ZIP Code 02346

Middleborough was first settled by Europeans in 1661 as Nemasket, later changed to Middlebury, and officially incorporated as Middleborough in 1669. The names Middlebury and Middleborough were actually derived from the city of Middelburg, Zeeland, the westernmost province of the Netherlands. The name Nemasket came from a Native American settlement along the small river that now bears the same name. In the spring, the Nemasket River alewife and blueback herring run upstream to the Assawompset Ponds complex to spawn. Middleborough was once a large producer of shoes and is still home to the Alden Shoe Company, one of the last remaining shoe manufacturers in America. The local Maxim Motors manufactured fire engines from 1914 to 1989. In 2007, Middleborough became the proposed location for a controversial future resort casino, sponsored by the Wampanoag Tribe of Mashpee, Massachusetts. In 2012, residents approved an ordinance outlawing the use of profanity in public, making it punishable by a $20 fine. Many legal experts said the law violates the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. In October 2012, Massachusetts attorney general Martha Coakley backed off the law, saying it was inconsistent with the general Constitution and the general general law. The town has a total area of 72.2 square miles (2.9 km) according to the U.S. Census Bureau. It is the second largest municipality in Massachusetts in terms of terms of area.

History

The town was first settled by Europeans in 1661 as Nemasket, later changed to Middlebury, and officially incorporated as Middleborough in 1669. The name Nemasket came from a Native American settlement along the small river that now bears the same name. There are no contemporary records that indicate the name Middlebury was taken from a place in England. The names Middlebury and Middleborough were actually derived from the city of Middelburg, Zeeland, the westernmost province of the Netherlands. In the summer of 2007, Middleborough became the proposed location for a controversial future resort casino, sponsored by the Wampanoag Tribe of Mashpee, Massachusetts. Teams from Middleborough have twice reached the Little League World Series (LLWS) the only Little League in the state to reach twice in the International Era (1958+). Middleborough reached the 1994 edition by defeating Milburn-Short Hills, New Jersey, to take the East Region title. In South Williamsport, Pennsylvania, the team lost two games (to Virginia and California) and won one game (over Minnesota). They were one of only two Massachusetts Little League teams to win the East title (the other being from Andover in 1988) before it was split into the New England Region and Mid-Atlantic Region in 2001. In October 2012, Massachusetts attorney general Martha Coakley blocked enforcement of the law, saying it was inconsistent with the Constitution, and the town ultimately backed off the profanity ban. The local Maxim Motors manufactured fire engines from 1914 to 1989. Middleborough has since become the location of the corporate headquarters of Ocean Spray Cranberries.

Geography

Middleborough is the second largest municipality in Massachusetts in terms of area, smaller only than Plymouth. The town is approximately 15 miles (24 km) west of Plymouth, 30 miles (48 km) east of Providence, Rhode Island and 40 miles (64 km) south of Boston. It is bordered by Bridgewater and Halifax to the north, Plympton and Carver to the east, Wareham and Rochester to the south, and Lakeville, Taunton and Raynham to the west. The hottest temperature recorded in Middleboro was 99 °F (37.2 °C) on July 10, 1911 and July 23, 2011. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Middleboro has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated Cfa"" on climate maps. Middleborough is also the site of several cranberry bogs, especially in the southeastern part of town along the Carver town line. Ocean Spray's headquarters are just over the town line in Lakeville. The town has four wildlife management areas, as well as the Beaver Dam and Great Cedar and Little Cedar Swamps. It has a total area of 72.2 square miles (186.9 km²), of which 69.1 sq mi (178.9km²) is land and 3.1sq mi (8.0km²), or 4.27% is water. Middleboro is located on the western border of Plymouth County, and lies on the Massachusetts Turnpike.

Transportation

The town is crossed by U.S. Route 44, as well as Massachusetts routes 18, 28, 105, and a short, 1,000-foot (300 m) section of Route 58 which passes through the southeast corner of town. The Greater Attleboro Taunton Regional Transit Authority provides public bus services along three routes in Middleboro. At one time, five rail lines radiated out from the town. Today, three rail lines extend from Middleborough, toward Boston, Taunon and Cape Cod. Future expansion of commuter rail service to Buzzards Bay has been proposed, which would provide year-round direct connection between Middleboro and BuzzardsBay. The nearest inter-city (Amtrak) passenger rail stations are Providence, Route 128 station in Westwood, and Boston's South Station, and the nearest rapid-transit station is Braintree. From 1954 to 1959, a small runway called North Middleboro Airpark was constructed. It was a 3,000 foot-long paved runway, although it was not depicted in the November 1954 Boston Sectional Chart. Sometime between 1982 and 1994 it was closed, as it was depicted simply as "Landing Strip" on the 1994 USGS topographic map. A small grassy, unpaved field in South Middleborough is also used for recreational aircraft, but not for transportation. It is located just 1.5 miles (2.4 km) northwest of the town line. It has been suggested that such expansions may warrant the construction of a new station.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 19,941 people, 6,981 households, and 5,117 families residing in the town. The population was spread out, with 27.7% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 32.8% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 10.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median income for a household in theTown was $52,755, and the median income. for a family was $65,173. The per capita income for the town was $75,000. The town is located on the banks of the Mississippi River, which runs through the center of the city. It is the only town in the state to be named after a river or river system. The city's name is derived from the town of the same name, which is also the name of the town's first post office, which was established in 1788. The current mayor is the son of a former mayor, who was killed in a car accident in the early 1900s. The mayor is a former member of the U.S. House of Representatives, and served as a member of Congress from 1973 to 1986. The U.N. World Health Organization has designated the town as one of the most vulnerable places in the world to be affected by climate change, as it has a low level of global warming. It also has a high level of poverty, with the median household income of $40,854, compared to the national average of $60,852.

Government

Middleborough is home to the Fourth Barracks of Troop D of the Massachusetts State Police. The town's services are centralized downtown, with the fire and police headquarters being southeast, and the central post office being northwest of it. A second part-time fire department is operated further south along Route 28 in South Middleboro. On the national level, Middleborough is a part of Massachusetts's 9th congressional district, and is currently represented by William R. Keating.Construction on a new police station began in July 2017, with an estimated budget of $9.14 million. The police station was finished early 2019 and is now in use. The city is governed by the open town meeting form of government, which is led by a town manager and a board of selectmen. It is located on the Massachusetts Turnpike, which runs through the town of Middleborough and into the town's neighboring towns of Bridgewater, Bridgewater, Carver, Dighton, Marion, Raynham, Taunton and Wareham. It has a population of 2,816. The mayor of Middleboro is John G. O'Neill, who was re-elected in November 2014. He is currently serving a second four-year term, and has been re- elected three times before. The current mayor is John A. Defterios, who has been in office since 2008. The council is made up of seven members, including two Republicans and two Democrats. The first three members of the council are from the same district, which also includes Bridgewater and Carver.

Education

Middleborough has its own school system, headed by a school committee and superintendent. There is one school for kindergarten children, the Memorial Early Childhood Center, housed in the old junior high (previously the old high school). The Mary K. Goode Elementary and the Henry B. Burkland Elementary Schools serve grades 1 through 5. The John T. "Tiger" Nichols, Jr. Middle School (1999) serves grades 6 through 8, and the Middleborough High School serves grades 9 through 12. Middleborough is also home to the Frederick L. Chamberlain School, a private institution that serves students from around the world struggling with learning disabilities. In November 2017, "Middleboro voters approved a $103 million dollar plan to construct a new Middleborough high School building and campus" The project started in February 2019 and was completed in the spring of 2021. The Middleborough campus of Massasoit Community College is also located here. The town's mascot is the "Sachem", and their colors are black and orange. Other sports teams in town include the semi-pro football team theMiddleborough Cobras and the middle school baseball team the Tigers. In 1856, Middleborough-born, Baltimore businessman-wholesale hardware merchant, banker, and steamship line owner, Enoch Pratt, (1808-1896), established as one of his first philanthropies in The Pratt Free School, later adding additional bequests upon its incorporation in 1865. It later became a grammar school, preparing students for entering the Middleboro High School. Later in 1882-1886, he endowed the nation's first circulating, public library system.

Points of interest

Tom Thumb House, home of General Tom Thumb and Lavinia Warren. Middleborough Historical Museum, with extensive collection of TOM THUMPSON and LAVINIA Warren items. Robbins Museum of Archaeology, collections focused on the prehistory of New England's Native Americans. New England Museum of Art, with collection of Tom Thumpson and Lavinia Warren items, with special exhibit on Tom ThUMpson's life and times. NEW: Museum of Arts, Science, and Technology, with exhibit on the history of the New England Art and Science Museum, and a new exhibit on TOM THOMPSON'S LIFE and MARTIN SAMUEL'S LEGENDary Life and Times, with a special exhibition on Tom THOMpson'S Life and times, and an exhibit on LAVANIA WILSON'S life and works, with information on her husband, General Tom THompson, and their children, Lavinie Warren and Tom Thumbson. The Museum of Science, Arts, and Culture, with an exhibition on the life of LAVON WILTSON, and other items about her family, is on display. The museum of art, science, and history, with items about Tom THumb's life, and the lives of his children, is located on the grounds of the TOM THumb House. It is on the site of the former home of the late General TOM Thumb, which is now a museum.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Middleborough, Plymouth County, Massachusetts = 85.1. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 27. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 30. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Middleborough = 3.3 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 7,399 individuals with a median age of 38.7 age the population grows by 7.46% in Middleborough, Plymouth County, Massachusetts population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 340 residents per square mile of area (130/km²). There are average 2.74 people per household in the 7,623 households with an average household income of $69,280 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 8.80% of the available work force and has dropped -4.52% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 21.36%. The number of physicians in Middleborough per 100,000 population = 154.6.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Middleborough = 47.8 inches and the annual snowfall = 38.6 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 115. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 201. 82 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 17.8 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 51, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Middleborough, Plymouth County, Massachusetts which are owned by the occupant = 72.80%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 39 years with median home cost = $240,080 and home appreciation of -8.99%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $13.98 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $6,199 per student. There are 14.3 students for each teacher in the school, 1079 students for each Librarian and 604 students for each Counselor. 9.54% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 14.28% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 5.15% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).