Editing Chicopee, Massachusetts (section)

===Partition from Springfield===
[[Image:Seal of Chicopee, Massachusetts.png|thumb|150px|Seal of the former Town of Chicopee, prior to its incorporation as a city in 1890]]

In 1716, Upper Chicopee, Lower Chicopee and Skipmunk were divided into Springfield's fourth, fifth and sixth precincts, respectively.<ref name="Fifth Parish">{{cite book |last1=Szetela |first1=Thaddeus |title=History of Chicopee |date=1948 |publisher=Szetela & Rich Publishing Company |location=Chicopee, Mass. |pages=26–33}}</ref>

In the late 1740s, a discussion took place among members of the [[First Church of Christ, Congregational (Springfield, Massachusetts)|First Church of Springfield]] over whether the town should build a new meetinghouse out of brick, which would be more expensive yet durable, or timber, which would be relatively inexpensive. Residents of what is now Chicopee tended to support a timber meetinghouse, due to the time-consuming four to eight mile journey that visiting the meetinghouse would require.<ref name="Fifth Parish" /><ref>{{cite book |last1=Nobles |first1=Gregory H. |title=Divisions Throughout the Whole: Politics and Society in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, 1740-1775 |date=1983 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |location=New York, NY |pages=134–35}}</ref> In 1749, residents in Springfield's fourth, fifth and sixth precincts petitioned the [[Massachusetts General Court]] to form their own parish, with their own church and meetinghouse. Facing opposition from Springfield, the petition was rejected by the General Court. In 1750, the petition was filed again by Japhet Chapin, signed by 49 residents of what are now Chicopee and [[Holyoke, Massachusetts|Holyoke]], and was approved by the General Court. This created Springfield's Fifth Parish. The boundaries of the new parish were laid out on June 11, 1751.{{efn|[[Old Style and New Style dates|O.S.]]}} The first service took place on July 21, 1751.{{efn|[[Old Style and New Style dates|O.S.]]}} This marked the earliest move toward political separation by Chicopee and Holyoke from Springfield.<ref name="Fifth Parish" />

In 1844, Springfield's Second Parish,{{efn|Springfield's Fifth Parish was renamed as the Third Parish and later as the Second Parish, following the incorporation of [[West Springfield, Massachusetts|West Springfield]] and [[Ludlow, Massachusetts|Ludlow]] in 1774 and [[Longmeadow, Massachusetts|Longmeadow]] in 1785 respectively.<ref name="Fifth Parish" />}} now containing only Chicopee, petitioned the General Court to separate as its own municipality. Once again opposed by Springfield's First Parish, their petition was rejected. In 1848, Springfield began to seek a city charter. Second Parish residents tended to oppose a city charter on the grounds of increased expenditures. In response, 700 residents of Chicopee's neighborhoods of Cabotville, Chicopee Falls, Chicopee Street and Willimansett signed a petition to form their own municipality.<ref name="Establishment of town">{{cite book |last1=Szetela |first1=Thaddeus |title=History of Chicopee |date=1948 |publisher=Szetela & Rich Publishing Company |location=Chicopee, Mass. |pages=62–67}}</ref>

The General Court approved Chicopee's Act of Incorporation on April 25, 1848. Governor [[George N. Briggs]] signed the act on April 29, 1848, creating the Town of Chicopee.<ref name="Establishment of town" /><ref name="Atlas of SPG Boundaries" /> Chicopee's first municipal elections took place at Chicopee's first town meeting on May 17, 1848 at 1:00&nbsp;p.m. When electing State Representatives and State Senators, the Town of Chicopee would be treated as a district of Springfield until after the [[1850 United States census|1850 U.S. census]].<ref name="Establishment of town" />