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Tyngsborough, Massachusetts

Tyngsborough (also spelled Tyngsboro) is a town in northern Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. Tyngsborough is 28 mi from Boston along the Route 3 corridor, and located on the New Hampshire state line. At the 2020 census, the town population was 12,380. By its location, the town serves as a suburb of neighboring cities such as Nashua, New Hampshire and Lowell, Massachusetts.

History

Tyngsborough was settled in 1661, as part of the massive Dunstable Township. The town of Dunstable, incorporated in 1673, was named after the hometown of pioneer Edward Tyng. However, a relative of his, and the source of the town of Tyngsborough's name, was Colonel Jonathan Tyng, whose home, the Tyng Mansion House, was one of the oldest north of Boston. He settled near the Merrimack in what is now Tyngsborough in 1675. The house stood until the 1970s, when it was destroyed by arson. Early on Tyngsborough residents fought a series of small and bloody skirmishes with local Native American tribes. Evidence of this can be found in several old colonial homes in town that still have emergency passages that were used during these attacks. In 1789, Tyngsborough's parish split from the rest of Dunstable, making Tyngsborough a recognized district. On February 23, 1809, Tyngsborough became a town.

After Tyngsborough was incorporated it became known for its ferries which traveled up and down the Merrimack River, the quarries that produced granite, and several box companies that started in town. As the town developed, Tyngsborough became a vacation community and had a large seasonal resident population even up until the late 1960s. A notable summer resident was actress Nance O'Neil, whose estate became the campus of the Academy of Notre Dame.

Today, Tyngsborough primarily serves as a bedroom community, part of Greater Lowell and the Nashua, New Hampshire region, in addition to having a relatively short commute to the Boston area. The town is also known for the Tyngsborough Bridge, a green painted, single-arched, steel bridge over the Merrimack River. Constructed in 1931 as a replacement for an earlier wooden planked structure, this bridge is a major river crossing for residents of Massachusetts and New Hampshire alike with 22,300 daily crossings as of 2007.

Government
The town uses an Open Town Meeting model with a Select Board overseeing the operation of the town. Reporting to the Select Board is the Town Manager who oversees the public employees and day-to-day operations of the town offices. Other elected boards include the Planning Board, School Committee, Finance Committee, Library Trustees, Cemetery Commission, Board of Health, and Sewer Commission.

Tyngsborough is represented in the Massachusetts House of Representatives as a part of the 36th Middlesex District. The town is represented in the Massachusetts Senate as a part of the First Middlesex District. The town is patrolled by the Tyngsborough Police Department with Rich Howe as its Chief and Station A-1, SP Andover Barracks of Troop A of the Massachusetts State Police.

At the federal level, Tyngsborough is a part of Massachusetts's 3rd congressional district, and is currently represented by Lori Trahan. The state's senior (Class II) member of the United States Senate, is Elizabeth Warren. The junior senator from Massachusetts is Ed Markey who was elected in 2013.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 18.0 sqmi, of which 16.9 sqmi is land and 1.2 sqmi (6.65%) is water.

Besides a series of lakes and ponds that dot Tyngsborough, the town is split in two by the Merrimack River, which runs roughly north–south near the center of town. The land is mostly rolling hills, small cleared fields, and wooded land. Marshlands can also be found in the area, although they are less prevalent than in surrounding towns.

Transportation
The LRTA 10 bus connects eastern Tyngsborough with Dracut and the Lowell train station on the MBTA Commuter Rail Lowell Line.

Schools
The Tyngsborough Public School district is coterminous with the town, and supports three schools containing a total of 2,300 students between them.
 * Tyngsborough Elementary School (grades Pre-K–5)
 * Tyngsborough Middle School (grades 6–8)
 * Tyngsborough High School (grades 9–12)

Additionally, Tyngsborough is home to Greater Lowell Technical High School, a public vocational school which serves the towns of Tyngsborough, Dracut, and Dunstable as well as the city of Lowell. There is also one private school in Tyngsborough, the Academy of Notre Dame.

The town also has one public charter school, Innovation Academy Charter School, serving over 800 students in grades five through 12. Innovation Academy moved to the town in September 2008 from neighboring Chelmsford.

There are no colleges or universities in Tyngsborough, although Boston University once maintained a corporate education facility there, but it has since been moved to nearby Chelmsford.

The Winslow School is a former school which was located on Winslow Drive. It opened in 1895 and closed in the early 2000s. The school was named after Sarah Winslow, who acquired a trust from Harvard College that is still an income for Tyngsborough. It was two stories high and 17,569 square feet in area. It had tennis courts, and playing fields in the back. , the school lies abandoned in the Tyngsborough town center.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 11,081 people, 3,731 households, and 2,947 families residing in the town. The population density was 657.4 PD/sqmi. There were 3,806 housing units at an average density of 225.8 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 95.63% White, 0.50% African American, 0.23% Native American, 2.48% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.14% from other races, and 0.99% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.11% of the population.

There were 3,731 households, out of which 44.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.5% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.0% were non-families. 16.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.97 and the average family size was 3.37.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 30.3% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 35.7% from 25 to 44, 21.6% from 45 to 64, and 6.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.5 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $102,818, and the median income for a family was $114,680. Males had a median income of $46,942 versus $33,396 for females. The per capita income for the town was $41,249. About 4.0% of families and 4.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.2% of those under age 18 and 5.6% of those age 65 or over.

Points of interest

 * Lowell-Dracut-Tyngsboro State Forest
 * Old Town Hall
 * Vesper Country Club
 * Tyngsborough Bridge

Notable people

 * Raymond Boucher, attorney
 * Laura Gerraughty, American shot putter
 * Seán Sammon, priest
 * Esther Wilkins, dentist and author of Clinical Practice of the Dental Hygienist

title: Tyngsborough, Massachusetts


text:
Watertown, Massachusetts

Watertown is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, part of Greater Boston. The population was 35,329 in the 2020 census. Its neighborhoods include Bemis, Coolidge Square, East Watertown, Watertown Square, and the West End.

Watertown was one of the first Massachusetts Bay Colony settlements organized by Puritan settlers in 1630. The city is home to the Perkins School for the Blind, the Armenian Library and Museum of America, and the historic Watertown Arsenal, which produced military armaments from 1816 through World War II.

History
Archeological evidence suggests that Watertown was inhabited for thousands of years before colonization. In the 1600s, two groups of Massachusett, the Pequossette and the Nonantum, had settlements on the banks of the river later called the Charles, and a contemporary source lists "Pigsgusset" as the native name of "Water towne." The Pequossette built a fishing weir to trap herring at the site of the current Watertown Dam. The annual fish migration, as both alewife and blueback herring swim upstream from their adult home in the sea to spawn in the fresh water where they were hatched, still occurs every spring.

Watertown, first known to settlers as Saltonstall Plantation, was one of the earliest of the Massachusetts Bay Colony settlements. Founded in early 1630 by a group of settlers led by Richard Saltonstall and George Phillips, it was officially incorporated that same year. The alternate spelling "Waterton" is seen in some early documents.

The first buildings were upon land now included within the limits of Cambridge known as Gerry's Landing. For its first quarter century Watertown ranked next to Boston in population and area. Since then its limits have been greatly reduced. Thrice portions have been added to Cambridge, and it has contributed territory to form the new towns of Weston (1712), Waltham (1738), Lincoln (1754) and Belmont (1859). In 1632 the residents of Watertown protested against being compelled to pay a tax for the erection of a stockade fort at Cambridge; this was the first protest in America against taxation without representation and led to the establishment of representative democracy in the colony. As early as the close of the 17th century, Watertown was the chief horse and cattle market in New England and was known for its fertile gardens and fine estates. Here about 1632 was erected the first gristmill in the colony, and in 1662 one of the first woolen mills in America was built here. The first burying ground, on Arlington Street, was established in the 1660s. It contains a monument to Joseph Coolidge, the only Watertown resident killed during the British retreat from Concord in April 1775.

Revolutionary War era
Much excitement was generated in Watertown towards the start of the American Revolutionary War period. In 1773, many of its citizens were engaged with the Sons of Liberty in another tax protest, this time against the British Tea Tax which resulted in the famous Boston Tea Party protest.

Then later (April 1775), some 134 Watertown minutemen responded to the alarm from Lexington to rout the British soldiers from their march to Concord. Thereafter many of these citizen soldiers were part of the first battle line formed at the Siege of Boston. Another Watertown citizen, Israel Bissel, was the first rider to take the news of the British attack and rode all the way to Connecticut, New York and Philadelphia.

The Massachusetts Provincial Congress, after adjournment from Concord, met from April to July 1775 in the First Parish Church, the site of which is marked by a monument. On July 3, George Washington was greeted in Watertown; the following day he took command of the Army in Cambridge. The Massachusetts General Court held its sessions here from 1775 to 1778. Committees met in the nearby Edmund Fowle House. Boston town meetings were held here during the siege of Boston, when many Boston families made their homes in the neighborhood. For several months early in the American Revolution the committees of safety and committee of correspondence made Watertown their headquarters and it was from here that General Joseph Warren set out for Bunker Hill.

The Treaty of Watertown, the first treaty signed between the newly formed United States of America and a foreign power, the St. John's and Mi'kmaq First Nations of Nova Scotia, was signed in this house.

The Coolidge Tavern, built in 1742, was frequented by minutemen during the war. Here, Washington was entertained on his New England tour in 1789. The tavern was demolished in 1918 to make way for a trolley terminal.

Industrial era
From 1832 to 1834, Theodore Parker conducted a private school and his name is still preserved in the Parker School, though the building no longer operates as a public school.

Mount Auburn Cemetery was founded in 1831, creating the first garden cemetery in the United States. The landscape of Mount Auburn provided inspiration for the nation's first public parks and picturesque suburbs designed by the early generations of American landscape architects. Mount Auburn has been recognized as one of the most significant designed landscapes in the country. Although perceived as a Cambridge institution, almost all of the cemetery is actually in Watertown.

The Watertown Arsenal operated continuously as a military munitions and research facility from 1816 until 1995, when the Army sold the property, by then known as the Army Materials Technology Laboratory, to the town of Watertown. The Arsenal is notable for being the site of a 1911 strike prompted by the management methods of operations research pioneer Frederick Winslow Taylor (Taylor and 1911 Watertown Arsenal Strike). Taylor's method, which he dubbed "Scientific Management," broke tasks down into smaller components. Workers no longer completed whole items; instead, they were timed using stopwatches as they did small tasks repetitively, as Taylor attempted to find the balance of tasks that resulted in the maximum output from workers. The strike and its causes were controversial enough that they resulted in Congressional hearings in 1911; Congress passed a law in 1915 banning the method in government owned arsenals. Taylor's methods spread widely, influencing such industrialists as Henry Ford, and the idea is one of the underlying inspirations of the factory (assembly) line industrial method. The Watertown Arsenal was the site of a major superfund clean-up in the 1990s, and has now become a center for shopping, dining and the arts, with the opening of several restaurants and a new theatre. The site includes the Arsenal Center for the Arts, a regional arts center that opened in 2005. The Arsenal is now owned by athenahealth. Arsenal Street features two shopping malls across the street from one another, with the Watertown Mall on one side and Arsenal Yards on the other.

The Stanley Brothers built the first of their steam-powered cars, which came to be known as Stanley Steamers, in Watertown in 1897.

The Locomobile Company of America, founded in 1899, also produced steam-powered cars in Watertown until the company moved to Bridgeport, Connecticut.

21st century
Shortly after midnight of April 18–19, 2013, the two suspects in the Boston Marathon bombing engaged in a protracted battle with police, in Watertown involving the use of firearms and explosives. Tamerlan Tsarnaev was critically wounded and later pronounced dead and the town was completely locked down for hours as police, FBI, and Army National Guard personnel patrolled it, looking for the remaining suspect, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, who was captured wounded but alive in a boat shortly after the lockdown ended on the following evening.

In the November 2021 Election, the citizens voted to amend the official name of the city to "The City of Watertown" (from "The City Known as the Town of Watertown")

Geography
Watertown is located at 42.37139°N, -71.18194°W (42.37139, −71.18194). To the north, it is bordered by the town of Belmont, along Belmont Street; to the south, it is bordered by the city of Newton. The city of Boston's Brighton neighborhood also lies to the south and east—the border being largely formed by the Charles River. Though the majority of the town lies north of the Charles, from Watertown Square, the nexus of the town, the town's border extends south of the Charles to encompass the neighborhood surrounding Casey Playground. To the east lies the City of Cambridge, the border to which is almost entirely the well-known Mount Auburn Cemetery, most of which is actually in Watertown. To the west lies the more expansive city of Waltham, but there is no distinct geographic feature or major road dividing the two municipalities.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.2 sqmi, of which 4.1 sqmi is land and 0.1 square miles (0.1 km$2$ or 1.20%) is water.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 32,986 people, 14,629 households, and 7,329 families residing in the city. The population density was 8,025.7 PD/sqmi. There were 15,008 housing units at an average density of 3,651.5 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 91.42% White, 1.73% African American, 0.16% Native American, 3.87% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.85% from other races, and 1.95% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.68% of the population.

There were 14,629 households, out of which 17.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.9% were married couples living together, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 49.9% were non-families. 34.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 2.86.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 14.1% under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 39.8% from 25 to 44, 20.0% from 45 to 64, and 16.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $59,764, and the median income for a family was $67,441. Males had a median income of $46,642 versus $39,840 for females. The per capita income for the city was $33,262. About 4.5% of families and 6.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.6% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over.

Armenian population
Watertown is a major center of the Armenian diaspora in the United States, with the third-largest Armenian community in the United States, estimated as numbering 7,000 to over 8,000 as of 2007. Watertown ranks only behind the California cities of Glendale and Fresno. Watertown is also the venue for the publication of long-running Armenian newspapers in English and Armenian, including: Several Armenian grocery stores are found in East Watertown that sell produce and imported Armenian and Mediterranean products.
 * Baikar Association Inc.'s
 * Armenian Mirror-Spectator
 * Baikar
 * Hairenik Association Inc.'s
 * Armenian Weekly
 * Հայրենիք (Hairenik Weekly)
 * Armenian Review
 * Hairenik Association also runs a web radio and a web TV station.

Economy
Major employers based in Watertown include the Tufts Health Plan, New England Sports Network, the Perkins School for the Blind, Exergen Corporation, Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc., and athenahealth.

Transportation
Watertown borders Soldiers Field Road and the Massachusetts Turnpike, major arteries into downtown Boston. Watertown is served by several MBTA bus and formerly trackless trolley routes. Most of them pass through or terminate in Watertown Square or Watertown Yard. The former A-Watertown branch of the MBTA's Green Line ran to Watertown until 1969.

Education
Public schooling is provided for approximately 2,600 students by Watertown Public Schools, which operates three elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school (Watertown High School).

Private day schools:
 * Perkins School
 * St. Stephen's Armenian Elementary School

There is also a supplementary Armenian language school, St. James Erebuni Armenian School (Սբ. Հակոբ Էրեբունի հայկական դպրոց), affiliated with the St. James Armenian Apostolic Church, which teaches both Western Armenian and Eastern Armenian to children. It originated as a solely Eastern Armenian supplementary school established in 1988 by the Armenian Society of Boston (Iranahye Miutyun); it was Greater Boston's first Eastern Armenian supplementary school. It became church-affiliated in 2015, and it merged with a Western Armenian school, St. Sahag & St. Mesrob Armenian School, in September of that year.

Notable people

 * George Bachrach, state senator representing Greater Boston Area; Democratic candidate for governor in 1994 and 1998
 * Richard Bakalyan (1931–2015), actor
 * Outram Bangs (1863–1932), zoologist
 * Seth Bemis (1775–1851), industrialist and entrepreneur
 * Hampartzoum Berberian (1905–1999), Armenian composer
 * Charles Brigham (1841–1925), nationally known architect and designer of the Watertown town seal
 * Benjamin Robbins Curtis (1809–1874), American jurist. Dissented in the Dred Scott case and defended Andrew Johnson during the president's impeachment trial
 * Frederick C. Crawford (1891–1994), American industrialist, founder of TRW and Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum
 * Jeff DaRosa (born 1982), musician, member of Dropkick Murphys and former member of the Exit
 * James DeMarco (born 1968), artist and cartoonist
 * Eliza Dushku (born 1980), film and TV actress, grew up in Watertown and graduated from Watertown High School
 * Convers Francis (1795–1863), minister ordained at the Watertown Unitarian Church, who, along with Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau and others, had an important role in transcendentalism
 * Eugene Goodheart (1931–2020), literary critic at Brandeis University
 * Arshile Gorky (born Vostanik Manoug Adoian - 1904) was an Armenian-American painter who had a seminal influence on Abstract Expressionism. He lived in Watertown in the 1920’s.
 * Hrach Gregorian (born 1949) Political consultant, educator, and writer in the field of post-conflict peacebuilding
 * Thomas Hastings (colonist) (c. 1605–1685), English immigrant ancestor of Rev. Theodore Parker, among others
 * Charles Foster Hathaway, founder of C.F. Hathaway Company shirt company
 * Harriet Hosmer (painter & sculptor), (1830–1908) known as the first female professional sculptor
 * Drastamat Kanayan, better known as Dro (Դրօ), was an Armenian military commander and politician, a member of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation. He served as Defense Minister of Armenia in 1920, during the country's brief independence. Dro died in Watertown on March 8, 1956, and was buried at Mount Auburn Cemetery
 * Rachel Kaprielian, former head of Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles, and former state representative
 * Hakob Karapents (1925–1994), Iranian-Armenian writer
 * Helen Keller (1880–1968), attended the Perkins Institute for the Blind
 * Tim Kurkjian, Major League Baseball analyst on ESPN
 * Nancy Masterton, Maine state representative
 * Thomas Mayhew, early settler and Governor of Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket and adjacent islands
 * Ross Miner (born 1991), skating coach and retired competitive figure skater
 * Stephen P. Mugar (1901–1982), founder of Star Market, philanthropist
 * John Oldham (1592–1636), early Puritan settler
 * Charles Pratt (1830–1891), wealthy oil industry pioneer and philanthropist
 * Thomas Reilly, Massachusetts attorney general (1999–2007)
 * Robert Seeley (1602–1668), co-founder of Watertown, landowner
 * Charles Sumner Tainter (1854–1940), inventor, associate and nephew of Alexander Graham Bell
 * Warren Tolman, Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor in 1998, governor in 2002 and attorney general in 2014
 * Steven Van Zandt (born 1950), guitarist of Springsteen's E-Street Band, actor from The Sopranos, lived at 16 Edgecliff Road until the age of seven

Culture

 * Armenian Library and Museum of America at 65 Main Street in the former Coolidge Bank building
 * Hairenik Association at 80 Bigelow Avenue
 * Perkins Braille and Talking Book Library, on the campus of the Perkins School for the Blind
 * Watertown Free Public Library at 123 Main Street, in a newly renovated and expanded building
 * The Mosesian Center for the Arts is a regional arts center located in the former US Army Arsenal along the Charles River. Offerings include visual and performing arts productions, classes, and workshops for all ages, literary/art discussions, and world-class theatrical and musical performances.
 * New Repertory Theatre is the resident professional theatre company at the Mosesian Center for the Arts, 321 Arsenal Street
 * The Watertown Children's Theatre at the Mosesian Center for the Arts has been offering classes and productions for children in the area for 35 years.
 * The Plumbing Museum, located at 80 Rosedale Road in a former ice house next to the J.C. Cannistraro corporate offices. (Temporarily closed while searching for a new location.)
 * The Edmund Fowle House (1772) and Museum, at 28 Marshall St., the second oldest surviving house in Watertown (after the Browne House), later moved to its present location and remodeled by Charles Brigham.
 * The Abraham Browne House (built c. 1694–1701) is a colonial house located at 562 Main Street. It is now a nonprofit museum operated by Historic New England and open to the public two afternoons a year.
 * Mount Auburn Cemetery, founded in 1831, consists of 151.1 acres of well manicured grounds with numerous species of both indigenous and exotic tree and shrub species. It is Watertown's largest contiguous open space and extends into Cambridge to the east. It also features the George Washington Tower. Parking is available for visitors.
 * Gore Place is an early 19th-century historic house museum and National Historic Landmark in Waltham, Massachusetts, with 31.6 acres of the 45-acre estate located in Watertown.
 * The Watertown Arsenal was a major American arsenal located on the northern shore of the Charles River in Watertown. Its site is now registered on the ASCE's List of Historic Civil Engineering Landmarks and on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Watertown, Massachusetts


text:
Wayland, Massachusetts

Wayland is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The town was founded in 1638, and incorporated in 1780 and was originally part of neighboring Sudbury (incorporated 1639). At the 2020 United States census, the population was 13,943.

History
Wayland was the first settlement of Sudbury Plantation in 1638. The residents of what is now Sudbury split away in 1722 and formed into the western parish, while residents of what is now Wayland formed into the eastern parish. Prior to the American Revolution Sudbury had one of the largest militias in Massachusetts, numbering about 400. During the Battles of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775, approximately 302 members of the Sudbury militia, including 115 from the eastern parish, marched to Concord.

The Town of East Sudbury split away from the western parish and was formally incorporated on April 10, 1780. "The higher average wealth level of the residents on the eastern side of the river and on Pelham Island caused the east side of Town to have a higher total assessment than the west side... the east-siders paid more than half of Town taxes even though more than half of the Town population (and the associated costs for Town services) was on the west side."

On March 11, 1835, members of town meeting voted to rename East Sudbury "Wayland" in honor of Dr. Francis Wayland, who was a temperance advocate, abolitionist, then president of Brown University, and a friend of local Judge Edward Mellen. Both Wayland and Mellen were strong advocates of public libraries, and donated money to fund the establishment of a public library for the town. When questions arose about the legality of taxing residents to establish a library, Representative Reverend John Burt Wight brought the question to the state legislature, which led to an 1851 Massachusetts state law enabling the establishment of free public libraries. This makes the Wayland Public library arguably the first free public library in the state and the second public library in the country. The current library building was built in 1900.

Famous residents of Wayland in the mid-19th century include abolitionist Rev. Edmund Sears, the minister of the First Parish Church, who wrote the 1849 poem and song "It Came Upon the Midnight Clear" and abolitionist, author, and suffragist Lydia Maria Child.

The Sudbury Valley Trustees were founded in 1953 by seven men from Wayland.

In 1954, during the Red Scare, elementary school teacher Anne Hale was fired in a 2–1 vote by the Wayland School Committee. She had been a member of the Communist Party from 1938 to 1950 and the committee members who voted to fire her stated her lack of "perception, understanding, and judgment necessary in one who is to be entrusted with the responsibility for teaching the children of the Town."

In 2010, Boston Duck Tours was asked to help transport flood victims in Wayland. Torrential rains had left Pelham Island area of Wayland isolated and the Ducks were brought in to ferry people in and out of their neighborhood until the waters receded.

The Wayland display server protocol is named after the town.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 15.9 sqmi, of which 15.2 sqmi is land and 0.7 sqmi, or 4.21%, is water. Wayland borders Lincoln, Sudbury, Weston, Framingham, Natick, and narrowly touches Concord.

Demographics
As of the census of 2010, there were 13,444 people, 4,808 households, and 3,676 families residing in the town. The population density was 859.9 PD/sqmi. There were 5,021 housing units at an average density of 310.8 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 87.2% White, 0.9% African American, 0.0% Native American, 9.9% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 0.4% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.4% of the population.

As of 2000, there were 4,625 households, out of which 41.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 71.5% were married couples living together, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.5% were non-families. 16.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.80 and the average family size was 3.15.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 28.7% under the age of 18, 3.4% from 18 to 24, 24.7% from 25 to 44, 29.0% from 45 to 64, and 14.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.6 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $121,036, and the median income for a family was $204,033.47. Males had a median income of $136,344 versus $60,875 for females. The per capita income for the town was $75,144. About 2.1% of families and 2.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.9% of those under age 18 and 2.7% of those age 65 or over.

Government

The town is part of the Massachusetts Senate's Norfolk, Bristol and Middlesex district.

Education

The Town of Wayland operates six public schools: There is one private school in Wayland: Veritas Christian Academy (K–8).
 * The Children's Way (Pre-K)
 * Claypit Hill Elementary School (K–5)
 * Happy Hollow Elementary School (K–5)
 * Loker Elementary School (K–5)
 * Wayland Middle School (6–8)
 * Wayland High School (9–12)

Notable people

 * Sammy Adams, rapper
 * Robert Anastas, former hockey coach and teacher who founded SADD chapter at Wayland High School following the 1981 deaths of two students in drunk driving crashes
 * Andrew Bachman, entrepreneur and investor
 * Joshua Bekenstein, co-chairman of Bain Capital
 * Amar Bose, founder of Bose Corporation, a company that specializes in high-quality sound systems
 * Lydia Maria Child, 19th-century American abolitionist, novelist, journalist, author of "Over the River and Through the Wood"
 * Glenn Cooper, Internationally best-selling thriller writer and film producer
 * Gerard Cosloy, recording industry executive. Manager of Homestead Records, co-founder of Matador Records, Owner of 12XU Records
 * Archibald Cox, legal scholar, Special Prosecutor of the Watergate Scandal involving President Nixon's Administration
 * Jae Crowder, NBA player
 * Ricky Davis, NBA player
 * Ann Cole Gannett, politician
 * David Hackett Fischer, Brandeis Professor of History and author
 * Tom Hamilton, bass player for Aerosmith
 * Josiah Johnson Hawes, pioneering 19th-century photographer
 * Beatrice Herford, actress
 * George Howell, founder of George Howell coffee
 * Liza Huber, Passions actress
 * Sarah Hurwitz, Michelle Obama's speech writer
 * Ted Johnson, NFL player
 * Thomas Kiefer, rower in the 1984 Summer Olympics
 * Joyce Kulhawik, arts and entertainment anchor for WBZ-TV News in Boston
 * Daniel Lopatin, experimental musician better known as Oneohtrix Point Never
 * Walter McCarty, NBA player and coach
 * Allen Morgan, founder and first executive director of Sudbury Valley Trustees
 * Johnny Most, the radio voice of the Boston Celtics
 * Tim Murphy, head coach of the Harvard football team
 * Tim O'Shea, former basketball coach at Bryant University
 * Alvaro Pascual-Leone, noted neuroscientist
 * Jonathan Papelbon, MLB player
 * Samuel Parris, Reverend and Salem Witch Trials magistrate, buried in an unmarked grave in North Cemetery
 * Jerry Remy, former Boston Red Sox player and TV announcer
 * Peter Rowan, bluegrass musician
 * Harold Russell, Academy Award winner for his role as a disabled World War II vet in 1946's The Best Years of Our Lives
 * Alberto Salazar (born 1958), distance runner and athletics coach banned for life
 * Taylor Schilling, actress and star of the NBC hospital drama Mercy as well as the 2012 movie The Lucky One and the Netflix original drama-comedy series Orange is the New Black
 * Dwight Schofield, professional hockey player for the Montreal Canadiens, Washington Capitals, Winnipeg Jets, and St. Louis Blues
 * Tom Scholz, guitarist for 1970s rock group Boston
 * Edmund Sears, 1800s Unitarian parish minister, author who wrote a number of theological works influential to his contemporary liberal Protestants, famous for penning the words to "It Came Upon the Midnight Clear"
 * Mary Sears, Oceanographer
 * Sarah Sewall, lecturer
 * Ryan Sypek, actor and star of the TV series Wildfire
 * Steven Tyler, member of Aerosmith, who held the first and only rock concert in the Wayland High School field house before the band became known worldwide
 * Erika Uyterhoeven
 * Michael VanRooyen
 * Gladys Widdiss, tribal historian and potter, President of the Aquinnah Wampanoag of Gay Head from 1978 until 1987
 * Ted Williams, Baseball Hall of Famer, lived on Dudley Pond

title: Wayland, Massachusetts


text:
West Concord, Massachusetts

West Concord is an unincorporated village and census-designated place (CDP) in the town of Concord in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 6,320 at the 2020 census.

Geography
West Concord is located in central Middlesex County at 42.45472°N, -71.40056°W (42.454747, -71.400495), in the southwestern part of the town of Concord. The CDP is bordered to the north by Massachusetts Route 2; to the southeast by Dugan Brook, Caterina Heights, and Second Division Brook; to the southwest by the town of Sudbury; and to the west by the town of Acton.

Massachusetts Route 62 runs through the village as its Main Street, leading east 2 mi to the center of Concord and southwest 3.5 mi to Maynard. Route 2, a major highway, leads southeast 17 mi to Cambridge and northwest 21 mi to Leominster.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the West Concord CDP has a total area of 3.58 sqmi, of which 3.38 sqmi are land and 0.20 sqmi  (5.70%), are water. The Assabet River flows through the village just south of its center, running northeastward to join the Concord River on the north side of Concord village. Warners Pond is in the northern part of West Concord, and Kennedys Pond is in the southwest. Via the Assabet and Concord rivers, the CDP is part of the Merrimack River watershed.

Demographics
At the 2000 census there were 5,632 people, 1,844 households, and 1,296 families living in the CDP. The population density was 637.7/km$2$ (1,651.6/mi$2$). There were 1,914 housing units at an average density of 216.7/km$2$ (561.3/mi$2$). The racial makeup of the CDP was 83.59% White, 5.82% Black or African American, 0.11% Native American, 3.50% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 5.61% from other races, and 1.35% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.18%.

Of the 1,844 households 34.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.7% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.7% were non-families. 25.4% of households were one person and 10.4% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.00.

The age distribution was 20.3% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 35.3% from 25 to 44, 25.5% from 45 to 64, and 12.8% 65 or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 131.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 142.5 males.

The median household income was $86,096 and the median family income was $102,210. Males had a median income of $56,053 versus $50,774 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $43,271. About 1.9% of families and 3.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.4% of those under age 18 and 5.6% of those age 65 or over.

title: West Concord, Massachusetts


text:
Westford, Massachusetts

Westford is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was at 24,643 at the time of the 2020 Census.

History
Westford began as 'West Chelmsford', a village in the town of Chelmsford. The village of West Chelmsford grew large enough to sustain its own governance in 1729, and was officially incorporated as Westford that year on September 23.

In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, Westford primarily produced granite, apples, and worsted yarn. The Abbot Worsted Company was said to be the first company in the nation to use camel hair for worsted yarns.

Paul Revere's son attended Westford Academy and a bell cast by Revere graces its lobby today. A weather vane made by Paul Revere sits atop the Abbot Elementary school.

By the end of the American Civil War, as roads and transportation improved, Westford began to serve as a residential suburb for the factories of Lowell, becoming one of the earliest notable examples of suburban sprawl. Throughout the 20th century (and with the invention of the automobile), Westford progressively grew, continuing to serve as residential housing for the industries of Lowell, and later, Boston.

In the 1960s, the town was home to one of the research sites supporting Project West Ford.

By the 1970s, with the advent of the 128 Technology Belt, Westford began to act as a suburb for high-tech firms in Burlington, Woburn, and other areas, and later became a center of technology itself.

By the 1990s, Westford was home to offices for Cascade Communications (now part of Nokia), NETSCOUT, Red Hat, Samsung, Sonus Networks, Seagate, Iris Associates and many other technology firms, most located along Massachusetts Route 110, parallel to I-495. It is also the North American headquarters for Puma, which holds a road race in town.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 31.3 sqmi, of which 30.6 sqmi is land and 0.7 sqmi (2.30%) is water.

Regionally, it is on the edge of the Merrimack Valley, Northern Middlesex County, and the Metrowest regions of Massachusetts.

Colloquially, the town is divided into different regions based on location, including Forge Village, Nabnasset, Graniteville, Parker Village, and Center of Town.

The town was rated as #11 Best Places to live by Money.com in 2013.

Demographics
As of the 2010 census there were 21,951 people, 7,498 households, and 6,165 families residing in the town. The racial makeup of the town was 76.1% White, 0.40% African American, 0.1% Native American, 22.6% Asian (10.7% Indian, 8.2% Chinese, 1.6% Korean, 0.3% Cambodian, 0.2% Vietnamese, 0.2% Japanese, 0.1% Filipino, 0.1% Pakistani, 0.1% Bangladeshi), 0.0% Pacific Islander, 0.30% from other races, and 1.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.5% of the population.

As of the 2010 census, there were 7,498 households, out of which 45.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 72.5% were married couples living together, 7.3% had a female head of household, and 17.8% were other families. The average household size was 2.93 and the average family size was 3.27.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 31.8% under the age of 18, 4.2% from 18 to 24, 32.8% from 25 to 44, 23.9% from 45 to 64, and 7.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.4 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $121,136, and the median income for a family was $137,230. The per capita income for the town was $48,951. About 1.3% of families and 1.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.2% of those under age 18 and 1.0% of those age 65 or over.

Westford Public Schools
The Superintendent of Westford's Public Schools is Christopher Chew, who has held that role since 2021. The Assistant Superintendent is Courtney Moran.
 * Westford Academy, Public High School
 * Lloyd G. Blanchard Middle School, Public Middle School
 * Stony Brook Middle School, Public Middle School
 * Norman E. Day Elementary School, Public Elementary School (3–5)
 * Abbot Elementary, Public Elementary School (3–5)
 * John A. Crisafulli Elementary, Public Elementary School (3–5)
 * Col. John Robinson School, Public Elementary School (K–2)
 * Nabnasset Elementary School, Public Elementary School (K–2)
 * Rita Edwards Miller School, Public Elementary School (K–2)

Nashoba Valley Technical High School District
Nashoba Valley Technical High School enrolls students from Westford, Chelmsford, Ayer, Groton, Littleton, Townsend, Shirley, and Pepperell

Established in 1968, Nashoba Valley Technical High School is a public, four-year, vocational high school.

 * Nashoba Valley Technical High School, Public Regional Vocational Technical (known as Nashoba Tech, or The Tech)

Transportation
Freight travels daily through Westford over the tracks of the historic Stony Brook Railroad. The line currently serves as a major corridor of Pan Am Railways' District 3 which connects New Hampshire and Maine with western Massachusetts, Vermont, and New York. Interstate 495 also passes through the town, linking it to other parts of the state as well as New Hampshire. US-3 passes through the town, although the nearest interchanges are located in neighboring Tyngsborough (exit 88, formerly 34) and Chelmsford (exit 86, formerly 33).

The LRTA 15 bus connects Westford along Route 110 with Chelmsford and the Lowell train station on the MBTA Commuter Rail Lowell Line.

Local routes passing through town are Massachusetts Routes 110, 40, 225, and 27.

Notable people

 * Joel Abbot (1793–1855), born in Westford, noted naval officer
 * Pat Bradley, Member of World Golf Hall of Fame
 * Michael Fucito, Retired Major League Soccer player, first drafted by the Seattle Sounders FC
 * Pamela L. Gay, Astronomer
 * Martha Reed Mitchell (1818–1902), philanthropist and socialite
 * Ellen Henrietta Swallow Richards, creator of the field of home economics, first woman admitted to MIT, co-founder of American Association of University Women
 * Lt. Col. John Robinson, Revolutionary War soldier
 * Aaron Stanford, actor known for Nikita
 * Nettie Stevens, American geneticist

Points of interest

 * Kimball Farm
 * Westford Knight stone and memorial
 * Nashoba Valley Ski Area
 * Fairview Cemetery
 * Haystack Observatory

title: Westford, Massachusetts


text:
Weston, Massachusetts

Weston is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, located approximately 15 mi west of Boston. At the time of the 2020 United States Census, the population of Weston was 11,851.

Weston was incorporated in 1713, and protection of the town's historic resources is driven by the Weston Historical Commission and Weston Historical Society. The town has one Local Historic District, 10 National Register Districts, 26 Historic Areas, and seven houses individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Weston's predominance as a residential community is reflected in its population density, which is among the lowest of Boston's suburbs near or within Route 128. More than 2,000 acres, or 18 percent of the town's total acreage, have been preserved as parks, fields, wetlands, and forests, with 90 miles of trails for hiking, horseback riding, and cross-country skiing. Thirty-seven scenic roads, as defined by Massachusetts law, maintain the town's aesthetic value and historical significance, affording Weston a semi-rural ambiance.

History
The description of Weston's history here is pulled directly from the 2017 Weston Open Space and Recreation Plan.

Early years
Weston was originally part of the Watertown settlement of 1630, but until the end of the century, the land was used mainly for grazing cattle. In 1698, "The Farms" was set off as a separate precinct with its own meetinghouse; and in 1712–1713, the "Farmers' Precinct" was incorporated as a separate town, Weston.

Early settlers discovered that the amount of useful agricultural land was limited, as was the potential for water-powered industries. Weston did have one advantage: it was situated along the main route west from Boston. By the 18th century, residents were providing services to travelers on the Boston Post Road. Two taverns of great historical and architectural importance remain today: the Josiah Smith Tavern and the Golden Ball Tavern, which is now a museum. North Avenue was an important route to the northwest and, like the Post Road, hosted shops, blacksmiths, and taverns serving travelers.

Grist and sawmills were established beginning in the 17th century on Stony Brook and in the Crescent Street area. Two important manufacturing enterprises were begun during the Colonial period: the Hews redware pottery on Boston Post Road and Hobbs Tannery on North Avenue. By 1776, Weston's population of 1,027 was spread throughout the town on scattered farms along major roads, with some consolidation within the village center around the meetinghouse, along the length of the Post Road, and on North Avenue.

The opening of the Worcester Turnpike in 1810 (now Route 9) drew some commercial traffic from the Boston Post Road, but dry goods merchants continued to supply neighboring towns until about 1830–1840. The Boston and Worcester Railroad was built through the southeast corner of town in 1834, and the Fitchburg Railroad (later the Boston and Maine) was built along Stony Brook on the north side of town around 1844. Population continued to grow, supported in part by small industries such as the pottery, tannery and related boot and shoe making, school desk and chair factory, tool factories, and shops making machinery for cotton and woolen mills. The Hook & Hastings Company organ factory, Weston's largest industry, moved to the North Avenue area in 1888 and was a major town employer until it closed during the Great Depression. The Mass Central Railroad, the third to serve Weston, commenced service in 1881. Its tracks ran east–west through the center of town.

The rural landscape of Weston and convenience to rail transportation also made it attractive as a summer resort area. The shingle-style Drabbington Lodge, once a popular summer resort, remains on North Avenue and is now a senior living community.

The estate era
Development of country estates in Weston began on a small scale in the 1860s and was widespread by 1900. Wealthy businessmen were attracted to Weston by its convenience to Boston, quiet country atmosphere, and low taxes, as well as the beauty of the area and that same rocky topography that in earlier years had proved unsuitable for farming. By the turn of the century, Weston was described as a "country town of residences of the first class."

Population growth and the influence of large estate owners led to the construction of new institutional buildings, such as the fieldstone First Parish Church (1888), designed by the nationally known Boston firm of Peabody and Stearns and located on the site of earlier church meetinghouses. The first library (1899), central fire station (1914), and present town hall (1917) were also built during the estate era. Coinciding with the town's Bicentennial in 1913, an ambitious Town Improvement Plan began the process of creating the Town Green by draining and landscaping an existing wetland.

Suburban development began in the early 20th century and increased with the advent of the automobile. Two prominent estates, the Winsor estate on Meadowbrook Road and Hubbard estate on the south side, were subdivided after World War I. In the 1910s and 1920s, estates were purchased for educational use (Regis College and Weston College/Campion Center) and as golf courses (Weston Golf Club and Pine Brook Country Club). Many other large properties remained as open farm fields or woodlands through the Great Depression and World War II.

The Weston Aqueduct and Reservoir (1901–1903) and Hultman Aqueduct and Norumbega Reservoir (1938–1940) were major public works projects constructed as part of the water supply system of greater Boston.

Post-war growth
After World War II, construction of Routes 128 and the Massachusetts Turnpike, along with pent up demand for housing, led to subdivision of former estate properties and farms throughout the town. The postwar period was characterized by exponential growth and proactive efforts to control and guide this growth in order to preserve the rural character of the town. In the early 1950s, Weston's selectmen initiated two important growth-control measures: a zoning bylaw increasing the amount of land needed to build and a land-acquisition policy reducing the amount of developable land by purchasing it for the town. More than half of the town's housing stock was built in the thirty years between 1950 and 1979 and consisted largely of single family houses on increasingly expensive land. Population growth brought increased demand for town services including schools, and five new schools were constructed between 1950 and 1969. In recent years, the major trend is for many of these postwar houses to be replaced by much larger houses.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 17.3 sqmi, of which 17.0 sqmi is land and 0.3 sqmi, or 1.85%, is water.

The town is bordered by Newton and Waltham on the east; Wellesley to the south; Natick and Wayland to the west; and Lincoln to the north.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 11,469 people, 3,718 households, and 2,992 families residing in the town. The population density was 674.0 PD/sqmi. There were 3,825 housing units at an average density of 224.8 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 90.26% White, 1.18% African American, 0.05% Native American, 6.82% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.43% from other races, and 1.21% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.90% of the population.

There were 3,718 households, out of which 42.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 73.1% were married couples living together, 5.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.5% were non-families. 17.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.85 and the average family size was 3.21.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 28.0% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 20.4% from 25 to 44, 27.8% from 45 to 64, and 16.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.6 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $153,918 and the median income for a family was $200,000+, figures that had risen to $189,041 and over $230,000 by 2007. Males had a median income of $100,000 versus $58,534 for females. The per capita income for the town was $105,640. About 2.1% of families and 2.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.8% of those under age 18 and 3.9% of those age 65 or over.

Weston Public Library
The Weston Public Library (WPL), with holdings of 209,000, offers services and programs for adults and youth. With an annual circulation of 347,635 materials, which translates into 6,685 items checked out per week, WPL has one of the highest per-capita circulation rates of all libraries in Massachusetts. The Friends of the Weston Public Library provide financial support for the library's Local History Room, curate an ongoing rotation of art created by local artists, organize a series of musical concerts in the library's community room, and fund passes to Boston-area museums.

Weston Art and Innovation Center
The Weston Art and Innovation Center, which opened in September 2019 in Weston's Old Library, offers hands-on learning opportunities related to art and technology. The Weston Media Center also relocated to the WAIC.

Weston Media Center
The Weston Media Center is Weston's independent, non-profit cable TV station and media hub. The Media Center has operated since 2009.

Weston Friendly Society
The Weston Friendly Society, founded in 1885, is the second oldest community theatre in the United States. WFS performs musicals in the auditorium of Weston Town Hall several times a year. WFS donates money from its productions to local charitable causes.

Periodicals
News and features of interest to Weston residents are published in WellesleyWeston, a quarterly magazine launched in 2005. The magazine is available in the Weston Public Library.

Religious institutions

 * First Parish Church, Unitarian Universalist

Points of interest

 * Abel Allen House
 * Boston Post Road Historic District
 * Case Estates
 * Case's Corner Historic District
 * Charles River Reservation Parkways
 * Edward Peirce House, Henderson House of Northeastern University
 * Glen Road Historic District
 * Golden Ball Tavern
 * Harrington House
 * Isaac Hobbs House
 * Kendall Green Historic District
 * Mass Central Rail Trail - Wayside
 * National Register of Historic Places in Weston
 * Norumbega Tower
 * Rev. Samuel Woodward House
 * Samuel Train House
 * Silver Hill Historic District
 * Spellman Museum of Stamps & Postal History
 * Wellington Farm Historic District
 * Weston Aqueduct
 * Weston Aqueduct Linear District
 * Weston Observatory, a geophysical research and science education center of the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Boston College.
 * Weston Reservoir
 * Weston Ski Track, open from December to March at Leo J. Martin Golf Course for cross-country skiing and snow shoeing.
 * Weston Station (MBTA)

Government
As of December 2017, there were 7,632 active registered voters in Weston, with 501 voters listed as inactive. Among party enrollees, 1,869 were Democrats, and 1,211 Republicans, with the balance unenrolled.

Like much of New England, Weston has trended strongly Democratic on the federal level in recent years. Weston supported Ronald Reagan in 1980 and 1984, as well as George H.W. Bush in 1988, against home state Governor Mike Dukakis for president of the United States. However, it supported Bill Clinton in 1992, and has supported the Democratic candidate in every election since then, including Barack Obama over Mitt Romney, and Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump.

Weston is located entirely within Massachusetts's 5th congressional district.

Weston is represented in the Massachusetts Senate by Michael J. Barrett (D).

Massachusetts is represented in the United States Senate by senior Senator Elizabeth Warren and junior Senator Ed Markey.

Public elementary and secondary schools
Weston Public Schools operates five schools:
 * Country School and Woodland School
 * Field School (grades 4–5)
 * Weston Middle School (grades 6–8)
 * Weston High School (grade 9–12)

Districtwide enrollment during the 2022-2023 school year was 2,000 students. Among all Weston residents eligible to pursue elementary and secondary education in 2022, 79 percent attended public schools, primarily in Weston. WPS has participated in the METCO program since 1967.

Private elementary and secondary schools

 * Cambridge School of Weston
 * Gifford School
 * Meadowbrook School of Weston
 * Rivers School

Undergraduate and graduate institutions

 * Pope St. John XXIII National Seminary
 * Regis College

According to the 2010 U.S. Census, 83 percent of Weston's population over 25 years possesses a bachelor's degree.

Transportation
The Massachusetts Turnpike (Interstate 90) traverses Weston in an east-to-west direction in the southern portion of town. The shared highway routes of Interstate 95 and Massachusetts State Route 128 pass in a north-to-south direction on the town's eastern edge. The intersection of the Massachusetts Turnpike and Route 128 is located in southeastern Weston.

Several local state highways – U.S. Route 20 (Boston Post Road), Massachusetts State Route 30 (South Avenue), and Massachusetts State Route 117 (North Avenue) – also travel east and west through the town in addition to the Massachusetts Turnpike.

As for public transportation, Weston is conveniently served by Kendal Green Station on the MBTA's Fitchburg Commuter Rail Line. Inbound trips from Kendal Green to Boston's North Station terminus take approximately 37 minutes, while outbound service to Wachusett Station in the city of Fitchburg takes approximately 1 hour 12 minutes. The town of Weston previously had two other MBTA Commuter Rail stations – Silver Hill and Hastings – but both train stations were eliminated from regular service in April 2021 following previous years of low ridership and a drastic change in travel patterns associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

The eastern border of Weston (immediately adjacent to the Route 128 highway) comes within one mile of more frequent MBTA transit operations. Riverside Station – a park-and-ride facility which serves the Green Line “D” Branch in the neighboring city of Newton – offers service to Downtown Boston and its northern terminus at Union Square in Somerville at intervals of 6 to 12 minutes due to its classification as a rapid transit service as opposed to commuter train service. The station is close enough that Weston residents living in the southeastern part of town can easily reach Riverside Station by car in roughly five minutes or arrive via bicycle in 13 minutes. Also just across the eastern border of Weston in the neighboring city of Waltham lies the beginning of MBTA Bus Route 70 at two separate terminus points: the Cedarwood bus stop, located at the intersection of U.S. Highway Route 20 and Cedarwood Avenue with limited rush hour-only bus service; and the Market Place Drive bus stop, located near the intersection of Massachusetts State Route 117 and Stow Street offering more frequent bus departures seven days a week. Inbound MBTA Bus Route 70 service travels from either Cedarwood or Market Place Drive to Central Square in Cambridge to connect with the MBTA Red Line.

Another local bus route – MBTA Bus Route 558 – technically crosses the border into Weston. However, no bus stops for this route are located within Weston as its only purpose of entering the town is to gain immediate access to the Route 128 highway for a short express trip to Riverside Station. Service on Bus Route 558 currently travels from Riverside to Newton Corner on weekdays only.

Notable people

 * Anant Agarwal — professor of computer engineering at MIT and CEO of edX
 * Henry T. Brown — chemical engineer and first African American town official
 * Frederic C. Dumaine, Jr. — American business executive and chairman of the Massachusetts Republican Party from 1963–1965
 * David Frank — producer, composer, classically trained pianist, and founding member of the 1980s R&B group The System
 * Sarah Fuller — author and educator who taught Helen Keller
 * Jeremy Jacobs — owner of the Boston Bruins
 * Mindy Kaling – actress, grew up in Weston
 * Stephen D. Lebovitz — CEO of CBL & Associates Properties
 * Grover Norquist — founder and president of Americans for Tax Reform
 * Stephen Pagliuca — managing director of Bain Capital, co-owner of the Boston Celtics
 * J. Edward Pawlick (1927–2007) —lawyer, publisher and anti-gay activist, died at Weston
 * Anne Sexton — Pulitzer Prize-winning poet
 * Amelia Vega — winner of the Miss Universe beauty pageant in 2003
 * Robert Winsor — prominent American banker and financier of the early 20th century

Sports figures

 * Ted Alfond — minority owner of the Boston Red Sox
 * Steve Belkin — owner of the Atlanta Hawks and formerly the Thrashers
 * M. L. Carr — former Boston Celtics player and head coach
 * Zdeno Chara — former Boston Bruins player
 * Adrián González — former Boston Red Sox player
 * John Harland — golf
 * Matt Hasselbeck — former NFL quarterback
 * John Havlicek — former Boston Celtics player
 * Al Horford — Boston Celtics player
 * Kyrie Irving — current Brooklyn Nets player, former Boston Celtics player
 * Isaiah Kacyvenski — former NFL player
 * Cedric Maxwell — former Boston Celtics player and current radio announcer
 * Tom Nalen – former Denver Broncos player
 * Bobby Orr — player for Boston Bruins
 * David Ortiz — Boston Red Sox DH/1B
 * James Pallotta — owner of the Boston Celtics and AS Roma; founder of Raptor Capital Management
 * Robert Parrish — former Boston Celtics player
 * Jerry Remy — former Boston Red Sox player and longtime TV announcer
 * Willard Rice — 1924 Olympic hockey player
 * Lee Stempniak — former Boston Bruins player
 * Jeff Vinik — owner of the Tampa Bay Lightning and minority owner of the Boston Red Sox
 * Field Yates – sports analyst
 * Kevin Youkilis — former Boston Red Sox player

title: Weston, Massachusetts


text:
Woburn, Massachusetts

Woburn is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 40,876 at the 2020 census. Woburn is located 9 mi north of Boston. Woburn uses Massachusetts' mayor-council form of government, in which an elected mayor is the executive and a partly district-based, partly at-large city council is the legislature. It was the last of Massachusetts' 351 municipalities to refer to members of its city council as "aldermen".

History
Woburn was first settled in 1640 near Horn Pond, a primary source of the Mystic River, and was officially incorporated in 1642. At that time the area included present day towns of Woburn, Winchester, Burlington, and parts of Stoneham and Wilmington. In 1730 Wilmington separated from Woburn. In 1799 Burlington separated from Woburn; in 1850 Winchester did so, too.

Woburn got its name from Woburn, Bedfordshire. Woburn played host to the first religious ordination in the Americas on Nov. 22, 1642. Rev. Thomas Carter was sworn in by many of the most prominent men of New England including John Cotton, minister of the First Church of Boston, Richard Mather minister of the First Church of Dorchester, and Capt. Edward Johnson co-founder of the church and town of Woburn. Johnson is regarded as "the father of Woburn." He served as the first town clerk, represented the town in the Massachusetts General Court, made the first map of Massachusetts, and wrote the first history of the colony.

The first organizational Town Meeting was held on April 13, 1644, and the first town officers were chosen. Town Selectmen were Edward Johnson, Edward Convers, John Mousall, William Learned, Ezekiel Richardson, Samuel Richardson, and James Thompson. William Learned was also selected as Constable. Michael Bacon, Ralph Hill, Thomas Richardson were chosen as Surveyors of Highways. (The History of Woburn, 1868)

Deacon Edward Convers was also one of the founders of Woburn. He was one of its first selectmen, and built the first house and first mill in Woburn. He was very active in town affairs and was a large landowner, miller and surveyor.

List of important events
 * Gershom Flagg's tannery was built in 1668
 * The Middlesex Canal was opened in 1803
 * Thompson established a tannery at Cummingsville in 1823
 * The Boston and Lowell Railroad started operating through Woburn in 1835
 * The Woburn Sentinel newspaper began in 1839
 * In 1840 the first membership library opened
 * The telegraph started operating in Woburn in 1867
 * "America's oldest active gun club," the Massachusetts Rifle Association, was founded in 1875 and moved to Woburn in 1876.
 * The public library opened in 1879
 * The telephone was introduced in Woburn in 1882; Electric lights in 1885
 * Woburn was incorporated as a City on June 12, 1888
 * Route 128 opened in 1951
 * Route 93 was built through the town in 1963
 * Rail depot closed in 1962.
 * Cummings Properties, the major holder of commercial properties in the region, was founded in 1970.
 * Cummings Foundation was established in 1986.
 * Cummings Foundation purchased the former Choate Memorial Hospital site and turned it into the New Horizons of Choate senior living community in 1990.
 * Community Weeklies Inc. was founded by William S. Cummings and began publishing Woburn Advocate in 1991. The firm was bought by a division of Fidelity Investments in 1994, and Woburn Advocate is now being published by GateHouse Media.
 * Middlesex Superior Courthouse moved to TradeCenter 128 business campus in 2008.
 * The final phase of construction is completed on TradeCenter 128 business campus in 2010.
 * Woburn Police Officer John B. Maguire was killed in the line of duty while responding to an armed robbery on December 26, 2010.
 * Massachusetts Biotechnology Council awarded Woburn the platinum-level "Bio-Ready community" designation in 2011.

Groundwater contamination incident
Woburn was the scene of a high-profile water contamination crisis. During the mid to late 1970s, the local community became concerned over the high incidence of childhood leukemia and other illnesses, particularly in the Pine Street area of east Woburn. After high levels of chemical contamination were found in City of Woburn's Wells G and H in 1979, some members of the community suspected that the unusually high incidence of leukemia, cancer, and a wide variety of other health problems were linked to the possible exposure to volatile organic compounds in the groundwater pumped from wells G and H.

In May 1982, a number of citizens whose children had developed or died from leukemia filed a civil lawsuit against two corporations, W. R. Grace and Company and Beatrice Foods. Grace's subsidiary, Cryovac, and Beatrice were suspected of contaminating the groundwater by improperly disposing of trichloroethylene (TCE), perchloroethylene (perc or PCE) and other industrial solvents at their facilities in Woburn near wells G and H.

In a controversial decision, Judge Walter Jay Skinner ruled that the jurors should answer questions that they and many others considered confusing. Beatrice was acquitted and Grace only paid $8 million, a third of which went to the lawyers and lawyer fees. A United States Environmental Protection Agency report later found Beatrice and Grace responsible for the contamination. A book titled A Civil Action was written about the case by Jonathan Harr. In 1998 the book was turned into a movie starring John Travolta and Robert Duvall, also titled A Civil Action. The film was largely filmed in nearby Bedford and Lexington, with only a few shots on location in Woburn.

Geography
Woburn is located at 42.48444°N, -71.15194°W (42.484545, −71.152060). It is bordered by the towns of Wilmington, Reading, Stoneham, Winchester, Lexington, and Burlington.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 12.9 sqmi, of which 12.7 sqmi is land and 0.2 sqmi (1.71%) is water.

Climate
Woburn features a humid continental climate, similar to those of many of the other Boston suburban areas. It features moderately cold winters, but not usually as cold as the ones around the Great Lakes Region or Southern Canada, or even Northern New England. Nonetheless, it features occasional 'arctic blasts' which can easily drop the temperature below zero. Spring generally starts out cool, around 45-50 degrees, often with snow still on the ground. However, it quickly begins to rapidly warm to around 75 degrees by the time summer begins. Summers are generally warm or hot and often accompanied with humidity, though not nearly as bad as cities in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic, and even Rhode Island. Temperatures often top in the 80s, but when an Atlantic low comes, temperatures may fail to rise out of the 60s. High pressure from the Gulf of Mexico, occasionally brings much hotter conditions with temperatures sometimes topping near 100, though this is fairly rare and only happens so often. Falls are generally crisp, but start out warm with temperature highs around 70 and lows around 50. Quickly things cool, and it feels and looks like winter with temperatures around 40 usually towards the end. Like most of the region, temperatures can vary widely in the span of a day.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 37,258 people (37,010 by 2006 estimate), 14,997 households, and 9,658 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,939.6 PD/sqmi. There were 15,391 housing units at an average density of 1,214.3 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 90.57% White, 1.87% African American, 0.10% Native American, 4.85% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 1.44% from other races, and 1.13% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.09% of the population.

There were 14,997 households, out of which 26.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.5% were married couples living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.6% were non-families. 28.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.09.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 21.1% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 34.9% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 15.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $54,897, and the median income for a family was $66,364. Males had a median income of $45,210 versus $33,239 for females. The per capita income for the city was $26,207. About 4.5% of families and 6.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.9% of those under age 18 and 5.4% of those age 65 or over.

Economy
The Woburn Business Association (WBA) is a membership organization consisting of companies located in Woburn, Massachusetts. Memberships are also available to those firms who are situated elsewhere, but do business in Woburn. The purpose of the WBA is to promote and protect Business Interests in the City of Woburn and provide Networking Services for the Business Community.

The WBA Board of Directors meets monthly to develop policy and provide direction for the Association. The Executive Committee meets periodically, usually on an "as needed" basis, to review important issues and make recommendations to the Board regarding WBA policy. The WBA accomplishes its work through committees of WBA members and representatives of the Woburn community. The membership is encouraged to actively participate on these committees.

The Woburn Redevelopment Authority is an independent municipal urban renewal authority established by the City of Woburn in 1961, in accordance with Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 121B. The Authority is governed by five members, four of whom are appointed by the Mayor, and one by the Governor. The WRA functions as the City's community development agency, under an agreement with the City of Woburn executed in July 2000.

Companies based in Woburn include Boston Acoustics, Kaspersky Lab USA, Monotype, Skyworks Solutions, and U-Turn Audio.

Top employers
According to the Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development, the top employers in the city are:

Education
Woburn's public elementary schools are the Goodyear Elementary, Altavesta Elementary, Shamrock Elementary, Malcolm White Elementary, Clyde Reeves Elementary, Linscott-Rumford Elementary, and Hurld-Wyman Elementary. The two middle schools are the John F. Kennedy Middle School and the Daniel L. Joyce Middle School.

In recent years the Goodyear, Reeves, Shamrock, and Malcolm White, as well as Woburn Memorial High School, were rebuilt. The Hurld-Wyman sits on a portion of the city's Spence Farm property. The Clapp, Parker, Tarkey, Plympton, Golden, and Veterans' Memorial Schools are now closed, and the former Veterans' Memorial School now serves as the Woburn Senior Center.

St. Charles, a Pre-K–8 private Catholic school, is part of the adjacent St. Charles Parish. It has been graduating classes since 1884 in grades K–8; the high school closed in 1972.

Public water
Woburn is one of the few communities close to Boston which provides its own drinking water. The City’s water supply mostly comes from five wells from the underground aquifer within the Horn Pond area, which is then filtered and treated at the Horn Pond Treatment Plant. About one-third of the water is supplemented by the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority.

Transportation

 * Anderson Regional Transportation Center is a transit hub, with Amtrak service to Portland, Maine, and MBTA Commuter Rail service to Boston's North Station and Lowell, Massachusetts, as well as bus service to Logan International Airport and Manchester-Boston Regional Airport
 * Mishawum is a stop on the MBTA Commuter Rail's Lowell Line that currently has only limited reverse rush hour service.
 * MBTA bus routes also run through Woburn along its main roads, such as Main Street, Montvale Ave., Lexington Street and Cambridge Road. The routes run north to Burlington and Wilmington and south to Boston.

Notable people

 * Samuel Warren Abbott, physician
 * Jane Kelley Adams, educator
 * Col. Loammi Baldwin, Revolutionary War engineer, builder of Middlesex Canal
 * Eric Bogosian, actor, playwright and novelist
 * John Carter, former Boston Bruins player
 * Edward Convers, founder of Woburn
 * Christopher J. Coyne, Roman Catholic Bishop of Burlington
 * Ida M. Curran, journalist and editor, Woburn City Press
 * William Emmett Dever, mayor of Chicago
 * Charles Goodyear, inventor of vulcanized rubber
 * John Martyn Harlow, financier, civic leader, physician to Phineas Gage
 * Edward Johnson, "Father of Woburn"
 * Courtney Kennedy, dual Olympic medalist in hockey
 * Elaine J. McCarthy, projection designer for Broadway theater and opera
 * Charles McMahon, Marine Corporal, one of final two American servicemen killed in Vietnam War
 * Julia O'Connor, labor leader
 * Ernest Cushing Richardson, librarian, theologian and scholar
 * David Robinson, rock drummer
 * Charlie Sayles, blues harmonicist, singer and songwriter
 * Betsey Ann Stearns, inventor
 * Benjamin Thompson, Count Rumford, scientist and inventor
 * Lyle R. Wheeler, five-time Academy Award-winning art-director
 * Philemon Wright, regarded as founder of Canadian cities Ottawa, Ontario, and Gatineau, Quebec
 * George S. Zimbel, photographer

Points of interest

 * 1790 House
 * Baldwin House
 * Benjamin Thompson House
 * Winn Memorial Library
 * Woburn Memorial High School
 * US Post Office, National Register-listed Classical Revival building
 * First Congregational Church in Woburn, 1860 church belonging to a 1642 congregation

title: Woburn, Massachusetts


text:
Avon, Massachusetts

Avon is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 4,777 at the 2020 census.

History
The first settler in the land that would become Avon was Moses Curtis (c. 1720), a blacksmith from Braintree, Massachusetts. With most of his surviving children living near him, by 1749 the locale was called Curtis Corners.

The Third Baptist Meeting House was erected in East Stoughton on March 30, 1848.

Following a petition sent through the Massachusetts House of Representatives and the Massachusetts Senate, the new town of Avon was separated from Stoughton and incorporated on February 21, 1888. The town was named after Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The town's seal features a portrait of William Shakespeare, who was born in Stratford-upon-Avon.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 4.6 sqmi, of which 4.4 sqmi is land and 0.2 sqmi  (4.16%) is water. Avon is bordered by the City of Brockton on the south, Stoughton on the west, Randolph on the northeast, and Holbrook on the east. Avon is 17 mi south of Boston.

Demographics
At the 2000 census, there were 4,443 people, 1,705 households and 1,220 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,014.7 PD/sqmi. There were 1,740 housing units at an average density of 397.4 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 93.45% White, 3.74% African American, 0.27% Native American, 0.92% Asian, 0.77% from other races, and 0.86% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.44% of the population.

There were 1,705 households, of which 26.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.5% were married couples living together, 12.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.4% were non-families. Of all households 23.5% were made up of individuals, and 12.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.13.

Age distribution was 22.5% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 24.2% from 45 to 64, and 17.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.0 males.

The median household income was $50,305, and the median family income was $60,625. Males had a median income of $41,582 versus $32,837 for females. The per capita income for the town was $24,410. About 4.3% of families and 6.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.5% of those under age 18 and 4.2% of those age 65 or over.

Government
Avon is governed by a three-person Board of Selectmen who appoint a Town Administrator to carry out the day to day executive functions of the Board. Legislation is enacted in an Open Town Meeting.

Education
The Avon School District serves Avon.

Transportation
The town is served by the Brockton Area Transit Authority and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), which provide public transit service to Brockton and Boston.

title: Avon, Massachusetts


text:
Canton, Massachusetts

Canton is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 24,370 at the 2020 census. Canton is part of Greater Boston, about 15 mi southwest of Downtown Boston.

History
The area that is present-day Canton was inhabited for tens of thousands of years prior to European colonization. The Paleo-Indian site Wamsutta, radiocarbon dated to 12,140 years before present, is located within the bounds of modern day Canton at Signal Hill.

At the time of the Puritan migration to New England in the early 1600s, Canton was seasonally inhabited by the Neponset band of Massachusett under the leadership of sachem Chickatawbut.

From the 1630s to the 1670s, increasing encroachment by year-round English settlers on lands traditionally inhabited only part of the year, devastating virgin soil epidemics, and English colonial policy pushed native people in to Praying Towns, a precursor to modern day Indian reservations.

The modern town of Canton was the site of Ponkapoag, the second Praying Town in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, which was set off from Dorchester in 1657, three years after English colonists resettled a group of Nemasket there from Cohannet, modern day Taunton. The so-called Praying Indians that settled in Ponkapoag are known today as the Massachusett Tribe at Ponkapoag.

In 1674, King Philip's War led to significant depopulation of Ponkapoag, which found itself on the fault lines of one of the bloodiest conflicts in North American history, and in October 1675 those Praying Indians that remained were forcibly removed to Deer Island by order of the Massachusetts General Court. After the war, in part because of the loss of life and the fleeing of native refugees north to join the Wabanaki Confederacy, the General Court disbanded 10 of the original 14 towns in 1677 and placed the remaining four, including Ponkapoag, under the supervision of colonists.

Over the next 100 years, while Ponkapoag remained an official entity, the loss of self-determination and privatization of collective lands led to the gradual intermixing of native and settler populations in the area.

In 1726, Stoughton, Massachusetts, split from the large original territory of Dorchester; then on February 23, 1797, Canton was officially incorporated from the territory of Stoughton. The name "Canton" was suggested by Elijah Dunbar and comes from a belief that Canton, China, was antipodal to it. This is not possible, since they are both well north of the Equator; they are, however, about 2 degrees from being antipodal in longitude, ignoring latitude. In addition to being a prominent Canton citizen, Elijah Dunbar was the first president of the Stoughton Musical Society from 1786 to 1808. Now named the Old Stoughton Music Society, it is the oldest choral society in the United States.

Paul Revere built the nation's first copper rolling mill in Canton in 1801. His poem entitled Canton Dale expresses his affection for the town. Canton was the location of the Rising Sun Stove Polish Company, founded by Elijah Morse, a wealthy merchant and creator of the pot-belly stove.

Commerce
Canton is the headquarters of Dunkin' Donuts and is the headquarters of Computershare (North American HQ), Organogenesis, Inc., Boston Mutual Life Insurance Company, Interpolymer Corporation, Casual Male Retail Group, and formerly, Tweeter. It is also home to the Massachusetts Division headquarters of the Salvation Army.

Top employers
According to the town's 2022 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 19.6 sqmi, of which 18.9 sqmi is land and 0.6 sqmi  (3.27%) is water.

Canton lies at the foot of Great Blue Hill. The Canton River flows through the center of the town, linking a chain of small lakes including Bolivar and Forge Ponds and flowing into the Neponset River. The Neponset River forms the boundary between Canton and its western neighbors: Norwood, Westwood, and Dedham. In addition to wooded land, the area includes wetlands, particularly in the eastern part along Route 138 near the Randolph and Stoughton borders, and in the western part along I-95.

Canton borders the towns of Dedham, Milton, Norwood, Randolph, Sharon, Stoughton, Westwood and the Hyde Park neighborhood in the city of Boston.

Demographics
As of the 2010 census, there were 21,561 people, 7,952 households, and 5,550 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,097.3 PD/sqmi. There were 8,163 housing units at an average density of 431.1 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 81.6% White, 6.6% African American, 0.1% Native American, 7.5% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.51% from other races, and 2.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.9% of the population. 79.7% of the population was non-Hispanic white in 2010, down from 98.0% in 1980.

There were 7,952 households, out of which 30.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.4% were married couples living together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.2% were non-families. Of all households, 25.4% were made up of individuals, and 12.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.12.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 23.6% under the age of 18, 5.6% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 24.0% from 45 to 64, and 16.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.2 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $109,260, and the median income for a family was $132,904. Males had a median income of $52,216 versus $40,755 for females. The per capita income for the town was $43,510. About 5.2% of families and 7.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.7% of those under age 18 and 9.5% of those age 65 or over.

Education
The town of Canton has three public elementary schools: the John F. Kennedy School, Lt. Peter M. Hansen School, and Dean S. Luce School. The area in which one lives determines which elementary school one's children attend.

Canton has one public middle school, the William H. Galvin Middle School, where all of the three elementary schools combine. It provides grades 6–8 and is located next to the Lt. Peter M. Hansen Elementary School. Canton also has a public high school, Canton High School, that provides grades 9–12. There is one private school, St. John the Evangelist, which has been open since 1883 and serves students in grades Preschool–8. In addition, the state's Pappas Rehabilitation Hospital for Children, formerly known as the Massachusetts Hospital School, is in Canton. In addition, the Marilyn G. Rodman Educational and Administrative Center is located next to Canton High School, housing administrative buildings as well as a preschool.

The Blue Hills Regional Technical School and the Canton campus of Massasoit Community College are located within the town as well. Additionally, Porter and Chester Institute also has a campus in Canton.

Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech, formerly Clarke School for the Deaf, operates a satellite school, "Clarke Boston", in Canton for children who are diagnosed with deafness at an early age and then are mainstreamed to a public school. Clarke is the oldest school for the deaf in the country that teaches children to lip-read and speak orally, rather than use sign language; its main campus is located 80 miles to the west in Northampton.

The Judge Rotenberg Educational Center is housed in Canton as well.

 * CHS Awards

 * Canton High Boys Varsity Hockey team won the Division II State Championships at TD Garden in Boston in 2010 and 2019.
 * 2019 Girls Volleyball Division II State Champions
 * 2011 Hockomock Davenport Champions in Field Hockey, Girls Soccer, Volleyball, Boys Soccer
 * 2011 Hock Golf Championships: 1st Place
 * 2011 Hockomock Classic Cup Champions in Field Hockey, Girls Soccer, Boys Soccer
 * 2011 South Sectional Champions in Field Hockey & Girls Soccer
 * 2014 EMASS Champions: Girls Soccer
 * Also, The CHS Math Team is one of the top teams in their league.

Government
Canton has the open town meeting form of government. Annually each spring, and as necessary, the voters gather to discuss matters such as zoning, schools, public works, recreational facilities, the budget, taxes and bond issues.

Property taxes on residential and other land, buildings and improvements, and transfers from the state government, are two important sources of revenue for the town.

Boards and Committees
The Select Board oversees the day-to-day operations of the town government. There are five positions on the Canton Select Board currently filled by John J. Connolly (Vice-Chair), Michael C. Loughran (Clerk), Patricia M. Boyden (Member), Christopher M. Albert (Member), and John R. McCourt (Member).

The Town Administrator follows rules set by the Select Board and oversees all town services and responsibilities controlled by the board. They act as the key liaison between elected officials, municipal departments, and the community. The current Town Administrator is Charles E. Doody.

The Planning Board approves new town subdivisions, reviews site plans for commercial development, oversees the towns scenic ways, drafts and approves a town wide master plan, and statutorily provides recommendations to Town Meeting regarding zoning and development.

The Finance Committee studies the financial affairs of the town, advises and makes recommendations to the Town Meeting on the budget and other areas with fiscal implications and serves as the fiscal watchdog for the voters.

Canton maintains an Executive Office, responsible for maintenance and implementation of all policies and procedures, updating the administrative code and all legal, personal and town wide planning matters. The Executive Office consists of: Town Administrator, Human Resources, Town Counsel and Town Planner.

Public Safety
For public safety needs, the Town of Canton is protected by the Canton Fire Department and Canton Police Department. The Norfolk District Attorney, Michael W. Morrissey and the Norfolk State Police Detective Unit are located in Canton.

Fire Department
There are two fire stations in Canton: Headquarters Station 1 and Ponkapoag Station 2.

Police Department
The Canton Police Department was officially formed in 1875, with four men working limited part-time hours. In 1900, the first Chief of Police was appointed and served in the role for 11 years. A motorcycle officer was added in 1928.

In 1978, Elizabeth A. Galvin became the town's first female police officer.

In May 2004, a new police station was opened in the former Eliott School building on Washington Street. The original reconstruction project cost $5.9M to renovate the 150-year-old building and then required additional repairs shortly after the grand opening, when the floor began to buckle due to weight.

In June 2022, Helena Rafferty, was sworn in as the town's 14th Chief of Police and first female Chief of Police. Rafferty previously served as the Deputy under retiring Chief Ken Berkowitz, who had been in the role since 2005.

In November 2023, residents voted for an independent audit of the Canton Police Department due to the ongoing investigation into the Karen Read case involving the 2022 killing of John O'Keefe, an officer in the Boston Police Department. The vote was passed by a 903–800 margin during a Special Town Meeting held on November 20, 2023.

Transportation
Interstates 93, 95, US Route 1 and Massachusetts Route 128 diverge in Canton. I-93 goes east, then north into Boston, from which it continues north into New Hampshire. I-95 is locally a beltway that skirts Boston to the west, continues circling Boston until it is north of the city, then goes north through New Hampshire and ends in Maine. South of Canton, it leads to Providence, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York City, Washington, D.C. and ultimately to Miami, Florida.

Route 138 has a cloverleaf interchange with Route 93 in Canton near Great Blue Hill. From Canton, it goes north into Milton, then enters Boston in the Mattapan section. South of Canton, it travels to Stoughton, continuing into Rhode Island, through Newport and ending in southwestern RI.

Route 24 is a divided, limited-access highway that originates at Route 93 in Randolph, just east of Canton. From there, it goes south through the easternmost corner of Canton, running roughly parallel to Route 138 as far as Portsmouth, Rhode Island.

MBTA commuter rail trains on the Providence/Stoughton Line pass through Canton. Some stop at Canton Junction. This line crosses the Neponset River on the Canton Viaduct, a prominent local landmark. Route 128 Station in neighboring Westwood also carries many Canton commuters into Boston. Amtrak trains (including the Acela Express high-speed trains) also stop at Route 128, but pass through Canton without stopping. Of note, on March 25, 2008, a runaway box car crashed into a MBTA train at Canton Junction station injuring 150 people on board.

Another line branches into Stoughton, stopping at Canton Center.

Bus service is available to Mattapan Station in the MBTA system.

Canton once had an airfield, but it closed down in 1970. Norwood Memorial Airport is the closest airport to Canton. For scheduled air service, residents go to Boston's Logan International Airport or to T. F. Green Airport in Rhode Island.

Points of interest

 * The Canton Viaduct, built in 1835, is one of the two oldest surviving multiple arch stone railroad bridges still in active mainline use in the United States. Tsar Nicholas I of Russia sent workmen to draw extensive diagrams of it in order to duplicate its design for the construction of two bridges on the Moscow–Saint Petersburg Railway.
 * Canton Corner Historic District
 * The David Tilden House, a nearly 300-year-old house located within the Canton Corner Historic District. Undergoing a major preservation effort. One of the oldest houses in America.
 * The Massachusetts Audubon Society's Museum of American Bird Art, where the Mildred Morse Allen Wildlife Sanctuary is located, houses extensive collections of natural history art and photography. Public programs integrating art and nature, and changing exhibitions in the gallery, provide opportunities for visitors to view featured works from the collections.
 * The Eleanor Cabot Bradley Estate, a non-profit museum, is a country house designed by Charles A. Platt with garden grounds located at 2468B Washington Street (Route 138). In 1902 Dr. Arthur Tracey Cabot hired Platt to design a country house with landscaping and outlying farm buildings, with formal grounds include lawns, a walled garden, and a parterre. In 1945, Cabot's niece, Eleanor Cabot Bradley, added ponds, a camellia house and greenhouse, and planted specimen trees. The land includes more than 60 acre of meadows and woods, with some 3 mi of walking trails.
 * Acambis, one of the few smallpox vaccine producers contracted by the United States Government, makes its vaccine at the Shawmut Industrial Park in Canton. In the many months after the September 11, 2001 attacks, Army National Guard units were stationed around the factory and now the Canton Police has a regular patrol of the park.
 * The non-profit Friends of Prowse Farm, in collaboration with the present property owner, Meditech, Inc., preserve the historical Prowse Farm property and make the 44 acres and mansion available for indoor and/or outdoor events including party and wedding rentals, corporate functions, recreational and educational programs and fund-raising events. The Friends of Prowse Farm are a true non-profit volunteer organization, celebrating their 35th year in 2010—without any salaries taken by its officers or staff. Fund-raising events hosted by various charitable organizations at the farm have raised an estimated $20 million.
 * The Paul Revere Heritage Site, a 9 acre public site dedicated to protecting, preserving and interpreting the work of Paul Revere as an American pioneer in the invention of the copper industry.

Notable people

 * Emily Morison Beck, editor known for Bartlett's Familiar Quotations
 * Bill Burr, actor/comedian
 * Commodore John Downes, U.S. Navy officer who fought in the War with Tripoli and the War of 1812 and commanded a punitive expedition to Sumatra in the 1830s
 * Paul Guilfoyle, actor, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
 * Joseph Henry Hatfield, painter
 * Augustus Hemenway, philanthropist, public servant
 * Harriett Lawrence Hemenway, co-founder of Massachusetts Audubon Society
 * William Augustus Hinton, American physician and pioneering bacteriologist
 * Chuck Hogan, novelist
 * Maurice Hurst Jr., defensive tackle for the Oakland Raiders
 * Rob Mariano, a.k.a. "Boston Rob", reality TV personality (five-time Survivor and two-time The Amazing Race contestant)
 * Paul Revere, Patriot and Entrepreneur
 * Kevin Rooney, professional ice hockey player
 * Steve Rooney, professional ice hockey player
 * Stephen Schnetzer, actor
 * James B. Sumner, co-recipient of 1946 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
 * William F. Weld, Governor of Massachusetts, 1991–1997
 * Bobby Witt, a former baseball player for the Texas Rangers, father of baseball player Bobby Witt Jr.
 * Donald Zilversmit (1919–2010), nutritional biochemist

International relations
A German American Partnership high school exchange program has been operated between Canton and Bocholt, Germany since 1977.

title: Canton, Massachusetts