Taunton, Massachusetts

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Taunton, Massachusetts
Taunton Green at Christmas time, 2006
Seal
Location in Massachusetts
Coordinates: 41°54′00″N, 71°05′25″W
Country	United States
State	Massachusetts
County	Bristol County
Settled	1638
Incorporated	1639
Government
- Type	Mayor-City Council
- Mayor	Charles Crowley
Area
- City	48.0 sq mi (124.2 km²)
- Land	46.6 sq mi (120.7 km²)
- Water	1.4 sq mi (3.5 km²)
Elevation	30 ft (9 m)
Population (2000)
- City	55,976
- Density	Expression error: Unrecognised punctuation character "["/sq mi (1,201.1 mi² / 463.7/km²)
Time zone	Eastern (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	Eastern (UTC-4)
ZIP code	02718, 02780, 02783
Area code(s)	508 / 774
Website: http://www.ci.taunton.ma.us/

Taunton is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the seat of Bristol County and the hub of the Greater Taunton Area. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 55,976.

Taunton's nicknames are derived from its history. The moniker Silver City is born of Taunton's industrial past when companies such as F. B. Rogers/International Silver Co. produced silver goods as well as several other silver companies such as Poole Silver and Reed & Barton, throughout the city, while Christmas City is still evidenced each December with the celebrations on the Taunton Green surrounding the Christmas holiday. The name Taunton means "town (or city) on the river".

Contents 1 History 2 Geography 3 Demographics 4 Government 4.1 State and Federal Jurisdiction 4.2 Politics 4.3 Municipal holiday 5 Education 5.1 Primary 5.2 Secondary 5.3 College/Career 6 Culture 7 Economy 8 Infrastructure 8.1 Health and medicine 8.2 Transportation 8.3 Utilities 8.4 Media 9 Notable residents 10 See also 11 References 12 External links

[edit] History

Taunton was founded in 1637 by Elizabeth Pole, and officially incorporated as a town on September 3, 1639. Most of the town's settlers were originally from Taunton, Somerset, England, which led early settlers to name the settlement after that town. At the time of Taunton's incorporation, they explained their choice of name as being, '"'in honor and love to our dear native country... and owning it a great mercy of God to bring us to this place, and settling of us, on lands of our own bought with our money in peace, in the midst of the heathen, for a possession for ourselves and for our posterity after us."

Prior to 1640, the Taunton area was called Cohannet. The British founders of Taunton purchased the land from the native Wampanoags. The Taunton area was the site of battles (on its soil or the surrounding area) during various conflicts, including King Philip's War and the American Revolution. Taunton was re-incorporated as a city on May 11, 1864.

Once a great industrial city, the "Silver City" was home to many silversmithing operations, including the Taunton Silversmiths, Reed & Barton, Poole Silver and the F.B. Rogers Silver Co./International Silver Co. Various other industries operated throughout the city into the third quarter of the 20th century.

In October 2005, the nearby Whittenton Pond Dam threatened to fail following a week that brought nine inches of rain to the city. Over 2,000 city residents were evacuated [1] and Mayor Robert Nunes issued a State of Emergency. It is estimated that if the had dam failed, the Mill River would have inundated the downtown area with up to six feet of water. In response, Governor Mitt Romney ordered an immediate inspection of high-risk dams throughout the Commonwealth.[2] [3]

Taunton once included many surrounding towns, including Norton, Easton, Mansfield, Dighton, Raynham, and Berkley. Possession of the latter is still noted by the naming of Taunton Hill in Assonet, which is now North Main Street, a street that heads into Berkley.

[edit] Geography

Taunton is located at 41°54′5″N, 71°5′37″W (41.901491, -71.093628).^GR1 According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 124.2 km² (48.0 mi²). 120.7 km² (46.6 mi²) of it is land and 3.5 km² (1.4 mi²) of it (2.81%) is water. This is the second largest city by area in Massachusetts^{[citation needed]}. Only Boston, at 48.42 square miles of land, is larger.

Taunton has one major river, the Taunton River, alongside with its tributaries including the Mill River and the Three Mile River. These rivers are within the Taunton River Watershed.

There are nine designated historic districts within the city:

• Bay Road Historic District, which is also known as Post Road; road from Taunton to Boston (1300 acres (5.3 km²), 1 structure, 2 objects)
• Bristol County Courthouse Complex (13 acres, 3 buildings)
• Church Green Historic District is also known as Meetinghouse Common (160 acres, 18 buildings, 1 object)
• Hopewell Mills District (120 acres, 13 buildings)
• Old Bay Road Historic District is also known as The Post Road; The King's Highway (150 acres, 1 structure, 3 objects)
• Reed and Barton Historic District
• Taunton Green Historic District (50 acres, 22 buildings, 3 objects)
• Taunton State Hospital Historic District is also known as the Taunton Lunatic Asylum (1250 acres (5.1 km²), 38 buildings, 8 structures)

Due to the annexation of towns from the original town of Taunton, the city now is irregularly shaped, with it (along with neighboring Raynham) roughly making a triangle. The city is bordered by Norton to the northwest, Easton to the north, Raynham to the northeast, Lakeville to the east, Berkley and Dighton to the south, and Rehoboth to the west. Neighborhoods of Taunton include Clearview Estates, East Taunton, Elliot's Corner, Herring Run Estates, Linden Estates, Matthews Landing, North Taunton, Oakland, Pine Crest Estates, Pine Hill Estates, Wades Corner, Weir Village, Westville, Whittenton, Whittenton Junction, Willis Lake Village and Woodward Estates. Taunton is also home to almost the entirety of the Massasoit State Park in East Taunton, and a large portion of the Hockomock Swamp Wildlife Management Area in North Taunton.

[edit] Demographics

Historical Populations[citation needed]
Year	Pop.	Year	Pop.
1790		1900	31,036
1800		1910	34,259
1810		1920	37,137
1820		1930	37,355
1830		1940	37,395
1840		1950	40,109
1850		1960	41,132
1860		1970	43,756
1870		1980	45,001
1880		1990	49,832
1890		2000	55,976

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 55,976 people, 22,045 households, and 14,483 families residing in the city. The population density was 463.7/km² (1,201.1/mi²). There were 22,908 housing units at an average density of 189.8/km² (491.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 91.67% White, 2.74% African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.60% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 2.59% from other races, and 2.21% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.93% of the population.

There are 22,045 households out of which 32.3% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.0% were married couples living together, 13.4% have a female householder with no husband present, and 34.3% were non-families. 28.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.9% 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 3.09.

In the city the population was spread out with 24.9% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 33.2% from 25 to 44, 21.0% from 45 to 64, and 12.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 92.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $42,932, and the median income for a family was $52,433. Males had a median income of $36,895 versus $27,686 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,899. About 8.0% of families and 10.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.9% of those under age 18 and 11.3% of those age 65 or over.

The neighborhoods in Taunton are East Taunton, Oakland, the Weir, Westville, and Whittenton.

[edit] Government

The city has a Mayor-Council form of government. Aside from that, it also has a School Committee and many boards & commissions. As the seat of Bristol County, Taunton is home to the county's few administrative offices and several of its courthouses, including the Bristol County Superior Courthouse, at right.

[edit] State and Federal Jurisdiction

Taunton is a part of three separate state representative districts: Third Bristol (entirely located in Taunton); Fifth Bristol (which includes Dighton, Somerset and part of Swansea); and Twelfth Bristol (including all or parts of Freetown, Lakeville, Middleborough and New Bedford). It is a part of the First Plymouth and Bristol state senate district, which also includes the towns of Berkley, Bridgewater, Carver, Dighton, Marion, Middleborough, Raynham and Wareham. Taunton is patrolled by the Massachusetts State Police's Troop D (Southeast District), 4th Barracks, located in Middleborough. On the national level, the town is part of Massachusetts Congressional District 4, which is represented by Barney Frank. The state's senior (Class I) Senator is Edward M. Kennedy, and the state's junior (Class II) Senator, up for re-election in 2008, is John F. Kerry.

[edit] Politics

Taunton has been a hotbed area of local, state, and national American politics for centuries. Many famous political or politically-controversial events occurred in Taunton's long history. This town was the first in Colonial America where a women (Elizabeth Pole) was credited with its founding. Robert Treat Paine was a long-time Taunton resident and a signer of the Declaration of Independence and the first Attorney-General of Massachusetts. Part of King Phillip's War was fought on Taunton's limits. Former U.S. presidents, such as Presidents James K.Polk, William H.Taft, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman, gave campaign speeches in Taunton. The city's former Camp Myles Standish during WWII was a prisoner-of-war camp, a welcoming area for about a million U.S. & Allied soldiers; and a candidate site for the U.N. Headquarters, soon after the military camp closed. Although the city hasn't been as much of a hotbed of politics as it once was, it still continues to be a politically active region of the state of Massachusetts.

[edit] Municipal holiday

• Liberty & Union Day (in mid-October)

[edit] Education

Education in Taunton ranges from preschool through post-secondary education.

[edit] Primary

Taunton has ten public and three Catholic elementary schools, and four public and one Catholic middle schools.

Public^[1]

• Barnum School serves students in preschool.
• Summer Street School serves students in kindergarten.
• Edmund Hatch Bennett School, named for the city's first mayor, serves students in grades K-4.
• Joseph C. Chamberlain Elementary School, named for the city's 36th mayor, serves students in grades K-4.
• East Taunton Elementary School serves students in grades K-4.
• Harold H. Galligan School, a former Catholic school now named for a past school superintendent, serves students in grades K-4.
• Hopewell School serves students in grades K-4.
• Edward F. Leddy School, formerly the Sacred Heart Grammar School and now named for a former city councilman, serves students in grades K-4.
• The Lowell M. Maxham School, named for a Civil War Medal of Honor recipient, serves students in grades K-4.
• Elizabeth Pole School, named for the city's founder, serves students in grades 1-4.
• Benjamin A. Friedman Middle School, named for a former mayor, serves students in grades 5-8.
• Joseph H. Martin Middle School serves students in grades 5-8.
• Mulcahey Middle School serves students in grades 5-8.
• John F. Parker Middle School serves students in grades 5-8.

Catholic^[2]

• Villa Fatima Pre School
• Our Lady of Lourdes School
• St. Mary's Primary School
• Taunton Catholic Middle School

[edit] Secondary

Taunton has two public high schools and one Catholic high school.

Public

• Taunton High School
• Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical School

Catholic

• Coyle and Cassidy High School

[edit] College/Career

Taunton is home to a satellite campus of Bristol Community College, which meets at Taunton High School. In addition, the city houses career schools such as the RobRoy Academy beauty school.

[edit] Culture

The city is serviced by a central public library, the Taunton Public Library, which opened in 1903 and has undergone several expansions and renovations since that time. Also of note is the Old Colony Historical Society, which archives the city and region's past.

The Taunton Green is the name of the city square. Early in its history, "The Green" was used as a training ground for militias in the American Revolution. Some say it was also the site of the historic "Liberty & Union"/"Taunton" flag raising in 1774 by the Sons of Liberty, prior to the American Revolution.^[3] In the 20th and 21st century, the city square was temporarily transformed during the winter holiday season into a grand display of Christmas lights, scenes, and extravagant events. This is where and how the city earned its unofficial nickname in the surrounding areas as the "Christmas City."

"The Green" continues to provide a centralized location for city-wide Christmas activities, other holidays, events, and parades for the citizens of Taunton. A waterfall can sometimes be found at the center of the Taunton Green, although currently it is used only rarely, possibly to defray maintenance costs.

Always to be seen flapping together in emblematic unison, the "Liberty & Union" flag and the U.S. flag fly side-by-side on the flagpole at the city's center.

See also: Published works about Taunton

[edit] Economy

Taunton economy has historically been based on silversmithing and shipbuilding. Reed & Barton produced the 1996 Summer Olympics medals and exclusively-used silverware for the White House. Also, the city produced the anchor for the USS Constitution. The nearby town of Raynham produced the anchor for the Civil War-era ironclad USS Monitor.

Today, the city's economy has many emphases on semiconductor, silicon, and electronics building`. It is home to corporate headquarters of many leading corporations in various industries. Currently, the city is trying to attract bio-research companies to its industrial parks.

[edit] Infrastructure

[edit] Health and medicine

Taunton is home to the Morton Hospital and Medical Center.

[edit] Transportation

Taunton is the central highway hub of southeastern Massachusetts. Much of the eastern part of the state's major highways intersect and/or runs through the city, especially at its center. US 44, MA 138, and MA 140 intersect at a square at Taunton's center, which is called the Taunton Green. I-495 runs through the northern portion of Taunton, unofficially referred to as "North Taunton", and parallel to Myles Standish Industrial Park, Taunton's main industrial park, and Norton Commerce Center in nearby Norton. MA 140 is accessible from I-495 by using the "Bay Street Exit 9" exit and going through the Myles Standish Industrial Park. MA 140 is also accessible from the eastern neighborhood of the city, popularly referred to as "East Taunton."

Various smaller routes run through other parts of the city. These include a small portion of MA 104, close to the Taunton-Raynham city limits, and MA 79, close to the Taunton-Berkley-Lakeville (Plymouth County) city-town-county limits. Taunton is the western terminus of MA 104. It merges into US 44 after entering the city.

A small, approximately 2-mile stretch of Interstate 495 passes through the northern end of town, with Exit 9 giving access to the highway via Bay Street. Additionally, State Routes 24 and 140 intersect near East Taunton, and it is at that junction that Route 140 ceases to be a 2-lane divided freeway from the south and becomes a smaller state highway to the north. U.S. Route 44, Route 138 and Route 140 all intersect around Taunton Green at the center of the city, and Route 79 passes along the border with Lakeville . Although it only exists for less than a thousand feet in Taunton, Route 104 does terminate at its intersection with Route 44.

Several freight rails pass through the city on their way towards Fall River, New Bedford and a link-up with the line in Middleborough. There are plans being worked on to link up parts of this rail with the Stoughton line of the MBTA commuter rail system to Boston. Taunton also has its own municipal airport, serving mostly smaller craft and occasional commuter jets. The nearest national airline service can be reached at T.F. Green Airport in Rhode Island, and the nearest international service is at Logan International Airport in Boston.

[edit] Utilities

Electricity is provided to Taunton residents by the Taunton Municipal Lighting Plant. Municipal water and sewer also service the city.

[edit] Media

Taunton is served by several publications including the Silver City Bulletin, Taunton Call, Taunton Enterprise, and the Taunton Daily Gazette. Regional papers of importance such as the Boston Globe, Boston Herald, and Providence Journal, are also widely available.

Some of the major Internet providers in Taunton are Comcast, EarthLink, SBC Yahoo! Dial, and Verizon. The Taunton Municipal Lighting Plant (TMLP), Taunton's electric company, is also an Internet service provider for the city and its surrounding towns.

The two radio stations based in Taunton are WPEP 1570 AM and WSNE 93.3 FM, the latter of which primarily serves and has its studios in Providence.. Taunton has local cable television channels which include the Taunton Educational Network (channel 9), Taunton Local Access (channel 15), and Taunton Municipal Network (channel 17). Comcast's Taunton system carries all Providence and Boston stations as well and both markets are easily available off-air.

[edit] Notable residents

• Two Major League Baseball players were born in Taunton: George Bignell (1858) and Scott Hemond (1965). Five have lived in town: Tim Donahue (1902), Mike Hines (1910), San Burke (1933), Ezra Lincoln (1951), and Benny Bowcock (1961).
• Mary Christian, who was at one time authenticated as the oldest living American, was born in Taunton on June 12, 1889. Christian became the oldest American upon the death of Mae Harrington on December 29, 2002, and held the title until her own death on April 20, 2003.

[edit] See also

• Area code 508
• Notable people from Taunton, Massachusetts
• Old Colony Railroad
• Taunton, England - Taunton, Massachusetts's sister city

[edit] References

1. ^ Taunton Public Schools. http://www.tauntonschools.org/
   
2. ^ Roman Catholic Diocese of Fall River. http://www.fallriverdiocese.org/
3. ^ http://www.1911encyclopedia.org/Taunton%2C_Massachusetts 1911 encyclopedia

[edit] External links

• Bristol County Superior Courthouse (in Taunton)
• First Parish Church's Official Home Page
• Industrial Theatre's Official Home Page
• Old Colony YMCA's Taunton Division
• Southeastern Regional Planning & Economic Development's Official Home Page
• Taunton Animal Shelter's Home Page
• Morton Hospital and Medical Center's Official Home Page
• Taunton Area Chamber of Commerce's Official Home Page
• Taunton Boys and Girls Club's Official Home Page
• Taunton Cemetery Department's Official Home Page
• Taunton Employment Task Force
• Taunton Municipal Airport's Official Home Page
• Taunton Municipal Lighting Plant's Official Home Page
• Taunton Public Library's Official Home Page
• Taunton State Hospital
• Walker-Blake Graveyard's Official Home Page
• The Beer Can Museum

• Maps and aerial photos Coordinates: 41.901491° -71.093628°
  • 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