River Street in Conway

From the collections of PVMA • Digital image © Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Assoc. • Image use information

About this item

As seen in this poetic picture by noted photographer Clifton Johnson, River Street in Conway, Massachusetts, contained a mix of homes and industry. Many of the original homelots, granted to Deerfield residents, were located along this road. In 1767, Caleb Sharp (also known as Sharp Caleb), formerly enslaved and of mixed Indigenous and African American heritage, built  the first mill in Conway- a gristmill, on this street. River Street runs alongside part of the South River, a tributary of the Deerfield River that bisected Conway and supplied power for many industries. The Methodist church in the background was built in 1871.

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Details

Item typeDocumentary Photograph
PhotographerJohnson, Clifton
Date1889–1890
PlaceConway, Massachusetts
TopicAfrican American, Black Life
Industry, Occupation, Work
EraRise of Industrial America, 1878–1899
MaterialPaper
Process/FormatPhotography
Dimension detailsWidth (mount): 7.00 in Height (mount): 4.75 in Width: 6.50 in Height: 4.37 in
Catalog #1996.12.3175
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Johnson, Clifton, photographer. River Street in Conway. Photograph. Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, American Centuries. https://americancenturies.org/collection/1996-12-3175/. Accessed on December 5, 2024.

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