The Chicopee Historical Society

The Chicopee Historical Society holds seven meetings each year at the Chicopee Public Library. Meetings are held in March, April, May, June, September, October and November on the third Wednesday of each month at 6:30 P.M. These meetings are free to attend and open to the public.

Papermaking in Western Massachusetts
A lecture by Anton Zamachaj
Wednesday, October 21, 2026, 6:30-8 P.M.
Bazan Community Room, Chicopee Public Library

Paper mills were once a staple of factory villages in the Connecticut River valley, even in Chicopee.

Learn about the rise and fall of papermaking in Western Massachusetts with Anton Zamachaj, a former Strathmore Paper employee and now Historical Society docent.

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Find us at Center Fresh Chicopee!
Wednesday, November 4, 2026, 2-6 P.M.
The Hub at Market Square

Join our docents in Market Square for self-guided tours, scavenger hunts, crafts, and info on how to learn the history of your home.

Center Fresh Farmers Market was launched in 2021. The market is open 2-6 P.M. on the first and third Wednesdays of each month, from August 19 to November 18.

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Author Talk: Honorable Rebellion by Daniel Bullen
Wednesday, November 18, 2026, 6:30-8 P.M.
Bazan Community Room, Chicopee Public Library

Join us for an evening with local author Daniel Bullen as he speaks about his 2024 book, Daniel Shays’s Honorable Rebellion.

“In a meticulously researched narrative, Daniel Bullen tells the story from the people’s point of view, and finds a story of regular people who banded together and kept the peace for five months of protests, as they protected their land and liberties from the powerful financiers and speculators who were abusing their power and seeking to profit at their expense.”

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Oral History Boost: Voices of the Berlin Airlift
An Ongoing Oral History Project
Wings of Freedom, Inc.

In 1948 and 1949, Chicopee students, businesses, and community volunteers prepared small parachutes and candy that would be dropped to children in Berlin. Their work is known as Operation Little Vittles.

Were you, family or friends involved in Operation Little Vittles or the Berlin Airlift? We invite you to share your stories with Wings of Freedom, a non-profit dedicated to preserving the story of the Berlin Airlift.

What do you remember the children making for Operation Little Vittles?
Where did they work?
Who did they volunteer beside?
What did they know about Berlin at the time?
What did Operation Little Vittles mean to them later in life?

No memory is too small. A comprehensive history of the airlift is not needed. We are seeking the human story.

Use the button below to contact Wings of Freedom, or share your story through our contact form.

Contact Wings of Freedom

Watch, Read, Listen

Chicopee Historical Society to unveil book on Inshaw this fall

The Reminder – Jul. 3, 2025

The 40-plus-page booklet will tell the story of one of Chicopee’s eminent figures, largely forgotten, from its 19th century industrial heyday.

Chicopee in the Revolutionary War – September 16

The Chicopee Historical Society will present a talk next Wednesday on Chicopee’s experience during the Revolutionary War. The soldiers from…
July 4, 2001, The 225th Anniversary of 1776: A New Century and a New Millennium

By Jacqueline T. Lynch, Vice President July 4, 2001, the 225th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence was, unbeknownst to…
July 4, 1976 – The Bicentennial

By Jacqueline T. Lynch July 4, 1976, was the largest nationwide celebration of Independence Day. Several countries overseas joined in…
July 4, 1951 – the 175th Anniversary of 1776

By Jacqueline T. Lynch, Vice President July 4, 1951, was the 175th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, and found…
July 4, 1926 – The 150th Anniversary of 1776

By Jacqueline T. Lynch, Vice President July 4, 1926, was the 150th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Though the…
July 4, 1901 – the 125th Anniversary of 1776

By Jacqueline T. Lynch, Vice President July 4, 1901, was the 125th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, celebrated in…
July 4, 1876 – The Centennial

By Jacqueline T. Lynch, Vice President July 4, 1876 was the Centennial celebration. There were 37 states in 1876, though…
July 4, 1851 – The 75th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence

By Jacqueline T. Lynch, Vice President July 4, 1851 was the 75th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. There were 31…
July 4, 1826 – The 50th Anniversary of 1776

By Jacqueline T. Lynch, Vice President July 4, 1826, was the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of…
July 4, 1801 – The 25th Anniversary of Independence

By Jacqueline T. Lynch, Vice-President Today we have a look back at 1801, the 25th anniversary of the start of…