Bolton, Massachusetts
Location in Worcester County in Massachusetts
Coordinates: 42°26′00″N 71°36′30″W / 42.433333, -71.60833
Country	United States
State	Massachusetts
County	Worcester
Settled	1682
Incorporated	1738
Government
- Type	Open town meeting
- Town    Administrator	Jodi Ross
- Board of    Selectmen	Panny E. Gerken Curt Plante Kenneth F. Troup Nicholas A. Birse
Area
- Total	20.0 sq mi (51.8 km²)
- Land	19.9 sq mi (51.6 km²)
- Water	0.1 sq mi (0.2 km²)
Elevation	387 ft (118 m)
Population (2000)
- Total	4,148
- Density	208.1/sq mi (80.3/km²)
Time zone	Eastern (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	Eastern (UTC-4)
ZIP code	01740
Area code(s)	351 / 978
FIPS code	25-06365
GNIS feature ID	0618357
Website: www.townofbolton.com

Bolton is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 4,148 at the 2000 census.

History

The town of Bolton, Massachusetts was incorporated on June 24, 1738, following an influx of settlers. Town historian Esther Whitcomb, descendant of one of Bolton's earliest documented settlers, cites the recorded birth of a son, Hezekiah, to Josiah Whitcomb in 1681. By 1711, according to Whitcomb, more than 150 people were living on Bolton soil, despite a local history of Indian uprisings and one massacre. Many early houses were protected by flankers, and were designated as garrisons. Bolton's history is interesting because it is reflective of early settlement patterns in the Central Massachusetts area, and the conflicts with King Philip (Metacom) and his Indian soldiers.^[1]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 20.0 square miles (51.8 km²), of which, 19.9 square miles (51.6 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km²) of it (0.35%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census^[2] of 2000, there were 4,148 people, 1,424 households, and 1,201 families residing in the town. The population density was 208.1 people per square mile (80.4/km²). There were 1,476 housing units at an average density of 74.1/sq mi (28.6/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.76% White, 0.19% African American, 0.05% Native American, 1.30% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.19% from other races, and 0.48% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.80% of the population.

There were 1,424 households out of which 44.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 77.0% were married couples living together, 5.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 15.6% were non-families. 11.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 3.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.91 and the average family size was 3.18.

In the town the population was spread out with 30.4% under the age of 18, 3.3% from 18 to 24, 31.2% from 25 to 44, 28.8% from 45 to 64, and 6.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 100.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.1 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $102,798, and the median income for a family was $108,967. Males had a median income of $79,167 versus $50,278 for females. The per capita income for the town was $42,542. About 1.1% of families and 1.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.5% of those under age 18 and 3.5% of those age 65 or over.

Taxes in Bolton have increased since the 1980s in a disproportional fashion as compared to surrounding areas. This is largely due to the increased School budget and a lack of a commercial tax base.

Government

Schools

Bolton is a member of the Nashoba Regional School District, also serving the towns of Lancaster and Stow. Bolton is home to the Florence Sawyer School (K-8) and Nashoba Regional High School.

Notable residents

• Karen O'Connor
• Wilbert Robinson, Baseball Hall of Fame inductee^[3]
• Hal Gill, current NHL player for the Pittsburgh Penguins

References

1. ^ Whitcomb, Esther Kimmon (1988). About Bolton. Bowie, MD: Heritage Books, Inc.. ISBN 1-55613-105-4. 
2. ^ American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
3. ^ [1969] (1979) in Reichler, Joseph L.: The Baseball Encyclopedia, 4th edition, New York: Macmillan Publishing. ISBN 0-02-578970-8. 

External links

• Bolton official website
• Bolton Police Department
• Bolton Fire Department
• Bolton Library

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