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Date: 11/12/2019
SOUTHWICK – After publishing his book in 2016, local author Bob Madison has worked closely with Southwick’s Historical Society to put up signage and raise awareness about the area’s long forgotten canal.
Following penning his book, “New Haven and Northampton Canal Greenway Bike and Rail Trails: Following the Historic Canal,” Madison said he reached out to the Southwick Historical Society to see if they were interested in partnering up and taking on the rights of the book.
“I don’t get a penny for the book. I don’t own it, the Southwick Historical Society owns the book, and I signed over the rights to them. They have been outstandingly cooperative,” he said.
Ruth Preston, the Southwick Historical Society’s director, said she and the rest of the board were happy to take on the book’s rights.
“He chose us because we were the center point and the committee agreed they would like to help him with it. We advertise it as much as we can, we take it everywhere,” she explained.
As a result of the partnership, the Historical Society recently posted two signs noting the canal, one on Route 57 and the other on South Longyard Road.
Madison said he decided to write his book after realizing that the canal ran right along his parent’s house in Westfield.
“I didn’t know about it until about 35 years later when I went to a lecture at the Westfield library and Dr. Carl Walter was talking about the canal. Then it dawned on me that the canal went right by my parents’ house and I didn’t know about it,” he said.
However, Madison said he wasn’t happy with just writing a book about the canal because he thought he would quickly lose his audience, so he decided to discuss the bike trail for the book as well.
He explained the book is divided into chapters based on each of the towns and cities the bike trail and canal runs through. “There are 16 chapters in the book for the 16 towns, for each town I decided to add a watercolor painting as well,” he said.
While Madison said he hand painted the watercolor paintings, he doesn’t sell them.
“I give them away, I’ve never sold one of them, like the Westfield library has one. I don’t make any money off the paintings themselves, I just give them away,” he said.
Preston said she likes the way the book is structured for readers.
“No matter where you open it, you can go wherever you open it up to, you can go section by section and learn about each town,” she said.
Madison said that he did his own research when writing the book.
“I did not ask the rail trail people, the canal people, the Historical Society or any town government because I didn’t want to be influenced in any way, and I think that worked out,” he said.
Madison added that he also gives lectures about the canal and the bike trail’s history in addition to the book. He said, “I’ve given dozens of lectures up and down the Valley and I think they’ve been well received.”
He added that any proceeds from the lecture also go back to the Southwick Historical Society’s fund for the canal signage.
While the signs recently went up in Southwick, Madison added that they also recently put up two signs in Westfield on Shaker Road and on Arch Road.