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Medford, Massachusetts

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

Medford is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts just a few miles north of Boston on the Mystic River. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 55,765. It is the home of Tufts University. The name is said to mean "ford in a meadow."

History

Home of the footbridge, Medford was founded in 1630, making it the fourth oldest English settlement in North America. Medford was established as a city in 1892 and was a center of industry, manufacturing brick and tile, rum, and Medford Crackers, and building clipper ships. 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 (which no longer exists). Within ten years, the insect pest had denuded the vegetation in the neighborhood. Eventually, it spread all over North America.

In a pub on Salem Street in Medford, local resident James Pierpont wrote "Jingle Bells" in the late 19th century 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. 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 spreads across the United States and Europe. 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.

Medford also boasts having many of its residents become National Hockey League stars (Namely one Sean Bates of New York Islanders/Boston Bruins fame). Medford is home to some of New England's most well known bakeries and Italian food. Medford is also home to some famous scandals. A few crooked officers of the Medford Police force pulled off one of the biggest bank robberies and jewel heists in world history in 1980. Also, the only recorded proof of the Mafia's existence is from an FBI audiotape of a Medford Mafia ceremony in the late 1980's.

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 22.4 km² (8.6 mi²). 21.1 km² (8.1 mi²) of it is land and 1.3 km² (0.5 mi²) of it (5.79%) is water.

An impressive park called the Middlesex Fells Reservation1 straddles the town's northern boundary. This 2060-acre preserve is shared by Medford with the municipalities of Winchester, Stoneham, Melrose and Malden. Unfortunately its two Depression era stone towers, both of which offered wide views across much of the park and city, have become overgrown by maturing forests, and fallen into disrepair due to government cutbacks.

Demographics

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 2,645.1/km² (6,851.3/mi²). There were 22,687 housing units at an average density of 1,076.1/km² (2,787.3/mi²). 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 Access television stations: TV3, Channel 15 (educational access) and Channel 16 (governmental or municipal access).

Points of interest

Notable residents

References

  1. ^ Who Was Who in America, Historical Volume, 1607-1896. Marquis Who's Who. 1967.

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