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86-594: Willimansett may refer to: Willimansett, Chicopee, Massachusetts , a settlement in Chicopee, Massachusetts Willimansett Bridge , a bridge in Massachusetts crossing the Connecticut River See also [ edit ] Nipmuc , the indigenous peoples from whose language this name derives, meaning "good berries place" or "place of red earth" Topics referred to by

172-434: 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. 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

258-433: 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

344-754: A major transportation hub, and the railroad became one of the largest employers in the town for many decades. Repair shops were also built in West Springfield in 1896, and at the peak of operations, there were two major rail yards—one in Mittineague, and one near the present-day Memorial Avenue. The original horsecar trolley, operated by the Springfield Street Railway, opened in 1877 from Main Street in Springfield to Elm and Park Streets, via Main Street and

430-518: 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. From 1890 to 1914,

516-481: A separate parish and meeting house for the approximately 200 residents. West side parishes were also created for Agawam (1696), Feeding Hills (1800), and Holyoke ("North Parish" or "Ireland Parish" named for early Irish settlers John and Mary Riley; 1786). The Massachusetts Bay Colony passed a law in 1647 requiring the construction of a public school in any town with 50 or more families. In 1706 after two years of petitioning, west side residents were granted funds for

602-440: A separate town in 1756. After a particularly contentious town meeting in 1773 which bounced between meeting houses on opposite shores and nearly resulted in a year-long government shutdown, proposals for partition were eventually sent from both sides to the colonial legislature. On 23 February 1774, West Springfield was incorporated as a separate town, with territory including what is now Agawam and most of Holyoke. Another dispute

688-422: A snow storm dumped more than ten inches of wet snow on the town and the surrounding area. Snow clung to trees which still had most of their leaves. The result was the falling of trees and limbs on homes, vehicles, powerlines and roadways. It took more than one week for some homes to have power restored. Agriculture continued to dominate the local economy when market gardening started in the 1830s, concentrating in

774-552: A tornado touched down in West Springfield, crossed the Connecticut River , and then devastated the City of Springfield, Massachusetts . It damaged densely populated parts of West Springfield, causing two fatalities in the city—including a mother who died while shielding her 15-year-old daughter. U.S. President Barack Obama declared the area surrounding West Springfield and Springfield a federal disaster area . On October 29, 2011,

860-441: A valiant attempt to keep it from being washed downstream by tying it to a tree; the cable snapped. A third bridge built on the same foundations, was in use for over 100 years, and known as the "Old Toll Bridge", though tolls were removed in 1873. The modern Memorial Bridge was opened in 1922; it underwent a major overhaul in the 1990s. The first North End Bridge opened 1887 with a sturdy metal box-shaped truss (the upper part of

946-598: A year at its Willimansett production plant. 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. 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,

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1032-572: A year-round basis. The first Morgan horse was bred in West Springfield in 1789–1790. Light manufacturing began to grow in the 19th century, including tanned hides, horse carriages, gunpowder, ceramics, industrial pipes, hats, and boats. When the Industrial Revolution reached Western Massachusetts in the 19th century, the region's many fast-moving rivers resulted in a mill town boom. Early textile and paper mills were staffed by Irish famine immigrants who nearly doubled their population in

1118-569: 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"). There have been several variant spellings of the name. In 1636, William Pynchon purchased land from the Agawam Indians on the east side of the Connecticut River. He moved from

1204-513: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Willimansett, Chicopee, Massachusetts Chicopee ( / ˈ tʃ ɪ k ə p i / 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 . Chicopee

1290-408: Is headquartered in Springfield. Conversion from steam to diesel locomotives shut down the West Springfield repair shop in 1956. With the rise of the automobile, the West Springfield (Mittineague) passenger railroad station closed in 1957. Amtrak service is still available to Springfield, and the central rail yard is still in active use for freight by CSX , the present-day successor of this part of

1376-551: Is land and 0.8 square mile (2.0 km ) (4.50%) is water. It is on the west side of the Connecticut River , across from Springfield, and on the north side of the Westfield River , above Agawam. West Springfield is bordered on the west by linear cliffs of volcanic trap rock known as East Mountain . They are part of the Metacomet Ridge , a mountainous trap rock ridgeline that stretches from Long Island Sound to nearly

1462-631: 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

1548-584: 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 , Chicopee is a city built around several smaller former mill communities on its namesake, the Chicopee River . During

1634-481: 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

1720-525: 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

1806-531: The United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 23.9 square miles (62 km ), of which 22.9 square miles (59 km ) is land and 1.0 square mile (2.6 km ) (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. In 1641, Willian Pynchon expanded his 1636 holdings by buying

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1892-566: 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,

1978-573: The 19th century, the city was home to the first American producer of friction matches as well as a variety of other industries, 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. By the start of the 20th century,

2064-556: The Berkshires, and upstate New York. It would become the Boston and Albany Railroad in 1870. Travel time from Boston to Albany was considerably reduced from the over 40 hours it took by stagecoach in the 1820s. The covered wooden railroad bridge across the Connecticut which opened in 1841, was replaced by the current double-track steel truss railroad bridge in 1874. West Springfield became

2150-557: The Boston & Albany. Rural Free Delivery started delivering postal mail to residents' homes in the late 19th or early 20th century. A major power plant for the Western Massachusetts Electric Company (now a subsidiary of Northeast Utilities ) went online in West Springfield in 1949. Even more substantial canal and mill development took place in the "North Parish" or "Ireland Parish" of West Springfield, which

2236-574: 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. Despite changes in the global economy, Chicopee does remain home to manufacturers including Callaway Golf which produces more than 5 million golfballs

2322-498: The Chicopee River. 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. In 1716, Upper Chicopee, Lower Chicopee and Skipmunk were divided into Springfield's fourth, fifth and sixth precincts, respectively. In

2408-456: The Riverdale Road area. These crops were intended to be sent to market for cash, rather than to be used by the farming family for themselves or to barter for other crops. Growing population and improved transportation links increased the size of the potential market; by 1860, West Springfield was using greenhouses and exporting fresh crops to Boston. Agriculture remained an important part of

2494-475: 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

2580-599: The Suffield Street Railway in Connecticut (making the Hartford-West Side Line possible, 1905). The destruction of the old North End Bridge in 1923 saw relocation of the trolley crossing to the modern Memorial Bridge. But trolley passenger service was cut starting in 1924 and by 1936, eliminated. Present-day local and intercity mass transit is provided by Pioneer Valley Transit Authority bus routes, Amtrak , and private bus carriers. Peter Pan Bus Lines

2666-557: The Town of Chicopee. 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 . 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

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2752-518: 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). 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

2838-477: The West Springfield and Agawam waterfronts in 1938, 1941–1942, and 1952–1953. This resulted in some land takings and cutting off certain neighborhoods from the river, but north–south travel was speeded, and the dike system was reinforced to prevent the flooding of these neighborhoods. The approaches to the North End and Memorial Bridges were modified to accommodate the new traffic patterns. The Massachusetts Turnpike

2924-446: The West Springfield economy for many decades, but land development and economic changes led to a decline, and by the 1940s, it was a minor activity in the town. The Eastern States Exposition started in 1917 as a reaction against the slow decline of New England agriculture. The annual fall fair is by far West Springfield's largest tourist attraction and one of the largest fairs in the country. The exposition grounds host many events on

3010-419: 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

3096-458: 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

3182-484: 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 . 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,

3268-559: The box being suspended above the roadway). In 1923, the tar-sealed wooden decking caught fire, which was made worse by the gas mains the bridge carried. The replacement bridge at this location is still in use. Old county records indicate a license was given to Benjamin Ashley of West Springfield to operate a ferry across the Connecticut River in 1843, in the Riverdale neighborhood at what are now Ashley Avenue and Ferry Street. A wooden toll bridge

3354-590: 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. West Springfield, Massachusetts The area that became known as West Springfield

3440-638: 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. The city replaced this system by abolishing the Common Council and adding ten aldermen-at-large to the Board of Aldermen. In 2008, the Board of Aldermen approved a home-rule petition to change the legislature's name to the City Council. The name change took effect in 2009. Chicopee also directly elects

3526-401: 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. 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

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3612-580: 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

3698-566: 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 . 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 . Chicopee today goes by

3784-496: The city's riverfront, there has never been enough space in Springfield to build more than a few of these businesses. Thus Springfield never received the economic benefit that West Springfield would have, according to a 2009 assessment by the UMass School of Urban Design. According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 17.5 square miles (45.4 km ), of which 16.8 square miles (43.4 km )

3870-515: The construction of a school (though west side students might have been home-schooled before that time). In 1707, the west side parish was delegated from Springfield town meeting the right to grant land in its territory. Given the continuing need to cross the Connecticut River to attend town meetings, and east–west tension over resource allocation, the west side residents petitioned the Massachusetts General Court to be incorporated as

3956-696: The day after the Battles of Lexington and Concord . In 1777, a major contingent of Hessian and British troops were captured at the Battle of Saratoga and transported to Boston (for possible deportation or imprisonment). While encamped in West Springfield, some of the German mercenaries stayed and married into the local population. Economic conditions after the Revolution led to Shays' Rebellion in Springfield and West Springfield in 1786–1787. Technological advancements allowed

4042-408: The early settlers of Springfield, attendance at both town meetings and weekly Congregational church services (often both held in the town "meeting house") in the early settlement were mandatory, and this was enforced by fines. For several decades, West Side residents requested accommodation from the town in the form of a free ferry service to reach the Springfield meeting house on the east side of

4128-429: The eastern side. By the 1650s some English settlers had begun living full-time on the western side of the river, probably near what is now Riverdale Road, across from the Chicopee River. Early in that decade, Springfield had made a provision that any able-bodied man (and his work animals) could be required to work up to six eight-hour days on local roads (the barter economy equivalent of an infrastructure tax). In 1666,

4214-475: The firm changed its name to Buxton Co., LLC in 1921. Chicopee is home to a handful of financial businesses as well including Alden Credit Union, The Polish National Credit Union and Chicopee Savings Bank. 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

4300-408: The first bridge to be built across the Connecticut River in 1805. It was a toll bridge built on stone pilings; the roadway heaved up and down as it passed over six arch-shaped spans. This bridge was damaged by spring floods in 1814, and after a partial collapse under heavy traffic, was demolished. In 1816, a replacement bridge opened at Bridge Street. It was destroyed in 1818 by spring ice, despite

4386-476: 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

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4472-567: The first house was bought and built by French-Canadian builder and carpenter Marcellin Croteau. 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 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/km ). There were 24,424 housing units at an average density of 1,067.9 per square mile (412.3/km ). The racial makeup of

4558-550: The following local offices and bodies: 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

4644-461: 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

4730-412: The highway on the Springfield side, finding that a short existing section of US 5 through West Springfield that was built in 1952–1953 failed to meet Interstate design standards. On the east bank of the river, Springfield got an elevated highway, as opposed to the planned ground-level highway in West Springfield. After Interstate 91 was constructed in Springfield, that city did not experience anything like

4816-512: 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

4902-537: 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

4988-562: 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. In 1749, residents in Springfield's fourth, fifth and sixth precincts petitioned

5074-456: The late 20th century. The warnings of the Agawam Indians proved true in 1647, 1767, 1801, 1804, and 1818. Civil War-era dikes held back high water in the Agawam (Westfield) River in 1878, but heavy rain flooded the town again in 1927. Both heavy rains and a large snowmelt brought an even more massive flood in 1936 , with 8,000 people were displaced in the town of 17,000. The area's bridges survived;

5160-447: The new parish were laid out on June 11, 1751. The first service took place on July 21, 1751. This marked the earliest move toward political separation by Chicopee and Holyoke from Springfield. In 1844, Springfield's Second Parish, 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

5246-422: 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 . "Chicopee"

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5332-619: The north and the south. Between 1953 and 1958, Riverdale Road was widened in places, added on to, and numerous businesses were closed and moved back, or to other parts of West Springfield to make way for Interstate 91, which was planned to connect with Springfield via numerous bridges. The original plan for I-91 would have likely benefitted West Springfield, which already had U.S. 5 passing through, causing travelers to patronize many of West Springfield's businesses. In 1958, however, Springfield's city planners campaigned vociferously for Interstate 91 to occupy Springfield's riverfront. Their reasoning at

5418-690: The old toll bridge at Bridge Street. It was later extended via Westfield Street to (Upper) Church Street. Electrification was completed in 1892–1893, and the river crossing was moved to the original North End Bridge. Over the years, extensions were made to the Holyoke Street Railway (via Riverdale Road, 1895), Tatham (1896) the Woronoco Street Railway (in Westfield, 1899), the Connecticut border via Riverside Park (now Six Flags New England ) in Agawam (1900), Feeding Hills (1902), and eventually

5504-466: The preferred medium of exchange for neighbors' crops, and locally produced goods. Gristmills and saw mills were also present in the early settlement. Because the Connecticut River was too wide to be bridged at the time, crossings had to be made by boat. The Hay Place was created between the current town common and East School Street, for people who farmed or mowed on land grants on the west side to leave their crops while they awaited transport back to

5590-579: The price of bicycles down. By 1901 the Overman firm was out of business. 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. It was the first locally funded public library in Western Massachusetts. The city is made up of several neighborhoods; the result of the city's origin as

5676-405: The prosperity boom predicted by its city planners in 1958. I-91's construction in Springfield coincided with the beginning of that city's four decades of decline. Unlike West Springfield's U.S. 5, Springfield's I-91 was constructed in an area where there had never been highway traffic or businesses that catered to such traffic. Due to I-91's proximity to both Springfield's densely built downtown and

5762-582: The railroad bridge being weighed down by a fully loaded freight train intentionally parked across it. The New England Hurricane of 1938 flooded crops along Riverdale Road and severely damaged the Exposition grounds, causing the fair to close for the season. It also opened a hole in the dike at Mosley Avenue, which was repaired before the rain waters could once again flood the lower section of town. Yet another major flood struck in 1955 from Hurricane Connie and Hurricane Diane arriving five days apart, knocking out

5848-437: The river, but were refused by town meeting and even by arbitrators from Northampton and Hadley. In March 1683, Reice Bedortha, his son John, John's wife Lydia, and their newborn Mercy, were drowned on the Connecticut on their way to church when their boat capsized. The west side residents renewed their complaints and began to demand their own church meeting house. On 29 May 1697, the Massachusetts General Court finally approved

5934-459: The same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Willimansett . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Willimansett&oldid=928274834 " Categories : Disambiguation pages Place name disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description

6020-411: 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. Colonists built a sawmill as the first industrial site along the river. The mill

6106-400: 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,

6192-411: The time was that Springfield, being a more populous city than West Springfield, should have a major highway routed through it. Indeed, Springfield's 1958 city planners advocated that the construction of I-91 on Springfield's riverfront would catalyze economic growth comparable to that experienced during the great railroad expansion of the mid-19th century. Massachusetts highway officials decided to route

6278-1111: The town between 1840 and 1860. Paper manufacturing became a major regional industry, including within the town limits included (mostly clustered on the Westfield River) the Southworth Paper Company (1839), the Agawam Paper Company (1859), the Agawam Canal Company, the Springfield Glazed Paper Company (1882), the Worthy Paper Company (1892), the Mittineague Paper Company (1892, later known as the Strathmore Paper Company and acquired by International Paper ) The Western Railroad opened for freight and passenger service in 1841, connecting West Springfield to Worcester, Boston,

6364-482: The town's drinking water facilities in Southwick and destroying Bear Hole Dam, Piper Reservoir, and Memorial Pool (all of which were rebuilt). Winter weather has also caused significant damage at times during West Springfield's history. The Great Blizzard of 1888 dropped over 5 feet (1.5 m) of snow, with 20-foot (6.1 m) drifts. There have also been more recent blizzards in 1978 and 1996 . On June 1, 2011,

6450-466: 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

6536-483: The west side residents complained about having to work on east side roads while their own were not well taken care of. After considerable dispute, it was determined that the men of the settlement would tend the roads on their own sides of the river. In many ways, the distinction between the church and the state in the early New England town form of government was fuzzy, though religious and secular meetings were held separately and generally led by different people. For

6622-633: Was a major provider of cannon to the Union army during the Civil War. 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 . During the late nineteenth century, Chicopee Falls became a major manufacturing center of bicycles. The town

6708-545: 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 the St. Stanislaus Bishop & Martyr's Parish . Holyoke Catholic High School was founded in 1963 at

6794-424: Was built at Skenungonuck (Nipmuc for "green fields") Falls (now Chicopee Falls) in 1678 by Japhet Chapin, John Hitchcock and Nathaniel Foote. 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. In 1823, Jonathan Dwight purchased

6880-466: Was built on this site (at the base of Wayside Avenue—formerly Bridge Street—and Ashley Avenue) in 1847, but burned down in 1903. It was evidently replaced, as the state closed a bridge to Chicopee on this site in 1972, and demolished it in 1987. Several crossings of the Westfield River were built in the 19th century, but most were destroyed by floods. Several highway bridges were also constructed in

6966-648: Was constructed from 1955 to 1957. Interstate 91 was constructed over a dozen years, from 1958 to 1970, following considerable controversy over whether it should be placed in West Springfield, as originally planned, or in Springfield, as that city's planners wished. The original plan for Interstate 91—detailed in the 1953 Master Highway Plan for the Springfield, Massachusetts, Metropolitan Area —called for Interstate 91 to occupy an enlarged U.S. Route 5 in West Springfield—the route which had, historically, been used to reach West Springfield and Springfield from both

7052-513: 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

7138-479: Was favorably located near Hadley Falls. The parish was incorporated as the independent town of Holyoke, Massachusetts , in 1850. The area mainly south of the Westfield River, including the parishes of Agawam and Feeding Hills, was incorporated as the independent town of Agawam, Massachusetts , in 1855. U.S. Route 5 (currently, also known as Riverdale Street) was modified to bypass the downtowns of Springfield and West Springfield as new segments were constructed on

7224-473: Was immediately created when the charter of the town prevented it from taxing the property of Springfield residents within its boundaries. This law was later changed to apply only until such property was sold, but the last such parcel did not become taxable by West Springfield until the 1860s. West Springfield minutemen participated in the American Revolutionary War beginning on April 20, 1775,

7310-411: Was settled in 1635. The settlers fled to higher ground on the east side of the river and founded Springfield in the aftermath of the great hurricane of 1635 . West Springfield was good farm land, so some families did stay on the west side. Other than the trade in beaver skins, economic activity in early colonial Springfield consisted largely of subsistence farming and animal husbandry, with barter being

7396-545: Was the site of at least two bicycle factories: The Overman Wheel Company (1882 to about 1899), and the Spalding sporting goods company. Albert H. Overman moved his bicycle production from Hartford, Connecticut , to Chicopee Falls in 1883. 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

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