Chicopee, Massachusetts: Difference between revisions
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Today the city is home to a variety of specialty manufacturers, as well as [[Westover Air Reserve Base]], the largest Air Force Reserve Base of the United States, built in 1940 with the emergence of [[World War II]].<ref>{{cite web|website=Westover Air Reserve Base|publisher=United States Air Force|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190905092642/https://www.westover.afrc.af.mil/About-Us/|url=https://www.westover.afrc.af.mil/About-Us/|archive-date=September 5, 2019|title=About Westover Air Reserve Base}}</ref> Chicopee today goes by the nickname the "Crossroads of [[New England]]" as part of a business-development marketing campaign, one that [[West Springfield, Massachusetts|West Springfield]] also uses. The name reflects the city's location among a number of metropolitan areas and its transportation network. Four interstate highways run through its boundaries, including [[Massachusetts Turnpike|I-90]], [[Interstate 91|I-91]], [[Interstate 291 (Massachusetts)|I-291]], and [[I-391]], as well as state routes such as [[Massachusetts Route 33|Route 33]], [[Massachusetts Route 116|116]], and [[Massachusetts Route 141|141]]. |
Today the city is home to a variety of specialty manufacturers, as well as [[Westover Air Reserve Base]], the largest Air Force Reserve Base of the United States, built in 1940 with the emergence of [[World War II]].<ref>{{cite web|website=Westover Air Reserve Base|publisher=United States Air Force|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190905092642/https://www.westover.afrc.af.mil/About-Us/|url=https://www.westover.afrc.af.mil/About-Us/|archive-date=September 5, 2019|title=About Westover Air Reserve Base}}</ref> Chicopee today goes by the nickname the "Crossroads of [[New England]]" as part of a business-development marketing campaign, one that [[West Springfield, Massachusetts|West Springfield]] also uses. The name reflects the city's location among a number of metropolitan areas and its transportation network. Four interstate highways run through its boundaries, including [[Massachusetts Turnpike|I-90]], [[Interstate 91|I-91]], [[Interstate 291 (Massachusetts)|I-291]], and [[I-391]], as well as state routes such as [[Massachusetts Route 33|Route 33]], [[Massachusetts Route 116|116]], and [[Massachusetts Route 141|141]]. |
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==History== |
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===Etymology=== |
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The city is named after the [[Chicopee River]].{{citation needed|date=May 2023}} "Chicopee" is derived from the Nipmuc language. It is likely derived from ''chekee'' ("violently") and ''-pe'' (root suffix used in water place names) or ''chikkupee'' ("of red cedar"), an adjectival form of ''chikkup'' ("red cedar").<ref>An Historical Address / Delivered before the citizens of [[Springfield, Massachusetts|Springfield]] in Massachusetts at the public celebration May 26, 1911, of the Two Hundred and Seventy-Fifth Anniversary of the Settlement with Five Appendices, by Charles H. Barrows. Copyright 1916, Connecticut Valley Historical Society. Thef. A. Bassett Co. Printers, Springfield, Mass. Appendix A, "Meaning of Local Indian Names."</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Huden |first1=John |title=Indian place names of New England |date=1962 |publisher=Heye Foundation |location=New York |pages=50–52, 378 |url=https://ia600704.us.archive.org/6/items/indianplacenames00hude/indianplacenames00hude.pdf |access-date=12 December 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Trumbull |first1=James Hammond |title=Natick Dictionary |date=1903 |publisher=G.P.O. |location=Washington |pages=22–24, 120 |url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.31822019638436&seq=11 |access-date=12 December 2023}}</ref> |
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"Chicopee" is derived from the Nipmuc language. It is likely derived from ''chekee'' ("violently") and ''-pe'' (root suffix used in water place names) or ''chikkupee'' ("of red cedar"), an adjectival form of ''chikkup'' ("red cedar").<ref>An Historical Address / Delivered before the citizens of [[Springfield, Massachusetts|Springfield]] in Massachusetts at the public celebration May 26, 1911, of the Two Hundred and Seventy-Fifth Anniversary of the Settlement with Five Appendices, by Charles H. Barrows. Copyright 1916, Connecticut Valley Historical Society. Thef. A. Bassett Co. Printers, Springfield, Mass. Appendix A, "Meaning of Local Indian Names."</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Huden |first1=John |title=Indian place names of New England |date=1962 |publisher=Heye Foundation |location=New York |pages=50–52, 378 |url=https://ia600704.us.archive.org/6/items/indianplacenames00hude/indianplacenames00hude.pdf |access-date=12 December 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Trumbull |first1=James Hammond |title=Natick Dictionary |date=1903 |publisher=G.P.O. |location=Washington |pages=22–24, 120 |url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.31822019638436&seq=11 |access-date=12 December 2023}}</ref> |
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There have been several variant spellings of the name.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Szetela |first1=Thaddeus |title=History of Chicopee |date=1948 |publisher=Szetela & Rich Publishing Company |location=Chicopee, Mass. |pages=6–8}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Szetela |first1=Thaddeus |title=History of Chicopee |date=1948 |publisher=Szetela & Rich Publishing Company |location=Chicopee, Mass. |pages=9–11}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Chapin |first1=Isreal |title=Plan of Springfield surveyed by Isreal Chapin, dated May 20, 1795 |url=https://www.digitalcommonwealth.org/search/commonwealth:2227nn39s |website=Digital Commonwealth |access-date=27 May 2023}}</ref> |
There have been several variant spellings of the name.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Szetela |first1=Thaddeus |title=History of Chicopee |date=1948 |publisher=Szetela & Rich Publishing Company |location=Chicopee, Mass. |pages=6–8}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Szetela |first1=Thaddeus |title=History of Chicopee |date=1948 |publisher=Szetela & Rich Publishing Company |location=Chicopee, Mass. |pages=9–11}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Chapin |first1=Isreal |title=Plan of Springfield surveyed by Isreal Chapin, dated May 20, 1795 |url=https://www.digitalcommonwealth.org/search/commonwealth:2227nn39s |website=Digital Commonwealth |access-date=27 May 2023}}</ref> |
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==History== |
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===Nayasett (Cabotville and Chicopee Falls)=== |
===Nayasett (Cabotville and Chicopee Falls)=== |
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| footer = Cabotville as it appeared in 1844, prior to the incorporation of Chicopee (top); the dam at Chicopee Falls today |
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| image1 = Village of Cabotville, Springfield, Massachusetts (1844).jpg |
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===Partition from Springfield=== |
===Partition from Springfield=== |
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[[Image:Seal of Chicopee, Massachusetts.png|thumb|150px |
[[Image:Seal of Chicopee, Massachusetts.png|thumb|150px|Seal of the former Town of Chicopee, prior to its incorporation as a city in 1890]] |
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In 1716, Upper Chicopee, Lower Chicopee and Skipmunk were divided into Springfield's fourth, fifth and sixth precincts, respectively.<ref name="Fifth Parish">{{cite book |last1=Szetela |first1=Thaddeus |title=History of Chicopee |date=1948 |publisher=Szetela & Rich Publishing Company |location=Chicopee, Mass. |pages=26–33}}</ref> |
In 1716, Upper Chicopee, Lower Chicopee and Skipmunk were divided into Springfield's fourth, fifth and sixth precincts, respectively.<ref name="Fifth Parish">{{cite book |last1=Szetela |first1=Thaddeus |title=History of Chicopee |date=1948 |publisher=Szetela & Rich Publishing Company |location=Chicopee, Mass. |pages=26–33}}</ref> |
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The General Court approved Chicopee's Act of Incorporation on April 25, 1848. Governor [[George N. Briggs]] signed the act on April 29, 1848, creating the Town of Chicopee.<ref name="Establishment of town" /><ref name="Atlas of SPG Boundaries" /> Chicopee's first municipal elections took place at Chicopee's first town meeting on May 17, 1848 at 1:00 p.m. When electing State Representatives and State Senators, the Town of Chicopee would be treated as a district of Springfield until after the [[1850 United States census|1850 U.S. census]].<ref name="Establishment of town" /> |
The General Court approved Chicopee's Act of Incorporation on April 25, 1848. Governor [[George N. Briggs]] signed the act on April 29, 1848, creating the Town of Chicopee.<ref name="Establishment of town" /><ref name="Atlas of SPG Boundaries" /> Chicopee's first municipal elections took place at Chicopee's first town meeting on May 17, 1848 at 1:00 p.m. When electing State Representatives and State Senators, the Town of Chicopee would be treated as a district of Springfield until after the [[1850 United States census|1850 U.S. census]].<ref name="Establishment of town" /> |
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===Incorporation as a |
===Incorporation as a city=== |
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[[Image:Basilica of St. Stanislaus, Chicopee MA.jpg|thumb| |
[[Image:Basilica of St. Stanislaus, Chicopee MA.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Basilica of Saint Stanislaus, Bishop & Martyr]]]] |
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[[File:Massachusetts - Cape Cod Canal through Lexington - NARA - 23941289 (cropped).jpg|thumb|right|Aerial view of Chicopee, August 1940]] |
[[File:Massachusetts - Cape Cod Canal through Lexington - NARA - 23941289 (cropped).jpg|thumb|right|Aerial view of Chicopee, August 1940]] |
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On April 18, 1890, the community was granted a charter as a city by the [[Massachusetts General Court]]. [[George Sylvester Taylor]] (1822–1910) became Chicopee's [[List of mayors of Chicopee, Massachusetts|first mayor]] on January 5, 1891. |
On April 18, 1890, the community was granted a charter as a city by the [[Massachusetts General Court]]. [[George Sylvester Taylor]] (1822–1910) became Chicopee's [[List of mayors of Chicopee, Massachusetts|first mayor]] on January 5, 1891. |
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In 1991, [[Basilica of St. Stanislaus, Chicopee|St. Stanislaus Bishop and Martyr Church]], located on Front Street, was proclaimed a [[minor basilica]] by [[Pope John Paul II]]. |
In 1991, [[Basilica of St. Stanislaus, Chicopee|St. Stanislaus Bishop and Martyr Church]], located on Front Street, was proclaimed a [[minor basilica]] by [[Pope John Paul II]]. |
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===Industries=== |
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Chicopee adopted the motto ''"Industriae Variae",'' which means "Various Industries". Chicopee's industries included cotton mills, woolen mills, textiles, [[brass foundry|brass]] and [[iron foundry|iron]] foundries, paper making, footwear factories, for leather boots and shoes, the first friction matches, and ship building. In nearby South Hadley Canal, the firearms company [[Crescent-Davis]] specialized in producing double-barrel [[shotgun]]s. |
Chicopee adopted the motto ''"Industriae Variae",'' which means "Various Industries". Chicopee's industries included cotton mills, woolen mills, textiles, [[brass foundry|brass]] and [[iron foundry|iron]] foundries, paper making, footwear factories, for leather boots and shoes, the first friction matches, and ship building. In nearby South Hadley Canal, the firearms company [[Crescent-Davis]] specialized in producing double-barrel [[shotgun]]s. |
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===Library=== |
===Library=== |
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The [[Chicopee Public Library]] developed from the Cabot Institute, a literary society organized in 1846. The society voted on April 4, 1853 to donate its books to the town.<ref>{{cite book |author1=Town of Chicopee, Mass. |title=Catalogue of the Chicopee Town Library: Its history and regulations |date=1875 |publisher=Town of Chicopee, Mass. |location=Chicopee, Mass.}}</ref> It was the first locally funded public library in Western Massachusetts.<ref>{{cite book |author1=Massachusetts Bureau of Statistics of Labor |title=Census of Massachusetts: 1885: Volume I, Part 2 |date=1888 |publisher=Wright & Potter Print. Co., State printers |location=Boston, Mass. |pages=902–967 |url=https://archives.lib.state.ma.us/handle/2452/122033 |access-date=20 May 2023}}</ref> |
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The [[Chicopee Public Library]] was formed by the outgrowth of the old [[Cabot Institute]], a literary society formed and organized in 1846. During a meeting held at Cabot Hall on April 4th 1853; it was voted by the society to make a donation of books to the citizens of the town. |
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[[Image:ChicopeeLibrary.jpg|thumb|right|Main Branch of the Chicopee Public Library]] |
[[Image:ChicopeeLibrary.jpg|thumb|right|Main Branch of the Chicopee Public Library]] |
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==Geography== |
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The city is made up of several neighborhoods; the result of the city's origin as a collection of four villages in the northernmost part of Springfield, which seceded from it in 1848. Chicopee Falls, Chicopee Center (Cabotville), Fairview, and Willimansett continued to develop. In the early 1900s, Aldenville developed as a distinct community. Since then, the city has filled in most of its open space resulting in a number of new neighborhoods. These neighborhoods include Chicomansett, Ferry Lane, Sandy Hill and the geographically isolated Burnett Road neighborhood. |
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===Willimansett=== |
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The city is bordered by [[Holyoke, Massachusetts|Holyoke]] to the northwest, [[West Springfield, Massachusetts|West Springfield]] to the southwest, [[Springfield, Massachusetts|Springfield]] to the south, [[Ludlow, Massachusetts|Ludlow]] to the east, [[Granby, Massachusetts|Granby]] to the northeast and [[South Hadley, Massachusetts|South Hadley]] to the north. Chicopee is located {{convert|29|mi|km}} away from [[Hartford, Connecticut|Hartford]], {{convert|89|mi|km}} away from [[Boston, Massachusetts|Boston]], {{convert|90|mi|km}} from [[Albany, New York|Albany]] and {{convert|140|mi|km}} from New York City. |
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According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|23.9|sqmi|km2}}, of which {{convert|22.9|sqmi|km2}} is land and {{convert|1.0|sqmi|km2}} (4.31%) is water. The [[Chicopee River]] flows through the southern part of the city, emptying into the [[Connecticut River]]. Many ponds, lakes, and streams are part of the Chicopee River or Connecticut River watersheds. |
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===Neighborhoods=== |
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====Willimansett==== |
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In 1641, Willian Pynchon expanded his 1636 holdings by buying the land from the Chicopee River north to the Willimansett (Nipmuc for "good berries place" or "place of red earth") Brook. Land sales in Chicopee were recorded in 1659, but apparently no homes were built immediately. |
In 1641, Willian Pynchon expanded his 1636 holdings by buying the land from the Chicopee River north to the Willimansett (Nipmuc for "good berries place" or "place of red earth") Brook. Land sales in Chicopee were recorded in 1659, but apparently no homes were built immediately. |
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By the 1750s, Quabbin Road (now McKinstry Avenue) allowed the farmers to access the meadows and fields on the plains at the top of the hill. The Chapins used the land in common for grazing livestock and built ice houses near several large ponds. The ponds were drained by several brooks which flowed into the Connecticut River. |
By the 1750s, Quabbin Road (now McKinstry Avenue) allowed the farmers to access the meadows and fields on the plains at the top of the hill. The Chapins used the land in common for grazing livestock and built ice houses near several large ponds. The ponds were drained by several brooks which flowed into the Connecticut River. |
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At the end of the 19th century, the city voted to build the Willimansett Bridge, connecting Willimansett with Holyoke across the Connecticut River. The results were profound. Willimansett and Aldenville would develop close ties to Holyoke; even postal and telephone service were (and still are) tied to the "Paper City." The legislative act ordering the building of the bridge was passed in 1892. L.L. Johnson reports that the completion of the bridge was grandly celebrated. |
At the end of the 19th century, the city voted to build the [[Willimansett Bridge]], connecting Willimansett with Holyoke across the Connecticut River. The results were profound. Willimansett and Aldenville would develop close ties to Holyoke; even postal and telephone service were (and still are) tied to the "Paper City." The legislative act ordering the building of the bridge was passed in 1892. L.L. Johnson reports that the completion of the bridge was grandly celebrated. |
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By the 20th century, Willimansett village had developed into quintessential Americana with a high percentage of French Canadian inhabitants. In total, Chicopee became four distinct commercial and political sub-divisions, each with its own ethnic makeup representing its own special interests and, much too frequently, in conflict with each other. |
By the 20th century, Willimansett village had developed into quintessential Americana with a high percentage of French Canadian inhabitants. In total, Chicopee became four distinct commercial and political sub-divisions, each with its own ethnic makeup representing its own special interests and, much too frequently, in conflict with each other. |
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Located between Fairview and Willimansett, the Smith Highlands section once had its own school (first and second grades), [[Holyoke Street Railway Company|Holyoke Street Railway]] bus service from Ingham Street across Irene, Factory, and Prospect streets, and two locally owned markets. The former Robert's Pond swimming area was a popular summer attraction, and the fields where the current Bellamy Junior High School is located were a popular sledding and skiing location winters. |
Located between Fairview and Willimansett, the Smith Highlands section once had its own school (first and second grades), [[Holyoke Street Railway Company|Holyoke Street Railway]] bus service from Ingham Street across Irene, Factory, and Prospect streets, and two locally owned markets. The former Robert's Pond swimming area was a popular summer attraction, and the fields where the current Bellamy Junior High School is located were a popular sledding and skiing location winters. |
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===Fairview=== |
====Fairview==== |
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Fairview is the northernmost neighborhood (village) in Chicopee and originally included the lands that are now part of Westover ARB. Primarily agricultural, Fairview was known for its tobacco farms. After 1939, Westover helped to rapidly develop the village into a residential and commercial district. Memorial Drive (Route 33) flows north–south connecting Chicopee Falls with South Hadley. |
Fairview is the northernmost neighborhood (village) in Chicopee and originally included the lands that are now part of Westover ARB. Primarily agricultural, Fairview was known for its tobacco farms. After 1939, Westover helped to rapidly develop the village into a residential and commercial district. Memorial Drive (Route 33) flows north–south connecting Chicopee Falls with South Hadley. |
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===Aldenville=== |
====Aldenville==== |
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On August 18, 1870, Edward Monroe Alden purchased 600 acres of land just east of Willimansett for the sum of $9,000 with the intent to create a "little city on the hill," which would become Aldenville. In 1890, he began laying out streets which he named for family members and divided the land up into 60-by-170 feet lots. French-Canadian factory workers from Chicopee Falls, Cabotville (Chicopee Center), and Holyoke began to build up the community. Sold for a selling price of $150 with $10 down, the first house was bought and built by French-Canadian builder and carpenter Marcellin Croteau.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.masslive.com/holyokeplus/republican/index.ssf?/base/news-6/1302507943103390.xml&coll=1 |title= |website=www.masslive.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120924105715/http://www.masslive.com/holyokeplus/republican/index.ssf?%2Fbase%2Fnews-6%2F1302507943103390.xml&coll=1 |archive-date=2012-09-24}}</ref> |
On August 18, 1870, Edward Monroe Alden purchased 600 acres of land just east of Willimansett for the sum of $9,000 with the intent to create a "little city on the hill," which would become Aldenville. In 1890, he began laying out streets which he named for family members and divided the land up into 60-by-170 feet lots. French-Canadian factory workers from Chicopee Falls, Cabotville (Chicopee Center), and Holyoke began to build up the community. Sold for a selling price of $150 with $10 down, the first house was bought and built by French-Canadian builder and carpenter Marcellin Croteau.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.masslive.com/holyokeplus/republican/index.ssf?/base/news-6/1302507943103390.xml&coll=1 |title= |website=www.masslive.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120924105715/http://www.masslive.com/holyokeplus/republican/index.ssf?%2Fbase%2Fnews-6%2F1302507943103390.xml&coll=1 |archive-date=2012-09-24}}</ref> |
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==Geography== |
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Chicopee is located at {{coord|42|10|13|N|72|35|19|W|type:city}} (42.170159, –72.588630).<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=2011-04-23|date=2011-02-12|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}</ref> |
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The city is made up of several neighborhoods; the result of the city's origin as a collection of four villages in the northernmost part of Springfield, which seceded from it in 1848. Chicopee Falls, Chicopee Center (Cabotville), Fairview, and Willimansett continued to develop. In the early 1900s, Aldenville developed as a distinct community. Since then, the city has filled in most of its open space resulting in a number of new neighborhoods. These neighborhoods include Chicomansett, Ferry Lane, Sandy Hill and the geographically isolated Burnett Road neighborhood. |
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The city is bordered by [[Holyoke, Massachusetts|Holyoke]] to the northwest, [[West Springfield, Massachusetts|West Springfield]] to the southwest, [[Springfield, Massachusetts|Springfield]] to the south, [[Ludlow, Massachusetts|Ludlow]] to the east, [[Granby, Massachusetts|Granby]] to the northeast and [[South Hadley, Massachusetts|South Hadley]] to the north. Chicopee is located {{convert|29|mi|km}} away from [[Hartford, Connecticut|Hartford]], {{convert|89|mi|km}} away from [[Boston, Massachusetts|Boston]], {{convert|90|mi|km}} from [[Albany, New York|Albany]] and {{convert|140|mi|km}} from New York City. |
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According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|23.9|sqmi|km2}}, of which {{convert|22.9|sqmi|km2}} is land and {{convert|1.0|sqmi|km2}} (4.31%) is water. The [[Chicopee River]] flows through the southern part of the city, emptying into the [[Connecticut River]]. Many ponds, lakes, and streams are part of the Chicopee River or Connecticut River watersheds. |
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Willimansett, and portions of the Center and Falls are on low land, with Aldenville, Fairview, Westover, and the Burnett Road neighborhoods on an elevated plateau. At 288 feet, the highest elevation in the city is on Old Lyman Road, in the Fairview section. |
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==Culture== |
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===Events=== |
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[[Image:Westover Air Reserve Base tower.jpg|thumb|right|Westover ARB Tower at The Great New England Air Show]] |
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* The Great New England Air Show is an annual two-day air show held at [[Westover Air Reserve Base]]. 300,000 visitors attended in 2008 to a show that featured the [[USAF Thunderbirds]]. Approximately 210,000 attended the highly anticipated 2012 show, Although no major jet team headlined the show, military demonstrations by the [[F/A-18F Super Hornet]], [[F-15C Eagle]]s, [[V-22 Osprey]], [[B-2 Spirit]] Stealth Bomber, and a locally based [[C-5 Galaxy]] along with civilian aerobatics and warbirds kept spectators entertained; over 60 aircraft were on static display making it the biggest airshow to take place at that location since 1974. The next air show was July 14 and 15, 2015 celebrating the 75th anniversary of Westover ARB with the US Navy's [[Blue Angels]] headlining in their first appearance at the base.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.greatnewenglandairshow.com/|title=Great New England Air Show|website=www.greatnewenglandairshow.com|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110423145428/http://greatnewenglandairshow.com/|archive-date=2011-04-23}}</ref> |
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* The Sword Game is an annual football game that began in 1964 after the founding of Chicopee's second high school, Chicopee Comprehensive High School. It is held every fall between Chicopee High School and [[Chicopee Comprehensive High School]]. The city's mayor presents the winning team with the Mayor's Sword, a sword that was manufactured in the 1890s by Ames Manufacturing Company in Cabotville. |
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* The World Kielbasa Festival is a four-day fair featuring Polish food, polka dancing, games, and rides. The original K-Fest was held by the Chicopee Chamber of Commerce's Fireball Club and ran from 1974 until 1997. It was dormant for years, and then revived and held at Szot Park in May 2015. In May 2016, Chicopee's Kielbasa Festival became part of a larger cultural event when it was moved to the Big E grounds in West Springfield. |
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===Sites=== |
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[[Image:Chicopee WWII Memorial.jpg|thumb|right|A Chicopee War Memorial]] |
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[[Image:Szot Park Tank 1.jpg|thumb|right|A tank in Szot Park]] |
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* Ames Tower in Cabotville, part of the Ames Manufacturing facilities and is now part of the Ames Privilege Apartment complex. |
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* Frank J. Szot Memorial Park, a focal point for community events in the city with accommodations for baseball, basketball, and picnicking. The stadium is typically used for local and regional soccer and football games. Features include a pond, one WWII and one Cold War era tank, several war monuments, and a fountain. |
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*[[Chicopee Memorial State Park]], located in the Burnett Road neighborhood and used to be known as the Cooley Brook Reservoir and Watershed, the park has been developed into a high use active recreation area. The total area is {{convert|575|acre|km2}} including two {{convert|25|acre|m2|adj=on}} ponds. Activities include swimming, fishing, picnicking, jogging and [[biking]]. |
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* The [[Basilica of St. Stanislaus, Chicopee|Basilica of Saint Stanislaus]], located on Front Street, is a 1908 brownstone, cathedral-like church built in the Baroque Revival Style of architecture. It is regarded as one of the most imposing churches in the area. The interior of the church can accommodate approximately 800 worshipers in the main and two side naves. A pipe organ was installed in the choir loft in 1920. During the parish's 1991 centennial, Pope John Paul II designated it a Minor Basilica. |
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* The Cabotville Historic Sycamore Trees, trees that were present when Chicopee became a town in 1848, matured when it became a city in 1890. They were designated Heritage Trees in 1999 by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. |
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* The Chicopee Canal Walk, dedicated on May 21, 2010, is a {{convert|1100|ft|m|adj=on}} pedestrian walkway and mini park that follows the canal from the Cabotville Historic Sycamore Trees to Grape Street. The path follows a portion of a former industrial railway. Plans are to extend the path to the Deady Bridge, creating a bicycle and pedestrian route connecting Cabotville and Chicopee Falls. |
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[[Image:City Hall, Chicopee MA.jpg|thumb|right|Chicopee City Hall]] |
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[[Image:ChicopeeMA EdwardBellamyHouse.jpg|thumb|right|Edward Bellamy House]] |
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* The [[City Hall (Chicopee, Massachusetts)|Chicopee City Hall]], built in 1871 in the Romanesque style. It was added to the National Register of Historic Place on July 30, 1974. |
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* The Chicopee War Memorial, located off of the intersection of Bonneville Avenue and Front Street. It is home to several statues and monuments to World War II veterans and Vietnam War veterans. |
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* The [[Edward Bellamy House]], a National Historic Landmark at 91–93 Church Street in Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts. The house was built in 1852 and was the home of journalist Edward Bellamy. The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1971. |
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* The Emerson Gaylord Mansion, a historic mansion is located at the north edge of the [[Elms College]] campus on the corner of Springfield and Fairview Streets (199 Springfield Street). It is described by Kristin O'Connell ("The Architectural Heritage of Chicopee") as a less pure example of the French Second Empire style, because of its asymmetrical exterior and its unusually high steep roof. |
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* The Facemate Tower, a historic tower on the Chicopee River in Chicopee Falls. It used to be a part of the Facemate Industrial Complex. |
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* The Polish Center of Discovery and Learning, a local history museum celebrating contributions made to the economy, arts, and sciences by immigrant Poles and their ancestors in Western New England. The museum also sponsors regular workshops, exhibits, concerts, conferences, seminars, films, plays, and lectures regarding the cultural traditions, contributions, and history of Poland, the Polish people, and the Polish diaspora. |
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* The Uniroyal Office Building, a historic building in Chicopee Falls that was part of the Uniroyal Industrial Complex. |
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* The Willimansett Dike, an elevated, artificial levee in Willimansett, built after the destructive Willimansett flood caused by [[1938 New England hurricane|The Great New England Hurricane]] of 1938. It stretches from Nash Field, following the Connecticut River south to I-90 bridge adjacent to the Chicopee boat ramp. |
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*[[Westover Air Reserve Base]], built here in 1940. Originally an [[U.S. Army Air Corps|Army Air Corps]] and later [[U.S. Army Air Forces|Army Air Forces]] installation known as Westover Field, it became [[Westover Air Force Base]] when the [[U.S. Air Force|Air Force]] became an independent service in 1947. From 1955 until 1974, it was a [[Strategic Air Command]] (SAC) installation. Transferred to the [[Air Force Reserve]] in 1974, it was renamed Westover Air Reserve Base and is now the home of the [[439th Airlift Wing]], flying the [[C-5 Galaxy]] aircraft.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.westover.afrc.af.mil/|title=Westover Air Reserve Base Home|website=www.westover.afrc.af.mil|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060423214457/http://www.westover.afrc.af.mil/|archive-date=2006-04-23}}</ref> Westover has one of the largest runways on the east coast at 11,597 x {{convert|301|ft|m}} and is the largest Air Force Reserve base in the United States.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.westover.afrc.af.mil/AboutUs.aspx|title=About Us|website=www.westover.afrc.af.mil|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160112210022/http://www.westover.afrc.af.mil/AboutUs.aspx|archive-date=2016-01-12}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://afreserve.com/where-to-serve/westover-air-force-base|title=Air Force Reserve|first=Air Force|last=Reserve|website=afreserve.com|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160105071905/http://afreserve.com/where-to-serve/westover-air-force-base|archive-date=2016-01-05}}</ref> A joint civil-military facility, it is also home to [[Westover Metropolitan Airport]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://westoverairport.com/about/|title=Westover Airport: quick turns, competitive rates & safety|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160103211049/http://westoverairport.com/about/|archive-date=2016-01-03}}</ref> Two military-minded youth programs, the Young Marines and the [[Westover Composite Squadron]] of the [[Civil Air Patrol]] are also located at Westover. |
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==Economy== |
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[[File:Peter Schlumbohm. Coffee Maker, Designed 1941.jpg|left|thumb|The standard 5-cup [[Chemex]] coffeemaker, as seen on display at the [[Brooklyn Museum]]]] |
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Chicopee is mostly a service economy with a mixture of small, local businesses and national chains. The city is also home to a number of Polish-American food product manufacturers, reflecting the city's history, and include the Chicopee Provision Company, a major producer of Polish sausage [[kielbasa]] under the Blue Seal brand, Millie's Pierogi, a producer of those traditional [[pierogi|Polish dumplings]], and Domin & Sons, the region's largest producer of [[horseradish]], whose largest market was Polish consumers at Easter.<ref>{{cite news|title=Chicopee Farmers Get Kick Raising Uncommon Crop; Frank Domin & Sons Produce and Process Bulk of All Horseradish Grown in Western Mass.|page=13|work=Springfield Union|location=Springfield, Mass.|date=July 7, 1953|url=https://www.genealogybank.com/nbshare/AC01190329154209326431639490243|via=NewsBank}}</ref> |
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Despite changes in the global economy, Chicopee does remain home to manufacturers including [[Callaway Golf Company|Callaway Golf]] which produces more than 5 million golfballs a year at its Willimansett production plant.<ref>{{cite news|title=Out of the rough: Callaway Golf Co. grows Chicopee factory, production workforce|url=http://www.masslive.com/business-news/index.ssf/2017/09/back_on_par_callaway_golf_co_grows_chico.html|publisher=MassLive|date=4 September 2017|access-date=3 January 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180227213019/http://www.masslive.com/business-news/index.ssf/2017/09/back_on_par_callaway_golf_co_grows_chico.html|archive-date=27 February 2018}}</ref> Since 2013, Chicopee has been home to the headquarters of the [[Chemex Coffeemaker|Chemex Corporation]], makers of the Chemex pour-over coffeemaker, which has been produced with the same design since 1941.<ref>[http://www.chemexcoffeemaker.com/ Chemex Coffeemaker] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110809201841/http://www.chemexcoffeemaker.com/ |date=2011-08-09 }}, official website. Retrieved January 2018.</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Chemex, the coffee maker with a rabid hipster fan base, grows in Chicopee|url=http://www.masslive.com/business-news/index.ssf/2016/02/chemex_a_coffee_maker_with_a_rabid_hipst.html|publisher=MassLive|date=15 February 2017|access-date=3 January 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170421204644/http://www.masslive.com/business-news/index.ssf/2016/02/chemex_a_coffee_maker_with_a_rabid_hipst.html|archive-date=21 April 2017}}</ref> Chicopee also hosts the Buxton Company, which "designs, manufactures, and markets personal leather goods, travel kits, and gifts collections for men and women." Founded as L.A.W. Novelty Co. in 1898, the firm changed its name to Buxton Co., LLC in 1921.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=25898|work=businessweek.com|access-date=April 13, 2012|title=Textiles, Apparel and Luxury Goods: Company Overview of Buxton Co., LLC|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130807221036/http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=25898|archive-date=August 7, 2013}}</ref> |
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Chicopee is home to a handful of financial businesses as well including Alden Credit Union,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://aldencu.com/ |title=Home |website=aldencu.com}}</ref> The Polish National Credit Union<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.pncu.com/pncu/Index.asp |title=Polish National Credit Union |access-date=2011-05-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110818194838/http://pncu.com/pncu/Index.asp |archive-date=2011-08-18 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and Chicopee Savings Bank.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.chicopeesavings.com/index.html |title=Chicopee Savings Bank | Chicopee - West Springfield - Ware | Massachusetts - MA |website=www.chicopeesavings.com |access-date=11 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629115141/https://www.chicopeesavings.com/index.html |archive-date=29 June 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Chicopee Savings Bank is run by Chicopee Bancorp, which operates trades as CBNK on the NASDAQ exchange. |
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The Chicopee River Business Park and Westover Business Park are within the city's boundaries. |
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== Demographics == |
== Demographics == |
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The median income for a household in the city was $35,672, and the median income for a family was $44,136. Males had a median income of $35,585 versus $25,975 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,646. About 9.6% of families and 12.3% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 19.5% of those under age 18 and 9.3% of those age 65 or over. |
The median income for a household in the city was $35,672, and the median income for a family was $44,136. Males had a median income of $35,585 versus $25,975 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,646. About 9.6% of families and 12.3% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 19.5% of those under age 18 and 9.3% of those age 65 or over. |
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==Economy== |
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==Government and politics== |
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Chicopee is mostly a service economy with a mixture of small, local businesses and national chains. The city is also home to a number of Polish-American food product manufacturers, reflecting the city's history, and include the Chicopee Provision Company, a major producer of Polish sausage [[kielbasa]] under the Blue Seal brand, Millie's Pierogi, a producer of those traditional [[pierogi|Polish dumplings]], and Domin & Sons, the region's largest producer of [[horseradish]], whose largest market was Polish consumers at Easter.<ref>{{cite news|title=Chicopee Farmers Get Kick Raising Uncommon Crop; Frank Domin & Sons Produce and Process Bulk of All Horseradish Grown in Western Mass.|page=13|work=Springfield Union|location=Springfield, Mass.|date=July 7, 1953|url=https://www.genealogybank.com/nbshare/AC01190329154209326431639490243|via=NewsBank}}</ref> |
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Despite changes in the global economy, Chicopee does remain home to manufacturers including [[Callaway Golf Company|Callaway Golf]] which produces more than 5 million golfballs a year at its Willimansett production plant.<ref>{{cite news|title=Out of the rough: Callaway Golf Co. grows Chicopee factory, production workforce|url=http://www.masslive.com/business-news/index.ssf/2017/09/back_on_par_callaway_golf_co_grows_chico.html|publisher=MassLive|date=4 September 2017|access-date=3 January 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180227213019/http://www.masslive.com/business-news/index.ssf/2017/09/back_on_par_callaway_golf_co_grows_chico.html|archive-date=27 February 2018}}</ref> Since 2013, Chicopee has been home to the headquarters of the [[Chemex Coffeemaker|Chemex Corporation]], makers of the Chemex pour-over coffeemaker, which has been produced with the same design since 1941.<ref>[http://www.chemexcoffeemaker.com/ Chemex Coffeemaker] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110809201841/http://www.chemexcoffeemaker.com/ |date=2011-08-09 }}, official website. Retrieved January 2018.</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Chemex, the coffee maker with a rabid hipster fan base, grows in Chicopee|url=http://www.masslive.com/business-news/index.ssf/2016/02/chemex_a_coffee_maker_with_a_rabid_hipst.html|publisher=MassLive|date=15 February 2017|access-date=3 January 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170421204644/http://www.masslive.com/business-news/index.ssf/2016/02/chemex_a_coffee_maker_with_a_rabid_hipst.html|archive-date=21 April 2017}}</ref> Chicopee also hosts the Buxton Company, which "designs, manufactures, and markets personal leather goods, travel kits, and gifts collections for men and women." Founded as L.A.W. Novelty Co. in 1898, the firm changed its name to Buxton Co., LLC in 1921.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=25898|work=businessweek.com|access-date=April 13, 2012|title=Textiles, Apparel and Luxury Goods: Company Overview of Buxton Co., LLC|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130807221036/http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=25898|archive-date=August 7, 2013}}</ref> |
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Chicopee is home to a handful of financial businesses as well including Alden Credit Union,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://aldencu.com/ |title=Home |website=aldencu.com}}</ref> The Polish National Credit Union<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.pncu.com/pncu/Index.asp |title=Polish National Credit Union |access-date=2011-05-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110818194838/http://pncu.com/pncu/Index.asp |archive-date=2011-08-18 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and Chicopee Savings Bank.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.chicopeesavings.com/index.html |title=Chicopee Savings Bank | Chicopee - West Springfield - Ware | Massachusetts - MA |website=www.chicopeesavings.com |access-date=11 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629115141/https://www.chicopeesavings.com/index.html |archive-date=29 June 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Chicopee Savings Bank is run by Chicopee Bancorp, which operates trades as CBNK on the NASDAQ exchange. |
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The Chicopee River Business Park and Westover Business Park are within the city's boundaries. |
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==Arts and culture== |
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===Events=== |
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[[Image:Westover Air Reserve Base tower.jpg|thumb|right|Westover ARB Tower at The Great New England Air Show]] |
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* The Great New England Air Show is an annual two-day air show held at [[Westover Air Reserve Base]]. The show has featured the [[USAF Thunderbirds]] and the US Navy's [[Blue Angels]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.greatnewenglandairshow.com/|title=Great New England Air Show|website=www.greatnewenglandairshow.com|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110423145428/http://greatnewenglandairshow.com/|archive-date=2011-04-23}}</ref> |
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* The World Kielbasa Festival is a four-day fair featuring Polish food, polka dancing, games, and rides. |
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===Sites=== |
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{{see also|National Register of Historic Places listings in Hampden County, Massachusetts}} |
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[[Image:City Hall, Chicopee MA.jpg|thumb|right|Chicopee City Hall]] |
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[[Image:ChicopeeMA EdwardBellamyHouse.jpg|thumb|right|Edward Bellamy House]] |
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* The [[Basilica of St. Stanislaus, Chicopee|Basilica of Saint Stanislaus]], is a 1908 brownstone, church built in the Baroque Revival Style of architecture. Pope John Paul II designated it a Minor Basilica. |
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* The Cabotville Historic Sycamore Trees, trees that were present when Chicopee became a town in 1848, matured when it became a city in 1890. They were designated Heritage Trees by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. |
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* [[City Hall (Chicopee, Massachusetts)|Chicopee City Hall]], built in 1871 in the Romanesque style, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). |
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* Veterans Memorial Plaza, located on Front Street. It is home to monuments dedicated to veterans of the Civil War, World War I, World II, Korean War, Vietnam War, and the War on Terror. |
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* [[Edward Bellamy House]] was built in 1852 and was the home of journalist Edward Bellamy. It is listed on the NRHP and is a National Historic Landmark. |
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* Emerson Gaylord Mansion, a historic mansion at [[Elms College]], based on French Second Empire style<ref>{{cite news |last1=Jendrysik |first1=Stephen |title=Mansion was home to Emerson Gaylord, Chicopee's 'main man' in 19th century |url=https://www.masslive.com/living/2013/07/stephen_jendrysik_mansion_was_home_to_emerson_gaylord_chicopees_main_man_in_19th_century.html |access-date=23 October 2024 |work=Springfield (Mass.) Republican |publisher=MassLive |date=10 July 2013}}</ref> |
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* The Facemate Tower, a historic tower on the Chicopee River in Chicopee Falls. It used to be a part of the Facemate Industrial Complex. |
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* The Polish Center of Discovery and Learning, a local history museum. |
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* The Uniroyal Office Building, a historic building in Chicopee Falls that was part of the Uniroyal Industrial Complex. |
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* The Willimansett Dike, an elevated, artificial levee in Willimansett, built after the destructive Willimansett flood caused by [[1938 New England hurricane|The Great New England Hurricane]] of 1938. |
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*[[Westover Air Reserve Base]], built here in 1940. Originally an [[U.S. Army Air Corps|Army Air Corps]] and later [[U.S. Army Air Forces|Army Air Forces]] installation known as Westover Field, it became [[Westover Air Force Base]] when the [[U.S. Air Force|Air Force]] became an independent service in 1947. From 1955 until 1974, it was a [[Strategic Air Command]] (SAC) installation. Transferred to the [[Air Force Reserve]] in 1974, it was renamed Westover Air Reserve Base and is now the home of the [[439th Airlift Wing]], flying the [[C-5 Galaxy]] aircraft.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.westover.afrc.af.mil/|title=Westover Air Reserve Base Home|website=www.westover.afrc.af.mil|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060423214457/http://www.westover.afrc.af.mil/|archive-date=2006-04-23}}</ref> Westover has one of the largest runways on the east coast, and is the largest Air Force Reserve base in the United States.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.westover.afrc.af.mil/AboutUs.aspx|title=About Us|website=www.westover.afrc.af.mil|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160112210022/http://www.westover.afrc.af.mil/AboutUs.aspx|archive-date=2016-01-12}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://afreserve.com/where-to-serve/westover-air-force-base|title=Air Force Reserve|first=Air Force|last=Reserve|website=afreserve.com|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160105071905/http://afreserve.com/where-to-serve/westover-air-force-base|archive-date=2016-01-05}}</ref> A joint civil-military facility, it is also home to [[Westover Metropolitan Airport]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://westoverairport.com/about/|title=Westover Airport: quick turns, competitive rates & safety|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160103211049/http://westoverairport.com/about/|archive-date=2016-01-03}}</ref> Two military-minded youth programs, the Young Marines and the [[Westover Composite Squadron]] of the [[Civil Air Patrol]] are also located at Westover. |
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==Parks and recreation== |
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* Frank J. Szot Memorial Park, bordering Bemis Pond, contains facilities for baseball, basketball, soccer, and football and picnicking. and football games, as well as war memorials and historic tanks.{{citation needed|date=October 2024}} |
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*[[Chicopee Memorial State Park]], located in the Burnett Road neighborhood, contains the Cooley Brook Reservoir. The park has been developed into a high use active recreation area. |
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* The Chicopee Canal Walk is a [[rail trail]] that runs along the canal from the Cabotville Historic Sycamore Trees to the former Uniroyal Factory site.<ref>{{cite web |author1=Planning Deparment |title=Chicopee Canal & RiverWalk Phase II |url=https://chicopeema.gov/198/RiverWalk-Phase-II |website=chicopeema.gov |publisher=City of Chicopee, MA |access-date=23 October 2024}}</ref> |
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* The Connecticut RiverWalk & Bikeway is a recreational trail that connects the streets and rest stops between Nash Field and the Medina Street boat ramp.<ref>{{cite web |author1=Planning Department |title=Connecticut RiverWalk & Bikeway, North |url=https://chicopeema.gov/621/Connecticut-RiverWalk-Bikeway-North |website=chicopeema.gov |publisher=City of Chicopee, MA |access-date=23 October 2024}}</ref> |
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==Government== |
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Chicopee has a mayor-council form of government, with a City Council for its legislative branch and a Mayor for its executive branch. |
Chicopee has a mayor-council form of government, with a City Council for its legislative branch and a Mayor for its executive branch. |
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* Three Assessors elected to one three-year term |
* Three Assessors elected to one three-year term |
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* A School Committee with two Members-at-Large and nine Ward Members, all elected to one three-year term<ref name="ChicopeeCharter" /><ref>{{cite web |title=Elected Officials |url=https://www.chicopeema.gov/416/Elected-Officials |website=chicopeema.gov |access-date=29 September 2022}}</ref> |
* A School Committee with two Members-at-Large and nine Ward Members, all elected to one three-year term<ref name="ChicopeeCharter" /><ref>{{cite web |title=Elected Officials |url=https://www.chicopeema.gov/416/Elected-Officials |website=chicopeema.gov |access-date=29 September 2022}}</ref> |
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{| class="wikitable" |
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! colspan=4 | City Council Members<ref name="CityCouncil">{{cite web |title=City Council |url=https://www.chicopeema.gov/391/City-Council |website=chicopeema.gov |access-date=29 September 2022}}</ref> |
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|- |
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! Title !! Name !! District !! First elected |
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|- |
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| Councilor-at-Large / President || Frank N. Laflamme || At-Large || 2010 |
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|- |
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| Councilor-at-Large || Gerard Roy || At-Large || 2014 |
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|- |
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| Councilor-at-Large || James Tillotson || At-Large || 1996 |
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|- |
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| Councilor-at-Large / Vice-president || Robert J. Zygarowski || At-Large || 2004 |
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|- |
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| Ward Councilor || Joel McAuliffe || 1 || 2018 |
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|- |
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| Ward Councilor || Shane D. Brooks || 2 || 2014 |
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|- |
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| Ward Councilor || Delmarina López || 3 || 2022 |
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|- |
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| Ward Councilor || George A. Balakier || 4 || 2018 |
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|- |
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| Ward Councilor || Frederick T. Krampits || 5 || 2002 |
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|- |
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| Ward Councilor || Derek Dobosz || 6 || 2018 |
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|- |
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| Ward Councilor || William Courchesne || 7 || 2016 |
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|- |
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| Ward Councilor || Gary R. Labrie || 8 || 2013 |
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|- |
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| Ward Councilor || Mary Beth Pniak-Costello || 9 || 2022 |
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|} |
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===Voter Registration=== |
===Voter Registration=== |
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===Private elementary=== |
===Private elementary=== |
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Catholic schools operated under the Diocese of Springfield include: Saint Joan of Arc School which serves Saint Rose de Lima Church; and Saint Stanislaus School which serves the [[St. Stanislaus Bishop & Martyr's Parish, Chicopee|St. Stanislaus Bishop & Martyr's Parish]]. |
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Within the past decade, a number of private elementary schools and their associated parishes have closed. These include Assumption School which served the former Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary parish, Saint Patrick's School which served the former Saint Patrick's parish (closure of this parish is currently in dispute), Holy Name School which served Holy Name of Jesus parish, Mount Carmel School which served the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary parish, and Saint George School which served Saint George's parish that merged with Saint Rose de Lima / Saint Joan of Arc School. |
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===Private secondary=== |
===Private secondary=== |
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[[Image:Hchsbuilding1.jpg|thumb|right|Holyoke Catholic High School]] |
[[Image:Hchsbuilding1.jpg|thumb|right|Holyoke Catholic High School]] |
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[[Holyoke Catholic High School]] was founded in 1963 at the campus of the former Saint Jerome High School in Holyoke. In 2002 it relocated to the campus of Saint Hyacinth Seminary in [[Granby, Massachusetts|Granby]]. It moved to its Holyoke location in September 2008, and 2015 it merged with [[Cathedral High School (Springfield, Massachusetts)|Cathedral High School]] to form a new regional Catholic school that was completed in 2016 as [[Pope Francis High School]] in Springfield.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Martinez |first1=Alessandra |title=Cathedral, Holyoke Catholic to merge under proposal by Bishop |url=https://www.wwlp.com/news/local-news/hampden-county/fate-of-cathedral-high-school-announcement-scheduled/1042668390 |access-date=21 September 2018 |work=WWLP |date=23 February 2015 }}{{Dead link|date=December 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Move, merger of Cathedral High and Holyoke Catholic now complete |url=http://iobserve.org/2016/06/24/move-merger-of-cathedral-high-and-holyoke-catholic-now-complete/ |access-date=21 September 2018 |work=iObserve.org |date=24 June 2016}}</ref> |
[[Holyoke Catholic High School]] was founded in 1963 at the campus of the former Saint Jerome High School in Holyoke. In 2002 it relocated to the campus of Saint Hyacinth Seminary in [[Granby, Massachusetts|Granby]]. It moved to its Holyoke location in September 2008, and 2015 it merged with [[Cathedral High School (Springfield, Massachusetts)|Cathedral High School]] to form a new regional Catholic school that was completed in 2016 as [[Pope Francis High School]] in Springfield.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Martinez |first1=Alessandra |title=Cathedral, Holyoke Catholic to merge under proposal by Bishop |url=https://www.wwlp.com/news/local-news/hampden-county/fate-of-cathedral-high-school-announcement-scheduled/1042668390 |access-date=21 September 2018 |work=WWLP |date=23 February 2015 }}{{Dead link|date=December 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Move, merger of Cathedral High and Holyoke Catholic now complete |url=http://iobserve.org/2016/06/24/move-merger-of-cathedral-high-and-holyoke-catholic-now-complete/ |access-date=21 September 2018 |work=iObserve.org |date=24 June 2016}}</ref> |
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In 2019 [[Paulo Freire Social Justice Charter School]] moved from Holyoke to occupy the building that was left vacant when Pope Francis moved to its new building a couple years earlier. |
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==Notable people== |
==Notable people== |
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[[Image:Edward Bellamy - photograph c.1889.jpg|thumb|right|Edward Bellamy, {{circa|1889}}]] |
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* [[Nathan Peabody Ames]], American swordsmith and founder of the [[Ames Manufacturing Company]] |
* [[Nathan Peabody Ames]], American swordsmith and founder of the [[Ames Manufacturing Company]] |
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* [[Scott Barnes (baseball)|Scott Barnes]], pitcher for Major League Baseball's [[Cleveland Indians]] |
* [[Scott Barnes (baseball)|Scott Barnes]], pitcher for Major League Baseball's [[Cleveland Indians]] |
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* [[Dwight Manufacturing Company Housing District]] |
* [[Dwight Manufacturing Company Housing District]] |
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* [[List of mill towns in Massachusetts]] |
* [[List of mill towns in Massachusetts]] |
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* [[Paulo Freire Social Justice Charter School]], a former school |
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* [[Polish National Home (Chicopee, Massachusetts)|Polish National Home]] |
* [[Polish National Home (Chicopee, Massachusetts)|Polish National Home]] |
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* [[Springfield Street Historic District]] |
* [[Springfield Street Historic District]] |
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* [[Thomas D. Page House|Belcher Lodge]] |
* [[Thomas D. Page House|Belcher Lodge]] |
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* [[Valentine School (Chicopee, Massachusetts)|Valentine School]] |
* [[Valentine School (Chicopee, Massachusetts)|Valentine School]] |
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* [[Willimansett Bridge]] |
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* [https://web.archive.org/web/20141028133043/http://chicopeelocalnews.com/ Chicopee local news and community events] |
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* [http://www.chicopeepubliclibrary.org/ Chicopee Public Library] |
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Latest revision as of 15:25, 23 October 2024
Chicopee, Massachusetts | |
---|---|
Nicknames: | |
Motto(s): | |
Coordinates: 42°08′55″N 72°36′30″W / 42.14861°N 72.60833°W | |
Country | United States |
State | Massachusetts |
County | Hampden |
Settled | 1640 |
Incorporated (parish) | June 11, 1751[a][4] |
Incorporated (town) | April 29, 1848[5] |
Incorporated (city) | April 18, 1890 |
Government | |
• Type | Mayor–council city |
• Mayor | John L. Vieau (I)[6][7] |
Area | |
• Total | 23.87 sq mi (61.83 km2) |
• Land | 22.91 sq mi (59.33 km2) |
• Water | 0.97 sq mi (2.50 km2) |
Elevation | 200 ft (61 m) |
Population (2020) | |
• Total | 55,560 |
• Density | 2,425.57/sq mi (936.53/km2) |
Time zone | UTC−05:00 (Eastern) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC−04:00 (Eastern) |
ZIP Codes | 01013, 01020–01022 |
Area code | 413 |
FIPS code | 25-13660 |
GNIS feature ID | 0617597 |
Website | www.chicopeema.gov |
Chicopee (/ˈtʃɪkəpi/ CHIK-ə-pee) is a city located on the Connecticut River in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 55,560, making it the second-largest city in western Massachusetts after Springfield.[9] Chicopee is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The communities of Chicopee Center (Cabotville), Chicopee Falls, Willimansett, Fairview, Aldenville, Burnett Road, Smith Highlands and Westover are located within the city.
One of the ventures of the Boston Associates,[10] Chicopee is a city built around several smaller former mill communities on its namesake, the Chicopee River. During the 19th century, the city was home to the first American producer of friction matches as well as a variety of other industries,[11] including the Ames Manufacturing Company, an early pioneer in machining lathes, building upon the work of Springfield's Thomas Blanchard, and the largest producer of swords and cutlasses for the Union Army during the Civil War.[12][13] By the start of the 20th century, the city was home to a number of industrial plants, including those of the Fisk Tire Company, one of the largest tire makers of that time, and some of the earliest sporting goods factories of A. G. Spalding.[14]
Today the city is home to a variety of specialty manufacturers, as well as Westover Air Reserve Base, the largest Air Force Reserve Base of the United States, built in 1940 with the emergence of World War II.[15] Chicopee today goes by the nickname the "Crossroads of New England" as part of a business-development marketing campaign, one that West Springfield also uses. The name reflects the city's location among a number of metropolitan areas and its transportation network. Four interstate highways run through its boundaries, including I-90, I-91, I-291, and I-391, as well as state routes such as Route 33, 116, and 141.
History
[edit]Etymology
[edit]"Chicopee" is derived from the Nipmuc language. It is likely derived from chekee ("violently") and -pe (root suffix used in water place names) or chikkupee ("of red cedar"), an adjectival form of chikkup ("red cedar").[16][17][18]
There have been several variant spellings of the name.[19][20][21]
Nayasett (Cabotville and Chicopee Falls)
[edit]In 1636, William Pynchon purchased land from the Agawam Indians on the east side of the Connecticut River. He moved from the Town of Roxbury to Springfield to found the first settlement in the area that comprises the territory of today's Chicopee Center (Cabotville). Both Cabotville and the Falls were developed as manufacturing centers (villages).[22]
According to local historian Charles J. Seaver, the area above the falls was first settled in 1660. The land purchased from the Indians was divided into districts. Nayasett (Nipmuc for "at the small point/angle") was the name given to the area of what are now Chicopee Center and Chicopee Falls. The settlement in the upper district was at Skipmuck (possibly based on Nipmuc Skipmaug, meaning "chief fishing place" or Shipmuck, meaning "big watery place"), a place above the falls on the south side of the river.[citation needed]
Colonists built a sawmill as the first industrial site along the river. The mill was built at Skenungonuck (Nipmuc for "green fields") Falls (now Chicopee Falls) in 1678 by Japhet Chapin, John Hitchcock and Nathaniel Foote.[citation needed]
In 1786, what was called Factory Village began to develop when two acres of land was leased to 10 local men, with the understanding that they would build an iron foundry within two years. This was accomplished and the business flourished.[citation needed]
In 1823, Jonathan Dwight purchased the water privilege at Skenungonuck Falls in Chicopee. He built a textile mill and five years later, it operated 14,000 spindles and nearly 500 looms, making it the second-largest operation in the state. It processed cotton from the Deep South, becoming part of the extended slave economy and King Cotton. By 1831, settlers had developed two giant dams, two waterpower canals, and two manufacturing communities on the Chicopee River.[citation needed]
Before and after the partition, eight Chicopee River companies gained product recognition around the globe: Ames, Belcher, Lamb, Dwight, Stevens, Spalding, Fisk, and Duryea. Below the falls, in the bend of the river at a place called Factory Village, an important chapter of the region's industrial history was played out.[citation needed]
Partition from Springfield
[edit]In 1716, Upper Chicopee, Lower Chicopee and Skipmunk were divided into Springfield's fourth, fifth and sixth precincts, respectively.[23]
In the late 1740s, a discussion took place among members of the First Church of Springfield over whether the town should build a new meetinghouse out of brick, which would be more expensive yet durable, or timber, which would be relatively inexpensive. Residents of what is now Chicopee tended to support a timber meetinghouse, due to the time-consuming four to eight mile journey that visiting the meetinghouse would require.[23][24] In 1749, residents in Springfield's fourth, fifth and sixth precincts petitioned the Massachusetts General Court to form their own parish, with their own church and meetinghouse. Facing opposition from Springfield, the petition was rejected by the General Court. In 1750, the petition was filed again by Japhet Chapin, signed by 49 residents of what are now Chicopee and Holyoke, and was approved by the General Court. This created Springfield's Fifth Parish. The boundaries of the new parish were laid out on June 11, 1751.[b] The first service took place on July 21, 1751.[c] This marked the earliest move toward political separation by Chicopee and Holyoke from Springfield.[23]
In 1844, Springfield's Second Parish,[d] now containing only Chicopee, petitioned the General Court to separate as its own municipality. Once again opposed by Springfield's First Parish, their petition was rejected. In 1848, Springfield began to seek a city charter. Second Parish residents tended to oppose a city charter on the grounds of increased expenditures. In response, 700 residents of Chicopee's neighborhoods of Cabotville, Chicopee Falls, Chicopee Street and Willimansett signed a petition to form their own municipality.[25]
The General Court approved Chicopee's Act of Incorporation on April 25, 1848. Governor George N. Briggs signed the act on April 29, 1848, creating the Town of Chicopee.[25][5] Chicopee's first municipal elections took place at Chicopee's first town meeting on May 17, 1848 at 1:00 p.m. When electing State Representatives and State Senators, the Town of Chicopee would be treated as a district of Springfield until after the 1850 U.S. census.[25]
Incorporation as a city
[edit]On April 18, 1890, the community was granted a charter as a city by the Massachusetts General Court. George Sylvester Taylor (1822–1910) became Chicopee's first mayor on January 5, 1891.
Westover Field was created by a war-readiness appropriation signed by president Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1939. The site used to be tobacco crop fields east of and part of Fairview, east of Aldenview, and northern Willimansett. It was assigned to the United States Army Air Corps Northeast Air District. It was renamed Westover Air Force Base in 1948 after that Air Force's creation as a separate service. In 1974 SAC leadership turned the base over to the Air Force Reserve.
In 1991, St. Stanislaus Bishop and Martyr Church, located on Front Street, was proclaimed a minor basilica by Pope John Paul II.
Industries
[edit]Chicopee adopted the motto "Industriae Variae", which means "Various Industries". Chicopee's industries included cotton mills, woolen mills, textiles, brass and iron foundries, paper making, footwear factories, for leather boots and shoes, the first friction matches, and ship building. In nearby South Hadley Canal, the firearms company Crescent-Davis specialized in producing double-barrel shotguns.
The Ames Manufacturing Company made many machines and bronze cannons, and more swords than any other American manufacturer at the time. Ames cast a number of bronze statues, including Thomas Ball's monumental equestrian statue of President George Washington, installed in Boston's Public Garden. Ames was a major provider of cannon to the Union army during the Civil War.[26] The Stevens Arms plant (later Savage) was responsible for most of the No. 4 Enfields manufactured for the British under Lend-Lease. Chicopee was home to production of the first gasoline-powered automobile made in the United States, the Duryea.[27][28]
Bicycles
[edit]During the late nineteenth century, Chicopee Falls became a major manufacturing center of bicycles.[29] The town was the site of at least two bicycle factories: The Overman Wheel Company (1882 to about 1899), and the Spalding sporting goods company.[30]
Albert H. Overman moved his bicycle production from Hartford, Connecticut, to Chicopee Falls in 1883.[29] The Overman company benefited from the surging popularity of the safety bicycle during the bicycle boom of the 1890s. At its height in 1894, Overman's factory employed over 1,200 workers. The boom eventually went bust, as overproduction drove the price of bicycles down. By 1901 the Overman firm was out of business.[29]
Library
[edit]The Chicopee Public Library developed from the Cabot Institute, a literary society organized in 1846. The society voted on April 4, 1853 to donate its books to the town.[31] It was the first locally funded public library in Western Massachusetts.[32]
Geography
[edit]The city is made up of several neighborhoods; the result of the city's origin as a collection of four villages in the northernmost part of Springfield, which seceded from it in 1848. Chicopee Falls, Chicopee Center (Cabotville), Fairview, and Willimansett continued to develop. In the early 1900s, Aldenville developed as a distinct community. Since then, the city has filled in most of its open space resulting in a number of new neighborhoods. These neighborhoods include Chicomansett, Ferry Lane, Sandy Hill and the geographically isolated Burnett Road neighborhood.
The city is bordered by Holyoke to the northwest, West Springfield to the southwest, Springfield to the south, Ludlow to the east, Granby to the northeast and South Hadley to the north. Chicopee is located 29 miles (47 km) away from Hartford, 89 miles (143 km) away from Boston, 90 miles (140 km) from Albany and 140 miles (230 km) from New York City.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 23.9 square miles (62 km2), of which 22.9 square miles (59 km2) is land and 1.0 square mile (2.6 km2) (4.31%) is water. The Chicopee River flows through the southern part of the city, emptying into the Connecticut River. Many ponds, lakes, and streams are part of the Chicopee River or Connecticut River watersheds.
Neighborhoods
[edit]Willimansett
[edit]In 1641, Willian Pynchon expanded his 1636 holdings by buying the land from the Chicopee River north to the Willimansett (Nipmuc for "good berries place" or "place of red earth") Brook. Land sales in Chicopee were recorded in 1659, but apparently no homes were built immediately.
Winthrop McKinstry writes that the sons of Deacon Samuel Chapin appear to be the first home builders. Henry Chapin is believed to have constructed his at Exchange and West streets (lower Chicopee) in 1664, and Japhet Chapin north of what is now known as James Ferry Road (upper Chicopee) in 1673. It is apparent from McKinstry's book that the Chapin family dominated the area north of the Chicopee River for the settlement's first 70 years. Chicopee Street was part of the First Parish in Springfield.
By the 1750s, Quabbin Road (now McKinstry Avenue) allowed the farmers to access the meadows and fields on the plains at the top of the hill. The Chapins used the land in common for grazing livestock and built ice houses near several large ponds. The ponds were drained by several brooks which flowed into the Connecticut River.
At the end of the 19th century, the city voted to build the Willimansett Bridge, connecting Willimansett with Holyoke across the Connecticut River. The results were profound. Willimansett and Aldenville would develop close ties to Holyoke; even postal and telephone service were (and still are) tied to the "Paper City." The legislative act ordering the building of the bridge was passed in 1892. L.L. Johnson reports that the completion of the bridge was grandly celebrated.
By the 20th century, Willimansett village had developed into quintessential Americana with a high percentage of French Canadian inhabitants. In total, Chicopee became four distinct commercial and political sub-divisions, each with its own ethnic makeup representing its own special interests and, much too frequently, in conflict with each other.
Located between Fairview and Willimansett, the Smith Highlands section once had its own school (first and second grades), Holyoke Street Railway bus service from Ingham Street across Irene, Factory, and Prospect streets, and two locally owned markets. The former Robert's Pond swimming area was a popular summer attraction, and the fields where the current Bellamy Junior High School is located were a popular sledding and skiing location winters.
Fairview
[edit]Fairview is the northernmost neighborhood (village) in Chicopee and originally included the lands that are now part of Westover ARB. Primarily agricultural, Fairview was known for its tobacco farms. After 1939, Westover helped to rapidly develop the village into a residential and commercial district. Memorial Drive (Route 33) flows north–south connecting Chicopee Falls with South Hadley.
Aldenville
[edit]On August 18, 1870, Edward Monroe Alden purchased 600 acres of land just east of Willimansett for the sum of $9,000 with the intent to create a "little city on the hill," which would become Aldenville. In 1890, he began laying out streets which he named for family members and divided the land up into 60-by-170 feet lots. French-Canadian factory workers from Chicopee Falls, Cabotville (Chicopee Center), and Holyoke began to build up the community. Sold for a selling price of $150 with $10 down, the first house was bought and built by French-Canadian builder and carpenter Marcellin Croteau.[33]
Demographics
[edit]Year | Pop. | ±% |
---|---|---|
1850 | 8,291 | — |
1860 | 7,261 | −12.4% |
1870 | 9,607 | +32.3% |
1880 | 11,286 | +17.5% |
1890 | 14,050 | +24.5% |
1900 | 19,167 | +36.4% |
1910 | 25,401 | +32.5% |
1920 | 36,214 | +42.6% |
1930 | 43,930 | +21.3% |
1940 | 41,664 | −5.2% |
1950 | 49,211 | +18.1% |
1960 | 61,553 | +25.1% |
1970 | 66,676 | +8.3% |
1980 | 55,112 | −17.3% |
1990 | 56,632 | +2.8% |
2000 | 54,653 | −3.5% |
2010 | 55,298 | +1.2% |
2020 | 55,560 | +0.5% |
2022* | 54,980 | −1.0% |
* = population estimate. Source: United States census records and Population Estimates Program data.[34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44] Source: |
As of the census of 2010, Chicopee was 3.1% black, 1.6% Asian, 18.5% Hispanic or Latino of any race, 75% white
As of the census[47] of 2000, there were 54,653 people, 23,117 households, and 14,147 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,389.7 inhabitants per square mile (922.7/km2). There were 24,424 housing units at an average density of 1,067.9 per square mile (412.3/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 89.82% White, 2.28% African American, 0.20% Native American, 0.87% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 4.90% from other races, and 1.84% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.76% of the population (12.8% Puerto Rican, 0.5% Dominican, 0.4% Mexican, 0.2% Colombian). Chicopee is the second largest municipality in western Massachusetts, after Springfield (defining western Massachusetts as Hampden, Hampshire, Franklin, and Berkshire counties).
There were 23,117 households, out of which 26.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.6% were married couples living together, 14.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.8% were non-families. 32.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.96.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.6% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 17.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $35,672, and the median income for a family was $44,136. Males had a median income of $35,585 versus $25,975 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,646. About 9.6% of families and 12.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.5% of those under age 18 and 9.3% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
[edit]Chicopee is mostly a service economy with a mixture of small, local businesses and national chains. The city is also home to a number of Polish-American food product manufacturers, reflecting the city's history, and include the Chicopee Provision Company, a major producer of Polish sausage kielbasa under the Blue Seal brand, Millie's Pierogi, a producer of those traditional Polish dumplings, and Domin & Sons, the region's largest producer of horseradish, whose largest market was Polish consumers at Easter.[48]
Despite changes in the global economy, Chicopee does remain home to manufacturers including Callaway Golf which produces more than 5 million golfballs a year at its Willimansett production plant.[49] Since 2013, Chicopee has been home to the headquarters of the Chemex Corporation, makers of the Chemex pour-over coffeemaker, which has been produced with the same design since 1941.[50][51] Chicopee also hosts the Buxton Company, which "designs, manufactures, and markets personal leather goods, travel kits, and gifts collections for men and women." Founded as L.A.W. Novelty Co. in 1898, the firm changed its name to Buxton Co., LLC in 1921.[52]
Chicopee is home to a handful of financial businesses as well including Alden Credit Union,[53] The Polish National Credit Union[54] and Chicopee Savings Bank.[55] Chicopee Savings Bank is run by Chicopee Bancorp, which operates trades as CBNK on the NASDAQ exchange.
The Chicopee River Business Park and Westover Business Park are within the city's boundaries.
Arts and culture
[edit]Events
[edit]- The Great New England Air Show is an annual two-day air show held at Westover Air Reserve Base. The show has featured the USAF Thunderbirds and the US Navy's Blue Angels.[56]
- The World Kielbasa Festival is a four-day fair featuring Polish food, polka dancing, games, and rides.
Sites
[edit]- The Basilica of Saint Stanislaus, is a 1908 brownstone, church built in the Baroque Revival Style of architecture. Pope John Paul II designated it a Minor Basilica.
- The Cabotville Historic Sycamore Trees, trees that were present when Chicopee became a town in 1848, matured when it became a city in 1890. They were designated Heritage Trees by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
- Chicopee City Hall, built in 1871 in the Romanesque style, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP).
- Veterans Memorial Plaza, located on Front Street. It is home to monuments dedicated to veterans of the Civil War, World War I, World II, Korean War, Vietnam War, and the War on Terror.
- Edward Bellamy House was built in 1852 and was the home of journalist Edward Bellamy. It is listed on the NRHP and is a National Historic Landmark.
- Emerson Gaylord Mansion, a historic mansion at Elms College, based on French Second Empire style[57]
- The Facemate Tower, a historic tower on the Chicopee River in Chicopee Falls. It used to be a part of the Facemate Industrial Complex.
- The Polish Center of Discovery and Learning, a local history museum.
- The Uniroyal Office Building, a historic building in Chicopee Falls that was part of the Uniroyal Industrial Complex.
- The Willimansett Dike, an elevated, artificial levee in Willimansett, built after the destructive Willimansett flood caused by The Great New England Hurricane of 1938.
- Westover Air Reserve Base, built here in 1940. Originally an Army Air Corps and later Army Air Forces installation known as Westover Field, it became Westover Air Force Base when the Air Force became an independent service in 1947. From 1955 until 1974, it was a Strategic Air Command (SAC) installation. Transferred to the Air Force Reserve in 1974, it was renamed Westover Air Reserve Base and is now the home of the 439th Airlift Wing, flying the C-5 Galaxy aircraft.[58] Westover has one of the largest runways on the east coast, and is the largest Air Force Reserve base in the United States.[59][60] A joint civil-military facility, it is also home to Westover Metropolitan Airport.[61] Two military-minded youth programs, the Young Marines and the Westover Composite Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol are also located at Westover.
Parks and recreation
[edit]- Frank J. Szot Memorial Park, bordering Bemis Pond, contains facilities for baseball, basketball, soccer, and football and picnicking. and football games, as well as war memorials and historic tanks.[citation needed]
- Chicopee Memorial State Park, located in the Burnett Road neighborhood, contains the Cooley Brook Reservoir. The park has been developed into a high use active recreation area.
- The Chicopee Canal Walk is a rail trail that runs along the canal from the Cabotville Historic Sycamore Trees to the former Uniroyal Factory site.[62]
- The Connecticut RiverWalk & Bikeway is a recreational trail that connects the streets and rest stops between Nash Field and the Medina Street boat ramp.[63]
Government
[edit]Chicopee has a mayor-council form of government, with a City Council for its legislative branch and a Mayor for its executive branch.
The City Council consists of nine Ward Councilors and four Councilors-at-Large. One Ward Councilor is elected from each ward. The four Councilors-at-Large are elected by all voters in the city. Ward Councilors serve one-year terms, while Councilors-at-Large serve two-year terms. Mayors serve one two-year term. Since 1941, local elections in Chicopee have been non-partisan.[64] From 1890 to 1914, the city had a bicameral legislature consisting of eight wards, with one member of the Board of Aldermen and two members of the Common Council elected from each ward.[65] The city replaced this system by abolishing the Common Council and adding ten aldermen-at-large to the Board of Aldermen.[66] In 2008, the Board of Aldermen approved a home-rule petition to change the legislature's name to the City Council.[67] The name change took effect in 2009.[68]
Chicopee also directly elects the following local offices and bodies:
- A City Clerk elected to one three-year term
- City Collector elected to one three-year term
- A City Treasurer elected to one three-year term
- Three Assessors elected to one three-year term
- A School Committee with two Members-at-Large and nine Ward Members, all elected to one three-year term[64][69]
Voter Registration
[edit]Registered Voters and Party Enrollment[70] | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Democratic | Republican | Unenrolled | Total | |||
2004 | 15,240 | 44.9% | 3,836 | 11.3% | 14,519 | 42.8% | 33,907 |
2006 | 14,476 | 43.5% | 3,748 | 11.3% | 14,811 | 44.5% | 33,306 |
2008 | 14,751 | 42.2% | 3,759 | 10.8% | 16,162 | 46.2% | 34,959 |
2010 | 14,265 | 41.2% | 3677 | 10.6% | 16484 | 47.6% | 34,645 |
2012 | 14,171 | 39.6% | 3,786 | 10.6% | 17,578 | 49.2% | 35,761 |
2014 | 14,171 | 39.8% | 3,707 | 10.4% | 17,943 | 50.4% | 35,583 |
2016 | 13,172 | 35.5% | 4,070 | 11% | 19,322 | 52.1% | 37,110 |
2018 | 12,510 | 33.4% | 4,153 | 11.1% | 20,139 | 53.8% | 37,410 |
2020 | 12,013 | 30.8% | 4,357 | 11.2% | 21,953 | 56.4% | 38,943 |
2022 | 11,196 | 28% | 4,088 | 10% | 23,951 | 60% | 39,816 |
Education
[edit]College of Our Lady of the Elms
[edit]The College of Our Lady of the Elms is a four-year liberal arts college offering thirty-three academic majors. It was first founded in 1897 as a girls' preparatory academy in Pittsfield, the Academy of Our Lady of the Elms. In 1899, it moved to Chicopee as St. Joseph's Normal College. A charter for the school to operate as a women's liberal arts college was approved in 1928, and the name was changed to the College of Our Lady of the Elms. It began admitting men in 1998.
Private elementary
[edit]Catholic schools operated under the Diocese of Springfield include: Saint Joan of Arc School which serves Saint Rose de Lima Church; and Saint Stanislaus School which serves the St. Stanislaus Bishop & Martyr's Parish.
Private secondary
[edit]Holyoke Catholic High School was founded in 1963 at the campus of the former Saint Jerome High School in Holyoke. In 2002 it relocated to the campus of Saint Hyacinth Seminary in Granby. It moved to its Holyoke location in September 2008, and 2015 it merged with Cathedral High School to form a new regional Catholic school that was completed in 2016 as Pope Francis High School in Springfield.[71][72]
Notable people
[edit]- Nathan Peabody Ames, American swordsmith and founder of the Ames Manufacturing Company
- Scott Barnes, pitcher for Major League Baseball's Cleveland Indians
- Fred Belcher, American race car driver, ran in the inaugural Indianapolis 500
- Edward Bellamy, author, most known for 1888's Looking Backward
- Gail Koziara Boudreaux, CEO of Elevance Health
- Lilian Jackson Braun, author, best known for The Cat Who... series of novels
- Rene Charland, racing driver
- Teddy Charles, musician
- Arthur Chapin, former Massachusetts Treasurer and Holyoke mayor
- Duryea brothers, Charles Duryea (1861–1938) and Frank Duryea (1869–1967), were the first to build an automobile in the United States
- Damien Fahey, television and radio personality, former host of MTV's TRL
- Ray Fitzgerald, Major League Baseball player
- Sabina Gadecki, actress
- George S. Irving, actor and singer
- Joe Jackson, gridiron football player
- Philip Labonte, musician, vocalist for All That Remains
- Arthur MacArthur Jr., Army General
- Lucius E. Pinkham, served as the fourth Territorial Governor of Hawaii
- Victoria Principal, attended Chicopee Comprehensive High School through her junior year, 1968
- George D. Robinson, former Massachusetts Governor and defense counsel of Lizzie Borden
- Garry St. Jean, former NBA basketball coach for the Sacramento Kings
- Daniel Webster Whittle, 19th-century American gospel song lyricist
- Michael Dean Woodford, macroeconomist and monetary theorist at Columbia University
See also
[edit]- Cabotville Common Historic District
- Chicopee Falls Dam
- Dwight Manufacturing Company Housing District
- List of mill towns in Massachusetts
- Paulo Freire Social Justice Charter School, a former school
- Polish National Home
- Springfield Street Historic District
- Belcher Lodge
- Valentine School
Notes
[edit]- ^ Contemporaneous records used the Old Style Julian calendar and the Annunciation Style of enumerating years. The British Calendar (New Style) Act 1750 implemented in 1752 altered the official British dating method to the Gregorian calendar with the start of the year on January 1 (it had been March 25). These changes resulted in dates being moved forward 11 days and an advance of one year for those between January 1 and March 25. For a further explanation, see Old Style and New Style dates.
- ^ O.S.
- ^ O.S.
- ^ Springfield's Fifth Parish was renamed as the Third Parish and later as the Second Parish, following the incorporation of West Springfield and Ludlow in 1774 and Longmeadow in 1785 respectively.[23]
References
[edit]- ^ Trausch, Susan (1990), "There is Life Beyond Boston – Really," The Boston Globe, June 6, 1990, p. 17: "[Springfield] has Chicopee, "Kielbasa Capital of the World," right next door."
- ^ "'King Kielbasa' unveiled," Archived 2017-09-21 at the Wayback Machine UPI, September 5, 1984: "[Chicopee Provision Co.] has been making the kielbasa since the festival began in 1974 to boost tourism in the western Massachusetts city of about 55,000, which has a large Polish population and calls itself the Kielbasa Capital of the World." Retrieved September 20, 2017.
- ^ Plourde-Barker, Michele (1998). Chicopee. Arcadia. p. 29. ISBN 9780738590066. Archived from the original on December 8, 2015.
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Mayor Richard Kos of Chicopee did nothing to dispel the mood when he proclaimed, 'There is an excitement in the air.' He went on to urge candidates to make sure that they 'stand for something." He added, 'If you stand for nothing, people will fear that you'll fall for anything.' Decrying government waste and the emphasis on 'bringing home the pork,' the four-term Republican Mayor, proclaimed.
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- ^ "Some Personal Items". Army and Navy Journal. Vol. XVIII. May 14, 1881. p. 850.
Mr Woodworth is the president of the Ames Manufacturing Company- the largest sword manufacturing establishment in the country
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- ^ Tony Griffiths (November 24, 2018). "Ames of Chicopee Mass". Lathes.co.uk. Archived from the original on November 24, 2018.
Although little is known of Ames Chicopee machine-tool production, they must have been at the forefront of developments: an example of their gunstock copying lathe is in the London Science Museum and several examples of an early and beautifully-made 7.25" swing backgeared and screwcutting lathe have survived. Although dating the lathes shown here must be a matter for conjecture, with Ames Chicopee founded in 1810 and machine-tool production starting in 1835
- ^ Springfield Republican, October 10, 1893, p. 6
- ^ "About Westover Air Reserve Base". Westover Air Reserve Base. United States Air Force. Archived from the original on September 5, 2019.
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{{cite book}}
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- ^ Nobles, Gregory H. (1983). Divisions Throughout the Whole: Politics and Society in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, 1740-1775. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. pp. 134–35.
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- ^ Lynch, Jacqueline T. (March 3, 2009). "The Ames Manufacturing Company – Civil War and the New England Mill Town". New England Travels. Originally published in North and South Magazine June 2006. Archived from the original on August 23, 2011. Retrieved April 6, 2017.
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- ^ a b c Jendrysik, Stephen (June 26, 2013). "Stephen Jendrysik: Victor bicycle rode economic rise, fall". MassLive. Archived from the original on March 2, 2016. Retrieved August 18, 2016.
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- ^ Town of Chicopee, Mass. (1875). Catalogue of the Chicopee Town Library: Its history and regulations. Chicopee, Mass.: Town of Chicopee, Mass.
- ^ Massachusetts Bureau of Statistics of Labor (1888). Census of Massachusetts: 1885: Volume I, Part 2. Boston, Mass.: Wright & Potter Print. Co., State printers. pp. 902–967. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
- ^ www.masslive.com https://web.archive.org/web/20120924105715/http://www.masslive.com/holyokeplus/republican/index.ssf?%2Fbase%2Fnews-6%2F1302507943103390.xml&coll=1. Archived from the original on September 24, 2012.
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(help) - ^ "Total Population (P1), 2010 Census Summary File 1". American FactFinder, All County Subdivisions within Massachusetts. United States Census Bureau. 2010.
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Further reading
[edit]- Shlakman, Vera (1935). Economic History of a Factory Town: A Study of Chicopee, Massachusetts. Northampton, Mass.: Smith College. OCLC 458840447.
- Kessler-Harris, Alice (Spring 2006). "Review: Vera Shlakman, Economic History of a Factory Town, A Study of Chicopee, Massachusetts". International Labor & Working-Class History, Issue 69, pp. 195–200. JSTOR 27673029.
External links
[edit]- Chicopee, Massachusetts
- 1640 establishments in the Massachusetts Bay Colony
- Cities in Hampden County, Massachusetts
- Cities in Massachusetts
- Massachusetts populated places on the Connecticut River
- Polish communities in the United States
- Populated places established in 1640
- Springfield metropolitan area, Massachusetts