Clinton, Massachusetts
Encyclopedia
Clinton is a town in Worcester County
, Massachusetts
, United States
. The population was 13,606 at the 2010 census.
For geographic and demographic information on the census-designated place
Clinton, please see the article Clinton (CDP)
, Massachusetts
.
. It was officially incorporated as a separate town on March 14, 1850, and named after the DeWitt Clinton Hotel in New York, a favorite place of the town's founders, Erastus Brigham Bigelow
and his brother Horatio.
Clinton became a small industrialized mill town, using the Nashua River
as a source for water power. Railroads came to the town to serve this industry, including the Boston, Clinton, Fitchburg and New Bedford Railroad
(Fitchburg Branch of the Old Colony Railroad
), the Central Massachusetts Railroad
, and the Worcester, Nashua and Rochester Railroad
(the last two later merged into the Boston and Maine Railroad
). By 1890, Clinton was noted for its manufacturing of carpets and woven wire.
In 1897, construction began on the Wachusett Dam
, culminating in the filling of the Wachusett Reservoir
in 1908. This flooded a substantial portion of Clinton and neighboring towns, which had to be relocated. Part of the Central Massachusetts Railroad line abandoned in 1958 includes a tunnel near Clamshell Road.
Clinton claims to have the oldest continuously-used baseball field in the world, Fuller Field, created in 1878. This challenges the claim by London, Ontario
, which argues for Labatt Memorial Park, established as Tecumseh Park in 1877. This is disputed by Clinton because the London field has been flooded and rebuilt twice, including a reorientation of the bases, and there is doubt Tecumseh Field was in continuous use after the 1883 flood.
, the town has a total area of 7.3 square miles (18.9 km²), of which 5.7 square miles (14.8 km²) is land and 1.6 square miles (4.1 km²), or 21.78%, is water. The Nashua River
runs through the town, and the large Wachusett Reservoir
lies to the south of the town center.
Clinton is bordered by Lancaster
to the north, Bolton
to the northeast, Berlin
to the east, Boylston
to the south, and Sterling
to the west.
of 2000, there were 13,435 people, 5,597 households, and 3,397 families residing in the town. The population density
was 2355.7 PD/sqmi. There were 5,844 housing units at an average density of 1024.7 /sqmi.
The racial makeup of the town was 88.20% White, 2.58% Black or African American
, 0.22% Native American, 0.89% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 5.95% from other races
, and 2.13% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race was 11.60% of the population. Ethnic heritages include Irish, German, Québécois, Arcadian, Swedish, Italian, Dominican, Puerto Rican, Greek, and Polish. Many emigrants from the Louisburgh area of County Mayo
settled in the small town in the early 1900s, giving Clinton a mainly Irish population till this day.
There were 5,597 households out of which 28.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.7% were married couples
living together, 12.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.3% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 3.06.
In the town the population was spread out with 23.0% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 32.9% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 15.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 92.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.6 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $44,740, and the median income for a family was $53,308. Males had a median income of $37,263 versus $30,035 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $22,764. About 4.9% of families and 7.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.4% of those under age 18 and 13.9% of those ages 65 or over.
Worcester County, Massachusetts
-Demographics:In 1990 Worcester County had a population of 709,705.As of the census of 2000, there were 750,963 people, 283,927 households, and 192,502 families residing in the county. The population density was 496 people per square mile . There were 298,159 housing units at an average density...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 13,606 at the 2010 census.
For geographic and demographic information on the census-designated place
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
Clinton, please see the article Clinton (CDP)
Clinton (CDP), Massachusetts
Clinton is a census-designated place in the town of Clinton in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 7,389 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Clinton is located at ....
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
.
History
Clinton was first settled in 1654 as a part of LancasterLancaster, Massachusetts
Lancaster is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, in the United States. Incorporated in 1653, Lancaster is the oldest town in Worcester County...
. It was officially incorporated as a separate town on March 14, 1850, and named after the DeWitt Clinton Hotel in New York, a favorite place of the town's founders, Erastus Brigham Bigelow
Erastus Brigham Bigelow
Erastus Brigham Bigelow was an American inventor of weaving machines.-Beginnings:Erastus Bigelow was born in West Boylston, Massachusetts...
and his brother Horatio.
Clinton became a small industrialized mill town, using the Nashua River
Nashua River
The Nashua River, long, is a tributary of the Merrimack River in Massachusetts and New Hampshire in the United States. It is formed in eastern Worcester County, Massachusetts, by junction of its north and south branches near Lancaster, and flows generally north-northeast past Groton to join the...
as a source for water power. Railroads came to the town to serve this industry, including the Boston, Clinton, Fitchburg and New Bedford Railroad
Boston, Clinton, Fitchburg and New Bedford Railroad
The Boston, Clinton, Fitchburg and New Bedford Railroad was a railroad in Massachusetts. It was formed in 1876 as a consolidation of the Boston, Clinton and Fitchburg Railroad with the New Bedford Railroad....
(Fitchburg Branch of the Old Colony Railroad
Old Colony Railroad
The Old Colony Railroad was a major railroad system, mainly covering southeastern Massachusetts and parts of Rhode Island. It operated from 1845 to 1893. Old Colony trains ran from Boston to points such as Plymouth, Fall River, New Bedford, Newport, Providence, Fitchburg, Lowell and Cape Cod...
), the Central Massachusetts Railroad
Central Massachusetts Railroad
The Central Massachusetts Railroad was a railroad running west from Boston, Massachusetts, USA, as a parallel competitor to the Boston and Albany Railroad and Fitchburg Railroad...
, and the Worcester, Nashua and Rochester Railroad
Worcester, Nashua and Rochester Railroad
The Worcester, Nashua and Rochester Railroad was a railroad line that was to link the city of Worcester, Massachusetts to the city of Portland, Maine via the New Hampshire cities of Nashua and Rochester, by merging several small railroads together....
(the last two later merged into the Boston and Maine Railroad
Boston and Maine Railroad
The Boston and Maine Corporation , known as the Boston and Maine Railroad until 1964, was the dominant railroad of the northern New England region of the United States for a century...
). By 1890, Clinton was noted for its manufacturing of carpets and woven wire.
In 1897, construction began on the Wachusett Dam
Wachusett Dam
The Wachusett Dam in Clinton, Massachusetts impounds the Nashua River creating the Wachusett Reservoir. Construction started in 1897 and was completed in 1905. It is part of the Nashua River Watershed....
, culminating in the filling of the Wachusett Reservoir
Wachusett Reservoir
The Wachusett Reservoir is the second largest body of water in the state of Massachusetts. It is located in central Massachusetts, northeast of Worcester. It is part of the water supply system for metropolitan Boston maintained by the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority . It has an aggregate...
in 1908. This flooded a substantial portion of Clinton and neighboring towns, which had to be relocated. Part of the Central Massachusetts Railroad line abandoned in 1958 includes a tunnel near Clamshell Road.
Clinton claims to have the oldest continuously-used baseball field in the world, Fuller Field, created in 1878. This challenges the claim by London, Ontario
London, Ontario
London is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city...
, which argues for Labatt Memorial Park, established as Tecumseh Park in 1877. This is disputed by Clinton because the London field has been flooded and rebuilt twice, including a reorientation of the bases, and there is doubt Tecumseh Field was in continuous use after the 1883 flood.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 7.3 square miles (18.9 km²), of which 5.7 square miles (14.8 km²) is land and 1.6 square miles (4.1 km²), or 21.78%, is water. The Nashua River
Nashua River
The Nashua River, long, is a tributary of the Merrimack River in Massachusetts and New Hampshire in the United States. It is formed in eastern Worcester County, Massachusetts, by junction of its north and south branches near Lancaster, and flows generally north-northeast past Groton to join the...
runs through the town, and the large Wachusett Reservoir
Wachusett Reservoir
The Wachusett Reservoir is the second largest body of water in the state of Massachusetts. It is located in central Massachusetts, northeast of Worcester. It is part of the water supply system for metropolitan Boston maintained by the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority . It has an aggregate...
lies to the south of the town center.
Clinton is bordered by Lancaster
Lancaster, Massachusetts
Lancaster is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, in the United States. Incorporated in 1653, Lancaster is the oldest town in Worcester County...
to the north, Bolton
Bolton, Massachusetts
As of the census of 2000, there were 4,148 people, 1,424 households, and 1,201 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 1,476 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 97.76% White, 0.19% African American, 0.05% Native American, 1.30%...
to the northeast, Berlin
Berlin, Massachusetts
Berlin is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 2,866 at the 2010 census.- History :Berlin was first settled in 1665 and was officially incorporated in 1812....
to the east, Boylston
Boylston, Massachusetts
Boylston is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 4,355 at the 2010 census.-History:Boylston was first settled by Europeans around 1706 in the north part of the present-day town, most notably by the Sawyer family...
to the south, and Sterling
Sterling, Massachusetts
Sterling is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, USA. The population was 7,808 at the 2010 census.- History :Sterling was first settled by Europeans in 1720 and was officially incorporated in 1781....
to the west.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 13,435 people, 5,597 households, and 3,397 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 2355.7 PD/sqmi. There were 5,844 housing units at an average density of 1024.7 /sqmi.
The racial makeup of the town was 88.20% White, 2.58% Black or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.22% Native American, 0.89% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 5.95% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 2.13% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race was 11.60% of the population. Ethnic heritages include Irish, German, Québécois, Arcadian, Swedish, Italian, Dominican, Puerto Rican, Greek, and Polish. Many emigrants from the Louisburgh area of County Mayo
County Mayo
County Mayo is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the village of Mayo, which is now generally known as Mayo Abbey. Mayo County Council is the local authority for the county. The population of the county is 130,552...
settled in the small town in the early 1900s, giving Clinton a mainly Irish population till this day.
There were 5,597 households out of which 28.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.7% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 12.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.3% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 3.06.
In the town the population was spread out with 23.0% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 32.9% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 15.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 92.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.6 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $44,740, and the median income for a family was $53,308. Males had a median income of $37,263 versus $30,035 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the town was $22,764. About 4.9% of families and 7.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.4% of those under age 18 and 13.9% of those ages 65 or over.
Government
Library
The public library in Clinton opened in 1873. In fiscal year 2008, the town of Clinton spent 0.99% ($325,383) of its budget on its public library—some $23 per person.Notable residents
- Clarence BrownClarence BrownClarence Brown was an American film director.-Early life:Born in Clinton, Massachusetts, to a cotton manufacturer, Brown moved to the South when he was 11. He attended Knoxville High School and the University of Tennessee, both in Knoxville, Tennessee, graduating from the university at the age of...
, film director - Joe PennaJoe PennaJoe Penna , known online as MysteryGuitarMan, is a Brazilian guitarist, animator, and filmmaker. He currently resides in Los Angeles, California.-YouTube:...
- Tim FortugnoTim FortugnoTimothy Shawn Fortugno is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He graduated in 1980 from Uxbridge High School ....
, former Major League Baseball pitcher - Joseph L. GormleyJoseph L. GormleyJoseph Leo Gormley was the chief of chemistry and toxicology for the FBI.Born in Clinton, Massachusetts, he was raised in Somerville, Massachusetts. Gormley received his bachelor's and master's degrees in chemistry from Boston College. With his wife Frances he fathered and raised nine children.In...
, chief of chemistry and toxicology for the FBI - Sliding Billy Hamilton, member of Baseball Hall of Fame
- Mal KittridgeMal KittridgeMalachi Jeddidiah Kittridge [or Kittredge] was a catcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Chicago Colts , Louisville Colonels , Washington Senators , Boston Beaneaters , Washington Senators and Cleveland Naps...
, - Agnes MooreheadAgnes MooreheadAgnes Robertson Moorehead was an American actress. Although she began with the Mercury Theatre, appeared in more than seventy films beginning with Citizen Kane and on dozens of television shows during a career that spanned more than thirty years, Moorehead is most widely known to modern audiences...
, actress - Jimmy Ryan, major league baseball player
- Sydney SchanbergSydney SchanbergSydney Hillel Schanberg is an American journalist who is best known for his coverage of the war in Cambodia.-Life:Schanberg joined The New York Times as a journalist in 1959. He spent much of the early 1970s in Southeast Asia as a correspondent for the Times...
, Pulitzer PrizePulitzer PrizeThe Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
-winning reporter - David WalshDavid I. WalshDavid Ignatius Walsh was a United States politician from Massachusetts. As a member of the Democratic Party, he served in the state legislature and then as Lieutenant Governor and then as the 46th Governor . His first term in the U.S...
, former Massachusetts governor - Scott Young, former professional ice hockey player
External links
- Town of Clinton official website
- Clintonmass.com, community website
- An Extraordinary Town, How one of America's smallest towns shaped the world, by A. J. Bastarache
- "A Town Called Clinton", short film created by former residents Billy and Patrick McNally
- Satellite imagery by Google Local