Ashland, Massachusetts
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Ashland, Massachusetts | |
| Nickname: "The Clock Town" | |
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| Coordinates: | |
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| Country | United States |
| State | Massachusetts |
| County | Middlesex County |
| Settled | 1750 |
| Incorporated | 1846 |
| Government | |
| - Type | Open town meeting |
| Area | |
| - Town | 12.9 sq mi (33.5 km²) |
| - Land | 12.4 sq mi (32.2 km²) |
| - Water | 0.5 sq mi (1.2 km²) |
| Elevation | 188 ft (57 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| - Town | 14,674 |
| - Density | 1,179.3/sq mi (455.3/km²) |
| Time zone | Eastern (UTC-5) |
| - Summer (DST) | Eastern (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 01721 |
| Area code(s) | 508 / 774 |
| Website: http://www.AshlandMass.Com | |
Ashland, Massachusetts is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the MetroWest region. The population was 14,674 at the 2000 census.
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[edit] Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 33.5 km² (12.9 mi²). 32.2 km² (12.4 mi²) of it is land and 1.2 km² (0.5 mi²) of it (3.72%) is water.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there were 14,674 people, 5,720 households, and 4,021 families residing in the town. The population density was 455.4/km² (1,179.3/mi²). There were 5,794 housing units at an average density of 179.8/km² (465.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 91.88% White, 1.79% African American, 0.10% Native American, 2.47% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.67% from other races, and 2.06% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.92% of the population.
There were 5,720 households out of which 35.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.2% were married couples living together, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.7% were non-families. 22.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.04.
In the town the population was spread out with 25.3% under the age of 18, 5.0% from 18 to 24, 35.5% from 25 to 44, 24.5% from 45 to 64, and 9.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 93.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.4 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $68,392, and the median income for a family was $77,611. Males had a median income of $51,869 versus $38,226 for females. The per capita income for the town was $31,641. About 0.9% of families and 2.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.2% of those under age 18 and 4.6% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] History
Ashland Massachusetts was once part of Hopkinton, Holliston and Framingham. The area was settled by Europeans in the early 1700s and prior to that, the Megunko Indians to which Megunko Hill owes its name. Previously known as "Unionville", Ashland was incorporated in 1846 and is considerably younger than many towns which surround it. The establishment of the Boston to Albany railroad in the 1800s was a key factor to the early development of Ashland. Through most of the 1800s to the mid 20th century, Ashland was a rural town with scattered farms and centralized residential buildings with some industry. Ashland is where inventor Henry E. Warren invented the Warren Synchronizing Timer in 1916, which made electric clocks possible by keeping alternating current flowing from power plants at a consistent sixty cycles per second. In partnership with General Electric Warren founded Telechron, which manufactured electric clocks is Ashland into the 1980s. A Warren Synchronizing Timer is on display at the Smithsonian's Museum of American History. Also of note was the construction of the Ashland Reservoir around 1900 from the waters of Cold Spring. This is the current site of Ashland State Park. Through most of the 20th century Ashland's population remained slow in growth, until the post-war boom beginning in the 1950s. Ashland grew from a far-removed rural town 22 miles west of Boston to a primarily residential suburb by the 1980s. Many farms and open space has given way to housing, although some untouched land still remains. This includes the Ashland Town Forest and Ashland State Park. Two major routes, 135 and 126 pass through Ashland. Route 135 is dominated by older residential development of varying density and is also part of the route for the Boston Marathon, which originally started in Ashland until being moved to Hopkinton. Route 126 has seen much more growth since the 1980s, as farms have given way to shopping centers and condos. Part of the draw of Ashland, and one that has been publicized in recent years, is its "ideal" location about halfway between Boston and Worcester. Ashland is considered part of MetroWest, which also consists of Framingham, Holliston and Hopkinton.
The town is famous as the birthplace of the electric clock. This explains the unusual name of the Ashland High School sports teams: "The Clockers".
The current Ashland has grown from its beginnings as a rural area. Even so, Ashland still retains the look and feel of a typical residential New England town in the Boston area. Traditions like the Ashland Day fair and small-town favorites like the ice cream shop Tasty Treat and breakfast joint Sunnyside help maintain the feeling of a close-knit community. Ashland's traditional rival is Hopkinton for the Thanksgiving High School football game. The two share a continuing friendly rivalry over in which town the Boston Marathon originally began. Ashland High School graduates approximately 150 students each year, though that number is increasing with each passing year.
[edit] Climate
Ashland's climate is variable. Winters are typically cold with frequent Nor'Easters and occasional Blizzards. Snowfall ranges widely from season to season, although the average is about 60 inches. In the past, there has been as little as 14 inches of snow in the 1988-89 winter season to 148 inches in the 1995-96 season. This amount decreases dramatically eastward towards Boston because of the influence of the Atlantic Ocean. Spring temperatures can be mitigated by penetrating cold fronts originating from the Canadian Maritimes, known as "Backdoor Cold Fronts". Typically, temperatures consistently above 70 degrees for highs do not set in until late May. The last frost is usually in mid May. Summers are generally comfortable, with periods of high humidity. Prolonged heat waves of 3 days or more of highs of 90 or above are not very common, but can occur. The first frost is usually around October 1st, and peak season for foliage averages around October 12th. Ashland can expect a "White" Christmas a little over 50 percent of the time.
