Editing Ludlow, Massachusetts

{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Use American English | date = October 2022}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name      = Ludlow, Massachusetts
| nickname           = Soccer City, The Bubble, Mini Portugal, Jute Town (archaic)
| motto              = 
| image_skyline      = Ludlow Town Green, MA.jpg
| imagesize          = 250px
| image_caption      = Ludlow Town Green
| image_seal         = LudlowMA-seal.png
| image_flag         = Flag of Ludlow, Massachusetts.svg
| image_map          = Hampden County Massachusetts incorporated and unincorporated areas Ludlow highlighted.svg
| mapsize            = 250px
| map_caption        = Location in Hampden 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  = [[Hampden County, Massachusetts|Hampden]]
| established_title  = Settled
| established_date   = 1751
| established_title2 = District
| established_date2  = March 29, 1774
| established_title3 = Incorporation
| established_date3  = August 23, 1775
| government_type    = [[Representative town meeting]]
| leader_title       = Town Administrator
| leader_name        = Marc Strange
| leader_title1      = Board of Selectmen
| leader_name1       = {{collapsible list
                               | bullets=yes
                               |title = Members
                               |1 = Derek DeBarge
                               |2 = Manuel D. Silva
                               |3 = James T. Gennette
                               |4 = Antonio Goncalves
                               |5 = William Rosenblum
                              }}
| area_magnitude     = 
| area_total_km2     = 73.1
| area_total_sq_mi   = 28.2
| area_land_km2      = 70.3
| area_land_sq_mi    = 27.2
| area_water_km2     = 2.8
| area_water_sq_mi   = 1.1
| population_as_of   = 2020
| settlement_type    = [[New England town|Town]]
| population_total   = 21002
| population_density_km2 = 298.7
| population_density_sq_mi = 772.1
| elevation_m        = 168
| elevation_ft       = 550
| timezone           = [[Eastern Standard Time Zone|Eastern]]
| utc_offset         = -5
| timezone_DST       = [[Eastern Standard Time Zone|Eastern]]
| utc_offset_DST     = -4
| coordinates        = {{coord|42|9|36|N|72|28|35|W|region:US-MA_type:city(21,000)|display=inline,title}}
| website            = http://www.ludlow.ma.us/
| postal_code_type   = ZIP Code
| postal_code        = 01056
| area_code          = [[Area code 413|413]]
| blank_name         = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info         = 25-37175
| blank1_name        = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info        = 0618187
| footnotes          = 
}}

'''Ludlow''' is a [[New England]] town in [[Hampden County, Massachusetts]], United States. The population was 21,002 as of the 2020 [[2020 United States census|census]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=0600000US2501337175|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=November 13, 2021|title=Census - Geography Profile: Ludlow town, Hampden County, Massachusetts}}</ref>  and it is considered part of the Springfield [[Springfield metropolitan area, Massachusetts|Metropolitan Statistical Area]]. Located just northeast of [[Springfield, Massachusetts|Springfield]] across the [[Chicopee River]], it is one of the city's [[suburbs]]. It has a sizable and visible Portuguese and Polish community.

==History==

[[Image:MA Route 21 northbound entering Ludlow, MA.jpg|thumb|left|Put's Bridge looking towards Ludlow]]
The Indigenous people along the [[Chicopee River]], including modern-day Ludlow, were [[Algonquin language|Algonquian speaking peoples]]. Though records are incomplete, the first inhabitants were likely the [[Nipmuc]] or [[Pocomtuc]] tribes.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://postalmuseum.si.edu/exhibition/indians-at-the-post-office-murals-encounter/mr-pynchon-and-the-settling-of-springfield|title=Mr. Pynchon and the Settling of Springfield|website=Smithsonian Institution}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|archive-date=September 23, 2018|title=First Peoples- Overview|website=Our Plural History, Springfield, MA|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180923173833/http://ourpluralhistory.stcc.edu/firstpeoples/overview.html|url=http://ourpluralhistory.stcc.edu/firstpeoples/overview.html|publisher=Springfield Technical Community College|year=2009}}</ref> During [[King Philip’s War]] (1675–1676), British settlers forced a band of Indigenous people, led by Roaring Thunder, to jump to the water of the [[Chicopee River]] to escape their attackers (this place has since been called Indian Leap).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Ludlow-Massachusetts|title = Ludlow &#124; Massachusetts, United States &#124; Britannica}}</ref>

Although plans were drawn up for settlement as early as 1685, within the original boundaries of [[Springfield, Massachusetts]], the British first settled in Ludlow in 1751 as Stony Hill Parish.<ref>Copeland, Alfred Minott. Our County and Its People; A History of Hampden County, Massachusetts. Hampden County: Century Memorial Pub. Co., 1902</ref> However, the town was later renamed Ludlow and incorporated as a separate entity in 1774, just before the breakout of the [[American Revolution]].<ref name="Noon, Alfred 1912">Noon, Alfred. The History of Ludlow, Massachusetts. Springfield, MA: Higginson Book Company, 1912.</ref> For much of its early history the town was agrarian and today many of Ludlow's street names are derived from the names of these farming families (e.g. Chapin Street, Miller Street, Alden Street, Fuller Street). Ludlow was home to many sawmills and gristmills, utilizing the power from several sources of water nearby,  the Chicopee River, Broad Brook, Higher Brook, and Stony Brook. Before the [[American Civil War|Civil War]], the town began to develop into a [[mill town]]. This included the manufacturing of glass bottles by the many glassware companies, including John Sikes.<ref>Noon, Alfred.  The History of Ludlow, Massachusetts. Springfield, MA: Higginson Book Company, 1912.</ref> Then Governor of [[Massachusetts Bay Colony]], [[Thomas Hutchinson (governor)|Thomas Hutchinson]] renamed the town from the District of Stony Hill to Ludlow. The town of Ludlow was possibly named after [[Roger Ludlow]], one of the founders of the [[Connecticut Colony]] or named after [[Ludlow]], a town in England.

In 1868, the largest mill was opened and operated by the Ludlow Company (The [[Ludlow Clock Tower]] is depicted on the town seal), who produced jute yarns, twine, and webbing. This company helped shape the town by providing housing, a library, schools, playgrounds, and even a clubhouse for the increasingly diverse community.<ref name="Noon, Alfred 1912"/><ref>Pillon, Karen. Ludlow (Images of America: Massachusetts). Mount Pleasant, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 1999.</ref> In the 20th century, this company moved to [[India]] and is now known as Ludlow Jute and Specialties of Mumbai.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ludlowjute.com/|title=Jute Products Manufacturer & Suppliers in India|website=Ludlow Jute & Specialities Ltd}}</ref>

In the early 20th century Ludlow developed from a mill town into a [[streetcar suburb]] of [[Springfield, Massachusetts]], with a trolley line running over the bridge from [[Indian Orchard, Massachusetts|Indian Orchard]]. Ludlow also had two railroads that traversed the town: the [[Springfield, Athol and North-eastern Railroad]] and the Hamden Railroad. The Hamden Railroad was closed and Interstate 90 was constructed over its former tracks. The Springfield, Athol, and Northeastern Railroad was reduced in length in the late 1930s as a result of the creation of [[Quabbin Reservoir]]. The train station for this line was at the corner of Winsor Street and Sewall Street and was the last station from [[Boston]] when the railroad closed in the 1950s. The train station was demolished in 1960. In 1981, the [[Stony Brook Power Plant]] was constructed in the town providing 517 [[Megawatts]] of electricity to 24 municipalities. In 1983, the plant became the first [[combined-cycle]] power plant in Massachusetts.<ref name=ccj>{{cite web|title=Stony Brook Energy Center|url=http://www.ccj-online.com/2q-2010/stony-brook/|website=ccj-online|publisher=Combined Cycle Journal|access-date=May 11, 2015}}</ref>

Ludlow's population boomed in the 1950s with the creation of Interstate 90, known in Massachusetts as the [[Massachusetts Turnpike]]. [[John F. Thompson (politician)|John F. Thompson]], who was Speaker of the House of Representatives in the [[Massachusetts General Court]] at the time, was influential in gaining an exit on the Turnpike for Ludlow (now Exit 54, formerly 7) and subsequently the Turnpike influenced the growth of Ludlow as a [[suburb]] of Springfield.{{citation needed|reason=Nonspecific, unable to find source for claim|date=December 2023}} Since the 1950s, the development of numerous [[Subdivision (land)|subdivisions]] has added to Ludlow's growth.{{citation needed|reason=unable to find source for claim|date=December 2023}}

==Geography==
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of {{convert|28.2|sqmi|km2}}, of which {{convert|27.1|sqmi|km2}} are land and {{convert|1.1|sqmi|km2}} (3.83%) is water. Ludlow is bordered by [[Chicopee, MA|Chicopee]] on the west, [[Granby, MA|Granby]] on the north, [[Belchertown, MA|Belchertown]] on the northeast, [[Palmer, MA|Palmer]] on the east, [[Wilbraham, Massachusetts|Wilbraham]] on the south, and [[Springfield, MA|Springfield]] on the southwest.

==Demographics==
{{Historical populations | type=USA
 | 1790|560
 | 1850|1186
 | 1860|1174
 | 1870|1136
 | 1880|1526
 | 1890|1939
 | 1900|3536
 | 1910|4948
 | 1920|7470
 | 1930|8876
 | 1940|8181
 | 1950|8660
 | 1960|13805
 | 1970|17580
 | 1980|18150
 | 1990|18820
 | 2000|21209
 | 2010|21103
 | 2020|21002
 | 2022*|20871
 | 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 23, 2023 | url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-total-cities-and-towns.html}}</ref>
}}
As of the [[2000 United States census]], there were 21,209 people living in the town. The population density was {{convert|752.1|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the city was 95.78% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 2.19% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.27% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.68% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.03% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], and 1.09% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]]. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 6.47% of the population.<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>

==Culture==
[[Image:Downtown Ludlow MA.JPG|thumb|left|325px|Downtown Ludlow]]
[[Portuguese-American]]s make up 21% of the population of the town.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ludlowmp.org/docs/minutes/meet_min_may_6_10.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=July 14, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101010210043/http://ludlowmp.org/docs/minutes/meet_min_may_6_10.pdf |archive-date=October 10, 2010 }}</ref> The Portuguese church Our Lady of Fatima puts on an annual Festa, which is one of the most significant cultural events for Portuguese-Americans in the country.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wwlp.com/dpp/news/local/wwlp_local_PortugueseAmericanFatimafesta_200909072206 |title=Portuguese American Fatima festa &#124; WWLP.COM |access-date=July 11, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927174301/http://www.wwlp.com/dpp/news/local/wwlp_local_PortugueseAmericanFatimafesta_200909072206 |archive-date=September 27, 2011 }}<nowiki/></ref> Ludlow is also home to many who are of Polish and French Canadian descent. [[Soccer]] is an extremely popular sport in Ludlow. The town's high school soccer team is the most dominant in Western Mass and has been ranked in the top 20 high school programs nationally by the NSCAA and has won many state championships as well, including the most recent one in 2018.{{citation needed|date=March 2023}} The town is also home to the amateur [[Gremio Lusitano]], and the [[Western Mass Pioneers]] and [[Western Mass Lady Pioneers]] professional [[soccer]] teams.  The Pioneers play in the [[USL Second Division]] while the Lady Pioneers compete in the [[USL W-League (1995–2015)|USL W-League]].  Both teams play their home games at [[Lusitano Stadium]] in Ludlow.  In 1996, the [[National Soccer Hall of Fame]] added Ludlow to its soccer history display.

==Government==

Ludlow is governed by a [[representative town meeting]], its legislative body, and an executive body made up of a five-person [[Board of Selectmen]] and a town administrator. Fifteen town meeting representatives are elected to three-year terms from each of the town's six precincts. An additional twenty representatives at-large come from the Board of Selectmen, moderator, town clerk, treasurer, collector, counsel, highway surveyor, and the chair of any board or commission established in the town.<ref>{{cite web |title=Town of Ludlow, Massachusetts |url=https://www.mma.org/community/ludlow/ |website=mma.org |publisher=Massachusetts Municipal Association |access-date=February 5, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Part 2 - General Laws - Legislative Acts accepted by the town of Ludlow |url=https://www.ludlow.ma.us/DocumentCenter/View/2050/PART-2-General-Laws-and-Legislative-Acts-Accepted-by-the-Town-of-Ludlow-PDF |website=ludlow.ma.us |publisher=Town of Ludlow, Massachusetts |access-date=February 5, 2024 |page=9}}</ref> From incorporation until 1930, the town was governed by an [[open town meeting]] and Board of Selectmen.<ref>{{cite web |title=1929 Chap. 0336. An Act Providing For Precinct Voting, Representative Town Meetings, Town Meeting Members, A Referendum And An Annual Moderator In The Town Of Ludlow |url=https://archives.lib.state.ma.us/items/39631e9b-880f-4f23-abbf-cfade1a1e320 |website=archives.lib.state.ma.us |publisher=Secretary of the Commonwealth |access-date=February 5, 2024}}</ref>

==Education==

The town is served by two public elementary schools, East Street School and Harris Brook Elementary School. Previously students attended elementary school based on their residence, but starting with the 2009–2010 school year a reorganization plan took effect in which preschool, [[Kindergarten]] and [[First Grade]] attend East Street, and grades 2–5 attend Harris Brook. There is one public middle school, Paul R. Baird Middle School, and [[Ludlow High School]] is the town's only public high school.

The town also features St. John the Baptist, a private school serving grades K–8 affiliated with St. Elizabeth Parish. The nearest [[vocational school|vocational high school]] is Pathfinder High School in [[Palmer, Massachusetts|Palmer]].

The nearest [[community colleges]] are [[Springfield Technical Community College]] and [[Holyoke Community College]].  The nearest [[state universities]] are the [[University of Massachusetts Amherst]] and [[Westfield State University]]. The nearest private colleges from the center of Ludlow are [[Western New England University]], [[American International College]], and [[Springfield College]], all in Springfield, as well as [[Our Lady of the Elms College]] in Chicopee.

==Transportation==

Ludlow is located at exit 54 on I-90, known as the Massachusetts Turnpike. [[Massachusetts Route 21|State Highway 21]] connects Ludlow to Springfield and Belchertown, and there are local bus routes to Springfield.

[[Bradley International Airport]] is 23 miles away and [[Logan International Airport]] is 77 miles away in Boston. There are bus stops along Center St., Winsor St. and East St. that connect Ludlow to Springfield.

The town once had a train station and almost featured two railroads. The first railroad was the [[Springfield, Athol and North-eastern Railroad]] which connected between Boston and New York. There was a spur of the railroad going to Athol but was cut off by the formation of the [[Quabbin Reservoir]] in the late 1930s. Ludlow was the last stop until 1960 when the train station shut down. The train later shut down shortly thereafter. The second railroad was an unopened bypass for the Springfield and Albany Railroad called the Hampden Bypass. It was built in the 1910s but the funding collapsed and never opened. The at grade was later used as the [[Massachusetts Turnpike]] from the Chicopee border to the Minnechaog Mountain curve about where Miller and East streets are today and continued onto Palmer. Several of the concrete structures still remain in the less populated areas of Ludlow.

{{Unreferenced section | date = October 2022}}
* [[Chester W. Chapin]] (1798–1883), businessman and a [[Massachusetts House of Representatives|Massachusetts state representative]]
* [[Nicole Fiorentino]] (born 1979), bass guitarist for the band [[Smashing Pumpkins]]
* [[Gabriel Gonzaga]] (born 1979), UFC fighter
* [[Dean Lombardi]] (born 1958), former general manager of the [[Los Angeles Kings]] and the [[San Jose Sharks]] of the [[National Hockey League|NHL]]
* [[Tom Matera]] (born 1981), World Wrestling Entertainment star, known as Antonio Thomas
* [[William D. Mullins]] (1931–1986), member of the [[Massachusetts House of Representatives]] and baseball player<ref>{{Cite news |last=Cooney |first=Beth |last2=Mooney |first2=Jeanne |date=March 3, 1986 |title=Mullins honored by many |pages=1, 8 |work=[[Holyoke Transcript-Telegram]] |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/113796070/mullins-honored-by-many/ |access-date=January 3, 2023}}</ref>
* [[Mike Mushok]] (born 1970), guitarist from the rock band [[Staind]]
* Gretchen Palmer (born 1961), actress
* [[Fred Pereira]] (born 1954), professional soccer player
* [[Elisha K. Root]] (1808–1865), industrialist and inventor of the die-casting technique
* [[John F. Thompson (politician)|John F. Thompson]] (1920–1965), [[Massachusetts House of Representatives|Massachusetts state representative]] who served as House Speaker

==See also==
* [[List of mill towns in Massachusetts]]

==References==
{{Commons category}}
{{Reflist}}
{{Geographic location
|Centre    = Ludlow, Massachusetts
|North     = [[Belchertown, Massachusetts|Belchertown]]
|Northeast = [[Belchertown, Massachusetts|Belchertown]]
|East      = [[Palmer, Massachusetts|Palmer]]
|Southeast = [[Wilbraham, Massachusetts|Wilbraham]]
|South     = [[Wilbraham, Massachusetts|Wilbraham]]
|Southwest = [[Springfield, Massachusetts|Springfield]]
|West      = [[Chicopee, Massachusetts|Chicopee]]
|Northwest = [[Granby, Massachusetts|Granby]]
}}
{{Hampden County, Massachusetts}}
{{Massachusetts}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Ludlow, Massachusetts| ]]
[[Category:1774 establishments in the Province of Massachusetts Bay]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1774]]
[[Category:Towns in Hampden County, Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Massachusetts populated places on the Connecticut River]]
[[Category:Springfield metropolitan area, Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Towns in Massachusetts]]