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Danvers, Massachusetts

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Template:Infobox Town MA Danvers is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. It was a large part of what was formerly named Salem Village. Most of the early victims and accusers of the 1692 Salem witch trials lived in the then Salem Village. While early depositions and interviews took place in Salem Village starting in February 1692, the actual trials and a majority of depositions and interviews were moved to the nearby Salem Town (now Salem, Massachusetts) in May 1692. It also headquarters MEMA on the west of town.

History

The land that is now Danvers was once controlled by the Naumkeag branch of the Massachusett tribe. Around 1630, settlers converted an existing Naumkeag trail into the Old Ipswich Road, creating a connection to the main cities of Salem and Boston[1]. Danvers was permanently settled in 1636 and eventually petitioned the Crown for a charter as a town. According to legend, the King, rather than signing the charter, returned it with the message "The King Unwilling." On June 9, 1757, however, the town was incorporated anyway, and the King's rebuff was defiantly given a place on the town's seal.

  • The historical event for which Danvers is probably most well-known is the Witch Hysteria of 1692.
  • In 1847, the railroad came to Danvers. A street railway was also installed in 1884, originally consisting of horse-drawn trolleys that were later converted to electricity.
  • Town Hall was built in 1855 and, though it has undergone modifications and renovations several times, still stands today. In the same year, the southern portion of Danvers broke away to become the town of South Danvers, later renamed Peabody.
  • Originally an agricultural town, Danvers farmers developed two breeds of vegetables: the Danvers Onion and the Half-Long Carrot. There was also a booming shoe industry in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with successful manufacturing companies like Ideal Baby Shoe.
  • In 2002, Danvers celebrated its quartermillennial anniversary with special events throughout the year.

Geography

Danvers is located at 42°34′11″N 70°56′35″W / 42.56972°N 70.94306°W / 42.56972; -70.94306Invalid arguments have been passed to the {{#coordinates:}} function (42.569756, -70.943222)Template:GR.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 36.5 km² (14.1 mi²). 34.4 km² (13.3 mi²) of it is land and 2.1 km² (0.8 mi²) of it (5.75%) is water.

The town is at the intersections of Interstate 95, US 1, and Route 128. It is roughly midway between Boston and New Hampshire, along the Atlantic Coast.

Access to the Atlantic is via the Danvers River, a tidal river that flows into Beverly Harbor.

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 25,212 people, 9,555 households, and 6,564 families residing in the town. The population density was 733.0/km² (1,898.5/mi²). There were 9,762 housing units at an average density of 283.8/km² (735.1/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.72% White, 0.35% Black or African American, 0.10% Native American, 1.11% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.22% from other races, and 0.48% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.83% of the population.

There were 9,555 households out of which 30.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.2% were married couples living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.3% were non-families. 26.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.11.

In the town the population was spread out with 23.2% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 28.7% from 25 to 44, 24.5% from 45 to 64, and 17.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 86.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.2 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $58,779, and the median income for a family was $70,565. Males had a median income of $48,058 versus $33,825 for females. The per capita income for the town was $26,852. About 1.7% of families and 2.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.0% of those under age 18 and 4.4% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Danvers has a representative town meeting, five selectmen, and a town manager.

Board of Selectmen, Danvers, MA
 The current Board of Selectmen (May 2006) is -

Front row (from left)

Back row (from left)

Town Manager, Danvers, MA
 The current Town Manager (January 2006) is -

Public safety

Danvers has full time police and fire departments. The Danvers Police Department was accredited in 1986. Danvers was the 1st municipal agency within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to become nationally accredited.

Schools

Public schools

Danvers has five elementary schools, each serving Pre-Kindergarten through fifth grade. Grades six through eight attend the recently renovated Holten-Richmond Middle School, and grades nine through twelve attend Danvers High School.

Private schools

Danvers is also home to three private schools. Clark School and St. Mary of the Annunciation School are both private schools that serve Pre-Kindergarten through eighth grade. St. John's Preparatory School is a secondary school for young men, serving grades nine through twelve.

Technical, vocational, & agricultural schools

In addition to the public and private schools, Danvers hosts the Essex Agricultural & Technical High School, an independent, state funded, day school serving grades 9 through 12. Essex Agricultural & Technical High School is currently in the process of merging with the North Shore Vocational School, currently located in Middleton, which will result in a larger, unified campus located in Danvers.

Colleges

Points of interest

Chemical plant explosion

On November 22, 2006, around 2:45 a.m., a major chemical explosion occurred in the Danversport area at a facility housing Arnel Company (a manufacturer of industrial-use paint products) and CAI Inc. (a manufacturer of solvents and inks). The blast shook several North Shore towns—knocking homes off foundations and damaging buildings up to half a mile away. Glass windows shattered at least three miles away, in neighboring Peabody and even in downtown Salem. The explosion was heard and felt up to 45 miles away; the concussion was intense. According to many witnesses, it seemed like an airplane had crashed.

At least 10 people were taken to local hospitals; no one was killed, and none of the injuries were life-threatening, according to Fire Chief Jim Tutko. Approximately 90 homes were damaged. Residents whose homes were damaged or destroyed in the blast were taken to Danvers High School, where the Red Cross established a relief shelter. The blast occurred next to a marina, a bakery & pizza shop, and a gas station, and across the street from Eastern Propane Gas Inc.

January 2007 ---In late November, the State Fire Marshal determined the explosion was not caused by an intentional act. No cause has been determined. State and Federal investigations are ongoing. Members of the US Chemical Safety Board investigating the accident have stated that this is one of the most difficult investigations the Board has ever undertaken, and that it will likely be 12 to 18 months before a final report is released by the agency.

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References

  1. ^ Hanson, J. W. (John Wesley). History of the town of Danvers: from its early settlement to the year 1848. 1848. Salem, Mass.: Higginson Book, 1987.
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