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Medford, Massachusetts

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Medford, Massachusetts
City
Medford Square
Medford Square
Official seal of Medford, Massachusetts
Seal
Location in Middlesex County in Massachusetts
Location in Middlesex County in Massachusetts
CountryUnited States
StateMassachusetts
CountyMiddlesex
Settled1630
Incorporated1892
Government
 • TypeMayor-council city
 • MayorMichael J. McGlynn
Area
 • Total8.6 sq mi (22.4 km2)
 • Land8.1 sq mi (21.1 km2)
 • Water0.5 sq mi (1.3 km2)
Elevation
14 ft (4 m)
Population
 (2010)
 • Total56,173
 • Density6,859.9/sq mi (2,633.4/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (Eastern)
ZIP code
02153, 02155, 02156
Area code781 / 339
FIPS code25-39835
GNIS feature ID0612778
Websitewww.medford.org

Medford is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, in the United States, on the Mystic River, five miles northwest of downtown Boston. In the 2010 U.S. Census, Medford's population was 56,173. It is the home of Tufts University.

History

1600s

Medford was settled in 1630 as part of Charlestown, when Thomas Dudley referred to it as "Mistick" (a name which persisted for many decades), which his party renamed "Meadford".[1] In 1634, the land north of the Mystic River became the private plantation of former Governor Matthew Cradock; across the river was Ten Hills Farm, which belonged to John Winthrop, Governor of the Massachusetts Bay colony.[2] The name may have come from a description of the "meadow by the ford" in the Mystic River, or from two locations that Cradock may have been familiar with in England: the hamlet of Mayford or Metford in Staffordshire near Caverswall, or from the parish of Maidford or Medford (now Towcester, Northamptonshire).[3]

In 1637, the first bridge (a toll bridge) across the Mystic River was built at the site of the present-day Cradock Bridge, near Medford Square. It would be the only bridge across the Mystic until 1787, and as such became a major route for traffic coming into Boston from the north (though ferries and fords were also used).[4]

Until 1656, all of northern Medford was owned by Cradock, his heirs, or Edward Collins. Medford was governed as a "peculiar" or private plantation. As the land began to be divided among several people from different families, the new owners began to meet and make decisions locally and increasingly independently from the Charlestown town meeting. In 1674, a Board of Selectmen was elected, in 1684, the colonial legislature granted the ability to raise money independently, and in 1689, a representative to the legislature was chosen. The town got its own religious meeting room in 1690, and a secular meeting house in 1696.[4]

1700s and 1800s

The land south of the Mystic River was known as "Mistick Field". It was transferred from Charlestown to Medford in 1754.[5] This grant also included the "Charlestown Wood Lots" (the Medford part of the Middlesex Fells), and part of what was at the time Woburn (now Winchester).[6] Parts of Medford were transferred to Charlestown in 1811, Winchester in 1850 ("Upper Medford"), and Malden in 1879. Additional land was transferred to Medford from Malden (1817), Everett (1875), and Malden (1877) again.[3][7]

The population of Medford went from 230 in 1700 to 1,114 in 1800. After 1880, the population rapidly expanded, reaching 18,244 by 1900.[8] Farmland was divided into lots and sold to build residential and commercial buildings, starting in the 1840s and 1850s; government services expanded with the population (schools, police, post office) and technological advancement (gas lighting, electricity, telephones, railways).[7] Tufts University was chartered in 1852 and the Crane Theological School at Tufts opened in 1869.

Medford was incorporated as a city in 1892[9] and was a center of industry, including the manufacture of brick[10] and tile, rum,[11] Medford Crackers, and clipper ships [12] such as the White Swallow and the Kingfisher, both built by Hayden & Cudworth.[13]

Transportation

During the 17th century, a handful of major public roads (High Street, Main Street, Salem Street, "the road to Stoneham", and South Street) served the population, but the road network started a long-term expansion in the 18th century.[14] The Medford Turnpike Company was incorporated in 1803, but turned what is now Mystic Avenue over to the city in 1866. The Andover Turnpike Company was incorporated in 1805, but turned what is now Forest Street and Fellsway West over to Medford in 1830.[7]

Other major commercial transportation projects included the Middlesex Canal by 1803,[15] the Boston and Lowell Railroad in West Medford in the 1830s, and the Boston and Maine Railroad to Medford Center in 1847.

A horse-powered street railway began running to Somerville and Charlestown in 1860. The street railway network expanded in the hands of various private companies, and went electric in the late 1890s, when trolleys to Everett and downtown Boston were available.[7] Streetcars were converted to buses in the 20th century. Interstate 93 was constructed between 1956 and 1963.[16]

Gypsy moth

In 1868, a French astronomer and naturalist, Leopold Trouvelot, was attempting to breed a better silkworm using Gypsy moths. Several of the moths escaped from his home, at 27 Myrtle Street. Within ten years, the insect had denuded the vegetation in the neighborhood. It spread over North America.[citation needed]

Holiday songs

In a tavern and boarding house on High Street (Simpson's Tavern) in the late 19th century, local resident James Pierpont wrote "Jingle Bells" after watching a sleigh race from Medford to Malden. Another local resident, Lydia Maria Child (1802–1880), made a poem out of the trip across town to her grandparents' house, now the classic song "Over the River and Through the Woods".

Other notables

1790 bird's-eye view from Bunker Hill of the "Malden Bridge" across the Mystic River, with Medford in the background.

Medford was home to Fannie Farmer, author of one of the world's most famous cookbooks—as well as James Plimpton, the man credited with the 1863 invention of the first practical four-wheeled roller skate, which set off a roller craze that quickly spread across the United States and Europe.

George Luther Stearns, an American industrialist and one of John Brown's Secret Six. His passion for the abolitionist cause shaped his life, bringing him into contact with the likes of Abraham Lincoln and Ralph Waldo Emerson and starting The Nation magazine. He was given the rank of major by Massachusetts Governor John Andrew and spent most of the Civil War recruiting for the 54th and 55th Massachusetts regiments and the 5th cavalry.

Amelia Earhart lived in Medford while working as a social worker in 1925.

Elizabeth Short, the victim of an infamous Hollywood murder and who became known as The Black Dahlia, was born in Hyde Park (the southernmost neighborhood of the city of Boston, Massachusetts) but raised in Medford before going to the West Coast looking for fame.

The Peter Tufts House (350 Riverside Ave.) is thought to be the oldest all-brick building in New England. Another important site is the "Slave Wall" on Grove Street, built by "Pomp," a slave owned by the prominent Brooks family. The Isaac Royall House, which once belonged to one of Harvard Law School's founders, Isaac Royall, Jr., is a National Historic Landmark and a local history museum. The house was used by Continental Army troops, including George Washington and John Stark, during the American Revolutionary War.

Medford has sent more than its share of athletes to the National Hockey League; Shawn Bates, though born in Melrose, MA grew up in Medford, as did Keith Tkachuk, Mike Morrison, David Sacco, and Joe Sacco. Former Red Sox pitcher Bill Monbouquette grew up in Medford.

Medford was home to Michael Bloomberg, American businessman, philanthropist, and the founder of Bloomberg L.P., who is currently serving as the Mayor of New York City. Mayor Bloomberg attended Medford High School and resided in Medford until after he graduated from college.[17] His mother remained a resident of Medford until her death in 2011.

The only cryobank of amniotic stem cells in the United States is located in Medford, built by Biocell Center, a biotechnology company led by Giuseppe Simoni.

Medford and the law

Medford is home to some famous crimes:

  • A few crooked officers of the Medford Police and Metropolitan District Commission Police forces pulled off one of the biggest bank robberies and jewel heists in world history in 1980, robbing the Depositors Trust bank over the Memorial Day weekend. The book The Cops Are Robbers: A Convicted Cop's True Story of Police Corruption is based upon this event. Salvatore's Restaurant, located at 55 High St in Medford Square, is partially in the same location as the bank that was robbed. The private dining room in the restaurant uses the bank's vault door as an entrance way, and the hole in the corner of the ceiling that the robber's crawled through was left intact for nostagia.
  • An admitted Mob execution by Somerville's Irish Winter Hill Gang of Joe Notarangeli took place at the "Pewter Pot" cafe in Medford Square.[18]
  • In October 1989, the FBI recorded a Mafia initiation ceremony at a home in Medford.

Geography

Medford is located at 42°25′12″N 71°6′29″W / 42.42000°N 71.10806°W / 42.42000; -71.10806Invalid arguments have been passed to the {{#coordinates:}} function (42.419996, −71.107942).Template:GR

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 8.6 square miles (22 km2), of which, 8.1 square miles (21 km2) of it is land and 0.5 square miles (1.3 km2) of it (5.79%) is water.

A park called the Middlesex Fells Reservation, to the north, is partly within the city. This 2,060-acre (8 km2) preserve is shared by Medford with the municipalities of Winchester, Stoneham, Melrose, and Malden. The Mystic River flows roughly west to southeast through the middle of the city.

Neighborhoods

People from Medford often identify themselves with a particular neighborhood.

  • West Medford
  • North Medford (a.k.a. The Heights, North, or Fulton Heights)
  • Wellington
  • Glenwood
  • South Medford
  • Medford Hillside
  • Lawrence Estates

Demographics

Historical population
YearPop.±%
17901,029—    
18001,114+8.3%
18101,443+29.5%
18201,474+2.1%
18301,755+19.1%
18402,478+41.2%
18503,749+51.3%
18604,842+29.2%
18705,717+18.1%
18807,573+32.5%
189011,079+46.3%
190018,244+64.7%
191023,150+26.9%
192039,038+68.6%
193059,714+53.0%
194063,083+5.6%
195066,113+4.8%
196064,971−1.7%
197064,397−0.9%
198058,076−9.8%
199057,407−1.2%
200055,765−2.9%
2001*55,684−0.1%
2002*55,436−0.4%
2003*55,517+0.1%
2004*55,548+0.1%
2005*55,798+0.5%
2006*55,621−0.3%
2007*55,545−0.1%
2008*55,615+0.1%
2009*55,578−0.1%
201056,173+1.1%
* = population estimate.
Source: United States census records and Population Estimates Program data.[19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29]

Irish-Americans are a strong presence in the city and live in all areas. West Medford, the most affluent of Medford's many neighborhoods, was once the bastion of some of Boston's elite families— including Peter Chardon Brooks, one of the wealthiest men in post-colonial America, and father-in-law to Charles Francis Adams — and is also home to an historic African-American neighborhood that dates to the Civil War.[citation needed]

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 55,765 people, 22,067 households, and 13,505 families residing in the city. The population density was 6,851.3 people per square mile (2,645.1/km²). There were 22,687 housing units at an average density of 2,787.3 per square mile (1,076.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 86.45% White, 6.10% African American, 0.11% Native American, 3.87% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.14% from other races, and 2.30% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.59% of the population.

There were 22,067 households out of which 23.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.6% were married couples living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.8% were non-families. 28.7% 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 2.43 and the average family size was 3.04.

In the city the population was spread out with 17.9% under the age of 18, 11.0% from 18 to 24, 32.6% from 25 to 44, 21.2% from 45 to 64, and 17.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 88.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $52,476, and the median income for a family was $62,409. Males had a median income of $41,704 versus $34,948 for females. The per capita income for the city was $24,707. About 4.1% of families and 6.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.7% of those under age 18 and 7.4% of those age 65 or over.

Medford has three Public, educational, and government access (PEG) cable TV channels. The Public-access television channel is TV3, The Educational-access television is channel 15 and 16 is the Government-access television (GATV) municipal channel.

Education

Medford is home to many schools, public and private.

Elementary
Public
Main article: Medford Public Schools § Elementary Schools
  • Christopher Columbus Elementary School
  • Brooks Elementary School
  • John J. McGlynn Elementary School
  • Milton Fuller Roberts Elementary School
Private (non-sectarian)
  • Eliot-Pearson Children's School (PK-2)[30]
  • Gentle-Dragon Preschool (PK)[31]
  • Merry-Go-Round Nursery School (PK)
  • Play Academy Learning Center (PK-K)[32]
  • Oakland Park Children's Center (PK)
  • Six Acres Nursery School (PK-K) (non-sectarian, but run through Medford Jewish Community Center)[33]
Private (sectarian)
  • St. Joseph's (K-8)[34]
  • St. Clement's (PK-6)[35]
  • St. Raphael's (PK-8)[36]
Middle School
Main article: Medford Public Schools § Secondary Schools
  • John J. McGlynn Middle School
  • Madeline Dugger Andrews Middle School
High School
Public
Main article: Medford Public Schools § Secondary Schools
Private

Government

Template:Infobox Mass Town Govt

Voter registration and party enrollment as of October 15, 2008[37]
Party Number of voters Percentage

Template:American politics/party colors/Democratic/row

Democratic 16,588 46.80%

Template:American politics/party colors/Republican/row

Republican 2,610 7.36%

Template:American politics/party colors/Independent/row

Unaffiliated 16,054 45.29%

Template:American politics/party colors/Libertarian/row

Minor Parties 193 0.54%
Total 35,445 100%

Local government

  • Michael J. McGlynn, Mayor
  • Edward P. Finn, City Clerk
  • Stephanie Muccini Burke, Director of Budget & Personnel

City Council

  • Robert A. Maiacco, President
  • Frederick N. Dello Russo Jr., Vice President
  • Mark J. Arena
  • Paul A. Camuso
  • Breanna Lungo-Koehn
  • Michael J. Marks
  • Robert M. Penta

School Committee

  • Michael J. McGlynn, Chairman
  • George A. Scarpelli, Vice Chairman
  • John C. Falco Jr., Secretary
  • Ann Marie Cugno
  • Sharon K. Guzik
  • William J. O'Keefe Jr.
  • Paulette Van der Kloot

Transportation

Numerous Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority bus lines go through Medford. On Medford's east side, Wellington station on the Orange Line provides a connection to Boston and the entire rapid transit system. On the west side, the Lowell Commuter Rail Line stops in West Medford Square.

Discussion of bringing the Green Line into Medford, as is mandated by environmental mitigation provisions of the Big Dig project,[38] is ongoing. On February 2, 2009, the state formally endorsed extending the Green Line through Medford, terminating near the intersection of Boston Avenue and Mystic Valley Parkway (Massachusetts Route 16). As proposed, the terminus would not have parking facilities. The extension would serve an additional 10,000 potential Green Line riders.

Joseph's Limousine and Transportation (located in Medford) runs a bus line through the city, and also picks up passengers going to other parts of Greater Boston or out of state.

Interstate 93 travels roughly north–south through the city. State routes passing through Medford include 16, 28, 38, and 60.

Points of interest

1852 map of Boston area showing Medford and rail lines.
File:Thatchermagounclipper.jpg
Clipper ship Thatcher Magoun

Notable residents

See also

References

  1. ^ History of the Town of Medford, p. 30
  2. ^ History of the Town of Medford, p. 39
  3. ^ a b History of Middlesex County, p. 158
  4. ^ a b Medford Historical Society
  5. ^ History of the Town of Medford, p. 5
  6. ^ Medicalhistorical.org
  7. ^ a b c d Medfordhistorical.org
  8. ^ United States census
  9. ^ Medford.org
  10. ^ Medfordhistorical.org
  11. ^ Medfordhistorical.org
  12. ^ Medfordhistorical.org
  13. ^ Gleason, Hall (1937). Old Ships and Ship-Building Days of Medford. Medford, MA: J.C. Miller. p. 76.
  14. ^ History of the Town of Medford, "Roads" chapter.
  15. ^ Medfordhistorical.org
  16. ^ Bostonroads.com
  17. ^ Town, Your (October 12, 2009). "New Michael Bloomberg biography takes a few jabs at Medford". The Boston Globe.
  18. ^ "Black Mass: The Irish Mob, the Boston FBI and a Devil's Deal, "Dick Lehr (author), Gerard O'Neill (author) Publisher and ISBN needed
  19. ^ "Total Population (P1), 2010 Census Summary File 1". American FactFinder, All County Subdivisions within Massachusetts. United States Census Bureau. 2010.
  20. ^ "Massachusetts by Place and County Subdivision - GCT-T1. Population Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
  21. ^ "1990 Census of Population, General Population Characteristics: Massachusetts" (PDF). US Census Bureau. December 1990. Table 76: General Characteristics of Persons, Households, and Families: 1990. 1990 CP-1-23. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
  22. ^ "1980 Census of the Population, Number of Inhabitants: Massachusetts" (PDF). US Census Bureau. December 1981. Table 4. Populations of County Subdivisions: 1960 to 1980. PC80-1-A23. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
  23. ^ "1950 Census of Population" (PDF). Bureau of the Census. 1952. Section 6, Pages 21-10 and 21-11, Massachusetts Table 6. Population of Counties by Minor Civil Divisions: 1930 to 1950. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
  24. ^ "1920 Census of Population" (PDF). Bureau of the Census. Number of Inhabitants, by Counties and Minor Civil Divisions. Pages 21-5 through 21-7. Massachusetts Table 2. Population of Counties by Minor Civil Divisions: 1920, 1910, and 1920. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
  25. ^ "1890 Census of the Population" (PDF). Department of the Interior, Census Office. Pages 179 through 182. Massachusetts Table 5. Population of States and Territories by Minor Civil Divisions: 1880 and 1890. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
  26. ^ "1870 Census of the Population" (PDF). Department of the Interior, Census Office. 1872. Pages 217 through 220. Table IX. Population of Minor Civil Divisions, &c. Massachusetts. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
  27. ^ "1860 Census" (PDF). Department of the Interior, Census Office. 1864. Pages 220 through 226. State of Massachusetts Table No. 3. Populations of Cities, Towns, &c. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
  28. ^ "1850 Census" (PDF). Department of the Interior, Census Office. 1854. Pages 338 through 393. Populations of Cities, Towns, &c. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
  29. ^ "1950 Census of Population" (PDF). Bureau of the Census. 1952. Section 6, Pages 21-7 through 21-09, Massachusetts Table 4. Population of Urban Places of 10,000 or more from Earliest Census to 1920. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
  30. ^ Ase.tufts.edu
  31. ^ Gentledragonpreschool.org
  32. ^ Play-academy.com
  33. ^ 6acres.homestead.com
  34. ^ Stjosephshoolmedford.com
  35. ^ Saintclementschool.org
  36. ^ Saintraphaelparish.org
  37. ^ "Registration and Party Enrollment Statistics as of October 15, 2008" (PDF). Massachusetts Elections Division. Retrieved 2010-05-08.
  38. ^ Green Line stops discussed at Tufts workshop - Medford, MA - Medford Transcript
  39. ^ Who Was Who in America, Historical Volume, 1607-1896. Marquis Who's Who. 1967. Publisher and ISBN needed
  40. ^ Richdimare.com

Further reading

External links

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