Holyoke is located in the western-central part of the state of Massachusetts and a city in Hampden. It sits on the northern side of Chicopee and Springfield on the Connecticut River. The area was originally part of Springfield and was included in Western Springfield in 1774. The area was said to be named after the early settler named Elizur Holyoke, or after the president Harvard University, Rev. Edward Holyoke. In 1848, the town started to develop industrially and the construction of several dams was then completed across the river in 1848. A canal system was developed in the latter part of the 19th century which greatly attracted the paper and textile mills industry. Holyoke’s economy became well-diversified over the years, which now includes services for health care and higher education.