Editing Erving, Massachusetts

{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = Erving, Massachusetts
|nickname                 = 
|motto                    = 
|image_skyline            = Freight House, Erving MA.jpg
|imagesize                = 250px
|image_caption            = Freight House Antiques
|image_seal               = ErvingMA-Seal.png
|image_flag               = Flag of Erving, Massachusetts.png
|image_map                = Franklin County Massachusetts incorporated and unincorporated areas Erving highlighted.svg
|mapsize                  = 250px
|map_caption              = Location in Franklin County in Massachusetts
|image_map1               = 
|mapsize1                 = 
|map_caption1             = 
|subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
|subdivision_name         = United States
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_name1        = [[Massachusetts]]
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Massachusetts|County]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[Franklin County, Massachusetts|Franklin]]
|established_title        = Settled
|established_date         = 1801
|established_title2       = Incorporated
|established_date2        = 1838
|established_title3       = 
|established_date3        = 
|government_type          = [[Open town meeting]]
|leader_title             = <!--[[Administrative Coordinator]]-->
|leader_name              = 
|leader_title1            = <!--Board of <br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Selectmen-->
|leader_name1             = 
|area_magnitude           = 
|area_total_km2           = 37.3
|area_total_sq_mi         = 14.4
|area_land_km2            = 35.9
|area_land_sq_mi          = 13.9
|area_water_km2           = 1.3
|area_water_sq_mi         = 0.5
|population_as_of         = 2020
|settlement_type          = [[New England town|Town]]
|population_total         = 1665
|population_density_km2   = auto
|population_density_sq_mi = 
|elevation_footnotes      = <ref name=gnis/>
|elevation_ft             = 515
|timezone                 = [[Eastern Standard Time Zone|Eastern]]
|utc_offset               = −5
|timezone_DST             = [[Eastern Standard Time Zone|Eastern]]
|utc_offset_DST           = −4
|coordinates              = {{coord|42|36|0|N|72|23|55|W|region:US-MA_type:city|display=inline,title}}
|website                  = {{URL|www.erving-ma.org}}
|postal_code_type         = ZIP Code
|postal_code              = 01344
|area_code                = [[Area code 413|413]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 25-21780
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 0618163<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|618163}}</ref>
|footnotes                = 
}}

'''Erving''' is a [[New England town|town]] in [[Franklin County, Massachusetts|Franklin County]], [[Massachusetts]], United States. The population was 1,665 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].<ref name="Census 2020">{{Cite web |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=0600000US2501121780|title=Census - Geography Profile: Erving town, Franklin County, Massachusetts |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=November 14, 2021}}</ref> It is part of the [[Springfield, Massachusetts]] [[Springfield metropolitan area, Massachusetts|metropolitan statistical area]].

==History==
[[Image:General View of Erving, MA.jpg|thumb|left|General view in 1908]]
Erving is located along the [[Mohawk Trail]].  The area was part of the [[Pocomtuc]] Indian Nation, whose villages included Squawkeag in what is now [[Northfield, Massachusetts|Northfield]], and Peskeompscut in what is now [[Turners Falls, Massachusetts|Turners Falls]]. Eventually, most of the native population was displaced and/or sold into [[slavery]] as a result of [[King Philip's War]] and a series of massacres of local Indian villages.<ref>{{cite book
  | title = Peske-ompsk-ut
  | publisher = Printed at the "Reporter" job office
  | year = 1875
  | location = Turners Falls, Mass.
  | pages = 21
  | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=yzUuAAAAYAAJ&q=Peske-ompsk-ut
  }}</ref>

Subsequently, Erving was first settled by white settlers in 1801 and officially incorporated—it being nearly the last unincorporated land in Massachusetts—in 1838. What is now Erving was once the farm of John Erving, the first colonial in the area. Noted in the 19th century for [[timber]] and [[grazing]], the town had seven [[sawmill]]s, two [[chair]] factories, one [[Bucket|pail]] factory, one children's [[carriage]] factory, and one bit-brace factory. Large numbers of [[railroad tie]]s and [[telegraph pole]]s were cut in the abundant forests here, as many as 1,495,000 in one year.<ref>[http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mafrankl/zerv.html Genealogy in Franklin County, Massachusetts -- Town of Erving]</ref>
Today, Erving has a school, a police and fire department, public library, several small stores and restaurants. The biggest employer in town is Erving Industries, a paper mill with history to [[Holyoke, Massachusetts]] - 'Paper City era'.

==Geography==

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of {{convert|14.4|sqmi|km2}}, of which {{convert|13.9|sqmi|km2}} is land and {{convert|0.5|sqmi|km2}} (3.61%) is water. The [[Millers River]], a tributary of the [[Connecticut River]], passes through the town.

The terrain of Erving is hilly and rugged; most of the developed area of the town is located along the river. [[Northfield Mountain]] and its peaks occupy much of the northern two-thirds of the town. The mountain is the location of a [[Pumped-storage hydroelectricity|pumped storage hydroelectric facility]].

Erving is situated along [[Massachusetts Route 2|Route 2]], a heavily traveled state highway.

===Outdoor recreation===
[[File:Farley Road Bridge.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.15|This single lane truss bridge spanning the Millers River was built in 1889 and is located a tenth of a mile south of Route 2 on Farley Road]] [[Image:Briggs Brook Falls Massachusetts.jpg|upright|thumb|Briggs Brook Falls is located along the [[Metacomet-Monadnock Trail]]]]
The town is home to a number of topographic features popular among outdoor recreation enthusiasts. [[Erving State Forest]] has recreation and seasonal camping facilities. The Millers River is used for fishing and [[whitewater kayaking]]. Northfield Mountain hosts cross country ski trails, hiking trails, and rock climbing ascents, including the 114 mile (183&nbsp;km) [[Metacomet-Monadnock Trail]] and the [[Farley Ledges]] rock climbing area.

==Demographics==
{{Historical populations | type=USA | align=left | state=collapsed
 | 1850|449
 | 1860|527
 | 1870|579
 | 1880|872
 | 1890|972
 | 1900|973
 | 1910|1148
 | 1920|1295
 | 1930|1263
 | 1940|1328
 | 1950|1322
 | 1960|1272
 | 1970|1260
 | 1980|1326
 | 1990|1372
 | 2000|1467
 | 2010|1800
 | 2020|1665
 | 2022*|1667
 | footnote=* = population estimate.  {{Historical populations/Massachusetts municipalities references}}<ref>{{cite web | title=City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2022| publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] | access-date=November 4, 2023 | url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-total-cities-and-towns.html}}</ref>
}}
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=January 31, 2008 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref> of 2000, there were 1,467 people, 600 households, and 400 families residing in the town.  The population density was {{convert|105.7|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  There were 630 housing units at an average density of {{convert|45.4|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  The racial makeup of the town was 96.80% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.14% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.82% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.14% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.41% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 1.70% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 0.89% of the population.

There were 600 households, out of which 29.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.3% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.3% were non-families. 26.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.  The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.94.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 22.9% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 30.5% from 25 to 44, 26.3% from 45 to 64, and 13.8% who were 65 years of age or older.  The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.2 males.  For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.1 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $40,039, and the median income for a family was $47,212. Males had a median income of $35,511 versus $26,711 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the town was $19,107.  About 4.7% of families and 6.7% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 8.5% of those under age 18 and 5.1% of those age 65 or over.

==Education==
Erving is home to one elementary school, the Erving Elementary School. Middle/High School students attend Great Falls Middle School, and [[Turner Falls High School]] in [[Montague, Massachusetts|Montague]].

==References==

{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* [http://www.erving-ma.org Town of Erving official website]
* [http://www.erving-ma.org/library Erving Public Library]
* [http://www.erving.com/ Erving Elementary School]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110725214224/http://dlib.cwmars.org/cdm4/results.php?CISOOP1=any&CISOBOX1=Erving&CISOFIELD1=CISOSEARCHALL&CISOROOT=all Erving Digital Treasures]

{{Franklin County, Massachusetts}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Towns in Franklin County, Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Springfield metropolitan area, Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Towns in Massachusetts]]