Thaxter Scott (1831-1919) was a descendant of one of Hawley, Massachusetts’ oldest families, who came to the town in the 1750s. Scott served in the 52nd Massachusetts Volunteers for one year (1862-63) during the Civil War. He returned to Hawley, where he continued farming at the site pictured here. This home is located south of Hawley center on Plainfield Road, about a quarter-mile south of its intersection with Watson Road.

This photograph comes from the Howes Brothers collection of photographs. Based in Ashfield, Massachusetts, they made more than 20,000 images of New England rural life from 1890 to around 1910, offering a glimpse into the lives of people rarely visible in history.