a water cure hospital on the Mill River. Ruggles died in Florence in 1849 at the age of 39. Charles Munde emigrated from Germany. He became familiar with the water cure methods of Vincent Priessnitz around 1836. After the death of David Ruggles in 1849, Munde picked up where Ruggles left off and opened the Florence Water Cure, also called the Munde Water Cure. Underground Railroad Florence residents Samuel L. Hill, David Ruggles, Seth Hunt, Austin Ross, A.P. Critchlow, and Elisha Hammond have been identified as part of the Underground Railroad network working to free the enslaved. Manufacturing & Industry The Nonotuck Silk Company later changed its name to the Corticelli Silk Company. It grew to be one of the world's largest producers of silk thread, made with raw silk imported from Japan. The company went out of business in 1930. 20th Century Mirage Studios, the creative force behind the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic books, was based out of a renovated factory space in Florence. Florence was the filming location for the 1999 movie, In Dreams. The Miss Florence Diner opened in 1941 and is a popular landmark on the National Register of Historic Places. Coopers Corner opened in 1938. Recent history Many areas of Florence have undergone renovations in the recent past, with former factories now playing host to art studios and small retail stores. Places of interest Historical The former Ross Farm on Meadow Street was a site on the Underground Railroad in the 19th century under the ownership of abolitionist Austin Ross. Current Look Park is a 150-acre municipal park that's open year-round. Look Park is the largest park in Florence and greater Northampton, with a small water park, tennis courts, several play structures, paddle boats, a miniature golf course, a 1-mile loop miniature train, as well as covered picnic areas and pavilions. The Northampton Bikeway is a 2.5 mile multi-use trail from downtown Northampton to Florence, Look Park, and further west into the village of Leeds, Massachusetts. The Sojourner Truth Memorial Statue designed by Thomas Jay Warren at 121 Pine Street was completed in 2002. The David Ruggles Center for History and Education works to document anti-slavery and abolitionist history in the Connecticut River Valley. Lilly Library was built in 1889 with funding from A.T. Lilly. References Further reading Full text at Internet Archives. External links Northampton, Massachusetts Populated places on the Underground Railroad Springfield