Chicopee, Massachusetts

Chicopee is a city in the United States, located in Hampden County, Massachusetts, along the Connecticut River. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 55,560, making it the second-largest city in western Massachusetts after Springfield. The city is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Historically, Chicopee grew around several small mill communities along the Chicopee River. In the 19th century, it became an important industrial center. It was home to the first American producer of friction matches and later hosted companies like the Ames Manufacturing Company, which made machinery and weapons for the Union Army during the Civil War. By the early 20th century, it had major factories such as the Fisk Rubber Company and A. G. Spalding's sporting goods.

Today, Chicopee remains a center for specialty manufacturing. It is also home to Westover Air Reserve Base, the largest Air Force Reserve Base in the United States, established in 1940 before World War II. The city is known as the "Crossroads of New England" due to its central location and strong transportation network, with four interstate highways—I-90, I-91, I-291, and I-391—running through it, along with several state routes.

History

The name "Chicopee" comes from the Nipmuc language, possibly meaning "violently" or "of red cedar." The area was first settled in 1636 when William Pynchon bought land from the Agawam Indians. Early settlers built a sawmill at Chicopee Falls in 1678.

In 1848, Chicopee became its own town after separating from Springfield. It grew into an important manufacturing center, with factories making textiles, tools, and even bicycles. By 1890, Chicopee was officially a city, with George Sylvester Taylor as its first mayor.

Seal of the former Town of Chicopee, prior to its incorporation as a city in 1890

Chicopee has had many industries over the years, including cotton mills, iron foundries, and even the first gasoline-powered automobile made in the United States. The city also became known for making bicycles in the late 1800s.

The Chicopee Public Library began in 1846 as a literary society and became the first publicly funded library in western Massachusetts in 1853.

Basilica of Saint Stanislaus, Bishop & Martyr

Geography

Chicopee is made up of several neighborhoods. It started as four villages that separated from Springfield in 1848. Over time, new neighborhoods like Chicomansett and Sandy Hill grew up. Today, Chicopee is bordered by cities and towns such as Holyoke, West Springfield, and Springfield.

The city covers an area of 23.9 square miles, with most of it being land and a small part being water. The Chicopee River flows through the southern part of the city and joins the larger Connecticut River. There are also many ponds, lakes, and streams in the area.

Demographics

2020 census

According to the 2020 census, Chicopee had a population of 55,560 people. The median age was 41.2 years, with 19.5% of residents being younger than 18 and 19.4% being 65 years or older. In terms of gender, for every 100 females, there were 93.6 males, and for every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 89.7 males aged 18 and over.

All residents lived in urban areas, with no one living in rural areas. There were 24,106 households, and 25.7% of these had children under 18 living in them. About 34.3% of households were made up of married couples, while 22.2% had a male householder without a spouse or partner, and 34.3% had a female householder without a spouse or partner. Roughly 34.9% of households consisted of individuals, and 14.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years or older.

There were 25,544 housing units, with 5.6% being vacant. The rate of vacant homes owned by people was 0.9%, and the rate of vacant rental units was 5.4%.

2010 census

In the 2010 census, Chicopee had a population that was 3.1% Black, 1.6% Asian, and 18.5% Hispanic or Latino of any race. The majority, 75%, of the population was White.

2000 census

The 2000 census recorded 54,653 people living in Chicopee. The population density was 2,389.7 inhabitants per square mile (922.7/km²). There were 24,424 housing units, with 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. The Hispanic or Latino population made up 8.76% of the total, including 12.8% Puerto Rican, 0.5% Dominican, 0.4% Mexican, and 0.2% Colombian. Chicopee is the second largest city in western Massachusetts, after Springfield.

Of the households, 26.5% had children under the age of 18. About 42.6% were married couples living together, 14.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.8% were non-families. Around 32.7% of households were made up of individuals, and 14.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years or older. The average household size was 2.32, and the average family size was 2.96.

The city's 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 or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.1 males.

The median income for a household was $35,672, and for a family, it was $44,136. Males earned a median income of $35,585, while females earned $25,975. The per capita income was $18,646. About 9.6% of families and 12.3% of the population lived below the poverty line, including 19.5% of those under age 18 and 9.3% of those age 65 or over.

Historical population
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%
2024*	55,381	−0.3%
* = population estimate. Source: United States census records and Population Estimates Program data. Source: U.S. Decennial Census

Racial composition as of the 2020 census
Race	Number	Percent
White	39,947	71.9%
Black or African American	2,664	4.8%
American Indian and Alaska Native	200	0.4%
Asian	941	1.7%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	43	0.1%
Some other race	5,713	10.3%
Two or more races	6,052	10.9%
Hispanic or Latino (of any race)	13,027	23.4%

Economy

Chicopee has many small businesses and some big national companies. It is also known for Polish food products, like Polish sausage made by the Chicopee Provision Company and traditional Polish dumplings made by Millie's Pierogi. Another well-known company in Chicopee is Callaway Golf, which makes over 5 million golf balls each year.

Chicopee is also home to the Chemex Corporation, famous for its classic pour-over coffee makers. The Buxton Company, which makes leather goods and travel kits, is also based there. The city has several financial businesses, including banks and credit unions. Two business parks, the Chicopee River Business Park and Westover Business Park, are located within the city.

Arts and culture

Events

Westover ARB Tower at The Great New England Air Show

The Great New England Air Show happens every year for two days at Westover Air Reserve Base. The show has had performances by the USAF Thunderbirds and the US Navy's Blue Angels.
The World Kielbasa Festival is a four-day fair with Polish food, dancing, games, and rides.

Chicopee City Hall

Sites

Edward Bellamy House

The Basilica of Saint Stanislaus is a brownstone church built in 1908 in a special style called Baroque Revival. Pope John Paul II named it a Minor Basilica.
The Cabotville Historic Sycamore Trees were there when Chicopee became a town in 1848 and grew big when it became a city in 1890. The state of Massachusetts named them special Heritage Trees.
Chicopee City Hall, built in 1871 in a Romanesque style, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP).
Veterans Memorial Plaza is on Front Street. It has monuments for veterans from many wars, including the Civil War, World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and more recent conflicts.
Edward Bellamy House was built in 1852 and was home to journalist Edward Bellamy. It is listed on the NRHP and is a National Historic Landmark.
Emerson Gaylord Mansion is a historic mansion at Elms College, built in a French style.
The Facemate Tower is a historic tower on the Chicopee River in Chicopee Falls. It used to be part of an old industrial complex.
The Polish Center of Discovery and Learning is a local history museum.
The Uniroyal Office Building is a historic building in Chicopee Falls that was part of an old industrial complex.
The Willimansett Dike is a raised, artificial levee in Willimansett, built after a big flood caused by The Great New England Hurricane in 1938.
Westover Air Reserve Base, built in 1940, was first an Army Air Corps and later an Army Air Forces place called Westover Field. It became Westover Air Force Base in 1947. From 1955 to 1974, it was used by the Strategic Air Command. In 1974, it became Westover Air Reserve Base and is now home to the 439th Airlift Wing, which flies C-5 Galaxy airplanes. Westover has one of the biggest runways on the east coast and is the largest Air Force Reserve base in the United States. It is also home to Westover Metropolitan Airport. Two youth programs, the Young Marines and the Westover Composite Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol, are also located there.

Parks and recreation

Frank J. Szot Memorial Park, which is next to Bemis Pond, has places to play baseball, basketball, soccer, and football, as well as spots for picnics. It also has memorials and old tanks that tell stories from wars.

Chicopee Memorial State Park is in the Burnett Road neighborhood and includes the Cooley Brook Reservoir. This park is a busy place for many fun activities.

The Chicopee Canal Walk is a path for walking that follows the canal from the Cabotville Historic Sycamore Trees to where the old Uniroyal Factory used to be.

The Connecticut RiverWalk & Bikeway is a trail for fun and exercise that links different streets and resting spots from Nash Field to the boat ramp on Medina Street.

Government

Chicopee uses a mayor-council system, with a City Council making laws and a Mayor leading the city. The City Council includes nine Ward Councilors and four Councilors-at-Large. Ward Councilors are elected from each part of the city and serve one-year terms, while Councilors-at-Large are chosen by all voters and serve two-year terms. Mayors also serve two-year terms.

The city also elects several important positions, including a City Clerk, City Collector, City Treasurer, three Assessors, and members of the School Committee, all serving three-year terms.

Registered Voters and Party Enrollment
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

The College of Our Lady of the Elms is a four-year college that offers many different subjects to study. It started in 1897 as a school for girls and later moved to Chicopee. It became a college for women in 1928 and started accepting men in 1998.

The former Chicopee High School, now the DuPont Memorial Middle School serving grades 6 through 8

There are also private elementary schools run by the Catholic Diocese of Springfield, such as Saint Joan of Arc School and Saint Stanislaus School.

Holyoke Catholic High School was created by joining two schools together in 2016, and it is now called Pope Francis High School in Springfield.

Notable people

Chicopee has been home to many interesting people throughout history. Nathan Peabody Ames was a famous swordsmith who started the Ames Manufacturing Company. Scott Barnes played baseball for the Cleveland Indians, and Fred Belcher raced cars in the first Indianapolis 500. Edward Bellamy was a well-known author, and Charles and J. Frank Duryea built the first automobile in the United States.

Other notable individuals include Victoria Principal, an actress who went to school in Chicopee, and Arthur MacArthur Jr., a general in the Army and the father of Douglas MacArthur. Many more people from various fields, such as music, sports, and writing, have ties to this city.