Who Knew? Roadside Revelations in Western Massachusetts
By Robert E. Weir
Amherst, MA: Levellers Press, 2021, 2021
Softcover, 266 pages, $18.95
Reviewed by Frank Brusca
At first glance, Who Knew? appears to be a guide to roadside oddities found in western Massachusetts. The cover shows a gigantic roadside Tin Man statue from The Wizard of Oz, and the following few pages include photographs of a teepee structure, a giant milk bottle, and a large, politically incorrect statue of a Native American. Readers interested in roadside attractions may find the book’s lure hard to resist.
However, a deeper dive into the book reveals a much broader range of points of interest for the region. The book is a nice record of the region’s landmarks, including dinosaur fossils, geologic wonders, historic sites, unique cultural sites, covered bridges, scenic views, statues, and museums.
Thus, Who Knew? is a collection of interesting cultural and historical places the author has cataloged over the years. It is a good read, but the roadside element amounts to only a limited portion of the book. The book’s breezy style reads less like an authoritative volume and more like a conversation with the author over a few pints. The book is aimed towards visitors to the region, who would overlook most of these attractions.
The book provides excellent coverage of sometimes forgotten regional history, local castles, literary homes, and the region’s role in the Temperance Movement. The book lists larger-than-life objects, including a rocking chair, a milk bottle, and more than one baseball bat. The section on the Three Sisters Sanctuary, the home of a wonderful collection of folk art akin to the Garden of Eden in Lucas, Kansas, or Thunder Mountain in Imlay, Nevada, is particularly interesting.
Approximately 80 photographs illustrate the book, which includes an annotated bibliography. Footnotes provide details for some information, but they sometimes lack item-specific citations. Since the book doesn’t have an index, finding items is left to the reader’s investigative skills, though the table of contents helps.
Who Knew? is an excellent resource for regional history for those unfamiliar with western Massachusetts. Weir deserves great credit for cataloging often-overlooked landmarks.
Frank Brusca has been a member of the SCA for more than 25 years. He studies roadside culture from his home in Massachusetts
This book review originally appeared in the SCA Journal, Spring 2024, Vol. 42, No. 1. The SCA Journal is a semi-annual publication and a member benefit of the Society for Commercial Archeology.
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