by JORDYNE M. TAYLOR
WSU intern
Many citizens of Westfield are aware of a little section of the city that is named Wyben. If one were to drive past the Westfield High School to the area called Wyben, one can still see the wooden sign welcoming visitors to the farmlands. The sign boasts a shockingly small population, and tells newcomers it was founded in 1669. Some people who are passionate about the city’s history do not need to be reminded of Wyben’s historical significance, and struggle to keep parts of it alive, such as the old one-room schoolhouse, built in 1861 after the first schoolhouse burnt to the ground earlier that January.
Back then, in the late 1800s, the farming district of Westfield was split into three parts called West Farms, Middle Farms, and East Farms. The land where the old schoolhouse stands was sold in March of 1861 by Frederick Morgan in West Farms. The land sold for $62.50, a laughably small amount in our times, but a fair amount for property back then. Thirty-five years later, on April 1, 1896, West Farms had its name changed to Wyben due to a post office opening up in the area. Actually, the post office opened up in Morgan’s Store, owned by the same Frederick Morgan who sold the land for the new schoolhouse. As to where the name Wyben comes from, well that’s where the mystery begins.
Some claim it was an old settler’s name, the same settler who named the Wyben Brook, and some believe he was clearly naming the brook after himself. The thing is, there are no records of anyone with the name of Wyben who lived in the Wyben area, or even Westfield, for that matter. Others believe it is a Native American term, or that the Native Americans were inspiration for the naming of Wyben, similar to Agawam and Chicopee. The debate continues on where Wyben got its name, why the Wyben brook was named that, and whether Wyben is Native American or not. So, what do you think about the Wyben name?
