ZIP Code 01040

Holyoke is a city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States, that lies between the western bank of the Connecticut River and the Mount Tom Range. Built in tandem with the Holyoke Dam to utilize the water power of Hadley Falls, it is one of a handful of cities in New England built on the grid plan. During the late 19th century the city produced an estimated 80% of the writing paper used in the United States and was home to the largest paper mill architectural firm in the country. Holyoke is also known as the "Birthplace of Volleyball", as the internationally played Olympic sport was invented and first played at the local YMCA chapter by William G. Morgan in 1895. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 38,238. It is part of the Springfield Metropolitan Area, one of the two distinct metropolitan areas in Massachusetts. The city contains a number of specialty manufacturing companies, as well as the Massachusetts Green High Performance Computing Center, an intercollegiate research facility which opened in 2012. In the 1880s, hydraulic engineer Clemens Herschel invented the Venturi meter to determine the water use of individual mills in Holyoke Canal System. Powered by these municipally-owned canals, Holyoke has among the lowest electricity costs in the Commonwealth, and as of 2016 between 85% and 90 per cent of the city's energy was carbon neutral, with administrative goals in place to reach 100% in the future. The Indigenous people of Holyoke and South Hadley falls were the Algonquian peoples.

History

Holyoke is a city in Massachusetts. It was first incorporated in 1873. The city was once the largest single producer of paper in the United States. Holyoke is home to the American Pad & Paper Company, which as of 2007 was one of the largest suppliers of paper products in the world. It is also the location of the headquarters of the American Writing Company, a trust that owns 13 of the world's largest rag paper mills. The Holyoke Canal System was built in 1849. The first official town meeting took place a week later, on March 22, 1850. The area's first post office, "Ireland", was established June 3, 1822, with Martin Chapin as first postmaster; it was discontinued in 1883. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries Holyoke was the most prominent hydraulic and lab testing area in the Northeast. In 1965 the city was a rare area unaffected by the Northeast blackout of 1965, the first hydraulic blackout of the 20th century in the U.S. and the first of its kind in North America. The town's population rose from just under 5,000 in 1860 to over 60,00 in 1920. It has a population of around 60,000 people, the majority of whom live in the city's downtown area. The population of Holyoke and South Hadley Falls is around 50,000. The majority of the city is located in the town of Northampton, which was separated from Holyoke by the creation of Easthampton in 1809.

Geography

Holyoke is located at 42°1211N 72°3726W (42.203191, 72.623969) The city is bordered by Southampton and Westfield to the west, Easthampton to the north, Hadley, South Hadley and Chicopee as river borders to the east, and West Springfield to the south. Holyoke is the location of East Mountain, the Mount Tom Range, and Mount Tom, at 1,202 feet (366 m) the highest traprock peak on the Metacomet Ridge. The city of Holyoke contains 15 distinct neighborhoods. Some, like Springdale and Oakdale, were conceived by individual developers as streetcar suburbs for mill workers in the 19th century, whereas others like Rock Valley and Elmwood were villages within West Springfield that predate the city. A species of dinosaur, Podokesaurus holyokensis, whose fossils were first discovered across the river in South hadley, was given its name for the area, and the city has in recent years passed measures to try to protect fossils in parks from theft or vandalism. In alphabetical order, Holyoke's neighborhoods are:Churchill features Wistariahurst and the Holyoke Senior Center.Elmwood is the city's oldest neighborhood; predating Holyoke, it was originally known as "Baptist Village" The Flats features the Holy Poke Canal System and many prominent structures built by the Hadley Falls Company in the mid-19th century.

Demographics

As of the census of 2020, there were 38,238 people in 15,504 households. The racial makeup in 2017 was 84.9% white (33.0% non-Hispanic white), 21.8% black, 0.4% Native American, 1.6% Asian (0.3% Chinese), 0.1% Pacific Islander. Hispanics and Latinos of any race were 51.2% of the population. Immigrants accounted for 28.8%. The ten most common countries of origin for immigrants in the city were the Dominican Republic, Poland, Germany, China, El Salvador, the United Kingdom, Colombia, Kenya, and Mexico. The city reached a peak rank as the 82nd largest city in the United States by 1900, comparable to the standing of Buffalo (83rd) or Scottsdale (85th) among cities in 2018. As of 2017, the city had the most recipients of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance per capita of any in Massachusetts, with 37% of residents receiving such benefits. Of all ZIP codes in the Commonwealth, including those of Boston, Holyoke had the third total households receiving such assistance, with the highest per capita. A 2020 study by the Urban Institute found Holyoke to be the least socio-economically inclusive city in New England for minorities, despite them representing the largest group of residents in the state. The report found between the racial educational attainment gap between 2010 and 2015, the homeownership gap narrowed by 30%, however, and the proportion of working poor increased marginally.

Economy

Holyoke was once the largest producer of stationery, writing, and archival goods in the world. The city is still home to a number of specialty paper manufacturers and converters, including companies like Eureka Lab Book, Hampden Paper, Hazen Paper, United Paper Box, and University Products. Several international companies also maintain manufacturing facilities in the area, including a power transmission factory for U.S. Tsubaki in Springdale, and a Sonoco cardboard recycling plant in South Holyoke. The retail sector has been a major employer since the construction of the Holyoke Mall, the second largest shopping mall in New England, in 1979. In recent years there have been successful efforts to attract high-tech jobs to Holyoke and diversify its economic base. In 2015, the editors of Popular Mechanics ranked Holyoke as 6th on a list of 14 cities they considered to be best for startups in the United States. On July 24, 1917, Holyoke became the first city in Western Massachusetts to open a modern farmers market, bringing producers directly to consumers. As late as the 1950s, the city maintained a poor farm, while in the late 19th century a number of wealthy manufacturers were located in the city. Today the City of Holyoke has one of three foreign-trade zones in the Commonwealth, the other two being the Port of New Bedford and the Massachusetts Port Authority of Boston. Despite a reputation as an industrial city, agriculture has played a continuing role in Holyoke's livelihood throughout its history.

Education

Holyoke Public Schools, including Holyoke High School, and a number of private institutions. Holyoke Community College, the first community college in the state, was initially created by the city's school board. In 2016, Bard College established the first of its microcolleges in Holyoke, its other being based out of Brooklyn. The library established in 1870 was originally a room in the old Appleton Street School, then moved to a central room on the main floor of City Hall. It remained there until its collections had outgrown this space and a modern facility was required. The architect who designed the building, James A. Clough, gave his services gratis because his daughter was a faithful patron of the library. It opened officially in 1902 and is one of the very few examples of neoclassical architecture in the city of Holyoke. It sits on Library Park, which was donated by the Holyoke Water Power Company in 1887. At the dedication ceremony William Whiting, library president at the time, referred to the library as the "people's college" and added that: "A library is as much a part of the intellectual life of a community as its schools, and should be supported generously as part of our educational system. Within these walls you will find authors devoted to literature, arts and science, and they are free to any who will ask" The city's private schools include First Lutheran School and Mater Dolorosa Catholic School. With the aid of state and federal education grants the college opened the HCC MGM Culinary Arts Institute in cooperation with MGM Springfield.

Culture

Holyoke was the hometown of John Clellon Holmes, whose novel Go is considered to be the first published novel depicting the Beat Generation. The city's struggles with race, inequity, and deindustrialization were chronicled in Pulitzer Prize winner Tracy Kidder's 1989 book, Among Schoolchildren. The Valley Arena Gardens hosted a wide variety of musical acts including Count Basie, Duke Ellington, The Dorsey Brothers, The Glenn Miller Orchestra, Frances Langford, Cab Calloway, and Sarah Vaughn. Holyoke City Hall during this period also regularly served as a venue for notable music acts as well, including several by the New York Philharmonic Orchestra annually from 1912-1925. Today an effort has been underway to restore the Victory Theater by the International Festival of the Arts. These efforts have included introduction of the Victory Players in 2018, an international music program which will support the future of Holyoke's theater and music programming.

Sports

Holyoke has been home to a handful of minor league and collegiate baseball teams, among the first was the Holyoke Paperweights of the Connecticut League from 1903 to 1911. The Valley Blue Sox, a member of the New England Collegiate Baseball League, play their home games at Mackenzie Stadium. It was in Holyoke that bantamweight Sixto Escobar, the first Puerto Rican to become a world champion, fought and won his first match in the United States, on May 7, 1934. Rocky Marciano's professional debut took place at the Valley Arena Gardens on St. Patrick's Day, March 17, 1947. The city's legacy in the creation of the sport is also honored by two volleyball clubs in the Netherlands, which borrow its nameBelfeldse Volleybalclub Holyoke, of Belfeld, and Volleysbalvereniging Holyoke of Enter. Holyoke has two private golf courses in Smith's Ferry, the 9-hole Holyoke Country Club and the 18-hole Wyckoff Country Club, the latter of which was originally designed by noted golf course architect Donald Ross. In the early 20th century Skinner's Silk manufactured the satins for Everlast's iconic boxing trunks. The Holyoke Boys and Girls Club was the venue for Mike Tyson's first professional fight in 1983, when he was just 16 years old. The Greater Holyoke YMCA remains an active chapter of the Volleyball Hall of Fame, which inducts a new class of athletes, coaches, and contributors every October.

Parks and recreation

Holyoke is home to a wide array of municipal, state, and private land trust parks, including several designed by the Olmsted Brothers. The city department of parks and recreation maintains 47 listed municipal facilities comprising nearly 250 acres, and including several baseball diamonds, playgrounds, a skatepark, basketball courts, tennis courts, a municipal pool, and a dog park. There are two state parks in Holyoke maintained by the Commonwealth's Department of Conservation and Recreation, as well as the urban Holyoke Heritage State Park. The Trustees of Reservations maintain a number of parks in the city, including the Dinosaur Footprints Reservation, Land of Providence, and Little Tom Mountain. The latter, once part of the Mount Tom Ski Area, has remained closed since the ski resort shuttered in 1998, and was subsequently purchased in part by the Trustees, along with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Holyoke Boys & Girls Club. In recent years there has been discussion of reopening the property as a nature camp, or potentially as a special permit skiing area, not unlike Mount Snow. The area has been subject to vandalism and remains closed with no plans for reopening agreed by its landholders. The Holyoke Water Works also maintains land holdings for the preservation of its watershed, some of which are open to the public, including Ashley Reservoir and Whiting Street Reservoir. This same area, which transects the Metacomet Ridge, also contains a portion of the New England National Scenic Trail, managed by the National Park Service.

Government and politics

Holyoke's legislative body is its City Council, which features seven ward representatives and six councilors at large. The City Council passes the city's final budget, holds hearings, creates departments and commissions, and amends zoning laws. The city's largest block of voters are those belonging to no political party, however in recent years the city has largely supported candidates from the Democratic Party. In the 2012 elections, voters supported President Barack Obama over Mitt Romney by a margin of 7622%, and Elizabeth Warren over incumbent Senator Scott Brown 7030%. Holyoke elected an openly gay mayor, Alex Morse, in the 2011 municipal election. In 2016, the HPD estimated 3 out of 4 violent crimes were committed by an estimated 589 gang members between Holyoke and Chicopee, often with members being offenders and victims in turf battles over narcotics trafficking. Between 2010 and 2018, the violent crime rate for Holyoke decreased by approximately 14.6%, whereas the property crime rate declined by 26.5%; both rates remain more than twice their respective state averages, as of 2018. In 2015 voters passed a resolution raising mayoral terms from two to four years. In 2021, Joshua A. Garcia was elected, and assumed the remainder of the term of Terence Murphy on November 15, 2021, who had assumed the office in an acting capacity. In 2012, Holyoke's state senator is John Velis, of the 2nd Hampshire and Hampden District, and in the United States Congress the city is represented by Richard Neal of the state's 1st district.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Holyoke, Hampden County, Massachusetts = 17. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 68. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 50. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Holyoke = 3.4 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 10,550 individuals with a median age of 35.3 age the population dropped by -0.78% in Holyoke, Hampden County, Massachusetts population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 1,806.32 residents per square mile of area (697.43/km²). There are average 2.56 people per household in the 14,940 households with an average household income of $34,762 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 12.00% of the available work force and has dropped -4.68% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 18.64%. The number of physicians in Holyoke per 100,000 population = 221.5.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Holyoke = 43.2 inches and the annual snowfall = 36.1 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 111. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 190. 85 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 18.5 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 50, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Holyoke, Hampden County, Massachusetts which are owned by the occupant = 37.96%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 55 years with median home cost = $135,140 and home appreciation of -10.02%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $15.64 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $10,541 per student. There are 10.3 students for each teacher in the school, 626 students for each Librarian and 313 students for each Counselor. 7.46% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 10.26% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 6.19% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).