History of Chicopee, Massachusetts
Chicopee (pronounced International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA {{IPA|/'tʃɪkəpi/}}) is a city located on the Connecticut River in Hampden County, Massachusetts. The city is made up of several neighborhoods, the result of the city's origin as a collection of villages. The main neighborhoods are Aldenville, Willimansett, Chicopee Center (Cabotville), Chicopee Falls, Fairview, and the Burnett Road Neighborhood. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 54,653. The current mayor is Michael D. Bissonnette.
Chicopee is home to Westover Air Reserve Base, built in 1940. It has one of the largest runways on the east coast at 12,000 feet and is an alternate landing site for the space shuttle. Elms College is located in Chicopee.
The Chicopee Provision Company is a major producer of Polish kielbasa under the Blue Seal brand. Chicopee also held an annual kielbasa festival until the mid 1990s, at which the World's Largest Kielbasa was proudly unveiled.
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