Dalton, Massachusetts
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| Dalton, Massachusetts | |
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| Coordinates: | |
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| Country | United States |
| State | Massachusetts |
| County | Berkshire County |
| Settled | 1755 |
| Incorporated | 1784 |
| Government | |
| - Type | Open town meeting |
| Area | |
| - Town | 21.9 sq mi (56.6 km²) |
| - Land | 21.8 sq mi (56.5 km²) |
| - Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.1 km²) |
| Elevation | 1,199 ft (365 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| - Town | 6,892 |
| - Density | 316.0/sq mi (122.0/km²) |
| Time zone | Eastern (UTC-5) |
| - Summer (DST) | Eastern (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 01226 |
| Area code(s) | 413 |
| Website: http://www.Dalton-ma.gov | |
Dalton is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. Dalton is considered by some to be a suburb of the nearby city of Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Dalton is also the transition town between the urban and rural pieces of Berkshire County, Massachusetts. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 6,892 at the 2000 census. It is the home of the Crane Paper Company, the one and only supplier for the rag-based paper used in the Federal Reserve note.
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[edit] History
Dalton was first settled in 1755 and was 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.
[edit] Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 56.6 km² (21.9 mi²). 56.5 km² (21.8 mi²) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.04 mi²) of it (0.18%) is water.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there were 6,892 people, 2,712 households, and 1,857 families residing in the town. The population density was 122.0/km² (316.0/mi²). There were 2,832 housing units at an average density of 50.1/km² (129.8/mi²). 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.
[edit] Education
Dalton is the largest town in the Central Berkshire Regional School District. Craneville Elementary School, Nessacus Regional Middle School, and Wahconah Regional High School are all located in Dalton.
[edit] Religion
There are a number of different churches in Dalton: There's a Congregational church, a Catholic Church (St. Agnes), a Methodist Church, an Episcopal church and a Church of the Nazarene.
[edit] Famous Residents
Dalton is the family home of baseball executive Dan Duquette, relievers Jeff Reardon and Turk Wendell.
