Middleborough, Massachusetts
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| Middleborough, Massachusetts | |
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| Country | United States |
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| State | Massachusetts |
| County | Plymouth County |
| Settled | 1660 |
| Incorporated | 1669 |
| Government | |
| - Type | Open town meeting |
| Area | |
| - Town | 72.3 sq mi (187.3 km²) |
| - Land | 69.6 sq mi (180.1 km²) |
| - Water | 2.8 sq mi (7.1 km²) |
| Population (2000) | |
| - Town | 19,941 |
| - Density | 286.7/sq mi (110.7/km²) |
| Time zone | Eastern (UTC-5) |
| - Summer (DST) | Eastern (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 02346 |
| Area code(s) | 508 / 774 |
| Website: http://www.middleborough.com | |
Middleborough is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 19,941 at the 2000 census.
For geographic and demographic information on the village of Middleborough Center, please see the article Middleborough Center, Massachusetts.
Middleborough is frequently written as Middleboro.
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[edit] History
Middleborough was first settled in 1660 as Nemasket, which was later changed to Middlebury and was officially incorporated as Middleborough in 1669. The name "Middlebury" was taken from a place in England, and changed to the more modern "Middleborough." During King Philip's War (1675-76), the town's entire populace took shelter within the confines of a fort constructed along the Nemasket River. (The site is located behind the old junior high school, and is marked by a state historical commission marker along Route 105.) Before long, the fort was abandoned and the population withdrew to the greater shelter of Plymouth colony; in their absence, the entire village was burned to the ground, and it would be several years before the town would be refounded. Western Middleborough broke away in 1857 and formed the town of Lakeville, taking with it main access to the large fresh water lakes there, including Lake Assawompsett. Middleboro was home to world-famous circus midget General Tom Thumb, of Barnum & Bailey Circus fame, as well as Revolutionary War cross-dressing female freedom fighter Deborah Sampson. Once the shoe capital of the world, Middleborough has since become the cranberry capital of the world, hosting the corporate headquarters of Ocean Spray Cranberries. Middleborough is also the second-largest town in Massachusetts in terms of area. The town is also an enclave of conservative leaning. Notable sights include the 1870's Victorian-style town hall, the Greek revival-style town library (1903), and in the summer, the Nemasket herring run.
[edit] Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 187.3 km² (72.3 mi²). 180.1 km² (69.6 mi²) of it is land and 7.1 km² (2.8 mi²) of it (3.80%) is water. Middleborough is the second largest municipality in Massachusetts, smaller only than Plymouth.
Middleborough lies on the western border of Plymouth County. It is bordered by Bridgewater and Halifax to the north, Plympton and Carver to the east, Wareham and Rochester to the south, and Lakeville, Taunton and Raynham to the west. Despite its name, Middleborough is not located anywhere near the other 11 "-boroughs" in the state, lying south and east of all of them. The town is approximately fifteen miles west of Plymouth, thirty miles east of Providence, Rhode Island and 40 miles south of Boston.
Middleborough's rivers and brooks feed in two directions; the Taunton River, Nemasket River and their tributaries flow southeastward as part of the Taunton River Watershed, which empties into Narragansett Bay. The other waterways of the town, including the Wewantic River, flow southward into Buzzards Bay. Along Middleborough's border with Lakeville lie the Assawompsett, Pocksha and Great Quittacas Ponds. Tispaquin Pond, Woods Pond, and several other ponds make up the town's bodies of water. Middleborough also has four wildlife management areas, as well as the Beaver Dam, Great Cedar and Little Cedar Swamps, the swamps being located in the north of town. The town is also the site of several cranberry bogs, especially in the southeastern part of town along the Carver town line. (In fact, Ocean Spray's headquarters are just over the town line in Lakeville.)
[edit] Transportation
Interstate 495 runs through the town on its way to Cape Cod. The town is also crossed by U.S. Route 44, as well as Routes 18, 28 and 105, as well as a short, 1,000-foot section of Route 58 which passes through the southeast corner of town. Route 79's eastern terminus is on the town line at Route 105; the "Entering Middleborough" sign is barely fifty feet from the end of the road. Routes 18, 28 and 44 meet at a traffic circle adjacent to I-495 just west of the center of town. Two of I-495's four interchanges are located there. Also, I-495's interchange with Route 24 is located just 1-1/2 miles northeast of the town line.
In addition to its highways, Middleborough is the home to the southern terminus of the Middleborough-Lakeville line of the MBTA commuter rail service. (The track is on the town line; the parking lot is in Lakeville.) The same rail is also used for commercial and governmental traffic; the main branch of the line itself terminates at Otis Air National Guard Base in Bourne. The nearest regional airport is in Plymouth; the nearest national and international airport is Logan International Airport in Boston.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there were 19,941 people, 6,981 households, and 5,117 families residing in the town. The population density was 110.7/km² (286.7/mi²). There were 7,249 housing units at an average density of 40.2/km² (104.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.12% White, 1.26% African American, 0.26% Native American, 0.44% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.57% from other races, and 1.31% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.78% of the population.
There were 6,981 households out of which 38.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.4% were married couples living together, 12.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.7% were non-families. 20.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.78 and the average family size was 3.23.
In the town the population was spread out with 27.7% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 32.8% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 10.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 96.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.1 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $52,755, and the median income for a family was $59,173. Males had a median income of $40,854 versus $28,570 for females. The per capita income for the town was $20,246. About 3.5% of families and 5.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.4% of those under age 18 and 5.3% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Government
Middleborough is represented in the Massachusetts House of Representatives as a part of three separate districts, the Tenth and Twelfth Bristol and Twelfth Plymouth. The town is represented in the Massachusetts Senate as a part of the First Plymouth and Bristol district, which also includes Berkley, Bridgewater, Carver, Dighton, Marion, Raynham, Taunton and Wareham.[1] The town is home to the Fourth Barracks of Troop D of the Massachusetts State Police.[2].
On the national level, Middleborough is a part of Massachusetts's 4th congressional district, and is currently represented by Barney Frank. The state's senior (Class I) member of the United States Senate, re-elected in 2006, is Ted Kennedy. The junior (Class II) Senator, up for re-election in 2008, is John Kerry.
Middleborough is governed by the open town meeting form of government, which is led by a town manager and a board of selectmen. The town's services are centralized downtown, with the fire and police headquarters being just to the north of the town hall, and the central post office being northwest of it. Despite the town's size, there is only one other fire station, along Route 28 in the south of town. The town library is also located downtown, as is the Plymouth County district courthouse.
There is now a new fire station on Routes 18 + 28 just north of the rotary, but this station and the station in South Middleborough are frequently closed due to staffing levels.
[edit] Education
Middleborough has its own school system, headed by a school committee and superintendent. There are two schools, Dr. Lincoln D. Lynch and School Street, which accommodate kindergarten students. The Mary K. Goode Elementary School serves grades 1 and 2 and the Henry B. Burkland Intermediate School serves grades 3 through 5. The John T. "Tiger" Nichols, Jr. Middle School serves grades 6 through 8, and the Middleborough High School serves grades 9 through 12. Middleborough High's teams are nicknamed the "Sachems," and their colors are black and orange. The school's main rival is Carver High School.
In addition to the public school system, high school students may also choose to attend Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical School in Taunton. There are also two private special needs schools in the town, the F.L. Chamberlain School and the Southeast Alternative School. The nearest private schools are located in Bridgewater, Lakeville and Taunton.
[edit] Notable figures
- Isaac Backus, Baptist pastor and Founding Father during Revolution
- Rick Fuller, actor, producer, professional wrestler,
- Erik Lindgren, composer
- Deborah Sampson, female soldier of American Revolution who dressed as man
- Cephas Thompson, portrait painter
- General Tom Thumb, stage name of Charles Sherwood Stratton, "midget" celebrity with P.T. Barnum
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Middleborough home page
- Middleborough Library
- Middleboro Gas and Electric
- Ocean Spray Cranberries, fruit grower's cooperative, world headquarters is on the Middleborough/Lakeville line
- Zachariah Eddy House Bed & Breakfast
- On Cranberry Pond Bed & Breakfast
- Looking Glass Farm, equestrian facility
- Emerald J Equestrian Center, equestrian facility
- Ponies for Parties, equestrian operation
- Eddy Family genealogical association
