CHICOPEE

city, Hampden county, southwestern Massachusetts, U.S., lying at the juncture of the Chicopee and Connecticut rivers. Originally part of Springfield, it was settled in the 1650s. Industrialization began in 1825 with the construction of cotton mills. Services (including health care) are important, as are publishing and the production of sports equipment, office supplies, textiles, beverages, and paper. Chicopee is the seat of Elms College (founded in 1928 as the College of Our Lady of the Elms). Westover Air Force Base, a major economic asset to the area, is the site of the biannual Great New England Air Show, which draws hundreds of thousands of spectators. Inc. township, 1848; city, 1890. Pop. (1990) city, 56,632; Springfield MSA, 587,884; (1996 est.) city, 54,532; Springfield MSA, 576,561.