SOUTH HADLEY, MASSACHUSETTS

'South Hadley' is a town in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, USA. The population was 17,196 at the 2000 census. It is home to Mount Holyoke College and South Hadley High School.

Contents

History

Geography

Demographics

Education

Trivia

Notable residents

References

External links

History

South Hadley was first settled in 1659 and was officially incorporated in 1775. It is the home of the nation's first navigable canal as well as the first women's college in the United States.

Geography

South Hadley is located in the western part of Massachusetts, specifically in the Pioneer Valley. It is bordered on the north by Hadley and Amherst, on the east by Granby, and on the south by Chicopee. The Connecticut River defines the town's western border and separates it from the city of Holyoke. South Hadley is 45 miles south of Brattleboro, Vermont, 87 miles west of Boston, and 145 miles from New York City.
Although no Interstate Highways cross South Hadley's borders, U.S. Route 202, and Massachusetts Highways 33, 47, and 116 provide primary routes of transportation. Interstate 91 can be accessed in Holyoke while Interstate 90 is accessible through Chicopee. Bradley International Airport, serving the greater Hartford-Springfield area, is located 17 miles to the south. The closest Amtrak station is in Springfield.
The Village Commons, a center for dining, shopping, and leisure, is located at the juncture of Massachusetts Routes 116 and 47, in the area commonly called South Hadley Center. Additional commercial centers are located on Massachusetts Routes 116 and 33. South Hadley is also the home of Mount Holyoke College, the oldest continuously operating institution of higher education for women, founded in 1837.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 47.6 km² (18.4 mi²). 45.9 km² (17.7 mi²) of it is land and 1.8 km² (0.7 mi²) of it (3.70%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there were 17,196 people, 6,586 households, and 4,208 families residing in the town. The population density was 374.9/km² (971.0/mi²). There were 6,784 housing units at an average density of 147.9/km² (383.1/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 94.05% White, 1.20% African American, 0.12% Native American, 2.53% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.77% from other races, and 1.28% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.36% of the population.
There were 6,586 households out of which 26.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.6% were married couples living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.1% were non-families. 30.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.7% 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 town the population was spread out with 19.6% under the age of 18, 14.9% from 18 to 24, 25.6% from 25 to 44, 22.4% from 45 to 64, and 17.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 72.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 65.8 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $46,678, and the median income for a family was $58,693. Males had a median income of $42,256 versus $31,219 for females. The per capita income for the town was $22,732. About 4.1% of families and 5.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.8% of those under age 18 and 7.2% of those age 65 or over.

Education

South Hadley is known for its highly competitive boys athletic teams for a smaller sized town. It is home of the 2004 state champion lacrosse team that won Division II with the smallest high school enrollment of all 81 teams. It also won the 2005 Division IA Super Bowl in football.

Trivia

The Yankee Candle Company was founded in South Hadley.

Notable residents

★ Daniel T. Barry, retired NASA Astronaut; contestant on the CBS reality television program

★ Benjamin Ruggles Woodbridge (1739–1819) was a doctor, a colonel of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, and a member of the Massachusetts legislature.''Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors in the War of the Revolution, Vol 17'', online database, The Generations Network Inc., Provo, Utah (1998); original data from the Secretary of the Commonwealth, ''Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors in the War of the Revolution, Vol. 17'', Wright and Potter Printing Co., Boston (1896), pp. 798-800.Frothingham, Jr., Richard: ''History of the Siege of Boston and of the Battles of Lexington, Concord, and Bunker Hill'', Second Edition, published by Charles C. Little and James Brown, Boston (1851) Chapters V and VII, regarding the Bunker Hill Battle, pp. 136, 183.

References

External links

★ Official Site

★ Mount Holyoke College