Mulberry Street (Springfield, Massachusetts)

Mulberry Street (42°06′08″N 72°34′41″W / 42.102224°N 72.578119°W / 42.102224; -72.578119) is the name of an historic street and tourist destination in Springfield, Massachusetts, made famous by Dr. Seuss' first childrens' book And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street! ^[1] Less than one mile from Springfield's Metro Center neighborhood, the Springfield Armory, and The Quadrangle, Mulberry Street is also less than one mile southwest of Dr. Seuss' boyhood home on Fairfield Street.

Mulberry Street is located in the Ridgewood Historic District of Springfield, in the city's Maple Hill neighborhood. From the 1820s until urban White Flight in the 1960s, Maple Hill and Mulberry Street, in particular, were considered Springfield's "Gold Coast." ^[2] Many ornate mansions still stand on the street, and in the general area along Maple Street. In the 1960s, Mulberry House, a luxury condominium building, was built atop the hill at the street's northernmost point, abutting historic Springfield Cemetery. From atop this hill one is afforded excellent views of Springfield and the Connecticut River.^[3]

And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street!

Suess' first childrens' story follows a boy named Marco, who describes the sights and sounds of imaginary people and vehicles traveling along Mulberry Street in an elaborate fantasy story he dreams up to tell to his father at the end of his walk, but decides instead to simply tell him what he actually saw. Dr. Seuss wrote the story as a commentary about how he felt adults stifled children's imaginations.

References

1. ^ Maple Hill Historic District - City Guide to Springfield, MA
2. ^ http://choosespringfieldmass.com/city_neighborhoods/maple_hillridgewood_01105.html
3. ^ http://choosespringfieldmass.com/city_neighborhoods/maple_hillridgewood_01105.html