Easthampton, Massachusetts
Location in Hampshire County in Massachusetts
Coordinates: 42°16′00″N 72°40′10″W / 42.266667, -72.66944
Country	United States
State	Massachusetts
County	Hampshire
Settled	1664
Incorporated	1809
Government
- Type	Mayor-council city
- Mayor	Michael Tautznik
Area
- City	sq mi (km²)
- Land	sq mi ( km²)
- Water	sq mi ( km²)
Elevation	ft ( m)
Population (2000)
- City
- Density	/sq mi (/km²)
Time zone	Eastern (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	Eastern (UTC-4)
ZIP code	01027
Area code(s)	413
FIPS code	25-19330
GNIS feature ID	0608739
Website: http://www.easthamptonweb.com/

The Town of Easthampton is a city^[1] in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 15,994 at the 2000 census.

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.

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 parishioners, 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. This growth has produced new arts and cultural events such as the monthly Art Walk Easthampton, held each "Second Saturday," in which visual, music and performance artists showcase their talents at venues around the city.

Geography

Easthampton is located at 42°15′55″N, 72°40′7″W (42.265140, -72.668526).¹

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 (1.40%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there were 15,994 people, 6,854 households, and 4,167 families residing in the city. The population density was 460.2/km² (1,192.1/mi²). There were 7,083 housing units at an average density of 203.8/km² (527.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 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. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.10% of the population.

There were 6,854 households out of which 26.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.1% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.2% were non-families. 30.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.93.

In the city the population was 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 were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 92.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $45,185, and the median income for a family was $54,312. Males had a median income of $36,446 versus $28,756 for females. The per capita income for the city was $21,922. About 5.9% of families and 8.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.0% of those under age 18 and 9.9% of those age 65 or over.

Government

First established as a town, with a Board of Selectmen acting as the executive and a Town Meeting form of legislature, local voters enacted a new charter in July of 1996 establishing a city form of governance. Michael Tautznik was elected the first mayor of Easthampton in September1996, after a charter was passed making the mayor the chief executive officer. The city council replaced Town Meeting as the legislative branch and consists of four at-large members and five district councilors.

Notable residents

• Lloyd Cole, English singer, songwriter, known for his role as lead singer of Lloyd Cole and the Commotions from 1984 to 1989
• Jeph Jacques, writer, artist of webcomic Questionable Content
• Jeffrey Rowland, author and artist, creator of web comics Wigu and Overcompensating.

Points of interest

View of Mount Tom from the center of Easthampton

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. Also near the Rail Trail and Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary are three conservation areas owned by the local non-profit land trust, Pascommuck Conservation Trust, part of the Trust's 200 acres of holdings in Easthampton.

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 human service organization offering a variety of innovative programs for people with disabilities. ([1])
• 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
• the Flywheel Arts Collective, a music, performance and visual arts space with a cafe, which opened its doors in 1999

References

1. ^ Although it is called the "Town of Easthampton," it is a statutory city of Massachusetts. See Office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth.

External links

• Official Site
• Easthampton Guide
• Emily Williston Memorial Library
• Riverside Industries
• Art Walk Easthampton
• Manhan Rail Trail
• Easthampton City Arts
• Pascommuck Conservation Trust

Coordinates: 42.26514° N 72.668526° W

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