Chicopee, Massachusetts | |
|---|---|
 Flag  Seal | |
| Nicknames: | |
| Motto: | |
 Location in Hampden County in Massachusetts | |
  Chicopee, Massachusetts Location in the United States Show map of the United States Chicopee, Massachusetts Chicopee, Massachusetts (Massachusetts) Show map of Massachusetts | |
| Coordinates:42°08′55″N72°36′30″W / 42.14861°N 72.60833°W /42.14861; -72.60833 | |
| 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 | 2,425.6/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 theConnecticut River inHampden County, Massachusetts, United States. At the2020 census, the city had a population of 55,560, making it the second-largest city inwestern Massachusetts afterSpringfield.[9] Chicopee is part of theSpringfield, 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 theBoston Associates,[10] Chicopee is a city built around several smaller former mill communities on its namesake, theChicopee River. During the 19th century, the city was home to the first American producer offriction matches as well as a variety of other industries,[11] including theAmes Manufacturing Company, an early pioneer in machining lathes, building upon the work of Springfield'sThomas Blanchard, and the largest producer of swords and cutlasses for theUnion 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 theFisk Rubber Company, one of the largest tire makers of that time, and some of the earliest sporting goods factories ofA. G. Spalding.[14]
Today the city is home to a variety of specialty manufacturers, as well asWestover Air Reserve Base, the largest Air Force Reserve Base of the United States, built in 1940 with the emergence ofWorld War II.[15] Chicopee today goes by the nickname the "Crossroads ofNew England" as part of a business-development marketing campaign, one thatWest 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, includingI-90,I-91,I-291, andI-391, as well as state routes such asRoute 33,116, and141.
"Chicopee" is derived from the Nipmuc language. It is likely derived fromchekee ("violently") and-pe (root suffix used in water place names) orchikkupee ("of red cedar"), an adjectival form ofchikkup ("red cedar").[16][17][18]
There have been several variant spellings of the name.[19][20][21]
.jpg)
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 NipmucSkipmaug, meaning "chief fishing place" orShipmuck, 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 atSkenungonuck (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, andDuryea. 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]
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 theFirst 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 theMassachusetts 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 andHolyoke, 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. GovernorGeorge 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 the1850 U.S. census.[25]
.jpg)
On April 18, 1890, the community was granted a charter as a city by theMassachusetts General Court.George Sylvester Taylor (1822–1910) became Chicopee'sfirst 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 aminor basilica byPope John Paul II.
Chicopee adopted the motto"Industriae Variae", which means "Various Industries". Chicopee's industries included cotton mills, woolen mills, textiles,brass andiron foundries, paper making, footwear factories, for leather boots and shoes, the first friction matches, and ship building. In nearby South Hadley Canal, the firearms companyCrescent-Davis specialized in producing double-barrelshotguns.
TheAmes Manufacturing Company made many machines andbronze cannons, and moreswords than any other American manufacturer at the time. Ames cast a number of bronze statues, including Thomas Ball's monumental equestrian statue of PresidentGeorge Washington, installed in Boston's Public Garden. Ames was a major provider of cannon to the Union army during the Civil War.[26] TheStevens Arms plant (laterSavage) was responsible for most of theNo. 4 Enfields manufactured for the British underLend-Lease. Chicopee was home to production of the firstgasoline-poweredautomobile made in the United States, theDuryea.[27][28]
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: TheOverman Wheel Company (1882 to about 1899), and theSpalding sporting goods company.[30]
Albert H. Overman moved his bicycle production fromHartford, Connecticut, to Chicopee Falls in 1883.[29] The Overman company benefited from the surging popularity of thesafety bicycle during thebicycle 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]
TheChicopee 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]
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 byHolyoke to the northwest,West Springfield to the southwest,Springfield to the south,Ludlow to the east,Granby to the northeast andSouth Hadley to the north. Chicopee is located 29 miles (47 km) away fromHartford, 89 miles (143 km) away fromBoston, 90 miles (140 km) fromAlbany and 140 miles (230 km) from New York City.
According to theUnited 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. TheChicopee River flows through the southern part of the city, emptying into theConnecticut River. Many ponds, lakes, and streams are part of the Chicopee River or Connecticut River watersheds.
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 theWillimansett 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 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.
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]
| 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 andPopulation 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% fromother races, and 1.84% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino 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 inwestern Massachusetts, afterSpringfield (defining western Massachusetts asHampden,Hampshire,Franklin, andBerkshire 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 thepoverty line, including 19.5% of those under age 18 and 9.3% of those age 65 or over.
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 sausagekielbasa under the Blue Seal brand, Millie's Pierogi, a producer of those traditionalPolish dumplings, and Domin & Sons, the region's largest producer ofhorseradish, whose largest market was Polish consumers at Easter.[48]
Despite changes in the global economy, Chicopee does remain home to manufacturers includingCallaway 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 theChemex 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.
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 abicameral 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:
| 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 |
TheCollege 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 inPittsfield, 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.
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 theSt. Stanislaus Bishop & Martyr's Parish.
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 inGranby. It moved to its Holyoke location in September 2008, and 2015 it merged withCathedral High School to form a new regional Catholic school that was completed in 2016 asPope Francis High School in Springfield.[71][72]
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.
Mr Woodworth is the president of the Ames Manufacturing Company- the largest sword manufacturing establishment in the country
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
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link){{cite web}}:Missing or empty|title= (help)
Municipalities and communities ofHampden County, Massachusetts,United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| Cities |  | |
| Towns | ||
| CDPs | ||
| Other villages | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Geographic | |
| Other | |
