Chicopee History Room
Historical Collections
Chicopee Municipal Reports (1848-1977)
Chicopee Soldiers Record– Handwritten ledger containing the records of service of almost 600 men from Chicopee who served in the Civil War.
City directories (for Chicopee, the directories begin in 1875-76) 1875-1901, 1906, 1911-12, 1916, 1919-33, 1935-38, 1940, 1942-43, 1945, 1947-48, 1950-58, 1960-71, 1974-78, 1980, 1984, 1986-89
Historical Photographs - Miscellaneous photographs relating to the history of Chicopee in addition to 2 Albums of Black & White Photographs (with Index) of Chicopee taken by Russ H. Gilbert, Chicopee reporter for the Springfield Union (1917-1922 ).
Maps - Chicopee Maps (various 1855-1916)
Chicopee Sanbourne Fire Insurance Maps 1915
Springfield (1897-1972)
Hampden County (1857)
Published books related to Chicopee History, including local biographies, industry histories, geological and environmental overviews, as well as books about surrounding cities and towns.
Scrapbooks - WWII Chicopee Soldiers , Operation “Little Vittles” (WWII), Chicopee City Baseball League (1950), 1938 Flood, Fisk Postcard Book, Bowe Nursery School, 1963 Uniroyal, Westover Post Engineer Scrapbook, and more!
Street Listings (from voter lists, 1939 – present)
Vertical Files - Newspaper clippings and pamphlets related to people and events in and around Chicopee organized by topic, including historical homes files compiled by the Massachusetts Historical Commission.
Yearbooks - Chicopee High School (1942-2017) Chicopee Comprehensive (1964-2018) [some years are missing]
Various historical collections from local Chicopee families
Newspaper Collections
- Westover Flier (Westover Air Base newspaper, 1955 - 1970)
- Olive Leaf (mill newspaper, 1843)
- The Weekly Journal (2 bound volumes, 1853-1856)
- Fisk Bulletin (from the Fisk Athletic Club and Social Association, 1917 - 1920)
- Chickuppy (1977-1987)
- Access to The Springfield Republican online through the Springfield Public Library
Genealogy and Family History
The Chicopee Public Library an official FamilySearch Affiliate Library and online records can be accessed on our computers.
Access to online genealogy resources: Ancestry Library Editon, American Ancestors, HeritageQuest, Fold3 and more. For a full list, visit our genealogy resources page
Genealogy Open Lab:
- Tuesdays 10 am - 12 pm; 6-8 pm
- Thursdays 10 am - 12 pm; 6-8 pm
Volunteers are available to help with research and questions about genealogy.
Services
Send research/obituary requests to: chicopeelibraryreference@gmail.com
Walk In Use: The local history room is open to researchers during normal library hours though the local history librarian may not be available for assistance. If you require special help, please call/email ahead of time before planning your visit.
Photocopying:
Photocopies of material will be supplied for research purposes at the rate of 10 cents per page for black and white copies and 50 cents per page for color copies. There is no limit to the number of pages copied but it may not be possible to fill an order on the day requested. All photocopies will be made by and at the discretion of the Librarian on duty. Not all materials in the Chicopee Room are candidates for photocopying due to their fragile conditions. Patrons may take photographs.
Please, no pens, food, drinks, or chewing gum.
Donations
The primary purpose of the Chicopee Public Library's History Room is to promote the study of the history of Hampden County with a special focus on Chicopee. We actively collect manuscript material, photographs, and records that support research into the history of Chicopee politics, communities, and cultural life, as well as material documenting the history of families and businesses associated with Chicopee. This includes materials from before 1848 when Chicopee was still a part of Springfield.
Click here for a full view of our donation policy
For more information about the donation process, please contact Archivist, Kate Ouimette at 413-594-1800 x109, kouimette@cwmars.org. Acceptance of donations is contingent on the Librarian's examination of the items, application of the donation policy, and the signing of a formal deed of gift.