58-605: Hamden is the name of several places in the United States of America. It also is a surname. Places [ edit ] Hampden, Massachusetts Hamden, Connecticut Hamden Township, Becker County, Minnesota Hamden, Missouri Hamden, New York Hamden, Ohio Hamden, Oklahoma Name [ edit ] Erika Hamden , US astrophysicist and Assistant Professor See also [ edit ] Hampden (disambiguation) [REDACTED] Topics referred to by
116-471: A female householder with no husband present, and 20.8% were non-families. 17.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71 and the average family size was 3.09. In the town, the population was spread out, with 26.9% under the age of 18, 4.3% from 18 to 24, 24.4%from 25 to 44, 27.6% from 45 to 64, and 16.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age
174-570: A house on the north side of the Scantic River in 1741. After many years of submitting petitions to the Massachusetts General Court the town was officially incorporated as the independent "Wilbraham" in 1763, when its population was about 400. Wilbraham was made a separate town because of the walking distance to Springfield, along with differing interests made the people of the fourth precinct petition several times for
232-614: A log hut along what is now Main Sreet. Hunting and logging took place in the late 17th century. The Native Americans did not maintain any villages prior to the colonials' arrival in the Outward Commons; however, they did hunt and fish along the Chicopee River as it was considered good fishing grounds. A soap stone quarry existed on Glendale Road and arrowheads can be found throughout Wilbraham. The poplar trees located along
290-598: 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. Hampden's government consists of various elected and appointed boards. There is a three-member Board of Selectmen/Board of Health, Planning Board, Conservation Committee, Board of Assessors, Park and Recreation Board, and various other boards and committees common to town governments throughout New England. Hampden's Board of Selectmen
348-454: A new town to be incorporated. On August 7, 1761, on Wilbraham Mountain, a young man named Timothy Merrick was bitten by a rattlesnake and died soon afterward. Folklore and legend have made its way over the years about this incident including a song titled " On Springfield Mountain ". The incident probably took place within what is now the adjoining town of Hampden , but at the time was still part of South Wilbraham—though some have claimed it
406-575: A total area of 19.6 square miles (51 km ), of which 19.6 square miles (51 km ) is land and 0.05% is water. Hampden is located at the eastern edge of the Connecticut River Valley. Hills rise up to over 1,000 feet (300 m) above sea level, from the valley elevation of 150 to 250 feet (46 to 76 m). The highest peaks are Pine Mountain and Rattlesnake Peak, both at 1,070 feet (330 m). The town has no large bodies of water, but has several brooks which eventually drain into
464-565: A wigwam for many years, "after the white man came" ( History of Wilbraham , 1863). Many town residents took part in both the French and Indian War and Revolutionary War , and at one time Wilbraham even had its own militia unit, which at one point was a field artillery battery and often supported the Hampshire Regiment. Wilbraham residents have also served in numerous wars since the French and Indian War . Wilbraham's first church
522-779: A young man named William Pynchon (founder of Springfield) purchased the area from the Nipmuc starting at the Connecticut River in Springfield and extending to the foot of the Wilbraham Mountain Range by 1674. Wilbraham was first settled in 1730 by Nathaniel Hitchcock along with what is now Hampden , Massachusetts , as the Fourth District of Springfield . It was also known as the Outward Commons, Mountains or Springfield Mountain. Hitchcock built
580-425: Is Mt. Chapin at 937 feet above sea level. Other high peaks are Mount Vision (formerly Rattlesnake Peak) and Wigwam Hill. As of the census of 2000, there were 13,473 people, 4,891 households, and 3,873 families residing in the town. The population density was 606.3 inhabitants per square mile (234.1/km ). There were 5,048 housing units at an average density of 227.2 per square mile (87.7/km ). The racial makeup of
638-471: Is a historic New England family run farm stand serving Breakfast, Coffee, Pies, Apples and Ice Cream. Flo Design Sonics , a technology company, located at 380 Main St. was acquired by Millipore Sigma in 2019. Flo Design Wind Turbines is co-located here. Wilbraham has a Selectboard in which there are three members, each serving a three-year term. The town has an open town meeting rule and an annual town meeting
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#1732765193694696-470: Is currently composed of Selectman Chair Don Davenport, Selectman John Flynn, who also serves as the Board of Health chair, and Selectman Craig Rivest. The Hampden Public Library opened in 1891. For a short time in 2005 and 2006, the town library and senior center were closed down after budget increases were voted for the school district within the main budget, but the existing library and senior center funding
754-553: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Hampden, Massachusetts Hampden is a town in Hampden County , Massachusetts , United States. The population was 4,966 at the 2020 census . It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area . The namesake of Hampden is John Hampden , an English patriot. The Hampden-Wilbraham region
812-666: Is held every spring. Wilbraham has a regional School District, called the Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School District which is centered around Minnechaug Regional High School . Wilbraham & Monson Academy , a private middle and high school with an international student population, is located in the downtown. According to the United States Census Bureau , the town has a total area of 22.4 square miles (58.1 km ), of which 22.2 square miles (57.5 km )
870-436: Is land and 0.2 square mile (0.5 km ) (0.89%) is water. Wilbraham is bordered by Springfield on the west, Ludlow on the north, Palmer on the northeast, Monson on the east, Hampden on the south, and East Longmeadow on the southwest. Wilbraham is situated in such a way that its area lies within two broad physiographic provinces that cross Massachusetts from north to south. The Wilbraham Mountains which dominate
928-550: Is named St.Mary's. The Baptist Church is named Bethlehem Church. The Federated church is named Federated Community Church. Wilbraham, Massachusetts Wilbraham is a town in Hampden County, Massachusetts , United States. It is a suburb of the City of Springfield , and part of the Springfield Metropolitan Statistical Area . The population was 14,613 at the 2020 census . Part of
986-669: Is one of sixteen towns in Massachusetts that has no numbered highways or state routes. Of these, half are on islands, and one is the North Shore town of Nahant . Of the remainder, Hampden is the easternmost town to have this distinction. The town does not have stoplights. The nearest state route, Route 83 , misses the town by less than one-tenth of a mile. The town lies 10 miles (16 km) south of two exits of Interstate 90 , and approximately 9 miles (14 km) east of Interstate 91 . There are no means of mass transportation in
1044-547: Is still standing and is a house. Their regional headquarters was Denny Abbey in nearby Peterborough . One statement within the Wilbraham Town History Book of 1963 states that a trustee of the Wilbraham & Monson Academy was attending Oxford University and found the following in a history book: That the two villages of Little Wilbraham and Great Wilbraham came into existence because Alfred
1102-468: Is thought to have occurred on farmland in what is now Hampden on August 7 of that year, when 22-year-old Timothy Merrick was killed by a snakebite while mowing his father's field—an event immortalized by " On Springfield Mountain ", among the earliest ballads ever written in North America, and the basis for the modern folk song " Rattlesnake Mountain ". The settlement was built on the banks of
1160-492: The Massachusetts Turnpike , hedges along the side of the highway have a sign and have been trimmed to read "Welcome to Wilbraham, Home of Friendly Ice Cream". Friendly's Ice Cream was acquired in 2016 by Dean Foods. The Dean Foods bankruptcy settlement sold Friendly's Ice Cream to Amici Partners Group. Bennett Turkey Farms was acquired by Rice's Fruit Farm in 2007. Rice's Fruit Farm which first opened in 1894
1218-651: The Mercians who gave her the land. In the 10th century (975 CE ), it was still known as Wilburgeham; however, in the Domesday Book it is known as Wiborgham. By the 1260s, it was known as Great Wilbraham and just before that, King's Wilbraham. During the Middle Ages , the Knights Templar established a preceptory in 1226 in the villages. The manor house of Great Wilbraham was their temple and today it
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#17327651936941276-522: The Scantic River . 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. During the first hundred years as South Wilbraham, Hampden was an agricultural town with Wilbraham as
1334-581: The "mother" town. At the time of separation from Wilbraham in 1878, industries were becoming active in Hampden. Fires leveled some of the largest mills—the Lacowsic in 1892, the Ravine in 1904—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
1392-547: The Chicopee River made excellent canoes, and two have been found carved out along the Chicopee River over the years. The Nipmuc referred to this area as "Minnechaug" which means Berryland. The major poem "Minneola" (1904) by Chauncey E. Peck tells, over several hundred pages, the stories of the Indians around Wilbraham. The last of which appears to have been an Indian woman named We-sha-u-gan who lived on Wigwam Hill in
1450-562: The Connecticut River. Hampden is located on the Connecticut border, just north of Tolland County . It is bordered on the north by Wilbraham , on the east by Monson , on the south by Stafford, Connecticut and Somers, Connecticut , and on the west by East Longmeadow . From the town's center, Hampden is 11 miles (18 km) southeast of downtown Springfield , 28 miles (45 km) north-northeast of Hartford, Connecticut and 78 miles (126 km) west-southwest of Boston . Hampden
1508-494: The Great , an English King who upon hunting wild boar in a very good spot about 60 miles northeast of London , designated that spot as Wild Boar Haven. However, Haven was later changed to Ham and over the years the three separate words became combined and distorted until you had Wilbraham. Another statement within the "Wilbraham Town History Book" of 1963 states that the name may have come from Sir Thomas Wilbraham, 3rd Baronet who
1566-513: The Pines Section. In 1878, the south end of Wilbraham officially broke away from Wilbraham and formed the Town of Hampden . The name of Wilbraham comes from the villages of Little Wilbraham and Great Wilbraham , located near Cambridge, England . The name originates from Wilburgham, a name indicating "Wilburga's homestead," Wilburga being the daughter of the seventh century King Penda of
1624-466: The USPS in 1963, the zip code of North Wilbraham was 01067, though this is no longer used. North Wilbraham was considered the industrialized area of town, while Wilbraham was considered the agricultural area of town. The term North Wilbraham is now rarely used by town residents and has since been replaced simply by Wilbraham. The area today known as the Town of Wilbraham first became of interest in 1636 when
1682-444: 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 almost gone, and Hampden has become a residential town. Hampden erected one of the first World War I monuments, only months after
1740-471: The artillery train through the town. The first President of the United States, General George Washington , traveled through the town twice and on one occasion slept at a home along the Bay Path in 1790 while on his way to and from Boston . On April 29, 1799, a tragedy on Nine Mile Pond took the lives of six people, including three 16-year-old girls. The boat that they were traveling in overturned. One of
1798-401: The average family size was 3.01. In the town, the population was spread out, with 23.7% under the age of 18, 4.5% from 18 to 24, 18.1% from 25 to 44, 35.3% from 45 to 64, and 18.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47.1 years. The median income for a household in the town was $ 81,130, and the median income for a family was $ 86,848. According to the 2000 Census, males had
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1856-634: The conclusion of the War, in January 1920, which still stands on the village green. H.P. Lovecraft 's experience traveling through Hampden inspired his 1928 supernatural horror story " The Dunwich Horror ". The fictional town of Dunwich is based on Hampden and the surrounding area. In August 1955, Hampden was hit by Hurricane Diane . Flooding was the major cause of damage; most bridges were washed away. Since 2000, Hampden residents have acquired over 100 acres (0.40 km ) of open space and park land, including
1914-649: The country, with fine examples of colonial and Victorian homes from as early as the 1730s along the historical areas of Main Street. The oldest Methodist meeting house in New England is located in the town's center, as is the campus of Wilbraham & Monson Academy , founded in 1804. North Wilbraham was the industrialized area of the town and was home to the Collins Manufacturing Company and other businesses. The Collins Manufacturing Company
1972-636: The geography of the town are part of the Central Upland of Massachusetts, while the portion of town west of the mountains lies within the Connecticut Valley Lowland. Millions of years ago, the flat area of Wilbraham west of the mountains were once part of a shallow inland sea. Wilbraham also has the Wilbraham Mountains range, which starts at the north end of town and extends into Hampden. The highest point in town
2030-495: The locality with his friend and author Mrs Miniter who was a local. He later modeled the fictional town of Dunwich on the combination of towns in the area, in his story " The Dunwich Horror ". He also used the area's folklore in the story. After his death Lovecraft's executor August Derleth later wrote the story "The Peabody Heritage", set in Wilbraham. Evanore Beebe died in 1935. The hurricane of 1938 did considerable damage to
2088-493: The neighboring town of Wilbraham in a unified school district for grades 9–12. The two towns built Minnechaug Regional High School in Wilbraham , which opened in 1959. Thorton W. Burgess Middle School was built in 1967, and in 2018, was shut down due to decreased enrollment. Hampden has three churches of the following faiths: Baptist , Roman Catholic , and Federated which is the (combined United Church of Christ, Congregational and United Methodist ). The Roman Catholic church
2146-586: The peak of Minnechaug Mountain, one of the higher hills in town. A trailhead and parking lot on South Road was created. Minnechaug Mountain trails can also be accessed from Old Coach Road, and, except for the fall Turkey Shoot season, from the VFW parking lot on Main St. In September 2004, an arson fire hit Laughing Brook Wildlife Sanctuary (located on Main Street in Hampden). The building was dedicated to author Thornton Burgess after his death. The headquarters building
2204-408: The population. There were 1,887 households, out of which 32.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.1% were married couples living together, 7.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.3% were non-families. 17.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and
2262-625: The roads in the town. The dam near the Chicopee River gave way washing out the railroad tracks as well as parts of Mountain Road and Boston Road. On the afternoon of June 1, 2011 , two tornadoes struck Wilbraham: an EF-1 and an EF-3. The EF-3, which originated in Westfield and traveled through West Springfield and Springfield, caused extensive damage to the Tinkham Road corridor of the town. Heavy structural damage to homes, power poles, and trees
2320-424: The same term This disambiguation page lists articles about distinct geographical locations with the same name. 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=Hamden&oldid=1081537252 " Category : Place name disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description
2378-455: 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. As of the census of 2010, there were 5,109 people, 1,887 households, and 1,467 families residing in
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2436-416: The time of World War II. None of those farms remain in operation today. Wilbraham was once the home of a speakeasy called "Worlds End" on Burleigh Road. It was destroyed by a fire in the mid-1930s. In the summer of 1928, author H. P. Lovecraft stayed with the teacher and antiquarian Miss Evanore O. Beebe (co-author of the 1913 Wilbraham History Book) at her farmhouse on Monson Road in west Wilbraham, touring
2494-604: The town and destroyed the old covered bridge over the Chicopee River on Cottage Ave. A steel bridge rests there today. During World War I , the town suffered the loss of George M. Kingdon who died fighting in France . He was Wilbraham's only casualty. When the Wilbraham Fire Department was incorporated in 1919 it was named the George M. Kingdon Fire Company in his honor. The flood of 1955 washed out many of
2552-562: The town comprises the census-designated place of Wilbraham . Wilbraham was originally divided between North Wilbraham and Wilbraham. North Wilbraham was home to the industrial side of the town, along with the Boston & Albany Railroad Line, which is still in use today. Wilbraham is home to the Wilbraham & Monson Academy . Wilbraham is made up of several neighborhoods, known as Wilbraham Center, North Wilbraham, East Wilbraham, Wilbraham Mountain, South Wilbraham, Boston Road Corridor and
2610-412: The town was 96.40% White , 1.19% Black or African American , 0.06% Native American , 1.26% Asian , 0.06% Pacific Islander , 0.25% from other races , and 0.77% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.40% of the population. There were 4,891 households, out of which 37.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.7% were married couples living together, 8.0% had
2668-426: The town. The population density was 260.7 inhabitants per square mile (100.7/km ). There were 1,937 housing units at an average density of 98.82 per square mile (38.15/km ). The racial makeup of the town was 96.70% White , 0.50% African American , 0.1% Native American , 1.4% Asian , 0.02% Pacific Islander , 0.40% from other races , and 1.00% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.50% of
2726-547: The town. The nearest rail service is in Springfield, and the nearest national air service is at Bradley International Airport in Connecticut . Winters are variable, sometimes fairly mild, with daytime high temperatures in the 30s, though sometimes rather cold. A record cold temperature of −40 degrees Fahrenheit (−40 °C) 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,
2784-399: The victims was not found for sixteen days and a ditch had to be dug in order to drain the pond to find her. This ditch located across the street on Boston Rd became the first town dump. The Underground Railroad ran through the town and several houses along Main Street and on Wilbraham Mountain served as stations. The Wilbraham town center is among the largest designated historical areas in
2842-408: Was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.3 males. The median income for a household in the town was $ 65,014, and the median income for a family was $ 73,825. Males had a median income of $ 55,600 versus $ 36,922 for females. The per capita income for the town was $ 29,854. About 3.2% of families and 5.1% of the population were below
2900-488: Was a bitter royalist and anti-Puritan however this has since been in doubt and the most likely explanation is that the name came from the villages in Cambridgeshire . Some of Wilbraham earliest settlers hailed from the Cambridgeshire region of England . From its beginning, the Town of Wilbraham was divided between North Wilbraham and Wilbraham, which each had their own post office. After the launch of Zip codes by
2958-519: Was as far south as Connecticut. This song was one of the earliest of the American ballads. The Bay Path trail once ran through the north end of the town. It was this trail that Henry Knox used when he moved the cannons that he captured at Fort Ticonderoga in 1775. These cannons were brought to Boston (being pulled by oxen) and placed on Dorchester Heights and used against the British. Knox led
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#17327651936943016-399: Was burnt down, but Burgess' original home on the property was untouched by the fire, and still stands. 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. According to the United States Census Bureau , the town has
3074-472: Was experienced. That tornado then moved eastward to cause extensive damage to the towns of Monson, Brimfield and Sturbridge. The EF-1 formed after the EF-3 and primarily caused damage to power poles and trees along a section from Stony Hill Road east crossing Main Street, just south of St. Cecilia's Church to Crane Hill Road. The corporate headquarters of Friendly's Ice Cream was formerly located in Wilbraham. On
3132-575: Was once known as Minnechaug ("berry land" or "berry hill") to the Nipmuc Indians. They sold it to William Pynchon of Springfield in 1674, and the area then became known as Springfield Mountain , but it was not settled (as South Wilbraham ) until 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. The "Rattlesnake Incident of 1761"
3190-517: Was once the main employer of the town. The building, also known as the Collins Paper Mill (which still stands today), was built c. 1872 . It made fine writing paper and, for a short time, made government currency paper. The mill officially closed down in 1940, but some sections continued operating into the 1950s. A fire in 1945 did severe damage to the building, which is now home to several small businesses. Wilbraham at one time
3248-505: 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. The library and senior center were reopened in the summer of 2006. In fiscal year 2008, the town of Hampden spent 0.85% ($ 76,862) of its budget on its public library—approximately $ 14 per person. Green Meadows Elementary School opened in 1956. In 1956, Hampden joined with
3306-567: Was the First Congregational Church, which was organized on June 24, 1741. This church would later merge into the Wilbraham United Church. The first minister of the town was Mr. Noah Merrick. The first three selectmen were Lieutenant Thomas Mirick, Deacon Nathaniel Warriner and Stephen Stebbins. Stebbins was the first person to settle in the southern part of the precinct in modern-day Hampden when he built
3364-469: Was very famous for its peach orchards and some are still grown on the slope of the Wilbraham Mountain Range. Apples were also grown on the slopes. Wilbraham Center was the farming area of town and was home to Bennett's Turkey Farm, Pheasant Farm and Rice's Fruit Farm which grew the peaches later celebrated during the Peach Festival. Wilbraham had several potato farms in the south end of town around
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