Ware is a former mill town, tucked under the Quabbin Reservoir. It is approximately equidistant to Springfield, Northampton and Worcester. Ware grew as an industrial community in the latter half of the 1800's and subsequently served as a sub-regional commercial center with a strong downtown area.
Ware's population has remained between 8,000 and 10,000 throughout the twentieth century. Ware has been characterized by its strong ethnic base, having a substantial population of Irish, French and Polish citizens. In recent years, textile mills have closed, leaving a legacy of chronic high unemployment.
Today, more people work out of town, commuting to the larger, urban areas. Most of the growth of the town in the past decade has been around Beaver Lake or among the many scenic back roads that skirt this one-time industrial town, that has now become a bedroom community.
