Weymouth, Massachusetts
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| Weymouth, Massachusetts | |||
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| Coordinates: | |||
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| Country | United States | ||
| State | Massachusetts | ||
| County | Norfolk County | ||
| Settled | 1630 | ||
| Incorporated | 1635 | ||
| Government | |||
| - Type | Mayor-council city | ||
| - Mayor | David M. Madden (D) | ||
| Area | |||
| - City | 21.6 sq mi (56.0 km²) | ||
| - Land | 17.0 sq mi (44.1 km²) | ||
| - Water | 4.6 sq mi (11.9 km²) | ||
| Elevation | 90 ft (27 m) | ||
| Population (2000) | |||
| - City | 53,988 | ||
| - Density | 3,174.2/sq mi (1,225.6/km²) | ||
| Time zone | Eastern (UTC-5) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | Eastern (UTC-4) | ||
| ZIP code | 02188 - 02189 - 02190 - 02191 | ||
| Area code(s) | 339 / 781 | ||
| Website: http://www.weymouth.ma.us/ | |||
Weymouth is a city[1] in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2000 census, Weymouth had a total population of 53,988.
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[edit] History
The site of Weymouth first saw European inhabitants in 1621 as Wessagusset, a sister colony of the Plymouth settlement. Making it (de facto) the third colony in the United States Myles Standish is credited with saving the settlement in its early years from Indian attacks, hoping that doing so would preempt an attack on Plymouth. In 1624, according to city lore, the settlement was bolstered by the arrival of the ship Charity from Weymouth, England, including one Richard Harding, the ancestor of President Warren Harding. It became part of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1630 with 503 inhabitants and was officially incorporated in 1635, then assuming its present name of Weymouth.
Weymouth boasts the house where Abigail Adams, wife of President John Adams and mother to President John Quincy Adams, was born.
Weymouth was heavily involved in the shoemaking industry from the first years of the 1700s right through to 1973, when the Stetson Shoe Company closed its doors. The building is currently being used for office space.[2]
Five Weymouth citizens have been awarded the Medal of Honor making it the city with most Medal of Honor recipients in the United States: Thomas W. Hamilton, serving in the Civil War; William Seach, serving in the Boxer Rebellion in China; Eldon Johnson, serving in World War II; Ralph Talbot, a pilot in World War I; and Frederick C. Murphy, who also served in World War II.
A portion of the former Naval Air Station South Weymouth, which was closed in 1996 under the Base Realignment and Closure Act, was located in Weymouth.
In 1999 Weymouth residents voted to change to a city form of government. David M. Madden was elected as the city's first mayor.
The original town hall, which was destroyed by fire in 1914, was replaced in 1928 with a town hall that is a replica of the old Massachusetts State House in Boston. (Another replica of the building can be found at Curry College in Milton.)
Weymouth has over 14 Dunkin Donuts. The most popular one is the busiest in the United States.[3]
Weymouth is home to one of the youngest councils in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts with four elected officials 35 years or younger. Kevin Whitaker, 35, Greg Shanahan, 30, Arthur Matthews, 30, and Patrick O'Connor, 21.
Daily Show correspondents Rob Corddry and Nate Corddry are from Weymouth. George Jung, subject of the 2001 film Blow, was also raised there. Abigail Adams was also a native of Weymouth.[4]
Former Boston Red Sox second baseman Mark Bellhorn was born at South Shore Hospital in South Weymouth.
Tang is manufactured in Weymouth, along with Bell's Seasoning.
Dwellers in Weymouth often designate which part of the town they live in through four distinct unofficial 'districts'. South Weymouth, which is mostly south of Route 3 and East Weymouth (situated somewhat in the center of Weymouth, including Whitman's pond, Jackson Square, and Town Hall). The last two unofficial districts, the Landing and North Weymouth often overlap one another, though Weymouth Landing is usually considered to span a mile around Weston Park. North Weymouth is considered as everything above East Weymouth and the Landing, including Great Esker Park and Wessagussett Beach.
[edit] Geography
Weymouth is located at (42.206458, -70.945919).GR1
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 56.0 km² (21.6 mi²). 44.1 km² (17.0 mi²) of it is land and 11.9 km² (4.6 mi²) of it (21.29%) is water. Weymouth contains the Weymouth Back River; its surroundings, formerly industrial, are now set aside as parks and natural areas.
[edit] Demographics
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 53,988 people, 22,028 households, and 13,921 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,225.4/km² (3,174.2/mi²). There were 22,573 housing units at an average density of 512.4/km² (1,327.1/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.9% White, 1.4% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American, 1.6% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.6% from other races, and 1.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.3% of the population.
There were 22,028 households out of which 27.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.6% were married couples living together, 11.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.8% were non-families. 30.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 3.08.
In the city the population was spread out with 22.0% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 32.7% from 25 to 44, 23.4% from 45 to 64, and 15.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 90.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $51,665, and the median income for a family was $64,083. Males had a median income of $42,497 versus $35,963 for females. The per capita income for the town was $24,976. About 4.1% of families and 5.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.3% of those under age 18 and 7.4% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Notable residents
- Mark Bellhorn, professional baseball player
- Rob and Nate Corddry, correspondents for The Daily Show
- Abigail Adams
[edit] References
- ^ Although it is called the "Town of Weymouth," it is a statutory city of Massachusetts. See Office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth.
- ^ http://dlxs.lib.wayne.edu/d/dhhcc/retailers/stetshonshoes.html
- ^ WHDH's (Weymouth's Local Channel 7) Report
- ^ (1967) Who Was Who in America, Historical Volume, 1607-1896. Marquis Who's Who.
[edit] External links
- Town of Weymouth
- Weymouth, MA
- The Weymouth News
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
- Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
