Jump to content

Saugus, Massachusetts

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 208.224.220.2 (talk) at 16:57, 26 September 2008 (External links). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Saugus, Massachusetts
Location in Essex County in Massachusetts
Location in Essex County in Massachusetts
CountryUnited States
StateMassachusetts
CountyEssex
Settled1629
Incorporated1815
Government
 • TypeRepresentative town meeting
Area
 • Total
11.8 sq mi (30.4 km2)
 • Land11.0 sq mi (28.5 km2)
 • Water0.8 sq mi (2.0 km2)
Elevation
21 ft (6 m)
Population
 (2000)
 • Total
26,078
 • Density2,373.7/sq mi (916.5/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (Eastern)
ZIP code
01906
Area code339 / 781
FIPS code25-60015
GNIS feature ID0619454
Websitehttp://www.saugus-ma.gov/

Saugus is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 26,078 at the 2000 census.

History

Saugus was first settled in 1629. Saugus is an Indian name believed to mean "great" or "extended". In 1637, the territory known as Saugus (which also contained the present day cities and towns of Swampscott, Nahant, Lynn, Lynnfield, Reading, and Wakefield) was renamed Lin or Lynn, after King's Lynn in Norfolk, England.

The Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site, in operation from 1646-1668, was the first integrated iron works in North America. It is now a National Historic Site.

The nineteenth century ice industry began in Saugus when in 1804 Frederic Tudor cut ice from a pond on the family farm and shipped it to Martinique[1]

The Lynn territory was shortened beginning in 1814 with the incorporation of Lynnfield. On February 17, 1815, present day Saugus was officially incorporated as a town. The first town meeting was held on March 13, 1815 in the parish church. At the time of its incorporation, Saugus' population was 784. Its main industry was agriculture. During the Industrial Revolution, many new industries moved to Saugus. Shoes and woolen goods were made in Saugus Center and tobacco was manufactured in Cliftondale and East Saugus.

The first town hall was built in 1837. It was built with $2,000 of the United States revenue surplus distributed by President Andrew Jackson. It is currently an American Legion hall. In 1875 the town built its second and current town hall on Central Street. The construction of the town hall put the city in a $50,000 debt. For this and other reasons the neighborhood of East Saugus sought to be set of from Saugus and annexed to the city of Lynn. East Saugus was unable to get a bill in both houses of state legislature and the issue was dropped after the town appropriated $5,000 for the laying of water pipes through East Saugus.

Saugus' first post office was established in 1932 in East Saugus. In 1858 two more were established - one in Saugus Center and one in Cliftondale. Now only the Cliftondale post office remains in Saugus.

In 1805 the Newburyport Turnpike (now U.S. 1) was built. About four miles of this road was built in Saugus. William Tudor built a summer estate on the turnpike. At first it was considered a mistake, as it was built over hills and swamps. Grass soon grew over the road bed of the turnpike. In 1840 the tolls were discontinued and it became a public highway. The toll house, located at what is now the junction of Routes 1 and 99, was tended by the Felton family, whose son Cornelius became president of Harvard University.

The invention of the automobile brought new life to the Turnpike and in 1933 the road was widened and an overpass was added to separate the traffic on Route 1 and Main Street. In the 1950s new businesses began moving to Route 1. Today the businesses along Route 1 generate millions in dollars for Saugus.

Passenger trains ran through Saugus from 1854 until the mid-1950s. The Eastern Railroad, Boston and Maine Railroad, and Grand Junction Railroad all ran on the Saugus Branch Railroad at some point. The Saugus Branch included three stations, one in Saugus Center, one in Cliftondale, and one in Pleasant Hills.

Saugus was also home to a harness racing track known as the Franklin Trotting Park, Atwood Racetrack, and the Old Saugus Race Course. This racetrack and adjacent hotel opened in 1870. The half-mile oval track and the four story hotel and grandstand was a big attraction. It closed in 1905 after local citizens complained about the questionable patrons that the racetrack attracted.

In 1911 the racetrack became an airfield. The airfield saw the first airmail delivery in New England on May 30, 1912. [1] It was later named Atwood Aviation Park after Harry Atwood the pilot of the historic delivery. Pioneer aviators Ruth Bancroft Law and Lincoln J. Beachey flew at Saugus.

Laurence G. Hanscom a pilot, aviation enthusiast, State House reporter for the Worcester Telegram Gazette, and namesake of Hanscom Air Force Base and Hanscom Field was killed in a plane crash while performing stunt maneuvers over marshland in Saugus on February 9, 1941.

Saugus is home to the oldest barber shop in the United States. The over 100 year old George's Barber Shop is located in the Cliftondale section of Saugus.

In October 1975, the first commercially-successful incineration plant in the U.S. was built in Saugus, Massachusetts by Wheelabrator Technologies, and is still in operation today.[2]

In 1989, the attempted murder of Frank Salemme by Angelo Mercurio took place in Saugus.

In recent years the town has suffered financial trouble as a result of political corruption and is in danger of needing state intervention to solve its fiscal problems. A vote on April 24, 2007, in which less than 40% of the town's voting population participated, defeated the Proposition 2 1/2 Override, which would have gained the town an extra $5.2 million in the next year through increased property taxes, by more than a 2-1 margin (4,572 voted "no" and 2180 voted "yes"). Saugus has had such problems with its money consumption that it has cut out services like street plowing in the winter, leaving independent companies to do it. They have recently cut funding on the library. Teachers have threatened strike several times, and the crisis got to the point where the government nearly cut all the school sports for lack of money. [2]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 11.8 square miles (30.4 km²), of which, 11.0 square miles (28.5 km²) of it is land and 0.8 square miles (2.0 km²) of it (6.55%) is water. While the town has a shoreline, it doesn't have a beach.

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 26,078 people, 9,975 households, and 7,142 families residing in the town. The population density was 2,373.7 people per square mile (916.2/km²). There were 10,122 housing units at an average density of 921.3/sq mi (355.6/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.32% White, 0.44% Black or African American, 0.05% Native American, 1.20% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.27% from other races, and 0.68% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.97% of the population. Known as the new Massachusetts "Little Italy", since the movement of Italian-Americans from Revere, and the North end, the U.S. Census shows that 39.6% is of Italian descent, and 24% is of Irish descent dominating the town. The Italian population mostly migrated over the years from East Boston or Revere, the Irish from South Boston or Somerville.

There were 9,975 households out of which 27.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.0% were married couples living together, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.4% were non-families. 24.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.11.

In the town the population was spread out with 20.5% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 26.1% from 45 to 64, and 17.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 91.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.1 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $55,301, and the median income for a family was $65,782. Males had a median income of $43,219 versus $32,783 for females. The per capita income for the town was $25,524. About 3.1% of families and 4.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.5% of those under age 18 and 7.2% of those age 65 or over.

Local organizations

 Section 

There is an abundance of local organizations based within Saugus.

The Saugus Historical Society works to cultivate an interest in the history of the town of Saugus, and to collect and preserve all matter pertaining to the town's history and citizenry. The organization was begun in 1928.

The Saugus Chamber of Commerce started in 1971 under the name of the Route One Businessmen's Association. It changed its name in 1988 to the Route One Area Business Association; it became the Saugus Chamber of Commerce in 1991. The Saugus Business Partnership is sometimes confused with the Chamber, but is a distinct organization formed in 2003.

The Saugus Action Volunteers for the Environment (SAVE) incorporated in 1973 and works toward a "better quality of life through environmental concern and action". It serves at once both as a volunteer organization (performing many duties including helping maintain the local tree farm) and a political organization (staging protests and taking public stands on local laws).

Saugus.net was founded in 1998 and exists independently of (but cooperatively with) the town government and other local organizations.

Other local organizations worthy of mention include the Friends of Saugus Town Hall, the Friends of Breakheart Reservation, the Saugus High School Alumni Association, Boy Scout Troops 61, 62 and 66, the Essex UFOlogists, and the Hammersmith Quilters' Guild.

There is also an association to renovate the track behind their middle school, for future use by their high school and middle school track and field teams. Currently, they have acquired the money they need to draw up the plans for the rebuilding, and are collecting money to go through the operation.

Saugus also has local chapters of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion, Masons, Rotary Club, Lions, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, the Knights of Columbus, the Kiwanis Club, and the Rotary Club. (More information on these clubs can be found on their respective websites)

Saugus is also home to a community theatre group, the Theatre Company of Saugus. The company is noted for attracting celebrities to both directorial responsibilities and stage.

Media

Local newspapers include The Saugus Advertiser, The Saugus View, and The Saugus Advocate.

Online is a site called Saugus.net.

Saugus also has a local cable station.

Neighborhoods

Although politically Saugus consists of ten precincts, traditionally it tends be loosely divided into eight major neighborhoods: Saugus Center, East Saugus, Cliftondale, Lynnhurst, North Saugus, the Golden Hills, Oaklandvale, and Kenwood. Some of these have their own organizations that focus on regional affairs, promote local business, or are simply social in nature. There is also a large develpoment of houses in Hammersmith Village, which is sometimes considered a neighborhood.

The three oldest are Saugus Center, Cliftondale, and East Saugus. Each has its own square and they have all been (incorrectly) represented at one time or another as independent towns on maps of lesser accuracy.

Points of interest

Notable residents

See also

References

Template:Mapit-US-cityscale