Wilbraham, Massachusetts facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Wilbraham, Massachusetts
Town
Veteran's Memorial
Seal
Location in Hampden County in Massachusetts
Country	United States
State	Massachusetts
County	Hampden
Settled	1730
Incorporated	June 15, 1763
Government
• Type	Open town meeting
Area
• Total	22.4 sq mi (58.1 km2)
• Land	22.2 sq mi (57.5 km2)
• Water	0.2 sq mi (0.5 km2)
Elevation	290 ft (88 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	14,613
• Density	658.2/sq mi (254.1/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (Eastern)
ZIP Code	01095
Area code(s)	413
FIPS code	25-79740
GNIS feature ID	0619390
Website	www.wilbraham-ma.gov

Wilbraham is a town in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. It is a suburb of Springfield. Wilbraham is part of the larger Springfield area. In 2020, about 14,613 people lived there. A part of the town is also known as Wilbraham (CDP).

Exploring Wilbraham's Neighborhoods

Wilbraham was once split into North Wilbraham and Wilbraham. North Wilbraham was the industrial part of town. It had the Boston & Albany Railroad line, which is still used today. Wilbraham is also home to the Wilbraham & Monson Academy.

The town has several neighborhoods. These include Wilbraham Center, North Wilbraham, and East Wilbraham. Other areas are Wilbraham Mountain, South Wilbraham, Boston Road Corridor, and the Pines Section. In 1878, the southern part of Wilbraham became its own town, called Hampden.

What's in a Name? Wilbraham's History

The name Wilbraham comes from two villages in England. These are Little Wilbraham and Great Wilbraham. They are located near Cambridge, England. The name "Wilbraham" means "Wilburga's homestead." Wilburga was a princess in the 7th century.

One story from the Wilbraham Town History Book (1963) says the name came from Alfred the Great. He was an English King who hunted wild boar. He called a good hunting spot "Wild Boar Haven." Over time, "Haven" changed to "Ham," and the words became "Wilbraham."

Another idea is that the name came from Sir Thomas Wilbraham, 3rd Baronet. However, this is less likely. The most accepted idea is that the name came from the English villages. Some of Wilbraham's first settlers came from that part of England.

North Wilbraham: A Look Back

From the start, Wilbraham was divided into North Wilbraham and Wilbraham. Each had its own post office. North Wilbraham was known for its factories and businesses. Wilbraham was more about farming. Today, people usually just say "Wilbraham" for the whole town.

Wilbraham's Past: A Journey Through Time

Early Days: 17th and 18th Centuries

The land that is now Wilbraham was bought in 1636. William Pynchon, who founded Springfield, bought it from the Nipmuc people. Wilbraham was first settled in 1730 by Nathaniel Hitchcock. It was known as the Fourth District of Springfield. Hitchcock built a log cabin on what is now Main Street.

Native Americans did not have villages here. But they hunted and fished along the Chicopee River. They called this area "Minnechaug," meaning "Berryland." A poem called "Minneola" (1904) tells stories of the Native Americans around Wilbraham.

Many people from Wilbraham fought in the French and Indian War. They also fought in the Revolutionary War. Wilbraham even had its own local army unit.

The town's first church was the First Congregational Church. It started in 1741. In 1763, Wilbraham officially became its own town. This happened because it was a long walk to Springfield. Also, the people had different needs.

In 1761, a young man named Timothy Merrick died from a rattlesnake bite. This happened on Wilbraham Mountain. This event led to a famous American song called "On Springfield Mountain".

The Bay Path trail ran through the north end of town. Henry Knox used this trail in 1775. He moved cannons captured at Fort Ticonderoga to Boston. These cannons helped the Americans fight the British.

The first President of the United States, George Washington, visited Wilbraham twice. He even slept in a home along the Bay Path in 1790.

In 1799, a sad accident happened on Nine Mile Pond. Six people died when their boat overturned.

The 1800s: Growth and Change

The Underground Railroad helped enslaved people escape through Wilbraham. Several houses on Main Street and Wilbraham Mountain were safe stops.

Wilbraham's town center has many old homes. Some date back to the 1730s. The oldest Methodist church in New England is here. The Wilbraham & Monson Academy, founded in 1804, is also in the town center.

North Wilbraham was the industrial hub. The Collins Manufacturing Company was a major employer. It made fine writing paper. For a short time, it even made government money paper. The mill closed in 1940.

Wilbraham was famous for its peach orchards. Some peach and apple farms still exist on the Wilbraham Mountain Range.

The 1900s: Modern Times

Wilbraham Center was the farming area. It had turkey farms, pheasant farms, and fruit farms. These farms grew the peaches celebrated at the Peach Festival.

In 1928, writer H. P. Lovecraft visited Wilbraham. He used the town and its local stories in his fictional works.

The hurricane of 1938 caused a lot of damage. It destroyed the old covered bridge over the Chicopee River. Today, a steel bridge stands there.

During World War I, Wilbraham lost one soldier, George M. Kingdon. The Wilbraham Fire Department was named after him in 1919.

The flood of 1955 washed out many roads. A dam near the Chicopee River broke. This damaged railroad tracks and parts of Mountain Road and Boston Road.

The 2000s: Recent Events

On June 1, 2011, two tornadoes hit Wilbraham. An EF-3 tornado caused a lot of damage to homes and trees. It then moved on to other towns. An EF-1 tornado also caused damage to power poles and trees.

Local Businesses and Economy

"Home of Friendly Ice Cream" hedges visible while heading westbound on the Mass Pike

The main office of Friendly's Ice Cream used to be in Wilbraham. If you drive on the Massachusetts Turnpike, you can see hedges trimmed to say "Welcome to Wilbraham, Home of Friendly Ice Cream." Friendly's Ice Cream was sold in 2016.

Rice's Fruit Farm is a historic family farm. It opened in 1894. It sells breakfast, coffee, pies, apples, and ice cream.

Flo Design Sonics, a technology company, was bought by Millipore Sigma in 2019.

Learning in Wilbraham

Wilbraham is part of the Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School District. The main high school is Minnechaug Regional High School.

Wilbraham & Monson Academy is a private school. It serves middle and high school students. Many international students attend this school.

Wilbraham's Geography

	Springfield	Ludlow	Palmer
	Springfield		Monson
		Wilbraham, Massachusetts
	East Longmeadow	Hampden	Monson

Wilbraham covers about 22.4 square miles (58.1 km²). Most of this is land. Wilbraham is next to Springfield to the west. It also borders Ludlow to the north and Monson to the east.

The Wilbraham Mountains are a big part of the town's landscape. Millions of years ago, the flat area west of the mountains was a shallow sea.

The highest point in Wilbraham is Mt. Chapin. It is 937 feet (286 meters) above sea level. Other high points include Mount Vision and Wigwam Hill.

People of Wilbraham

In 2000, there were 13,473 people living in Wilbraham. Most residents were White (96.40%). About 1.19% were Black, and 1.26% were Asian. About 1.40% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

The average household had 2.71 people. About 37.2% of households had children under 18. The median age in town was 42 years old.

The median income for a household was $65,014. For families, it was $73,825. About 5.1% of the population lived below the poverty line.

Famous People from Wilbraham

• Lucy Morris Chaffee Alden – author and hymn writer
• Erin Crocker – former auto racer
• Bill Guerin – former hockey player and general manager
• Raymond Kennedy – novelist
• Samuel Leech – author
• Alexandra Lydon – actress
• Kelly Overton – actress
• Charles Pratt – businessman and founder of Pratt Institute
• Dean Rosenthal – composer
• Ann Sarnoff – television executive
• Mike Stefanik – former auto racer and NASCAR Hall of Famer
• Mike Trombley – baseball player

See also

In Spanish: Wilbraham (Massachusetts) para niños