Southwick, Massachusetts

Template:Infobox Town MA Southwick is a town in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 8,835 at the 2000 census.

History

Pioneering English explorers moving up the Connecticut River Valley, seeking fertile farmlands and game, discovered the area and settled Southwick in the mid 1600s. It became a farming community, defined as the Southern (South-) village (-wick) part the town of Westfield, Massachusetts. Early on, it was nicknamed "Poverty Plains" and its first residential home was built on College Highway (US Rts. 10 and 202) about a quarter mile North of the current Town Center. There are few facts about any Indians living in the area at the time.

Southwick was fully incorporated as its own town in 1770. The 1770 boundaries of the town were somewhat smaller than the original settlement, since the southernmost third of Southwick ended up in Simsbury, Connecticut as the result of a secession of its citizens. The town remained divided until 1793, when Massachusetts claimed the area (known as the "jog"). A border dispute continued until 1804, when the current boundary was established through a compromise between the two states. As a result of this border resolution, Southwick is the southernmost town in western Massachusetts.

In the early 1800s, the Farmington Canal was built to link Northampton Massachusetts to Yale/New Haven Connecticut, through Southwick. Developers spoke of Southwick's potential, calling it the 'Port of the World'. But many farmer's were conflicted with the prospects of such growth. It was reported that citizens would kick in the banks to damage the canal. Traces of the canal can still be found in the Great Brook and Congamond Lakes area.

The original Town Center was located adjacent the Old Cemetary on College Highway at Klaus Anderson Road. With the town border being re-defined, the townspeople also once considered the current Gillette's Corner (where the McDonalds and Big Y Market currently sits) as the center. Commerce and practicality led to the development of the current Town Center, as seen today, in a group of Colonial and Greek Revival buildings, including the landmark Congregational Church and Town Square (at the intersection of Granville Road, Depot Street, and College Highway).

There existed in the old "Downtown" a small hotel, markets of trade, a few splendid homes and the Town Meeting House. An A&P grocery market was once located in the building across from the Congregational Church. Over time, the best of these buildings were sold and relocated to such tourist attractions as Sturbridge Village and the Eastern States Exposition's to be used for replicating our New England history, but elsewhere. Alas, because of this poor planning and neglect, Southwick's Center of Town is left with holes and barren lots where these buildings once stood. Even the Victorian style Southwick Library was closed in recent years to be run in a Craftsman style building built in the 1990s within the campus of schools on Feeding Hills Road. Due to poor regulations concerning Historic Preservation, the once beautiful Victorian Library was painted blue. The fabulously art deco designed Consolidated School built in 1928, also in the center of town, was closed and converted to town offices and a senior center which demonstrates little regard for the building's architectural integrity.

The same can be said for just about every building lining the Business Zone as individuals and businesses display the worst possible taste in design for their buildings by rejecting Historic Preservation and a pedestrian culture in favor of retaining a farmer's style community. Growth in the Commercial Zone (along Route 202)is polluted with a hodge-podge of architectural styles seemingly suited more the developer's interests than the overall community's. Auto Lots with corrugated steel structures mix unstylishly with brick strip malls, mini-marts and replicated log cabins. Assorted offices are located within brooding Mansours, Victorians and converted Queen Anns. Developers and property owners seem to erect their own visions of Southwick's past and future by redefining its character as they prefer. This embarrassing collection of failed community planning is at odds with the growth of upscale neighborhoods currently being built in town. The opportunity exists for shops and an attractive streetscape to return to Southwick's "Downtown", but it remains to be seen.

Returning to the 1850s the New York/New Haven Railroad (New Haven/Northampton) was built alongside the canal (more or less) as a revolutionary mode for travel to and through Southwick. With the railroad came the ice industry and the tourist resorts in the Congamond Lakes area. Several ornate hotels and dance halls were built as well as a small amusement park. During the Industrial era, summer vacationers and daytrippers would escape cities connected by the Northeast Railroad Corridor from New York City, Albany, Boston, Worcester, Hartford and especially Springfield. There was a special stop near the Lakes where visitors would disembark to swim and/or pile into boats for pleasure.

During the 1st and 2nd World Wars, trains loaded with soldiers would also pass through town. It has been noted that local girls would gather letters thrown by the soldiers from the train - and forward them to the intended recipients at the Post Office. The last train to pass along these tracks was around 1976. Since then, nonvisionary mindsets allowed the tracks decay and be removed. Discussions about a "rail trail" for bicycles came into play, but fizzled with lack of funding and interest.

All of Southwick's grand hotels and ornate train stations have since burnt down or were torn down. Babbs Roller Skating Rink (on the Suffield, CT side of Congamond Lakes) is all that remains of the amusement park.

The hot and fertile soils in the farmlands of Southwick grew tobacco, mainly, as a lucritive export until recent years. When a pool of local, summer workers were not available, tobacco farmers would bring migrant workers, mostly from Puerto Rico, to town to grow, pick and process the tobacco leaves. Concentration Camps were built for these workers. Locals, suspicious of the non-English speaking, darker skinned men, would pass by those camp with racing hearts from fear of the unknown. By the 1990s, cigar smoking was losing acceptance worldwide and the fields, seen as valuable real estate, were subdivided into neighborhoods of upscale homes. Still, there are many farms producing various stock around town and Southwick is still jokingly referred to as a "cow town".

Other early industries were gunpowder mills, grist mills, and ice (blocks) for food storage from New York City to Boston before electric refrigerators were commonly purchased by the public since the 1930s.

With the Congamond Lakes on the southside, the Sodom Mountain range on the west side, and plenty of natural beauty in between for activities ranging from motocross and snowmobiling to hiking and horseback-riding and to golfing, fishing as well as boating and swimming, Southwick was touting itself as a recreational community throughout the late 20th century. But today, it is more of a bedroom community of expensive homes as it is located within a half hour of Hartford CT and Springfield, MA where there are some industries and businesses with modest to above average paying jobs.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 82.1 km² (31.7 mi²). 80.2 km² (31.0 mi²) of it is land and 1.9 km² (0.8 mi²) of it (2.37%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there were 8,835 people, 3,318 households, and 2,418 families residing in the town. The population density was 110.2/km² (285.4/mi²). There were 3,533 housing units at an average density of 44.1/km² (114.1/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.41% White, 0.51% African American, 0.20% Native American, 0.37% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.34% from other races, and 1.15% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.72% of the population.

There were 3,318 households out of which 36.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.0% were married couples living together, 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.1% were non-families. 21.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.13.

In the town the population was spread out with 26.5% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 32.2% from 25 to 44, 23.2% from 45 to 64, and 11.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 100.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.2 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $52,296, and the median income for a family was $64,456. Males had a median income of $41,863 versus $30,889 for females. The per capita income for the town was $21,756. About 3.8% of families and 6.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.3% of those under age 18 and 9.8% of those age 65 or over.

External links

• Official town website.
• "The Southwick Jog" by Rev. Edward R. Dodge.
• Map of Southwick, Massachusetts from Google Maps.