Holyoke, Massachusetts

Holyoke, Massachusetts
City
North High Street
Seal
Nickname(s): The Paper City
Motto: "The Power To Grow"
Coordinates: 42°12′15″N 72°37′00″W / 42.20417°N 72.61667°W / 42.20417; -72.61667Coordinates: 42°12′15″N 72°37′00″W / 42.20417°N 72.61667°W / 42.20417; -72.61667
Country	United States
State	Massachusetts
County	Hampden
Settled	1745
Incorporated	1850
Government
• Type	Mayor-council city
• Mayor	Alex B. Morse
Area
• Total	22.8 sq mi (59.1 km2)
• Land	21.3 sq mi (55.1 km2)
• Water	1.5 sq mi (4.0 km2)
Elevation	200 ft (61 m)
Population (2012)
• Total	40,135
• Density	1,872.3/sq mi (723.8/km2)
Time zone	Eastern (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	Eastern (UTC-4)
ZIP code	01040
Area code(s)	413
FIPS code	25-30840
GNIS feature ID	0617679
Website	City of Holyoke, Massachusetts

Holyoke is a city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States that lies between the western bank of the Connecticut River and the Mount Tom Range of mountains. As of 2012, the city had an estimated population of 40,135. Sitting eight miles north of the major city of Springfield, Holyoke is part of the Springfield Metropolitan Area, one of the two distinct metropolitan areas in Massachusetts.

History

The Connecticut River Valley was first inhabited by Englishmen in 1633 — a post was established at Windsor, Connecticut by traders from the Plymouth Plantation. In 1636, Massachusetts Bay Colony assistant treasurer and Puritan iconoclast William Pynchon led a group of settlers from Roxbury, Massachusetts to establish Springfield on land that scouts had vetted the previous year. They considered it the most advantageous land in the Connecticut River Valley for farming and trading. This settlement, on fertile farmland just north of the Connecticut River's first major falls (at Enfield Falls), the place where seagoing vessels necessarily had to transfer their cargo into smaller shallops to continue northward on the Connecticut River, quickly became a successful settlement — largely due to its advantageous position on the Bay Path to Boston, the Massachusetts Path to Albany, and beside the Connecticut River. Originally, Springfield spanned both sides of the Connecticut River; the region was eventually partitioned. The land on the western bank of the Connecticut River became West Springfield, Massachusetts. West Springfield's northernmost parish (alternately called Third Parish, North Parish, or Ireland Parish) became Holyoke, named after earlier Springfield settler William Pynchon's son-in-law, Elizur Holyoke, who had first explored the area in the 1650s.^[1] The village of Holyoke was first settled in 1745 and was officially incorporated in 1850.

The first post office in the area was called Ireland. It was established June 3, 1822, with Martin Chapin as first postmaster. It was discontinued in 1883. Another post office called Ireland Depot was established February 26, 1847, with John M. Chapin as first postmaster and had its name changed to Holyoke (with George Whittle as first postmaster) March 14, 1850.^[2]

A part of Northampton known as Smiths Ferry was separated from the rest of the town by the creation of Easthampton in 1809. The shortest path to downtown Northampton was on a road near the Connecticut River oxbow, which was subject to frequent flooding. The neighborhood became the northern part of Holyoke in 1909.^[3]

Holyoke had few inhabitants until the construction of a dam and the Holyoke Canal System in 1849 and the subsequent construction of water-powered mills, particularly paper mills. At one point over 25 paper mills were in operation in the city; the population rose from just under 5,000 in 1860 to over 60,000 in 1920. In 1888, Holyoke's paper industry spurred the foundation of the American Pad & Paper Company, which as of 2007 is one of the largest suppliers of office products in the world. The availability of water power enabled Holyoke to support its own electric utility company and maintain it independently of America's major regional electric companies. The city was thus a rare unaffected area in the Northeast blackout of 1965, for example.

Planned industrial community

Holyoke was one of the first planned industrial communities in the United States. Holyoke features rectilinear street grids — a novelty in New England. This street hierarchy is seen as a potential economic development tool as it lends well to high-rise buildings, and the surrounding canals could be landscaped into a source of recreation and relaxation. Its grid pattern is notable in Western Massachusetts, where few roads are straight. The city's advantageous location on the Connecticut River — the largest river in New England — beside Hadley Falls, the river's steepest drop (60 feet), attracted the Boston Associates, who had successfully developed Lowell, Massachusetts' textile industry.^[4] From the late 19th century until the mid-20th century, Holyoke was the world's biggest paper manufacturer.^[4] The elaborate Holyoke Canal System, built to power paper and textile mills, distinguishes it from other Connecticut River cities. Holyoke is nicknamed 'The Paper City' due to its fame as the world's greatest paper producer.

Geography

Holyoke is located at 42°12′11″N 72°37′26″W / 42.20306°N 72.62389°W / 42.20306; -72.62389 (42.203191, -72.623969).^[5]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 22.8 square miles (59 km²), of which, 21.3 square miles (55 km²) of it is land and 1.5 square miles (3.9 km²) of it (6.70%) is water. The city is bordered by Southampton and Westfield to the west, Easthampton to the north, Hadley, South Hadley and Chicopee as river borders to the east, and West Springfield to the south.

Holyoke is the location of East Mountain, the Mount Tom Range, and Mount Tom, 1202 feet (363 m), the highest traprock peak on the Metacomet Ridge, a linear mountain range that extends from Long Island Sound to the Vermont border. Mount Tom is characterized by its high cliffs, sweeping vistas, and microclimate ecosystems. The 110-mile (180 km) Metacomet-Monadnock Trail traverses the Mount Tom Range and East Mountain.

Demographics

Historical population
Year	Pop.	±%
1850	3,245	—
1860	4,997	+54.0%
1870	10,733	+114.8%
1880	21,915	+104.2%
1890	35,637	+62.6%
1900	45,712	+28.3%
1910	57,730	+26.3%
1920	60,203	+4.3%
1930	56,537	−6.1%
1940	53,750	−4.9%
1950	54,661	+1.7%
1960	52,689	−3.6%
1970	50,112	−4.9%
1980	44,678	−10.8%
1990	43,704	−2.2%
2000	39,838	−8.8%
2010	39,880	+0.1%

As of the census of 2010, there were 39,878 people, 14,977 households, and 9,478 families residing in Holyoke. The population density was 1,871.8 people per square mile (722.5/km²). There were 16,229 housing units at an average density of 762.5 per square mile (294.0/km²). The racial makeup was 61.76% White(Non-Hispanic White 47.1%), 5.8% African American (Non Hispanic 3.4), 0.38% Native American, 1.81% Asian, 0.12% Pacific Islander, and 6.81% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 47.4% of the population.^[6]

There were 14,977 households out of which 33.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.5% were married couples living together, 20.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.7% were non-families. 30.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.23.

In the city the population was spread out with 29.5% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 26.8% from 25 to 44, 19.2% from 45 to 64, and 15.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 88.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $ $33,242, and the median income for a family was $39,130. Males had a median income of $35,849 versus $26,652 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,913. About 22.6% of families and 26.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 41.7% of those under age 18 and 13.2% of those age 65 or over.

Politically, the city of Holyoke has recently supported candidates from the Democratic Party by a wide margin. In the 2012 elections, voters supported president Barack Obama over Mitt Romney by a margin of 76%-22%,^[7] and Elizabeth Warren over incumbent senator Scott Brown 70%-30%.^[8] Holyoke elected an openly gay mayor, Alex Morse, in the 2011 municipal election.^[9]

According to the 2003 FBI Report of Offenses Known to Law Enforcement Holyoke's crime rate in most categories was above the national average, in some categories, significantly. Most of these crimes are placed in the category of property theft, with a property crime count of 2,822.^[10]

Economy

In recent years there have been successful efforts to attract high-tech jobs to Holyoke and diversify its economic base. For example, a coalition of universities and tech companies are building the Massachusetts Green High Performance Computing Center, an energy-efficient, high-performance computing center, in Holyoke, expected to open in 2012. These companies and institutions include Cisco Systems, Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT,) the University of Massachusetts, Boston University, EMC Corporation, and Accenture PLC. The data center has been built in Holyoke in part due to hydropower accessibility.^[11]

The retail sector has been a major employer since the construction of the Holyoke Mall, one of the largest shopping malls in New England, in 1979. Retail has provided the city with a large and steady tax base, contributing over $7 million in taxes annually.^[12]

Holyoke is a sister city of Northampton, Massachusetts.

Arts and culture

Immigration and migration

Historically, a city of working-class immigrants (and the rich business owners who employed them), the first wave of mill workers was predominantly Irish. Holyoke is home to the second-largest St. Patrick's Day parade in the United States, surpassed only by the New York City parade.^[13] Held annually since 1952 on the Sunday following St. Patrick's Day, the parade draws hundreds of thousands of people from across New England and the United States.

In the 1850s, mills began to recruit French-Canadians, who were viewed as more docile and less likely to form labor unions.^[14] Later waves of immigration and migration led to significant communities of Germans, Poles, Jews, and then, starting in the 1950s, Puerto Ricans, and other Latino groups. Today Latinos form the largest minority group in the city, with the largest percentage-wise Puerto Rican population of any city in the US outside Puerto Rico proper, at 44.7%.^[15] The entire Latino population of Holyoke, as of the 2010 census, was 19,313, or 48.4% of the city's population of 39,880.

Saint Patrick's Day Parade

Holyoke holds the second largest annual Saint Patrick's Day Parade in the nation, attracting 350,000 to 450,000 people every year.^[16]

Puerto Rican Day Parade

The Puerto Rican community of Holyoke holds an annual Puerto Rican Day parade on the third weekend of July as part of an Annual Hispanic Family Festival held by La Familia Hispana, inc. Every year the parade grows in popularity, attracting Puerto Rican from across the northeast.

Gay Pride Month observance

Mayor Alex B. Morse, who first became an activist for LGBT rights as a high school student in Holyoke only six years earlier, presided at the city's first rainbow flag-raising ceremony in recognition of Gay Pride Month in June 2012.^[17]

Points of interest

• Holyoke Canal System
• Mount Tom of the Mount Tom Range
• Holyoke Mall at Ingleside
• Metacomet-Monadnock Trail
• East Mountain
• Holyoke Heritage State Park
• Mackenzie Stadium, home of the Holyoke Blue Sox of the New England Collegiate Baseball League
• Holyoke Merry-Go-Round
• Wistariahurst Museum^[18]
• Victory Theater
• Dinosaur Footprints Reservation - preserved dinosaur footprints along the Connecticut River
• Robert E. Barrett Fishway - lift system to allow fish to swim upstream of the Holyoke Dam

Sports

Birthplace of Volleyball

On February 9, 1895, William G. Morgan invented volleyball at the former Holyoke YMCA. That YMCA building was on High Street at the intersection with Appleton Street but has since been demolished. The Volleyball Hall of Fame resides in Holyoke at Heritage State Park and inducts a new class of athletes, coaches, and contributors every October. The sport was originally known as mintonette.

Education

Holyoke School Department serves the city. Holyoke High School and William J. Dean Technical-Vocational High School are the city's high schools. Holyoke Community College serves Holyoke and the western Massachusetts area. Holyoke Catholic High School was in Holyoke for five decades but is now in Chicopee.^[19]

"The People's College"

Holyoke Public Library, found at 335 Maple Street, is one of the very few examples of neoclassical architecture in the city of Holyoke. It sits on Library Park, which was donated by the Holyoke Water Power Company in 1887. In 1870 the library was originally in a room in the old Appleton Street School. In 1876 it moved to a large central room on the main floor of City Hall. It remained there until it was determined that it had outgrown the space and a modern facility was required.^[20] Holyoke's citizens were charged to raise money to construct the library building and provide additional books. Under the leadership of Henry Chase, $95,000 was raised. William Whiting and William Skinner, each gave $10,000. Joseph Clough, the architect in charge of designing the building, gave his services gratis because his daughter was a faithful patron of the library. It opened officially in 1902.^[21]

At the dedication ceremony William Whiting, who was library president at the time, referred to the library as the "people's college" and added that: “A library is as much a part of the intellectual life of a community as its schools, and should be supported generously as part of our educational system. Within these walls you will find authors devoted to literature, arts and science, and they are free to any who will ask. We can say to the citizens of Holyoke you have only to ask her and you will find knowledge to make your life useful and happy.”^[20]

Notable people

(B) denotes that the person was born there.

• Arthur Adams (born 1963), comic book artist known for his work on Longshot and Monkeyman and O'Brien.(B)^[22][23]
• Paul Azinger (born 1960), professional golfer, winner of 1993 PGA Championship, and captain of the 2008 U.S. Ryder Cup team, was born in Holyoke.
• Jack Buck (1924–2002), sportscaster.(B)
• Dick Burns (1863-1937), 19th century MLB pitcher/outfielder.(B)
• Jerome Connor (1874–1943), recognized world class sculptor
• Gerry Geran, Olympic silver medal winner, and the first American-born player to play in the National Hockey League
• Bob Goodlatte, U.S. Representative from Virginia (B)
• Fran Healy (born 1946) Former Major League Baseball catcher for the Kansas City Royals, San Francisco Giants and New York Yankees.
• Hal Holbrook (born 1925), actor known for his portrayal of Mark Twain in a one-man show.
• John Clellon Holmes (1926-1988), author best known for Go, an early novel about the Beat Generation. (B)
• T. J. Jagodowski (born 1971), actor and comedian.
• Raymond Kennedy (1934–2008), novelist, who set many of his books in a fictionalized Holyoke that he called "Ireland Parish" and "Hadley Falls".
• Mike LaPlante (born 1966), college basketball head coach, NBA scout and lawyer. Known internationally as an excellent recruiter with contacts with the Senegalese Basketball Federation and credited with bringing many players into the NBA from Africa and Europe.
• Billy Mitchell, classic arcade gamer.(B)
• Rick Purcell, candidate for Lieutant Governor, 2010
• Neil Sheehan (born 1936), author of A Bright Shining Lie: John Paul Vann and America in Vietnam.(B)
• Herman G. Steiner (1897-1982), football, baseball, and track coach at Duke University
• David E. Sweet (1933–1984), founding president of Metropolitan State University and later president of Rhode Island College.(B)
• Eva Tanguay (1879–1947), the "I Don't Care Girl", vaudevillian.
• William Fairfield Whiting, former U.S. Secretary of Commerce.
• William Whiting, former member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts.
• Mark Wohlers (born 1970), former MLB relief pitcher who won a World Series in 1995 with the Atlanta Braves.(B)
• Lenny Jacobson, actor, most notable for his work on the Showtime show Nurse Jackie as Lenny ^[24]

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Holyoke, Massachusetts.

• City of Holyoke Website
• Masslive.com
• Citizens for the Revitalization and Urban Success of Holyoke
• Holyoke, MA History
• PassportHolyoke.org
• Holyoke History Room and Archives blog

v t e Municipalities and communities of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States County seat: Springfield Cities Agawam Chicopee Holyoke Palmer Springfield West Springfield Westfield Towns Blandford Brimfield Chester East Longmeadow Granville Hampden Holland Longmeadow Ludlow Monson Montgomery Russell Southwick Tolland Wales Wilbraham CDPs Blandford Chester Holland Monson Center Russell Wilbraham Other villages Bondsville‡ Depot Village Feeding Hills Three Rivers Footnotes ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

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