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South Dennis, Massachusetts

South Dennis is a census-designated place (CDP) in the town of Dennis in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 3,643 at the 2010 census, the largest of the five CDPs in Dennis.

Geography
South Dennis is located on Cape Cod, in the center of the town of Dennis at 41.70583°N, -70.1625°W. It is bordered by the town of Brewster to the northeast, the town of Harwich to the southeast, the CDPs of Dennis Port to the south and West Dennis to the southwest, the town of Yarmouth to the west, and the CDPs of Dennis and East Dennis to the north.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the South Dennis CDP has a total area of 12.3 sqkm, of which 11.8 sqkm is land, and 0.5 sqkm  (4.19%) is water.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 3,679 people, 1,681 households, and 1,059 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 312.2/km$2$ (808.3/mi$2$). There were 2,468 housing units at an average density of 209.4/km$2$ (542.3/mi$2$). The racial makeup of the CDP was 95.41% White, 1.01% African American, 0.60% Native American, 0.35% Asian, 0.90% from other races, and 1.74% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.30% of the population.

There were 1,681 households, out of which 23.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.7% were married couples living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.0% were non-families. Of all households 31.4% were made up of individuals, and 16.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.19 and the average family size was 2.74.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 20.3% under the age of 18, 4.2% from 18 to 24, 24.8% from 25 to 44, 26.1% from 45 to 64, and 24.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.8 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $40,330, and the median income for a family was $47,935. Males had a median income of $35,026 versus $26,818 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $22,974. About 2.0% of families and 3.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 0.7% of those under age 18 and 3.7% of those age 65 or over.

Education
N. H. Wixon Innovation School (grades 4–5) is a public school in South Dennis. The school was named after prominent Dennisport fisherman Nathaniel H. Wixon, a descendant of more than 15 of the original Mayflower Pilgrims.

title: South Dennis, Massachusetts


text:
South Yarmouth, Massachusetts

South Yarmouth is an unincorporated village and census-designated place (CDP) in the town of Yarmouth in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 11,092 at the 2010 census, the most of the three CDPs in Yarmouth. It is the village where the WWE was created.

Geography
South Yarmouth is located in the southeastern quarter of the town of Yarmouth at 41.66778°N, -70.19972°W (41.667908, -70.199774). It is bordered by the CDP of West Yarmouth to the west and West Dennis to the east. U.S. Route 6, the Mid-Cape Highway, is to the north, beyond which is the CDP of Yarmouth Port.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 20.2 sqkm, of which 18.0 sqkm is land and 2.2 sqkm  (10.94%) is water.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 11,603 people, 5,485 households, and 3,181 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 640.0/km$2$ (1,656.9/mi$2$). There were 7,834 housing units at an average density of 432.1/km$2$ (1,118.7/mi$2$). The racial makeup of the CDP was 94.74% White, 1.53% African American, 0.34% Native American, 0.63% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 1.03% from other races, and 1.66% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.63% of the population. There were 5,485 households, out of which 18.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.8% were married couples living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.0% were non-families. 36.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 22.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.08 and the average family size was 2.67.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 17.1% under the age of 18, 4.7% from 18 to 24, 23.2% from 25 to 44, 22.6% from 45 to 64, and 32.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 49 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.8 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $37,643, and the median income for a family was $44,325. Males had a median income of $35,476 versus $26,118 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $20,609. About 5.5% of families and 7.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.3% of those under age 18 and 3.9% of those age 65 or over.

Education
The schools located in South Yarmouth are:
 * Dennis-Yarmouth Regional High School
 * Laurence C. MacArthur Elementary
 * Station Avenue Elementary
 * St. Pius X School (Grades PreK - 8)
 * Superior Academy (Private Middle School)

Students from Dennis-Yarmouth Reg High School reside in both Yarmouth and Dennis Massachusetts.

Notable people
Civil engineer and philanthropist Charles Henry Davis lived and worked in South Yarmouth.

Former NHRA drag racing Pro Stock star Scott Geoffrion was born in South Yarmouth.

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

title: South Yarmouth, Massachusetts


text:
Teaticket, Massachusetts

Teaticket is a census-designated place (CDP) in the town of Falmouth, Massachusetts. The population was 1,692 at the 2010 census.

Its name comes from The Wampanoag word "Tataket," which translates roughly and appropriately as "at the principal tidal stream."

Geography
Teaticket is located in the southern part of the town of Falmouth at 41.55806°N, -70.58694°W (41.557934, -70.586815), between the villages of East Falmouth (to the east) and Falmouth (to the west). Massachusetts Route 28 runs east–west through the center of the village. South of 28, the CDP occupies a neck, bordered by Great Pond to the east and Little Pond to the west, that extends to Vineyard Sound. The neck is home to the Maravista neighborhood.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the Teaticket CDP has a total area of 3.5 sqkm, of which 2.7 sqkm is land and 0.8 sqkm, or 21.90%, is water.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,907 people, 908 households, and 550 families residing in Teaticket. The population density was 701.2/km$2$ (1,813.6/mi$2$). There were 1,558 housing units at an average density of 572.9/km$2$ (1,481.7/mi$2$). The racial makeup of the CDP was 94.23% White, 1.00% African American, 0.37% Native American, 1.36% Asian, 1.36% from other races, and 1.68% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.21% of the population.

There were 908 households, out of which 15.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.0% were married couples living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.4% were non-families. 34.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.07 and the average family size was 2.63.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 16.2% under the age of 18, 4.4% from 18 to 24, 19.7% from 25 to 44, 28.7% from 45 to 64, and 31.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 53 years. For every 100 females, there were 77.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.7 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $41,272, and the median income for a family was $46,705. Males had a median income of $37,107 versus $25,642 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $24,008. About 3.5% of families and 5.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.8% of those under age 18 and 4.8% of those age 65 or over.

title: Teaticket, Massachusetts


text:
Truro, Massachusetts

Truro is a town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts,  United States, comprising two villages: Truro and North Truro. Located slightly more than 100 miles (160 km) by road from Boston, it is a summer vacation community just south of the northern tip of Cape Cod, in an area known as the "Outer Cape". English colonists named it after Truro in Cornwall, United Kingdom.

The historic Wampanoag Native American people called the area Pamet or Payomet. Their language was part of the large Algonquian family. This name was adopted for the Pamet River and the harbor area around the town center known as the Pamet Roads. The population of Truro was 2,454 at the 2020 census.

Over half of the land area of the town is part of the Cape Cod National Seashore, established in 1961 by President John F. Kennedy, and administered by the U.S. National Park Service.

History
Cape Cod was the territory of successive cultures of indigenous peoples for thousands of years before Europeans arrived. At the time of English colonization, the Wampanoag tribe was the dominant one on Cape Cod, numbering about 7,000 by early accounts. They used the cape and its waters for hunting, fishing and gathering shellfish. They also cultivated maize to supplement their diets and to store for winter eating.

The English Pilgrims stopped in Truro and Provincetown in 1620 as their original choice for a landing before later deciding the area to be unsuitable. While there, they discovered fresh water and corn stored by the Wampanoag. Historians debate the accuracy of the account about the latter discovery, but in popular lore it led to the place being called Corn Hill.

Truro was settled by English immigrant colonists in the 1690s as the northernmost portion of the town of Eastham. The town was officially separated and incorporated in 1709. Fishing, whaling and shipbuilding made up the town's early industry. These industries had to shift to other locations as the harsh tides of the Lower Cape reduced the town's main port in the 1850s. In the late 19th and early 20th century, Cape Cod was a popular location for artists because of its light.

Today, Truro is one of the more exclusive towns on the Cape, noted for its affluent residences and the rolling hills and dunes along the coast. Truro is the site of the Highland Light (also known as the Cape Cod Light), the earliest lighthouse on Cape Cod. The first building was erected in 1797; the current lighthouse was built in 1857. The entire 430-ton light was moved about $1/10$ of a mile inland in 1996. By then, because of erosion, its original site was just ten yards from the edge of the shore cliffs.

The old town cemetery was the location of the murders in 1969 of Susan Perry, Patricia Walsh, Sydney Monzon and Mary Anna Wysocki by Tony Costa.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 26.3 sqmi, of which 21.0 sqmi is land and 5.3 sqmi (20.02%) is water. Truro is located just south and east of the "tip" of Cape Cod, and is bordered by Provincetown to the northwest, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and east, Wellfleet to the south, and Cape Cod Bay to the west. The town is thirty-eight miles by road to Barnstable, fifty miles from the Sagamore Bridge and 105 miles by road from Boston.

The topography generally slopes downward from the Atlantic to Cape Cod Bay, and from south to north. There are several small ponds throughout town, all of which combined are smaller than the Pilgrim Lake, just east of the Provincetown town line, and just south of the sand dunes which make up most of the northern tip of the Cape. Pamet Harbor, a small inlet, is in the southern half of the town on the Cape Cod Bay side, and leads to the Pamet River. Just south of the lighthouse is a Coast Guard radar station, equipped with a Doppler radar tower, close to the nearby Jenny Lind Tower.

Climate
The town of Truro has a mild summer Humid continental climate (Dfb). The plant hardiness zone is 7a, with an average annual extreme minimum air temperature of 4.0 °F (−15.6 °C). The average seasonal (Nov–Apr) snowfall total is around 30 in (76 cm). The average snowiest month is February, which corresponds to the annual peak in nor'easter activity.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,087 people, 907 households, and 515 families residing in the town. The population density was 99.1 PD/sqmi. There were 2,551 housing units at an average density of 121.2 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 95.11% White, 1.87% African American, 0.43% Native American, 0.38% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 0.77% from other races, and 1.34% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.15% of the population.

There were 907 households, out of which 21.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.3% were married couples living together, 7.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.2% were non-families. 32.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.18 and the average family size was 2.76.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 17.4% under the age of 18, 4.1% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 34.4% from 45 to 64, and 17.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.7 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $42,981, and the median income for a family was $51,389. Males had a median income of $37,208 versus $30,435 for females. The per capita income for the town was $22,608. About 4.8% of families and 11.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.5% of those under age 18 and 10.3% of those age 65 or over.

Government
Truro is represented in the Massachusetts House of Representatives as a part of the Fourth Barnstable district, which includes (with the exception of Brewster) all the towns east and north of Harwich on the Cape. The seat is held by Democrat Sarah Peake. The town is represented in the Massachusetts Senate as a part of the Cape and Islands District, which includes all of Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket except the towns of Bourne, Falmouth, and Sandwich. The Senate seat is held by Democrat Julian Cyr.

On the national level, Truro is a part of Massachusetts's 9th congressional district, and is currently represented by Bill Keating. The state's senior member of the United States Senate is Elizabeth Warren (elected in 2012); the state's junior Senate member, elected in 2014, is Edward Markey.

Like most small incorporated communities in New England, Truro uses an open town meeting form of government, led by a Town Moderator and a Board of Selectmen. The town has its own police and fire departments, headquartered on Route 6 just south of the Route 6A split. The town has two post offices: one for Truro proper (02666), located on Truro Center Road, and one for the village of North Truro (02652), located on Shore Road (MA Route 6A). The town's Public Library is located between the two routes in a secluded spot, leading to the nickname, "The Library In The Woods."

Opposition to development
Through town meeting, as well as the town's Planning Board and the Cape Cod Commission, some Truro residents have made considerable, and often successful, efforts to prevent development projects which they perceive to threaten the town's character. They opposed a proposed Stop & Shop grocery store and the WTUR/WCDJ/WGTX communication tower. The latter project was finally built in 2007, almost 20 years after the station was first licensed.

Education
Truro operates the Truro Central School for students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. The town does not have its own high school; a tuition agreement is in place with Nauset Regional High School to send its students there. Cape Cod Times states that normally Nauset secondary schools are the destinations of students above grade 6. Formerly Truro residents had the option of going to Provincetown High School. Provincetown High School ended operations after 2013.

There are no private schools anywhere on the lower Cape; high school students additionally have the option of attending the Cape Cod Regional Technical High School in Harwich, Monomoy Regional High School In Harwich, or students can attend Sturgis Charter school In Hyannis.

There are private scholarships for students from Truro and Provincetown: the John Anderson Francis Family Scholarship Fund and the Captain Joseph F. Oliver Scholarship Fund. c. 2019 each year the number of applicants ranged from 6–10, a figure the organizers consider to be low.

The Truro Public Library is a center of community activity. The library has a puppet theater performance. The outside of the facility has a pavilion. Cynthia McCormick of Cape Cod Times described it as "a home away from home for parents".

Transportation
U.S. Route 6 (US 6) is the main route through town, traveling through the town from south to north on its way to Provincetown. The "second" portion of the Cape's Massachusetts Route 6A (Route 6A) begins in the town, tracing the original path of US 6, and traveling into Provincetown barely 250 ft south of the main route. There is no rail or air service in the town; the nearest regional airport is located in neighboring Provincetown. The nearest national and international air service can be found at Logan International Airport in Boston.

Notable people

 * Marshall Ayres, pioneer of the American west
 * Edward Knight Collins, 19th-century shipping magnate
 * Lee Falk, writer
 * L. Thomas Hopkins, education theorist
 * Edward Hopper, artist
 * Patty Larkin, singer-songwriter
 * Lucy L'Engle, artist
 * Danny MacFayden, Major League Baseball pitcher
 * Nick Minnerath, professional basketball player
 * Steve Nelson, political activist and veteran of the Spanish Civil War
 * Anthony Perkins, American actor
 * Josh Taves, American football defensive end

Truro in popular culture and art
Artist Edward Hopper owned a summer house in Truro, and painted numerous Truro scenes including Corn Hill (1930), Highland Light, North Truro (1930), and Cottages at North Truro (1936).

The first film in the Men In Black series displayed Truro on a satellite map, but the map zoomed in on Sandwich, a town at the opposite end of Cape Cod. In Men in Black II (2002), Truro was the town to which Tommy Lee Jones' character "Agent K" retired, becoming a postal worker. The post office was portrayed as a solitary building in the middle of nowhere. In contrast, Truro's post office is in the heart of "downtown" Truro, which is also the location of a small convenience store and a few shops.

Shipwrecks
Off Head of the Meadow beach on the Atlantic side of Truro lies the wreck of the three-masted barque Frances. The Hamburg-based ship wrecked off Truro on December 27, 1872, while on her way from the Far East to Boston. Usually submerged, the wreck will appear when weather and tides line up.

title: Truro, Massachusetts


text:
West Chatham, Massachusetts

West Chatham is a census-designated place (CDP) in the town of Chatham in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 1,410 at the 2010 census.

Geography
West Chatham is located in the southwestern part of the town of Chatham at 41.68056°N, -69.9875°W (41.680661, -69.987547). It is bordered to the east by the Chatham CDP and to the southwest by Nantucket Sound.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the West Chatham CDP has a total area of 8.5 sqkm, of which 7.5 sqkm is land, and 1.0 sqkm  (12.06%) is water.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,446 people, 706 households, and 429 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 189.9/km$2$ (491.5/mi$2$). There were 1,687 housing units at an average density of 221.5/km$2$ (573.5/mi$2$). The racial makeup of the CDP was 96.06% White, 1.04% Black or African American, 0.14% Native American, 0.21% Asian, 1.52% from other races, and 1.04% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.90% of the population.

There were 706 households, out of which 18.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.4% were married couples living together, 6.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.2% were non-families. 33.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.03 and the average family size was 2.55.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 14.9% under the age of 18, 4.6% from 18 to 24, 24.3% from 25 to 44, 29.3% from 45 to 64, and 26.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 50 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.6 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $42,300, and the median income for a family was $56,250. Males had a median income of $39,554 versus $37,344 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $26,468. About 5.8% of families and 8.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.8% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.

title: West Chatham, Massachusetts


text:
West Dennis, Massachusetts

West Dennis is a census-designated place (CDP) in the town of Dennis in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 2,242 at the 2010 census.

Geography
West Dennis is located in the southwestern corner of the town of Dennis at 41.66167°N, -70.16194°W (41.661753, -70.161975). It is bordered to the north by the CDP of South Dennis, to the east by Dennis Port, to the south by Nantucket Sound, and to the west by South Yarmouth.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the West Dennis CDP has a total area of 10.9 sqkm, of which 8.5 sqkm is land and 2.5 sqkm  (22.50%) is water.

Climate
In a typical year, West Dennis, Massachusetts temperatures fall below 50 F on 167 days per year. Annual precipitation is typically 43.5 inches per year (high for the US) and snow covers the ground 0 days per year, or 0% of the year (the lowest 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 27.6 days, or 7.6% of the year.

Education
The Ezra H. Baker Elementary School, named for Ezra Henry Baker, is located in West Dennis.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,570 people, 1,279 households, and 698 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 301.6/km$2$ (781.3/mi$2$). There were 2,733 housing units at an average density of 320.7/km$2$ (830.8/mi$2$). The racial makeup of the CDP was 95.53% White, 2.37% African American, 0.54% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 0.43% from other races, and 0.82% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.93% of the population.

There were 1,279 households, out of which 13.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.0% were married couples living together, 7.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 45.4% were non-families. 38.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.96 and the average family size was 2.53.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 13.0% under the age of 18, 4.6% from 18 to 24, 22.0% from 25 to 44, 28.2% from 45 to 64, and 32.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 53 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.7 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $35,350, and the median income for a family was $50,156. Males had a median income of $37,266 versus $29,625 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $26,667. About 7.0% of families and 10.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.6% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over.

Notable Person

 * Tom Skeyhill (1895-1932), Ghostwrote Sergeant York

title: West Dennis, Massachusetts


text:
West Falmouth, Massachusetts

West Falmouth is a census-designated place (CDP) in the town of Falmouth in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 1,738 at the 2010 census.

West Falmouth Village Historic District is at the heart of West Falmouth Village. Historic buildings include the West Falmouth Library, Quaker Meeting House and Quaker Carriage Sheds, Emerson House, the West Falmouth Fire Station, and numerous historic houses. Other nearby attractions include the Shining Sea Bikeway, the public beach at Chapoquoit Beach, West Falmouth Harbor, Bourne Farm, Great Sippewissett Marsh, Swift Playground on Blacksmith Shop Road, and the Mock Moraine conservation area. There are several restaurants, markets, inns, real estate agents, and shops in West Falmouth, as well as a post office.

Geography
West Falmouth is located in the west-central part of the town of Falmouth at 41.59972°N, -70.63778°W (41.599628, -70.637812). It is bordered to the north by North Falmouth, to the east by Massachusetts Route 28, to the south by Little Sippewisset Marsh, and to the west by Buzzards Bay.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the West Falmouth CDP has a total area of 11.3 sqkm, of which 8.0 sqkm is land and 3.3 sqkm  (29.32%) is water.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,867 people, 835 households, and 558 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 228.1/km$2$ (590.8/mi$2$). There were 1,278 housing units at an average density of 156.2/km$2$ (404.4/mi$2$). The racial makeup of the CDP was 97.86% White, 0.43% African American, 0.05% Native American, 0.70% Asian, 0.32% from other races, and 0.64% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.86% of the population.

There were 835 households, out of which 19.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.9% were married couples living together, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.1% were non-families. 27.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.66.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 17.5% under the age of 18, 3.6% from 18 to 24, 20.3% from 25 to 44, 34.2% from 45 to 64, and 24.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 50 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.6 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $72,703, and the median income for a family was $84,368. Males had a median income of $56,250 versus $42,250 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $42,159. None of the families and 2.1% of the population were living below the poverty line, including no under eighteens and none of those over 64.

Arts and entertainment
Since 1975, West Falmouth has been the home of The College Light Opera Company, a not-for-profit educational summer stock theatre company which resides at Bridgefields Hall.

title: West Falmouth, Massachusetts


text:
West Yarmouth, Massachusetts

West Yarmouth is a census-designated place (CDP) in the town of Yarmouth in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 6,012 at the 2010 census.

Geography
West Yarmouth is located in the southwest quarter of the town of Yarmouth at 41.64944°N, -70.24639°W (41.649547, -70.246385). It is bordered to the east by South Yarmouth, to the west by Hyannis in the town of Barnstable, and to the south by Nantucket Sound. To the north is U.S. Route 6, the Mid-Cape Highway, beyond which is the CDP of Yarmouth Port.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the West Yarmouth CDP has a total area of 23.6 sqkm, of which 17.3 sqkm is land and 6.3 sqkm  (26.54%) is water.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 6,460 people, 2,911 households, and 1,679 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 371.7/km$2$ (963.3/mi$2$). There were 4,929 housing units at an average density of 283.6/km$2$ (735.0/mi$2$). The racial makeup of the CDP was 93.10% White, 2.03% African American, 0.48% Native American, 0.53% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.47% from other races, and 2.38% from two or more races. 1.67% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 2,911 households, out of which 20.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.6% were married couples living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.3% were non-families. 34.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.14 and the average family size was 2.73.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 17.7% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 25.3% from 45 to 64, and 23.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.6 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $35,597, and the median income for a family was $45,686. Males had a median income of $35,461 versus $26,188 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $19,633. About 7.3% of families and 11.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.9% of those under the age of 18 and 6.5% of those 65 and older.

title: West Yarmouth, Massachusetts


text:
Woods Hole, Massachusetts

Woods Hole is a census-designated place in the town of Falmouth in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. It lies at the extreme southwestern corner of Cape Cod, near Martha's Vineyard and the Elizabeth Islands. The population was 781 at the 2010 census.

It is the site of several marine science institutions, including Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, the Marine Biological Laboratory, the Woodwell Climate Research Center, NOAA's Northeast Fisheries Science Center (which started the Woods Hole scientific community in 1871), the Woods Hole Science Aquarium, a USGS coastal and marine geology center, and the home campus of the Sea Education Association.

Woods Hole is also the site of United States Coast Guard Sector Southeastern New England (formerly USCG Group Woods Hole), the Nobska Light lighthouse, and the terminus of the Steamship Authority ferry route between Cape Cod and the island of Martha's Vineyard.

History

Historically, Woods Hole included one of the few good harbors (along with Hyannis) on the southern side of Cape Cod (i.e. Great Harbor, contained by Penzance Point). The community became a center for whaling, shipping, and fishing, prior to its dominance today by tourism and marine research. At the end of the nineteenth century, Woods Hole was the home of the Pacific Guano Company, which produced fertilizer from guano imported from islands in the Pacific Ocean, the Caribbean, and the coast of South Carolina. After the firm went bankrupt in 1889, Long Neck – the peninsula on which their factory was located – was renamed Penzance Point and was developed with shingle-style summer homes for bankers and lawyers from New York and Boston. Notable property owners on Penzance Point at the beginning of the twentieth century included Seward Prosser of New York's Bankers Trust Company; Francis Bartow, a partner in J. P. Morgan and Company; Joseph Lee, a partner in Lee, Higginson & Co.; and Franklin A. Park, an executive of Singer Sewing Machine. Other notable businessmen established homes on Gansett Point, Nobska Point, and at Quissett Harbor, further from the village center. Irving Langmuir, the famous Scientist, also lived in Woods Hole and died there on August 16, 1957. Before 1898, the Woods Hole Yacht Club was formed. In 1899, the Woods Hole Golf course was started. Around 1919, it was expanded to 18 holes. In 1976, The Woods Hole Foundation was created. The eminent Hungarian born biochemist and Nobel prize laureate, Albert Imre Szent-Györgyi de Nagyrápolt died in Woods Hole in 1986.

Geography
Woods Hole is located at the southwestern tip of the town of Falmouth (and of Cape Cod) at 41.52667°N, -70.66306°W (41.526730, -70.663184). The term "Woods Hole" refers to a strait named Woods Hole, which separates Cape Cod from the Elizabeth Islands (specifically, Uncatena Island and Nonamesset Island) and which boats, yachts, and small ferries can use to travel between Vineyard Sound and Buzzards Bay. The strait is known for its extremely strong current, approaching four knots. It is one of four straits allowing maritime passage between Buzzards Bay and Vineyard Sound; the others are Canapitsit Channel, Quick's Hole and Robinson's Hole. Published yearly is the Eldridge Tide and Pilot Book, which has a detailed reference section showing the complex pattern of tides and currents. Ferries operated by The Woods Hole, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority run regularly between Woods Hole and Martha's Vineyard. The present Woods Hole, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority was formed from the New Bedford, Martha's Vineyard, and Nantucket Steamboat Company, which in turn was a consolidation of earlier companies dating to the early 19th century, just before the railroad arrived.

Much of Woods Hole centers around the enclosed harbor of Eel Pond. The Eel Pond Bridge, a bascule drawbridge at the mouth of the harbor, allows boats to enter and exit the harbor according to a fixed schedule posted on the side of the bridge.

Nobska Light, a lighthouse at Nobska Point, is operated by the United States Coast Guard, and the accompanying house is the home of the commander of the Coast Guard base at Little Harbor.

The local landmark The Knob is a rocky outcropping that overlooks Buzzards Bay and Quisset Harbor. It is a part of the privately owned Salt Pond bird sanctuaries.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the Woods Hole CDP has a total area of 10.1 sqkm, of which 5.5 sqkm is land and 4.6 sqkm (45.24%) is water.

Falmouth Road Race
The annual Falmouth Road Race brings thousands of runners to Woods Hole in August each year. The route of the 7 mi race starts outside the front door of the Captain Kidd tavern and follows the shore of Vineyard Sound through Falmouth to Shipwrecked (historically, the British Beer Company, which closed due to COVID-19), another tavern, in Falmouth Heights.

Education
The Woods Hole School is the home of the Children's School of Science. Founded in 1913, this institution (locally known as "CSS" and "Science School") provides science classes for students between seven and 16 years old that focus on scientific investigation by observation. Students regularly visit ecosystems around the village to study the organisms in their natural environments, such as the Sippewissett Salt Marsh. The Children's School of Science draws upon the talent brought to the village by the research institutions but also educates the children of both scientists and locals. Some mention of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution is made in the 1975 blockbuster film Jaws as having been the center of research for the fictional character Matt Hooper. Hooper is described as a marine biologist, focusing on the study of sharks. Coincidentally, a great white shark was spotted some years later near Woods Hole in September 2004.

Woods Hole is part of the Falmouth public school district, served by Mullen-Hall Elementary, Morse Pond Middle School, Lawrence Junior High School, and Falmouth High School. Woods Hole students also often attend Upper Cape Cod Regional Technical High School, Sturgis Charter Public School, and Falmouth Academy.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 925 people, 459 households, and 212 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 165.3/km$2$ (427.9/mi$2$). There were 942 housing units at an average density of 168.4/km$2$ (435.8/mi$2$). The racial makeup of the CDP was 94.70% White, 1.62% African American, 0.54% Native American, 1.84% Asian, 0.22% from other races, and 1.08% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.97% of the population.

There were 459 households, out of which 14.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.7% were married couples living together, 5.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 53.6% were non-families. 40.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.94 and the average family size was 2.58.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 13.5% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 25.7% from 25 to 44, 26.4% from 45 to 64, and 27.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 48 years. For every 100 females, there are 94.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.7 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $47,604, and the median income for a family was $57,969. Males had a median income of $31,964 versus $31,875 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $30,752. None of the families and 5.3% of the population were living below the poverty line, including no under 18 and 6.4% of those over 64.

title: Woods Hole, Massachusetts


text:
Yarmouth, Massachusetts

Yarmouth is a town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States, on Cape Cod. The population was 25,023 at the 2020 census.

The town is made up of three major villages: South Yarmouth, West Yarmouth, and Yarmouth Port.

Wampanoag origins
Prior to European settlement, Yarmouth was inhabited by the Wampanoag, an Algonquian people. In the Wôpanâak language the area was called "Mattacheese". Wampanoag tribes living in Yarmouth at the time of European settlement included the Pawkunnawkuts on both sides of the lower Bass River, the Hokanums in what is now northeastern Yarmouth, and the Cummaquids in what is now western Yarmouth.

Plymouth Colony settlement
Yarmouth was organized and incorporated as part of the Plymouth Colony on September 3, 1639, following a settlement led by John Crowe (later Crowell), Thomas Howes and Anthony Thacher, and is, together with Sandwich, the oldest town on Cape Cod. Yarmouth originally included what is now the town of Dennis, which was incorporated as a separate community on June 19, 1793.

Yarmouth is named after Great Yarmouth, a town in the county of Norfolk, on the east coast of England, which is itself at the mouth of the River Yare. Though none of the initial settlers hailed from that English town, the name was possibly chosen because across the North Sea from Yarmouth is the Netherlands, where a portion of the Mayflower passengers had lived in exile. This group of pilgrims arrived back in England via the port of Yarmouth before heading to the New World.

In 1642 and 1645, Yarmouth furnished soldiers for the Plymouth Colony's expeditions against the Narragansett. In 1648, the Plymouth Colony's legislature, the General Court, appointed Myles Standish to adjudicate land disputes among the Yarmouth settlers. Yarmouth soldiers served the Plymouth Colony in King Philip's War: fifteen Yarmouth men participated in the Great Swamp Fight without casualties, but the town did lose five men at Rehoboth. Yarmouth troops also saw service in the early years of King William's War. In the early eighteenth century, some of the Yarmouth veterans of King Philip's War were granted lands to settle in Gorham, Maine.

American Revolution
Yarmouth was the site of an active group of the Sons of Liberty during the American Revolution. The town's militia mustered to provide assistance to the minutemen at the Battles of Lexington and Concord, but the militia returned home upon news that the rebels had already triumphed on the field. In March 1776, Yarmouth troops served as part of George Washington's forces during the Fortification of Dorchester Heights. A meeting of Yarmouth citizens declared the town's independence from Great Britain on June 20, 1776. As a coastal community, Yarmouth was subject to blockade by the Royal Navy throughout the Revolutionary War.

War of 1812
In the early years of the Republic, Yarmouth shared with the rest of New England a strong support for the Federalist Party. The economy of Yarmouth was centered on maritime industries, and the townspeople were consequently opposed to the Jefferson Administration's Embargo Act of 1807 and Non-Intercourse Act of 1809.

On July 8, 1812, the Yarmouth town meeting voted to protest the recent Congressional declaration of war with Great Britain. Along with much of the rest of coastal New England, Yarmouth was subject to blockade by the Royal Navy beginning in 1814. Although the people of Yarmouth, including its militiamen, remained intensely opposed to the War of 1812, local militia forces did participate in attempts to counter the blockade.

Early economic endeavors

Yarmouth began as a farming community in which the people of the town raised pigs, cattle, and sheep. Due to livestock pasturage, firewood collection, shipbuilding, and the construction of the Old Colony Railroad, the old-growth forests of the Wampanoag era had disappeared from Yarmouth by the end of the nineteenth century, not to be replaced with stands of incipient second-growth forest until agriculture declined in the town during the twentieth century.

Although agriculture was a prominent part of Yarmouth life, the town's location led its people to make much of their living from the ocean. For centuries, many Yarmouth men worked as whalers. In the early nineteenth century, merchantmen skippered by Yarmouth captains participated in the China Trade between New England and the Cantonese trading center of Whampoa. Captain Ebenezer Sears of Yarmouth was the first American skipper to take a merchant vessel around the Cape of Good Hope. In 1854, Captain Asa Eldridge of Yarmouth skippered the clipper Red Jacket, a packet ship, between New York and Liverpool in only 13 days, 1 hour, and 25 minutes, dock to dock, setting a speed record for fastest trans-Atlantic crossing by a commercial sailing vessel that has remained unbroken ever since. In 1856, Captain Eldridge skippered the ill-fated steamship SS Pacific, which disappeared at sea on a voyage from Liverpool to New York. The house of another Yarmouth sea captain, Captain Bangs Hallet, is now a museum and home to the Historical Society of Old Yarmouth.

Contemporary Yarmouth
Developers began to refashion Yarmouth into a summer resort near the end of the nineteenth century. Hotels and summer cottage communities proliferated in the first half of the twentieth century, particularly along what is now Route 28. With the emergence of the car culture in the years just after World War II, these were joined first by many motels (mostly along Route 28 in West Yarmouth) and later by the denser, suburban pattern of residential housing construction that characterizes Yarmouth today.

The headquarters of the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), a global animal welfare and conservation charity founded in 1969, is located in Yarmouth Port. In 1970, the national Christmas Tree Shops retail chain was founded at a location on Route 6A in Yarmouth Port.

On August 26, 2003, Colgan Air Flight 9446 crashed into the water just off of Yarmouth, killing both crew members on board.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 73.1 km2, of which 62.5 km2 is land and 10.5 km2, or 14.40%, is water. Yarmouth is bordered by Cape Cod Bay to the north, Dennis to the east, Nantucket Sound to the south, and Barnstable to the west. Yarmouth is approximately 75 mi southeast of Boston.

The Bass River and its tributaries make up the majority of the town's border with Dennis. There are also several smaller ponds throughout the town. The Cape Cod Bay shore is marshy, with several creeks flowing into it. The town's southern shore is known for its beaches, from the west jetty of the Bass River to Great Island, on the east and south sides of Hyannis Harbor. The town has no state forests or wildlife management areas, although there are many such natural, unprotected areas in town. The town is also the site of four golf courses, a rod and gun club, and a Boy Scout camp.

Climate
According to the Köppen climate classification system, Yarmouth, Massachusetts has a warm-summer, wet all year, humid continental climate (Dfb). Dfb climates are characterized by at least one month having an average mean temperature ≤ 32.0 °F (≤ 0.0 °C), at least four months with an average mean temperature ≥ 50.0 °F (≥ 10.0 °C), all months with an average mean temperature ≤ 71.6 °F (≤ 22.0 °C), and no significant precipitation difference between seasons. The average seasonal (Nov–Apr) snowfall total is around 30 in (76 cm). The average snowiest month is February which corresponds with the annual peak in nor'easter activity. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, the plant hardiness zone is 7a with an average annual extreme minimum air temperature of 0.6 °F (−17.4 °C).

Ecology
According to the A. W. Kuchler U.S. Potential natural vegetation Types, Yarmouth, Massachusetts would primarily contain a Northeastern Oak/Pine (110) vegetation type with a Southern Mixed Forest (26) vegetation form.

Transportation
Cape Cod's three major east–west routes, U.S. Route 6, Massachusetts Route 6A and Massachusetts Route 28, all run through the town. Unlike many towns on the Cape, there are no other state routes crossing between the three roads, with all crossing routes being local roads. There are two exits off Route 6 (also known as the Mid-Cape Highway) in town.

Freight rail service is provided by the Massachusetts Coastal Railroad from the Barnstable town line to just west of Station Avenue south of U.S. Route 6, where a trash transfer station is located. Trash is loaded onto rail cars at the transfer station and hauled to the SEMASS waste-to-energy plant in Rochester. A portion of the Hyannis branch also passes through the western part of Yarmouth. From the nearby Hyannis station, the Cape Cod Central Railroad operates seasonal tourist excursions to Sandwich and Buzzards Bay, and the MBTA's CapeFLYER service offers seasonal weekend service to Boston, with stops in Bourne, Buzzards Bay, Wareham, and several commuter rail stations. The nearest inter-city (Amtrak) passenger rail stations are Boston's South Station and Providence. The nearest MBTA commuter rail stations are Kingston/Route 3 and Middleborough/Lakeville, providing direct service to Boston.

There are also several bike paths throughout town.

The nearest airport is the Barnstable Municipal Airport, just over the town line. The nearest national and international air service is at Logan International Airport in Boston.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 24,807 people, 11,520 households, and 6,900 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,023.0 PD/sqmi. There were 16,605 housing units at an average density of 684.8 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 95.23% White, 1.34% African American, 0.33% Native American, 0.53% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.94% from other races, and 1.59% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.44% of the population.

There were 11,520 households, out of which 19.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.3% were married couples living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.1% were non-families. 34.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.11 and the average family size was 2.68.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 17.2% under the age of 18, 4.6% from 18 to 24, 23.3% from 25 to 44, 24.7% from 45 to 64, and 30.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 49 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.8 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $39,808, and the median income for a family was $48,148. Males had a median income of $37,090 versus $26,741 for females. The per capita income for the town was $22,731. About 5.2% of families and 7.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.1% of those under age 18 and 3.6% of those age 65 or over.

Government
Yarmouth is represented in the Massachusetts House of Representatives as a part of the First and Second Barnstable Districts. The town is represented in the Massachusetts Senate as a part of the Cape and Islands Districts, which includes all of Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket except the towns of Bourne, Falmouth, Sandwich and a portion of Barnstable. The town is home to the Second Barracks of Troop D of the Massachusetts State Police.

On the national level, Yarmouth is a part of Massachusetts's 9th congressional district, and is currently represented by William R. Keating.

Yarmouth is governed by the open town meeting form of government, and is led by a town administrator and a board of selectmen. There is a central police station, and one firehouse, post office and library each in South Yarmouth, West Yarmouth and Yarmouth Port.

Education
Yarmouth schools make up one-half of the Dennis-Yarmouth Regional School District. Yarmouth operates two elementary schools (Station Avenue and Marguerite E. Small) which serve students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade and the Mattacheese Middle School for grades 6 through 7. The town is the home to Dennis-Yarmouth Regional High School, where both towns send their grade 8–12 students. (Unlike most high schools, which are 9–12) Their team colors are green and white, and their mascot is the dolphin.

Students who live in Yarmouth may also attend Cape Cod Regional Technical High School in Harwich or Sturgis Charter Public School in Hyannis; both for grades 9–12. In addition, they may choose to attend Saint Pius X School for grades pre-kindergarten through 8, or any of the other private schools in neighboring Barnstable.

Sports and recreation
Yarmouth is home to the Yarmouth–Dennis Red Sox, an amateur collegiate summer baseball team in the Cape Cod Baseball League. The team plays at Red Wilson Field and has featured dozens of players who went on to careers in Major League Baseball such as Craig Biggio, Buster Posey, and Chris Sale.

Notable people

 * Asa Eldridge, sea captain
 * Edward Gorey, writer and illustrator
 * John Gorham, decorated colonial Ranger
 * Lot Hall, Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court
 * Joseph Eldridge Hamblin, Civil War major general
 * Christy Mihos, businessman and politician
 * Snow Parker, merchant, judge and politician
 * Keith Reed, Major League Baseball outfielder
 * Joe Sherman, Major League Baseball pitcher
 * Thomas Chandler Thacher, congressman
 * George Thatcher, lawyer and statesman

title: Yarmouth, Massachusetts


text:
Yarmouth Port, Massachusetts

Yarmouth Port is a census-designated place (CDP) in the town of Yarmouth in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 5,320 at the 2010 census.

Yarmouth Port was home to the original Christmas Tree Shops until its closing in 2007. The town is home to the international headquarters of IFAW.

Geography
Yarmouth Port is located in the northern part of the town of Yarmouth at 41.70472°N, -70.22083°W (41.704633, −70.220923). It is bordered to the north by Cape Cod Bay, to the east by the town of Dennis, and to the west by the town of Barnstable. U.S. Route 6, the Mid-Cape Highway, is to the south, beyond which are the CDPs of South Yarmouth and West Yarmouth.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the Yarmouth Port CDP has a total area of 16.76 sqkm, of which 15.65 sqkm is land, and 1.11 sqkm  (6.86%) is water.

Demographics
At the 2000 census there were 5,395 people, 2,546 households, and 1,642 families in the CDP. The population density was 344.9/km$2$ (892.7/mi$2$). There were 3,104 housing units at an average density of 198.4/km$2$ (513.6/mi$2$). The racial makeup of the CDP was 98.46% White, 0.26% African American, 0.17% Native American, 0.32% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.19% from other races, and 0.59% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 0.70%.

Of the 2,546 households 17.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.2% were married couples living together, 6.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.5% were non-families. 30.8% of households were one person and 19.8% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.11 and the average family size was 2.61.

The age distribution was 15.8% under the age of 18, 3.0% from 18 to 24, 18.7% from 25 to 44, 27.9% from 45 to 64, and 34.7% 65 or older. The median age was 53 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.7 males.

The median household income was $47,576 and the median family income was $57,841. Males had a median income of $41,029 versus $30,171 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $30,418. About 2.2% of families and 4.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.2% of those under age 18 and 1.3% of those age 65 or over.

Notable person

 * Edward Gorey (1925–2000), artist and writer

title: Yarmouth Port, Massachusetts


text:
Alford, Massachusetts

Alford is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 486 at the 2020 census.

History
Alford was first settled in 1756 as part of a land purchase from the Shauanum Stockbridge Mahican tribe by a group led by Timothy Woodbridge. The town, originally part of Great Barrington, separated in 1769 and was officially incorporated in 1773. It was named for Colonel John Alford of Charlestown, who was known for preaching Christianity to Native Americans and for sponsoring a theology professorship at Harvard College's Divinity School. The town has been mostly agricultural throughout its existence, however in 1799, large marble deposits were found on the western slopes of Tom Ball Mountain, and for the next 90 or so years it would be an industrious mining town. This would come to an end when the railroad was laid in a neighboring valley, rendering the last operating quarries of Alford unable to compete.

Around New Year's Day, 1776, General Henry Knox passed into Massachusetts through the town, bringing cannons from Fort Ticonderoga eastward to help end the Siege of Boston. Today, this route is known as the Knox Trail, and a marker is located at the state line.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 29.9 km2, of which 29.8 sqkm is land and 0.1 sqkm, or 0.35%, is water. Alford lies along the western border of Berkshire County and Massachusetts, east of Columbia County, New York. The town, which is roughly shaped like an arrowhead, is bordered by West Stockbridge to the northeast, Great Barrington to the southeast, Egremont to the south, and Hillsdale and Austerlitz, New York, to the west. Alford is located 19 mi south-southwest of Pittsfield, 50 mi west-northwest of Springfield, 138 mi west of Boston, and 44 mi southeast of Albany, New York.

Alford is surrounded by hills and mountains of the Taconic Range. The Green River, a tributary of the Housatonic River, flows through the southwest corner of town, and Alford Brook flows through the central part of town, eventually flowing into the Green River in neighboring Great Barrington. Several other brooks flow into these two waterways. To the northeast of town, Tom Ball Mountain peaks just over the town line in West Stockbridge, with its western face being somewhat marshy.

Alford is home to the western terminus of Massachusetts Route 71, a short continuation of New York State Route 71. The Knox Trail follows this route into the state, and the road heads southeastward into Egremont before ending in Great Barrington. There are no other state routes in the town, with few local roads crossing through town. The nearest interstate, Interstate 90 (the Massachusetts Turnpike), passes through neighboring West Stockbridge, with its "turn-around" Exit 1 being 8 mi north of Alford. The nearest rail service is at the Amtrak station in Pittsfield, with service to Boston, Chicago and New York City via a connection at Albany. Bus service is available in Pittsfield as well as in Great Barrington, provided by Peter Pan Bus Lines. There are general aviation airports in Great Barrington and Pittsfield, but the nearest airport for commercial flights is Albany International Airport in New York.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 399 people, 171 households, and 114 families residing in the town. By population, Alford ranks twenty-ninth out of the 32 cities and towns in Berkshire County, and is ninth-smallest of the 351 cities and towns in Massachusetts. The population density was 34.5 PD/sqmi, which ranks 21st in the county and 326th in the Commonwealth. There were 279 housing units at an average density of 24.1 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 99.00% White, 0.75% African American, and 0.25% from two or more races.

There were 171 households, out of which 22.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.6% were married couples living together, 4.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.3% were non-families. Of all households 29.8% were made up of individuals, and 10.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.87.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 20.8% under the age of 18, 3.5% from 18 to 24, 18.0% from 25 to 44, 41.6% from 45 to 64, and 16.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 50 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.9 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $49,632, and the median income for a family was $62,344. Males had a median income of $47,083 versus $28,929 for females. The per capita income for the town was $40,412. About 2.8% of families and 4.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.2% of those under age 18 and 6.8% of those age 65 or over.

Government
Alford uses the open town meeting form of government, and is led by a board of selectmen. The town has its own police, fire and public works departments, but does not have its own post office (it shares the Egremont, Great Barrington, and West Stockbridge post offices). The town's library is connected to the regional library system. The nearest hospital, Fairview Hospital, is located in neighboring Great Barrington.

On the state level, Alford is represented in the Massachusetts House of Representatives by the Fourth Berkshire district, which covers southern Berkshire County, as well as the westernmost towns in Hampden County. In the Massachusetts Senate, the town is represented by the Berkshire, Hampshire and Franklin district, which includes all of Berkshire County and western Hampshire and Franklin counties. The town is patrolled by the First (Lee) Station of Barracks "B" of the Massachusetts State Police.

On the national level, Alford is represented in the United States House of Representatives as part of Massachusetts's 1st congressional district. Massachusetts is currently represented in the United States Senate by senior Senator Elizabeth Warren and junior Senator Ed Markey.

Education
Alford is part of the Mount Everett Regional School District along with Egremont, Monterey, Mount Washington, New Marlborough, and Sheffield. Students in Alford, Egremont and Mount Washington attend the Appalachian School for kindergarten and first grades, with second through sixth grades attending the Undermountain Elementary School in Sheffield, and Mount Everett Regional High School in Sheffield for grades 7–12. There are private schools in Great Barrington and other nearby towns.

The nearest community college is the South County Center of Berkshire Community College in Great Barrington. The nearest state college is Westfield State University, and the nearest University of Massachusetts is the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The nearest private college is Bard College at Simon's Rock in Great Barrington.

Notable people

 * Carolyn Gold Heilbrun, mystery writer, once had a summer home in town
 * John W. Hulbert (1770–1831), born in Alford, lawyer and congressman from Massachusetts

title: Alford, Massachusetts


text:
Becket, Massachusetts

Becket is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,931 at the 2020 census.

History

Becket was first settled in 1740, and was officially incorporated in 1765.

The original "Beckett" for which the town of Becket was named is an estate or "tithing" that once belonged to the Admiral Lord Barrington (the namesake of "Great Barrington, Massachusetts"). It is located in Shrivenham, formerly in Berkshire, England, about five miles east of the important railroad town of Swindon.

Sir Francis Bernard, the Royal Governor of Massachusetts in 1765, was a close friend of Lord Barrington and was himself a native of Berkshire, England. Bernard often went on holiday in the beautiful surroundings of Beckett, and that these pleasant memories influenced him in 1765 to give the name Becket to Township Number Four when he approved its incorporation.

In 1811, 16 men from Becket traveled to the Western Reserve and founded the village of Windham, Ohio.

The early town was the site of an experiment in the late eighteenth century involving the local church. Seeing the problems involved with communities who supported congregational churches, the town established its own church society, where local citizens supported the church without any tax monies. It was one of the first frontier communities to employ this model of supporting churches.

From its earliest days, Becket was involved in the woodland industries of lumber and quarries. As time went on, dairy production, basketry and silk also were products of the town. After a flood in the early twentieth century, most of the industries died out, and today Becket is mostly known as a resort town with an artists' community surrounding the Jacob's Pillow Company.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 123.8 km2, of which 119.3 km2 is land and 4.5 km2, or 3.62%, is water. Becket is located on the eastern border of Berkshire County, at the junction of Hampshire County and Hampden County. Becket is bordered by Washington to the northwest, Middlefield to the northeast, Chester to the east, Blandford to the southeast, Otis to the south, and Tyringham and Lee to the west. Becket is 17 mi southeast of Pittsfield, 32 mi northwest of Springfield, and 118 mi west of Boston.

Becket is located in the southern Berkshire Mountains, and is dotted with hills on the interior, and surrounded on two sides by Becket Mountain and Walling Mountain to the west, and Mount Gobble to the east. The west branch of the Westfield River flows along much of the Middlefield town line, flowing eastward towards Chester. Several marshy brooks flow through the town, and there are several ponds, lakes and the Palmer Brook Reservoir. Along the river, a small portion of the Walnut Hill Wildlife Management Area lies within the town, and to the west, the southeastern corner of October Mountain State Forest. The Appalachian Trail passes through the western part of town, circumventing the town of Lee while heading from Tyringham to Washington over Becket Mountain.

Interstate 90, the Massachusetts Turnpike, passes through town, with the nearest exit (Exit 2) being in neighboring Lee. The town also lies along U.S. Route 20, which is the main east-west route through the town. Massachusetts Route 8 runs concurrently with U.S. 20 for 5 mi starting at the center of town, with the majority of the town's population residing around Robin Hood Lake south of this stretch. A portion of the CSX Berkshire Subdivision rail line passes along the river valley, providing access between Pittsfield and Springfield. The nearest rail, bus and regional air service can be found in Pittsfield, with the nearest national air service coming from Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, Connecticut.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,755 people, 692 households, and 505 families residing in the town. In terms of population, Becket ranks fourteenth out of the 32 cities and towns in Berkshire County, and 297th out of the 351 cities and towns in Massachusetts. The population density was 37.9 PD/sqmi, ranking it 19th in the county and 322nd in the Commonwealth. There were 1,451 housing units at an average density of 31.4 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 97.44% White, 0.68% African American, 0.17% Native American, 0.51% Asian, 0.11% from other races, and 1.08% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.08% of the population.

There were 692 households, out of which 30.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.7% were married couples living together, 6.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.0% were non-families. Of all households, 22.0% were made up of individuals, and 7.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 2.92.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 23.6% under the age of 18, 5.6% from 18 to 24, 29.2% from 25 to 44, 28.6% from 45 to 64, and 13.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.4 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $46,806, and the median income for a family was $53,417. Males had a median income of $40,774 versus $30,300 for females. The per capita income for the town was $21,861. About 3.2% of families and 4.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.0% of those under age 18 and 3.7% of those age 65 or over.

Government
Becket employs the open town meeting form of government, and is led by a board of selectmen and administrative assistant. The town has a police station near the geographic center of town (the area known as Becket Center), and a post office also in Becket Center (the post office was moved from North Becket to Becket Center in the early 2000s). There are two fire stations, one in North Becket and the other located near the Sherwood Forest housing community (along Routes 8 & 20). The nearest hospital, Berkshire Medical Center, is located in Pittsfield.

On the state level, Becket is represented in the Massachusetts House of Representatives by William Smitty Pignatelli,, as part of the 4th Berkshire district, which covers southern Berkshire County. In the Massachusetts Senate, the town is part of the Berkshire, Hampshire, Franklin and Hampden district, and is represented by Benjamin B. Downing. The district includes all of Berkshire County and western Hampshire and Franklin counties.

The town is patrolled by the First (Lee) Station of Barracks "B" of the Massachusetts State Police.

On the national level, Becket is represented in the United States House of Representatives as part of Massachusetts's 1st congressional district represented by Democrat Richard Neal. , Massachusetts is represented in the United States Senate by senior Senator Elizabeth Warren and junior Senator Ed Markey, both Democrats as well.

Education
Becket is one of the seven towns in the Central Berkshire Regional School District, the largest district (by land area) in the Commonwealth. Students in Becket attend the Becket-Washington Elementary School in town for elementary school. Students in the district travel to Dalton to attend Nessacus Regional Middle School for sixth through eighth grades and Wahconah Regional High School for the high grades. A great number of Becket students travel to Lee for education and attend Lee Elementary School for grades K–6 and Lee Middle and High School. There are no private schools in Becket, the nearest being in Lee and the Pittsfield area.

The nearest community college is Berkshire Community College in Pittsfield. The nearest state college is Westfield State University in Westfield, and the nearest state university is the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The nearest private college is Bard College at Simon's Rock in Great Barrington, with other private colleges in Springfield.

Points of interest

 * Becket Arts Center, founded by pianist Emanuel Levenson and painter Fay Kleinman
 * Becket Athenaeum
 * Camp Greylock
 * Canterbury Ski Farm
 * Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival
 * The Kushi Institute, center for macrobiotics
 * Camp Becket

Notable people

 * Horace Chapman, Wisconsin lawyer and Free Soil legislator
 * Theodore S. Chapman, Illinois lawyer and state legislator
 * Ken Cheeseman, theatre and film actor
 * Wendell Corey, actor. Buried in North Cemetery
 * Hannah Tracy Cutler, abolitionist and women's rights advocate
 * Tully Filmus, painter and member of the original board of directors at the Becket Arts Center (summer resident)
 * Norman Wait Harris, American banker, founder of what is now today BMO Harris Bank
 * Fay Kleinman, painter and co-founder of the Becket Arts Center
 * Michio and Aveline Kushi, leaders of the worldwide macrobiotic movement
 * Emanuel Levenson, pianist and opera director; co-founder of the Becket Arts Center
 * Peg Lynch, radio and television personality (Ethel and Albert)
 * Joseph Plumb Martin, soldier in the Revolutionary War, born in Becket in 1760. He lived there until the age of seven, when he was sent to live with his grandparents in Milford, Connecticut
 * Bishop Perkins, politician, Democratic congressman from New York
 * Amanda Barnes Smith, Mormon pioneer
 * Eliza R. Snow, early Mormon historian, poet, and women's leader

title: Becket, Massachusetts


text:
Cheshire, Massachusetts

Cheshire is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 3,258 at the 2020 census.

History
Cheshire was first settled in 1766 and officially incorporated in 1793.

The valley town was founded by Baptists from Rhode Island, the first settlers in the region who were not of the established Puritan Church. The early colonists were mostly descendants of those who had followed Roger Williams to Rhode Island to practice freely. One of the emigration's leaders was Colonel Joab Stafford, who built his house on Stafford Hill and led the men of Cheshire into war during the Revolution.

Cheshire was incorporated in 1793, and its residents were strongly partisan in the election battles of the country's early days. The Adams–Jefferson election of 1800 was hard fought, and Cheshire was the only Berkshire town that favored Jefferson. When their candidate won the election, the town searched for a way to show their support and pay a tribute to their new president. Because Cheshire, like their namesake, specialized in dairying and making cheese, they decided to send a unique gift to the president: a Cheshire cheese that used curds from every farmer in town. The resulting cheese was 4 ft in diameter, 18 in thick and weighed 1235 lb. It was moved on a sled drawn by six horses when it was shipped off to Washington, D.C. by water, where it drew a personal letter of thanks from President Jefferson. One of the two monuments in Cheshire commemorates the cheese; the other memorializes the founders of the town. The Pioneer Monument is on Stafford Hill and is a fieldstone replica of Benedict Arnold's Norse Mill in Newport, Rhode Island.

The town had early forges and saw mills, grist mills and tanneries, and in 1812, the Cheshire Crown Glass Company opened, as did a triphammer operation.

Cheshire Glass Manufacturing company: Was in business at least in June 1900. The only records to show this are shares of the company in an offering of Capital Stock in the amount of $50,000.00. R V Wood was the company treasurer and signer of the shares which were sold on June 16, 1900. (Wood was well known and respected in town.)

At one time in Cheshire's history, Thomas J. Curtin owned and operated the lime kilns located in the Farnams section of Cheshire. His son, Thomas J. Curtin, Jr., owned and operated a silica sand quarry and mill located on the East side of Hoosac Lake (formerly known as the Cheshire Reservoir). (Thomas, Jr., was very active in town affairs, and served for many years as a selectman, moderator, and town accountant.)

The town's reputation for religious diversity continued, and in 1885 there were only 1,537 people in Cheshire but there were four different churches.

The rural town has been taking on recreational and residential overtones in modern times, with 225 acre of open slopes and wooded trails for skiers on Farnhams. There was in the 1940s a 0.75 mi straight run at the Cheshire skiing area. In addition, there has been good fishing in the South Branch of the Hoosic River, which originates in Hoosac Lake in the town.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 71.3 km2, of which 69.4 km2 is land and 1.8 km2, or 2.56%, is water.

Cheshire is located within the valley of the Hoosic River, and is the site of a dammed reservoir on the river. To the west, parts of Mount Greylock State Reservation take up sections of town, and includes a section of the auto road. To the southeast, North Mountain peaks just outside town limits before descending to the valley. The Appalachian Trail crosses through the center of town, heading from North Mountain to Mount Greylock. The southern foothills of the Hoosac Range make up much of the eastern side of town, and much of the land is dotted with sections of the Chalet and Stafford Hill Wildlife Management Areas. Several other brooks feed into the river along the way.

Cheshire is bounded by New Ashford to the northwest, Adams to the north, Savoy to the northeast, Windsor to the east, Dalton to the southeast, and Lanesborough to the south and west. Cheshire's town center is located 10.5 mi northeast of Pittsfield, 53 mi northwest of Springfield, and 135 mi west-northwest of Boston (although the town is closer to Hartford and Albany than its own state capital).

Transportation
Massachusetts Route 8 is the main route through town, crossing from south to north. It was once part of New England Interstate Route 8, which led from North Adams to Bridgeport, Connecticut. Route 116 also cuts through the northeast corner of town, and several sections provide panoramic views of Mount Greylock to the west.

The town lies along one of the routes of the Berkshire Regional Transit Authority bus line. Regional service can be found in both North Adams and Pittsfield, as can regional air service. The nearest airport with national service is Albany International Airport.

The town was formerly served by the Pittsfield and North Adams Railroad. Most of the line was converted into the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail, an 11 mi-long, 10 ft, universally accessible, paved path connecting the Berkshire towns of Lanesborough, Cheshire, and Adams. The trail runs parallel to Route 8 and passes through woods and marshlands, and alongside a lake and a river, with wooded hills and Mount Greylock as a backdrop. The path and has become a popular resource for biking, walking, roller-blading, jogging, etc. The trail passes through the Hoosic River valley, between Mount Greylock and the Hoosac Range. Cheshire Reservoir, the Hoosic River and associated wetland communities flank much of the trail, offering outstanding views and abundant wildlife.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 3,401 people, 1,367 households, and 985 families residing in the town. The population density was 126.3 PD/sqmi. There were 1,470 housing units at an average density of 54.6 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 98.21% White, 0.38% African American, 0.09% Native American, 0.62% Asian, 0.06% from other races, and 0.65% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.44% of the population.

There were 1,367 households, out of which 30.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.8% were married couples living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.9% were non-families. Of all households 23.1% were made up of individuals, and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 2.92.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 23.4% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 28.1% from 45 to 64, and 14.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.5 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $41,981, and the median income for a family was $53,885. Males had a median income of $40,205 versus $26,042 for females. The per capita income for the town was $19,156. About 4.6% of families and 6.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.3% of those under age 18 and 6.3% of those age 65 or over.

Government
Cheshire employs the open town meeting form of government, and is led by a board of selectmen. Discussion is facilitated by the Moderator, Donna DeFino. The town operates its own services, such as police, fire and public works. The town's public library, which is attached to the town hall, is connected to the regional library network. The town is roughly located equidistantly between the North Adams Regional Hospital and Berkshire Medical Center in Pittsfield.

On the state level, Cheshire is represented in the Massachusetts House of Representatives as part of the First Berkshire District, which covers north Berkshire County and is represented by John Barrett. In the Massachusetts Senate, the town is part of the Berkshire, Hampshire and Franklin district, which includes all of Berkshire County and western Hampshire and Franklin counties, and is represented by Ben Downing. The town is home to the Fourth Station of Barracks "B" of the Massachusetts State Police.

On the national level, Cheshire is represented in the United States House of Representatives as part of Massachusetts's 1st congressional district, and has been represented by Richard Neal of Springfield since 2013. Massachusetts is currently represented in the United States Senate by senior Senator Elizabeth Warren and junior senator Ed Markey.

Education
Cheshire is joined with Adams, and Savoy to form a regional school district. Cheshire's elementary school is located in Adams at Plunkett Elementary. Cheshire Elementary School was closed in 2017 as part of budget cuts in the school district. Both towns previously sent their middle school students to Adams Memorial Middle School in Adams. However, following a government grant to renovate and vastly improve the educational facilities at the district's high school, sixth through twelfth grade is held at Hoosac Valley High School. Private, parochial, charter and vocational schools can be found in Adams and North Adams.

The nearest community college is Berkshire Community College in Pittsfield. The nearest state college is Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in North Adams, and the nearest state university is Westfield State University.

Notable people

 * John Leland, an influential Baptist pastor who came to Cheshire in 1792. He took the Cheshire Mammoth Cheese for President Jefferson to Washington
 * Bernice Madigan, supercentenarian and one of the oldest verified people ever
 * Horace Smith, inventor, gunsmith, co-founder of Smith & Wesson; born in Cheshire
 * David Dunnels White, Medal of Honor nominee for capturing Major General Custis Lee, son of Robert E. Lee, at the Battle of Sailor's Creek, Virginia, April 6, 1865. He was born in Cheshire, Massachusetts, in 1844, and is buried in the Bozrah Cemetery in East Hawley, Massachusetts, in 1924

title: Cheshire, Massachusetts


text:
Clarksburg, Massachusetts

Clarksburg is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,657 at the 2020 census.

History
Clarksburg was first settled in 1764 and officially incorporated in 1798.

Captain Matthew Ketchum, Colonel William Bullock, and Nicholas Clark are credited with settling the area in 1769; Clark later became Clarksburg's namesake. The town began as a mostly agrarian community, with mills springing up along the waterways in the nineteenth century. The major mills were one to make cashmere, and several mills supplied gunpowder during the Civil War. However, the industry was stopped by the town after one of the mills exploded in 1869.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 12.8 sqmi, of which 12.8 sqmi is land and 0.1 sqmi (0.62%) is water.

Clarksburg is located at 42°42'42.86"N,73°05'02.97"W. Clarksburg is bordered by Pownal and Stamford, Vermont on the north, Florida on the east, North Adams on the south, and Williamstown on the west.

The town is bordered on two sides by mountains, with East Mountain and Bald Mountain to the west, and the Hoosac Range to the east. Between the two ranges, Hudson Brook and the north branch of the Hoosic River flow through the valley, merging just south of the town line. In the northern part of the valley is Clarksburg State Park, operated by the state's Department of Conservation and Recreation. The park is home to Mauserts Pond and offers picnicking, hiking, and camping, as well as other recreational activities. On the Vermont side of the border lies the Green Mountain National Forest. The Appalachian Trail crosses from north to south through the town, passing just west of the peak of East Mountain, the highest point in town, at 2300 ft.

Route 8 is the only state route through town, and is the main road. The nearest interstate highway is Interstate 91, which is 35 mi east of town along Route 2, also known as the Mohawk Trail, which ends just south of town and whose hairpin turn is located just within the town border near the town's southeast corner.

There is no rail service in town, and the nearest bus services are located in North Adams. The nearest regional airport is Harriman and West Airport in North Adams, and the nearest airport with national service is the Albany International Airport.

Demographics
As of the census of 2010, there were 1,702 people, 675 households, and 507 families residing in the town. Clarksburg ranks 20th out of 32 towns in Berkshire County by population, and 302nd out of 351 cities and towns in Massachusetts. The population density was 133 PD/sqmi, making it the 9th most densely populated town in the county and the 273rd in the Commonwealth. There were 715 housing units at an average density of 55.9 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 98.8% White, 0.2% African American, 0.12% from other races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.9% of the population.

There were 675 households, out of which 27.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.3% were married couples living together, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.9% were non-families. 20.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 2.89.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 22.2% under the age of 19, 4.4% from 20 to 24, 21.2% from 25 to 44, 31.6% from 45 to 64, and 17.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $57,600, and the median income for a family was $62,639. Males had a median income of $49,038 versus $39,063 for females. The per capita income for the town was $28,274. About 3.5% of families and 6.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.9% of those under age 18 and 1.6% of those age 65 or over.

Government
Clarksburg uses the open town meeting form of government, and is governed by a board of selectmen and a town administrator. The town has its own police department and volunteer fire department, and has its own public services. The town has its own library, the Clarksburg Town Library, which is connected to the regional library system. The nearest hospital, North Adams Regional Hospital, closed in 2014 and is now known as the North Adams Campus of Berkshire Medical Center, which has numerous outpatient healthcare services.

On the state level, Clarksburg is represented in the Massachusetts House of Representatives by the First Berkshire district, which covers northern Berkshire County, as well as portions of Franklin County. In the Massachusetts Senate, the town is represented by the Berkshire, Hampshire and Franklin district, which includes all of Berkshire County and western Hampshire and Franklin Counties. The town is patrolled by the Fourth (Cheshire) Station of Barracks "B" of the Massachusetts State Police.

On the national level, Clarksburg is represented in the United States House of Representatives as part of Massachusetts's 1st congressional district, and has been represented by Richard Neal of Springfield since January 2013. Massachusetts is represented in the United States Senate by senior Senator Elizabeth Warren and junior Senator Edward Markey.

Education
The town operates its own elementary school, Clarksburg Elementary, which serves students from kindergarten through eighth grade. At high school age the town sends its students to Drury High School in North Adams, MA. Students also have the option of applying to attend Charles H. McCann Technical High School also in North Adams, and Berkshire Arts & Technology Charter Public School in Adams. There are also private schools in North Adams and Williamstown which accept students from the town.

The nearest community college is Berkshire Community College, located in Pittsfield. The nearest public college is Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in neighboring North Adams, and the nearest university is the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The nearest private college is Williams College in Williamstown.

title: Clarksburg, Massachusetts


text:
Dalton, Massachusetts

Dalton is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. Dalton is a transition town between the urban and rural portions of Berkshire County. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 6,330 at the 2020 census.

History
Dalton was first settled in 1755 on former Equivalent Lands, and officially incorporated in 1784. The town was named after Tristram Dalton, the Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives at the time of the town's incorporation.

Dalton was settled as a rural-industrial community, with mills set up along the East Branch of the Housatonic River and small patches of farmland in other areas. In 1801, Zenas Crane, Henry Wiswall and John Willard set up a paper mill along the river which, by 1844, had begun producing banknote paper, which was purchased by banks all the way to Boston. The company, Crane & Co., still is the largest employer in town, making paper products, stationery, and, since 1873, has been the only supplier of paper for the Federal Reserve Note, the United States' paper money. The town now has a mix of small town and suburban qualities, and was served by trolleys to Pittsfield for many years.

In 1973, Dalton was the host of the International Six Days Enduro (ISDE or ISDT), also referred to as "The Olympics of Motorcycling". The ISDE is an annual event held in a different country each year since 1913 (minus WWI and WWII), and draws competitors from all around the world.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 56.7 km2, of which 56.4 km2 is land and 0.3 km2, or 0.45%, is water. Dalton is bordered by Cheshire to the northwest and north, Windsor to the northeast, Hinsdale to the east, Washington to the south, and Pittsfield and Lanesborough to the west. The town center is 5 mi northeast of downtown Pittsfield, 45 mi northwest of Springfield, and 140 mi west of Boston.

Dalton's center of population, due to its milling history, is around the valley of the East Branch of the Housatonic River. Several brooks empty into the river, including Wahconah Falls Brook, whose eponymous waterfalls are a small state park. Much of the rest of town is dominated by the Berkshires, with the north being on a plateau between the peaks of North Mountain and Western Mountain, covered by the Dalton Wildlife Management Area. The south is dominated by Tully Mountain, whose peak is just over the Hinsdale line. The Appalachian Trail winds through town, passing between Tully and North Mountains through the downtown area.

Transportation
Dalton lies at the junction of Massachusetts Route 8, Route 8A and Route 9, with the latter two running concurrently. Route 9 is the major central east-west route through the state, and ends in neighboring Pittsfield. Dalton's nearest interstate is Interstate 90, the Massachusetts Turnpike, whose nearest exit is 15 mi south of town. The Berkshire Regional Transit Authority provides bus service. The rail line, owned by CSX Transportation, hosts freight and Amtrak's Lake Shore Limited with a station stop in Pittsfield. The nearest regional air service can be found at Pittsfield Municipal Airport, and the nearest national air service can be found at Albany International Airport.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 6,892 people, 2,712 households, and 1,857 families residing in the town. By population, Dalton ranks sixth out of the 32 cities and towns in Berkshire County, and 217th out of the 351 cities and towns in Massachusetts. The population density was 316.0 PD/sqmi, which ranks 4th in the county and 210th in the Commonwealth. There were 2,832 housing units at an average density of 129.8 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 97.78% White, 0.51% African American, 0.12% Native American, 0.71% Asian, 0.44% from other races, and 0.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.02% of the population.

There were 2,712 households, out of which 32.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.5% were married couples living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.5% were non-families. 26.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.04.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.8% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 25.2% from 45 to 64, and 16.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.5 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $47,891, and the median income for a family was $59,717. Males had a median income of $41,379 versus $28,885 for females. The per capita income for the town was $23,634. About 1.2% of families and 2.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.5% of those under age 18 and 7.1% of those age 65 or over.

The town has churches for several different Christian denominations, including a Congregational church, a Roman Catholic Church, a Methodist Church, an Episcopal church and a Church of the Nazarene.

Government
Dalton uses the open town meeting form of government, and is led by a board of selectmen and a town manager. Dalton has its own police, fire district, ambulance, and public works departments. The town's public library, located adjacent to the town hall, is a member of the regional library network. The nearest hospital, Berkshire Medical Center, is in neighboring Pittsfield.

On the state level, Dalton is represented in the Massachusetts House of Representatives as part of the Second Berkshire district, represented by Paul Mark, which covers towns in Berkshire County, Hampshire County, and Franklin County. In the Massachusetts Senate, the town is part of the Berkshire, Hampshire and Franklin district, which includes all of Berkshire County and western Hampshire and Franklin counties.

On the national level, Dalton is represented in the United States House of Representatives as part of Massachusetts's 1st congressional district. MA-01 is represented by Richard Neal of Springfield, Massachusetts.

The town is patrolled by the Fourth (Cheshire) Station of Barracks "B" of the Massachusetts State Police.

Education
Dalton is the town with the highest population in the Central Berkshire Regional School District. Craneville Elementary School serves Dalton students from kindergarten through fifth grade. Nessacus Regional Middle School, also in Dalton, serves all middle school students in the district, and Wahconah Regional High School is the district's high school, located in Dalton. The athletic teams are nicknamed the Warriors, and their colors are blue and white.

The town also has a parochial school, Saint Agnes Academy, which serves students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grades. There are other private and parochial schools in neighboring Pittsfield, including a Catholic high school.

The nearest community college, Berkshire Community College, is located in Pittsfield. The nearest state college is Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in North Adams, and the nearest university is the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Dalton gave its name to the Dalton Plan educational concept and the Dalton School (see Helen Parkhurst).

Notable people

 * Dan Duquette, former Boston Red Sox, Baltimore Orioles and Montreal Expos general manager
 * Mary Cutler Fairchild (1855–1921), librarian and library educator
 * Jeff Reardon, 16-year Major League Baseball veteran who spent three seasons (1990–1992) with the Boston Red Sox
 * Anton Strout, USA Today bestselling fantasy and science fiction author, host of The Once and Future Podcast
 * David H. Tower, paper mill architect who designed many of Crane's first mills used to fill orders for the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, best known doing business with his brother under the firm D. H. & A. B. Tower
 * Turk Wendell, former Major League Baseball pitcher

title: Dalton, Massachusetts