Holyoke, city, Hampden County, southwestern Massachusetts, on the Connecticut River; incorporated as a city 1873. The many local manufactures include paper and paper products, printed materials, machinery, metals, and chemicals. A community college and Mount Tom Ski Area are here. Settled in 1745, the community grew as a farming center. After 1847-49, when a power dam and a network of canals were constructed, Holyoke became a center of textile and paper production. It is an early example of a planned industrial center. The city is named for Captain Elizur Holyoke (d. 1675), who first explored the area in 1633. Population 44,678 (1980); 43,704 (1990); 39,838 (2000); 39,958 (2005 estimate).