Place:East Longmeadow, Hampden, Massachusetts, United States

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source: Family History Library Catalog

the text in this section is copied from an article in Wikipedia

East Longmeadow is a town in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States situated in the Pioneer Valley region of Western Massachusetts. It had a population of 16,430 at the 2020 census. East Longmeadow is 5 miles southeast of downtown Springfield, part of the Springfield Metropolitan Statistical Area. Additionally, the town is 25 miles north of Hartford, 88 miles southwest of Boston, and 142 miles northeast of New York City.

The development of East Longmeadow around the turn-of-the century was largely reliant on the brownstone quarrying industry. The industry brought many Swedish immigrants, formerly of Connecticut, along with large French and Italian populations to the area. These immigrants would typically labor in the quarries.

East Longmeadow hosts an annual Fourth of July Parade, which is one of the largest Fourth of July parades in Western Massachusetts. East Longmeadow High School also serves as host to an annual Fourth of July fireworks display, traditionally held on July 3.

History

the text in this section is copied from an article in Wikipedia

The town of Longmeadow, Massachusetts was first settled in the 17th century. In the 1750s houses started appearing in the eastern part of the town known as "East Village". In 1894, East Village separated from Longmeadow, and became officially incorporated as East Longmeadow in the same year. The town was well known for its brownstone quarries, even when it was still a part of Longmeadow.

A railroad was built through the town in the late 1800s by Springfield and New London Railroad. The railroad wasn't a part of a major route so it became abandoned by the 1980s. In the early 2010s, a bike path called The Redstone Rail Trail was built on a 1.6 mile section of where the tracks ran. It starts from Maple Street by Dunkin' Donuts to Denslaw Road, out by the Hasbro plant (now Cartamundi). In 2020, the old train depot was bought and renovated into an ice cream stand. It opened for the first time in spring 2021.

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