spence titled "Some Day," printed on an off-white card and dated February 4, 1933.
The City of Chicopee: A Brief SketchFour typewritten pages recounting anecdotes about Chicopee history, including some about Gad Horton; the first murder trial in Chicopee; and Frank…
David Spence Meats and Groceries 1906 CalendarA wall calendar with small tearaway pages mounted on dark gray board, with an image labeled "The Gassner House at Old Skip." The image has been taped…
The Old Cemetery at Chicopee FallsA printed booklet with dark yellow covers, titled The Old Cemetery at Chicopee Falls. Published in a limited volume in 1973 for the Trustees of the…
Duryea Automobiles Founding StoryA typewritten story/article about the purported founding of Stevens-Duryea Automobile Company in Chicopee Falls, MA, related by David Spence. The…
"An Old Deed to Chicopee"A set of copies of an article titled "An Old Deed to Chicopee," with an image of the set of "signatures attached to old Chicopee deed." The three…
"Early Chicopee," David SpenceA typewritten set of notes, possibly in preparation of a talk, about the early industries in Chicopee, by David Spence. There are some corrections in…
"The Spectator," June 18, 1926A bifold newsletter in red font on off-white paper. "The Spectator" was the bi-weekly newspaper of Chicopee High School; this issue is from June 18,…
Chicopee High Alumni Association Reunion, 1941A cream-colored bifold program for the 1941 reunion of the Chicopee High School's Alumni Association. The front reads " Twenty-sixth triennial…
Recital Program, 1919A cream-colored bifold program for a recital. The front reads "Recital by Pupils of Margaret E. Donnelly, Wednesday, July second nineteen hundred and…
Chicopee Junior High School Graduation Exercises Program, 1921An off-white bifold program for the graduation exercises of the Chicopee Junior High School, class of 1921. The front provides the time and location…
Chicopee High School Class Day Program, 1925An off-white sewn booklet regarding class day for Chicopee High School, 1925. The front reads "Class Day 1925, 'esse quam videri'." The inside pages…
Chicopee High School Class Day Pamphlet, 1924An off-white tri-fold pamphlet regarding Class Day for Chicopee High School, held in the school auditorium on June 7th, 1924 at 3 o'clock. The outside…
Chicopee High School Graduation Ticket, 1925An off-white card reading "You are cordially invited to attend the Graduation Exercises of the Class of 1925 in the Auditorium of the High School on…
Chicopee High School Program of Studies, 1923-1924A multi-paged booklet detailing the different curriculums a student could follow at Chicopee High School, with requirements for each one. There are…
Under Cover, a Melodrama in Four ActsA cream-colored bifold program for the Chicopee High School Class of 1924's presentation of "Under Cover: A Melodrama in Four Acts," performed April…
Chicopee High School Graduation Exercises, Class of 1925A cream-colored bifold program for the 1925 graduation from Chicopee High School. The front lists the date, time, and location; the inside lists the…
"The Message of the Chicopee"A typewritten reproduction of a poem titled "The Message of the Chicopee," originally printed in the 1925 Class Day issue of The Spectator by class…
Chicopee High School Alumni Association, Twenty-first Triennial Reunion 1926A cream-colored bifold program for the 21st Triennial Reunion of the Chicopee High School alumni, held in 1926. The left side lists the Alumni…
David Spence Appearance on WWLP News, 1959A pale pink souvenir folder holding a black and white image of two men sitting near a low table, being filmed by a large camera labelled "WWLP." The…
David R. Spence ScrapbookA scrapbook created by David R. Spence, Chicopee teacher, historian, and lecturer. The scrapbook contains materials related to Spence's activities in…