Amherst

Amherst may refer to:

People

Amherst station (Massachusetts)

Amherst is a closed passenger rail station in Amherst, Massachusetts formerly served by the Amtrak Vermonter. It is located at 13 Railroad Street off Main Street, and served the downtown area along with Amherst College and the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The station was closed on December 28, 2014, after which the Vermonter was rerouted to the faster Conn River Line several miles to the west.

History

The station was originally built in 1853 by the New London Northern, located several blocks east of the town center. (The Central Massachusetts Railroad, which shared trackage with the NLN south of Amherst, had its own station located on South Pleasant Street.) Passenger service on the line (by then long under the Central Vermont Railroad) ended in 1966; the station was modified for other uses.

In 1989, the Montrealer (which had been discontinued in 1987 due to poor track conditions on the Conn River Line in Massachusetts and the CV in Vermont) was restored on a routing via Amherst, with a stop there. The building, which is privately owned, was restored to its original condition in 1992. The interior was split between a passenger waiting area and a commercial space. In 1995, the Montrealer was cut back to St. Albans and renamed as the Vermonter.

Amherst, Massachusetts

Amherst (ⁱ/ˈæmərst/) is a town in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States in the Connecticut River valley. As of the 2010 census, the population was 37,819, making it the largest community in Hampshire County (although the county seat is Northampton). The town is home to Amherst College, Hampshire College, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst, three of the Five Colleges. The name of the town is pronounced without the h ("AM-erst"), giving rise to the local saying, "only the 'h' is silent", in reference both to the pronunciation and to the town's politically active populace.

The communities of Amherst Center, North Amherst, and South Amherst are census-designated places.

Amherst is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. Lying 18 miles (28.9 km) northeast of the city of Springfield, Amherst is considered the northernmost town in the Hartford-Springfield Knowledge Corridor Metropolitan Region.

History

The earliest known document of the lands now comprising Amherst is the deed of purchase dated December 1658 between John Pynchon of Springfield and three native inhabitants, referred to as Umpanchla, Quonquont, and Chickwalopp. According to the deed, "ye Indians of Nolwotogg (Norwottuck) upon ye River of Quinecticott (Connecticut)" sold the entire area in exchange for "two Hundred fatham of Wampam & Twenty fatham, and one large Coate at Eight fatham wch Chickwollop set of, of trusts, besides severall small giftes" [sic]. Amherst celebrated its 250th anniversary in 2009. The Amherst 250th Anniversary Celebration Committee was established to oversee the creation and implementation of townwide activities throughout 2009. The Amherst Historical Society also organized events, including a book published by them and written by Elizabeth M. Sharpe, Amherst A to Z.