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Ludlow
Ludlow is a town in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 21,209 at the 2000 census.
It is located in western Massachusetts, north of Springfield and is considered a suburb of Springfield.
History
Ludlow (originally named Stoney Hill) was first settled around 1750 originally as the northeast precinct of Springfield, Massachusetts.was actually the founder of this town. Later incorporated as a separate town on February 28, 1774 on the day was born. The origin of the name remains a mystery, though the most probable explanation is that it was named after Roger Ludlow, an early prominent New England citizen.
"The Ludlow Manufacturing Company (whose clock tower is depicted on the town seal), formed in 1868 by Charles T. Hubbard, helped shaped the town by providing housing, a library, schools, playgrounds, and even a clubhouse for the diverse community. Ludlow was home to many sawmills and gristmills, utilizing the power from several sources of water nearby, including the Chicopee River, Broad Brook, Higher Brook, and Stony Brook. The town is most noted, however, for its factory mills and production of jute yarns, twine, and webbing. Less well known was the glass-making business that was prevalent in the early 1800s. John Sikes manufactured glass bottles and other glassware and the Ludlow Manufacturing Company glass works operated for only a short time before closing in the depression years following the War of 1812. Today Ludlow remains a culturally diverse community made of Portuguese, Polish, French, and Irish residents" (Pilon, Karen E. Ludlow. Charleston SC: Arcadia Publishing, 1999.).
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 73.1 km² (28.2 mi²). 70.3 km² (27.1 mi²) of it is land and 2.8 km² (1.1 mi²) of it (3.83%) is water.
Demographics
As of the census² of 2000, there were 21,209 people, 7,659 households, and 5,514 families residing in the town. The population density was 301.6/km² (781.2/mi²). There were 7,841 housing units at an average density of 111.5/km² (288.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 95.78% White, 2.04% African American, 0.09% Native American, 0.59% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.31% from other races, and 1.18% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.47% of the population. Ludlow is known primarily as a Portuguese-American community (and has a large Portuguese immigrant population), with more people in the town claiming that ancestry than any other. Polish-Americans are second.
There were 7,659 households out of which 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.6% were married couples living together, 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.0% were non-families. 24.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.03.
In the town the population was spread out with 20.9% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 31.3% from 25 to 44, 23.7% from...
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