It certainly was a beautiful day for a drive (isn't it great that spring is finally here?), so we headed up the Mohawk Trail to explore Buckland. Probably best known to the casual visitor as the town on the other side of the bridges (the Iron Bridge and the Bridge of Flowers) from Shelburne Falls, Buckland has an identity all its own, quite separate from that of the village it shares with neighboring Shelburne.

Originally part of the towns of Charlemont and Ashfield, Buckland's early settlers (who arrived as early as 1742), including the Taylors, Wards, Brooks, Carters and Griswolds, had no name for their town so it became known as "No Town." The first of three sawmills on Clesson's River was established in 1769. Lumber from this original mill was used to build what may be the first house in Buckland, located on a farm given to Samuel Taylor by his father in what is now Buckland center.

In 1779, residents of what is now Buckland, finding it inconvenient (and often frightening) to cross the Deerfield River to attend church and local functions in Charlemont, petitioned for incorporation as a separate township. They were successful and the town was incorporated on April 14, 1779.

Buckland's most famous progeny was schoolteacher Mary Lyon. Born in 1797 to a farm family, Mary learned self-sufficiency while very young. Her father died when she was five and she helped her mother raise her six siblings and manage the 100-acre farm. When Mrs. Lyon remarried to moved away to be with her husband, then 13-year old Mary kept house for her brother Aaron who ran the family farm.

Mary's formal education began early. Though in some towns girls could only attend school during the summer, when boys were let out to do farm work, Mary was fortunate enough to attend school year round. At age 17, she was offered her first teaching job at a summer school in Shelburne Falls. Though she had no formal training, her reputation as an excellent student was qualification enough. Teaching fired Lyon's desire to continue her own education, but due to financial constraints she was unable to attend seminary. So she determined to educate herself, by attending classes and lectures whenever and wherever she could. Over the next 20 years, she taught at schools in western and eastern Massachusetts and in Southern New Hampshire. Her reputation as a gifted tacher as well as an authority on the education of women spread.

In 1834, when she was assistant principal at Ipswich Female Seminary, Lyon decided to leave teaching to concentrate her efforts on founding an institution of higher learning for women – Mount Holyoke Seminary. Undeterred by the country's economic depression, she crusaded for funds and support. She wrote flyers and ads announcing the school, developed curriculum, chose the school's location, oversaw its design and construction, hired teachers and selected students. Just three years after she had begun her campaign, the Buckland schoolteacher's dream was fulfilled when Mount Holyoke Seminary opened in 1837 in South Hadley, MA.

Today, Buckland, a town of just under 2000, is as charmingly rural as it was in Mary Lyon's day. We started our foray with a ride across the Iron Bridge and a stop at Buckland House of Pizza for a submarine sandwich. The restaurant is on the site of the former Bridge of Flowers restaurant, which in 1940 served a hamburger for 25 cents and a cup of joe for a dime (those were the days!). Now it's a Greek-owned pizzeria (the best kind!) with a full menu of tasty choices.

After lunch, we perused the tightly packed aisles at McCusker's Market, an intriguing small grocery/health food market. Next door at Boswell's Books, we ran into our friend Susi Potter, who was sewing ruffles onto her wicked stepsister costume for JaDuke's upcoming production of Cinderella (which goes up at the Shea Theater on May 9, 10, 11, 16, 17 and 18 – shameless plug). We also fraternized with the store cat, curled up in a very tiny box on the front counter.

After a walk uphill to the Salmon Falls Artisan Showcase (where we lusted after several items, but managed to avoid buying anything), we took to the car to explore more of Buckland. So it was back to the Mohawk Trail to Route 112 South, site of some of the prettiest countryside in Franklin County. We took the turn off for Buckland Center, which sits on a hillside with a commanding view of the river valley below. There we found some gorgeous old farmhouses and the Mary Lyon Congregational Church (scene of monthly contradances). Continuing on, we looped back to 112 and took the turn for Clesson Brook Road and the steep but spectacular Orcutt Hill Road (a little scary to navigate, but well worth the trip – though I wouldn't try it in winter). Continuing on Route 112, we turned up Hog Hollow Road, connected to East Buckland Road and found overselves back on 112 near the Mohawk Trail Regional High School. In an hour's time, we had traversed a good cross-section of Buckland's inhabited roads.

As the sun was beginning to set, we worked our way back across the Iron Bridge, through bustling Shelburne Falls, and headed for home. It was a perfect country day in one of the loveliest parts of the Pioneer Valley.

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