(c) Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, Deerfield MA. All rights reserved. Contact us for information about using this image.
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One of the first new roads of the automobile era was the Mohawk Trail (now Massachusetts State Route 2), a road that roughly paralleled a native trading route. The original trail ran along the ridge lines since it was significantly easier going there than along the tree-choked streams. Elements of that original trail can still be seen in several trail segments near Route 2. The "Big Bridge" pictured here was finished in 1914. The road connecting it though, remained rugged until it was entirely rebuilt in 1921. The new Mohawk Trail became a major tourist attraction and a number of resorts and hotels opened along its length.