1.
City
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A city is a large and permanent human settlement. Cities generally have complex systems for sanitation, utilities, land usage, housing, a big city or metropolis usually has associated suburbs and exurbs. Such cities are associated with metropolitan areas and urban areas. Once a city expands far enough to another city, this region can be deemed a conurbation or megalopolis. Damascus is arguably the oldest city in the world, in terms of population, the largest city proper is Shanghai, while the fastest-growing is Dubai. There is not enough evidence to assert what conditions gave rise to the first cities, some theorists have speculated on what they consider suitable pre-conditions and basic mechanisms that might have been important driving forces. The conventional view holds that cities first formed after the Neolithic revolution, the Neolithic revolution brought agriculture, which made denser human populations possible, thereby supporting city development. The advent of farming encouraged hunter-gatherers to abandon nomadic lifestyles and to settle near others who lived by agricultural production, the increased population density encouraged by farming and the increased output of food per unit of land created conditions that seem more suitable for city-like activities. In his book, Cities and Economic Development, Paul Bairoch takes up position in his argument that agricultural activity appears necessary before true cities can form. According to Vere Gordon Childe, for a settlement to qualify as a city, it must have enough surplus of raw materials to support trade and a relatively large population. To illustrate this point, Bairoch offers an example, Western Europe during the pre-Neolithic, when the cost of transport is taken into account, the figure rises to 200,000 square kilometres. Bairoch noted that this is roughly the size of Great Britain, the urban theorist Jane Jacobs suggests that city formation preceded the birth of agriculture, but this view is not widely accepted. In his book City Economics, Brendan OFlaherty asserts Cities could persist—as they have for thousands of years—only if their advantages offset the disadvantages, OFlaherty illustrates two similar attracting advantages known as increasing returns to scale and economies of scale, which are concepts usually associated with businesses. Their applications are seen in more basic economic systems as well, increasing returns to scale occurs when doubling all inputs more than doubles the output an activity has economies of scale if doubling output less than doubles cost. To offer an example of these concepts, OFlaherty makes use of one of the oldest reasons why cities were built, in this example, the inputs are anything that would be used for protection and the output is the area protected and everything of value contained in it. OFlaherty then asks that we suppose the protected area is square, the advantage is expressed as, O = s 2, where O is the output and s stands for the length of a side. This equation shows that output is proportional to the square of the length of a side, the inputs depend on the length of the perimeter, I =4 s, where I stands for the quantity of inputs. So there are increasing returns to scale, O = I2 /16 and this equation shows that with twice the inputs, you produce quadruple the output
2.
Geographic coordinate system
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A geographic coordinate system is a coordinate system used in geography that enables every location on Earth to be specified by a set of numbers, letters or symbols. The coordinates are chosen such that one of the numbers represents a vertical position. A common choice of coordinates is latitude, longitude and elevation, to specify a location on a two-dimensional map requires a map projection. The invention of a coordinate system is generally credited to Eratosthenes of Cyrene. Ptolemy credited him with the adoption of longitude and latitude. Ptolemys 2nd-century Geography used the prime meridian but measured latitude from the equator instead. Mathematical cartography resumed in Europe following Maximus Planudes recovery of Ptolemys text a little before 1300, in 1884, the United States hosted the International Meridian Conference, attended by representatives from twenty-five nations. Twenty-two of them agreed to adopt the longitude of the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, the Dominican Republic voted against the motion, while France and Brazil abstained. France adopted Greenwich Mean Time in place of local determinations by the Paris Observatory in 1911, the latitude of a point on Earths surface is the angle between the equatorial plane and the straight line that passes through that point and through the center of the Earth. Lines joining points of the same latitude trace circles on the surface of Earth called parallels, as they are parallel to the equator, the north pole is 90° N, the south pole is 90° S. The 0° parallel of latitude is designated the equator, the plane of all geographic coordinate systems. The equator divides the globe into Northern and Southern Hemispheres, the longitude of a point on Earths surface is the angle east or west of a reference meridian to another meridian that passes through that point. All meridians are halves of great ellipses, which converge at the north and south poles, the prime meridian determines the proper Eastern and Western Hemispheres, although maps often divide these hemispheres further west in order to keep the Old World on a single side. The antipodal meridian of Greenwich is both 180°W and 180°E, the combination of these two components specifies the position of any location on the surface of Earth, without consideration of altitude or depth. The grid formed by lines of latitude and longitude is known as a graticule, the origin/zero point of this system is located in the Gulf of Guinea about 625 km south of Tema, Ghana. To completely specify a location of a feature on, in, or above Earth. Earth is not a sphere, but a shape approximating a biaxial ellipsoid. It is nearly spherical, but has an equatorial bulge making the radius at the equator about 0. 3% larger than the radius measured through the poles, the shorter axis approximately coincides with the axis of rotation
3.
U.S. state
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A U. S. state is a constituent political entity of the United States of America. There are 50 states, which are together in a union with each other. Each state holds administrative jurisdiction over a geographic territory. Due to the shared sovereignty between each state and the government, Americans are citizens of both the federal republic and of the state in which they reside. State citizenship and residency are flexible, and no government approval is required to move between states, except for persons covered by certain types of court orders. States range in population from just under 600,000 to over 39 million, four states use the term commonwealth rather than state in their full official names. States are divided into counties or county-equivalents, which may be assigned some local authority but are not sovereign. County or county-equivalent structure varies widely by state, State governments are allocated power by the people through their individual constitutions. All are grounded in principles, and each provides for a government. States possess a number of powers and rights under the United States Constitution, Constitution has been amended, and the interpretation and application of its provisions have changed. The general tendency has been toward centralization and incorporation, with the government playing a much larger role than it once did. There is a debate over states rights, which concerns the extent and nature of the states powers and sovereignty in relation to the federal government. States and their residents are represented in the federal Congress, a legislature consisting of the Senate. Each state is represented in the Senate by two senators, and is guaranteed at least one Representative in the House, members of the House are elected from single-member districts. Representatives are distributed among the states in proportion to the most recent constitutionally mandated decennial census, the Constitution grants to Congress the authority to admit new states into the Union. Since the establishment of the United States in 1776, the number of states has expanded from the original 13 to 50, alaska and Hawaii are the most recent states admitted, both in 1959. The Constitution is silent on the question of states have the power to secede from the Union. Shortly after the Civil War, the U. S. Supreme Court, in Texas v. White, as a result, while the governments of the various states share many similar features, they often vary greatly with regard to form and substance
4.
Massachusetts
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It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east, the states of Connecticut and Rhode Island to the south, New Hampshire and Vermont to the north, and New York to the west. The state is named for the Massachusett tribe, which inhabited the area. The capital of Massachusetts and the most populous city in New England is Boston, over 80% of Massachusetts population lives in the Greater Boston metropolitan area, a region influential upon American history, academia, and industry. Originally dependent on agriculture, fishing and trade, Massachusetts was transformed into a manufacturing center during the Industrial Revolution, during the 20th century, Massachusetts economy shifted from manufacturing to services. Modern Massachusetts is a leader in biotechnology, engineering, higher education, finance. Plymouth was the site of the first colony in New England, founded in 1620 by the Pilgrims, in 1692, the town of Salem and surrounding areas experienced one of Americas most infamous cases of mass hysteria, the Salem witch trials. In 1777, General Henry Knox founded the Springfield Armory, which during the Industrial Revolution catalyzed numerous important technological advances, in 1786, Shays Rebellion, a populist revolt led by disaffected American Revolutionary War veterans, influenced the United States Constitutional Convention. In the 18th century, the Protestant First Great Awakening, which swept the Atlantic World, in the late 18th century, Boston became known as the Cradle of Liberty for the agitation there that led to the American Revolution. The entire Commonwealth of Massachusetts has played a commercial and cultural role in the history of the United States. Before the American Civil War, Massachusetts was a center for the abolitionist, temperance, in the late 19th century, the sports of basketball and volleyball were invented in the western Massachusetts cities of Springfield and Holyoke, respectively. Many prominent American political dynasties have hailed from the state, including the Adams, both Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, also in Cambridge, have been ranked among the most highly regarded academic institutions in the world. Massachusetts public school students place among the top nations in the world in academic performance, the official name of the state is the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. While this designation is part of the official name, it has no practical implications. Massachusetts has the position and powers within the United States as other states. Massachusetts was originally inhabited by tribes of the Algonquian language family such as the Wampanoag, Narragansett, Nipmuc, Pocomtuc, Mahican, and Massachusett. While cultivation of crops like squash and corn supplemented their diets, villages consisted of lodges called wigwams as well as longhouses, and tribes were led by male or female elders known as sachems. Between 1617 and 1619, smallpox killed approximately 90% of the Massachusetts Bay Native Americans, the first English settlers in Massachusetts, the Pilgrims, arrived via the Mayflower at Plymouth in 1620, and developed friendly relations with the native Wampanoag people. This was the second successful permanent English colony in the part of North America that later became the United States, the event known as the First Thanksgiving was celebrated by the Pilgrims after their first harvest in the New World which lasted for three days
5.
Plymouth County, Massachusetts
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Plymouth County is a county in the U. S. state of Massachusetts. As of the 2010 census, the population was 494,919 and its county seats are Plymouth and Brockton. In 1685 the County was created by the Plymouth General Court, Plymouth County is part of the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH Metropolitan Statistical Area. According to the U. S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of 1,093 square miles. It is the third-largest county in Massachusetts by total area, the towns of Hingham and Hull in Plymouth County extend north of Norfolk County and face onto Massachusetts Bay, sharing a northern water boundary with Suffolk County. The population density was 716 people per square mile, there were 181,524 housing units at an average density of 275 per square mile. The racial makeup of the county was 88. 70% White,4. 56% Black or African American,0. 21% Native American,0. 92% Asian,0. 02% Pacific Islander,3. 06% from other races, and 2. 52% from two or more races. 2. 44% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race,28. 0% were of Irish,12. 8% Italian,10. 6% English and 5. 1% American ancestry according to Census 2000. 90. 1% spoke English,2. 5% Spanish,2. 3% Portuguese,1. 5% French Creole and 1. 0% French as their first language. 22. 20% of all households were made up of individuals and 9. 00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older, the average household size was 2.74 and the average family size was 3.23. In the county, the population was out with 26. 80% under the age of 18,7. 20% from 18 to 24,30. 40% from 25 to 44,23. 90% from 45 to 64. The median age was 37 years, for every 100 females there were 95.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.30 males, the median income for a household in the county was $55,615, and the median income for a family was $65,554. Males had an income of $45,535 versus $31,389 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,789, about 4. 90% of families and 6. 60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8. 30% of those under age 18 and 7. 90% of those age 65 or over. The leading ancestry group in Plymouth County is Irish, with 31%, Plymouth County, along with Norfolk County, Massachusetts, claims the highest percentage of people with Irish ancestry in the United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 494,919 people,181,126 households, the population density was 750.9 inhabitants per square mile. There were 200,161 housing units at a density of 303.7 per square mile
6.
Municipal corporation
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A municipal corporation is the legal term for a local governing body, including cities, counties, towns, townships, charter townships, villages, and boroughs. Municipal incorporation occurs when such municipalities become self-governing entities under the laws of the state or province in which they are located, often, this event is marked by the award or declaration of a municipal charter. A city charter or town charter is a document establishing a municipality such as a city or town. The concept developed in Europe during the Middle Ages and is considered to be a version of a constitution. Traditionally the granting of a charter gave a settlement and its inhabitants the right to town privileges under the feudal system, townspeople who lived in chartered towns were burghers, as opposed to serfs who lived in villages. Towns were often free, in the sense that they were protected by the king or emperor. Today the process for granting charters is determined by the type of government of the state in question, in monarchies, charters are still often a royal charter given by the Crown or the state authorities acting on behalf of the Crown. In federations, the granting of charters may be within the jurisdiction of the level of government such as a state or province. In Brazil, municipal corporations are called municípios and are created by means of legislation at the state level. All municipal corporations must also abide by a municipal law which is passed and amended at the municipal level. In Canada charters are granted by provincial authorities, in Germany, municipal corporations existed since antiquity and through medieval times, until they became out of favour during the absolutism. In order to strengthen the spirit, the city law of Prussia dated 19 November 1808 picked up this concept. It is the basis of municipal law. In India, a Municipal Corporation is a local government body. This standard varies from state to state, according to laws passed by state legislatures, the Corporation of Chennai was the first Municipal Corporation in India. It was established on 29 September 1688 by the British East India Company, the second was Hyderabad Municipal Corporation established in 1869 by the Nizam rulers of Hyderabad State. The third was the Calcutta Municipal Corporation, established in 1876, the Bombay Municipal Corporation was established in 1888 by the Bombay Municipal Corporation Act. The Delhi Municipal Council was established in 1911 during the Delhi Durbar when New Delhi was proclaimed to be the new Capital of India and it was elevated to Municipal Corporation level on 7 April 1958 by an Act of Parliament which established the Municipal Corporation of Delhi
7.
2010 United States Census
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The 2010 United States Census, is the twenty-third and currently most recent United States national census. National Census Day, the day used for the census, was April 1,2010. As part of a drive to increase the accuracy,635,000 temporary enumerators were hired. The population of the United States was counted as 308,745,538, as required by the United States Constitution, the U. S. census has been conducted every 10 years since 1790. The 2000 U. S. Census was the previous census completed, participation in the U. S. Census is required by law in Title 13 of the United States Code. On January 25,2010, Census Bureau Director Robert Groves personally inaugurated the 2010 Census enumeration by counting World War II veteran Clifton Jackson, more than 120 million census forms were delivered by the U. S. Post Office beginning March 15,2010, the number of forms mailed out or hand-delivered by the Census Bureau was approximately 134 million on April 1,2010. The 2010 Census national mail participation rate was 74%, from April through July 2010, census takers visited households that did not return a form, an operation called non-response follow-up. In December 2010, the Census Bureau delivered population information to the president for apportionment, personally identifiable information will be available in 2082. The Census Bureau did not use a form for the 2010 Census. In several previous censuses, one in six households received this long form, the 2010 Census used only a short form asking ten basic questions, How many people were living or staying in this house, apartment, or mobile home on April 1,2010. Were there any additional people staying here on April 1,2010 that you did not include in Question 1, mark all that apply, Is this house, apartment, or mobile home – What is your telephone number. What is Person 1s age and Person 1s date of birth, is Person 1 of Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin. Does Person 1 sometimes live or stay somewhere else, the form included space to repeat some or all of these questions for up to twelve residents total. In contrast to the 2000 census, an Internet response option was not offered, detailed socioeconomic information collected during past censuses will continue to be collected through the American Community Survey. The survey provides data about communities in the United States on a 1-year or 3-year cycle, depending on the size of the community, rather than once every 10 years. A small percentage of the population on a basis will receive the survey each year. In June 2009, the U. S. Census Bureau announced that it would count same-sex married couples, however, the final form did not contain a separate same-sex married couple option
8.
Eastern Time Zone
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Places that use Eastern Standard Time when observing standard time are 5 hours behind Coordinated Universal Time. Eastern Daylight Time, when observing daylight saving time DST is 4 hours behind Coordinated Universal Time, in the northern parts of the time zone, on the second Sunday in March, at 2,00 a. m. EST, clocks are advanced to 3,00 a. m. EDT leaving a one-hour gap, on the first Sunday in November, at 2,00 a. m. EDT, clocks are moved back to 1,00 a. m, southern parts of the zone do not observe daylight saving time. The Uniform Time Act of 1966 ruled that daylight saving time would run from the last Sunday of April until the last Sunday in October in the United States, the act was amended to make the first Sunday in April the beginning of daylight saving time as of 1987. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 extended daylight saving time in the United States beginning in 2007. So local times change at 2,00 a. m. EST to 3,00 a. m. EDT on the second Sunday in March, in Canada, the time changes as it does in the United States. However, a handful of communities unofficially observe Eastern Time because they are part of the Columbus, Georgia metropolitan area – Phenix City, Smiths Station, Lanett, and Valley. Florida, All of Florida is in the Eastern Time zone except for the portion of the Florida Panhandle west of the Apalachicola River, as the Eastern–Central zone boundary approaches the Gulf of Mexico, it follows the Bay/Gulf county line. Indiana, All of Indiana observes Eastern Time except for six counties in the Chicago metropolitan area. Kentucky, Roughly, the half of the state, including all of metropolitan Louisville, is in the Eastern Time Zone. Historically the entire state observed Central Time, when daylight saving time was first introduced, the Lower Peninsula remained on DST after it formally ended, effectively re-aligning itself into the Eastern Time Zone. The Upper Peninsula continued to observe Central Time until 1972, when all, Tennessee, Most of the eastern third of Tennessee is legally on Eastern Time. Eastern Time is also used somewhat as a de facto official time for all of the United States, since it includes the capital and the largest city. Major professional sports leagues also post all game times in Eastern time, for example, a game time between two teams from Pacific Time Zone will still be posted in Eastern time. Most cable television and national broadcast networks advertise airing times in Eastern time, national broadcast networks generally have two primary feeds, an eastern feed for Eastern and Central time zones, and a tape-delayed western feed for the Pacific Time Zone. The prime time is set on Eastern and Pacific at 8,00 p. m. with the Central time zone stations receiving the eastern feed at 7,00 p. m. local time. Mountain Time Zone stations receive a separate feed at 7,00 p. m. local time, as Arizona does not observe daylight saving time, during the summer months, it has its own feed at 7,00 p. m. local time
9.
UTC-5
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UTC−05,00 is a time offset that subtracts five hours from Coordinated Universal Time. In North America, it is observed in the Eastern Time Zone during standard time, the western Caribbean uses it year round. The southwestern and northwestern portions of Indiana Mexico – Central Zone Central, in most of Mexico, daylight time starts a few weeks after the United States. Communities on the U. S. border that observe Central Time follow the U. S. daylight time schedule
10.
Daylight saving time
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Daylight saving time is the practice of advancing clocks during summer months by one hour so that evening daylight lasts an hour longer, while sacrificing normal sunrise times. Typically, regions that use Daylight Savings Time adjust clocks forward one hour close to the start of spring, American inventor and politician Benjamin Franklin proposed a form of daylight time in 1784. New Zealander George Hudson proposed the idea of saving in 1895. The German Empire and Austria-Hungary organized the first nationwide implementation, starting on April 30,1916, many countries have used it at various times since then, particularly since the energy crisis of the 1970s. The practice has both advocates and critics, DST clock shifts sometimes complicate timekeeping and can disrupt travel, billing, record keeping, medical devices, heavy equipment, and sleep patterns. Computer software often adjusts clocks automatically, but policy changes by various jurisdictions of DST dates, industrialized societies generally follow a clock-based schedule for daily activities that do not change throughout the course of the year. The time of day that individuals begin and end work or school, North and south of the tropics daylight lasts longer in summer and shorter in winter, with the effect becoming greater as one moves away from the tropics. However, they will have one hour of daylight at the start of each day. Supporters have also argued that DST decreases energy consumption by reducing the need for lighting and heating, DST is also of little use for locations near the equator, because these regions see only a small variation in daylight in the course of the year. After ancient times, equal-length civil hours eventually supplanted unequal, so civil time no longer varies by season, unequal hours are still used in a few traditional settings, such as some monasteries of Mount Athos and all Jewish ceremonies. This 1784 satire proposed taxing window shutters, rationing candles, and waking the public by ringing church bells, despite common misconception, Franklin did not actually propose DST, 18th-century Europe did not even keep precise schedules. However, this changed as rail transport and communication networks came to require a standardization of time unknown in Franklins day. Modern DST was first proposed by the New Zealand entomologist George Hudson, whose shift work job gave him time to collect insects. An avid golfer, he also disliked cutting short his round at dusk and his solution was to advance the clock during the summer months, a proposal he published two years later. The proposal was taken up by the Liberal Member of Parliament Robert Pearce, a select committee was set up to examine the issue, but Pearces bill did not become law, and several other bills failed in the following years. Willett lobbied for the proposal in the UK until his death in 1915, william Sword Frost, mayor of Orillia, Ontario, introduced daylight saving time in the municipality during his tenure from 1911 to 1912. Starting on April 30,1916, the German Empire and its World War I ally Austria-Hungary were the first to use DST as a way to conserve coal during wartime, Britain, most of its allies, and many European neutrals soon followed suit. Russia and a few other countries waited until the year
11.
Area codes 508 and 774
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Area codes 508 and 774 are North American Numbering Plan telephone area codes for the U. S. state of Massachusetts. This service area currently includes south-central and most of southeastern Massachusetts and it includes Worcester, Outer south & southwest Greater Boston, as well as Fall River, New Bedford, Cape Cod, Marthas Vineyard, and Nantucket. Area code 508 was created on July 16,1988, as a split from area code 617, permissive dialing of 617 and 508 continued until January 1,1989. On September 1,1997, area code 508 was split, area code 774 is an overlay area code that was added to share the 508 service area, beginning on May 2,2001 and continuing to the present day. Since then,10 digit local dialing is mandatory
12.
Area code 774
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Area codes 508 and 774 are North American Numbering Plan telephone area codes for the U. S. state of Massachusetts. This service area currently includes south-central and most of southeastern Massachusetts and it includes Worcester, Outer south & southwest Greater Boston, as well as Fall River, New Bedford, Cape Cod, Marthas Vineyard, and Nantucket. Area code 508 was created on July 16,1988, as a split from area code 617, permissive dialing of 617 and 508 continued until January 1,1989. On September 1,1997, area code 508 was split, area code 774 is an overlay area code that was added to share the 508 service area, beginning on May 2,2001 and continuing to the present day. Since then,10 digit local dialing is mandatory
13.
Geographic Names Information System
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It is a type of gazetteer. GNIS was developed by the United States Geological Survey in cooperation with the United States Board on Geographic Names to promote the standardization of feature names, the database is part of a system that includes topographic map names and bibliographic references. The names of books and historic maps that confirm the feature or place name are cited, variant names, alternatives to official federal names for a feature, are also recorded. Each feature receives a permanent, unique feature record identifier, sometimes called the GNIS identifier, the database never removes an entry, except in cases of obvious duplication. The GNIS accepts proposals for new or changed names for U. S. geographical features, the general public can make proposals at the GNIS web site and can review the justifications and supporters of the proposals. The Bureau of the Census defines Census Designated Places as a subset of locations in the National Geographic Names Database, U. S. Postal Service Publication 28 gives standards for addressing mail. In this publication, the postal service defines two-letter state abbreviations, street identifiers such as boulevard and street, department of the Interior, U. S. Geological Survey, National Mapping Division, Digital Gazeteer, Users Manual. Least Heat Moon, William, Blue Highways, A Journey Into America, standard was withdrawn in September 2008, See Federal Register Notice, Vol.73, No. 170, page 51276 Report, Principles, Policies, and Procedures, Domestic Geographic Names, U. S. Postal Service Publication 28, November 2000. Board on Geographic Names website Geographic Names Information System Proposals from the general public Meeting minutes
14.
Plymouth, Massachusetts
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Plymouth /ˈplɪməθ/ is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. Plymouth holds a place of prominence in American history, folklore, and culture. Plymouth was the site of the founded in 1620 by the Pilgrims. Plymouth is where New England was first established and it is the oldest municipality in New England and one of the oldest in the United States. The town has served as the location of prominent events. Plymouth served as the capital of Plymouth Colony from its founding in 1620 until the merger with the Massachusetts Bay colony in 1691. Plymouth is named after the English city of the same name, Plymouth is the largest municipality in Massachusetts by area. The population is 58,271, according to the 2014 Demographics by Cubit, Plymouth is one of two county seats of Plymouth County, the other being Brockton. Plymouth is located approximately 40 miles south of Boston in a region of Massachusetts known as the South Shore. Throughout the 19th century, the town thrived as a center of ropemaking, fishing, and shipping, and once held the worlds largest ropemaking company and it continues to be an active port, but today the major industry of Plymouth is tourism. Plymouth is served by Plymouth Municipal Airport, and contains Pilgrim Hall Museum, as one of the countrys first settlements, Plymouth is well known in the United States for its historical value. The events surrounding the history of Plymouth have become part of the ethos of the United States, particularly relating to Plymouth Rock, the Pilgrims. The town itself is a popular tourist spot during the Thanksgiving holiday, Plymouth is home to the Old Colony Club, one of the oldest Gentlemens clubs in the world. Prior to the arrival of the Pilgrims, the location of Plymouth was a village of 2,000 Wampanoag Native Americans called Patuxet and this region that became Plymouth was visited twice by European explorers prior to the establishment of Plymouth Colony. In 1605, Samuel de Champlain sailed to Plymouth Harbor, calling it Port St. Louis, captain John Smith, a leader of the colony at Jamestown, Virginia, explored parts of Cape Cod Bay, he is credited with naming the region New Plimouth. Two plagues afflicted coastal New England in 1614 and 1617, possibly transmitted from British, the plague killed between 90% and 95% of the local Wampanoag inhabitants. Plymouth has played an important role in American colonial history. It was the landing site of the first voyage of the Mayflower
15.
County seat
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A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is used in the United States, Canada, Romania, China, in the United Kingdom and Ireland, county towns have a similar function. In the United States, counties are the subdivisions of a state. Depending on the state, counties may provide services to the public, impose taxes. Some types of subdivisions, such as townships, may be incorporated or unincorporated. The city, town, or populated place that houses county government is known as the seat of its respective county, a county seat is usually, but not always, an incorporated municipality. The exceptions include the county seats of counties that have no incorporated municipalities within their borders, such as Arlington County, Virginia, likewise, some county seats may not be incorporated in their own right, but are located within incorporated municipalities. For example, Cape May Court House, New Jersey, though unincorporated, is a section of Middle Township, in some of the colonial states, county seats include or formerly included Court House as part of their name. Most counties have only one county seat, an example is Harrison County, Mississippi, which lists both Biloxi and Gulfport as county seats. The practice of multiple county seat towns dates from the days when travel was difficult, there have been few efforts to eliminate the two-seat arrangement, since a county seat is a source of pride for the towns involved. There are 36 counties with multiple county seats in 11 states, Coffee County, for example, the official county seat is Greensboro, but an additional courthouse has been located in nearby High Point since 1938. For example, Clearwater is the county seat of Pinellas County, Florida, in New England, the town, not the county, is the primary division of local government. Historically, counties in this region have served mainly as dividing lines for the judicial systems. Connecticut and Rhode Island have no county level of government and thus no county seats, in Vermont, Massachusetts, and Maine the county seats are legally designated shire towns. County government consists only of a Superior Court and Sheriff, both located in the shire town. Bennington County has two towns, but the Sheriff is located in Bennington. In Massachusetts, most government functions which would otherwise be performed by county governments in other states are performed by town governments. As such, Massachusetts has dissolved many of its county governments, two counties in South Dakota have their county seat and government services centered in a neighboring county
16.
Rocky Marciano
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Rocco Francis Marchegiano, best known as Rocky Marciano, was an American professional boxer who competed from 1947 to 1955, and held the world heavyweight title from 1952 to 1956. He went undefeated in his career and defended the six times, against Jersey Joe Walcott, Roland La Starza, Ezzard Charles, Don Cockell. Known for his relentless fighting style, stamina, and an iron chin and his knockout-to-win percentage of 87.75 remains one of the highest in heavyweight boxing history. Marciano was born and raised on the side of Brockton, Massachusetts, to Pierino Marchegiano. Both of his parents were immigrants from Italy and his father was from Ripa Teatina, Abruzzo, while his mother was from San Bartolomeo in Galdo, Campania. Rocky had two brothers, Peter and Louis and three sisters, Alice, Concetta, and Elizabeth, when he was about 18 months old, Marciano contracted pneumonia, from which he almost died. He attended Brockton High School, where he played baseball and football. However, he was cut from the baseball team because he had joined a church league. He dropped out of school after finishing tenth grade, Marciano then worked as a chute man on delivery trucks for the Brockton Ice and Coal Company. He also worked as a digger, railroad layer. Rocky was also a resident of Hanson, Massachusetts, the house he lived in still stands on Main Street, in March 1943, Marciano was drafted into the United States Army for a term of two years. Stationed in Swansea, Wales, he helped ferry supplies across the English Channel to Normandy, after the war ended, he completed his service in March 1946 at Fort Lewis, Washington. While awaiting discharge, Marciano, representing the army, won the 1946 Amateur Armed Forces boxing tournament and his amateur career was briefly interrupted on March 17,1947, when Marciano stepped into the ring as a professional competitor. That night, he knocked out Lee Epperson in three rounds, in an unusual move Marciano returned to the amateur ranks and fought in the Golden Gloves All-East Championship Tournament in March 1948. He was beaten by Coley Wallace and he continued to fight as an amateur throughout the spring and competed in the AAU Olympic tryouts in the Boston Garden. There, he knocked out George McInnis, but hurt his hands during the bout and was forced to withdraw from the tournament and that was his last amateur bout. In late March,1947, Marciano and several friends traveled to Fayetteville, North Carolina, to try out for the Fayetteville Cubs, Marciano lasted three weeks before being cut. After failing to find a spot on team, he returned to Brockton
17.
Marvelous Marvin Hagler
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Marvelous Marvin Hagler is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1973 to 1987. At six years and seven months, his reign as undisputed middleweight champion is the second longest of the last century, behind only Tony Zale, who reigned during World War II. In 1982, annoyed that network announcers often did not refer to him by his nickname, Marvelous, Hagler is an inductee of the International Boxing Hall of Fame and the World Boxing Hall of Fame. He was named Fighter of the Decade by Boxing Illustrated magazine, and twice named Fighter of the Year by The Ring magazine and the Boxing Writers Association of America. In 2001 and 2004, The Ring named him the third greatest middleweight of all time, the International Boxing Research Organisation rates Hagler as the sixth greatest middleweight of all time, while BoxRec rates him the sixth best middleweight of all time. Many analysts and boxing writers consider Hagler to have one of the best chins in boxing history, Hagler spent his early years in Newark, New Jerseys Central Ward. In 1969, Hagler took up boxing after walking into a gym in the town owned by brothers Pat and Goody Petronelli, in 1973, Hagler won the National AAU 165-pound title after defeating Atlantas Terry Dobbs. Hagler was a middleweight boxer for many years before he could fight for the title. Hagler struggled to find high-profile opponents willing to face him in his early years, joe Frazier told Hagler, You have three strikes against you, Youre black, youre a southpaw, and youre good. He often had to travel to his opponents hometowns to get fights and his first break came when he was offered --on two weeks notice-- a chance against Willie the Worm Monroe, who was being trained by Frazier. Hagler lost the decision but the fight was close, so Monroe gave him a rematch and this time Hagler knocked out Monroe in 12 rounds. In a third fight, he stopped Monroe in two rounds, Boston promoter Rip Valenti took an interest in Hagler and began bringing in top ranked opponents for Hagler to face. He fought 1972 Olympics gold medalist Sugar Ray Seales, Hagler won the first time, number 1 ranked Mike Colbert was knocked out in the twelfth and also had his jaw broken by Hagler. Briton Kevin Finnegan was stopped in eight, afterwards Finnegan required 40 stitches in his face. He dropped a decision to Bobby Boogaloo Watts, but knocked out Watts in two rounds in a rematch. Hagler won a decision over Bad Bennie Briscoe. By then, promoter Bob Arum took notice and signed him, in November 1979, Hagler fought World Middleweight Champion Vito Antuofermo at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada. After fifteen rounds, most thought that Hagler had won, Hagler claimed the ref said he won, but the ref denied ever saying it
18.
Montello (MBTA station)
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Montello is an MBTA Commuter Rail station in Brockton, Massachusetts on the Middleborough/Lakeville Line. Montello Station was built on a line that was part of the original Fall River Railroad. MBTA bus route #230 to Quincy Center is accessible there, MBTA > Commuter Rail > Montello. Station from Field Street from Google Maps Street View
19.
MBTA Commuter Rail
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The MBTA Commuter Rail system serves as the commuter rail arm of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authoritys transportation coverage of Greater Boston in the United States. It is operated under contract by Keolis, which took over operations on July 1,2014 from the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Company. The lines characteristic purple-trimmed coaches operate as far south as North Kingstown, Rhode Island, massDOT is currently entering into a study phase of the North–South Rail Link, which would provide a solution to the problem. In the third quarter of 2015, daily ridership was 121,600. The Commonwealth and MBTA began to purchase several lines, like the Lowell Line between Somerville and Wilmington, from the B&M, in 1969 the B&M transported 24,000 passengers every weekday on four separate routes. Its yearly deficit was US$3.2 million, a pool of 86 Budd Rail Diesel Cars protected the service. B&M filed for protection in 1970. The New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad, the operator of most South Station commuter trains. Two years earlier in 1959, the railroad had discontinued service on the Old Colony division in southeastern Massachusetts. The line was expected to be completed two years. The agreement also provided for the MBTA to subsidize service on the railroads remaining commuter rail lines for $1.2 million annually. The NH was included in the Penn Central Transportation Company merger in 1968, PC merged into Conrail on April 1,1976, the MBTA bought the equipment but Conrail took over operations of the southside lines. The MBTA also purchased the Fairmount Line to restore it for service as a bypass during Southwest Corridor reconstruction. The Framingham/Worcester Line, historically part of the Boston & Albany Railroad, was merged into the New York Central Railroad, Conrail inherited the line which formed a vital freight artery between Bostons Beacon Yard and Conrails Selkirk Yard. The Riverside-Framingham section was sold to the MBTA in 1976 as part of their acquisition of PC commuter assets. B&M won the contract for the lines, for the first time. After bankruptcy, B&M continued to operate trains under the protection of the bankruptcy court. It emerged from the courts protection when Timothy Mellons Guilford Transportation Industries bought it in 1983, GTI let the contract expire in 1987, after a bitter strike had shut down most of the northside lines in 1986
20.
Brockton Rox
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The Brockton Rox are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Brockton, Massachusetts, United States. Formerly a professional franchise, the Rox were a member of the independent Canadian-American Association of Professional Baseball. The Rox play their games at Campanelli Stadium. The teams name is a derivative of the nearby Boston Red Sox of the American League, in 2012, the Rox announced that they were going to join the Futures Collegiate Baseball League and leave the Can-Am League but would retain its rights to rejoin the league for 2013. As of October 2015, the Rox have not decided to return to professional baseball, the Rox began play in the 2002 season as members of the East Division of the Northern League. In 2003, the Eastern ball clubs split off from the rest of the Northern League and became the Northeast League, in 2005, the Northeast League was re-branded as the Can-Am League. In 2006, the Rox celebrated the fifth anniversary season by finishing the season 49–43. The Rox defeated the New Haven County Cutters, 3–1, in the opening round best of 5 series, in the Championship Series, the Rox fell behind 2 games to 0 against the Quebec Capitales before rallying to tie the series at 2–2. In the deciding game 5, the Rox took a 3–2 lead into the 8th inning, in 2009 the team won 56 games, a franchise record which was also best in the league. They lost in the first round of the playoffs, 3–1, to the eventual champion, Rox DH Guye Senjem was named the Rox Most Valuable Player for 2006, and RHP John Kelly was named the teams Most Valuable Pitcher. Senjem, a Minnesota native, began his career with the St. Paul Saints in 1997. Before arriving in Brockton in 2005, he spent time in the Cincinnati Reds and he set an early tone for a successful 2006 campaign with a game-winning solo home run in the 10th inning on Opening Night at Campanelli Stadium. He went on to tie the mark for home runs in a single season with 14, and led the team in home runs. Twice, the left-handed hitter was named the Can-Am League’s Batter of the Week, in addition, he was named to the Leagues post-season All-Star team. John Kelly was acquired by the Rox in a trade with the New Jersey Jackals in the month of June, the right-handed veteran made an immediate impact, and was nearly perfect after joining the team. He recorded a save in his first appearance, and proceeded to win his first five starts with the Rox, in 15 appearances with Brockton, he was 8-1 with a 1.92 ERA. He posted double-digit victories for the consecutive season, finishing with 10 wins overall this year. Before the 2009 season, the Rox hired former Atlantic City Surf President and he has since been named President, and is the new managing partner
21.
Massasoit
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Massasoit Sachem or Ousamequin was the sachem or leader of the Wampanoags and Massasoit of the Wampanoag Confederacy. The term Massasoit means Great Sachem, Massasoit Ousamequin lived in Montaup, a Pokanoket village at the site of what is now the town of Warren, Rhode Island. He held the allegiance of a number of lesser Pokanoket sachems, the alliance ensured that the Wampanoags remained neutral during the Pequot War in 1636. According to English sources, Massasoit prevented the failure of Plymouth Colony, there was some tension between Massasoit and the colonists when they refused to give up Squanto whom Massasoit believed to have betrayed him. This, however, was resolved in March 1623 when Massasoit was gravely ill, after his recovery, Winslow reports that Massasoit said, the English are my friends and love me. Whilst I live I will never forget this kindness they have showed me, in return for their kindness, Massasoit warned the Plymouth colonists of a plot against them. He had learned that a group of influential Massachusett warriors intended to both the Wessagusset and Plymouth colonies, and he warned the Pilgrims in time. The alliance came under minor tension in later years, as the colonists needed to expand into new lands in order to support their growing colony. Massasoit sold a tract of land fourteen miles square to Myles Standish and others of Duxbury in 1649 to alleviate tension, the sale took place atop Sachem Rock, an outcropping on the Sawtucket River in what is now East Bridgewater, Massachusetts. The site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, soon after the death of Massasoit, Wamsutta and Pometecomet went to Plymouth and requested the Pilgrims to give them English names. The court named them Alexander and Philip, Wamsutta, the eldest, became sachem of the Pokanoket on the death of his father. Wamsutta died within a year, and his brother Metacom succeeded him in 1662, for nearly forty years, the Wampanoags and the English of Massachusetts Bay Colony maintained peace until Massasoits death. Roger Williams was banished from the Massachusetts colony and was taken in by Massasoit for several weeks, Massasoit was humane and honest, never violated his word, and constantly endeavored to imbue his people with a love of peace. He kept the Pilgrims advised of any warlike designs toward them by other tribes and it is unclear when Massasoit died. Some accounts claim that it was as early as 1660, others contend that he died as late as 1662 and he was anywhere from 80 to 90 at the time. When Massasoit died, his son Wamsutta became his successor, but Wamsutta also died in 1662, amie, wife of Tispaquin, was the only one of Massasoits five children to survive King Philips War in 1676. The half century of peace that Massasoit so assiduously maintained collapsed soon after his death, Wamsutta broke away from his fathers diplomacy and began to form an alliance with Connecticut Colony. He died suddenly within a year of his succession in 1662, Massasoits second son Metacom became sachem of the Pokanokets and chief sachem of the Greater Wampanoag Confederacy
22.
Myles Standish
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Myles Standish was an English military officer hired by the Pilgrims as military adviser for Plymouth Colony. He accompanied them on the Mayflower journey and played a role in the administration. On February 17,1621, the Plymouth Colony militia elected him as its first commander, Standish served as an agent of Plymouth Colony in England, as assistant governor, and as treasurer of the Colony. He was also one of the first settlers and founders of the town of Duxbury, one of Standishs last military actions on behalf of Plymouth Colony was the botched Penobscot expedition in 1635. By the 1640s, he relinquished his role as an active soldier and he was still nominally the commander of the Pilgrim military forces in the growing Colony, although he seems to have preferred to act in an advisory capacity. He died in his home in Duxbury in 1656 at age 72 and he supported and defended the Pilgrims colony for much of his life, though there is no evidence to suggest that he ever joined their church. Several towns and military installations have been named for Standish, one of the best known depictions of him in popular culture was the 1858 poem The Courtship of Miles Standish by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. The highly fictionalized story presents him as a timid romantic and it was extremely popular in the 19th century and played a significant role in cementing the Pilgrim story in US culture. Little is definitively known of Myles Standishs origin and early life and his place of birth has been subject to debate among historians for more than 150 years. At the center of the debate is language in his will, drafted in Plymouth Colony in 1656, however, efforts have been inconclusive in linking him to the Standishes of Duxbury Hall. A competing theory focuses on his mention of the Isle of Man, no definitive documentation exists in either location to provide clear evidence of his birthplace. The circumstances are vague at best concerning Standishs early military career in Holland, at the time, the Dutch Republic was embroiled in the Eighty Years War with Spain. Queen Elizabeth I of England chose to support the Protestant Dutch Republic, historians are divided on his role in the English military. The subsequent Twelve Years Truce between Spain and the Dutch Republic might have ended Standishs service, Standish was certainly still in Holland in 1620 and living in Leiden when he was hired by a group of refugee Puritan dissenters from England to act as their adviser on military matters. At that time, he was using the title of Captain and they approached him to return to the New World and he expressed interest. Standish lived in Leiden with his wife Rose and was already known to them. On July 22,1620, the group of English Dissenters living in Leiden boarded the Speedwell. This initial group included the mostly Brownist congregation, Myles and Rose Standish were aboard, along with the Bradfords, Winslows, Carvers, and others
23.
Duxbury, Massachusetts
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Duxbury is a coastal town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. A suburb located on the South Shore approximately 35 miles to the southeast of Boston, geographic and demographic information on the specific parts of the town of Duxbury is available in articles Cedar Crest, Duxbury, Duxbury Beach, and South Duxbury, respectively. The area now known as Duxbury was inhabited by people as early as 12,000 to 9,000 B. C. By the time European settlers arrived here, the region was inhabited by the Wampanoags, per the terms of their contract with financial backers in London, they were required to live together in a tight community for seven years. At the end of term in 1627, land along the coast was allotted to settlers for farming. Thus, the coastline from Plymouth to Marshfield, including Duxbury, was parceled out, at first, those who settled in Duxbury came to work their new farms just in the warmer months and returned to Plymouth during the winter. It was not long, however, before they began to build homes on their land, Duxbury, which originally included land that is now Pembroke, was incorporated in 1637. Some of the most influential men in the colony received grants in Duxbury, captain Myles Standish, the military leader of the colony, lived in “the Nook, ” an area now known as Standish Shore. Elder William Brewster was for years the religious leader of the colony. John Alden was another important settler and his house, now a museum on Alden Street, was the site of many important meetings of the colony’s leaders. The graves of some of Duxbury’s first settlers can be found in the Old Burying Ground on Chestnut Street, theory has it that the town was named by Myles Standish after the family estate of his childhood in Lancashire. Duxbury was primarily a community throughout the 17th and 18th centuries. Its quiet history in the 18th century was interrupted only by the Revolutionary War, in 1775 General Thomas Gage had to dispatch a company of regulars to the town in response to pleas from the loyalists at Marshfield, Massachusetts. When the Minuteman alarm sounded on April 19,1775, with news of the battles at Concord, many volunteers mustered to the regiment of Colonel Theophilus Cotton from Plymouth, Kingston and Duxbury, headed for Marshfield to engage the British. The colonial officers held a council of war at the home of Lt. Col. Briggs Alden in Duxbury, the most remarkable period in Duxbury’s history, the shipbuilding era, began immediately after the American Revolution. Following the Treaty of Paris, the nation was granted fishing rights on the Grand Banks. Several families took advantage of the new opportunity and began to build large fishing schooners, soon, the schooners built in the 1790s gave way to larger brigs and eventually three-masted ships. As several merchant families began to amass large fleets, shipyards and other industries flourished
24.
Bridgewater, Massachusetts
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For geographic and demographic information on the census-designated place Bridgewater, please see the article Bridgewater, Massachusetts. Bridgewater is a located in Plymouth County, in the state of Massachusetts. As of the 2010 U. S. Census, the population was 26,563. Bridgewater is located approximately 25 miles south of Boston and approximately 35 miles east of Providence, Rhode Island. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has an area of 28.2 square miles. Bridgewater is 99th out of the 351 communities in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the town is bordered by West Bridgewater to the northwest, East Bridgewater to the northeast, Halifax to the east, Middleborough to the south, and Raynham to the west. Bridgewater is approximately 5 miles south of Brockton,10 miles northeast of Taunton, neighborhoods in Bridgewater include Stanley, Scotland Park, Pratt Town, Paper Mill Village, and South Bridgewater. Bridgewater lies along the Taunton River, which has several other rivers, there are also several ponds, the largest of which is Lake Nippenicket along the western edge of the town. There is a state forest, a town forest, several conservation areas, as of the census of 2000, there were 25,185 people,7,526 households, and 5,584 families residing in the town. The population density was 916.2 people per square mile, there were 7,652 housing units at an average density of 278.4 per square mile. The racial makeup of the town was 87. 28% White,4. 04% Black or African American,2. 23% Native American,1. 08% Asian,0. 02% Pacific Islander,6. 23% from other races, and 1. 12% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2. 75% of the population,19. 6% of all households were made up of individuals and 7. 7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.81 and the family size was 3.27. In the town, the population was out with 22. 9% under the age of 18,14. 7% from 18 to 24,32. 9% from 25 to 44,20. 9% from 45 to 64. The median age was 34 years, for every 100 females there were 110.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 111.9 males, the median income for a household in the town was $65,318, and the median income for a family was $73,953. Males had an income of $48,438 versus $32,383 for females. The per capita income for the town was $23,105, about 1. 9% of families and 3. 5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2. 6% of those under age 18 and 6. 1% of those age 65 or over
25.
Isaac Brock
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Major-General Sir Isaac Brock KB was a British Army officer and colonial administrator from Guernsey. Brock was assigned to Lower Canada in 1802, despite facing desertions and near-mutinies, he commanded his regiment in Upper Canada successfully for many years. He was promoted to general, and became responsible for defending Upper Canada against the United States. While many in Canada and Britain believed war could be averted, Brock began to ready the army, when the War of 1812 broke out, the populace was prepared, and quick victories at Fort Mackinac and Detroit defeated American invasion efforts. Brocks actions, particularly his success at Detroit, earned him a knighthood, membership in the Order of the Bath, accolades and his name is often linked with that of the Native American leader Tecumseh, although the two men collaborated in person only for a few days. Brock died at the Battle of Queenston Heights, which the British won, the Brocks were an English family who had been established in Guernsey since the sixteenth century. Brock earned a reputation during his education on Guernsey as an assiduous student. At age ten, he was sent to school in Southampton, despite his lack of an extensive formal education, Brock appreciated its importance. As an adult, he spent much time reading in an attempt to improve his education and he read many works on military tactics and science, but he also read ancient history and other less immediately practical topics. At the time of his death, he owned a modest library of books, including works by Shakespeare, Voltaire. He kept a reputation as a tall, robust man throughout his life. Measurements taken from his show that at his death he had a waist size of 47 inches. Though Brock was noted as a man who enjoyed the company of women. Brock had a successful military career and a quick rise through the ranks. Some credited luck and others skill in his promotions. Lacking special political connections, Brocks ability to gain even when the nation was at peace attests to his skills in recruiting men and organizing finances. At the age of fifteen, Brock joined the 8th Regiment of Foot on 8 March 1785 with the rank of ensign and his elder brother John was already an officer in the same regiment. As was usual at the time, Brocks commission was purchased, on 16 January 1790 he bought the rank of lieutenant and later that year he raised his own company of men
26.
Battle of Queenston Heights
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The Battle of Queenston Heights was the first major battle in the War of 1812 and resulted in a British victory. It took place on 13 October 1812, near Queenston, Upper Canada, the battle was fought as the result of an American attempt to establish a foothold on the Canadian side of the Niagara River before campaigning ended with the onset of winter. This decisive battle was the culmination of a poorly managed American offensive, as a result, British reinforcements arrived and defeated the unsupported American forces, forcing them to surrender. The United States invasion across the Niagara River was originally intended to be part of an attack on Upper Canadas border strongpoints. These attacks were expected to bring the colony to its knees, however, the four attacks on Upper Canada failed or were not even launched. Hull was besieged in Detroit and, fearing a massacre by Britains Native American allies, surrendered the town, Dearborn and his army remained relatively inactive at Albany, New York and seemed to be in no hurry to attempt an invasion. Van Rensselaer was also unable to launch any immediate attack on the Niagara Peninsula, lacking troops, Van Rensselaer secured the appointment of his second cousin, Colonel Solomon Van Rensselaer, as his aide-de-camp. Solomon van Rensselaer was a soldier, and a valuable source of advice to the General. Major General Isaac Brock was both the civil Administrator of Upper Canada and Commander of the forces there. However, his superior at Quebec, Lieutenant General Sir George Prevost, was of a more cautious bent, Brock had hastened back from Detroit, intending to cross the Niagara, defeat Van Rensselaer before he could be reinforced and occupy upper New York State. Prevost vetoed this plan, ordering Brock to behave more defensively and he believed that peace negotiations might result and did not wish to prejudice any talks by taking offensive action. He opened negotiations with General Dearborn, and arranged local armistices, the United States government rejected Prevosts approach, and ordered Dearborn to proceed with the utmost vigor in your operations, after giving Prevost notice of the resumption of hostilities. However, it several weeks for this correspondence to travel between Washington and the frontier. While Brock had been at Detroit, Major General Sheaffe had been in command of the troops on the Niagara, Brock returned to the Niagara on 22 August, to find the armistice in effect. The armistice ended on 8 September, by which time Van Rensselaers army was better supplied than it had been before. The one aggressive action which Brock was able to take during the armistice was to facilitate the Siege of Fort Wayne on the Maumee River, even with Hulls failure and Dearborns inaction, Van Rensselaers situation appeared strong. On 1 September he had only 691 unpaid men fit for duty, in addition to his own force of around 6,000 regulars, volunteers and militia, Van Rensselaer had Brigadier General Alexander Smyths force of 1,700 regular soldiers under his command. However, Smyth, who was a regular officer although a lawyer by trade, as soon as his force reached the frontier, Smyth deployed his force near Buffalo, New York, at the head of the Niagara River
27.
War of 1812
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Historians in the United States and Canada see it as a war in its own right, but the British often see it as a minor theatre of the Napoleonic Wars. By the wars end in early 1815, the key issues had been resolved, the view was shared in much of New England and for that reason the war was widely referred to there as Mr. Madison’s War. As a result, the primary British war goal was to defend their North American colonies, the war was fought in three theatres. Second, land and naval battles were fought on the U. S. –Canadian frontier, Third, large-scale battles were fought in the Southern United States and Gulf Coast. With the majority of its land and naval forces tied down in Europe fighting the Napoleonic Wars, early victories over poorly-led U. S. armies demonstrated that the conquest of the Canadas would prove more difficult than anticipated. Despite this, the U. S. was able to inflict serious defeats on Britains Native American allies, both governments were eager for a return to normality and peace negotiations began in Ghent in August 1814. This brought an Era of Good Feelings in which partisan animosity nearly vanished in the face of strengthened American nationalism, the war was also a major turning point in the development of the U. S. military, with militia being increasingly replaced by a more professional force. The U. S. also acquired permanent ownership of Spains Mobile District, the government of Canada declared a three-year commemoration of the War of 1812 in 2012, intended to offer historical lessons and celebrate 200 years of peace across the border. At the conclusion of the commemorations in 2014, a new national War of 1812 Monument was unveiled in Ottawa. The war is remembered in Britain primarily as a footnote in the much larger Napoleonic Wars occurring in Europe, historians have long debated the relative weight of the multiple reasons underlying the origins of the War of 1812. This section summarizes several contributing factors which resulted in the declaration of war by the United States, as Risjord notes, a powerful motivation for the Americans was the desire to uphold national honour in the face of what they considered to be British insults such as the Chesapeake–Leopard Affair. The approaching conflict was about violations of American rights, but it was also vindication of American identity. Americans at the time and historians since often called it the United States Second War of Independence, in 1807, Britain introduced a series of trade restrictions via a series of Orders in Council to impede neutral trade with France, with which Britain was at war. The United States contested these restrictions as illegal under international law, the American merchant marine had come close to doubling between 1802 and 1810, making it by far the largest neutral fleet. Britain was the largest trading partner, receiving 80% of U. S. cotton, the British public and press were resentful of the growing mercantile and commercial competition. The United States view was that Britains restrictions violated its right to trade with others, during the Napoleonic Wars, the Royal Navy expanded to 176 ships of the line and 600 ships overall, requiring 140,000 sailors to man. The United States believed that British deserters had a right to become U. S. citizens and this meant that in addition to recovering naval deserters, it considered any United States citizens who were born British liable for impressment. Aggravating the situation was the reluctance of the United States to issue formal naturalization papers and it was estimated by the Admiralty that there were 11,000 naturalized sailors on United States ships in 1805
28.
Brockville
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Brockville, formerly Elizabethtown, is a city in Eastern Ontario, Canada in the Thousand Islands region. Although it is the seat of the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville and it is included with Leeds and Grenville for census purposes only. It is located 115 kilometres south of the capital of Ottawa. It is one of Ontarios oldest European-Canadian communities and is named after the British general Sir Isaac Brock, indigenous peoples lived along both sides of the St. Lawrence River for thousands of years. While the explorer Cartier recorded about 200 words in their Laurentian language, anthropologists believe they may have been driven out or defeated by the powerful Mohawk people of the Iroquois Confederacy, who by then reserved the St. Lawrence Valley as a hunting ground. This area of Ontario was first settled by English speakers in 1785 and they were later called United Empire Loyalists because of their continued allegiance to King George III. The struggle between Britain and the 13 American colonies occurred in the years 1776 to 1783, and seriously divided loyalties among people in some such as New York. In many areas traders and merchants, especially in the cities or the northern border regions, had stronger business ties. Many Loyalists chose to flee north to the British colony of Quebec, the first years were very harsh as they struggled on the frontier. Some exiles returned to the United States, the St. Lawrence River was named by French explorers in the 18th century to honour the martyred Roman Christian, Saint Laurentis. Loyalist to take up land in Brockville was William Buell Sr. an ensign disbanded from the Kings Rangers, residents commonly called the first settlement Buells Bay. Around 1810 government officials of Upper Canada designated the village as Elizabethtown, about 1812 leading residents of the village suggested that the village be renamed to differentiate it from the township of Elizabethtown. The commanding British General in Upper Canada and temporary administrator of the province was Major-General Isaac Brock and he was celebrated as the Hero and Saviour of Upper Canada because of his recent success in securing the surrender by Americans of Fort Detroit during the War of 1812. Perhaps to curry favour with Gen. Brock, certain leading citizens of the village, including Charles Jones and they began using this name in their correspondence and dealings with Isaac Brock. Gen. Brock was soon involved in battles on the Niagara Peninsula. On October 13,1812, he was wounded while leading troops up the heights near the village of Queenston. General Brock had learned of the honour being offered by the residents of Elizabethtown, provincial officials accepted the new name, which was soon commonly used by residents and visitors. In 1830 the population of Brockville exceeded the 1000 mark and this entitled it to be represented by its own elected member in the House of Assembly
29.
Niagara Falls
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They form the southern end of the Niagara Gorge. From largest to smallest, the three waterfalls are the Horseshoe Falls, the American Falls and the Bridal Veil Falls, the Horseshoe Falls lies on the border of the United States and Canada with the American Falls entirely on the American side, separated by Goat Island. The smaller Bridal Veil Falls are also on the American side, the international boundary line was originally drawn through Horseshoe Falls in 1819, but the boundary has long been in dispute due to natural erosion and construction. Located on the Niagara River, which drains Lake Erie into Lake Ontario, Horseshoe Falls is the most powerful waterfall in North America, as measured by vertical height and flow rate. The falls are 17 miles north-northwest of Buffalo, New York, while not exceptionally high, the Niagara Falls are very wide. More than six cubic feet of water falls over the crest line every minute in high flow. The Niagara Falls are famed both for their beauty and as a source of hydroelectric power. Balancing recreational, commercial, and industrial uses has been a challenge for the stewards of the falls since the 19th century. The Horseshoe Falls drop about 188 feet, while the height of the American Falls varies between 70 and 100 feet because of the presence of giant boulders at its base. The larger Horseshoe Falls are about 2,600 feet wide, the distance between the American extremity of the Niagara Falls and the Canadian extremity is 3,409 feet. The volume of water approaching the falls during peak season may sometimes be as much as 225,000 cubic feet per second. The average annual rate is 85,000 cubic feet per second. Since the flow is a function of the Lake Erie water elevation. This is accomplished by employing a weir – the International Control Dam – with movable gates upstream from the Horseshoe Falls. The falls flow is further halved at night, and, during the low tourist season in the winter, water diversion is regulated by the 1950 Niagara Treaty and is administered by the International Niagara Board of Control. The current rate of erosion is approximately 1 foot per year and it is estimated that 50,000 years from now, even at this reduced rate of erosion, the remaining 20 miles to Lake Erie will have been undermined and the falls will cease to exist. The features that became Niagara Falls were created by the Wisconsin glaciation about 10,000 years ago, the same forces also created the North American Great Lakes and the Niagara River. All were dug by an ice sheet that drove through the area, deepening some river channels to form lakes
30.
American Civil War
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The American Civil War was an internal conflict fought in the United States from 1861 to 1865. The Union faced secessionists in eleven Southern states grouped together as the Confederate States of America, the Union won the war, which remains the bloodiest in U. S. history. Among the 34 U. S. states in February 1861, War broke out in April 1861 when Confederates attacked the U. S. fortress of Fort Sumter. The Confederacy grew to eleven states, it claimed two more states, the Indian Territory, and the southern portions of the western territories of Arizona. The Confederacy was never recognized by the United States government nor by any foreign country. The states that remained loyal, including border states where slavery was legal, were known as the Union or the North, the war ended with the surrender of all the Confederate armies and the dissolution of the Confederate government in the spring of 1865. The war had its origin in the issue of slavery. The Confederacy collapsed and 4 million slaves were freed, but before his inauguration, seven slave states with cotton-based economies formed the Confederacy. The first six to declare secession had the highest proportions of slaves in their populations, the first seven with state legislatures to resolve for secession included split majorities for unionists Douglas and Bell in Georgia with 51% and Louisiana with 55%. Alabama had voted 46% for those unionists, Mississippi with 40%, Florida with 38%, Texas with 25%, of these, only Texas held a referendum on secession. Eight remaining slave states continued to reject calls for secession, outgoing Democratic President James Buchanan and the incoming Republicans rejected secession as illegal. Lincolns March 4,1861 inaugural address declared that his administration would not initiate a civil war, speaking directly to the Southern States, he reaffirmed, I have no purpose, directly or indirectly to interfere with the institution of slavery in the United States where it exists. I believe I have no right to do so, and I have no inclination to do so. After Confederate forces seized numerous federal forts within territory claimed by the Confederacy, efforts at compromise failed, the Confederates assumed that European countries were so dependent on King Cotton that they would intervene, but none did, and none recognized the new Confederate States of America. Hostilities began on April 12,1861, when Confederate forces fired upon Fort Sumter, while in the Western Theater the Union made significant permanent gains, in the Eastern Theater, the battle was inconclusive in 1861–62. The autumn 1862 Confederate campaigns into Maryland and Kentucky failed, dissuading British intervention, Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which made ending slavery a war goal. To the west, by summer 1862 the Union destroyed the Confederate river navy, then much of their western armies, the 1863 Union siege of Vicksburg split the Confederacy in two at the Mississippi River. In 1863, Robert E. Lees Confederate incursion north ended at the Battle of Gettysburg, Western successes led to Ulysses S. Grants command of all Union armies in 1864
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Three-phase electric power
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Three-phase electric power is a common method of alternating-current electric power generation, transmission, and distribution. It is a type of system and is the most common method used by electrical grids worldwide to transfer power. It is also used to large motors and other heavy loads. The three-phase system was invented by Galileo Ferraris, Mikhail Dolivo-Dobrovolsky, Jonas Wenström. The common reference is usually connected to ground and often to a current-carrying conductor called the neutral. Due to the difference, the voltage on any conductor reaches its peak at one third of a cycle after one of the other conductors. This phase delay gives constant power transfer to a linear load. It also makes it possible to produce a magnetic field in an electric motor. In a three-phase system feeding a balanced and linear load, the sum of the currents of the three conductors is zero. In other words, the current in each conductor is equal in magnitude to the sum of the currents in the two, but with the opposite sign. The return path for the current in any phase conductor is the two phase conductors.5 times as many wires. Thus, the ratio of capacity to conductor material is doubled, the same ratio of capacity to conductor material can also be attained with a center-grounded single-phase system. However, two-phase power results in a smooth torque in a generator or motor. Three-phase systems may also have a wire, particularly in low-voltage distribution. The neutral allows three separate single-phase supplies to be provided at a constant voltage and is used for supplying groups of domestic properties which are each single-phase loads. The connections are arranged so that, as far as possible in each group, further up the distribution system, the currents are usually well balanced. Transformers may be wired in a way that they have a secondary but a three-wire primary while allowing unbalanced loads. This makes it possible to reduce the size of the neutral conductor because it carries little or no current, with a balanced load, all the phase conductors carry the same current and so can be the same size
32.
Thomas Edison
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Thomas Alva Edison was an American inventor and businessman, who has been described as Americas greatest inventor. He developed many devices that greatly influenced life around the world, including the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and the long-lasting, practical electric light bulb. Edison was an inventor, holding 1,093 US patents in his name, as well as many patents in the United Kingdom, France. Edisons inventions contributed to mass communication and, in particular, telecommunications and these included a stock ticker, a mechanical vote recorder, a battery for an electric car, electrical power, recorded music and motion pictures. His advanced work in these fields was an outgrowth of his career as a telegraph operator. Edison developed a system of generation and distribution to homes, businesses. His first power station was on Pearl Street in Manhattan, New York, Thomas Edison was born in Milan, Ohio, and grew up in Port Huron, Michigan. He was the seventh and last child of Samuel Ogden Edison, Jr. and Nancy Matthews Elliott. His father, the son of a Loyalist refugee, had moved as a boy with the family from Nova Scotia, settling in southwestern Ontario, in a known as Shewsbury, later Vienna. Samuel Jr. eventually fled Ontario because he took part in the unsuccessful Mackenzie Rebellion of 1837 and his father, Samuel Sr. had earlier fought in the War of 1812 as captain of the First Middlesex Regiment. By contrast, Samuel Jr. s struggle found him on the losing side, once across the border, he found his way to Milan, Ohio. His patrilineal family line was Dutch by way of New Jersey and his mother taught him at home. Much of his education came from reading R. G, parkers School of Natural Philosophy and The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art. Edison developed hearing problems at an early age, the cause of his deafness has been attributed to a bout of scarlet fever during childhood and recurring untreated middle-ear infections. In his later years, he modified the story to say the injury occurred when the conductor, in helping him onto a moving train, Edisons family moved to Port Huron, Michigan, after the railroad bypassed Milan in 1854 and business declined. Edison sold candy and newspapers on trains running from Port Huron to Detroit and he briefly worked as a telegraph operator in 1863 for the Grand Trunk Railway at Stratford, Ontario railway at age 16. He was held responsible for a near collision and he also studied qualitative analysis and conducted chemical experiments on the train until he left the job. Edison obtained the right to sell newspapers on the road, and, with the aid of four assistants, he set in type and printed the Grand Trunk Herald
33.
Santa Claus
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Some maintain Santa Claus also absorbed elements of the Germanic god Wodan, who was associated with the pagan midwinter event of Yule and led the Wild Hunt, a ghostly procession through the sky. This image has been maintained and reinforced through song, radio, television, childrens books, films and he accomplishes this feat with the aid of his elves, who make the toys in his workshop at the North Pole, and his flying reindeer, who pull his sleigh. He is commonly portrayed as living at the North Pole and saying ho ho ho often, Saint Nicholas of Myra was a 4th-century Greek Christian bishop of Myra in Lycia, a province of the Byzantine Empire, now in Turkey. Nicholas was famous for his generous gifts to the poor, in presenting the three impoverished daughters of a pious Christian with dowries so that they would not have to become prostitutes. He was very religious from an age and devoted his life entirely to Christianity. In continental Europe he is portrayed as a bearded bishop in canonical robes. The remains of Saint Nicholas are in Italy, in 1087, the Italian city of Bari mounted an expedition to locate the tomb of the Saint. The reliquary of St. Nicholas was conquered by Italian sailors, a basilica was constructed the same year to store the loot and the area became a pilgrimage site for the devout. Sailors from Bari collected just half of Nicholas skeleton, leaving all the fragments in the grave. These were collected by Venetian sailors during the First Crusade and taken to Venice, where a church to St. Nicholas, the patron of sailors, was built on the San Nicolò al Lido. This tradition was confirmed in two important scientific investigations of the relics in Bari and Venice, which revealed that the relics in the two Italian cities belong to the same skeleton. Saint Nicholas was later claimed as a saint of many diverse groups, from archers, sailors. He is also the saint of both Amsterdam and Moscow. During the Middle Ages, often on the evening before his day of 6 December. So Saint Nicholas changed to Santa Claus, martin Luther first suggested the Christkind as the bringer of gifts. But Nicholas remained popular as gifts bearer for the people, Father Christmas dates back as far as 16th century in England during the reign of Henry VIII, when he was pictured as a large man in green or scarlet robes lined with fur. He typified the spirit of good cheer at Christmas, bringing peace, joy, good food and wine, as England no longer kept the feast day of Saint Nicholas on 6 December, the Father Christmas celebration was moved to 25 December to coincide with Christmas Day. The Victorian revival of Christmas included Father Christmas as the emblem of good cheer, in the Netherlands and Belgium the character of Santa Claus has to compete with that of Sinterklaas, Santas presumed progenitor
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James Edgar (entrepreneur)
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James Edgar was a businessman who has been credited with being the one who first came up with the idea of dressing up as Santa Claus for Christmas. He started the tradition in 1890 in his Brockton, Massachusetts, Edgar was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1843. In 1878 he arrived in Brockton, and he set up a dry goods store on Main Street. In 1890, he got the idea to dress up as Santa Claus, within days, children from as far as Boston and Providence came by train to see Edgar. He initially hung around his department store, but over the years and he was also known in town for his progressive ideas. He also instituted the Edgar Layaway Plan, in 1906, he built the James Edgar Building. Although he might be best remembered for dressing up as Santa and he also helped to pay for childrens medical care and he also offered jobs to youths in need. In 1904, Edgar suffered a stroke which paralyzed him. He died in Lakeville, Massachusetts, in 1909, after his death, people still carried fond memories of Edgar. One man, who was in his 90s at the time, said in 1976, I remember walking down an aisle and, all of a sudden, I saw Santa Claus. I couldn’t believe my eyes, and then Santa came up and it was a dream come true. Years after his death, a city park was named after him, in 2008, a plaque was placed at the corner of Main and Centre streets noting Edgars achievements
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Level crossing
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A level crossing, or grade crossing, is an intersection where a railway line crosses a road or path at the same level, as opposed to the railway line crossing over or under using a bridge or tunnel. The term also applies when a rail line with separate right-of-way or reserved track crosses a road in the same fashion. Other names include railway crossing, road through railroad, railroad crossing, early level crossings had a flagman in a nearby booth who would, on the approach of a train, wave a red flag or lantern to stop all traffic and clear the tracks. Manual or electrical closable gates that barricaded the roadway were later introduced, intended to be a barrier against intrusion of any road traffic onto the railway. In the early days of the railways much road traffic was horsedrawn or included livestock, when opened to allow road users to cross the tracks, the gates were swung across the width of the railway, preventing any pedestrians or animals getting onto the tracks. The first US patent for such crossing gates was awarded on 27 August 1867, to J. Nason and J. F. Wilson, later, as motor vehicles appeared, this type of barrier became less effective, while the need for a barrier to livestock diminished dramatically. Many countries therefore replaced the fully gated crossings with weaker but more-visible barriers, Railroad trains have a much larger mass relative to their braking capability, and thus a far longer braking distance than road vehicles. In general, trains do not stop at level crossings but rely on vehicles, Level crossings constitute a significant safety concern internationally. On average, each year 400 people are killed in the European Union, collisions can occur with vehicles as well as pedestrians, pedestrian collisions are more likely to result in a fatality. Among pedestrians, young people, older people and males are considered to be high risk users, fewer collisions take place at level crossings with active warning systems. Modern radar sensor systems can detect if level crossings are free of obstructions as trains approach and these improve safety by not lowering crossing barriers that may trap vehicles or pedestrians on the tracks, while signalling trains to brake until the obstruction clears. At railway stations, a level crossing is sometimes provided to allow passengers to reach other platforms in the absence of an underpass or bridge. Level crossings in Thailand, and Malaysia are largely manually operated, a significant number of crossings are without barriers. But there are some that are used on the line between Port Klang - Westport. However, it seems like only the crossing near Port Klang Komuter Station has the barrier. Speed up campaigns have largely eliminated many crossings on heavily used main lines though some still do exist. Most at-grade crossings in China are for smaller industrial spur and access lines which may or may not have crossing gates, chinas level crossing barriers are the fastest in the world. Most of Hong Kongs railway network is either underground or on elevated viaducts, however, level crossings continue to exist on the MTR Light Rail network, and one such level crossing was the site of a level crossing accident in 1994
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United States Census Bureau
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The United States Census Bureau is a principal agency of the U. S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureaus primary mission is conducting the U. S. Census every ten years, in addition to the decennial census, the Census Bureau continually conducts dozens of other censuses and surveys, including the American Community Survey, the U. S. Economic Census, and the Current Population Survey, furthermore, economic and foreign trade indicators released by the federal government typically contain data produced by the Census Bureau. The Bureaus various censuses and surveys help allocate over $400 billion in federal funds every year and help states, local communities, the Census Bureau is part of the U. S. Department of Commerce and its director is appointed by the President of the United States. The Census Bureau now conducts a population count every 10 years in years ending with a 0. Between censuses, the Census Bureau makes population estimates and projections, the Census Bureau is mandated with fulfilling these obligations, the collecting of statistics about the nation, its people, and economy. The Census Bureaus legal authority is codified in Title 13 of the United States Code, the Census Bureau also conducts surveys on behalf of various federal government and local government agencies on topics such as employment, crime, health, consumer expenditures, and housing. Within the bureau, these are known as surveys and are conducted perpetually between and during decennial population counts. The Census Bureau also conducts surveys of manufacturing, retail, service. Between 1790 and 1840, the census was taken by marshals of the judicial districts, the Census Act of 1840 established a central office which became known as the Census Office. Several acts followed that revised and authorized new censuses, typically at the 10-year intervals, in 1902, the temporary Census Office was moved under the Department of Interior, and in 1903 it was renamed the Census Bureau under the new Department of Commerce and Labor. The department was intended to consolidate overlapping statistical agencies, but Census Bureau officials were hindered by their role in the department. An act in 1920 changed the date and authorized manufacturing censuses every 2 years, in 1929, a bill was passed mandating the House of Representatives be reapportioned based on the results of the 1930 Census. In 1954, various acts were codified into Title 13 of the US Code, by law, the Census Bureau must count everyone and submit state population totals to the U. S. President by December 31 of any year ending in a zero. States within the Union receive the results in the spring of the following year, the United States Census Bureau defines four statistical regions, with nine divisions. The Census Bureau regions are widely used. for data collection, the Census Bureau definition is pervasive. Title 13 of the U. S. Code establishes penalties for the disclosure of this information, all Census employees must sign an affidavit of non-disclosure prior to employment. The Bureau cannot share responses, addresses or personal information with anyone including United States or foreign government, only after 72 years does the information collected become available to other agencies or the general public
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Stoughton, Massachusetts
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Stoughton /ˈstoʊtən/ is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 26,962 at the 2010 census, the town is located approximately 17 miles from Boston,25 miles from Providence, and 35 miles from Cape Cod. Stoughton was settled in 1713 and officially incorporated in 1726, from the portion of the large town of Dorchester. At its founding, it included the current towns of Sharon, Canton and Avon and it was named after William Stoughton, who was the first chief justice of Colonial Courts and the notorious chief justice of the Salem Witch Trials. The Suffolk Resolves were written in Old Stoughton at Dotys Tavern and they are thought to be the basis for the Declaration of Independence. The meeting included the Rev. Samuel Dunbar and Paul Revere, originally an agricultural community, Stoughton developed into an important shoemaking center. In 1874, the Stoughton Public Library was established, the oldest choral society in the United States is located in Stoughton. Founded in 1786 as The Stoughton Musical Society, it is now known as the Old Stoughton Musical Society and it has the oldest constitution of any musical society in the United States, written in 1787, only a few weeks after the United States Constititution. In 1893, this musical society distinguished itself by performing concerts at the Worlds Columbian Exposition in Chicago. In 1986, the society celebrated its bicentennial with a series of concerts. In 1940 artist Jean Watson painted the mural, A Massachusetts Countryside as a project of the WPA, the artwork is currently on display in the attic at the Stoughton Historic Society. The Save Our Stoughton campaign attracted attention in the 1980s for their work picketing a local adult book store. Most recently, Stoughton became the first municipality in Massachusetts to declare itself a No Place for Hate town, stoughtons train station was built in 1888, and is the only one in Massachusetts to house a clock tower. The station is unique in ways as it was built out of stones from a West Street quarry that belonged to Stoughton resident Myron Gilbert. In 1974 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, over a million dollars was raised to restore the station to its original luster in time for the 100th anniversary. In 2009, however, the MBTA permanently closed the station, the building still stood but remained closed to the public as of 2015. In 2015, members of Town Meeting voted to purchase the station from the state. Plans for use of the property are being developed by the Community Preservation Committee, on August 15,1908, Stoughton was hit by a moderate earthquake
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Avon, Massachusetts
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Avon is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 4,356 at the 2010 census, Avon separated from Stoughton in 1888. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has an area of 4.6 square miles. Avon is bordered by the City of Brockton on the south, Stoughton on the west, Randolph on the northeast, Avon is 17 miles south of Boston,27 miles northeast of Providence, Rhode Island, and 211 miles from New York City. At the 2000 census, there were 4,443 people,1,705 households and 1,220 families residing in the town, the population density was 1,014.7 per square mile. There were 1,740 housing units at a density of 397.4 per square mile. The racial makeup of the town was 93. 45% White,3. 74% African American,0. 27% Native American,0. 92% Asian,0. 77% from other races, hispanic or Latino of any race were 1. 44% of the population. In 2010, Avon was 92. 37% Non-Hispanic White, down from 99. 8% in 1990,23. 5% of all households were made up of individuals and 12. 3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the family size was 3.13. Age distribution was 22. 5% under the age of 18,7. 0% from 18 to 24,28. 8% from 25 to 44,24. 2% from 45 to 64, the median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 91.8 males, for every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.0 males. The median household income was $50,305, and the family income was $60,625. Males had an income of $41,582 versus $32,837 for females. The per capita income for the town was $24,410, about 4. 3% of families and 6. 6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12. 5% of those under age 18 and 4. 2% of those age 65 or over. Avon is governed by a three-person Board of Selectmen who appoint a Town Administrator to carry out the day to day executive functions of the Board, legislation is enacted in an Open Town Meeting. The Avon School District serves Avon, the town is served by the Brockton Area Transit Authority and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, which provide public transit service to Brockton and Boston. Wicked Local Avon Avon Municipal Web Site Answer Book/Avon, “Everything you need to know”
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Holbrook, Massachusetts
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Holbrook is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. At the 2010 census, the population was 10,791. Before European settlement, the now known as Holbrook, Massachusetts. Holbrook was first settled by Europeans in 1710 as the part of Old Braintree, and was officially incorporated on February 29,1872. It was formerly known as East Randolph, being divided from Randolph by track from the Old Colony Railroad line, Holbrooks development is typical of suburban Greater Boston. In the 18th and 19th centuries, farming and cottage trades, particularly shoe production, slowly, the town evolved into a primarily residential community with many residents commuting to work in Boston proper and the primary employment within the town being in service industries. As was true of many towns in Massachusetts, its residents served during the United States Civil War, some members of the famed 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry are buried in Union Cemetery. The impact of the War came not only from the direct participation in the conflict. It was during the Civil War that shoe production became a significant component of the economic life. The story of Holbrooks split from Randolph begins in 1871, when pressure had been building in East Randolph for an independent town, the town was named for benefactor Elisha N. Holbrook, who provided the town with the funds for the town hall and library upon incorporation. Holbrook residents again took up arms in the First and Second World Wars, the latter had a great impact on the life of the community. After 1945, demobilization created a boom and altered the economy. Holbrook experienced a boom and became a largely residential community, in which some service industry provides local jobs. Holbrook once held the Baird and McGuire chemical plant, which in 1982 was added to the EPA National Priorities list, listed as the 14th worst Superfund site, cleanup work began immediately. As of June 17,1997, the EPA concluded primary cleanup operations at the site, efforts included the incineration of 248,000 tons of soil, including sediment dredged from the Cochato River. Total cost was approximately 133 million dollars, including the construction of a treatment plant that is still in operation. In February 2009, the Boston Globe listed the Holbrook Town Forest as the location in Holbrook. Holbrook is located at 42°8′54″N 71°0′37″W, according to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 7.4 square miles, of which,7.3 square miles of it is land and 0.1 square miles of it is water
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Abington, Massachusetts
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Abington is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States,20 miles southeast of Boston. The population was 15,985 at the 2010 census, before the Europeans made their claim to the area, the local Native Americans referred to the area as Manamooskeagin, meaning great green place of shaking grass. Two streams in the area were named for the beaver population, Schumacastacut or upper beaver brook. Abington was first settled by European settlers in 1668, the lands included the current towns of Bridgewater, Rockland, Whitman, and parts of Hanover. The Earl of Abingdon is named from Abingdon-on-Thames in Oxfordshire, UK, indeed, the original petition from Governor Dudley ordered that the Town be named Abingdon. A marginal note on the document gave the spelling as Abington as it has been ever since. In 1769, a foundry was established within the town. In 1815, Jesse Reed invented a machine that mass-produced tacks, from 1846 to 1865, Abington was a center of the abolitionist movement. In 1874 and 1875, the towns of Rockland and Whitman, respectively, the town eventually built the line, and as a peace offering, the railroad built the North Abington Depot building, which was built in the style of H. H. Richardson. Abington has evolved into a residential community with some light manufacturing including printing. Abington is located at 42°7′10″N 70°56′52″W, according to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 9.9 square miles, of which 9.7 square miles is land and 0.23 square miles, or 2. 41%, is water. Abington ranks 308th of 351 communities in the Commonwealth, and is the fourth-smallest town in Plymouth County, Abington is bordered by Holbrook to the northwest, Weymouth to the northeast, Rockland to the east, Whitman to the south, and Brockton to the west. Abington is considered to be a town of the South Shore. In the northwestern corner of town lies Ames Nowell State Park, Island Grove Pond was created in the 1700s, when a dam was built on the Shumatuscacant River. Much of the population is centered on the eastern side of town. The northeast corner of town is also the site of portions of the runways of the South Weymouth Naval Air Station, the climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen climate classification system, Abington has a subtropical climate. As of the census of 2010, there were 15,985 people,6,080 households, hispanic or Latino of any race were 1. 9% of the population
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Whitman, Massachusetts
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Whitman is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 14,489 at the 2010 census and it is notable as being the place where the chocolate chip cookie was invented. Whitman was first settled by Europeans in 1670 and was incorporated in 1875. Prior to becoming Whitman, it was formally the southern parish of the town of Abington, the new name, Whitman, was taken from Augustus Whitman, whose family who grew up in South Abington, and was adopted in 1886. Though before adopting the name Whitman, the town was known as Little Comfort. Whitman has a history that is deeply rooted in the shoemaking industry. Regal Shoe and Bostonian Shoe are perhaps the most notable companies, at one time there were over 20 shoe factories and related factories making metal shanks in town. There are a few abandoned factories left, and some have turned into condominiums. In the late 1930s, Ruth Graves Wakefield invented chocolate chip cookies in Whitman at the Toll House Inn on Bedford Street, the Toll House burned completely on New Years Eve 1984, in a fire that originated in the kitchen. The site is marked with a marker, and that land is now home to a Wendys restaurant and Walgreens pharmacy. The former Whitman Savings Bank was also the first in the country to offer savings bank life insurance, in 1964 The Venus Cafe was founded by former professional wrestler Peter Drosos, who fought under the name Pete The Golden Greek. From 1968 to 1994, Whitman was also home to Kings Castle Land, according to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 7.0 square miles, of which 7.0 square miles is land and 0. 14% is water. Statistically, the town is the 327th of 351 communities in the Commonwealth by land area, Whitman is bordered by Abington to the north, Rockland to the northeast, Hanson to the southeast, East Bridgewater to the south, and the city of Brockton to the west. Whitmans town center is approximately 4.5 miles east of the center of Brockton, the small town today is mostly residential, with a small town forest in the northeast corner of town. The eastern half of the town is divided by the Shumatuscacant River, the eastern half of town is also dominated by two meadows, the Hobart Meadow to the north and the Bear Meadow to the south, both along the banks of the river. The center of town is about half a mile to the east of the intersection of Route 18 and Route 27, Route 14 also intersects with Route 18, about three quarters of a mile south of the intersection of Routes 27 and 18. Route 58 also crosses through the corner of town. There are no interstates or divided highways in town, the nearest highway is Route 24 which passes through Brockton, Whitman has a stop, located on Route 27, along the Kingston-Route 3 route of the MBTAs commuter rail
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East Bridgewater, Massachusetts
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East Bridgewater is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 13,794 at the 2010 census, the lands that would become East Bridgewater were first settled by Europeans in 1630 as an outgrowth of the Plymouth and Duxbury plantations. It was a part of Olde Bridgewater, as the East Parish founded in 1723, until it separated from Bridgewater. The town was located on the portion of the Taunton River. Iron works in the town provided muskets and cannon for the Colonial armies during the American Revolution, there was more residential development in the late 19th century and early 20th century along the communitys rail and trolley lines. The famous bank robber Jack Turner had a brother who owned a home in East Bridgewater during the mid-19th century and it is widely believed that Turner had left his fortune there before he was mistakenly shot by Union agents outside of Richmond, Virginia in 1864. Today, East Bridgewater is mostly known as a residential community. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has an area of 17.5 square miles, of which 17.2 square miles is land and 0.3 square miles. East Bridgewater ranks 214th of 351 communities in the Commonwealth in terms of land area, and fifteenth of the twenty-seven communities of Plymouth County. The town is bordered by Whitman to the north, Hanson to the east, Halifax to the southeast, Bridgewater to the south, West Bridgewater to the west, East Bridgewaters town center is located twenty-seven miles southeast of Boston. East Bridgewater is a community of southeastern Massachusetts, with ponds, woods. The Matfield River enters the town through Bridgewater, branching off to the Satucket River, Robbins Pond, the largest body of water in the town, is located in the southeastern corner of town. Sightings of ducks of massive proportions near Robbins Pond have been reported, the Beaver Brook Beagle Club, a large woodlands area, is located in the northwest corner of town. As of the census of 2000, there were 12,974 people,9,034 households, the population density was 741.4 people per square mile. There were 4,427 housing units at a density of 256.8 per square mile. The racial makeup of the town was 96. 91% White,0. 99% African American,0. 17% Native American,0. 48% Asian,0. 03% Pacific Islander,0. 33% from other races, and 1. 09% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0. 75% of the population,17. 4% of all households were made up of individuals and 6. 8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.95 and the family size was 3.35
