Clinton, Massachusetts
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| Clinton, Massachusetts | |
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| Coordinates: 42°25′00″N 71°41′00″W / 42.416667°N 71.683333°W | |
| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| State | Massachusetts |
| County | Worcester County |
| Settled | 1654 |
| Incorporated | 1850 |
| Government | |
| - Type | Open town meeting |
| - Town Administrator |
Michael J. Ward |
| - Board of Selectmen |
Steven Mendoza Joseph P. Notaro, Jr. Robert V. Pasquale, Jr. Philip Bazydlo Anthony M. Fiorentino |
| Area | |
| - Total | 7.3 sq mi (18.9 km2) |
| - Land | 5.7 sq mi (14.8 km2) |
| - Water | 1.6 sq mi (4.1 km2) |
| Elevation | 366 ft (112 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| - Total | 13,435 |
| - Density | 2,355.7/sq mi (909.5/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (UTC-5) |
| - Summer (DST) | Eastern (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 01510 |
| Area code(s) | 351 / 978 |
| FIPS code | 25-14395 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0618360 |
| Website | www.clintonmass.com |
Clinton is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 13,435 at the 2000 census.
For geographic and demographic information on the census-designated place Clinton, please see the article Clinton (CDP), Massachusetts.
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[edit] History
Clinton was first settled in 1654 as a part of Lancaster. It was officially incorporated as a separate town on March 14, 1850,[1] and named after DeWitt Clinton.[2]
Clinton became a small industrialized mill town, using the Nashua River as a source for water power. Railroads came to the town to serve this industry, including the Boston, Clinton, Fitchburg and New Bedford Railroad (Fitchburg Branch of the Old Colony Railroad), the Central Massachusetts Railroad, and Worcester, Nashua and Rochester Railroad (the last two later merged into the Boston and Maine Corporation). By 1890, Clinton was noted for its manufacturing of carpets and woven wire.[2]
In 1897, construction began on the Wachusett Dam, culminating in the filling of the Wachusett Reservoir in 1908. This flooded a substantial portion of Clinton and neighboring towns, which had to be relocated. Part of the Central Massachusetts Railroad line abandoned in 1958 includes a tunnel near Clamshell Road.[3][4]
[edit] Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 7.3 square miles (19 km2), of which, 5.7 square miles (15 km2) of it is land and 1.6 square miles (4.1 km2) of it (21.78%) is water. The Nashua River runs through the town, and the large Wachusett Reservoir lies to the south of the town center.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[5] of 2000, there were 13,435 people, 5,597 households, and 3,397 families residing in the town. The population density was 2,355.7 inhabitants per square mile (909.5 /km2). There were 5,844 housing units at an average density of 1,024.7 per square mile (395.6 /km2).
The racial makeup of the town was 88.20% White, 2.58% Black or African American, 0.22% Native American, 0.89% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 5.95% from other races, and 2.13% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race was 11.60% of the population. Ethnic heritages include Irish, German, Québécois, Arcadian, Swedish, Italian, Dominican, Puerto Rican, Greek, and Polish.
There were 5,597 households out of which 28.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.7% were married couples living together, 12.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.3% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 3.06.
In the town the population was spread out with 23.0% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 32.9% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 15.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 92.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.6 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $44,740, and the median income for a family was $53,308. Males had a median income of $37,263 versus $30,035 for females. The per capita income for the town was $22,764. About 4.9% of families and 7.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.4% of those under age 18 and 13.9% of those ages 65 or over.
[edit] Government
| County government: Worcester County | |
|---|---|
| Clerk of Courts: | Dennis P. McManus(D) |
| District Attorney: | Joseph D. Early, Jr. (D) |
| Register of Deeds: | Anthony J. Vigliotti (D) |
| Register of Probate: | Stephen Abraham (D) |
| County Sheriff: | Guy W. Glodis (D) |
| State government | |
| State Representative(s): | Harold P. Naughton, Jr (D) |
| State Senator(s): | Harriette L. Chandler (D), Jennifer L. Flanagan (D) |
| Governor's Councilor(s): | Thomas J. Foley (D) |
| Federal government | |
| U.S. Representative(s): | James P. McGovern (D-3rd District), |
| U.S. Senators: | Ted Kennedy (D), John Kerry (D) |
[edit] Notable residents
- Clarence Brown
- Tim Fortugno
- Joseph L. Gormley
- Mal Kittridge,[6]
- Agnes Moorehead, actress
- Jimmy Ryan,[6]
- Sydney Schanberg
- Scott Young
- David Walsh, former Massachusetts governor
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ History of the Origin of the Town of Clinton, Massachusetts, 1653-1865 by Andrew E. Ford
- ^ a b Nason and Varney's Massachusetts Gazetteer, 1890, pp. 241-242
- ^ http://newenglandoddities.com/2008/05/19/tunnel-vision/#more-62
- ^ http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM5290_Boston_and_Maine_Abandoned_Tunnel_Clinton_MA
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ a b Reichler, Joseph L., ed (1979) [1969]. The Baseball Encyclopedia (4th edition ed.). New York: Macmillan Publishing. ISBN 0-02-578970-8.
[edit] External links
- clintonmass.com - The Town of Clinton's original community website - Since 1997
- ClintonMass.US - Clinton's Freedom of speech site and forum
- "An Extraordinary Town, How one of America's smallest towns shaped the world" A Historical Marketing Book by A. J. Bastarache that has redefined the history of Clinton and helped to define its legacy.
- "A Town Called Clinton", a short film created by former residents Billy and Patrick McNally
- "World Famous Old Timer Restaurant", Clinton's World Famous Restaurant and Tap Room. A Clinton landmark and leading Irish Pub and Restaurant since 1929.
- Satellite Imagery by Google Local
