The Town of Agawam is a city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 28,144 at the 2000 census. Agawam is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Springfield, Massachusetts metropolitan area and contains a subsection, Feeding Hills.

Name
The Indian village originally cited on the west bank of the Connecticut River was known as Agawam, or Agawanus, Aggawom, Agawom, Onkowam, Igwam, and Auguam. It is variously speculated to mean'unloading place'and'fishcuring place'', perhaps in reference to fish at Agawam Falls being unloaded from canoes for curing on the flats at the mouth of the Westfield River.

Ipswich,...

The Town of Agawam is a city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 28,144 at the 2000 census. Agawam is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Springfield, Massachusetts metropolitan area and contains a subsection, Feeding Hills.

Name
The Indian village originally cited on the west bank of the Connecticut River was known as Agawam, or Agawanus, Aggawom, Agawom, Onkowam, Igwam, and Auguam. It is variously speculated to mean'unloading place'and'fishcuring place'', perhaps in reference to fish at Agawam Falls being unloaded from canoes for curing on the flats at the mouth of the Westfield River.

Ipswich, Massachusetts was also known as Agawam during much of the 17th century.

History
On July 13, 1636, William Pynchon purchased land on either side of the Connecticut River from the local Pocomtuc Indians known as Agawam, which included present-day Springfield, Massachusetts and West Springfield, Massachusetts. The purchase price for the Agawam portion was 10 coats, 10 hoes, 10 hatchets, 10 knives, and 10 fathoms of wampum. Agawam and West Springfield separated from Springfield to become the parish of Springfield in 1757 and themselves split in 1800.

In 1771, John Porter moved to Agawam and founded a gin distillery nine years later. After he died, his grandson, Harry, continued to work the business as the H. Porter Distilling Company. The plant was sold in 1917, and during Prohibition in the United States, the main products produced in the building were potato chips and cider. After the Volstead Act was repealed, the mill began producing gin again, but would later close for good in 1938. The building, on Main Street near River Road, served as AgawamTs Department of Public Works garage, until it fell into disrepair.