Full Time Realtor in Greater Taunton Massachusetts. 

Lori Lincoln puts her clients first by studying the greater Taunton MA and Fall River area markets, communicating frequently and giving the best possible service.

For Sellers: Lori sells at 101% of asking price, a strong negotiator-gets top dollar in the shortest time frame.

Lori Lincoln negotiates the best deal and guides her buyers through the process, works at a high level, no high pressure, just honest to goodness caring.

Lori Lincoln is a Top Selling Agent in the Greater Taunton MA, Southcoast and Southeast Ma and nearby RI averaging over 40 transactions per year (the average agent sells 4 homes a year)

For home sellers:

When you, list and sell your home with Lori, you'll be working with a pro-active high tech agent that uses the most up to date tools to sell your home quickly for the most amount of money.

 Capitalize on her extensive knowledge and education on the first time home buyer programs, selling your home in Greater Taunton MA, financing, staging, and more. Nobody will work harder for you..

Prior to Real Estate, Lori worked in the Advertising Business as an Account Executive for Comcast Spotlight, Media One, AT&T Broadband,Supercoups, and the Town Crier, A weekly paper owned by the Providence Journal. 

Her "former life" as and Advertising Executive is an asset to her real estate business, and a spring board to success in Real Estate.

"I chose Real Estate as my career to make a difference in the lives of people. with my business background and training, I could giving them the very best professional and caring approach to one of the most life changing decisions.. buying and/or selling their homes."

 You can reach Lori Lincoln at 508-878-0917 or email at lorilincoln@kw.com for a no obligation, no pressure consultation.

You can view listings, home market trends for Taunton, Rehoboth, Somerset, Swansea, Assonet,Dighton ,Seekonk,  Attleboro and surrounding communities by going to:  http://FindSouthCoasthomes.com or Lori's Blog

 Seach for your home value online all of Southern MA- Taunton, Rehoboth, Somerset, Swansea, Easton, Raynham, Dighton, Attleboro, Seekonk, Plainville, Mansfield, and more! http://findsouthcoasthomes.com

 About the areas I serve:

Rehoboth:

Taunton is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, It is  the hub of the Greater Taunton Area. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 55,976. I call it the city that seems like a town!

Taunton's nicknames are derived from its history. The nickname Silver City is born of Taunton's industrial past when companies such as F. B. Rogers/International Silver Co. as well as Poole Silver and Reed & Barton produced silver goods throughout the city. Christmas City is still evident each December with Christmas celebrations on the Taunton Green. The name Taunton means "town (or city) on the river."

 History-Taunton:

Taunton was founded in 1637 by Elizabeth Pole, and officially incorporated as a town on September 3, 1639. Most of the town's settlers were originally from Taunton, Somerset, England, which led early settlers to name the settlement after that town. At the time of Taunton's incorporation, they explained their choice of name as being, in honor and love to our dear native country... and owning it a great mercy of God to bring us to this place, and settling of us, on lands of our own bought with our money in peace, in the midst of the heathen, for a possession for ourselves and for our posterity after us.Prior to 1640, the Taunton area was called Cohannet.

 Mayflower Hill Cemetery

The British founders of Taunton took possession of the land from the native Wampanoags. The Taunton area was the site of battles (on its soil or the surrounding area) during various conflicts, including King Philip's War and the American Revolution. Taunton was re-incorporated as a city on May 11, 1864.

Once a great industrial city, the "Silver City" was home to many silversmithing operations, including the Taunton Silversmiths, Reed & Barton, Poole Silver, and the F.B. Rogers Silver Co./International Silver Co. Various other industries operated throughout the city into the third quarter of the 20th century.

In October 2005, the nearby Whittenton Pond Dam threatened to fail following a week that brought nine inches of rain to the city. Over 2,000 city residents were evacuatedand Mayor Robert Nunes issued a State of Emergency. It is estimated that if the dam had failed, the Mill River would have inundated the downtown area with up to six feet of water. In response, Governor Mitt Romney ordered an immediate inspection of high-risk dams throughout the Commonwealth.[

Taunton once included many surrounding towns, including Norton, Easton, Mansfield, Dighton, Raynham, and Berkley. Possession of the latter is still noted by the naming of Taunton Hill in Assonet, which is now North Main Street, a street that heads into Berkley Ma.

 Geography

An abstract map of Taunton's watershed

Taunton is located at 41°54′5″N, 71°5′37″W (41.901491, -71.093628).GR1 According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 124.2 km² (48.0 mi²). 120.7 km² (46.6 mi²) of it is land and 3.5 km² (1.4 mi²) of it (2.81%) is water. This is the second largest city by area in Massachusetts.[citation needed] Only Boston, at 48.42 square miles of land, is larger.

Taunton has one major river, the Taunton River, alongside with its tributaries including the Mill River and the Three Mile River. These rivers are within the Taunton River Watershed.

There are nine designated historic districts within the city:

Bay Road Historic District, which is also known as Post Road. The road runs from Taunton to Boston (1300 acres (5.3 km²), 1 structure, 2 objects) Bristol County Courthouse Complex (13 acres, 3 buildings) Church Green Historic District is also known as Meetinghouse Common (160 acres, 18 buildings, 1 object) Hopewell Mills District (120 acres, 13 buildings) Old Bay Road Historic District is also known as The Post Road; The King's Highway (150 acres, 1 structure, 3 objects) Reed and Barton Historic District Taunton Green Historic District (50 acres, 22 buildings, 3 objects) Taunton State Hospital Historic District is also known as the Taunton Lunatic Asylum (1250 acres (5.1 km²), 38 buildings, 8 structures)

Municipalities (in grey) that were once part of Taunton

Due to the annexation of towns from the original town of Taunton, the city now is irregularly shaped, with it (along with neighboring Raynham) roughly making a triangle. The city is bordered by Norton to the northwest, Easton to the north, Raynham to the northeast, Lakeville to the east, Berkley and Dighton to the south, and Rehoboth to the west.

City neighborhoods include Clearview Estates, East Taunton, Elliot's Corner, Herring Run Estates, Linden Estates, Matthews Landing, North Taunton, Oakland, Pine Crest Estates, Pine Hill Estates, Wades Corner, Weir Village, Westville, Whittenton, Whittenton Junction, Willis Lake Village and Woodward Estates. Taunton is also home to almost the entirety of the Massasoit State Park in East Taunton, and a large portion of the Hockomock Swamp Wildlife Management Area in North Taunton.

 Demographics

Historical PopulationsYearPop.YearPop.1790 1900 31,036 1800 1910 34,259 1810 1920 37,137 1820 1930 37,355 1830 1940 37,395 1840 1950 40,109 1850 1960 41,132 1860 1970 43,756 1870 1980 45,001 1880 1990 49,832 1890 2000 55,976

As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 55,976 people, 22,045 households, and 14,483 families residing in the city. The population density was 463.7/km² (1,201.1/mi²). There were 22,908 housing units at an average density of 189.8/km² (491.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 91.67% White, 2.74% African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.60% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 2.59% from other races, and 2.21% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.93% of the population.

There are 22,045 households out of which 32.3% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.0% were married couples living together, 13.4% have a female householder with no husband present, and 34.3% were non-families. 28.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.09.

In the city the population was spread out with 24.9% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 33.2% from 25 to 44, 21.0% from 45 to 64, and 12.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 92.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $42,932, and the median income for a family was $52,433. Males had a median income of $36,895 versus $27,686 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,899. About 8.0% of families and 10.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.9% of those under age 18 and 11.3% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Bristol County Superior Courthouse with the Soper Fountain in the foreground.

The city has a Mayor-Council form of government. Taunton also has a School Committee and many boards and commissions. As the seat of Bristol County, Taunton is home to the county's few administrative offices and several of its courthouses, including the Bristol County Superior Courthouse. The Massachusetts State Police's Troop D (Southeast District), 4th Barracks, patrols Taunton and is located in Middleborough.

Taunton is a part of three separate state representative districts: Third Bristol (entirely located in Taunton), Fifth Bristol (which includes Dighton, Somerset and part of Swansea), and Twelfth Bristol (including all or parts of Freetown, Lakeville, Middleborough and New Bedford). It is a part of the First Plymouth and Bristol state senate district, which also includes the towns of Berkley, Bridgewater, Carver, Dighton, Marion, Middleborough, Raynham and Wareham. On the national level, the town is part of Massachusetts Congressional District 4, which is represented by Barney Frank. The state's senior (Class I) Senator is Edward M. Kennedy, and the state's junior (Class II) Senator, up for re-election in 2008, is John F. Kerry.

Politics

Taunton has been a hotbed area of local, state, and national American politics for centuries. Many famous political or politically-controversial events occurred in Taunton's long history. This town was the first in Colonial America where a women (Elizabeth Pole) was credited with its founding. Robert Treat Paine was a long-time Taunton resident and a signer of the Declaration of Independence and the first Attorney-General of Massachusetts. Part of King Phillip's War was fought on Taunton's limits.

Former U.S. presidents, such as Presidents James K.Polk, William H.Taft, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman, gave campaign speeches in Taunton. The city's former Camp Myles Standish during WWII was a prisoner-of-war camp, a welcoming area for about a million U.S. and Allied soldiers; and a candidate site for the U.N. Headquarters, soon after the military camp closed. Although the city hasn't been as much of a hotbed of politics as it once was, it still continues to be a politically active region of Massachusetts.

Economy

Taunton economy has historically been based on silversmithing and shipbuilding. Reed & Barton produced the 1996 Summer Olympics medals and exclusively-used silverware for the White House. Also, the city produced the anchor for the USS Constitution. The nearby town of Raynham produced the anchor for the Civil War-era ironclad USS Monitor.

Today, the city's economy has many emphases on semiconductor, silicon, and electronics manufacturing. It is home to corporate headquarters of many leading corporations in various industries. Currently, the city is trying to attract biotechnology research companies to its industrial parks.

 Education

Education in Taunton ranges from preschool through post-secondary education.

Primary and secondary

Taunton has ten public elementary schools and four public middle schools,[4] which include:

Barnum School serves students in preschool. Summer Street School serves students in kindergarten. Edmund Hatch Bennett School, named for the city's first mayor, serves students in grades K-4. Joseph C. Chamberlain Elementary School, named for the city's 36th mayor, serves students in grades K-4. East Taunton Elementary School serves students in grades K-4. Harold H. Galligan School, a former Catholic school now named for a past school superintendent, serves students in grades K-4. Hopewell School serves students in grades K-4. Edward F. Leddy School, formerly the Sacred Heart Grammar School and now named for a former city councilman, serves students in grades K-4. The Lowell M. Maxham School, named for a Civil War Medal of Honor recipient, serves students in grades K-4. Elizabeth Pole School, named for the city's founder, serves students in grades 1-4. Benjamin A. Friedman Middle School, named for a former mayor, serves students in grades 5-8. Joseph H. Martin Middle School serves students in grades 5-8. Mulcahey Middle School serves students in grades 5-8. John F. Parker Middle School serves students in grades 5-8.

The city also has three Catholic elementary schools and one Catholic middle school:[5]

Villa Fatima Pre School Our Lady of Lourdes School St. Mary's Primary School Taunton Catholic Middle School

Taunton has two public high schools (Taunton High School and Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical School) and one Catholic high school (Coyle and Cassidy High School).

Higher education

Taunton is home to a satellite campus of Bristol Community College, which meets at Taunton High School. In addition, the city houses career schools such as the RobRoy Academy beauty school.

The city is serviced by a central public library, the Taunton Public Library, which opened in 1903 and has undergone several expansions and renovations since that time. Also of note is the Old Colony Historical Society, which archives the city and region's past.

The Taunton Green is the name of the city square. Early in its history, "The Green" was used as a training ground for militias in the American Revolution. Some say it was also the site of the historic "Liberty & Union"/"Taunton" flag raising in 1774 by the Sons of Liberty, prior to the American Revolution.In the 20th and 21st century, the city square was temporarily transformed during the winter holiday season into a grand display of Christmas lights, scenes, and extravagant events. This is where and how the city earned its unofficial nickname in the surrounding areas as the "Christmas City."

"The Green" continues to provide a centralized location for city-wide Christmas activities, other holidays, events, and parades for the citizens of Taunton. A waterfall can sometimes be found at the center of the Taunton Green, although currently it is used only rarely, possibly to defray maintenance costs.

Always to be seen flapping together in emblematic unison, the "Liberty & Union" flag and the U.S. flag fly side-by-side on the flagpole at the city's center.

Media

Taunton is served by several publications including the Silver City Bulletin, The Taunton Call, Brockton Enterprise, and the Taunton Daily Gazette. Regional papers of importance such as the Boston Globe, Boston Herald, and Providence Journal, are also widely available.

Taunton has local cable television channels which include the Taunton Educational Network (channel 9), Taunton Local Access (channel 15), and Taunton Municipal Network (channel 17). Comcast's Taunton system carries all Providence and Boston stations as well and both markets are available over-the-air. The two radio stations based in Taunton are WPEP 1570 AM and WSNE 93.3 FM, the latter of which primarily serves and has its studios in Providence.

Some of the major Internet providers in Taunton are Comcast, EarthLink, SBC Yahoo! Dial, and Verizon. The Taunton Municipal Lighting Plant (TMLP), Taunton's electric company, is also an Internet service provider for the city and its surrounding towns.

Healthcare and utilities

Taunton is home to the Morton Hospital and Medical Center.

Electricity is provided to residents by the Taunton Municipal Lighting Plant. Municipal water and sewer also service the city.

Transportation

See also: Old Colony Railroad

Taunton is the central highway hub of southeastern Massachusetts. Much of the eastern part of the state's major highways intersect and/or runs through the city, especially at its center. US 44, MA 138, and MA 140 intersect at a square at Taunton's center, which is called the Taunton Green. MA 140 is also accessible from the eastern neighborhood of the city, popularly referred to as "East Taunton." Additionally, MA 24 and MA 140 intersect near East Taunton, and it is at that junction that Route 140 ceases to be a 2-lane divided freeway from the south and becomes a smaller state highway to the north. Interstate 495 runs through the northern portion of Taunton, unofficially referred to as "North Taunton", and parallel to Myles Standish Industrial Park, Taunton's main industrial park.

Various smaller routes run through other parts of the city. These include a small portion of MA 104, close to the Taunton-Raynham city limits, and MA 79, close to the Taunton-Berkley-Lakeville (Plymouth County) city-town-county limits. Taunton is the western terminus of MA 104. It merges into US 44 after entering the city.

Several freight rails pass through the city on their way towards Fall River, New Bedford and a link-up with the line in Middleborough. There are plans being worked on to link up parts of this rail with the Stoughton line of the MBTA commuter rail system to Boston. The Greater Attleboro Taunton Regional Transit Authority, or GATRA, provides bus mass transit.

Taunton also has its own municipal airport, serving mostly smaller craft and occasional commuter jets. The nearest airport with national airline service is at T.F. Green Airport in Rhode Island, and the nearest international service is at Logan International Airport in Boston.

Some content is courtesy of Wikipedia- no copyright necessary

The Assonet River is a major tributary of the Taunton River in southeastern Massachusetts in the United States.

[edit] Description

The Assonet River, northeast of Fall River, Massachusetts

The mouth of the river forms approximately between Winslow Point in Assonet, Massachusetts and Conspiracy Island in Berkley, Massachusetts.

At its mouth, the Assonet River also forms Hathaway Cove in Assonet. From this general location, it flows northeast between Assonet and Berkley, eventually forming Shepherd's Cove in Assonet on its eastern side. From here, the river turns more northward and forms the beautiful Assonet Bay, a large inland body of water. Assonet Bay branches in several directions:

To the north is the mouth of Stacy's Creek, which runs north and also separates Assonet from Berkley. To the south, it forms Payne Cove. The south end of Payne Cove turns into a smaller river which runs into Mill Pond. Terry Brook picks up on the east side of Mill Pond. To the east, Assonet Bay continues as the next portion of the Assonet River.

From this point, the river runs under Route 24 and into Assonet Village, where it becomes much narrower and runs through the center of the Village. This portion of the river essentially stops west of Mill Street in Assonet, where a dam has created a waterfall. On top of the dam, the river continues to parallel Mill Street until Forge Road, where another dam divides the river. This dam forms Forge Pond. On the northwest of Forge Pond is Quaker Brook. To the northeast, the Assonet River continues until the tri-border of Assonet, Berkley, and Lakeville. At this point, it becomes Cedar Swamp River.

[edit] History

The Assonet River is a major river of southeastern Massachusetts, along with the Taunton River. Throughout the history of colonial and early America, the river provided the necessary power for gristmills and sawmills, and later the Crystal Springs Bleachery. It provided for a minor port, and is also a prime location for herring runs.

During the 18th century, the river played a part in the American Revolutionary War. British ships travelled both it and the Taunton River when fighting in the colonies. Such attacks led to the Battle of Freetown, as well as the burning of river-centered village centers.

During the 19th century, fishing and cargo ships regularly used the Assonet River to reach their home port of Assonet, Massachusetts. From these ports on Water Street and South Main Street were delivered products such as food, dairy, lobster, fish, lumber, and for a span of time guns. The N. R. Davis Gun Factory, located on Water Street adjacent to the river, supplied many weapons to forces in the Civil War.

USGS aerial photo of the Assonet River, Assonet Bay, and Assonet Bay Shores.

In the 20th century, the river continued to see its share of action, but only briefly. The last ship to sail from Assonet set out in 1902. Small bootlegging operations used the river sporadically. The Green Dragon Tavern was torn down in the 1930s, and the Town of Freetown constructed its bandstand on the riverside site, providing a wonderful greenspace. The gun factory burned in 1925, and the bleachery followed suit in 1955, essentially bringing the commercial life of the river to a close.

Assonet Bay Shores, a former summer community, is a peninsula formed by Assonet Bay, Payne Cove, and Shepherd's Cove. It was first settled early in Assonet's history, with this major development following in the early 1960s. Across Shepherd's Cove is an abundance of higher-end homes, proving that the river has found new life as a beautiful backdrop for rural life.

 Rehoboth:

It was incorporated in 1643 making it one of the earliest Massachusetts towns to be incorporated. The Rehoboth Carpenter Family is among the founding families. When it first became part of Plymouth colony, it included all of Seekonk, Massachusetts and East Providence, Rhode Island, and parts of the nearby communities of Attleboro, North Attleborough, Swansea and Somerset in Massachusetts, and Barrington, Bristol, Warren, Pawtucket, Cumberland, and Woonsocket, Rhode Island.

Among the earliest purchasers of the land that is now Rehoboth and nearby communities was the Peck family, who came from nearby Hingham initially. Joseph Peck, the brother of Rev. Robert Peck, the disaffected Puritan who had fled his Hingham, England, church after the crackdown by Archbishop Laud, had purchased sizeable tracts of lands from the Native Americans. Peck's son was fined fifty shillings for making continuous sexual advances toward the maid.[1]. Peck died in Rehoboth in 1697. These tracts of land Peck willed to his son Samuel. The family continued to live in the area through the twentieth century. Today's Pecks Corner in Rehoboth is named for this early Puritan family.[2]

Through the years, due to cedings of land and incorporations of the neighboring communities, Rehoboth has taken its present shape. The town was and still is a site of crossroads which help to serve Taunton, Providence, Fall River and points to the north.

It is the site of Anawan Rock, where Captain Benjamin Church surrounded and captured Anawan, a Wampanoag sachem and advisor to King Philip, and his men, effectively ending the campaigns in Southeastern Massachusetts of King Philip's War. The Wampanoags had taken this position above Squannakonk Swamp to hide from the colonists. (Although a desolate place at the time, the rock itself is not far off modern-day Route 44.)

Rehoboth also has a claim to one of the birthplaces of public education in North America. Upon incorporation, the Newman Church in modern-day East Providence elected to support a teacher for the congregation's children. Because of the lack of separation between church and state at the time, Rehoboth claims one of the earliest known education systems in America. One of the town's landmarks is also education related; the Hornbine School located in the southeast corner of town was built in 1845 as one of the town's nine one-room schoolhouses.

Today Rehoboth is mostly a suburban community, with small historic sites dotting the landscape. Although the population is increasing rapidly, Rehoboth is still considered a rural community.

 Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 46.8 square miles (121.1 km²), of which, 46.5 square miles (120.4 km²) of it is land and 0.3 square miles (0.7 km²) of it (0.60%) is water. Much of the land is hilly and swampy, with most of its brooks and swamps feeding into the Palmer River, which empties out into Narragansett Bay to the south. The town has a small state forest in the northeast corner, and two small conservation areas: Borden Conservation Area near the center of town and Rehoboth Conservation Area along the Palmer River in the south.

Rehoboth shares its entire western border with Seekonk. It is also bordered by Attleboro and Norton to the north, Taunton and Dighton to the east, and Swansea to the south and southeast. Rehoboth's localities are: Four Corners, Hornbine, Kingmans Corner, North Rehoboth, Pecks Corner, Perrys Corner, Perryville, Rehoboth Village, South Rehoboth and Anawan Rock. The town is located 11 miles east of Providence, Rhode Island and 50 miles southeast of Boston.

 Transportation

The town does not have many major routes. The longest state routes through town, U.S. Route 44 and Route 118, intersect near the center of town. Route 6 and Interstate 195 run though the southwest corner of town for approximately 0.7 and 1.5 miles, respectively. Exit 2 off I-195 ("Route 136/Warren, R.I.-Newport, R.I.") is just south of where the interstate passes into Swansea and can be reached by Kingsley Way (which also leads into Rte. 136).

Rehoboth is a part of the Greater Attleboro Taunton Regional Transit Authority (GATRA), which provides bus service to towns in central Bristol and Plymouth counties. The nearest rail service is in Attleboro, where there are two stops on the MBTA's Providence line. The nearest local airport is in Taunton; the nearest national airport is T.F. Green Airport in Rhode Island, less than 20 miles away; and the nearest international airport is Logan International Airport in Boston, 53 miles away.

 Demographics

As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 10,172 people, 3,523 households, and 2,871 families residing in the town. The population density was 218.8 people per square mile (84.5/km²). There were 3,597 housing units at an average density of 77.4/sq mi (29.9/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.70% White, 0.35% African American, 0.30% Native American, 0.52% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.26% from other races, and 0.86% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.50% of the population. The leading ancestries reported by Rehoboth residents are 17% Irish, 17% English, 16% Portuguese and 11% French.[4]

There were 3,523 households out of which 37.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 70.8% were married couples living together, 7.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.5% were non-families. 14.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.89 and the average family size was 3.20.

In the town the population was spread out with 26.2% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 29.6% from 25 to 44, 28.2% from 45 to 64, and 10.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 98.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.2 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $65,373, and the median income for a family was $71,992. Males had a median income of $45,557 versus $32,445 for females. The per capita income for the town was $26,467. About 2.1% of families and 3.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.7% of those under age 18 and 7.4% of those age 65 or over.

 Government

The town is part of the Fourth Bristol state representative district, including Seekonk and parts of Swansea and Norton. In the state senate, the town is part of the Bristol and Norfolk district, which includes part of the city of Attleboro and all or part of the towns of Dover, Foxborough, Mansfield, Medfield, Norton, Seekonk, Sharon and Walpole. Rehoboth is patrolled by Troop D (Southeast District), 4th Barracks (located in Middleborough) of the Massachusetts State Police. On the national level, the town is part of Massachusetts's 3rd congressional district, which is represented by Jim McGovern. The state's senior (Class I) Senator, John Kerry, and the state's junior (Class II) Senator, is Scott Brown.

The town is governed by an open town meeting run by a board of selectmen. The current board of selectmen consists of 3 members. Currently, the three selectmen of Rehoboth are Frederick "Skip" Vadnais, Brig. Gen. Kevin McBride,and Kenneth Foley. The town has a central police and fire station, as well as branch fire stations in North and South Rehoboth. The Blanding Library is located in the Goff Memorial Hall, also near the center of town

 Education

Rehoboth's educational system can be traced back to the earliest days of the town (see "History" for more details). Today, it shares the Dighton-Rehoboth Regional School District, formed in 1958 and expanded to include all schools in 1987, with its neighbor to the east. The high school, Dighton-Rehoboth Regional High School, is located just across the town line in North Dighton, and is a comprehensive high school, providing both college preparatory and vocational-technical training. The town has two schools, the D. L. Beckwith Middle School and the Palmer River Elementary School, both located on Winthrop Street (Rte. 44).

As a result of having a vocational-technical wing at the high school, Rehoboth has no direct affiliations with any regional vocational schools; the closest are in Taunton and Fall River. Students can, however, attend Bristol County Agricultural High School in Dighton. The town is also home to one private school, the Cedar Brook Seventh-day Adventist School, which is a K-8 school.

The athletics teams of Dighton-Rehoboth Regional High School (the "Falcons") participate in the South Coast Conference ("SCC") of the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association ("MIAA"). Sports include cross-country, soccer, football , volleyball, baseball, softball, basketball, golf, field hockey, indoor track, outdoor track, and tennis.

[edit] Trivia

Rehoboth was once listed in the Guinness Book of Records for the town with the most golf courses in the United States. Today there are six: Rehoboth, Crestwood, Sun Valley, Pine Valley, Hidden Hollow and Middlebrook. Rehoboth had the first recorded tornado in the United States by European colonists in August 1671. Rehoboth contains the transmission towers for the majority of the television stations in the Providence market, with 5 of the market's 7 full power TV stations transmitting from the north-central part of town.

[edit] References

^ Plymouth Colony Records vol 3. record 75 ^ A Genealogical History of the Descendants of Joseph Peck, Ira Ballou Peck, 1868 ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.  ^ Rehoboth - Rehoboth - Ancestry & family history - ePodunk

[edit] External links

Official website - Town of Rehoboth, Massachusetts Community website for Rehoboth, MA, started 10/2008 Seekonk, Massachusetts   Seekonk, Massachusetts-  Town  - Seekonk Town Hall Seal Location in Bristol County in Massachusetts Coordinates: 41°48′30″N 71°20′15″W / 41.80833°N 71.3375°W / 41.80833; -71.3375Coordinates: 41°48′30″N 71°20′15″W / 41.80833°N 71.3375°W / 41.80833; -71.3375 Country United States State Massachusetts County Bristol Settled 1636 Incorporated 1812 Government  - Type Open town meeting Area  - Total 18.32 sq mi (47.7 km2)  - Land 18.22 sq mi (47.4 km2)  - Water 0.10 sq mi (0.3 km2) Elevation 50 ft (15 m) Population (2000)  - Total 13,425  - Density 733.0/sq mi (283.0/km2) Time zone Eastern (UTC-5)  - Summer (DST) Eastern (UTC-4) ZIP code 02771 Area code(s) 508 / 774 FIPS code 25-60645 GNIS feature ID 0618286 Website http://www.seekonk.info/ Seekonk is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States, on the Rhode Island border. It was incorporated in 1812 from the western half of Rehoboth. The population was 13,425 at the 2000 census. History-Early years The first inhabitants of Seekonk were Native Americans from the Wampanoag Tribe. The name Wampanoag means People of the Morning Light. This name refers to the geographical area of the tribe. Living in the East they would be the first people to greet the sun each morning. The area now known as Seekonk and Rehoboth provided agricultural and water resources with abundant food supplies. During the warm summer months the Natives spent time near the rivers and oceans in what is now Southeastern Massachusetts. In the winter months the Natives lived inland, including several locations in Seekonk. At one time there were three Native American villages in the area we now call Seekonk. There have been many spellings of the name Seekonk. Some of the various spellings include Seconch, Sink Hunk, Secquncke, Seaconke, and Squannakonk. The symbol of the goose in flight is used on the Town Seal.Chief Massasoit The chief of the Wampanoags at the time the colonists settled in Southeastern Massachusetts was known as Massasoit or Ossamequin. In English this name means yellow feather. Ossamequin's people had been seriously affected by a plague just prior to the arrival of the Pilgrims at Plymouth. A large number of Wampanoag Indians had been killed by this illness. Most historians believe this plague to have been yellow fever. Massasoit decided to make a peace treaty with the new immigrants for a number of reasons. Perhaps the most important factor was that the Wampanoags were fearful of being overtaken by the Narragansett Indians who lived nearby. Ossamequin believed an alliance with the English would help to secure the safety of his people. In 1641, the local Native Americans had granted a large part of modern-day Seekonk to purchasers from Hingham, including Edward Gilman Sr., Joseph Peck, John Leavitt and others.[1] In 1653 Ossamequin and his son Wamsetto, also known as Alexander to the English, signed a deed granting the land that is now Seekonk and the surrounding communities to Thomas Willitt, Myles Standish and Josiah Winslow. The Wampanoags were paid 35 pounds sterling by the English settlers, for instance, for the sale to Willitt, Standish and Winslow. Three of the earliest English men to settle in the area now known as Seekonk and Providence were William Blackstone, Roger Williams and Samuel Newman. These men and their followers proved it was possible to provide a living away from the coastal areas. This allowed groups of individuals to separate themselves from Puritan control. In turn this led to a greater diversity of culture and religious and philosophical freedom. It was only by forming alliances with the Native Americans in both the Wampanoag and Narragansett tribes that these early settlements were able to flourish.  King Philip's War Massasoit lived until he was 80 years old. While he lived, his people and the settlers lived in relative peace. He was followed in power by his son Wamsetto, also known as Alexander. This chief died shortly after his father and was replaced by his brother Metacomet, also known as King Philip. In 1675, King Philip's War began and both sides saw this as an opportunity to claim the land for their people and their way of life. Metacomet and his people ultimately lost the war, and the chief was killed by a mixed group of English and Indian fighters led by Benjamin Church. He was beheaded and his head stayed on public display on a pole in Plymouth for 25 years. Incorporation to Today For the next 200 years the area we now call Seekonk was primarily a farming community. Accounts of Town Meetings during these years communicate just how contentious deciding what was best for this area could be. Boundary disputes were common and the land that is now Rehoboth, East Providence, Pawtucket and Seekonk was claimed by both Rhode Island and Massachusetts. In 1812 the border disputes were settled by the courts and the present town of Seekonk was incorporated. Two industrial villages developed to supplement the agricultural economy, with such businesses as the Rumford Chemical Works, but what had been the industrial area of the town in the late 18th and early 19th century was lost when East Providence was incorporated in 1862 taking half of the town's territory, two-thirds of its valuation and more than two-thirds of its population. The town remained basically agricultural into the 20th century, although the Kent Manufacturing Company did make tennis racquets and croquet sets on the upper reaches of the Tenmile River. With the opening of the Providence and Taunton street railway in 1891, Seekonk became increasingly a residential suburb of Providence. Very few farms still exist in Seekonk. Developers have turned the farms into housing divisions and Seekonk is used largely as a suburban home community for people who work in the Rhode Island and Boston areas. It is now well known for its retail area along Route 6, which includes a movie multiplex, many different chain stores and restaurants, as well as the Seekonk Speedway, a "fast track" destination for ARC or auto racing club. Although there has been a great deal of building in Seekonk since the Wampanoags first lived here you can still see many of the "black" Canada geese which give the town its name. Geography Old Grist Mill Pond According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 18.4 square miles (47.7 km²), of which, 18.3 square miles (47.4 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km²) of it is water. The total area is 0.54% water. It is bordered by Rehoboth to the east, Barrington, Rhode Island and Swansea to the south, East Providence and Pawtucket, Rhode Island to the west, and Attleboro to the north. Much of the population is concentrated in two areas; one, the Lebanon Mills and Perrins Crossing neighborhoods in the north, and the other, the southern neighborhoods of Luthers Corners and South Seekonk, mostly located between Interstate 195 and Route 44. Seekonk is just five miles east of Providence, Rhode Island, and is 48 miles southwest of Boston. The town has three golf courses (Ledgemont, Pawtucket and Firefly) and one playground. Slater Memorial Park in Pawtucket lies just over the Seekonk line, next to Pawtucket Country Club. The Town lies within two watershed areas, the Ten Mile River Watershed and the Narragansett Bay Watershed. Transportation The town can be accessed through one interstate, I-195, as well as Route 6, Route 44, Route 152 and Route 114A. Seekonk has its own exit on I-195, Massachusetts Exit 1, Route 114A, which provides easy access to Route 6 to the south and Route 44 to the north. Route 152, while not connected to any other state route in town, is a major route running between East Providence and Attleboro. From the north end of town, easy access can be had to Interstate 95 and the South Attleboro stop of the MBTA'scommuter line between Providence and Boston. That end of town is also served by a regional transit authority, the Greater Attleboro Taunton Regional Transit Authority (GATRA). The town's nearest airport is T.F. Green Airport in Rhode Island, 13 miles away. Logan International Airport is the nearest international airport, 50 miles away. Demographics As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 13,425 people, 4,843 households, and 3,874 families residing in the town. The population density was 733.0 people per square mile (282.9/km²). There were 4,947 housing units at an average density of 270.1/sq mi (104.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.57% White, 0.52% African American, 0.28% Native American, 0.95% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.51% from other races, and 1.18% from two or more races. 0.74% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 4,843 households out of which 35.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.6% are married couples living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.0% were non-families. 16.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.77 and the average family size was 3.12. In the town the population was spread out with 25.3% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 28.7% from 25 to 44, 26.4% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 94.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.6 males. The median income for a household in the town was $56,364, and the median income for a family was $62,361. Males had a median income of $42,404 versus $29,782 for females. The per capita income for the town was $24,058. 2.4% of the population and 1.7% of families were below the poverty line. 3.0% of those under the age of 18 and 2.2% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line. In the year 2000 the population was 13,425, with 6,517 males (48.5%) and 6,908 females (51.5%). Popular ancestries of the population include Portuguese (22.0%), Irish (21.4%), English (16.7%), French (14.4%), Italian (11.9%) and French Canadian (6.4%). Government On the state level, Seekonk is part of the Fourth Bristol state representative district, including Rehoboth and parts of Norton and Swansea, and the Bristol and Norton state senatorial district, including part of the city of Attleboro and all or parts of the towns of Dover, Foxborough, Mansfield, Medfield, Norton, Rehoboth, Sharon and Walpole. Seekonk's state representative is Steven D'Amico representing the 4th Bristol District. Seekonk is patrolled by Troop D (Southeast District), 4th Barracks (located in Middleborough) of the Massachusetts State Police. On the national level, the town is part of Massachusetts Congressional District 3, which is represented by Jim McGovern. The state's junior (Class I) Senator is interim appointee Paul G. Kirk, and the state's senior (Class II) Senator, up for re-election in 2008, is John F. Kerry. Seekonk is governed by an open town meeting led by a board of selectmen. The town has a central police station on Route 44, and a central post office at the corner of Routes 44 and 114A. The Seekonk Public Library is located near the center of town along Route 152. The town also has a branch of the YMCA. Seekonk's current board of selectman are: Francis Cavaco (Chair,) Bob Richardson, Michael Brady, John Whelan, and David Parker. The current Town Administrator is Michael Carroll.  Fire Department The Seekonk Fire Department provides fire and EMS services to the town. There are approximately 25 full-time firefighters, and 14 paid-per-call firefighters. The chief of the department is Alan Jack. The Fire Department operates the following stations and apparatus: Stations StationDesig.LocationStaffingYear BuiltSeekonk Fire Department Company No. 1 1 170 County Street Volunteer/Call 1966 Richard C. Banna Memorial Fire Station 2 30 Pine Street Volunteer/Call   Seekonk Public Safety Headquarters 3 500 Taunton Avenue Full-time 2005

Education

Seekonk has its own public school system, with five schools. The town has two elementary schools: Mildred H. Aitken Elementary School (serving the north and central parts of town), and George R. Martin Elementary School (serving the south). North Elementary School, which celebrated its 95th anniversary in 2006, was closed during the summer of 2006 due to budget cuts. Dr. Kevin M. Hurley Middle School, recently renamed for a popular town educator, is located along Route 152 and serves the entire town's 6th through 8th grade population. Seekonk High School is located near the center of town. Its athletics teams are nicknamed the "Warriors," and its school colors are light blue, white and dark blue, though traditionally the school colors are light blue and white. The school uses the "spear" logo made famous by Florida State University and, formerly, the Washington Redskins. Seekonk is the southernmost member of the Tri-County Regional Vocational Technical High School district, which is centered in Franklin. High school students may also choose to attend Bristol County Agricultural High School in Dighton, or any of a number of religious schools in the surrounding communities (the closest school in-state being Bishop Feehan High School in Attleboro).

 References

^ History of Newfields, New Hampshire, 1638-1911, James Hill Fitts, Nathan Franklin Carter, Concord, 1912 ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.   External links Town of Seekonk Seekonk Public Library  "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seekonk,_Massachusetts" Categories: Seekonk, Massachusetts | Towns in Bristol County, Massachusetts Hidden categories: Infobox Settlement US maintenance | Articles lacking sources from October 2007 | All articles lacking sources