Tolland 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. 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 ...
. The population was 471 at the 2020 census,
making it the smallest town in
Hampden County by population.
History
Tolland was first settled in 1750 when it was part of neighboring
Granville. Tolland was officially incorporated in 1810.
Geography
Tolland occupies the southwest corner of Hampden County and is bordered on the north by
Otis and
Blandford
Blandford Forum ( ), commonly Blandford, is a market town in Dorset, England, sited by the River Stour about northwest of Poole. It was the administrative headquarters of North Dorset District until April 2019, when this was abolished and i ...
, on the east by
Granville, on the south by
Hartland and
Colebrook, Connecticut
Colebrook is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 1,361 at the 2020 census. Colebrook was named after Colebrooke in the English county of Devon; the reason is now unknown.
Geography
Colebrook is in northeas ...
, and on the west by
Sandisfield.
Massachusetts Route 57
Route 57 is a east–west Massachusetts state route that runs from Monterey to Agawam. The eastern 5.0 miles (8.1 km) in Agawam is a freeway that runs from Route 187 to the route's eastern terminus at U.S. Route 5.
Route description
...
crosses the center of the town, leading east to
Agawam and west
New Marlborough. The West Branch of the
Farmington River
The Farmington River is a river, U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 1, 2011 in length along its main stem, located in northwest Connecticut with major tributaries ex ...
forms most of the western boundary of the town. The southern end of
Otis Reservoir is in the northern part of town. The eastern part of town is drained by tributaries of the
Hubbard River
The Hubbard River, long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed April 1, 2011 is part of the Farmington River watershed. It flows through Connecticut and Massachusetts. , which flows southeast to the East Branch of the Farmington River. The northeast corner of the town is drained by Ripley Brook, which flows east via the Little River to the
Westfield River
The Westfield River is a major tributary of the Connecticut River located in the Berkshires and Pioneer Valley regions of western Massachusetts. With four major tributary branches that converge west of the city of Westfield, it flows (measured ...
. The entire town is part of the
Connecticut River
The Connecticut River is the longest river in the New England region of the United States, flowing roughly southward for through four states. It rises 300 yards (270 m) south of the U.S. border with Quebec, Canada, and discharges at Long Island ...
watershed.
According to the
U.S. 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 are land and , or 3.77%, are water.
and
Granville State Forest
Granville State Forest is a Massachusetts state park located in the towns of Granville and Tolland in the southern Berkshire Hills along the state's southern border with Connecticut. The park is managed by the Department of Conservation and Rec ...
protect a part of the town's area.
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 426 people, 169 households, and 114 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 13.5 people per square mile (5.2/km). There were 478 housing units at an average density of 15.1 per square mile (5.8/km). The racial makeup of the town was 97.42%
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 ...
, 0.94%
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 1.17%
Native American, 0.23%
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 ...
, and 0.23% 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 1.17% of the population.
There were 169 households, out of which 26.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.3% 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, 1.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.0% were non-families. Of all households 28.4% were made up of individuals, and 13.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.06.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 23.9% under the age of 18, 3.3% from 18 to 24, 31.0% from 25 to 44, 28.9% from 45 to 64, and 12.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 114.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 118.9 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $53,125, and the median income for a family was $65,417. Males had a median income of $41,094 versus $35,278 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 $30,126. About 2.3% of families and 4.2% 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 17.7% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Tolland is part of the Southwick Regional School District, along with
Granville, and
Southwick. Students attend Woodland School from K–2, and Powder Mill School from 3–6. High School students attend
Southwick Regional School
Southwick Regional School (SRS) is a public high school in Southwick, Massachusetts, United States serving grades 712 of the Southwick-Tolland-Granville Regional School District, which is made up of the towns of Southwick, Tolland, and Granvil ...
from 7–12.
Library
The Tolland Public Library was established in 1892. In fiscal year 2008, the town of Tolland spent 0.97% ($10,271) of its budget on its public library—approximately $22 per person, per year ($28.99 adjusted for inflation to 2022).
[July 1, 2007, through June 30, 2008; cf. The FY2008 Municipal Pie: What's Your Share? Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Board of Library Commissioners. Boston: 2009. Available]
Municipal Pie Reports
. Retrieved 2010-08-04
Notable people
*
John Easton Mills
John Easton Mills (October 14, 1796 – November 12, 1847) served briefly as mayor of Montreal, Quebec.
In March 1846, Montreal city council deadlocked on the choice of a mayor. Mills had ten votes, and incumbent mayor James Ferrier had ni ...
(1796–1847), 5th Mayor of Montréal, Canada (1846–1847)
References
External links
Town of Tolland official website''MHC Survey Reconnaissance Town Report: Tolland''Massachusetts Historical Commission, 1982
{{authority control
Towns in Hampden County, Massachusetts
Springfield metropolitan area, Massachusetts
Towns in Massachusetts