Easthampton, Massachusetts
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Easthampton is a city located in Hampshire County, Massachusetts. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 15,994.
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Geography
Easthampton is located at 42°15'55" North, 72°40'7" West (42.265140, -72.668526)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 35.2 km² (13.6 mi²). 34.8 km² (13.4 mi²) of it is land and 0.5 km² (0.2 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 1.40% water.
History
Easthampton was first settled by European immigrants beginning in 1664 and was originally considered part of Northampton. In 1785, the village of Easthampton was formally named its own separate political entity, and twenty-four years later, it officially became a town and could be represented in the House.
The town grew primarily around the Manhan River, both through its phase as a strictly agricultural community and later, through the industrial revolution, when mills and factories were first built in Easthampton, mainly in connection with textile manufacturing and its offshoots,. The first of these, the Williston-Knight Button Company, was established in 1847 by Samuel Williston, son of the town’s first minister, a Congregationalist named Payson Williston. The company specialized in cloth-covered buttons – a coveted item at the time – and to facilitate the operation of the machinery, a local brook was dammed, creating Nashawannuck Pond. Other mills soon opened nearby, a number of them specializing in elastic and rubber thread manufacturing.
Following this spurt of industrial development, the town’s first high school and first national bank opened in 1864, and a town hall was built in 1869. Constables were replaced by the town’s first police officer in 1871, the same year that Easthampton became a regular stop on the railroad. The town’s public library opened in 1881, and fourteen years later, the community was introduced to two new innovations, telephones and streetcars. With the influx of new residents came a number of new churches, founded for Catholic, Episcopalian, Lutheran, and Methodist parishoners, as well as a second Congregational church. In 1899, the West Boylston Manufacturing Company and the Hampton Company, both specializing in cloth production, moved to Easthampton, recruiting a larger immigrant labor force, particularly from Poland and Canada.
During World War I, the town’s mills all obtained federal wartime contracts and did well financially, but long before the Great Depression hit, many factories owners were already laying off employees, seeking mergers with other companies, or looking for buyers for their facilities.
World War II provided some relief for the Easthampton economy, as several of the older textile companies as well as newer heavy manufacturing corporations received another round of federal contracts. However, beginning in the early 1960s, a number of critical closures hit the town hard, and even the opening of a new industrial park could not entirely offset the damage done.
Small farms and well-established family businesses have helped to keep Easthampton afloat, and especially in the years since the community changed its charter to become a city in 1999, the downtown area has undergone a transformation. A small but growing community of artists and young people has been lured to Easthampton because it offers a lower cost of living than nearby Northampton, long considered the major hub of the off-beat bohemian community in the area. Much of the development around Main Street, Union Street, and Cottage Street is due to the influx and interests of this new demographic.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 15,994 people, 6,854 households, and 4,167 families residing in the city. The population density is 460.2/km² (1,192.1/mi²). There are 7,083 housing units at an average density of 203.8/km² (527.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 95.41% White, 0.64% African American, 0.14% Native American, 1.72% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 1.13% from other races, and 0.96% from two or more races. 2.10% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 6,854 households out of which 26.1% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.1% are married couples living together, 10.1% have a female householder with no husband present, and 39.2% are non-families. 30.4% of all households are made up of individuals and 11.2% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.33 and the average family size is 2.93.
In the city the population is spread out with 21.1% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 32.4% from 25 to 44, 24.8% from 45 to 64, and 14.1% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 39 years. For every 100 females there are 92.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 89.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $45,185, and the median income for a family is $54,312. Males have a median income of $36,446 versus $28,756 for females. The per capita income for the city is $21,922. 8.9% of the population and 5.9% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 15.0% of those under the age of 18 and 9.9% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
City Government
Michael Tautznik was elected the first mayor of Easthampton in 1996, after a charter was passed making the mayor the chief executive officer. The city council consists of four at-large members and five district councilors.
Points of Interest
Easthampton, though less of a tourist attraction than its neighbor Northampton, has a number of points of interest. The Mount Tom State Reservation extends into parts of the city, and many local residents hike up to enjoy the view of the Pioneer Valley from the rock ledges. The Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary, part of the Massachusetts Audubon Society, is also split between Easthampton and neighboring Northampton. Recently, the Manhan Rail Trail bicycle path was built over an old railroad line, and there are plans to connect the path to others in the area.
In and around downtown Easthampton, attractions include:
- the Emily Williston Memorial Library
- the Williston Northampton School, a private secondary prep school
- Nini's Pizzeria
- the Silver Spoon restaurant
- One Cottage Street, an old factory building, renovated in the late 1970s to make workshops and studios for artists and craftspeople
- Riverside Industries, also at One Cottage Street, a sheltered workshop for local residents with disabilities such as Down syndrome and other mental handicaps
- the Nashawannuck Gallery, opened by Mai Stoddard in 1995 to showcase the work of local artists and craftspeople, especially those from One Cottage Street
- Eastworks, the old Stanley Home Products factory building, recently converted into artists' studios, offices, and restaurant space
- the historic old fire station, recently made into a workshop by local furniture maker Silas Kopf
- a busy branch of Shelburne Falls Coffee Roasters
- the Flywheel Arts Collective, a music, performance and visual arts space with a cafe, which opened its doors in 1999
- the farmers' market, held weekly during the summer
- the Apollo Grill located in Eastworks, mentioned above, which is arguably Easthampton's best restaurant.