Fitchburg, Massachusetts

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Fitchburg, Massachusetts
other_name =
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nickname = River City
settlement_type = City
motto =


imagesize = 250px
image_caption = Coggeshall Park in Autumn


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mapsize = 250px
map_caption = Location in Worcester County in Massachusetts


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subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = United States
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_name1 = Massachusetts
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_name2 = Worcester
subdivision_type3 =
subdivision_name3 =
subdivision_type4 =
subdivision_name4 =
government_footnotes =
government_type = Mayor-council city
leader_title = Mayor
leader_name = Lisa Wong
leader_title1 = City Council
leader_name1 = AT LARGE: Thomas J. Conry, Jr (President)
AT LARGE: Annie K. DeMartino
AT LARGE: Marcus DiNatale
AT LARGE: Stephan Hay
AT LARGE: Dean A. Tran
WARD 1: David Clark
WARD 2: Norman L. Boisvert
WARD 3: Joel R. Kaddy
WARD 4: Kevin Starr
WARD 5: Joseph Solomito
WARD 6: Jody M. Joseph
leader_title2 =
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established_title = Settled
established_date = 1730
established_title2 = Incorporated
established_date2 = 1764
established_title3 =
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area_magnitude =
unit_pref = Imperial
area_footnotes =
area_total_km2 = 72.7
area_land_km2 = 71.9
area_water_km2 = 0.8
area_total_sq_mi = 28.1
area_land_sq_mi = 27.8
area_water_sq_mi = 0.3
area_water_percent =
area_urban_km2 =
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population_as_of = 2000
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population_total = 39102
population_density_km2 = 543.8
population_density_sq_mi = 1408.5
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timezone = Eastern
utc_offset = -5
timezone_DST = Eastern
utc_offset_DST = -4
latd = 42 |latm = 35 |lats = 00 |latNS = N
longd = 71 |longm = 48 |longs = 10 |longEW = W
elevation_footnotes =
elevation_m = 143
elevation_ft = 482
postal_code_type = ZIP code
postal_code = 01420
area_code = 351 / 978
blank_name = FIPS code
blank_info = 25-23875
blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
blank1_info = 0617121
website = [http://www.ci.fitchburg.ma.us/ www.ci.fitchburg.ma.us]
footnotes =

Fitchburg is a city in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 39,102 at the 2000 census. Fitchburg is home to Fitchburg State College.

History

Fitchburg was first settled in 1730 and was officially incorporated in 1764. It is named for John Fitch, a settler. In 1748, Fitch and his family were abducted to Canada by Native Americans, but returned the next year.Fact|date=May 2008

Fitchburg is situated on both the Nashua River and a railroad line. The original Fitchburg Railroad ran through the Hoosac Tunnel, linking Boston and Albany, New York. The tunnel was built using the Burleigh Rock Drill, designed and built in Fitchburg. Fitchburg was a 19th century industrial center. Originally operated by water power, large mills produced machines, tools, clothing, paper, and firearms. The city is noted for its architecture, particularly in the Victorian style, built at the height of its mill town prosperity. As one of two shire towns "The Northern Worcester County Registry of Deeds", established in 1903, and the county jail on Water Street were two county facilities located in Fitchburg.

The 1959 film "Return to Peyton Place" was filmed in Fitchburg.Fact|date=March 2008

Geography

Fitchburg is located at coor dms|42|34|43|N|71|48|12|W|city (42.578689, -71.803383)GR|1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 28.1 square miles (72.7 km²), of which, 27.8 square miles (71.9 km²) of it is land and 0.3 square miles (0.8 km²) of it (1.07%) is water. The city is drained by the Nashua River. Fitchburg is very hilly and is often referred to as the second hilliest city in the United States following San Francisco by some residents.

Demographics

As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 39,102 people, 14,943 households, and 9,369 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,408.5 people per square mile (543.9/km²). There were 16,002 housing units at an average density of 576.4/sq mi (222.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 81.86% White, 3.65% African American, 0.35% Native American, 4.27% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 6.78% from other races, and 3.06% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 14.97% of the population. 16.4% were of French, 12.4% French Canadian, 10.5% Italian, 9.8% Irish and 5.7% English ancestry according to Census 2000. 77.2% spoke English, 13.4% Spanish, 3.2% French and 1.9% Hmong as their first language.

There were 14,943 households out of which 31.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.1% were married couples living together, 14.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.3% were non-families. 30.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.0% 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 3.13.

In the city the population was spread out with 25.8% under the age of 18, 11.6% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 19.2% from 45 to 64, and 14.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 91.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $37,004, and the median income for a family was $43,291. Males had a median income of $35,855 versus $26,558 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,256. About 12.1% of families and 15.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.1% of those under age 18 and 11.2% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Infobox Mass Town Govt
county= Worcester
clerk_courts = Dennis P. McManus (D)
cty_treasurer = Position Eliminated
da = Joseph D. Early, Jr. (D)
deeds = Kathleen R. Daigneault (D)
probate = Stephen Abraham (D)
sheriff = Guy W. Glodis (D)
state_rep = Stephen L. DiNatale (D)
state_sen = Robert A. Antonioni (D)
gov_councilors = Thomas J. Foley (D)
fed_rep = John W. Olver (D-1st District),
fed_sen = Edward Kennedy (D)
John Kerry (D)

Education

Fitchburg has a rich football tradition, and every year they play cross-town rivals Leominster in the Thanksgiving day game, which is a proud member of a list of high school football rivalries in the United States.

Public Schools:
* South Fitchburg School (kindergarten)
* Goodrich School (Kindergarten)
* Crocker Elementary School
* McKay Elementary School
* Reingold Elementary School
* South Street School
* North Central Charter Essential School
* Academy Middle School
* B.F. Brown Middle School
* Memorial Middle School
* Fitchburg High School
* Fitchburg Evening Alternative High School
* Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical High School, also called "Monty Tech"Private Schools:
* Applewild School
* Notre Dame Preparatory School
* St. Anthony di Padua Elementary School
* St. Bernard's Elementary School
* St. Bernard's Central Catholic High School
* St. Joseph's Elementary School (Closed in 2007)

Colleges:
* Fitchburg State College

Transportation

Transportation for Fitchburg is supplied by the Montachusett Regional Transit Authority (MART), MBTA, and various cab companies. MART has 4 bus routes in Fitchburg, two of which overlap into Leominster. [MART system Map & Schedule, Fitchburg/Leominster] The MBTA operates a Commuter train to Boston's North Station.

Business

* Throughout the early Twentieth Century, Fitchburg was known for its paper industry which occupied the banks of the Nashua River and employed a large segment of the European immigrant population. It has been noted by many residents in Fitchburg, that the Nashua river would be dyed the color the paper mills had been coloring the paper that day.
* Founded in 1939, the Wachusett Potato Chip Company, Inc. purchased the former County Jail buildings and grounds in the 1940s and has operated as a manufacturing and distributing facility for snack products since that time.
* Two truck manufacturing firms, the Wachusett Truck Company and the New England Truck Company operated in Fitchburg during the early twentieth century.
* The Iver Johnson Arms and Cycle Works made motorcycles for a short time, in addition to their primary products, firearms and bicycles.
* Assumption Life, a large financial services company was founded in Fitchburg in 1903 before moving to Moncton, New Brunswick.

Points of interest

* [http://fitchburghistory.fsc.edu/ Fitchburg Historical Society]
*Fitchburg Art Museum
* Coggshall Park
*Wallace Civic Center

Notable residents

* Mike Barnicle, newspaper writer
* Orlando P. Boss, Medal of Honor recipient - Civil War
* Ken Bouchard and Ron Bouchard, NASCAR drivers
* Everett Francis Briggs, Catholic priest, born in Fitchburg, whose life's mission was dedicated to the victims of Monongah Mining Disaster
* Bruce Gordon, actor, Ishtar, "Adam-12", "Bonanza", "Get Smart", and "The Untouchables"
* Art Longsjo, Winter and Summer Olympian; Fitchburg Longsjo Classic is held in his memory
* Pat Moran, Major League ballplayer, and manager of the Philadelphia Phillies and the 1919 World Series Champion Cincinnati Reds.
* James "Nixey" Callahan, Major League Baseball pitcher around the turn of the 20th century, later manager of the Chicago White Sox.
* George Noory, host of Coast to Coast AM spent some years in Fitchburg and occasionally mentions the city on his show.
* Amerie, (Amerie Marie Mi Rogers) Singer & Actress
* Marion Rice, Denishawn dancer, teacher, choreographer, producer.
* Carolyn Brown, , author, modern dancer with Merce Cunningham Dance Company.

ister cities

*flagicon|Germany Kleve, Germany
*flagicon|Finland Kokkola, Finland
*flagicon|China Tianjin, China
*flagicon|Georgia Oni, Georgia

References

External links

* [http://www.ci.fitchburg.ma.us/ Fitchburg official website]
* [http://www.DiscoverFitchburg.com/ Fitchburg Economic Development Office]
* [http://www.DiscoverFitchburg.com/Riverfront_Park.html Fitchburg Riverfront Park]
* [http://www.fitchburgpride.com/ Fitchburg Pride]
* [http://www.fatv.org/ Fitchburg Access Television]
* [http://www.sentinelandenterprise.com/ Sentinel & Enterprise]
*" [http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/1/4/6/8/14689/14689-h/14689-h.htm#toc_9 Fitchburg in 1885] ", article in the "Bay State Monthly", from Project Gutenberg