Montgomery is a
town
A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world.
Origin and use
The word "town" shares an ori ...
in
Hampden County,
, United States. The population was 819 at the 2020 census. It is part of the
Springfield, Massachusetts
Springfield is a city in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States, and the seat of Hampden County. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers: the western Westfield River, the ...
Metropolitan Statistical Area
In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally Incorporated town, incorporate ...
.
History
Montgomery was first settled in 1767 and was officially incorporated in 1780. The town was named after General
Richard Montgomery
Richard Montgomery (2 December 1738 – 31 December 1775) was an Irish soldier who first served in the British Army. He later became a major general in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, and he is most famous for l ...
, who died in the
Battle of Quebec.
It took land from Westfield, Southampton, and unincorporated land that is now Huntington. A small town, it grew bigger when Interstate 90 was built in 1957 and has served as an outer commuter town to Springfield.
Geography
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the town has a total area of , of which is land and (0.86%) is water. Montgomery is bordered by
Southampton
Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...
to the northeast,
Westfield to the southeast,
Russell
Russell may refer to:
People
* Russell (given name)
* Russell (surname)
* Lady Russell (disambiguation)
* Lord Russell (disambiguation)
Places Australia
*Russell, Australian Capital Territory
*Russell Island, Queensland (disambiguation)
**Ru ...
to the southwest, and
Huntington to the northwest. Its border with the towns of Huntington and Southampton make up a portion of the Hampden-Hampshire county border. The center of Montgomery lies west-northwest of
Springfield
Springfield may refer to:
* Springfield (toponym), the place name in general
Places and locations Australia
* Springfield, New South Wales (Central Coast)
* Springfield, New South Wales (Snowy Monaro Regional Council)
* Springfield, Queenslan ...
and west of
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
. Thus, like most of Western Massachusetts, it is closer to two other states' capitals—
Hartford and
Albany—than its own.
The town of Montgomery lies atop a high plain, reaching into neighboring Huntington, framed by Lizzie Mountain to the northeast and Tekoa and Shatterack Mountains to the south and west, respectively. The latter two mountains rise from the banks of the
Westfield River, whose banks make up a portion of the town's border with Russell. Within the town, the Moose Meadow Brook runs from north to south, with the Westfield Reservoir atop the plain and the smaller Tekoa Reservoir near the bottom of the slope of its namesake mountain. Several other small brooks run through the town.
Other than a short stretch, less than long, of
Interstate 90
Interstate 90 (I-90) is an east–west transcontinental freeway and the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It begins in Seattle, Washington, and travels through the Pacific Northwest, Mountain West, Great Plains, Midwest, and ...
, located at the southern tip of town between Westfield and Russell, the town has no state or federal roads crossing through it. There are only nine roads which enter or exit the town's borders, four of which dead-end either just inside or outside of town. Along the banks of the Westfield River lie railroad tracks, which carry
CSX
CSX Transportation , known colloquially as simply CSX, is a Class I freight railroad operating in the Eastern United States and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. The railroad operates approximately 21,000 route miles () of track. ...
and
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...
trains between Springfield and Pittsfield, on their way westward. There is no other public transportation within town. The nearest general aviation airport is
Barnes Municipal Airport
Westfield-Barnes Regional Airport is a joint civil-military airport in Hampden County, Massachusetts, three miles (6 km) north of Westfield and northwest of Springfield. It was formerly Barnes Municipal Airport; the National Plan of Integr ...
in Westfield, the nearest national service can be found at
Bradley International Airport
Bradley International Airport is a public international airport in Windsor Locks, Connecticut, United States. Owned and operated by the Connecticut Airport Authority, it is the second-largest airport in New England.
The airport is about halfw ...
in Connecticut, and the nearest full-service international airport is
Logan International Airport
General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport , also known as Boston Logan International Airport and commonly as Boston Logan, Logan Airport or simply Logan, is an international airport that is located mostly in East Boston and partially ...
in Boston.
Demographics
As of the
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
of 2000, there were 654 people, 253 households, and 200 families residing in the town. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...
was 43.4 people per square mile (16.8/km). There were 257 housing units at an average density of 17.1 per square mile (6.6/km). The racial makeup of the town was 98.01%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 0.31%
Native American, 0.31%
Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 0.31% from
other races, and 1.07% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race were 0.76% of the population.
There were 253 households, of which 29.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 71.9% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
living together, 5.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.6% were non-families. 15.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 3.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 2.84.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 22.9% under the age of 18, 4.4% from 18 to 24, 27.5% from 25 to 44, 34.4% from 45 to 64, and 10.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 104.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $59,063, and the median income for a family was $66,250. Males had a median income of $46,406 versus $37,125 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the town was $25,942. About 1.0% of families and 2.9% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including none of those under age 18 and 11.1% of those age 65 or over.
Montgomery is a town without its own zip code and uses Huntington (01050) and Westfield (01085) for zip codes.
See also
*
Gateway Regional School District
References
External links
Gateway Regional High School''MHC Survey Reconnaissance Town Report: Montgomery''Massachusetts Historical Commission, 1982.
{{authority control
Towns in Hampden County, Massachusetts
Springfield metropolitan area, Massachusetts
Towns in Massachusetts