Hampden, Massachusetts
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| Hampden, Massachusetts | |
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| Coordinates: | |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| State | Massachusetts |
| County | Hampden County |
| Settled | 1741 |
| Incorporated | 1878 |
| Government | |
| - Type | Open town meeting |
| Area | |
| - Town | 19.7 sq mi (50.9 km²) |
| - Land | 19.6 sq mi (50.9 km²) |
| - Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km²) |
| Elevation | 290 ft (88 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| - Town | 5,171 |
| - Density | 263.3/sq mi (101.7/km²) |
| Time zone | Eastern (UTC-5) |
| - Summer (DST) | Eastern (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 01036 |
| Area code(s) | 413 |
| Website: http://www.hampden.org/ | |
Hampden is a town in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 5,171 at the 2000 census.
Hampden is a delightful and picturesque town at the eastern edge of the Connecticut River Valley. Hills rise up to over 1000' from the valley elevation of 150-250'. The highest peaks are Pine Mt. and Rattlesnake Peak, both at 1070' AMSL.
Weather is enjoyable during Spring, Summer and Fall. Winters are variable, sometimes fairly mild, with days in the 30's, and sometimes rather cold. A record cold temperature of -40 degrees fahrenheit was recorded at the Hampden Post Office, and at other points in the village of Hampden, on an early morning in January, 1960. In late July, 2006, the temperature reached 100 degrees on a hot afternoon. These are the known recent extremes of temperature in Hampden. On March 14, 1995, after several snowstorms and little melting, a snow depth of 28" was recorded. However, some winters there is little snow. In the summer there are hot and humid periods, which alternate with warm and dry periods.
Hampden has 3 churches, Baptist, Roman Catholic, and Federated. The Federated Church is Congregational, or United Church of Christ and United Methodist, combined.
Hampden has 2 communities, the center, or the "village", where the town hall, fire dept., police dept., Hampden Hardware, Country Kitchen, Scantic Pub, and other businesses are located, and the "west side", where the Shell gas station, Village Mart market, Monson Savings Bank, Pop's Pizza and other businesses are located.
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[edit] History
Think of other villages and towns with which you are acquainted. Undoubtedly, you will recognize that many beginnings of settlements bordered upon streams or rivers. It was so with Hampden. The first grist and saw mills required the waters of the Scantic to provide them with power. Since their businesses had to be near the river, so also did the owners need to be close to their mills. So many of the earliest homes were built bordering the river or its tributaries.
The first settlers were native Americans. The first European settlers who followed the Nipmuck Indians arrived in Hampden about 1741. The first European settlers were the Stebbins and Hitchcock families. The first sawmill was erected on the Scantic in the vicinity of the V.F.W. building.
During the first hundred years as South Wilbraham, Hampden was an agricultural town with Wilbraham as the "mother" town.
At the time of separation from Wilbraham in 1878, industries were becoming active in Hampden. There is every evidence that Hampden could have well turned into one of the many New England factory or industrial towns.
Several factors, however, changed the destiny of the town. The lack of transportation to deliver the materials manufactured is probably the greatest deterrent. When the proposed railroad from Stafford to Springfield failed, quarries and mills were forced to use limited facilities, thereby slowing delivery of goods.
Fires leveled some of the mills and, with the lack of marketing, other businesses failed. The advent of automobiles enabled men to find occupations outside of the town.
There was then the trend back to agriculture with many orchards developed throughout the area, with the herds of milk-producing cows, and with farmers growing their many crops.
At about this time numerous summer type vacation homes were built for Springfield residents who vacationed in Hampden. From these many year-round homes developed.
Now the mills and quarries, orchards and cows are about gone and Hampden has become a residential town.
Hampden was first settled in 1741 and was officially incorporated in 1878.
[edit] Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 50.9 km² (19.6 mi²). 50.9 km² (19.6 mi²) of it is land and 0.05% is water.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there were 5,171 people, 1,818 households, and 1,463 families residing in the town. The population density was 101.7/km² (263.3/mi²). There were 1,846 housing units at an average density of 36.3/km² (94.0/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.32% White, 0.17% African American, 0.19% Native American, 0.43% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.27% from other races, and 0.58% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.64% of the population.
There were 1,818 households out of which 37.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 71.6% were married couples living together, 6.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.5% were non-families. 16.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.80 and the average family size was 3.15.
In the town the population was spread out with 26.3% under the age of 18, 5.2% from 18 to 24, 26.9% from 25 to 44, 28.3% from 45 to 64, and 13.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 93.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.7 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $65,662, and the median income for a family was $75,407. Males had a median income of $49,320 versus $30,870 for females. The per capita income for the town was $26,690. About 1.4% of families and 2.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.4% of those under age 18 and 3.0% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Trivia
Hampden is one of very few towns in the area that does not possess a single traffic light, blinking or otherwise, nor does it have a numbered highway route passing within town limits.
[edit] Interesting facts
In August of 1955, Hampden was hit by Hurricane Diane. Flooding was the major damage. Most bridges were washed away.
In 1956, Hampden joined with the neighboring town of Wilbraham to build Minnechaug Regional High School, which opened in 1959.
Over the past 5 years, Hampden residents have acquired over 100 acres of open space and park land, including the peak of Minnechaug Mountain, one of the higher hills in town. A trailhead and parking lot on South Road was created.
The town library and senior center were closed down after property tax fund increases were voted for the school district, but the existing library and senior center funding was put on a property tax increase override vote, which failed. Because of this, although residents could read and research at neighboring libraries, town residents could no longer borrow books from many libraries in other towns.
After a week of rain and an extremely hard rain on the early morning of October 9, 2005, the Scantic River and many of its' tributaries overflowed their banks. Many homes, and businesses were flooded. The VFW bridge was washed away.
The library and senior center were reopened in the summer of 2006.
[edit] Points of interest
- Laughing Brook Wildlife Sanctuary, home of author Thornton Burgess
