Somerset, Massachusetts
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Somerset is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 18,234 at the 2000 census. It is the birthplace and hometown of Clifford Milburn Holland (1883 - 1924), the chief engineer and namesake of the Holland Tunnel in New York City.
History
Somerset was first settled in 1677 on the Shawomet lands, and was officially incorporated in 1790. It was once a vital shipping point, and after the War of 1812 it was one of America's chief distribution points. In 1872, it became the site of a major coal port, and in the early 20th century a large cannery existed in the town. However, as neighboring Fall River's industry grew, it absorbed much of Somerset's, and the town took on more of a suburban character. In fact, the town's population grew during the Great Depression, as many people from Fall River and other localities moved to the suburb. Today, the town's major industry (other than suburban services) is power generation, with the Montaup Electric Company plant upriver (founded in 1923) and the Brayton Point Power Plant at the town's southern tip (founded in 1963). Brayton Point has been the target of much criticism for its pollution problems, which it has worked to clean up.Historically, the town has had a connective relationship with Fall River. Originally, Slade's Ferry ran across the Taunton River to connect the two towns since the late 18th century. In the late 19th century, the Slade's Ferry Bridge connected the two towns, from the current southern terminus of Brayton Avenue in Somerset to Brownell Street in Fall River, and was double-decked, with a railroad section on the top level. The bridge was dismantled in the early 20th century due to its rapid deterioration, its low height, and the building of the Brightman Street Bridge in 1906. (The path of the bridge is still somewhat visible; two large sets of power lines cross the river at the same point.) Currently, a new bridge is in construction to replace the deteriorated Brightman Street Bridge. Completion is expected in 2008.
Geography
Somerset is located at (41.748502, -71.153188)[Geographic references#1GR1]. It borders on the Narragansett Bay, and its east border is formed by the Taunton River, an arm of that bay.Somerset is bordered bySwansea on the west, Dighton on the north, Fall River on the east (across the Taunton River, and Portsmouth, Rhode Island to the south. The border with Portsmouth, Rhode Island is located in the middle of the Mount Hope Bay, which is part of Narragansett Bay.
Cities close to Somerset include Fall River, New Bedford, Providence, and the town is one hour's drive south of Boston.
The town is accessed via Interstate 195, which enters the town via the Braga Bridge from Fall River. It is also connected to Fall River via the Brightman Street Bridge, a 100-year old bascule bridge which US Route 6 crosses. Currently, a replacement bridge is being built which has been hampered by problems, and was at one point the third largest construction project in the state (after the Big Dig and the widening of Route 3). Recently, the controversy in Fall River over the proposed building of an LNG terminal has caused officials to consider keeping the old bridge open, as the tankers would not fit through it, and the terminal's proposed site is upriver of the bridges. Route 138 and Route 103 also pass through the town.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 31.0 km² (12.0 mi²). 21.0 km² (8.1 mi²) of it is land and 10.0 km² (3.9 mi²) of it (32.30%) is water.
Demographics
As of the census[Geographic references#2GR2] of 2000, there were 18,234 people, 6,987 households, and 5,261 families residing in the town. The population density was 868.1/km² (2,248.6/mi²). There were 7,143 housing units at an average density of 340.1/km² (880.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.22% White, 0.16% Black or African American, 0.12% Native American, 0.53% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.15% from other races, and 0.79% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.49% of the population.There were 6,987 households out of which 28.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.4% were married couples living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.7% were non-families. 21.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.9% 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 2.98.
In the town the population was spread out with 20.4% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 26.2% from 45 to 64, and 21.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 90.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.6 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $51,770, and the median income for a family was $60,067. Males had a median income of $42,036 versus $29,851 for females. The per capita income for the town was $22,420. About 3.2% of families and 4.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.8% of those under age 18 and 8.7% of those age 65 or over.
Notable Natives
Greg Gagne - Former MLB Professional Baseball Player (Minnesota Twins)Jerry Remy - "The RemDawg" Former MLB Professional Baseball Player (Boston Red Sox) and announcer
T Currency - World renown Rap & Hip Hop Artist
External links
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