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Rehoboth, Massachusetts

Rehoboth is a historic town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. Established in 1643, Rehoboth is one of the oldest towns in Massachusetts. The population was 12,502 at the 2020 census. Rehoboth is a mostly rural community with many historic sites, including 53 historic cemeteries.

History

Rehoboth was established in 1643 by Walter Palmer (born 1585) and William Sabin. It was incorporated in 1645, one of the earliest Massachusetts towns to incorporate. The town is named for the Hebrew word for "enlargement," (Broad Places) signifying the space settlers enjoyed (God has given us room).

Early Rehoboth, known as Old Rehoboth, included all of what is now Seekonk, Massachusetts, and East Providence, Rhode Island, as well as parts of the nearby communities of Attleboro, North Attleborough, Swansea, and Somerset in Massachusetts, and Barrington, Bristol, Warren, Pawtucket, Cumberland, and Woonsocket in Rhode Island. The town was and still is a site of a crossroads which help to serve Taunton, Providence, Fall River and points to the north.

One of the founding fathers of Rehoboth was Samuel Newman, a clergyman from Weymouth, Massachusetts who moved to the Seconet area near to Little Compton in the Plymouth Colony. Samuel Newman and his followers migrated north and established a huge town common in what is now Rumford, Rhode Island. They gave the roundabout a distinctive name: "The Ring of the Green." Newman Congregational Church (founded 1643, current building dates to 1810) still stands at the intersections of Pawtucket Ave, Newman Ave and Ferris Ave. The area was known as Rehoboth village. Somewhat of a celebrity, Newman's famous bible concordance (the third ever printed in English) had just been published in London. He spent the next few years revising the concordance with a second edition published in 1650 that includes on the title page, "By Samuel Newman, now teacher of the Church at Rehoboth in New England." According to legend, he worked on the revisions by burning pine knots instead of candles. The concordance, later called the Cambridge Concordance, was reprinted as late as 1889, almost 250 years after it was first published by the founder of Rehoboth.

The Rehoboth Carpenter family was one of the founding families. Among the earliest purchasers of the land that is now Rehoboth and nearby communities was the Peck family, who came from nearby Hingham, Massachusetts, initially. Joseph Peck, the brother of the Rev. Robert Peck,[4] the disaffected Puritan who had fled his Hingham church in England, after the crackdown by Archbishop Laud, had purchased sizable tracts of lands from the Native Americans. Peck's son was fined fifty shillings for making continuous sexual advances toward the maid. Peck died in Rehoboth in 1697. These tracts of land Peck willed to his son Samuel, who served as Deputy to the General Court at Plymouth, as well as the first representative from the town of Rehoboth after the Plymouth Colony and Massachusetts were united. The family continued to live in the area through the twentieth century. Today's Pecks Corner in Rehoboth is named for this early Puritan family.

King Philip's War (1675–1676)

Rehoboth was a significant site during King Philip's War. On June 30, 1675, King Philip led a small force in a surprise attack against the undefended settlement, killing settlers, burning houses, and causing residents to live in constant fear of attack.

On March 28, 1676, Canonchet led the Narragansetts in a second attack, destroying 42 homes, 21 barns, corn mills and a sawmill.

On August 28, 1676, Captain Benjamin Church surrounded and captured Anawan, a Wampanoag sachem who had become chief upon the death of King Philip two weeks earlier. The Wampanoags had taken a position above Squannakonk Swamp to hide from the colonists. Church's capture and execution of Anawan effectively ended the campaigns in southeastern Massachusetts of King Philip's War. Anawan Rock, a large puddingstone, still marks the location. Although a desolate place at the time, the rock is not far off modern-day Route 44.

Public education
Rehoboth is the birthplace of public education in North America. Upon incorporation, members of the Rehoboth community and Newman Church (in present-day East Providence, Rhode Island) elected to collect funds to pay a teacher for the settlement's children. Church and government were closely tied in early colonial villages, so the word 'public' refers instead to access to education by all children in the community, not just those of wealthy parents. Another town landmark is related to education: The historic Hornbine School, built in 1845, is located in the southeast corner of town and is open to the public for visiting and educational purposes from May to September.

350th anniversary
For the town's 350th anniversary in 1992, the town conducted a promotional "take back" of the communities that were once the original Rehoboth. With encouragement from musket-bearing members of the 13th Continental Regiment, Rehoboth Minutemen, other towns and cities ceremonially 'returned' their land for the duration of the anniversary year celebration.

Historic places

 * Anawan Rock
 * Briggs Tavern, (1780)
 * Brown House (1700)
 * Col. Thomas Carpenter III House (1755)
 * Carpenter House (1789)
 * Hornbine Baptist Church (1753)
 * Martin Farm (1750)
 * Nathan Bowen House
 * Sylvester Round House (Rehoboth, Massachusetts) (1782) site of R.Round Tavern (1810) & Grenville Stephens' store & first post office in Rehoboth, MA

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 46.8 sqmi, of which 46.5 sqmi is land and 0.3 sqmi, or 0.60%, is water. Much of the land is hilly and swampy, with most of its brooks and swamps feeding into the Palmer River, which empties into Narragansett Bay to the south.

Rehoboth shares its entire western border with Seekonk. It is also bordered by Attleboro and Norton to the north, Taunton and Dighton to the east, and Swansea to the south and southeast. Rehoboth's localities are Four Corners, Hornbine, Kingmans Corner, North Rehoboth, Pecks Corner, Perrys Corner, Perryville, Rehoboth Village, South Rehoboth and Anawan Rock. The town is located 11 mi east of Providence, Rhode Island and 50 mi south of Boston.

Conservation areas

 * Rehoboth State Forest off Peck Street has hiking trails.
 * The Ephraim Hunt Ministerial Land Conservation Area, 55 Pond Street
 * The Mason Street Conservation Area (open to the public) is located off Mason Street.
 * Shad Factory Conservation Area on Reed Street has hiking trails.
 * Miller Bird Sanctuary, 88 Winter Street
 * Fox Lea, 67 River Street
 * Redway Plain, off Route 44 and Bay State Road
 * Warren Upper Reservoir, off Reservoir Street

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 10,172 people, 3,523 households, and 2,871 families residing in the town. The population density was 218.8 PD/sqmi. There were 3,597 housing units at an average density of 77.4 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 97.70% White, 0.35% African American, 0.30% Native American, 0.52% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.26% from other races, and 0.86% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.50% of the population. The leading ancestries reported by Rehoboth residents are 17% Irish, 17% English, 16% Portuguese and 11% French.

There were 3,523 households, out of which 37.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 70.8% were married couples living together, 7.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.5% were non-families. Of all households, 14.1% were made up of individuals, and 5.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.89 and the average family size was 3.20.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 26.2% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 29.6% from 25 to 44, 28.2% from 45 to 64, and 10.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.2 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $65,373, and the median income for a family was $71,992. Males had a median income of $45,557 versus $32,445 for females. The per capita income for the town was $26,467. About 2.1% of families and 3.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.7% of those under age 18 and 7.4% of those age 65 or over.

Arts and culture
The Rehoboth Antiquarian Society (RAS) operates both the Carpenter Museum located on Locust Street, and Blanding Free Public Library housed in Goff Memorial Hall located on Bay State Road. The RAS hosts cultural events including Arts in the Village at Goff Memorial Hall, a classical concert series

featuring world-class artists.

The Carpenter Museum hosts several annual events including the Folk Art & Artisans Show in November and many other events held throughout the year. In 2013, the museum was awarded the Gold Star Award by the Massachusetts Cultural Council for their 2012 multi-event cultural program, "Remembering Rehoboth School Days." The antiquarian society hosts a yearly Clam Bake each summer, a traditional that began in 1884, behind Goff Memorial Hall.

Blanding Free Public Library hosts events and programs for children and adults throughout the year. The Blanding Book Club meets monthly. Programs are offered for children, from pre-schoolers up, including reading, arts/crafts, summer programs, performances, visiting exhibits and other special events.

Many cultural events held in Rehoboth are supported in part by grants from the Rehoboth Cultural Council, an affiliate of the Massachusetts Cultural Council. Members of the council, although appointed by town selectmen, operate independently from town government and award grants on a yearly basis with funds allotted by the state organization. Several non-profit organizations based in Rehoboth provide resources or cultural events.

The Rehoboth Country Dance Society, founded in 1981, holds public contra dances with acclaimed musicians and callers at least twice monthly at Goff Memorial Hall. A monthly community dance is held on a Sunday evening with the Sunday Night Jammers, also at Goff Memorial Hall.

For those interested in history, the 13th Continental Regiment Rehoboth Minute Company, originally chartered in 1774, was recommissioned in 1992 as part of the town's 350 anniversary celebration. It was incorporated three years later as a non-profit, educational organization. The present recreated group portrays the original 1774 unit in civilian dress, accoutrements and firearms. Men, women and children participate in the unit as musketmen, drummers, fifers and assorted characters. The well-known group of re-enactors are invited to participate in parades, ceremonies, encampments, and battle re-enactments, as well as visiting schools throughout the region.

Each September, the town events committee hosts the Annual 'Larry Procopio' Harvest Block Party, a free event held on the Redway Plain field off Route 44. The event was named after the late Larry Procopio, an active member of the community who first organized the yearly event.

The town's historic one-room school house, the Hornbine School, is open spring and summer for visits and tours. The school, operated from 1848 to 1937, was restored in 1969 and now belongs to the town under the jurisdiction of the historical commission, and tended carefully by the non-profit Horbine School Association.

Government
The town is part of the Fourth Bristol state representative district, including Seekonk and parts of Swansea and Norton. In the state senate, the town is part of the Bristol and Norfolk district, which includes part of the city of Attleboro and all or part of the towns of Dover, Foxborough, Mansfield, Medfield, Norton, Seekonk, Sharon and Walpole. Rehoboth is patrolled by Troop D (Southeast District), 4th Barracks (located in Middleborough) of the Massachusetts State Police. On the national level, the town is part of Massachusetts's 4th congressional district, which is represented by Jake Auchincloss. The state's senators are: Ed Markey, and Elizabeth Warren.

Rehoboth municipal government operates from town offices located at 340 Anawan Street; the land and building was purchased for $995,000 after voters approved a warrant article in May 2021, with offices relocated to the structure shortly thereafter. The former town hall complex was located in a one-story building on Peck Street, previously a Project Nike site, which is now used for storage.

Municipal government is overseen by a five-member board of selectmen and a town administrator. Residents may vote on town governing issues at town meetings which are held in the spring and fall. The current board of selectmen consists of: Frederick "Skip" Vadnais (chair), Michael Diegnan and George Solas with two vacant seats.

The town has a central police and fire station (Public Safety Building) on Anawan Street (Route 118). There are two additional fire stations: North Station (#2) located on Tremont Street; South Station (#3) located on Pleasant Street. The RFD is an on-call department with trained firefighters. Only the fire chief is a full-time employee of the town. The Rehoboth Rescue Squad has served the community for the past 46 years and is the town's only 100% unpaid volunteer public safety organization. Rehoboth Ambulance is an independent, non-profit organization that provides vehicles, equipment, supplies and staffing stipends without direct funding from the town. In cases of emergency or disaster, the Rehoboth Emergency Management Agency (REMA) coordinates efforts of all the public safety entities. The Highway Department and Forestry service is located down the road from police/fire headquarters.

An additional town-owned building, located on Anawan Street, houses Rehoboth Community TV, the local public access cable television service. Operation of public programming on three channels (Government Channel 9, Education Channel 15 and Public Channel 98) is the responsibility of the town's Cable Advisory Committee and town employees. Some municipal meetings are broadcast live while others are recorded and broadcast at various times.

The town owned the Gladys L. Hurrell Senior Center located on Bay State Road. The building was used for municipal meetings, private and public events, until it was destroyed in a fire in September 2020.

Military veterans in Rehoboth are supported by the town's Veterans Services Department located at the town office. The Veteran's agent Jake Kramer works with veterans of all ages to help them access services. In 2012, residents voted at town meeting to adopt provisions of the Massachusetts Valor Act so that local veterans can perform municipal work to offset their property tax bills.

Education
Rehoboth's educational system can be traced back to the earliest days of the town (see "History" for more details). The Dighton-Rehoboth Regional School District was formed in 1958 and expanded to include all schools in both Rehoboth and neighboring Dighton.

Rehoboth schools include Palmer River Elementary School on Winthrop Street (Route 44) and D. L. Beckwith Middle School, adjacent to the elementary school. Both schools offer special education to students with an Individualized Education Program. The Rehoboth Parent-Teacher-Student Association (PTSA) serves both students of both schools. Dighton-Rehoboth Regional High School, located in North Dighton, provides AP, Honors, college preparatory and career-technical education (CTE). The school also supports a transition program for special education students from 18 to 22 to continue academics and pursue vocational interests while concentrating on independent living skills.

The athletics teams of Dighton-Rehoboth Regional High School (the "Falcons") participate in the South Coast Conference (SCC) of the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA). Sports include cheerleading, cross-country, soccer, football, volleyball, baseball, softball, basketball, golf, field hockey, indoor track, outdoor track, tennis, wrestling, lacrosse and swimming.

The Dighton-Rehoboth Marching Band is a large organization of students that performs for athletic games, parades and special events such as the annual Dighton Christmas Tree Lighting and Rehoboth's Harvest Block Party. Under the direction of Joe Botelho, the band has performed several times at Walt Disney World and most recently represented the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the National Independence Day Parade in 2014. The band's travels, equipment and events are supported by the Friends of D-R Marching Band, a group of parents that conduct fundraising efforts throughout the year.

The school district has a cooperative agreement with Bristol Plymouth Regional Technical School for those high school students wishing to attend a vocational-technical school. Rehoboth students may also elect to attend Bristol County Agricultural High School in Dighton.

Rehoboth has two private elementary schools: Cedar Brook School, a Seventh-day Adventist school serving students from grades Pre-K–10; and the Pinecroft School serving students from K–5.

Transportation

The town is full of winding, country roads. The longest state routes through town, U.S. Route 44 and Massachusetts Route 118, intersect near the center of town. U.S. Route 6 and Interstate 195 run through the southwest corner of town for approximately 0.7 and 1.5 mi, respectively. Exit 2 off I-195 ("Route 136/Warren, R.I.–Newport, R.I.") is just south of where the interstate passes into Swansea and can be reached by Kingsley Way (which also leads into Route 136).

Rehoboth is a part of the Greater Attleboro Taunton Regional Transit Authority (GATRA), which provides bus service to towns in central Bristol and Plymouth counties.

Rehoboth is one of the few towns in Massachusetts where mainline railroads were never constructed. Historically, only a single streetcar line ran through the town; the Providence and Taunton Street Railway began interurban trolley service in 1891 along what is now U.S. Route 44 (referred as the Providence-Taunton Line). The line diverted into a forested area and crossed Bay State Road north of the intersection with Moulton Street (a site known as Nichol's Crossing) in order to serve Rehoboth Village. The service would later be operated by the Old Colony Street Railway and the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway until it was replaced by buses in the late 1920s. Currently, the nearest rail service is in the adjacent city of Attleboro, where there are two stops (South Attleboro and Attleboro) on the MBTA's Providence/Stoughton Line.

The closest small aircraft public airports are located in Taunton and Mansfield. T. F. Green Airport is located in Warwick, RI, less than 20 mi away. The nearest international airport is Logan International Airport in Boston, 53 mi away.

Notable people

 * Fanny Alger, possibly the first plural wife of Joseph Smith
 * Roger Amidon, early settler
 * Mary Butterworth, a colonial American who ran a counterfeiting ring
 * John W. Davis, former Rhode Island governor
 * Michael Glancy, contemporary glass artist
 * Darius Goff, mill owner who descended from Richard Goff, one of the first settlers in Rehoboth.
 * Jason Hammel, former professional baseball pitcher for six teams over thirteen seasons
 * Wayne Webb, professional ten-pin bowler and member of the PBA and USBC Halls of Fame

title: Rehoboth, Massachusetts


text:
Seekonk, Massachusetts

Seekonk is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States, on the Massachusetts border with Rhode Island. It was incorporated in 1812 from the western half of Rehoboth. The population was 15,531 at the 2020 census. In 1862, under a U.S. Supreme Court decision resolving a longstanding border dispute between Massachusetts and Rhode Island, a portion of Tiverton, Rhode Island was awarded to Massachusetts to become part of Fall River, while two-thirds of Seekonk (now eastern Pawtucket and East Providence) was awarded to Rhode Island.

Early years
The earliest known inhabitants of Seekonk were Native Americans from the Wampanoag Tribe. The name Wampanoag means People of the Morning Light. This name refers to the geographical area of the tribe. Living in the East they would be the first people to greet the sun each morning. The area now known as Seekonk and Rehoboth provided agricultural and water resources with abundant food supplies. During the warm summer months the Natives spent time near the rivers and oceans in what is now Southeastern Massachusetts. In the winter months the Natives lived inland, including several locations in Seekonk. At one time there were three Native American villages in the area we now call Seekonk.

There have been many spellings of the name Seekonk. Some of the various spellings include Seconch, Sink Hunk, Secquncke, Seaconke, and Squannakonk. The symbol of the goose in flight is used on the Town Seal.

Chief Massasoit
The chief of the Wampanoags at the time the colonists settled in Southeastern Massachusetts was known as Massasoit Ossamequin and had been seriously affected by a plague just prior to the arrival of the Pilgrims at Plymouth. A large number of Wampanoag Indians had been killed by this illness. Most historians believe this plague to have been yellow fever.

Massasoit decided to make a peace treaty with the new immigrants for a number of reasons. Perhaps the most important factor was that the Wampanoags were fearful of being overtaken by the Narragansett Indians who lived nearby. Ossamequin believed an alliance with the English would help to secure the safety of his people.

In 1641, the local Native Americans had granted a large part of modern-day Seekonk to purchasers from Hingham, including Edward Gilman Sr., Joseph Peck, John Leavitt and others. In 1653 Ossamequin and his son Wamsetto, also known as Alexander to the English, signed a deed granting the land that is now Seekonk and the surrounding communities to Thomas Willitt, Myles Standish and Josiah Winslow.

The Wampanoags were paid 35 pounds sterling by the English settlers, for instance, for the sale to Willitt, Standish and Winslow.

Three of the earliest English men to settle in the area now known as Seekonk and Providence were William Blackstone, Roger Williams and Samuel Newman. These men and their followers proved it was possible to provide a living away from the coastal areas. This allowed groups of individuals to separate themselves from Puritan control. In turn this led to a greater diversity of culture and religious and philosophical freedom. It was only by forming alliances with the Native Americans in both the Wampanoag and Narragansett tribes that these early settlements were able to flourish.

King Philip's War
Massasoit lived until he was 80 years old. While he lived, his people and the settlers lived in relative peace. He was followed in power by his son Wamsetto, also known as Alexander. This chief died shortly after his father and was replaced by his brother Metacomet, also known as King Philip.

In 1675, King Philip's War began and both sides saw this as an opportunity to claim the land for their people and their way of life. Metacomet and his people ultimately lost the war, and the chief was killed by a mixed group of English and Indian fighters led by Benjamin Church. He was beheaded and his head stayed on public display on a pole in Plymouth for 25 years.

Incorporation to today
For the next 200 years, the area now known as Seekonk was primarily a farming community. Accounts of Town Meetings during these years communicate just how contentious deciding what was best for this area could be. Boundary disputes were common and the land that is now Rehoboth, East Providence, Pawtucket and Seekonk was claimed by both Rhode Island and Massachusetts. In 1812, the border disputes were settled by the courts and the present town of Seekonk was incorporated. Two industrial villages developed to supplement the agricultural economy, with such businesses as the Rumford Chemical Works, but what had been the industrial area of the town in the late-18th and early-19th century was lost when East Providence was incorporated in 1862, taking half of the town's territory, two-thirds of its valuation and more than two-thirds of its population. The town remained basically agricultural into the 20th century, although the Kent Manufacturing Company did make tennis racquets and croquet sets on the upper reaches of the Tenmile River. With the opening of the Providence and Taunton street railway in 1891, Seekonk became an increasingly residential suburb of Providence.

Very few farms still exist in Seekonk. Developers have turned the farms into housing divisions and Seekonk is used largely as a suburban home community for people who work in the Rhode Island and Boston areas. It is now well known for its retail area along Route 6, which includes a movie multiplex, many different chain stores and restaurants, Seekonk Speedway, a 1/3 mile oval track located along Route 6, as well as Seekonk Grand Prix, with multiple amusement rides and miniature golf. Although there has been a great deal of building in Seekonk since the Wampanoags first lived here, one can still see many of the "black" Canada geese which give the town its name.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 18.4 sqmi, of which 18.3 sqmi is land and 0.1 sqmi  is water. The total area is 0.54% water. It is bordered by Rehoboth to the east, Barrington, Rhode Island and Swansea to the south, East Providence and Pawtucket, Rhode Island to the west, and Attleboro to the north. Much of the population is concentrated in two areas; one, the Lebanon Mills and Perrins Crossing neighborhoods in the north, and the other, the southern neighborhoods of Luthers Corners and South Seekonk, mostly located between Interstate 195 and Route 44. Seekonk is just five miles (8 km) east of Providence, Rhode Island, and is 48 mi southwest of Boston.

The town has three golf courses Ledgemont Country Club (private), Pawtucket Country Club (private) and Firefly Golf Course (public). Slater Memorial Park in Pawtucket lies just over the Seekonk line, next to Pawtucket Country Club. The Town lies within two watershed areas, the Ten Mile River Watershed and the Narragansett Bay Watershed.

Transportation
The town can be accessed through one interstate, I-195, as well as Route 6, Route 44, Route 152 and Route 114A. Seekonk has its own exit on I-195, Massachusetts Exit 1, Route 114A, which provides easy access to Route 6 to the south and Route 44 to the north. Route 152, while not connected to any other state route in town, is a major route running between East Providence and Attleboro.

From the south end of town, access can be had by the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) stop on Commerce Way.

From the north end of town, easy access can be had to Interstate 95 and the South Attleboro stop of the MBTA's commuter line between Providence and Boston. That end of town is also served by a regional transit authority, the Greater Attleboro Taunton Regional Transit Authority (GATRA). The town's nearest airport is T.F. Green Airport in Warwick, Rhode Island, near Providence 13 mi away. Logan International Airport is the nearest international airport, 50 mi away in Boston.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 13,425 people, 4,843 households, and 3,874 families residing in the town. The population density was 733.0 PD/sqmi. There were 4,947 housing units at an average density of 270.1 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 96.57% White, 0.52% African American, 0.28% Native American, 0.95% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.51% from other races, and 1.18% from two or more races. 0.74% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 4,843 households, out of which 35.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.6% were married couples living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.0% were non-families. 16.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.77 and the average family size was 3.12.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.3% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 28.7% from 25 to 44, 26.4% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.6 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $56,364, and the median income for a family was $62,361. Males had a median income of $42,404 versus $29,782 for females. The per capita income for the town was $24,058. 2.4% of the population and 1.7% of families were below the poverty line. 3.0% of those under the age of 18 and 2.2% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

In the year 2000 the population was 13,425, with 6,517 males (48.5%) and 6,908 females (51.5%). Popular ancestries of the population include Portuguese (22.0%), Irish (21.4%), English (16.7%), French (14.4%), Italian (11.9%) and French Canadian (6.4%).

Government
On the state level, Seekonk is part of the Fourth Bristol state representative district, including Rehoboth and parts of Norton and Swansea, and the Bristol and Norton state senatorial district, including part of the city of Attleboro and all or parts of the towns of Dover, Foxborough, Mansfield, Medfield, Norton, Rehoboth, Sharon and Walpole. Seekonk's state representative is Steve Howitt representing the 4th Bristol District. Seekonk is patrolled by Troop D (Southeast District), 4th Barracks (located in Middleborough) of the Massachusetts State Police. On the national level, the town is part of Massachusetts Congressional District 4, which is represented by Jake Auchincloss. The state's Senior (Class I) Senator is Elizabeth Warren, and the state's Junior (Class II) Senator, is Ed Markey.

Seekonk is governed by an Open Town Meeting led by a Board of Selectmen. The town has a central police station on Route 44, and a central post office at the corner of Routes 44 and 114A. The Seekonk Public Library is located near the center of town along Route 152. The town also has a branch of the YMCA.

Seekonk's current board of selectmen are: Justin Sullivan (Chairman), Christopher Zorra (Vice Chairman), Adam Petronio (Clerk), David J. Andrade, and Michael P. Healy. The current Town Administrator is Shawn E. Cadime.

Fire Department
The Seekonk Fire Department provides all fire and paramedic services to the town. The Department responded to 3,157 calls for emergency services in fiscal year 2017. There are 38 career firefighters, consisting of 4 groups of 9 firefighters. 2 Monday–Friday daytime Captains and Chief of the Department, Sandra J. Lowery.

The Fire Department operates the following stations and apparatus.

Education
Seekonk has its own public school system, with four active schools. The town has two elementary schools: Mildred H. Aitken Elementary School (serving the north and central parts of town), and George R. Martin Elementary School (serving the south). North Elementary School closed during the summer of 2006 after 95 years of service due to budget cuts. Dr. Kevin M. Hurley Middle School, named for a popular town educator, is located along Route 152 and serves the town's 6th through 8th grade population. Seekonk High School is located near the center of town. Seekonk athletics teams are nicknamed the "Warriors," and its school colors are Columbia blue, navy blue, and white though traditionally the school colors are Columbia blue and white. The school uses the "spear" logo made famous by Florida State University and, formerly, the Washington Redskins. Seekonk is the southernmost member of the Tri-County Regional Vocational Technical High School district, which is centered in Franklin. High school students may also choose to attend Bristol County Agricultural High School in Dighton, or any of a number of religious schools in the surrounding communities (the closest school in-state being Bishop Feehan High School in Attleboro).

Notable people

 * Jon Blais, also known as Blazeman, was an American triathlete noted for his fight against amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and is the namesake of the Blazeman Foundation
 * John Gregorek, former middle distance runner
 * John Gregorek Jr., middle distance runner
 * Bill Harley, musician, storyteller, and entertainer
 * Cristina Nardozzi, Miss Massachusetts USA 2005
 * Latroya Pina, Troy Pina and Jayla Pina, sibling swimmers who were selected to represent Cape Verde at the 2018 African Swimming Championships, the 2019 World Aquatics Championships, and the 2020 Summer Olympics
 * Ken Ryan, former Major League Baseball pitcher
 * Andrew Skurka, professional backpacker and National Geographic "Adventurer of the Year" 2007
 * Jason Swepson, American college football coach (Elon University, N.C. State, Boston College) and former player at Boston College

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

title: Seekonk, Massachusetts


text:
Smith Mills, Massachusetts

Smith Mills is a census-designated place (CDP) in the town of Dartmouth in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 4,760 at the 2010 census.

Geography
Smith Mills is located at 41.63972°N, -70.98444°W (41.639807, -70.984491).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 12.4 km$2$ (4.8 mi$2$), of which 12.3 km$2$ (4.7 mi$2$) is land and 0.2 km$2$ (0.1 mi$2$)  (1.46%) is water.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 4,432 people, 1,861 households, and 1,269 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 361.8/km$2$ (936.9/mi$2$). There were 1,931 housing units at an average density of 157.6/km$2$ (408.2/mi$2$). The racial makeup of the CDP was 95.62% White, 0.27% African American, 0.27% Native American, 1.06% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 1.31% from other races, and 1.42% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.33% of the population.

There were 1,861 households, out of which 27.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.9% were married couples living together, 15.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.8% were non-families. 27.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.87.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 21.0% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 24.3% from 25 to 44, 25.2% from 45 to 64, and 22.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.5 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $41,272, and the median income for a family was $50,558. Males had a median income of $40,558 versus $25,788 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $20,820. About 6.6% of families and 6.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.9% of those under age 18 and 3.3% of those age 65 or over.

title: Smith Mills, Massachusetts


text:
Erich von Hornbostel

Erich Moritz von Hornbostel (25 February 1877 – 28 November 1935) was an Austrian ethnomusicologist and scholar of music. He is remembered for his pioneering work in the field of ethnomusicology, and for the Sachs–Hornbostel system of musical instrument classification which he co-authored with Curt Sachs.

Life
Hornbostel was born in Vienna into a musical family. The House of Hornbostel is a Saxon nobility. He studied the piano, harmony and counterpoint as a child, but his PhD at the University of Vienna was in chemistry. He moved to Berlin, where he fell under the influence of Carl Stumpf and worked with him on musical psychology and psychoacoustics. He was Stumpf's assistant at the Berlin Psychological Institute, and when the archives of the Institute were used as the basis for the Berliner Phonogramm-Archiv, he became its first director in 1905. It was during his time there that he worked with Curt Sachs to produce the Sachs–Hornbostel system of musical instrument classification (published 1914).

In 1933, he was sacked from all his posts by the Nazi Party because his mother was a Jew. He moved first to Switzerland, then the United States, and finally to Cambridge in England, where he worked on an archive of non-European folk music recordings. He died there in 1935.

Contributions
Hornbostel did much work in the field of ethnomusicology, then usually referred to as comparative musicology. In 1906, he was in America to study the music and psychology of the Pawnee people, Native Americans in the state of Oklahoma; he had by that time already studied the native music of Tunisia and of South Sea Islanders.

Hornbostel's students include American composer Henry Cowell and the ethnomusicologist Klaus Wachsmann. Hornbostel specialized in African and Asian music, making many recordings and developing a system that facilitated the transcription of non-Western music from record to paper. He saw the musical tunings used by various cultural groups as an essential element in determining the character of their music, and did much work in comparing different tunings. A lot of this work has been criticized since, but in its time, this was a rarely explored area. Hornbostel also argued that music should be a part of more general anthropological research.

Hornbostel also contributed to the theory of binaural hearing, propose the theory of interaural time difference as the main cue, and developing sound localization devices (for finding the directions to artillery, aircraft, submarines, etc.) for the German war effort during World War I. With Max Wertheimer, he developed a directional listening device that they referred to as the Wertbostel.

Selected works

 * Hornbostel, Erich M. von. 1910. Über vergleichende akustische und musikpsychologische Untersuchungen. Beiträge zur Akustik und Musikwissenschaft 5: 143-167
 * Stumpf, C. and E. v. Hornbostel. 1911. Über die Bedeutung ethnologischer Untersuchungen für die Psychologie und Ästhetik der Tonkunst. Beiträge zur Akustik und Musikwissenschaft 6: 102-115
 * Hornbostel, E. v. 1913. Über ein akustisches Kriterium für Kulturzusammenhänge. Beiträge zur Akustik und Musikwissenschaft 7: 1-20
 * Erich M. v. Hornbostel and Curt Sachs: Systematik der Musikinstrumente. Ein Versuch. In: Zeitschrift für Ethnologie. Band 46, 1914, Heft 4–5, S. 553–590.
 * Beobachtungen über ein- und zweiohriges Hören. In: Zeitschrift für Psychologie und ihre Grenzwissenschaften. Band 4, 1923, S. 64–114.

title: Erich von Hornbostel


text:
Swansea, Massachusetts

Swansea is a town in Bristol County in southeastern Massachusetts, United States. It is located at the mouth of the Taunton River, just west of Fall River, 47 mi south of Boston, and 12 mi southeast of Providence, Rhode Island. The population was 17,144 at the 2020 census. The villages of Hortonville, Barneyville and Ocean Grove are located in the town.

Swansea is a part of the South Coast region of Massachusetts which encompasses the cities and towns that surround Buzzards Bay (excluding the Elizabeth Islands, Bourne and Falmouth), Mount Hope Bay and the Sakonnet River.

History
Swansea was named for the Welsh city of Swansea, which had been the hometown of some original settlers. John Miles, the founder of the first Baptist Church in Wales, moved to Swansea c. 1662. William Brenton had purchased the land from Native Americans. Parts of its territory were originally part of Rehoboth, Massachusetts.

In 1667 the first Baptist church in Massachusetts relocated to Swansea from Rehoboth after experiencing religious intolerance there, and Swansea was incorporated as an independent town. Initially, the town established a committee to assign rank of 1, 2, or 3 to the residents with the first getting 3 acres of land, the second 2, and the third 1. The committee could promote and demote residents as it saw fit. The system collapsed in 1681 when the committee voted to make five residents the highest rank and to make the rank hereditary. The town unanimously voted to abolish the system.

On June 20, 1675, the first Native American attack of King Philip's War had all 70 settlers confined to their stockade. The attack had taken place at the Miles Garrison, near the Palmer River. By June 25 the entire town had been burned, although a handful of the colonists escaped to Taunton. When the active war ended in 1676, the town was soon rebuilt. The Miles (or Myles) Garrison stood the test of time, but was demolished in the 1970s. The plot it was on remains overgrown, free from construction, and a commemorative marker was placed there by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in 1912.

After the war, many small industries, such as forges, ironworks and fisheries, opened up in the town. Many would later leave, and there remains a large agricultural sector.

What is now Barrington, Rhode Island (part of Massachusetts until 1747) was separated from the rest of Swansea in 1717, over religious differences.

In the late 1890s, trolleys connected the town to Providence, Fall River and Taunton, and the town has retained a suburban residential feel. Today Swansea is well known for its retail areas.

Swansea gained national attention in 1985 when Mark Hoyle, a young hemophiliac who had contracted AIDS through a blood transfusion, was allowed to attend public schools by Jack McCarthy, Superintendent of Schools. It was the first time in the U.S. that a student known to have the disease was allowed to enter public schools. The case came to national attention around the same time as that of Ryan White in Indiana, and helped many children with HIV attend schools throughout the country. Hoyle died one year later, and a new elementary school was named in his honor.

Geography
The town has a total area of 25.5 sqmi, of which 23.1 sqmi is land and 2.5 sqmi, or 9.67%, is water. The town is bordered by Dighton on the northeast, Somerset on the east, Mount Hope Bay on the south, Warren, Rhode Island, on the southwest, Barrington, Rhode Island, on the west, and Seekonk and Rehoboth to the north. Part of the town's border with Somerset is made up of the Lees River. The Cole, Kickemuit and Palmer rivers also pass through the town on their way south to Mount Hope Bay (for the Kickemuit, Cole and Lees rivers) and Narragansett Bay (for the Palmer). The entire town is a part of the Narragansett Bay watershed area. The town's neighborhoods include Barneyville, North Swansea, Swansea Village, Birch Swamp Corner, Hortonville, Luther Corner, South Swansea, Touissett, Ocean Grove, and Smokerise. Swansea is 12 mi southeast of Providence and 47 mi south of Boston.

Much of the town's retail businesses are located along the highways, with the area around the junction of U.S. Route 6 and Massachusetts Route 118 where the former Swansea Mall was located. Just north of the mall are several office complexes), doctor's offices and other offices. The area along Route 103 between the Lees River and the Cole River is also an area for retail, with many smaller businesses lining the road.

Outside of the retail area (as well as the densely populated neighborhoods of Ocean Grove, South Swansea and Smokerise), much of the area is rural.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 15,901 people, 5,888 households, and 4,539 families residing in the town. The population density was 689.4 PD/sqmi. There were 6,070 housing units at an average density of 263.2 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 97.91% White, 0.38% African American, 0.08% Native American, 0.36% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.27% from other races, and 1.00% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.60% of the population.

There were 5,888 households, out of which 31.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.6% were married couples living together, 8.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.9% were non-families. 19.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.06.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 22.2% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 28.4% from 25 to 44, 27.0% from 45 to 64, and 15.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.3 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $52,524, and the median income for a family was $60,567. Males had a median income of $40,056 versus $27,072 for females. The per capita income for the town was $21,776. About 3.4% of families and 4.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.9% of those under age 18 and 11.0% of those age 65 or over.

Government
On the state level, Swansea is a part of two state representative districts, the Fourth Bristol (including Rehoboth, Seekonk and part of Norton, Rep. Steve Howitt) and Fifth Bristol (including Dighton, Somerset and part of the city of Taunton, Rep. Patricia Haddad). The town is part of the First Bristol and Plymouth state senatorial district, which includes the communities of Fall River, Freetown, Lakeville, Rochester, Somerset and Westport, currently Senator Michael Rodrigues (D-Westport) represents Swansea. Swansea is patrolled by Troop D (Southeast District), 3rd (Dartmouth) Barracks of the Massachusetts State Police. On the national level, the town is part of Massachusetts's 4th congressional district, which is represented by Jake Auchincloss. The state's senior Senator is Elizabeth Warren and the state's junior Senator is Edward Markey.

The town is governed by Selectmen and an Administrator. Swansea also maintains the tradition of open Town Meetings. As of 2001, total property values are assessed at $980 million, and property taxes amount to $15 million. The town operates on a budget of approximately $10 million, which does not include another $13.5 million spent on schools.

The town has four fire stations (the Central station being in South Swansea, with branch stations in North Swansea, Central Swansea and Ocean Grove), one library, a single police station, and a new post office. The town has two playgrounds, as well as a town beach with a picnic area (near the mouth of the Cole), and the town conservation farm.

Secondary
The Swansea Public Schools serve the town, with four elementary schools (Joseph G. Luther Elementary School at Luther's Corner, Gardner Elementary School in the South Swansea-Ocean Grove neighborhood, Elizabeth S. Brown Elementary School near the town center, and Mark Hoyle Elementary School in North Swansea), as well as Joseph Case Junior High School and Joseph Case High School, both located in the town center. Case High School (as it is commonly known) has the school colors of maroon and gold, and its mascot is the Cardinal. High school students also have the option of attending Diman Regional Vocational Technical High School in Fall River, or Bristol County Agricultural High School in Dighton.

There are two Christian schools in town, and there are also local Catholic schools in nearby Warren and Fall River.

Post-secondary
Eastern Nazarene College offers Adult Studies/LEAD classes in Swansea.

Transportation
The town is bisected by Interstate 195, U.S. Route 6, and state routes 103, 118 and 136. Swansea has two exits off I-195 serving the town, Exit 2 (Route 136) and 3 (Route 6 to Route 118). In addition, Exit 4 (Route 103) in Somerset provides quick access to the Ocean Grove neighborhood.

Swansea is the western terminus of the Southeastern Regional Transit Authority (SRTA) bus line. Regional bus service can be reached in Fall River, and the nearest regional rail service is in Providence. The nearest national airline service can be reached at T. F. Green Airport in Rhode Island, and international service can be reached at Logan International Airport in Boston.

Notable people

 * Antone S. Aguiar Jr., politician
 * Benjamin Brown, politician
 * Benjamin Carpenter, military officer
 * Oliver Chace, businessman
 * Warren A. Cole, lawyer
 * Mark Anthony DeWolf, merchant
 * Bob Evans, wrestler
 * Joshua K. Ingalls, inventor
 * David Leite, writer
 * John Myles, founder of Swansea
 * David J. Place, politician
 * Cheryl Wheeler, musician
 * Thomas Willett, politician

title: Swansea, Massachusetts


text:
Taunton, Massachusetts

Taunton is a city and county seat of Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. Taunton is situated on the Taunton River, which winds its way through the city on its way to Mount Hope Bay, 10 mi to the south. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 59,408. Shaunna O'Connell is the mayor of Taunton.

Founded in 1637 by members of the Plymouth Colony, Taunton is one of the oldest towns in the United States. Taunton is also known as the "Silver City", as it was a historic center of the silver industry beginning in the 19th century when companies such as Reed & Barton, F. B. Rogers, Poole Silver, and others produced fine-quality silver goods in the city.

Since December 1914, the city of Taunton has provided a large annual light display each December on Taunton Green, giving it the additional nickname of the Christmas City.

The original boundaries of Taunton included the land now occupied by many surrounding towns, including Norton, Easton, Mansfield, Dighton, Raynham, Berkley, and Lakeville. Possession of the latter is still noted by the naming of Taunton Hill in Assonet.

Beginnings
Taunton was founded by settlers from England and officially incorporated as a town on September 3, 1639. Most of the town's settlers were originally from Taunton in Somerset, England, which led early settlers to name the settlement after that town. At the time of Taunton's incorporation, they explained their choice of name as being "in honor and love to our dear native country." Prior to 1640, the Taunton area was called Cohannet, Tetiquet or Titiquet.

The English founders of Taunton purchased the land from the Nemasket Natives in 1637 as part of the Tetiquet Purchase and the remaining native families were relocated to the praying town of Ponkapoag in present-day Canton, Massachusetts. Elizabeth Poole, contrary to local folklore, did not take part in the town purchase but was among its greatest benefactors and played a significant role in the founding of its church. Described as "the foundress of Taunton" and its matriarch, Poole "was accorded equality of rights, whether in the purchase of lands, [or] in the sharing of iron works holdings," having been a financier of the settlement's first dam and mill built for the manufacture of bar iron. Plymouth Colony was formally divided into counties on June 2, 1685, with Taunton becoming the shire town of Bristol County. The counties of Plymouth Colony were transferred to the Province of Massachusetts Bay on the arrival of its charter and governor on May 14, 1692. The Taunton area has been the site of skirmishes and battles during various conflicts, including King Philip's War and the American Revolution. Taunton was re-incorporated as a city on May 11, 1864.

Industrial legacy
In 1656, the first successful iron works in Plymouth Colony was established on the Two Mile River, in what is now part of Raynham. The Taunton Iron Works operated for over 200 years until 1876. It was the first of many iron industries in Taunton.

During the 19th century, Taunton became known as the "Silver City", as it was home to many silversmithing operations, including Reed & Barton, F.B. Rogers, the Poole Silver Company, and the Taunton Silverplate Company.

In the 19th century, Taunton was also the center of an important iron-making industry, utilizing much bog iron from the numerous swamps in the surrounding area. The iron industry in Taunton produced a variety of goods including stoves (Weir Stove Company/Glenwood), tacks (Field Tack Company) and machinery. One of the more successful companies during this period was the Mason Machine Works, founded by William Mason, which produced machinery for the textile industry, as well as steam locomotives. The Taunton Locomotive Works (begun in 1846) also operated in the city during this time.

Taunton was also home to several textile mills (Whittenton Mills) and other industries, such as felt (Bacon Felt) and brick making.

During the 19th century, Taunton was a major shipping point for grain from the inland rural farm areas of Massachusetts to the rest of the nation via Weir Village and the Taunton River. With the advent of the railroad, Taunton would also become an important transportation hub due to its central location.

The city formed the Taunton Municipal Light Plant (TMLP) in 1897, when it decided to purchase the floundering Taunton Electric Lighting Company, making it a publicly owned electric utility. Today, TMLP provides electric service to 34,000 customers in Taunton, Berkley, Raynham, and sections of Dighton, Lakeville and Bridgewater. TMLP is governed by a three-member Board of Commissioners, which is elected by the citizens of Taunton.

In the late 19th century, Taunton was a stop on the national bicycle racing circuit. In 1897, the 1 mi open event made news when third-place finisher W. E. Becker brutally attacked second-place winner Major Taylor, knocking him unconscious for fifteen minutes.

Twentieth century
Built in 1942, U.S. Army Camp Myles Standish was a departure point for over a million U.S. and allied military personnel bound for Europe during World War II. It also functioned as a prisoner of war camp housing German and Italian soldiers. While Camp Myles Standish was later closed in 1946, it was re-purposed as the Paul A Dever School which was a facility that housed mentally disabled persons. The school site of 220 acre was shut down in 1982. This portion was turned into an expansion scheme for the existing the Myles Standish Industrial Park, Taunton's north end, which is currently one of the largest in New England, covering an area over 800 acre. It services manufacturing, offices, high tech, and distribution centers.

The National Weather Service operates a regional weather forecast office that serves much of Massachusetts, all of Rhode Island, and most of northern Connecticut there. The National Weather Service also operates the Northeast River Forecast Center on the site, serving New England and most of New York state. Several major companies operate within the industrial park and in other parts of the city.

Twenty-first century
In October 2005, the Whittenton Pond Dam north of the downtown area threatened to fail following a week that brought 9 in of rain to the city. Over 2,000 city residents were evacuated, all downtown businesses were ordered closed and Mayor Robert Nunes issued a state of emergency. It is estimated that if the dam had failed, the Mill River would have inundated the downtown area with up to 6 ft of water. In response, Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney ordered an immediate inspection of high-risk dams throughout the Commonwealth.

In 2010, the historic Taunton City Hall was severely damaged in an arson fire. City government operated out of the former Lowell M. Maxham School on Oak Street for ten years, until the building was renovated and re-opened in September 2020.

In 2012 Taunton became the target location for a Wampanoag casino complex which was embroiled in conflict by competing regional bands of the Wampanoag over territory claims. The proposed casino resort complex location is adjacent to a local elementary school and the regional technical high school, generating protests by parent and teacher groups.

On June 10, 2012, the City of Taunton dedicated the Taunton Global War on Terrorism War Memorial on Church Green.

Taunton is home to a General Dynamics Mission Systems factory, which develops military communications equipment.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 125.4 sqkm, of which 120.1 sqkm is land and 4.4 sqkm, or 3.53%, is water. It is the third-largest city by area in Massachusetts, after Boston and Barnstable.

Taunton has one major river, the Taunton River, along with its tributaries, including the Mill River and the Three Mile River. The highest point in the city is near its southwest corner, with an elevation of 63 m above sea level. Prospect Hill, rising over Lake Sabbatia north of the downtown, has an elevation of 60 m.

Climate
According to the Köppen climate classification, Taunton has either a hot-summer humid continental climate (abbreviated Dfa), or a hot-summer humid sub-tropical climate (abbreviated Cfa), depending on the isotherm used.

Historic districts
There are nine designated historic districts within the city:
 * Bay Road Historic District, also known as Post Road. The road runs from Taunton to Boston. (1300 acres), 1 structure, 2 objects)
 * Bristol County Courthouse Complex (13 acres, three buildings)
 * Church Green Historic District, also known as Meetinghouse Common (160 acres, 18 buildings, one object)
 * Hopewell Mills District (120 acres, 13 buildings)
 * Old Bay Road Historic District, also known as The Post Road; The King's Highway (150 acres, 1 structure, three objects)
 * Reed and Barton Complex
 * Taunton Green Historic District (50 acres, 22 buildings, three objects)
 * Taunton State Hospital Historic District, also known as the Taunton Lunatic Asylum (1250 acres), 38 buildings, eight structures)

Due to the annexation of towns from the original town of Taunton, the city now is irregularly shaped, with it (along with neighboring Raynham) roughly making a triangle. The city is bordered by Norton to the northwest, Easton to the north, Raynham to the northeast, Middleborough to the east, Lakeville to the southeast, Berkley and Dighton to the south, and Rehoboth to the west.

City neighborhoods include the Bird Lanes, Clearview Estates, East Taunton, Elliot's Corner, Herring Run Estates, Linden Estates, Matthews Landing, North Taunton, Oakland, Pine Crest Estates, Pine Hill Estates, Wades Corner, Weir Village, Westville, Whittenton, Whittenton Junction, Britannia Village or Britanniaville, Willis Lake Village and Woodward Estates. Taunton is also home to almost the entirety of Massasoit State Park in East Taunton, and a large portion of the Hockomock Swamp Wildlife Management Area in North Taunton.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 55,874 people, 22,045 households, and 14,473 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,200.1 PD/sqmi. There were 22,908 housing units at an average density of 491.5 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 83.67% (79.7% Non-Hispanic) White, 4.84% African American, 0.26% Native American, 1.0% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 5.59% from other races, and 2.21% from two or more races. Persons of Hispanic or Latino ethnicity constituted 6.73% of the population.

The city of Taunton was very multi-cultural with peoples of different origins living within the city. 34% of the city was Luso-American. The biggest ethnic backgrounds people claimed were 23% Portuguese, 17% Irish, 9% English, 9% French, 8% Cape Verdean and 4% Puerto Rican. Most of Taunton's immigration occurred near the turn of the 1900s when immigrants came to work in the city's mills.

There were 22,045 households, out of which 32.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.0% were married couples living together, 15.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.3% were non-families. Of all households 28.2% were made up of individuals, and 9.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.09.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 24.9% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 33.2% from 25 to 44, 21.0% from 45 to 64, and 12.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.2 males.

Males had a median income of $36,895 versus $27,686 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,899. About 10.0% of families and 12.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.9% of those under age 18 and 11.3% of those age 65 or over.

Religion
Numerous religious groups exist within the city, including Roman Catholic, Protestant, and Jewish congregations. The First Parish Church, now a Unitarian Universalist church, located at Church Green at the east end of downtown, was founded in 1637, before the Town of Taunton was even established. The current church dates from 1830. The Pilgrim Congregational Church on Broadway was formed in 1821, its current church built in 1851. The city's oldest Roman Catholic parish, St. Mary's Church, is located further north at the intersection of Broadway and Washington Street, known as Saint Mary's Square. In the 1880s Jewish immigrants from Russia began to move to the town, and Congregation Agudath Achim was founded in 1911. The congregation is now an independent progressive synagogue.

Economy
Taunton's economy has historically been based on silversmithing and shipbuilding. Reed & Barton produced the 1996 Summer Olympics medals and silverware used exclusively for the White House. Also, the city produced the anchor for the USS Constitution. The nearby town of Raynham produced the anchor for the Civil War-era ironclad USS Monitor.

Today, the city's economy has emphases on semiconductor, silicon, and electronics manufacturing. It is home to the corporate headquarters of many leading corporations in various industries. Currently, the city is trying to attract biotechnology research companies to its industrial parks.

Silver City Galleria was a large shopping mall in Taunton catering to the local city and to the neighboring towns and cities of Raynham, Berkley, Rehoboth, Dighton, New Bedford, Fall River, Norton, Easton, Assonet, Acushnet, Bridgewater, Lakeville, Middleboro, and Freetown. It was open for 28 years, closing on February 29, 2020 and was demolished on May 9, 2021.

Public spaces
The Taunton Green is the city's central square. Early in its history, "The Green" was used as a training ground for militias in the American Revolution. Some say it was also the site of the historic "Liberty & Union"/"Taunton" flag raising in 1774 by the Sons of Liberty, prior to the American Revolution. Since the early 20th century, Taunton Green has temporarily been transformed during the winter holiday season into a grand display of holiday lights, scenes, and extravagant events. This is where and how the city earned its unofficial nickname in the surrounding areas as the "Christmas City."

"The Green" continues to provide a centralized location for citywide Christmas activities, other holidays, events, and parades for the citizens of Taunton. A fountain is located at the center of the Taunton Green. Always to be seen flapping together in emblematic unison, the "Liberty & Union" flag and the U.S. flag fly side by side on the flagpole at the city's center.

The city is served by a central public library, the Taunton Public Library, which opened in 1903 and has undergone several expansions and renovations since that time. Also of note is the Old Colony Historical Society, which archives the city and region's past.

The city is home to two state parks operated by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation: Massasoit State Park in East Taunton and Watson Pond State Park in the north part of the city.

Architecture
The city of Taunton has a wide array of architecture ranging from the colonial period to modern times. There are numerous pre-Revolutionary War private homes within the city, the oldest of which is the Joseph Willis House on Worcester Street, dating to about 1688. The city has over one hundred buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Perhaps the most impressive structure in the city is the towering Bristol County Superior Courthouse, built in 1894 and designed by Frank Irving Cooper. With its tall copper dome, the Superior Courthouse is visible from many surrounding areas. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. Currently, the Courthouse Complex is undergoing a major expansion and renovation program.

Other significant buildings in the city include some fine stone churches, including the First Parish Church (1830), the Pilgrim Congregational Church (1851) and St. Mary's Church (1868) on Broadway.

Downtown Taunton has a number of historic commercial blocks along Main Street, Taunton Green and Broadway, built during the period from about 1840 to 1920.

Many large homes built by the wealthy industrialists and merchants of the late 19th and early 20th century line Route 44, both east (Dean Street) and west (Winthrop Street) of the city center, while a majority of the city is occupied by more modest wood-framed single and multi-family homes, many over 100 years old. Modern single-family subdivisions, built mostly since the 1950s, exist on the outskirts of the sprawling city.

The Central Fire Station at 50 School Street is recognized as the oldest functioning station house in the United States. The historic Taunton City Hall is located adjacent to Church Green.

Museums and galleries
One of New England's oldest historical societies, the Old Colony Historical Society is located on picturesque Church Green. Founded in 1853, the Society maintains a museum of regional objects, houses a research library specializing in local history and genealogy, and hosts arts and cultural events throughout the year.

Taunton has four art galleries: Taunton Art Association (John Baradas Gallery), Hughes/Donahue Gallery, Art Euphoric, and the Trescott Street Gallery. The Taunton Art Association was founded in 1973 but had it roots in the Girl's Club in the early 1960s. Hughes/Donahue Gallery, founded in 2007, is a local community gallery serving local Taunton artists, as well as the surrounding areas of Southeastern Massachusetts and the cities of Providence, Rhode Island, and Washington, DC. Art Euphoric, founded in 2008, has both visual and craft exhibits and sales. The Trescott Street Gallery, founded in 2012, is primarily a visual-arts gallery but also exhibits crafts.

Film
In March 2008, Hollywood director Martin Scorsese filmed a portion of the film Shutter Island starring Leonardo DiCaprio in Taunton on location at the Whittenton Mills Complex. Surrogates, starring Bruce Willis, was partly filmed in the city, at the old Paul Dever school.

Government
As the seat of Bristol County, Taunton is home to many of the county's courthouses and administrative offices. These include the Taunton District Court, Bristol County Register of Deeds, and historic Bristol County Superior Courthouse.

Taunton has a mayor–council government system in which the mayor, who is elected every two years, has executive power. The incumbent mayor, Shaunna O'Connell, became mayor of Taunton in January 2020. She is the first female mayor elected in Taunton's history. O'Connell's predecessor, Thomas Hoye Jr., resigned after being appointed Bristol County Register of Probate by Governor Charlie Baker.

There has been some controversy regarding Hoye's appointment. The announcements of Hoye's appointment and O'Connell's mayoral campaign occurred simultaneously, just one day before nomination papers for public office were due. Various journalists and elected officials regarded Hoye's appointment as a "backroom deal" devised by Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito to give O'Connell better chances of being elected mayor.

The Taunton City Council is the legislative branch of government in Taunton. It is made up of nine members who represent the city at-large. Taunton residents may vote for a maximum of nine City Council candidates during municipal elections; the nine candidates with the most votes become councilors. Councilors are elected to two-year terms, and there is no limit on the number of terms an individual councilor may serve. Despite officially being nonpartisan, the de facto composition of the City Council consists of six Republicans and three Democrats as of 2022. The leader of the City Council is the president, with the position rotating annually. Rather than being elected by the City Council, the most senior member of the City Council who has not yet served as president is given the title.

In addition to the City Council, there are four committees whose members are elected by voters to two-year terms: The School Committee, Zoning Board of Appeals, Planning Board, and TMLP Commission. Taunton has numerous other commissions and departments whose members are appointed by the mayor and subsequently confirmed or rejected by the City Council, e.g. the Airport Commission and Historic District Commission.

Taunton is represented in the Massachusetts House of Representatives by three representatives: Carol Doherty (D-Third Bristol), Pat Haddad (D-Fifth Bristol), and Norm Orrall (R-Twelfth Bristol). Taunton is represented in the Massachusetts Senate by Marc Pacheco (D-First Plymouth and Bristol). Federally, Taunton is a part of Massachusetts' 4th congressional district, which is represented by Jake Auchincloss. Taunton, like the rest of Massachusetts, is represented in the U.S. Senate by Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey.

Taunton is the hometown of many prominent political figures. Robert Treat Paine, a long-time Taunton resident, was a signer of the Declaration of Independence and the first Attorney General of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Democratic political consultant Stephanie Cutter and former governor Marcus Morton also hail from Taunton.

Taunton has been visited by twelve former U.S. presidents. Notably, Abraham Lincoln campaigned for Zachary Taylor in Taunton before the 1848 presidential election, twelve years before Lincoln was elected president himself. Most recently, Bill Clinton campaigned at Friedman Middle School ahead of Super Tuesday for Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign.

Camp Myles Standish, a former prisoner of war camp and welcoming area for a million Allied soldiers during World War II, was once a candidate site for the United Nations' headquarters.

Education
Education in Taunton ranges from preschool through post-secondary education.

Public primary and secondary
Taunton has nine public elementary schools and three public middle schools.

Elementary schools

 * Edmund Hatch Bennett Elementary School
 * East Taunton Elementary School
 * Harold H. Galligan Elementary School
 * Hopewell Elementary School
 * Edward F. Leddy PreSchool
 * Joseph C. Chamberlain Elementary School
 * Elizabeth Pole Elementary School
 * Mulcahey Elementary School (formerly Mulcahey Middle School)

Middle schools

 * Benjamin A. Friedman Middle School
 * Joseph H. Martin Middle School
 * John F. Parker Middle School

High schools
Taunton has three public high schools: Taunton High School, Taunton Alternative High School, and Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical School.

Closed former schools in Taunton include:
 * Lowell M. Maxham Elementary School (closed in June 2010)
 * Walker Elementary School (closed in June 2010)
 * Pole Elementary School (closed 2007)
 * Leonard Elementary School (closed 2009)
 * Barnum School (closed 2013)
 * Cohannet Middle School (closed in June 2000)
 * Summer Street School

Private schools
The city has one Catholic school of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fall River, Our Lady of Lourdes School, in Weir Village, serving grades Pre-K–8.

Taunton formerly had one Catholic middle-high school, Coyle and Cassidy School. Prior to 2014 it had only high school and a separate Taunton Catholic Middle School provided middle school, but that year the two merged into the Coyle and Cassidy building. Coyle and Cassidy closed in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and merged into Connolly, but Connolly did not take Coyle and Cassidy's middle school students, who were instead directed to Our Lady of Lourdes School.

It also formerly housed St. Mary's Primary School, a Catholic elementary which opened in 1908. It was previously known as St. Mary's School and St. Mary's Elementary School. c. 2008 its enrollment was about 266; this fell to 133 in 2018. The school closed that year. Principal Michael O'Brien stated that the state of the physical plant was one factor in the school's closure. The school did not have an elevator. In addition to the physical plant factor, the diocese also no longer wished to cover the school's expenses. In 2018 it was $500,000 in debt for salaries and other items, and it also had a $1.5 million debt for 2006–2014 medical/dental insurance costs.

Higher education
Taunton is home to a satellite campus of Bristol Community College, which is located at the (former) Taunton Catholic Middle School. In addition, the city houses career schools such as the Rob Roy Academy beauty school. Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical School offers adult education classes.

Television and radio
Taunton has local Public, educational, and government access (PEG) cable TV channels which include the Public-access television Taunton Community Access and Media, Inc. (Comcast Channel 15; Verizon 22), Educational television Taunton Educational Network (Comcast Channel 9; Verizon 23) which is run by the Taunton High School TV Studio and Government-access television Taunton Municipal Network (Comcast Channel 17; Verizon 24). Comcast's Taunton system carries all Providence and Boston stations as well and both markets are available over-the-air. The two radio stations based in Taunton are AM 1530/ 99.7 FM WVBF (licensed to nearby Middleborough Center), which features local programming and the Talking Information Center out of Marshfield, a non-profit radio station serving the blind and print impaired population of Massachusetts; and WSNE-FM 93.3, which primarily serves the Providence radio market and has its studios in the city of Providence.

From 1949 until 2007, Taunton was also served by local radio station WPEP-AM 1570. However the station was silenced with the upgrade of Keating Wilcox's station also on 1570, in Beverly, Massachusetts. The city is now served by AM 1530/99.7 FM WVBF. Since August 2019, the station has been owned by Dean of the State Senate Marc R. Pacheco of Taunton, and programmed by longtime New England radio veteran Chris Keach, who started work at the station in 2010 when it was owned by Steven Callahan and managed by Tony Lopes. The AM signal now broadcasts with 5000 watts of power, and covers a large portion of Eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

Newspapers
Taunton is served by several publications including the Silver City Bulletin, Brockton Enterprise, and the Taunton Daily Gazette. Regional papers of importance such as the Boston Globe, Boston Herald, and Providence Journal, are also widely available.

Internet
Some of the major Internet providers in Taunton are Comcast, EarthLink, SBC Yahoo! Dial, and Verizon. The Taunton Municipal Lighting Plant (TMLP), Taunton's electric company, is also an Internet service provider for the city and its surrounding towns.

Fire department
Taunton has 127 firefighters on the Taunton Fire Department (TFD). The TFD currently operates out of five fire stations, located throughout the city, and operates a fire apparatus fleet of five engines, three ladders, one brush unit, one dive rescue unit, two fireboats, and several other special, support, and reserve units. The current Chief of Department is Timothy J. Bradshaw.

Healthcare and utilities

Taunton is home to the Morton Hospital and Medical Center, located on Washington Street, just north of the city center.

Taunton State Hospital is a psychiatric hospital located on Hodges Avenue. One of its historic old buildings had to be demolished after it was severely damaged by fire in 2006. This hospital is now one of the very few mental health hospitals in Massachusetts for longer-term in-patient care of psychiatric patients.

Electricity is provided to residents by the Taunton Municipal Lighting Plant (TMLP), located in the south end. The city has a municipal water system, with a treatment plant and water supply in nearby Lakeville, as well as a public sewer system with a treatment plant on West Water Street in the south end of the city, discharging into the Taunton River.

Transportation
The Taunton Railway began in 1838 as the main rail transportation system, both industrial and passenger, connecting Taunton with points south, east, north, and west, including New Bedford and Cape Cod, Fall River and Newport, Somerset and Providence, Attleboro and Providence, Mansfield and Boston, Stoughton and Boston, Raynham, Middleborough and Wareham as time went on.

Taunton is the central highway hub of southeastern Massachusetts. Much of the eastern parts of the state's major highways intersect and/or run through the city, especially at its center. US 44, MA 138, and MA 140 intersect at Taunton Green, the square at Taunton's center. MA 140 is also accessible from the eastern neighborhood of the city, popularly referred to as "East Taunton." Additionally, MA 24 and MA 140 intersect near East Taunton, and it is at that junction that Route 140 ceases to be a two-lane divided freeway from the south and becomes a smaller state highway to the north. Interstate 495 runs through the northern portion of Taunton, unofficially referred to as "North Taunton", and parallel to Myles Standish Industrial Park, Taunton's main industrial park.

Various smaller routes run through other parts of the city. These include a small portion of MA 104, close to the Taunton-Raynham city limits, and MA 79, close to the Taunton-Berkley-Lakeville (Plymouth County) city-town-county limits. Taunton is the western terminus of MA 104. It merges into US 44 after entering the city.

Several CSX freight rails pass through the city on their way towards Fall River, New Bedford and a link-up with the line in Middleborough. The phased South Coast Rail project is planned to extend MBTA Commuter Rail service through Taunton and to the cities of Fall River and New Bedford. Phase I of the project is currently under construction and is due to be completed by late 2023, it will extend the current Middleborough/Lakeville Line to Fall River and New Bedford via a station stop in East Taunton, but no stop in Downtown Taunton. Phase II of the project is proposed to be built by 2030, and would extend the current Stoughton Line south through Easton, Raynham, and a stop near Downtown Taunton on Dean Street, before joining the route of Phase I. The Greater Attleboro Taunton Regional Transit Authority, or GATRA, provides bus mass transit.

Taunton has its own municipal airport, serving mostly smaller craft and occasional commuter jets. The nearest airport with national airline service is T.F. Green Airport in Rhode Island, and the nearest international service is at Logan International Airport in Boston.

Sister cities
Taunton is a sister city of:
 * Taunton, Somerset, England, United Kingdom
 * 🇵🇹 Angra do Heroismo, Terceira, Azores, Portugal
 * 🇵🇹 Lagoa (Azores), Sao Miguel, Azores, Portugal

title: Taunton, Massachusetts


text:
Westport, Massachusetts

Westport (Massachusett: Acoaxet ) is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 16,339 at the 2020 census.

The village of North Westport lies in the town. Other named areas of the town are "Westport Point," which has a dock on the Westport River where Main Road meets the river; "Central Village" with town offices, retail stores and businesses; "Head of Westport" at the head of the east branch of the river; and the area referred to either as "Acoaxet" or "Westport Harbor," which is between the west branch of the river and Rhode Island. This area is cut off from the rest of Massachusetts by water and Rhode Island.

Westport is a part of the South Coast region of Massachusetts which encompasses the cities and towns that surround Buzzards Bay (excluding the Elizabeth Islands, Bourne and Falmouth), Mount Hope Bay and the Sakonnet River.

History
Westport was so named because it was the westernmost port in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. It was first settled by English colonists in 1670 as a part of Old Dartmouth by members of the Sisson family. The river, and the land around it, was called "Coaksett" in the original deed; the name, now spelled "Acoaxet," now refers to the southwestern community along the western branch of the Westport River.

Like many areas in the region, Westport was affected by Wampanoag raiding parties during King Philip's War. Several small mills were built along the Westport River, adding to its prosperity. In 1787, the growing town, along with the town of New Bedford, seceded from Dartmouth.

During the late 18th century and into the early 19th century, Paul Cuffee and his wife settled in the town. He was a Quaker businessman, sea captain, patriot, and abolitionist who developed a shipyard on the banks of the Westport River. Of Wampanoag and Ashanti ancestry, Cuffee became one of the richest free man of color in the United States at the time. He later helped the effort to resettle freed blacks to Sierra Leone in West Africa.

Several cotton mills operated along the river, the largest of which was at the junction of the river with Lake Noquochoke on the Dartmouth town line. The Macomber turnip traces its ancestry to seeds brought to Westport from the 1876 Centennial Exposition. During the Second World War, a coastal defense installation was raised on Gooseberry Island. The town is now mostly residential, with a large farming community. Horseneck Beach State Reservation, located to the north and west of Gooseberry Island, is a popular summer destination for many in the area.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 64.4 sqmi, of which 50.1 sqmi is land and 14.3 sqmi, or 22.27%, is water. The majority of that water area is from the Watuppa Ponds along the border with Fall River, as well as Westport Harbor, where the two branches of the Westport River meet before emptying into Rhode Island Sound. Westport is bordered by Fall River to the northwest and west, Dartmouth to the east, Rhode Island Sound to the south, and Little Compton, and Adamsville, and Tiverton, Rhode Island, to the west. Westport is approximately 30 mi southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, and approximately 60 mi south of Boston.

There are several unofficial localities within town: Head of Westport, South Westport, Westport Point, Central Village, North Westport (known in former times as Westport Factory) and Westport Harbor which is also often called Acoaxet, an early name. Because of the west branch of the Westport River, Acoaxet is inaccessible by land except by passing through Adamsville, Rhode Island.

Climate
Winter: Seasonal effects begin in mid-December and end in mid-March. The snowiest times of the winter season are in January and February. Temperatures average highs in the 30s and lows in the 20s. The coldest time of the year in Westport occurs during January, in which residents can see temperature plummet into the teens and single digits.

Spring: Seasonal effects of spring begin in the end of March and end in mid-May, with mostly rain in March and April and sun/rain in May. Temperatures average with highs in the 50s/60s, and lows in the 40s/50s.

Summer: Seasonal effects begin in the end of May and end in mid-September, with mostly sunny conditions. Hurricanes/tropical storms usually hit or come close to Westport during late August and September. Temperatures average with highs in the 80s, and lows in the 60s and 70s. The hottest time of the year in Westport occurs in mid-July where temperatures can climb to highs in the 90s.

Fall/ Autumn: Seasonal effects begin in the end of September and end in the beginning of December with mostly sunny crisp, cool days. Temperatures range from 50s during the day, and 30s/40s at night.

Hurricanes: Tropical systems occasionally hit Westport or come close to Westport. The most favorable period for tropical systems in Westport are in mid to late August and during the month of September. The last tropical system to hit Westport was Hurricane Sandy on October 29, 2012, which hit the town at about 70 mph and brought powerful gusts and periods of heavy rain to the area. The storm disrupted power for many across the town, however, much of Westport's service was restored within a day.

Transportation
The town is accessible via Interstate 195, U.S. Route 6, and Massachusetts Route 177, which has its eastern terminus at its intersection at Route 6, on the eastern edge of Westport. Massachusetts Route 88, the longest state highway in Massachusetts to be entirely located within one town, serves as an access from I-195 (at exit 10) to Horseneck Beach State Reservation.

There is bus service along Route 6 provided by the Southeastern Regional Transit Authority (SRTA). During the summer, service is extended to Horseneck Beach. Regional bus service can be reached in Fall River, and regional rail service can be reached in Middleborough/ Lakeville, and in Providence. Plans have been in the works to bring South Coast Rail service to Fall River, and New Bedford, and is set to be completed in 2024. The nearest airport is New Bedford Regional Airport, 8 mi away. National airline service can be reached at T. F. Green Airport in Warwick, Rhode Island, 36 mi away.

Construction of two MBTA commuter rail stations is currently underway in the adjacent city of Fall River as part of the South Coast Rail project. Upon completion, these will offer railway connections from the south coast to cities including Taunton, Brockton, Braintree, and Boston.

A short segment of railway, officially known as the North Dartmouth Industrial railroad and informally referred to as the Watuppa Branch, passes through northern Westport before terminating near Massachusetts Route 88. The track runs from Westport through Dartmouth and into New Bedford, where is connects with the New Bedford Secondary. The primary operator of freight rail in Westport is Bay Colony Railroad, which operates along the Watuppa Branch and interchanges with Massachusetts Coastal Railroad in New Bedford.

Government
On the state level, Westport is located in the Eighth Bristol state representative district, which includes parts of Fall River and is represented by Representative Paul Schmid (D-Westport). The town is also represented by Senator Michael Rodrigues (D-Fall River), Assistant Majority Leader in the state senate in the First Bristol and Plymouth district, which also includes Fall River, Freetown, Rochester, Somerset and Swansea. On the national level, the town is part of Massachusetts's 9th congressional district, which is represented by William R. Keating. The state's senior Senator, elected in 2012, is Elizabeth Warren. The other senator is Ed Markey, who elected in 2013. Westport is patrolled by the Westport Police Department along with the 3rd (Dartmouth) Barracks of Troop D of the Massachusetts State Police. In the November United States Election of 2012, 59% voted for Barack Obama, and 39% voted for Mitt Romney, with the new Massachusetts state senator, Elizabeth Warren edging out former Senator Scott Brown in the election.

Westport is governed by an open town meeting, led by a five-member board of selectmen. The police department is located directly East of the fire department on hixbridge rd. Westport has a full-time fire department, (which also has on-call firefighters). The two fire stations are located in the north end (on Briggs Rd.) and in the south end (on Hix Bridge Rd). The fire department also staffs two Advanced Life Support ambulances 24 hours a day. There are four post offices for the town's two ZIP codes; The main post office on Route 6, a smaller branch (on Old County Rd.) at the Head of Westport, and the branch (on Adamsville Rd.) in Central Village serve the ZIP code 02790, while the 02791 ZIP code (Westport Point) is served by the Central Village station and at the point itself, on Main Rd. The town's library, the Westport Free Public Library, is located next to Westport Middle School, directly west of the Head of Westport.

Education
Westport has its own school system. There are three schools: Alice A. Macomber School, which provides pre-school (pre-kindergarten), and kindergarten; Westport Elementary School, near the Head of Westport, which serves grades 1-4; and Westport Middle/High School, which serves grades 5–12 (5-8 as Westport Middle School and 9-12 as Westport High School). Students who graduate from Westport High School with enough credits in certain fields of study will earn special academy certificates, in addition to their high school diplomas. This was modeled after University-style degrees.

Their team name is the Westport Wildcats who have won multiple championships in the Mayflower League. The Wildcats are one of the few teams in the Mayflower League who have won multiple championships in every sport. Their mascot is the Wildcat, and their colors are brown, white and yellow (a legacy of when Westport was in a different league that used Ivy League colors—Westport using brown and white after Brown University). The school is a member of the Mayflower League, and competes against mostly division 3 and 4 schools in the region.

Westport High School graduated 94% of its class in 2013.

In addition to their schools, incoming high school students may choose to attend Diman Regional Vocational Technical High School in Fall River or Bristol County Agricultural High School in Dighton, free of charge. Juniors and Seniors may opt to take college classes at UMass Dartmouth in Dartmouth or Bristol Community College in Fall River to earn both high school and college credits. Internships and independent study are offered as well.

There is one private school in the town, Montessori School of the Angels, which serves grades 1–8, located in the Westport Factory neighborhood. It was formerly known as Saint Joseph's Montessori, and was located in Fall River; the school building itself was formerly Saint George's School, which closed due to lack of funding and declining attendance. Many students also attend private and charter schools in Fall River and Dartmouth, including Bishop Connolly High School in Fall River and Bishop Stang High School in North Dartmouth.

Demographics
As of the census of 2010, there were 15,532 people, 5,386 households, and 4,082 families residing in the town. The population density was 283.4 PD/sqmi. There were 6,143 housing units at an average density of 122.7 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 98.01% White, 0.17% African American, 0.14% Native American, 0.49% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.37% from other races, and 0.79% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.69% of the population.

There were 5,386 households in Westport, of which 29.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.9% were married couples living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.2% were non-families. 19.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.01.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 21.6% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 28.0% from 25 to 44, 29.0% from 45 to 64, and 14.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.2 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $55,436, and the median income for a family was $64,568. Males had a median income of $41,890 versus $30,921 for females. The per capita income for the town was $25,281. About 3.7% of families and 4.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.5% of those under age 18 and 7.9% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

 * Thomas Church Brownell (1779–1865), founder of Trinity College
 * Paul Cuffee, businessman
 * Ruby Devol Finch, watercolorist
 * Black Francis, Songwriter, lead singer, drummer, and rhythm guitarist of the Pixies
 * Allen Levrault, former Major League Baseball Player (Milwaukee Brewers from 2001–2003, and the Florida Marlins in 2003)
 * Wendi Nix, ESPN College Football, and NFL analyst
 * Edwin Slade, Wisconsin State Assemblyman and businessman

title: Westport, Massachusetts