CHICOPEE  , a

city of Hampden county, Massachusetts, U.S.A., situated on the E. side of the Connecticut river, at the mouth of the Chicopee river, immediately N. of Springfield . Pop . (1890) 14,050; (1900) 19,167, of whom 8139 were foreign-born; (191o, census) 25,401 . Chicopee is served by the Boston & Maine railway . The city, which has an area of about 25 sq. m., contains five villages; Chicopee Center, Chicopee Falls, Willimansett, Fairview and Aldenville . Chicopee Falls lies on both sides of the Chicopee river, which falls some 70 ft. in less than 3 M. and furnishes valuable power for manufactories . The most important products are cotton goods (two large factories having, together, about 200,000 spindles), fire-arms (especially the Stevens rifles), tools, rubber and elastic goods, sporting goods, swords, automobiles and agricultural implements . Here, too, is a bronze statuary foundry, in which some of the finest monuments, bronze doors, &c., in the country have been cast, including the doors of the Capitol at Washington . The bronze casting industry here was founded by Nathan Peabody Ames (1803-1847), who was first a sword-maker and in 1836 began the manufacture of cannon and church bells . The total value of the city's factory product in 1905 was '$7,715,653, an increase of 43.2 % in five years . There is a public library . The municipality owns and operates the water-works system and the electric lighting plant .

Chicopee was settled about 1638, was set off from Springfield as an

independent township in 1848, and was chartered as a city in 1890 . Chicopee Falls was thehome of Edward Bellamy .