Monson, Massachusetts
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Monson is a
town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...
in Hampden County,
Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...
, United States. The population was 8,150 at the 2020 census. It is part of the
Springfield, Massachusetts Springfield is the most populous city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States, and its county seat. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers: the western Westfield River, the ea ...
Metropolitan Statistical Area. The
census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...
of Monson Center lies at the center of the town.


History

The first colonist to settle in present-day Monson was Ian Farry, who in 1657 was granted of land by the
Massachusetts General Court The Massachusetts General Court, formally the General Court of Massachusetts, is the State legislature (United States), state legislature of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts located in the state capital of Boston. Th ...
. He built a tavern along the Bay Path, which was the primary route from Springfield to
Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
, and which ran through the northern part of Monson. It was the first house built between Springfield and Brookfield, but the tavern was short-lived; within a year or two, Fellows abandoned it for fear of attacks from local Native Americans. The first permanent settlers arrived in 1715, and in 1735 the town of Brimfield was incorporated, and included present-day Monson within its boundaries. The western part of the town later separated, and was incorporated as the town of Monson in 1775. The town was named after Sir John Monson, president of the British Board of Trade and a friend of Massachusetts governor Thomas Pownall. In the 19th century and early 20th century, mills were built along the Chicopee Brook, which runs south to north through the center of the town. One of the most successful industries during this time was the woolen mills, which were operated by industrialists such as Joseph L. Reynolds, Dwight W. Ellis, C. W. Holmes, and S. F. Cushman. In addition, Heiman & Lichten operated a successful straw and felt goods factory on Main Street. Monson was also known for its granite quarries; the first quarry was opened in 1809, east of present-day Margaret Street. It was used for a short time by the federal government to supply stone for the
Springfield Armory The Springfield Armory, more formally known as the United States Armory and Arsenal at Springfield located in the city of Springfield, Massachusetts, was the primary center for the manufacture of United States military firearms from 1777 until ...
, and was later sold to Rufus Flynt, who opened a commercial quarry on the site in 1825 with five employees. By 1900, the quarry was operating under the name of W.N. Flynt Granite Co., and had expanded to almost 500 employees. The quarry continued in operation until about 1935. On June 1, 2011, an EF3 tornado crossed through the center of the town, causing $11.9 million in property damage, which included 238 damaged buildings, 77 of which were damaged beyond repair. Several town landmarks were damaged or destroyed: the First Church of Monson and the Unitarian Universalist Church buildings each lost their steeple, the historic 1900 Holmes Gymnasium, once part of Monson Academy, was destroyed, and the town office building, built in 1925 as the first Monson High School, was damaged beyond repair and demolished in 2013.


Geography

Monson is in eastern Hampden County, crossed by Massachusetts Route 32, which leads north from the center of town to Palmer and south to the
Connecticut Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...
border. Springfield is to the west, Worcester is to the northeast, and
Hartford, Connecticut Hartford is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The city, located in Hartford County, Connecticut, Hartford County, had a population of 121,054 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 ce ...
, is to the southwest. According to the
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the town has a total area of , of which are land and , or 1.45%, are water. The majority of the town (the center part) is drained to the north by Chicopee Brook, a tributary of the Quaboag River. Small areas of the northeastern part of town flow to Foskett Mill Stream, a tributary of the Quaboag. The Quaboag flows northwest to the Chicopee River, a west-flowing tributary 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 into Long Isl ...
. The northwestern portion of Monson drains to Twelvemile Brook, a tributary of the Chicopee River, and the southwest portion of town is drained by the Scantic River, which flows directly to the Connecticut in the state of Connecticut. The southernmost part of town is outside the Connecticut River watershed, draining south to the Middle River in Connecticut, which flows via the Willimantic and Shetucket rivers to the
Thames River The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the ...
, reaching
Long Island Sound Long Island Sound is a sound (geography), marine sound and tidal estuary of the Atlantic Ocean. It lies predominantly between the U.S. state of Connecticut to the north and Long Island in New York (state), New York to the south. From west to east, ...
at
New London, Connecticut New London is a seaport city and a port of entry on the northeast coast of the United States, located at the outlet of the Thames River (Connecticut), Thames River in New London County, Connecticut, which empties into Long Island Sound. The cit ...
. Monson is bordered on the north by Palmer, on the east by Brimfield and
Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...
, on the south by Stafford, Connecticut, and on the west by Hampden and Wilbraham. The Quaboag River forms the eastern half of the northern border of town, and U.S. Route 20 forms the western half of the northern border.


Demographics

As of the
census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2000, there were 8,359 people, 3,095 households, and 2,203 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 3,213 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 97.69%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 0.67%
African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 0.23% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 0.01%
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 0.23% from other races, and 0.86% from two or more races.
Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or Latino of any race were 1.17% of the population. There were 3,095 households, out of which 34.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.9% were
married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.8% were non-families. 22.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.12. In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.2% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 31.3% from 25 to 44, 25.8% from 45 to 64, and 10.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.5 males. The median income for a household in the town was $52,030, and the median income for a family was $58,607. Males had a median income of $41,373 versus $30,545 for females. The
per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the town was $22,519. About 5.2% of families and 5.6% 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 ...
, including 6.8% of those under age 18 and 3.7% of those age 65 or over.


Education

The town of Monson has three public schools: Quarry Hill Community School for preschool and kindergarten; Granite Valley Middle School for grades one through six; and Monson High School for grades seven through twelve. As of the 2017–2018 school year, 929 students collectively are enrolled in the Monson Public Schools. They are a slightly below average school according to state MCAS test scores.` The town of Monson was formerly the site of Monson Academy, a private school that was founded in 1804 and opened in 1806. In 1847, the academy became the first American school to enroll Chinese students. Among its graduates were abolitionist and suffragist
Lucy Stone Lucy Stone (August 13, 1818 – October 18, 1893) was an American orator, Abolitionism in the United States, abolitionist and Suffrage, suffragist who was a vocal advocate for and organizer of promoting Women's rights, rights for women. In 1847, ...
, and two
United States Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that turn on question ...
justices: William Strong and Henry Billings Brown. Notable faculty members included US Secretary of Labor
Frances Perkins Frances Perkins (born Fannie Coralie Perkins; April 10, 1880 – May 14, 1965) was an American workers-rights advocate who served as the fourth United States Secretary of Labor from 1933 to 1945, the longest serving in that position. A member o ...
, and Louise Torrey Taft, the mother of President
William Howard Taft William Howard Taft (September 15, 1857March 8, 1930) served as the 27th president of the United States from 1909 to 1913 and the tenth chief justice of the United States from 1921 to 1930. He is the only person to have held both offices. ...
. In 1971, the academy merged with Wilbraham Academy to form Wilbraham & Monson Academy.


Transportation

Two numbered highways pass through Monson: Massachusetts Route 32, which enters Monson from Connecticut, forms Main Street in the downtown area, and is the main north-south thoroughfare in the town. US Route 20 forms part of the northern border with Palmer, and also cuts across the extreme northeastern corner of the town. The New England Central Railroad passes north-south through the town, roughly parallel to Route 32. No passenger service is available. The Boston & Albany Railroad line, now operated by
CSX CSX Transportation , known colloquially as simply CSX, is a Railroad classes, Class I freight railroad company operating in the Eastern United States and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. Operating about 21,000 route miles () of trac ...
, travels across the northwestern part of the town.


Notable people

* Allan Bérubé (1946–2007), historian, activist, and author * Samuel Robbins Brown (1810–1880), missionary * George Stewart Miller (1884–1971), educator * Arthur D. Norcross (1848–1916), musician and politician * Erasmus D. Peck (1808–1876), Congressman * Albert G. Riddle (1816–1902), Congressman * Sal Salvador (1928–1999), jazz musician * James Hayden Tufts (1862-1942), philosopher * Eliphalet Trask (1806-1890), Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts * Henry Martin Tupper (1831–1893), minister and educator * William L. Utley (1814–1887), military officer and politician * Brian Burrows (1983-present), professional fisherman


Notable places and mills

* Conant Brook Dam * First Church of Monson * W.N. Flynt Granite Co. * Memorial Town Hall * Monson High School * Peaked Mountain * William Norcross House * Omega Metal Processing * S. F. Cushman Woolen Mill * Monson Bellmen * Monson Developmental Center


See also

* List of mill towns in Massachusetts


References


External links


Town of Monson official website
{{authority control Towns in Hampden County, Massachusetts Springfield metropolitan area, Massachusetts Towns in Massachusetts