text:
Hardwick, Massachusetts

Hardwick is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States, about 20 mi northwest of the city of Worcester. It had a population of 2,667 at the 2020 census. It includes the villages of Hardwick, Gilbertville, Wheelwright and Old Furnace.

History
Hardwick was first settled in 1737 and was officially incorporated in 1739, named in honor of Philip Yorke, Lord Hardwicke, an English nobleman. In 1762, General Timothy Ruggles, one of the leading Tories of New England, introduced the Hardwick Fair, now the oldest annual fair in the United States. During the late 1800s, Hardwick experienced an expansion of its manufacturing industry, textile and paper mills, both of which left the area by the 1930s. The town has retained its agricultural roots, a long-standing tradition in the region. Hardwick is the home of Eagle Hill School, founded in 1967.

Geography and transportation
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 40.8 sqmi, of which 38.6 sqmi is land and 2.2 sqmi, or 5.51%, is water. Hardwick was one of the towns which gained lands (though lost some land area) by the building of the Quabbin Reservoir. The reservoir's waters extend into the town along the former East Branch of the Swift River, which once ran through the northwest corner of town. Due to the disincorporation of the towns which the Quabbin Reservoir and its reservation lands now lie on, Hardwick gained a small portion of the former town of Greenwich along the northwestern corner of town, though it is the smallest portion of land gained by any of the towns surrounding the reservoir. The town lies along the edge of the former Swift River Valley, with Muddy Brook and the former East Branch of the Swift River draining the western part of town, and the Ware River draining the eastern portion. The lands along the Ware, especially in the far eastern part of town, are marshy. The town has some open areas, and a portion of the lands not already protected as part of the Quabbin Reservation are part of the Muddy Brook Wildlife Management Area.

Hardwick lies along the western edge of Worcester County, bordered by Hampshire County to the southwest. It is bordered by Petersham to the northwest, Barre to the northeast, New Braintree to the southeast and Ware to the southwest. From its town center, Hardwick lies 24 mi west-northwest of Worcester, 31 mi northeast of Springfield, and 64 mi west of Boston.

Hardwick has no interstates or limited access highways within town, lying approximately halfway between Interstate 90, also known as the Massachusetts Turnpike, to the south and Route 2 to the north. The southern neighborhood of Gilbertville is the location of the intersection of Route 32 and the southern terminus of Route 32A, with Route 32 coming from Ware heading northeast towards Barre, and Route 32A heading due north through the town's center towards the center of Petersham, where its northern end lies. The Massachusetts Central Railroad line passes through the town from Palmer towards Barre, roughly following the path of Route 32. It does not carry passenger rail, however, not having done so since the early twentieth century. The nearest private airport is the Tanner-Hiller Airport in New Braintree, and the nearest national air service can be reached at Bradley International Airport in Connecticut.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,622 people, 997 households, and 689 families residing in the town. The population density was 67.9 PD/sqmi. There were 1,086 housing units at an average density of 28.1 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 97.79% White, 0.53% African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.11% Asian, 0.19% from other races, and 1.22% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.88% of the population.

There were 997 households, out of which 34.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.4% were married couples living together, 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.8% were non-families. 25.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.08.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 28.0% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 28.6% from 25 to 44, 22.7% from 45 to 64, and 13.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 94.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.0 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $45,742, and the median income for a family was $54,667. Males had a median income of $37,763 versus $30,057 for females. The per capita income for the town was $20,824. About 5.5% of families and 7.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.7% of those under age 18 and 10.9% of those age 65 or over.

Education
Hardwick is part of the Quabbin Regional School District, along with Barre, Hubbardston, New Braintree, and Oakham. Elementary School Students attend Hardwick Elementary School from grades K–6, middle school students attend Quabbin Regional Middle School from grades 7–8, and high school students attend Quabbin Regional High School from grades 9–12. Hardwick is also part of the Pathfinder Regional Vocational-Technical High School District, comprising Belchertown, Granby, Hardwick, Oakham, Monson, New Braintree, Palmer, Ware, and Warren.

Library
The public library in Hardwick was established in 1892. In fiscal year 2008, the town of Hardwick spent 1.58% ($64,023) of its budget on its public library—approximately $24 per person. In fiscal year 2017, the town budget provided the library with 1.16 percent of the total budget, or $26.18 per year for each resident.

A library in the Village of Gilbertville was constructed in 1911 to replace a library housed over one of the nearby Gilbert Company mills. The Gilbertville Library was dedicated on March 29, 1913, by Association President, Charles A. Ware, who acknowledged the library being given by E.H. Gilbert.

The building today retains most of its original design. The only significant change occurred when a barrier-free entrance was added. This new entryway, completed in 2002, was designed to complement the charm and beauty of the original plan. The library is funded through donations, fundraising by the Association and town funds.

Notable people

 * Adeliza Perry, Civil War nurse, writer, educator, born in Hardwick
 * Jonathan Robinson, United States Senator from Vermont
 * Moses Robinson, Governor of Vermont
 * Carrie Stevens, model
 * Squire Whipple, engineer

title: Hardwick, Massachusetts


text:
Harvard, Massachusetts

Harvard is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The town is located 25 miles west-northwest of Boston, in eastern Massachusetts. It is mostly bounded by I-495 to the east and Route 2 to the north. A farming community settled in 1658 and incorporated in 1732, it has been home to several non-traditional communities, such as Harvard Shaker Village and the utopian transcendentalist center Fruitlands. It is also home to St. Benedict Abbey, a traditional Catholic monastery, and for over seventy years was home to Harvard University's Oak Ridge Observatory, at one time the most extensively equipped observatory in the Eastern United States. It is now a rural and residential town noted for its public schools. The population was 6,851 at the 2020 census.

History
Europeans first settled in what later became Harvard in the 17th century, along a road connecting Lancaster with Groton that was formally laid out in 1658. They settled on land purchased from Nashaway sachems Sholan and his nephew George Tahanto. There were few inhabitants until after King Philip's War, in which Groton and Lancaster were attacked and substantially destroyed. Over the next 50 years the population grew until it had reached a point adequate to support a church. A new town including parts of Lancaster, Groton, and Stow was incorporated in 1732, subject to the proviso that the inhabitants "Settle a learned and Orthodox Minister among them within the space of two years and also erect an House for the publick Worship of God." It is uncertain how the town obtained its name, though the Willard family, among the first settlers and the largest proprietors in the new town, had several connections to Harvard College. According to The Harvard Crimson, Josiah Willard named the town after Harvard College, which he had attended, because the articles of incorporation had left the town unnamed. The first minister was Rev. John Seccombe, serving from 1733 to 1757.

In 1734, the town was considered to have five districts or villages. These were Oak Hill, Bare Hill, Still River, Old Mill, and Shabikin, present day Devens.

One notable early enterprise based in Harvard was the Benjamin Ball Pencil Company, which produced some of the first writing instruments made in the United States. They operated in the Old Mill district from 1830 to 1860. Despite this and other limited manufacturing, the town economy was primarily based on agriculture until the middle of the 20th century. This past is most prominently visible in the number of apple orchards. These apple orchards produce many apple products every year the most notable being apple cider. It is now mostly a residential "bedroom community" for workers at companies in Boston and its suburbs. Harvard has had a relatively quiet history, but has attracted several "non-traditional" communities that have given its history some flavor.

The Shakers
One part of town is the site of Harvard Shaker Village, where a utopian religious community was established. During a period of religious dissent, a number of Harvard residents, led by Shadrack Ireland, abandoned the Protestant church in Harvard. In 1769, they built a house that later became known as the Square House. Not long after Ireland's death in 1778, the Shaker Founder Mother Ann Lee met with this group in 1781 and the group joined her United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing, or Shakers. It was the first Shaker settlement in Massachusetts and the second settlement in the United States. The Harvard Shaker Village Historic District is located in the vicinity of Shaker Road, South Shaker Road, and Maple Lane. At its largest, the Shakers owned about 2,000 acres of land in Harvard. By 1890, the Harvard community had dwindled to less than 40, from a peak of about 200 in the 1850s. In 1917 the Harvard Shaker Village was closed and sold. Only one Shaker building is open to the public, at Fruitlands Museum; the remaining surviving buildings are in private ownership. Nationally, 19 Shaker communities had been established in the 1700s and 1800s, mostly in northeastern United States. Community locations ranged from Maine to Kentucky and Indiana. The Shakers were renowned for plain architecture and furniture, and reached its national peak membership in the 1840s and 1850s. The Shaker community's practice of celibacy meant that to maintain its population, it was always necessary to have new outsiders join. The improving employment opportunities provided by the Industrial Revolution would over the middle decades of the 1800s diminish the attractions of joining the Shaker community. Today, only one church "society" remains open, run by the last Shakers at Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village in New Gloucester, Maine.

Fruitlands

Amos Bronson Alcott relocated his family, including his ten-year-old daughter, Louisa May Alcott, to Harvard in June 1843. He and Charles Lane attempted to establish a utopian transcendentalist socialist farm called Fruitlands on the slopes of Prospect Hill in Harvard. The experimental community only lasted 7 months, closing in January 1844. Fruitlands, so called "because the inhabitants hoped to live off the fruits of the land, purchasing nothing from the outside world", saw visits from the likes of Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson. Louisa May Alcott used her experience at Fruitlands as an inspiration for her novel Little Women.

Clara Endicott Sears, whose Prospect Hill summer estate, The Pergolas, restored Fruitlands and opened it as a museum in 1914. On the grounds of Fruitlands Museum there is also a Shaker house, which was relocated there from Harvard's Shaker Village by Sears in 1920. It is the first Shaker museum ever established in the United States. In addition, Sears opened a gallery on the property dedicated to Native American history. Sears became interested in Native Americans after Nipmuck arrowheads were found around her property on Prospect Hill, which the Nipmuck Indians had called Makamacheckamucks.

Originally, Sears' Fruitlands property spanned 458 acre, but in 1939, 248 acre were seized by eminent domain for expansion of Fort Devens. As of 2010, that land is now part of the Oxbow National Wildlife Refuge.

Fiske Warren Tahanto Enclave
Fiske Warren, a follower of Henry George, attempted to establish a single tax zone in Harvard in 1918. The enclave bought up land (previously owned by the recently disbanded Shaker community) communally and attempted to manage the land according to George's principles. The enclave disbanded shortly after Warren died in 1938. His house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1996.

St. Benedict Center
Father Leonard Feeney was a Jesuit priest who held to a literal interpretation of the doctrine "Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus" (or "outside the Church there is no salvation"). Feeney was excommunicated in 1953. Under the direction of Feeney, Catherine Goddard Clarke and others organized into a group called the Slaves of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, an unofficial Catholic entity. In January 1958, the community moved from Cambridge to the town of Harvard. Eventually, the original community split into several groups: the Benedictines, the Sisters of Saint Ann's House and Sisters of St. Benedict's center, Slaves of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. A further split later occurred with some members of the Slaves of the Immaculate Heart of Mary leaving to establish a separate group in New Hampshire. A branch of the Saint Benedict Center is located in Still River, on the west side of Harvard.

St. Benedict Abbey
In Still River there is an abbey of Benedictine monks that branched from the St. Benedict Center. They focus on reverently saying Mass in both in English and Latin in the post-Vatican II form and chanting the Divine Office in Latin. Their current abbot is the Right Reverend Marc Crilly, OSB, who was elected May 15, 2021.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 27.0 sqmi, of which 26.4 sqmi is land and 0.6 sqmi, or 2.26%, is water.

The eastern part of Harvard is on a large ridgeline. In 1931 Harvard College established the Oak Ridge Observatory at an elevation of 608 feet on Pinnacle Rd, the highest point between Mount Wachusett and the ocean.

Harvard is largely wooded with rolling hills, fields, and wetlands. In addition to numerous streams and brooks, Bare Hill Pond, a 320-acre lake with its town beach, dock, and several small islands, is a central, iconic locale.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 5,981 people, 1,809 households, and 1,494 families residing in the town. The population density was 226.9 PD/sqmi. There were 2,225 housing units at an average density of 84.4 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 91.69% White, 4.50% African American, 0.17% Native American, 1.97% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.50% from other races, and 1.12% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.09% of the population.

There were 1,809 households, out of which 44.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 73.4% were married couples living together, 6.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.4% were non-families. 14.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.86 and the average family size was 3.18.

In the town the population was spread out, with 26.6% under the age of 18, 4.0% from 18 to 24, 29.5% from 25 to 44, 32.3% from 45 to 64, and 7.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 124.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 133.6 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $117,934, and the median income for a family was $139,352. Males had a median income of $90,937 versus $49,318 for females. The per capita income for the town was $50,867. About 0.5% of families and 2.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 0.7% of those under age 18 and 7.1% of those age 65 or over.

The decline in the population of the town of Harvard from the 1990 census to the 2000 U.S. census is attributable to the 1996 closure of Fort Devens, a U.S. military installation and the departure of military personnel and families residing at Fort Devens, which in large part is within the territory of the town of Harvard. The Fort Devens property has in large part been converted to civilian use, under the direction of MassDevelopment, a development authority of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Arts and culture

The public library of Harvard opened in 1856. The official seal of the town depicts the old town public library on The Common prior to renovations that removed the front steps. In fiscal year 2008, the town of Harvard spent 2.41% ($487,470) of its budget on its public library—approximately $81 per person and since then the library has undergone multiple renovations.

Government
The town elects five members to the Board of Selectmen to run the town day-to-day and has an annual Town Meeting to pass/amend the town bylaws and approve the town budget.

Education
Harvard houses three public schools. In the center of town is Hildreth Elementary, and a middle/high school, The Bromfield School. These schools are highly rated within Massachusetts and the nation. In Devens, there is the Francis W. Parker Charter School. In Still River, there is the Immaculate Heart Of Mary, a private traditional Catholic school for Grades 1–12.

When the town constructed the current building housing the Bromfield School middle and high school, the town successfully resisted the Massachusetts School Building Authority efforts to regionalize its school system with other towns; the School Building Authority partially funds new school buildings and renovations.

Notable people

 * Amos Bronson Alcott, teacher, writer and Transcendentalist, Fruitlands founder
 * Louisa May Alcott, novelist, daughter of Amos Alcott
 * Cornelius Atherton, inventor and steel maker. Blacksmith, built muskets for the Revolutionary Army
 * Peter Atherton, 18th-century colonial leader
 * Simon Atherton, early American Shaker who sold herbs in and around Boston
 * Tabitha Babbitt, tool maker
 * T. A. Barron, author of fantasy novels
 * Del Cameron, Hall of Fame harness racing driver and trainer
 * Theodore Ward Chanler, American composer
 * Adam Dziewonski, geophysicist
 * Jonathan Edwards, musician
 * William Emerson, minister and father of Ralph Waldo Emerson
 * Fannie Farmer, cookbook author
 * Donald Featherstone, created the plastic flamingo lawn ornament
 * Leonard Feeney, controversial Jesuit priest and founder of St. Benedict Center
 * Levi Hutchins, clockmaker, inventor of the American alarm clock
 * Shadrack Ireland, religious leader
 * Lynn Jennings, Olympic runner
 * Charles Lane, Transcendentalist, Fruitlands founder
 * George F. Lewis, proprietor of newspapers
 * Keir O'Donnell, Australian-born actor, Bromfield Class of 1996
 * Joseph Palmer, Transcendentalist; known for his beard
 * Willard Van Orman Quine, American philosopher and logician
 * Clara Endicott Sears, founder of Fruitlands Museum
 * John Seccombe, religious leader, author
 * Ted Sizer, educational reform leader
 * Maurice K. Smith, architect
 * Otto Thomas Solbrig, Renowned biologist
 * Michael L. Taylor, military veteran
 * Fiske Warren, supporter of Henry George's land value tax or single tax system
 * William Channing Whitney, architect
 * Gary K. Wolf, creator of Roger Rabbit

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

title: Harvard, Massachusetts


text:
Holden, Massachusetts

Holden is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The town was founded in 1741, and the Town Square (Center, Common) was donated by John Hancock, former Governor of Massachusetts. The population was 19,905 at the 2020 census.

History
Holden was named for Samuel Holden, a director of the Bank of England.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 36.2 sqmi, of which 35.0 sqmi is land and 1.2 sqmi, or 3.40%, is water. The landscape is compiled of hills and rivers, including the Quinapoxet.

Holden is bounded on the west by Rutland, on the northwest by Princeton, on the east by Sterling and West Boylston, on the southeast by Worcester, and on the southwest by Paxton.

Demographics
As of the census of 2020, there were 19,905 people, 7,251 households, and 5,457 families residing in the town. The population density was 568.7 PD/sqmi. There were 7,439 housing units at an average density of 212.5 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 87.71% White, 2.09% African American, 0.15% Native American, 3.49% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 1.36% from other races, and 5.19% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.17% of the population.

There were 7,251 households, out of which 35.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.4% were married couples living together, 11.4% had a male householder with no spouse present, 21.1% had a female householder with no spouse present, and 24.7% were non-families. 20.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71 and the average family size was 3.18.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.0% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 22.4% from 25 to 44, 28.2% from 45 to 64, and 18.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42.3 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.1 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $111,960, and the median income for a family was $131,744. Males had a median income of $77,926 versus $48,578 for females. The per capita income for the town was $49,245. About 2.9% of families and 4.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.7% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over.

Schools
Holden is part of the five-town Wachusett Regional School District that includes the neighboring towns of Paxton, Princeton, Rutland, and Sterling. The towns share the newly renovated Wachusett Regional High School. Wachusett was the first regional school district in Massachusetts.

Holden has three elementary schools: Davis Hill Elementary, Dr. Leroy E. Mayo Elementary, and Dawson Elementary. The town is served by Mountview Middle School for grades 6–8 which was newly built in 2016. High school students may choose to attend Wachusett Regional High School in Holden or Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School ("Monty Tech") in Fitchburg.

Holden also serves as the hometown for Holden Christian Academy, a PS–8 private Christian school.

Library
The Holden public library first opened in 1888. In fiscal year 2008, the town of Holden spent 1.99% ($679,756) of its budget on its public library—approximately $40 per person, per year.

Points of interest

 * Alden Research Laboratory
 * Steel rotating boom, for testing of hydraulic meters, an ASME historic landmark

Notable people

 * Dan Colman, professional poker player, the winner of $40,000,000 Big One for One Drop
 * Lewis Evangelidis, Worcester County sheriff and former MA state representative
 * Ron Hallstrom, NFL football player for the Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles
 * Matthew Quick, author of The Silver Linings Playbook and Boy 21
 * Fran Quinn, professional golfer
 * Tyler Rand, American arts executive
 * Bruce Taylor, former pitcher for the Detroit Tigers

title: Holden, Massachusetts


text:
Hubbardston, Massachusetts

Hubbardston is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the town population was 4,328. It is situated 18 miles north of Worcester and 53 miles west of Boston; it is distinguished in Massachusetts by being unusually high, at 1015 feet above sea level.

History
Hubbardston, the "Northeast Quarter" of Rutland, was incorporated as a separate district in 1767 and named for Thomas Hubbard (1702–1773), Commissary General of the Province of Massachusetts and Treasurer of Harvard College. It is reported in local history that in view of the honor of giving his name to the town, Hubbard promised to provide the glass for the windows of the first meeting house built in town. To make his liberality more conspicuous, the people planned for extra windows, but when Hubbard died in 1773, his estate was so complicated that the town of Hubbardston received nothing and was obliged to glaze the windows at its own expense.

In 1737 Eleazer Brown located on a farm of 60 acres given him by the proprietors of Rutland on the condition that he operate a public house or inn. Until 1746, Brown and his wife were the only inhabitants of Hubbardston. After Eleazer's death (reportedly killed by a deer), Mrs. Brown was then the only occupant of town for several years, and she kept the public house for prominent travelers. In 1749, Israel Green moved into Hubbardston. His daughter, Molly Green, is reported to be the first child born in Hubbardston. Mr. Green was the first chairman of the board of selectmen.

The town's early economy was based on agriculture and small-scale chair, boot, and shoe manufacturing. It is described by historians as a poor town, sparsely settled and almost wholly agricultural, but having sawmills, potash works, and cottage industries such as the making of palm-leaf hats. By the 19th century, dairy and berry farming and market gardening were major pursuits in the town. Immigrants from Ireland, French Canada, England, Sweden, and Finland moved to town to work on local farms.

Hubbardston was represented by 65 men during the Revolutionary War.

Captain Adam Wheeler, one of the leaders of Shays' Rebellion, an armed uprising in central and western Massachusetts, was from Hubbardston. In 1786, eighty men from the town marched to Worcester under Wheeler's command and, joining hundreds of other farmers, took control of the courthouse to protest the widespread foreclosures and seizures of property by creditors that occurred during the cash-poor 18th century.

Hubbardston furnished 164 men during the Civil War. Forty-four were killed or died of illness.

Hubbardston is home to the invention of the first backhoe swing frame, developed in July 1947 by Vaino J. Holopainen (pronounced "Waino") and Roy E. Handy, Jr., (thus the company name "Wain-Roy") and assigned to Wain-Roy Corporation of Hubbardston. In July 1948, patent # 2,698,697 was filed by Vaino J. Holopainen.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 42.0 sqmi, of which 41.0 sqmi is land and 0.9 sqmi, or 2.19%, is water. Hubbardston is bounded on the northwest by Phillipston and Templeton, on the northeast by Gardner and Westminster, on the southeast by Princeton and Rutland, and on the southwest by Barre.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 3,909 people, 1,308 households, and 1,071 families residing in the town. The population density was 95.3 PD/sqmi. There were 1,360 housing units at an average density of 33.1 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 98.39% White, 0.15% African American, 0.08% Native American, 0.49% Asian, 0.28% from other races, and 0.61% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.33% of the population.

There were 1,308 households, out of which 43.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 73.2% were married couples living together, 5.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.1% were non-families. 13.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.97 and the average family size was 3.28.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 31.1% under the age of 18, 4.8% from 18 to 24, 34.6% from 25 to 44, 22.6% from 45 to 64, and 6.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.9 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $61,462, and the median income for a family was $66,058. Males had a median income of $48,730 versus $33,654 for females. The per capita income for the town was $23,072. About 2.1% of families and 3.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.4% of those under the age of 18 and 7.9% of those 65 and older.

Education
Hubbardson is part of the Quabbin Regional School District along with Barre, Hardwick, New Braintree, and Oakham. Elementary school students attend Hubbardston Center School, from grades K to 5, while middle school students attend Quabbin Regional Middle School from grades 6 to 8, and high school students attend Quabbin Regional High School from grades 9 to 12. Starting the 2020–2021 School year, grade 6 was moved up to the Quabbin Regional Middle School.

Notable people

 * Joseph Goodhue Chandler
 * Jonas Gilman Clark
 * DeLorean Time Machine; currently being displayed in Hubbardston
 * Ethan Allen Greenwood
 * Eliphalet Stone

title: Hubbardston, Massachusetts


text:
Lancaster, Massachusetts

Lancaster is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Incorporated in 1653, Lancaster is the oldest town in Worcester County. As of the 2020 census, the town population was 8,441.

History
In 1643 Lancaster was first settled as "Nashaway" (named after the local Nashaway Native American tribe) by a group of colonists known as the Nashaway Company who may have initially been interested in iron deposits in the area. Several of the company were blacksmiths or gunsmiths, including, Herman Garrett, and as early as 1653 a settler, George Adams, was whipped for selling guns and alcohol to the Indians in the area. The town was officially incorporated and renamed "Lancaster on the Nashua" in 1653. Prominent Massachusetts military leader Simon Willard served as an advisor to the company and eventually settled in Lancaster for a period, and provided guns to the local tribe by order of the Massachusetts General Court.

Supporters of Lancaster's founder, John Prescott, born in 1604 (great grandfather of Bunker Hill leader William Prescott), wished to name the new settlement Prescott, but the Massachusetts General Court considered such a request from a common freeman presumptuous, given that at that time, not even a governor had held the honor of naming a town after himself. Instead, they decided to use Lancaster, the name of Prescott's home town in England.

Until it was cut down in 1989 due to safety concerns, Lancaster boasted the largest oak tree in the state, called the Beaman Oak, named after settler Gamaliel Beaman (1623–1677).

Lancaster boasts being the official "mothertown" to all of Eastern central Massachusetts. Towns such as Harvard, Bolton, Leominster, Clinton, Berlin, Sterling, and part of West Boylston were all formed from territory of the original boundaries of Lancaster.

Lancaster was the site of the Mary Rowlandson (c. 1637–1711) attack (Lancaster raid) in February 1676 (1675 old style calendar). During Metacom's War, which was fought partially in Lancaster, a group of Native Americans pillaged the entire town of Lancaster. Their last stop was Mary Rowlandson's house. Coming to the defense of the house was Rowlandson's brother-in-law, who was immediately shot and killed by the attacking Native Americans. The Native Americans then set fire to the house, forcing Rowlandson to exit the burning building. Upon crossing the doorstep, Rowlandson saw a scene full of carnage. The majority of her household was slaughtered, with the exception of her husband, Joseph Rowlandson Sr., who was not on the premises, their son, also called Joseph, their two daughters, Mary and Sarah, and herself. Mary, her son, and her two daughters were captured by the Native Americans and forced to join their travels across New England. The Native Americans non-fatally shot Mary Rowlandson in her side, but her youngest daughter, Sarah, sustained an injury during the attack that would later bring about her death. After her release from captivity, Rowlandson wrote a book called A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson. In 2000, Lancaster Elementary School changed its name to Mary Rowlandson Elementary School.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 28.2 sqmi, of which 27.7 sqmi is land and 0.5 sqmi, or 1.84%, is water.

Lancaster is bordered by Lunenburg and Shirley to the north, Harvard to the northeast, Bolton to the southeast, Clinton to the south, Sterling to the southwest, and Leominster to the northwest.

Demographics
As of the census of 2010, there were 8,055 people, 2,409 households, and 1,758 families residing in the town. The population density was 290.8 PD/sqmi. There were 2,614 housing units at an average density of 94.4 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 86.4% White, 7.7% African American, 0.1% Native American, 1.7% Asian, 2.5% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.1% of the population.

There were 2,409 households, out of which 31.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.2% were married couples living together, 3.8% had a male householder with no wife present, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.0% were non-families. Of all households 21.8% had a householder that lived alone and 8.4% had a householder that lived alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.13.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 23.6% at the age of 19 or under, 7.9% from 20 to 24, 27.5% from 25 to 44, 29.1% from 45 to 64, and 11.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38.9 years. For every 100 females, there were 128.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 131.0 males.

As of the 2015 American Community Survey, the median income for a household in the town was $96,813, and the median income for a family was $99,207. Males had a median income of $62,500 versus $45,174 for females. The per capita income for the town was $32,899. About 8.3% of families and 9.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.1% of those under age 18 and 1.7% of those age 65 or over.

Education
Lancaster is served by the Nashoba Regional School District. It is also the site of the former Atlantic Union College and of South Lancaster Academy, incorporated in 1882–1883. The Dr. Franklin Perkins School is a private special education school located in the town. Trivium School, founded in 1979, is a private Catholic college preparatory school occupying the former estate of E. V. R. Thayer Jr.

Library
Lancaster's public Thayer Memorial Library first opened in 1868. In fiscal year 2008, the town of Lancaster spent 1.74% ($259,465) of its budget on its public library—approximately $36 per person, per year.

Notable people

 * Herman Vandenburg Ames, dean of the University of Pennsylvania graduate school
 * James Atherton, pioneer and the namesake of Atherton Bridge
 * Frank Bancroft, Baseball manager
 * Luther Burbank, botanist, horticulturist and a pioneer in agricultural science
 * Ezra Butler, United States Representative from Vermont
 * James C. Carter, New York City lawyer
 * Charles F. Chandler, chemist
 * Horace Cleveland, landscape architect
 * Francis B. Fay, merchant and politician
 * Hannah Flagg Gould, poet
 * Timothy Harrington, Lancaster clergyman
 * Abraham Haskell, physician
 * Stephen N. Haskell, clergyman and pioneering leader of the Seventh-day Adventist denomination, founded South Lancaster Academy
 * Caroline Lee Hentz, novelist
 * Henrietta Swan Leavitt, astronomer who discovered the relation between the luminosity and the period of Cepheid variable stars
 * Charles W. Moors, Wisconsin politician
 * George Parker, President of the Lancaster Railroad
 * Harold Parker, First Chairman of the Massachusetts State Forest Commission, namesake of the Harold Parker State Forest
 * Cornelia C. Parker, donated 58 acres of forest to the New England Forestry Foundation creating the Parker Family Woods
 * Herbert Parker (Massachusetts politician), Republican politician, Massachusetts Attorney General from 1902–1906
 * John Prescott, pioneer, founder of Lancaster
 * Mary Rowlandson, colonial Indian captive and author of one of America's first best selling books
 * Jared Sparks, historian, Harvard University president (taught at a private school in Lancaster 1815–1817)
 * John Thayer, ornithologist
 * Nathaniel Thayer, Unitarian congregational minister
 * Nathaniel Thayer (Jr.), financier and philanthropist
 * John Whitcomb, soldier in the Continental Army
 * Henry Whiting, soldier in the War of 1812 and the Mexican–American War
 * Abijah Willard, Loyalist soldier in the American Revolution
 * Dr. Samuel Willard, representative to the Massachusetts ratification of the United States Constitution

title: Lancaster, Massachusetts


text:
Leicester, Massachusetts

Leicester is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 11,087 at the 2020 United States Census.

History
What is now Leicester was originally settled by the Nipmuc people and was known by them as Towtaid. On January 27, 1686, the territory of eight square miles was purchased for 15 pounds by a company of nine proprietors engaged in land speculation: Joshua Lamb of Roxbury, Nathaniel Page of Bedford, Andrew Gardner of Roxbury, Benjamin Gamblin of Roxbury, Benjamin Tucker of Roxbury, John Curtice of Roxbury, Richard Draper of Boston, Samuel Ruggles of Roxbury, and Ralph Bradhurst of Roxbury. The proprietors called this land Strawberry Hill but did not make an effort to settle it for nearly 30 years due to its isolated location and the disruption of King Philip's War (1675–1678), King William's War (1688–1697), and Queen Anne's War (1702–1713).

Leicester was incorporated by a vote of the Massachusetts General Court on February 15, 1713, on the condition that the land be settled by 50 families within seven years. Upon the grant of the General Court, the proprietors immediately set about meeting the condition of the town's incorporation. Leicester was divided into two halves, the eastern half to be distributed among settlers and the western half retained and divided among the proprietors, who had grown in number to total 22. A combined 50 parcels (so-called "house-lots") of land with 30, 40, or 50 acres each was allotted to settlers for the eastern half of Leicester for one shilling per acre, with land also set aside for schools, churches, and mills. The purchaser of each parcel was required to settle a family on their house-lot and each received 100 additional acres in another part of town for every 10 acres in their house-lot.

The town was named after Leicester, England. First selectman Samuel Green suggested the use of the name as it was where his father had originated. One of the early settlers in town was Dr. Samuel Green, who lived in a house at 2 Charlton St. in Greenville. Dr. Green trained many other doctors in the early 1700s. This constituted the first medical school in Massachusetts. The Green family was involved in the creation of both Worcester's Green Hill Park and New York City's Central Park.

First (Congregational) Church was organized in 1718 and a Baptist church in Greenville was organized in 1737.

By 1744, the western part of the town, which had been a district, distinct from the eastern half from the beginning, was established as the western parish. That part of Leicester was then incorporated as the separate town of Spencer in 1753. In 1765, the northernmost part of Leicester was taken to form half of the newly incorporated district of Paxton. These districts had most of the powers of a town except that they shared a representative in the General Court with Leicester until the outbreak of the Revolutionary War in 1775. Three years after that, the southeastern part of town was taken to form a quarter of the newly incorporated town of Ward, later renamed Auburn.

Although no significant battles of the American Revolution were fought in the area, Leicester citizens played a large role in the conflict's start. At a Committee of Safety meeting in 1774, Leicester's Colonel William Henshaw declared that "we must have companies of men ready to march upon a minute's notice"—coining the term "minutemen", a nickname for the rapid-response militia members who fought in the revolution's first battles. Henshaw would later become an adjutant general to Artemas Ward, who was second in command to George Washington in the Continental Army.

Before the British troops marched to Lexington and Concord, looking for the ammunition and equipment held by the Americans, that ammunition and equipment was moved further West to four locations in the town of Leicester, including the house Dr. Green built at 2 Charlton Street. This information can be found in books held on reserve in the Leicester Public Library. When they heard that the British had attacked, Leicester's own Minutemen gathered on Leicester Common. They marched quickly to join with other Minutemen on April 19, 1775, to fight at the first conflict between Massachusetts residents and British troops, the Battles of Lexington and Concord. A few months later on June 17, 1775, a freed slave and Leicester resident named Peter Salem fought at the Battle of Bunker Hill, where he killed British Major John Pitcairn. Both men are memorialized in Leicester street names (Peter Salem Road, Pitcairn Avenue), as is Colonel Henshaw (Henshaw Street).

General Knox brought cannons from New York through the town of Leicester, delivering them to General Washington at Dorchester Heights. There is a monument near the Leicester Library to mark that route. These cannons caused the British to evacuate their troops from Boston, after they woke up one morning to find cannons facing them from above them.

Leicester also held a leading role in Massachusetts' second great revolution, the coming of industrialization. As early as the 1780s, Leicester's mills churned out one-third of American hand cards, which were tools for straightening fibers before spinning thread and weaving cloth. By the 1890s when Leicester industry began to fade, the town was producing one-third of all hand and machine cards in North America.

Ruth Henshaw Bascom (1772–1848), the wife of Reverend Ezekial Lysander Bascom and daughter of Colonel William Henshaw and Phebe Swan, became America's premier portrait folk artist and pastelist, producing over one thousand portraits from 1789 to 1846.

Eli Whitney, the man who invented the cotton gin and devised the idea of interchangeable parts, went to school at Leicester Academy, which eventually became Leicester High School. Ebenezer Adams, who would later be the first mathematics and natural philosophy professor at the Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire, was the academic preceptor in Leicester in 1792. Leicester's Pliny Earle helped Samuel Slater build the first American mill in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, by building the first carding machine. This began the American Industrial Revolution. Leicester today is one of the northernmost communities within the Blackstone River Valley, National Heritage Corridor. Its early role with carding machines, and the role that Pliny Earle played with the first water-powered mill at Pawtucket, complete the case for inclusion on Leicester in this Federal NPS historic designation.

Other social leaders who came from Leicester include Charles Adams, military officer and foreign minister, born in town; Emory Washburn, Harvard Law professor and governor of Massachusetts from 1854–1855; and Samuel May, a pastor and active abolitionist in the 1860s, whose house was a stop on the Underground Railroad. He also served as secretary of the Massachusetts Anti-Slave Society. His house has become a part of the Becker College campus.

In 2005, the Worcester Telegram & Gazette named Leicester one of Central Massachusetts' top ten sports towns.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 24.7 sqmi, of which 23.4 sqmi is land and 1.3 sqmi, or 5.35%, is water.

Leicester includes four distinct villages—Leicester Center, Cherry Valley (the eastern side of town, near Worcester), Rochdale (a crossroads in the southeastern corner, near the Oxford line), and Greenville (now considered to be part of Rochdale). Cherry Valley and Rochdale have separate ZIP codes from the rest of the town (01611 and 01542, respectively), but otherwise the village boundaries have no official significance, although some Cherry Valley, Rochdale, and Leicester have three separate and distinct water districts and four sewer districts. The village of Greenville is now considered part of Rochdale, as it falls within the 01542 ZIP code; the former villages of Mannville and Lakeside were destroyed to construct the Kettle Brook reservoir system, in northeastern Leicester, to supply water to Worcester.

The town is cut into quarters by two state highways, east-west Route 9 and north-south Route 56. Route 9 is called Main Street through Cherry Valley and most of the rest of town; it follows a bypass alignment called South Main Street around the Washburn Square area. The town is actively trying to encourage business development along the western end of Route 9. Route 56 north of the Leicester Center crossroads is Paxton Street; south, it is Pleasant Street until it detours along a bypass road, Huntoon Memorial Highway, that skirts the edge of Rochdale.

Spencer, now a separate town to the west, was once part of Leicester. Other municipalities bordering Leicester include Paxton along Route 56 to the north, Worcester and Auburn on the east, and Oxford and Charlton on the south. Large parts of both Paxton and Auburn were also once part of Leicester.

The end of Worcester Regional Airport's longest runway, along with much of the airport's property, is in Leicester. Additionally, most of Worcester's Kettle Brook water reservoir system is in Leicester.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 10,471 people, 3,683 households, and 2,707 families residing in the town. The population density was 448.3 PD/sqmi. There were 3,826 housing units at an average density of 163.8 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 96.29% White, 1.28% African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.74% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.31% from other races, and 1.01% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.75% of the population.

There were 3,683 households, out of which 35.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.1% were married couples living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.5% were non-families. 21.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.21.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 26.0% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 30.0% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 12.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.5 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $55,039, and the median income for a family was $64,202. Males had a median income of $40,991 versus $27,913 for females. The per capita income for the town was $20,822. About 3.2% of families and 4.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.3% of those under age 18 and 5.6% of those age 65 or over.

Government
The Town of Leicester is governed by a five-member Board of Selectmen. This board appoints a town administrator, who is responsible for executive decisions in running the town. They also appoint a Superintendent of Schools, who is responsible for the education department. There is a three-member Board of Health elected by the people of the town, which has separate powers to regulate health matters. These powers are derived directly from Mass General Law chapter 111.

The legislative body of the town it the town meeting, in which all registered voters of the town may participate in approving the annual budget for the following fiscal year of July 1 through June 30. There are typically two or more town meetings each year, the annual Spring town meeting, and a special town meeting held in the Fall, and occasional other special town meetings, called for by the selectmen as the need arises.

Climate
In a typical year, Leicester, Massachusetts temperatures fall below 50 F for 195 days per year. Annual precipitation is typically 47.4 inches per year (the highest in the US) and snow covers the ground 60 days per year or 16.4% of the year (high in the US). It may be helpful to understand the yearly precipitation by imagining nine straight days of moderate rain per year. The humidity is below 60% for approximately 25.4 days, or 7% of the year.

Library
The Leicester public library began in 1801. In fiscal year 2008, the town of Leicester spent 0.57% ($145,270) of its budget on its public library—approximately $13 per person, per year ($15.92 adjusted for inflation in 2021).

Public schools
Public school students in Leicester attend Leicester Elementary School (Grades K–4), Leicester Middle School (Grades 5–8) and Leicester High School (Grades 9–12). The high school maintains a rivalry with Auburn High School

8th graders at Leicester Middle School have a choice between going to Bay Path Regional Technical High School or Tantasqua Regional Technical High School for high school.

Notable people

 * Arthur Estabrook, researcher and eugenist, was born in Leicester in 1885

 * Samuel Joseph May, abolitionist, historian, pastor

 * Emory Washburn, Governor of Massachusetts from 1854–1855, Harvard Law School professor; author of leading treatise on American property law, member of the American Antiquarian Society and author of a history of Leicester

 * John R. Wilder, cotton merchant, born in 1816

title: Leicester, Massachusetts


text:
Leominster, Massachusetts

Leominster is a city in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the second-largest city in Worcester County, with a population of 43,222 at the 2023 census. Leominster is located north of Worcester and northwest of Boston. Both Route 2 and Route 12 pass through Leominster. Interstate 190, Route 13, and Route 117 all have starting/ending points in Leominster. Leominster is bounded by Fitchburg and Lunenburg to the north, Lancaster to the east, Sterling and Princeton to the south, and Westminster to the west.

History

The region was originally inhabited by various divisions of the Pennacook or Nipmuc Native Americans, who lived along the Nashua River. The river provided fertile soil for the cultivation of corn, beans, squash and tobacco. European settlers began arriving in the mid-17th century and in 1653, the area of Leominster—which takes it name from the Herefordshire town of Leominster in England, was first founded as part of the town of Lancaster.

The European settlers and native people lived peacefully for a number of years, until the start of King Philip's War in 1675. The violent war between the native Indians and early settlers killed hundreds of people and drove off the inhabitants from the area. After the war, Lancaster remained virtually deserted until a new land grant was offered to residents in 1701. To prevent further conflict with the native Indians, the settlers negotiated with Chief Sholan and his nephew George Tahanto of the Nashaway tribe for the land. It would be the only parcel of land to be legally purchased in Central Massachusetts.

By 1737, the area of Leominster had gained enough residents to be incorporated as a separate town. The town of Leominster was officially incorporated on June 23, 1740.

Around the time of the Civil War, Leominster was a major contributor in the Underground Railroad. The Emory Stearn Schoolhouse and the John Drake home, led anti-slavery campaigns and helped house fugitive slaves.

In Leominster's early existence, the town was primarily a small farming community, but towards the beginning of the 19th century, the economy quickly shifted into manufacturing. The town became a regional transportation hub around 1800, with the opening of the Fifth Massachusetts Turnpike and the connections of the Union Turnpike and Cambridge and Concord Turnpikes in 1808. However, manufacturing in Leominster was truly made possible by the opening of the Fitchburg Railroad that ran through North Leominster and into Boston, and the Fitchburg and Worcester Railroad that ran through the center of town. By the 1850s, paper mills, piano makers, and comb manufacturers had established factories along the Monoosnoc Brook and Nashua River. While the earliest settlers in Leominster were primarily of British ancestry, many immigrants soon gathered to work in Leominster's expanding factories. The first group of immigrants was primarily Irish, followed by the French Canadians and the Italians into the early 20th century. These new waves of immigrants caused the population to surge from just 2,069 in 1840 to 19,744 by 1920. On November 2, 1915, Leominster was officially chartered as a city.

While many different industries established themselves in Leominster, it was the comb industry that particularly flourished. Construction of combs was a time-consuming and painstaking process, involving preparation of the natural materials such as animal horn, roughing out of a basic form, and finally, individual cutting of the teeth. By 1853, there were already 146 employees working in 24 different comb factories across the town. By the mid-1800s, however, availability of the natural materials used to make combs, such as animal horns and hooves, was diminishing rapidly, and an alternative material was needed.

The solution would come in a new material called celluloid invented in 1868. The new plastic would revolutionize the comb industry and give Leominster the nickname the "Comb City". The versatility of celluloid would also give manufactures the opportunity to expand to many different products outside of combs. The largest plastic manufacturer in the city was the Viscoloid Company founded by Bernard Wendell Doyle in 1901. In 1914, the Viscoloid Company pioneered making toys out of pyroxylin plastic, and by 1923 the company was the largest employer in Leominster. Viscoloid would be sold to The DuPont Company in 1925, and renamed the Dupont Viscoloid Company.

The second invention to revolutionize plastic production in Leominster was the development of modern injection molding. Samuel Foster, a Leominster resident of German ancestry, first worked for the Viscoloid Company, then established his own business, Foster Grant. In 1931, Foster visited Jack Goodman's New York factory and learned about an injection molding machine, invented in Germany in the early 1920s. Foster ordered several of the new machines, and had them secretly shipped via Worcester to his Foster Grant manufacturing factory in Leominster, where his mechanics focused on getting them to work and modifying them. Molding technology made it possible for Foster Grant to make not only combs, but a wide variety of other articles, including plastic sunglasses, selling 20 million pair in 1937. The new technology would pay great dividends for the plastic industry in the city and the country. Soon the city would be coined the "Pioneer Plastics City" for its important history in the plastics industry. Leominster was also the home of Tupperware, founded in 1938 by Earl Tupper. His "wonderbowl," with its airtight "burping" seal became popular after Brownie Wise convinced him to demonstrate and sell Tupperware at home parties.

Leominster also boasted large manufactures Standard Tool Company, Selig Manufacturing Co. Inc, C.E. Buckley, Inc. (manufacturer of religious articles) and the Whitney Carriage Company, which was once the largest manufacturer of baby carriages in the world.

In 1956, the plastic pink flamingo lawn-ornament was invented in Leominster for Union Products. The famous lawn-ornament was designed by Don Featherstone, and was modelled after pictures of flamingos in National Geographic.

Although the Great Depression slowed the plastic industry in Leominster, it was not until the late 20th century that there was a full-scale decline in plastic manufacturing. Following the national trend, manufactures were moving out of the cities to cheaper alternatives across the country and overseas. Despite the changing landscape, the population of Leominster would continually rise into the 21st century, surpassing her twin city of Fitchburg in 2000 as the second largest city in Worcester County. The Latino communities of Leominster also saw huge growth towards the later half of the 20th century.

In recent decades, Route 2 and the building of I-190 have further transformed the city into a more commercial and suburban landscape. The construction of the Twin City Plaza, Mall at Whitney Field and other shopping centers have all contributed to significant commercial growth in the city and have made Leominster one of Central Massachusetts' largest retail destination. Inexpensive land cost has also made the city an attractive living destination for commuters to both Worcester and Boston. Nevertheless, Leominster still preserves some of its manufacturing heritage and many plastic manufactures retain establishment in the city.

On September 11, 2023, heavy rains caused significant floods, leading to major damage to the city, and a state of emergency was declared.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 29.8 sqmi, of which 28.9 sqmi is land and 0.9 sqmi, or 2.96%, is water.

Leominster is primarily located on a plateau above the Nashua River. The river runs through the eastern proportion of the city and then cuts through the northern part of the city as it meanders towards Fitchburg. Northern and Western Leominster have a more rugged terrain defined by scattered hills. The most prominent hills are both the North and South Monoosnoc Hills in the western part of the city. The South Monoosnoc Hill is the highest point in the town at 1,020 feet. In the 19th century, the south hill was quarried for granite used in home foundations. West of the two hills lies the No town Reservoir and Leominster State Forest. To the east, lies the Monoosnoc Brook which winds through the center of town and was an important power source for early manufacturers.

Villages
The city is divided into several small "villages" such as French Hill, a large hill covered in planned blocks of "triple decker" apartment houses located from 1st Street to 12th Street. It is called French Hill because this is where the large immigrant French population took root. In the early 20th century, on Lincoln Terrace, immigrating Italian families began to arrive in the area and built a semi-closed society which existed for many years. The French population built a new church and moved closer to it. Other areas include Morse Hollow, North Leominster, Rice Hill, the Flats, the Bowery, the West Side, and the Car Barn area, located along the Fitchburg border, so-called because the Fitchburg & Leominster Railway trolley cars were stored and maintained in this area. It now has buses. A granite marker showing the birthplace of Johnny Appleseed can be found on Johnny Appleseed Lane.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 41,303 people, 16,491 households, and 10,900 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,430.3 PD/sqmi. There were 16,976 housing units at an average density of 587.9 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 81.50% White, 3.70% African American, 0.15% Native American, 2.44% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 4.32% from other races, and 2.21% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 11.00% of the population (7.9% Puerto Rican, 2.0% Uruguayan, 1.1% Dominican, 0.7% Mexican, 0.3% Guatemalan, 0.3% Colombian).

There were 16,491 households, out of which 32.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.5% were married couples living together, 12.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.9% were non-families. Of all households 27.9% were made up of individuals, and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.05.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.5% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 32.4% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $44,893, and the median income for a family was $54,660. Males had a median income of $41,013 versus $30,201 for females. The per capita income for the city was $21,769. About 7.2% of families and 9.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.0% of those under age 18 and 9.4% of those age 65 or over.

Economy
As of 2000, the management and professional fields were the city's largest sector, and employed over 32% of Leominster's workforce. 26.8% of the workforce is employed in sales and office occupations, and 20.2% are employed in education, health and social services. Manufacturing constitutes 25.5% of the city's employees. Of workers 84.3% commute alone to the workplace, and 9.1% carpool, while 1.7% use public transportation and another 1.7% walk. The average one-way commute time is about 25 minutes. Soy product manufacturer Nasoya was founded here in 1978 until it was acquired by Vitasoy and relocated in 1998.

Culture
Leominster has a long cultural history including various theatres, performance groups, exhibits and entertainment events. The Leominster Colonial Band, founded by Italian immigrants in 1910, has presented a free summer concerts series since the 1930s. Their annual Christmas concert, begun in 1990, is a favorite city tradition. Since 1973, the Thayer Symphony Orchestra has been performing in Central Massachusetts. Composed of orchestra professional, community volunteers, and student musicians, Thayer Symphony Orchestra's popularity forced them to move to the Straos Dukakus Performing Arts Center at Montachusett Regional Vocational School in Fitchburg in 2000. The Orchestra's concerts sell-out annually. Since 1996, the Central Massachusetts Repertory Theater has performed at the Congregation Agudat Achim synagogue in Leominster. The Leominster Art Association promotes the arts in Leominster from their home on Route 13. Every spring, the Association holds a three-day exhibition of local art downtown at St. Leo's Church. At the exhibition, a high school senior from Central Massachusetts is award a $500 scholarship annually to continue their art education

The Starburst Festival is held every June at Doyle Field. The festival includes live entertainment, concessions, musical presentations, and a band concert by the Starburst Orchestra and fireworks, drawing over 8,000 visitors each year. The Leominster "citizens of the Year" awards are also presented to one man and one woman resident during the festival.

In September, Leominster hosts the Johnny Appleseed Festival in celebration of the fall season and city's local hero Johnny Appleseed. Held at Monument Square since 1994, the festival features crafts, booths, entertainment and a parade. The festival boasts over a hundred local booths, and a food court sponsored by local restaurants and multicultural groups. Leominster was formerly home to the National Plastics Center and Museum, until the museum closed in 2008.

Recreation

The Leominster Recreation Department maintains 103 acres of property in Leominster, including numerous parks and playgrounds. Notable parks include Monument Square, Arthur A. Fournier Sr. Memorial Park, Evelyn Hachey Park, Justin DeSantis Field, Bachand Field and Barrett Park, which houses the Recreation Department's main offices. Doyle Field, located downtown on Priest Street, is the city's main athletic complex, including eight tennis courts, a soccer field and track, baseball field, playground, combination football-soccer stadium, and clubhouse. Dedicated in 1931, Doyle field opened with a seating capacity of 6,200 and temporary bleachers for nearly 10,000 spectators. In 2005, the field went under a huge renovation project to be completed in 2020. The project was broken up into three phases and phases 1 and 2 have been mostly completed through 2012. The renovation has costs $5 million through 2012. The renovation includes replacing bleachers, installing new turf, new locker rooms, concessions, press box, entertainment pavilion, ticket booths and expanding seating capacity from 4,572 to 6,912 seats.

The Doyle Community Park & Center is a 167-acre open-space reservation managed by the Trustees of Reservation. The reservation includes the Doyle Conservation center which houses the trustees Central Massachusetts headquarters, conference meeting rooms, and serves as an event venue.

The city is also home to the 4,300-acre Leominster State Forest, a popular hiking destination. Within the state forest are Crow Hill Pond and Paradise Pond, both popular summer picnic and swimming getaways. During the winter season the forest is open to cross country skiing, snow shoeing and snowmobiling.

Local golf courses include Monoosnock Country Club (nine holes) and Grand View Country Club (nine holes). Other courses in the area include Red Tail Golf Course (18 holes), Oak Hill Country Club (18 holes), and Settler's Crossing (nine holes).

Sports
Leominster High School has a long tradition of excellence in sports, and success is a huge focal point for the city. The Leominster High Blue Devils Football is one of the most successful high school football programs in the state including a record 12 State Super Bowl titles. The Leominster Blue Devils main rival is the Red Raiders of Fitchburg High School. The two football programs have played every year since 1894, and have played 112 consecutive Thanksgiving Day Games, and is second to only Needham and Wellesley for oldest high school football rivalry in the state. They also have an ice hockey team that plays at the Wallace Civic Center.

Legendary Leominster football players and coaches include Lou Little, Ronnie Cahill, and Frank Novak.

The Wachusett Dirt Dawgs of the FCBL played at the Baseball Field at Doyle Field six summers from 2012 to 2017. Leominster currently hosts New England Football League semi-pro team, the Central Mass Sabercats.

The Leominster Dek-Hockey Center hosts youth dek-hockey games for the town of Leominster and Fitchburg. It is located in North Leominster off of Route 2 near North Leominster station of the Fitchburg Line.

Government

Leominster operates under a mayor–council form of government in which the mayor holds sole executive power. The city is divided into five wards and voters select a mayor, a council member representing their ward and four at-large council members. The mayor has the power to appoint department heads and members of city boards, subject to approval by the city council. The current mayor of Leominster is Dean J. Mazzarella. Mazzeralla was sworn in on January 3, 1994, and is serving his sixteenth (16th) term as mayor. He is the longest running mayor in Leominster history.

Education

Public education in the city is operated by the Leominster Public School District. Leominster has four neighborhood elementary schools that serve students in grades K–5 (Fall Brook, Johnny Appleseed, Northwest, Frances Drake), two middle schools (Samoset and Skyview) for grades 6–8, and Leominster High School for grades 9–12. Leominster High school is composed of an academic unit and a vocational unit called the Center for Technical Education. The district also operates three preschool programs: the Bennett School, Lincoln Preschool at Samoset and Priest Street School.

Leominster is also home to two private schools, St. Leo Catholic School and St. Anna Catholic School. St. Leo's School is part of Leominster's St. Leo Parish, while St. Anna's School is part of St. Anna Parish; both are affiliated with the Diocese of Worcester.

Post-secondary education opportunities include the Leominster campus of Mount Wachusett Community College and Fitchburg State University in neighboring Fitchburg.

The Leominster Public library is the city's main public library. Established in 1856, the public library moved from different locations until a permanent structure opened in 1910. In order to secure finances for the new structure, a library trustee applied for aid from philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. Carnegie donated $27,500, citing only if the town would appropriate 10 percent of that amount annually for the support of the library. In fiscal year 2008, the city of Leominster spent 1.39% ($1,183,076) of its budget on its public library—approximately $28 per person, per year ($34.29 adjusted for inflation in 2021). In 2018, the school district controversially paid $10,000 in ransom money to hackers in order to recover its computer systems after they were infected with the WannaCry ransomware and adequate backups were not available.

Newspapers
The Sentinel & Enterprise, a daily paper based in Fitchburg, is the main source of printed media in Leominster. The paper formed in 1973 by the merger of the Fitchburg Sentinel and the Leominster Enterprise, which dated back to 1873. The paper maintains a satellite news bureau in Leominster. Worcester County is also served by the daily Worcester Telegram & Gazette out of Worcester. Locally, the Leominster Champion serves as a weekly community paper. On the Scene Magazine serves greater Leominster as a monthly entertainment publication.

Television
Leominster Access Television (LTV) is the city's public access television station providing residents with local programs and meetings. The station broadcasts the annual Leominster-Fitchburg Thanksgiving football game every year.

Radio
Leominster is home to two radio stations. WCMX/1000 is a daytime-only religious radio station with Leominster as its community of license (it is based at the Twin City Baptist Temple in Lunenberg, however). On FM, there is a community radio station: WLPZ-LP/95.1, which was founded in 2017 and is managed by city resident Sonny Levine, with an all-volunteer staff.

Transportation

Commuter rail service from Boston's North Station is provided by the MBTA with a stop in North Leominster on its Fitchburg Line.

Local bus transportation is provided by the Montachusett Regional Transit Authority, also known as the Montachusett Area Regional Transit or MART. This service operates in Leominster, Fitchburg, and Gardner.

Fitchburg Municipal Airport, a public airport in neighboring Fitchburg, serves as the air-hub of the area. However no major airlines have used the airport as a scheduled location in approximately half a century.

Freight train service is provided by CSX via the Fitchburg Secondary. This service moves rail cars to and from local businesses, such as Teknor Apex, a plastics plant, and WIN Waste Innovations, a garbage collection service.

Notable people

 * Rob Blanchflower, drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the seventh round of the 2014 NFL Draft
 * John Chapman, better known as Johnny Appleseed, American pioneer nurseryman
 * Robert Cormier, author of I Am the Cheese and The Chocolate War
 * Mark Daigneault, professional basketball coach
 * Paul DiGiovanni, musician; former guitarist of popular rock band Boys Like Girls (2005–2022)
 * Dominik Dijakovic, WWE NXT wrestler
 * Diego Fagúndez, professional soccer player for the LA Galaxy
 * Rob Font, UFC mixed martial artist
 * Paul Fusco, internationally known photojournalist
 * Noah Gray, professional football player with the Kansas City Chiefs
 * S. Wesley Haynes, architect
 * KC Johnson, history professor best known for his role in disseminating the facts about the Duke University lacrosse rape case
 * Kathy Ann Kelly, Irish-American singer, songwriter and musician born there, The Kelly Family member
 * Adrian Nicole LeBlanc, author of Random Family: Love, Drugs, Trouble and Coming of Age in the Bronx
 * Benjamin LaGuer, convicted felon
 * Lou Little, football player and coach in the 1940s and 1950s
 * Milt Morin, former NFL tight end for the Cleveland Browns
 * Steve Moses, professional ice-hockey player for Jokerit Helsinki and Nashville Predators
 * James Nachtwey, award-winning war photographer
 * Mark Osowski, former NBA assistant coach for the New Orleans Hornets, the Golden State Warriors, and the Cleveland Cavaliers
 * Laurel Ptak, Curator of Contemporary Art and executive director of Art in General in New York City
 * R. A. Salvatore, fantasy/science-fiction author
 * Scott Spinelli, college basketball coach
 * John J. Taylor, former US Congressman
 * Oskari Tokoi, Finnish-American socialist politician and newspaper editor
 * David I. Walsh, former Governor of Massachusetts and U.S. Senator

title: Leominster, Massachusetts


text:
Mendon, Massachusetts

Mendon is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 6,228 at the 2020 census. Mendon is part of the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor, an early center of the industrial revolution in the United States. Mendon celebrated its 350th anniversary on May 15, 2017.

Early history
Native Americans inhabited the Mendon area for thousands of years prior to European colonization of the Americas. At the time of contact, Nipmuc people inhabited the area that would become Mendon, and Nipmuc Pond is named for them. Nipmuc Regional High School was named after this lake. Nipmuc means "small pond place" or "people of the fresh waters". The Nipmuc name does not refer to a specific village or tribe, but to natives that inhabited almost all of central Massachusetts. Over 500 Nipmuc live today in Massachusetts, and there are two nearby reservations at Grafton and Webster. The Nipmuc had a written language, tools, a graphite mine at Sturbridge, and well-developed agriculture, including maize (a variant of corn), beans and squash.

In the early 1600s, Praying Indians (natives who converted to Christianity) were settled into Praying Towns. Wacentug and Rice City held two of these villages in Mendon, in a section that later became Uxbridge. These were two of the 14 Praying Indian villages established by Reverend John Eliot, from Natick and Roxbury, who translated the Bible into the Nipmuc language.

Pioneer settlement
Pioneers from Braintree petitioned to receive a land grant for 8 mi square of land, 15 mi west of Medfield. In September 1662, after the deed was signed with a Native American chief, "Great John" and another Sachem, Quashaamit, the pioneers entered this part of what is now southern Worcester County. Earlier, unofficial, settlement occurred here in the 1640s, by pioneers from Roxbury. This was the beginning of Mendon.

The land for the settlement was 8 mi square of Native American land in the Massachusetts Bay Colony and was purchased from the Nipmuc Indians, "for divers good and vallewable considerations them there unto Moovinge and especiall for an in consideration of the summe of twenty fower pound Ster." In 1662, "Squinshepauke Plantation was started at the Netmocke settlement and plantation", and was incorporated as the town of Mendon in 1667. The settlers were ambitious and set about clearing the roads that would mark settlement patterns throughout the town's history.

The early settlement at Mendon was first listed in Middlesex County in 1667, then in 1671 in Suffolk County, and in Worcester County from 1731 onward. Mendon was first settled in 1660 and was officially incorporated in 1667. The town was originally 64 sqmi, including at least part of the modern-day towns of Milford, Bellingham, Hopedale, Uxbridge, Upton, Blackstone, Northbridge and Millville. For this reason, the town of Mendon is sometimes referred to as "Mother Mendon". Benjamin Albee (1614–1695) erected a water-powered mill on Mill River in 1664 where it crosses modern-day Hartford Avenue. and was one of the town's important early residents. The mill was the first water-powered grist mill in the region.

On July 14, 1675, early violence in King Philip's War took place in Mendon, with the deaths of multiple residents and the destruction of Albee's mill. These were the first settlers killed in this war in the Colony of Massachusetts. A man named Richard Post, of Post's lane, may have been the first settler killed. The town was largely burnt to the ground later that winter in early 1676. During King Philip's War, many Nipmuc from around Marlboro and Natick were interned Deer Island, and many died from the harsh winter in 1675. The town of Mendon was resettled and rebuilt in 1680.

Robert Taft, Sr., settled here, in the part that became Uxbridge, in 1680 and was the patriarch of the famous Taft family. He settled here in 1669 and was among those forced back to Braintree because of King Philip's War. In 1712, Mendon was the birthplace of Lydia Chapin, who became America's first legal woman voter, known later as Lydia Chapin Taft, or simply Lydia Taft. Ezra T. Benson was born here and became a famous Mormon Missionary and Utah Territory legislator. (See also the article of neighboring Uxbridge, Massachusetts.) The Taft family became an American political dynasty, especially in Ohio, but also in Iowa, Rhode Island, Vermont, and other states. President William Howard Taft was a descendant and also was a descendant of George Aldrich.

Another American family began in Mendon with the immigrant George Aldrich. His descendants included a number of U.S. congressmen, including Senator Nelson Aldrich, who started the Federal Reserve Bank, and Vice President Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller. Other descendants were Ezra T. Benson and his grandson, Ezra Taft Benson, former Secretary of Agriculture under President Dwight D. Eisenhower, later 13th President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Colonial and revolutionary era
Mendon would eventually rebuild and find itself along Boston's Middle Post Road (Route 16 today). Milestone 37 (from Boston) was erected in 1772 and still stands today. In 1719, Bellingham became the first community to break off from Mother Mendon and incorporate as a separate entity. In 1789, it is purported that President George Washington, during his inaugural journey, was denied a room in Mendon by an innkeeper's wife.

Modern Mendon
Lake Nipmuc Park was a popular resort in the early 20th century, featuring leading musical and vaudeville talent. Vintage postcards from this resort are frequently for sale on eBay. The first Aerosmith gig took place at Nipmuc Regional High School (now Miscoe Hill Middle School) in this town on November 6, 1970. Mendon is home to two Boy Scout (BSA) troops, Troop 1 Mendon and Troop 44 Mendon.

Mendon has teamed up with neighboring town Upton to make the Mendon Upton Regional School District (MURSD), this district features 4 schools. In elementary school the two towns are split and each have equally nice schools. However, in middle school the classes merge into one and attend Miscoe hill middle school. Finally, in high school they attend Nipmuc regional high school which was recently named one of the top 500 schools in the United States.

In 1986 Congress created the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor, a national park. Mendon falls within this corridor. In modern times, Mendon serves primarily as a bedroom community but has seen some significant commercial development along Route 16 in recent years. Southwick's Zoo in Mendon is currently Massachusetts's largest zoo. The Mendon Twin Drive-In, one of only three drive-in theaters in Massachusetts, is located in Mendon.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 18.3 sqmi, of which 18.1 sqmi is land and 0.2 sqmi, or 0.88%, is water.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 5,286 people, 1,815 households, and 1,450 families residing in the town. The population density was 292.1 PD/sqmi. There were 1,886 housing units at an average density of 104.2 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 97.99% White, 0.40% African American, 0.59% Asian, 0.15% from other races, and 0.87% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.96% of the population.

There were 1,815 households, out of which 42.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 71.5% were married couples living together, 6.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.1% were non-families. 16.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.90 and the average family size was 3.28.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 29.5% under the age of 18, 4.9% from 18 to 24, 32.7% from 25 to 44, 24.5% from 45 to 64, and 8.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.1 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $71,164, and the median income for a family was $79,337. Males had a median income of $55,230 versus $36,174 for females. The per capita income for the town was $27,693. About 2.6% of families and 4.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.4% of those under age 18 and 10.9% of those age 65 or over.

Library
Mendon's Taft Public Library was established in 1881. In fiscal year 2008, the town of Mendon spent 1.66% ($187,825) of its budget on its public library—approximately $32 per person, per year ($39.19 adjusted for inflation to 2021). A new library, built on the site of the former St. Michael's Church, was completed in 2016.

Points of interest

 * Mendon Twin Drive-In
 * Southwick's Zoo
 * Historic walking tour of Mendon
 * Mendon Town Beach

National Historic Places

 * Mendon Center Historic District
 * Nathan C. Aldrich House and Resthaven Chapel
 * North Avenue Rural Historic District
 * Olney Cook Artisan Shop

Media

 * The Upton and Mendon Town Crier newspaper (circulation ~5500) is published twice monthly and mailed free to all residents of Mendon and the adjoining town of Upton.
 * The Milford Daily News is the nearest daily publication.

Notable people

 * Benjamin Adams (1764–1837), U. S. Congressman
 * Adin Ballou (1803–1890), social reformer, pacifist, and Unitarian minister, led Mendon's Unitarian Church from 1831 to 1842, immediately before his founding of the Hopedale Community
 * Ezra T. Benson (1811–1869), Mormon pioneer (birthplace)
 * Adin B. Capron (1841–1911), U. S. Congressman
 * Albert Harkness (1822–1907), scholar and educator
 * Lydia Taft (1712–1778), America's first woman voter (birthplace)
 * Eli Thayer (1819–1899), abolitionist congressman and founder of Oread Institute
 * Armenia S. White (1817–1916), suffragette, philanthropist, social reformer

title: Mendon, Massachusetts


text:
Millbury, Massachusetts

Millbury, officially the Town of Millbury, is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Located within Blackstone Valley, the population in Millbury was 13,831 at the 2020 United States Census.

History
Millbury was first settled by Europeans in 1716. It was originally known as the Second or North Parish of Sutton. Because traveling from one part of the town to the other for meetings was time-consuming, inhabitants of the North Parish petitioned the Massachusetts General Court to split Sutton. North Parish became Millbury on June 11, 1813, by way of an act of incorporation. Its name derived from its long history as a mill town. The Blackstone River flows through the town, and during the Industrial Revolution, provided water power to its many textile mills and factories. During this time, the inventor William Crompton worked in Millbury.

Millbury's industrial history begins in the early eighteenth century, not long after the area's settlement. In 1735, John Singletary began operating a mill on Singletary Brook, a stream flowing out of Singletary Lake. Around 1753, Singletary built the S & D Spinning Mill, which is still in operation, making it one of the oldest continuously operated mills in the United States. The mill is featured on the Town Seal. The mill also makes the inner parts of the Rawlings baseballs for use in Major League Baseball.

In the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, after learning the trade of firearms production from their father, Asa Waters and his brother, Elijah, purchased land along the Blackstone River and built mills producing goods such as guns, scythes, and sawmill equipment. In 1808, they erected an armory, which was successful until forced to close suddenly in 1841. It reopened at the start of the American Civil War in 1861. With the wealth received from the industry, Asa began construction of the Asa Waters Mansion in 1826. Designed by local architect Asher Benjamin, it was completed six years later.

Louise Taft, mother of United States President William Howard Taft, resided in Millbury for many years, and President Taft spent many summer vacations in the town during his youth. He visited his aunt, Delia C. Torrey, during his presidency to celebrate Millbury's centennial. The Torrey House, where President Taft stayed, is now commonly called the Taft House.

In 1824, the mineral called Vermiculite was first found in Millbury.

Due to the Flood Control Act of 1944, the Worcester Flood Diversion Channel was constructed in that year within Millbury, as well as nearby Auburn.

In the early 1970s, Millbury experienced a number of large fires. The town hall burned down, followed by the Union School. A propane plant near Route 146 exploded, causing considerable damage and making nationwide news.

In 2004, Millbury was designated as a Preserve America community.

Millbury celebrated its bicentennial in 2013. The local Vaillancourt Folk Art designed chalkware for the celebration. Later that year, a proposal for a casino was made, but the related development company pulled out when it became clear that a large majority of inhabitants were against the proposal.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, Millbury has a total area of 16.3 sqmi, of which 15.7 sqmi is land and 0.5 sqmi, or 3.20%, is water. The town is within the Blackstone Valley and is drained by the Blackstone River.

Historic places
Millbury has three sites on the National Register of Historic Places:

Demographics
As of the census of 2020, there were 13,831 people, 4,927 households, and 3,443 families residing in the town. The population density was 812.5 PD/sqmi. There were 5,109 housing units at an average density of 324.7 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 97.19% White, 0.53% African American, 0.15% Native American, 1.02% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.23% from other races, and 0.84% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.02% of the population.

There were 4,927 households, out of which 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.7% were married couples living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.1% were non-families. Of all households, 24.6% were made up of individuals, and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.03.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 23.1% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 31.2% from 25 to 44, 23.4% from 45 to 64, and 16.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.4 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $51,415, and the median income for a family was $62,564. Males had a median income of $41,912 versus $28,973 for females. The per capita income for the town was $23,531. About 4.1% of families and 6.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.2% of those under age 18 and 8.4% of those age 65 or over

Education

In 1826, the first formal lyceum school was founded by Josiah Holbrook in Millbury.

Public schools in Millbury fall under the jurisdiction of Millbury Public Schools school district. Approximately 2,000 students are educated in three schools: Elmwood Street School, (grades Pre-K through 2); Raymond E. Shaw Elementary School (grades 3 through 6); and Millbury Memorial Junior/Senior High School (grades 7 through 12).

Millbury Public Library opened in 1864. In fiscal year 2008, the town spent 1.15% ($358,097) of its budget on the library.

Notable people

 * Ron Darling, Major League Baseball player
 * Wilton S. Farnsworth, journalist
 * Nick Fatool, musician
 * Warren G. Harris, member of the Massachusetts Governor's Council
 * Abby Kelley, abolitionist
 * Francis March, polymath
 * Michael O. Moore, member of the Massachusetts Senate
 * Albert L. Nash, politician
 * George A. Sheridan, congressman
 * Amos Singletary, member of the Massachusetts Senate
 * Louise Taft, mother of United States President William Howard Taft
 * Asa Waters, industrialist
 * George E. White, congressman
 * Lawrence Whitney, athlete
 * Howie Winter, mobster

title: Millbury, Massachusetts


text:
Millville, Massachusetts

Millville is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 3,174 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Providence metropolitan area.

History
Millville was first settled in 1662, and officially incorporated in 1916 by division from Blackstone, Massachusetts (which had itself originally been part of Mendon). This region was originally inhabited by the Nipmunc people.

Millville is in the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor and has a well-preserved lock which was used on the Blackstone Canal in the early 19th century. It also has a historic Friends Meetinghouse. In the first two decades of the 20th century, baseball great Gabby Hartnett, born in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, grew up in Millville, played youth baseball in the Blackstone Valley League, and played for the Chicago Cubs, beginning in 1922. It has recently been discovered that the town's population in the early 1900s until around 1980 was almost 98% Irish Catholic. A Swedish population evidently settled here, and a local cemetery in Uxbridge was their burial site, Norden cemetery, near the Millville line.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 5.0 sqmi, of which 4.9 sqmi is land and 0.1 sqmi, or 1.40%, is water.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,724 people, 923 households, and 719 families residing in the town. The population density was 552.1 PD/sqmi. There were 958 housing units at an average density of 194.2 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 97.72% White, 0.77% African American, 0.04% Native American, 0.18% Asian, 0.26% from other races, and 1.03% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.62% of the population.

There were 923 households, out of which 44.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.8% were married couples living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.0% were non-families. 15.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.95 and the average family size was 3.33.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 31.2% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 37.1% from 25 to 44, 17.5% from 45 to 64, and 8.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.3 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $57,000, and the median income for a family was $61,513. Males had a median income of $42,407 versus $29,758 for females. The per capita income for the town was $20,497. About 4.6% of families and 5.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.6% of those under age 18 and 9.1% of those age 65 or over.

Adjacent Towns

 * Blackstone, Massachusetts
 * Mendon, Massachusetts
 * North Smithfield, Rhode Island
 * Uxbridge, Massachusetts

Library
The Millville public library, located off Route 122, was established in 1919. In fiscal year 2008, the town of Millville spent 0.78% ($36,100) of its budget on its public library—approximately $12 per person, per year ($14.70 adjusted for inflation to 2021).

Education
Millville shares their school system with Blackstone. High schoolers in grades 9-12 are also eligible to attend a vocational school, Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School.

title: Millville, Massachusetts


text:
New Braintree, Massachusetts

New Braintree is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 996 at the 2020 census.

History
Before being settled by re-located residents of Braintree, Massachusetts, New Braintree was occupied by various Native American groups for at least 9,000 years.

In 1669, the town of Braintree, located southeast of Boston, voted that each household would be granted an equal interest in the 6000 acres purchased to the west, to be known as "Braintree Farms". The town's lands were formerly a part of the Quaboag Plantation. In ensuing years additional tracts of land which were formerly part of Brookfield and Hardwick were acquired. The land was first settled in 1709 and was officially incorporated in 1751 as New Braintree.

It has been the home of the Massachusetts State Police Academy since 1992. Governor Michael Dukakis had proposed and began construction of a controversial state prison in the late 1980s on this site, but was met with heavy opposition by the town, Boston-area radio talk show host Jerry Williams and a group called C.O.S.T. (Conserve Our Small Town). Governor William Weld was elected and ceased the construction of the prison. The state police training academy now occupies the grounds and buildings of the former Seventh-day Adventist Pioneer Valley Academy. In the photo shown, one can see the school's former boys' and girls' dormitories with the cafeteria in between and the water tower to the right of the boys' dormitory. The school opened its doors in September 1965 and closed in June 1983.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 20.9 sqmi, of which 20.7 sqmi is land and 0.2 sqmi, or 0.72%, is water.

New Braintree is bordered by Barre to the north, Oakham to the east, Spencer to the southeast, West Brookfield and North Brookfield to the south, Ware to the southwest, and Hardwick to the west.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 927 people, 318 households, and 267 families residing in the town. The population density was 44.8 PD/sqmi. There were 328 housing units at an average density of 15.8 per square mile (6.1/km$2$). The racial makeup of the town was 99.14% White, 0.22% African American, 0.11% Native American, 0.11% Asian, and 0.43% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.32% of the population.

There were 318 households, out of which 41.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 70.4% were married couples living together, 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 16.0% were non-families. 13.2% of all households 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 2.92 and the average family size was 3.14.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 29.3% under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 29.7% from 25 to 44, 26.6% from 45 to 64, and 8.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.8 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $54,844, and the median income for a family was $60,417. Males had a median income of $41,477 versus $26,136 for females. The per capita income for the town was $21,072. About 4.0% of families and 4.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.5% of those under age 18 and 2.6% of those age 65 or over.

The town's only restaurant, Reed's Country Store, has been owned and operated by Edward and Susan Reed since 1977. Breakfast and lunch is served here and it has been a central town gathering point for years. Every September for the past 38 years the town has had a Country Fair in the Town Center.

Education
New Braintree is part of the Quabbin Regional School District, along with Barre, Hardwick, Hubbardston, and Oakham. Elementary school students attend Hardwick Elementary School from grades K–6, middle school students attend Quabbin Regional Middle School from grades 7–8, and high school students attend Quabbin Regional High School from grades 9–12.

New Braintree was formerly the home of the Pioneer Valley Academy, which lasted from 1965 until 1983.

Notable people

 * Charles Allen, politician, established a law practice in New Braintree
 * Alexander De Witt, politician
 * Charles Delano, politician
 * Francis Roach Delano, politician
 * Charles Eames, diplomat
 * Jonathan Fisher, minister
 * Edwards W. Fiske, politician
 * Henry H. Kendall, architect
 * Calvin Pollard, architect
 * Rufus Putnam, military officer, lived in New Braintree

title: New Braintree, Massachusetts