- Dudley, Massachusetts
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Dudley, Massachusetts — Town — Village Cemetery 1832
SealLocation in Worcester County in Massachusetts
Coordinates: 42°02′42″N 71°55′50″W / 42.045°N 71.93056°WCoordinates: 42°02′42″N 71°55′50″W / 42.045°N 71.93056°W Country United States State Massachusetts County Worcester Settled 1714 Incorporated 1732 Government – Type Open town meeting – Board of
SelectmenSteven Sullivan, Paul Joseph, Nancy Runkle, Jonathan Ruda, Anthony Didonato Area – Total 22.1 sq mi (57.1 km2) – Land 21.1 sq mi (54.5 km2) – Water 1.0 sq mi (2.6 km2) Elevation 670 ft (204 m) Population (2010) – Total 11,390 – Density 516.6/sq mi (199.5/km2) Time zone Eastern (UTC-5) – Summer (DST) Eastern (UTC-4) ZIP code 01571 Area code(s) 508 / 774 FIPS code 25-17685 GNIS feature ID 0618361 Website www.dudleyma.gov Dudley is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 11,390 at the 2010 census.
Contents
History
Dudley was first settled in 1714 and was officially incorporated in 1732. The town was named for landholders Paul and William Dudley.[1]
On the night of April 6, 1776, on his way to intercept the British fleet that was retreating from Boston to New York Harbor, General George Washington camped in the town of Dudley with the Continental Army along what is now a portion of Route 31 near the Connecticut border. During the trip, it is rumored that a "large cache" of captured and recovered British weaponry and supplies was ordered "concealed in the grounds" in the rural area along the route. The cache, hidden to resupply reinforcements from Massachusetts or to cover a retreat from the south, were never utilized or recorded as having been recovered.[citation needed]
Union soldiers from Dudley were among the first to suffer casualties inflicted by the Confederacy during the Battle of Gettysburg.[citation needed] Dudley was the primary manufacturer of "Brogan boots" worn by the Union Army and produced the majority of the standard issue Union uniforms worn during the Civil War.[citation needed]
Much of the western portion of Dudley was utilized by the Nipmuc Indians for burial grounds, and in 1986, it was discovered that the town landfill was located over ancient Indian burial sites.[citation needed]
To date, Dudley remains a bedroom community located in southern Worcester County.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 22.1 square miles (57 km2), of which 21.0 square miles (54 km2) is land and 1.0 square mile (2.6 km2), or 4.58%, is water. Dudley is bounded on the northeast by Oxford, on the north by Charlton, on the west by Southbridge, on the south by Woodstock and Thompson, Connecticut, and on the east by Webster, with which it traditionally had the closest cultural and political relations.
Demographics
Historical populations Year Pop. ±% 1850 1,443 — 1860 1,736 +20.3% 1870 2,388 +37.6% 1880 2,803 +17.4% 1890 2,944 +5.0% 1900 3,553 +20.7% 1910 4,267 +20.1% 1920 3,701 −13.3% 1930 4,265 +15.2% 1940 4,616 +8.2% 1950 5,261 +14.0% 1960 6,510 +23.7% 1970 8,087 +24.2% 1980 8,717 +7.8% 1990 9,540 +9.4% 2000 10,036 +5.2% 2001* 10,175 +1.4% 2002* 10,350 +1.7% 2003* 10,614 +2.6% 2004* 10,787 +1.6% 2005* 10,803 +0.1% 2006* 10,924 +1.1% 2007* 11,055 +1.2% 2008* 11,193 +1.2% 2009* 11,224 +0.3% 2010 11,390 +1.5% * = population estimate.
Source: United States Census records and Population Estimates Program data.[2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11]As of the census[12] of 2000, there were 10,036 people, 3,737 households, and 2,668 families residing in the town. The population density was 476.7 inhabitants per square mile (184.1 /km2). There were 3,910 housing units at an average density of 185.7 per square mile (71.7 /km2). The racial makeup of the town was 96.83% White, 0.23%African American, 0.23% Native American, 0.74% Asian, 0.75% from other races, and 0.97% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.01% of the population.
There were 3,737 households out of which 34.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.5% were married couples living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.6% were non-families. 23.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.04.
In the town the population was spread out with 24.7% under the age of 18, 10.6% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 12.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 98.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $48,602, and the median income for a family was $59,309. Males had a median income of $40,337 versus $27,589 for females. The per capita income for the town was $21,546. About 3.1% of families and 5.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.2% of those under age 18 and 10.1% of those age 65 or over.
Government
County government: Worcester County Clerk of Courts: Dennis P. McManus (D) District Attorney: Joseph D. Early, Jr. (D) Register of Deeds: Anthony J. Vigliotti (D) Register of Probate: Stephen Abraham (D) County Sheriff: Lew Evangelidis (R) State government State Representative(s): Kevin Kuros (R) State Senator(s): Richard T. Moore (D) Governor's Councilor(s): Jen Caissie (R) Federal government U.S. Representative(s): Richard E. Neal (D-2nd District), U.S. Senators: John Kerry (D), Scott Brown (R) Library
The public library in Dudley opened in 1897.[13][14] In fiscal year 2008, the town of Dudley spent 1.44% ($163,468) of its budget on its public library—some $14 per person.[15]
Education
Dudley is the home of Nichols College, which maintains a campus on Dudley Hill, the historical center of the town. Public schools in Dudley include Mason Road School (grades Preschool-1), Dudley Elementary School (grades 2-4), Dudley Middle School (grades 5-8) and Shepherd Hill Regional High School (grades 9-12), the last of which also serves students from Charlton. All public schools in Dudley are part of the Dudley-Charlton Regional School District.
References
- ^ "Profile for Dudley, Massachusetts". ePodunk. http://www.epodunk.com/cgi-bin/genInfo.php?locIndex=2927. Retrieved 2010-05-18.
- ^ "TOTAL POPULATION (P1), 2010 Census Summary File 1, All County Subdivisions within Massachusetts". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/P1/0400000US25.06000. Retrieved September 13, 2011.
- ^ "Massachusetts by Place and County Subdivision - GCT-T1. Population Estimates". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/GCTTable?_bm=y&-geo_id=04000US25&-_box_head_nbr=GCT-T1&-ds_name=PEP_2009_EST&-_lang=en&-format=ST-9&-_sse=on. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
- ^ "1990 Census of Population, General Population Characteristics: Massachusetts". US Census Bureau. December 1990. Table 76: General Characteristics of Persons, Households, and Families: 1990. 1990 CP-1-23. http://www.census.gov/prod/cen1990/cp1/cp-1-23.pdf. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
- ^ "1980 Census of the Population, Number of Inhabitants: Massachusetts". US Census Bureau. December 1981. Table 4. Populations of County Subdivisions: 1960 to 1980. PC80-1-A23. http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1980a_maABC-01.pdf. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
- ^ "1950 Census of Population". 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. http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/23761117v1ch06.pdf. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
- ^ "1920 Census of Population". 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. http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/41084506no553ch2.pdf. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
- ^ "1890 Census of the Population". 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. http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/41084506no553ch2.pdf. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
- ^ "1870 Census of the Population". Department of the Interior, Census Office. 1872. Pages 217 through 220. Table IX. Population of Minor Civil Divisions, &c. Massachusetts. http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1870e-05.pdf. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
- ^ "1860 Census". Department of the Interior, Census Office. 1864. Pages 220 through 226. State of Massachusetts Table No. 3. Populations of Cities, Towns, &c.. http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1860a-08.pdf. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
- ^ "1850 Census". Department of the Interior, Census Office. 1854. Pages 338 through 393. Populations of Cities, Towns, &c.. http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1850c-11.pdf. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ Report of the Free Public Library Commission of Massachusetts. v.9 (1899)
- ^ Pearle L. Crawford Memorial Library Retrieved 2010-11-10
- ^ July 1, 2007 through June 30, 2008; cf. The FY2008 Municipal Pie: What’s Your Share? Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Board of Library Commissioners. Boston: 2009. Available: Municipal Pie Reports. Retrieved 2010-08-04
External links
Categories:- Towns in Worcester County, Massachusetts
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