Hubbardston is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. It is bounded on the northwest by Phillipston and Templeton; on the northeast by Gardner and Westminster; on the southeast by Princeton and Rutland; and on the southwest by Barre.
As of the 2000 census, the town population was 3,909.
History
Originally called the "Northeast Quarter", Hubbardston was part of Rutland until it became a town in 1767. It was named for Thomas Hubbard, a prominent Bostonian who served several years as the Massachusetts Speaker of the House of Representatives and was the treasurer for Harvard College for 17 years. Hubbard was an extensive land owner in several central Massachusetts towns. Tradition says that in view of the honor of giving his name to the town, he promised to provide the glass for the windows or the first meeting house built in town. To make his liberality more conspicuous, the people planned for extra windows. Hubbard died in 1773 and his estate was so complicated that the town of Hubbardston received nothing and was obliged to glaze the windows at its own expense.
The first settler was Eleazer Brown, who came from Rutland in 1737. Mr. Brown was provided 60 acres by the proprietors and operated a hotel used by surveyors and trappers passing through this wilderness. Until 1746, Mr. Brown and his wife were the only inhabitants of Hubbardston. After Eleazer's death (it is said that he was killed by a deer), Mrs. Brown was the only occupant of town for several years and kept a public house for prominent travelers. In 1749 Israel Green moved into Hubbardston. His daughter, Molly Green is reported to be the first child born in Hubbardston. Mr. Green was the fist chairman of the board of selectmen.
The community has been described by historians as a poor town in its early years, sparsely settled and almost solely agricultural. By the 18th century, there were sawmills potash works and cottage industries, including the making of palm leaf hats, chairs, cabinets, shoes, and horse blankets.
By the 19th century, dairy and berry farming and market gardening were major enterprises. Immigrants from Ireland, French Canada, England, Sweden and Finland moved to town to work on local farms. Year Incorporated - 1767
The town's early economy was based on agriculture and small-scale chair, boot and shoe manufacturing. It is described by historians as a poor town, sparsely settled and almost wholly agricultural, but having sawmills, potash works and cottage industries such as the making of palm leaf hats. Dairy and berry farming and market gardening were major pursuits in the town.
Hubbardston was reresented by 65 men during the Revolutionary war.
Hubbardston was sympathetic to Shays's Rebellion, an armed uprising in Central and Western Massachusetts.[1] One of the leaders of the rebellion, Captain Adam Wheeler, was from Hubbardston.[1] In 1786, eighty men from the town marched to Worcester under Wheeler's command and, joining hundreds of other farmers, took control of the courthouse to protest the widespread foreclosures and seizures of property by creditors that occurred during the cash poor 18th century.[1][2]
Hubbardston furnished 164 men during the Civil War. Forty-four were killed or died of illness.
On June 22, 1981, a confirmed F3 tornado touched down in Hubbardston northwest of the town center, causing significant damage to property along a swath stretching from the Southwest across Williamsville Rd to the Northeast side of Gardner Rd (Rte 68). No deaths were reported. Many homes along the path of the tornado were severely damaged and two homes on the Williamsville Rd were completely destroyed.
Town Statistics
POPULATION - 4,606 (01/01/07) REGISTERED VOTERS - 2,754 SCHOOL ENROLLMENT Center School - 474 Quabbin Regional Middle / High School - 1,366 TAX RATE - $9.43 OPERATING BUDGET - $6,398,646 FORM OF GOVERNMENT Open town meeting 3 Selectboard Members AREA - 41.03 square miles ROAD MILES - 88
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 42.0 square miles (108.7 km²), of which, 41.0 square miles (106.3 km²) of it is land and 0.9 square miles (2.4 km²) of it (2.19%) is water.
Demographics
As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 3,909 people, 1,308 households, and 1,071 families residing in the town. The population density was 95.3 people per square mile (36.8/km²). There were 1,360 housing units at an average density of 33.1/sq mi (12.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.39% White, 0.15% African American, 0.08% Native American, 0.49% Asian, 0.28% from other races, and 0.61% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.33% of the population.
There were 1,308 households out of which 43.8% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 73.2% were married couples living together, 5.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.1% were non-families. 13.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.97 and the average family size was 3.28.
In the town the population was spread out with 31.1% under the age of 18, 4.8% from 18 to 24, 34.6% from 25 to 44, 22.6% from 45 to 64, and 6.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 102.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.9 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $61,462, and the median income for a family was $66,058. Males had a median income of $48,730 versus $33,654 for females. The per capita income for the town was $23,072. About 2.1% of families and 3.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.4% of those under the age of 18 and 7.9% of those 65 and older.
Government
References
[4]J.M. Stowe
- ^ a b c eHubbardston. "Welcome to Hubbardston". http://ehubbardston.com/. Retrieved on 2008-08-20.
- ^ History.com Encyclopedia. "Shays Rebellion". http://www.history.com/encyclopedia.do?vendorId=FWNE.fw..sh098200.a#FWNE.fw..sh098200.a. Retrieved on 2008-08-20.
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ History of the Town of Hubbardston - From the Time Its territory Was Puchased of the Indians in 1686 to 1881 by Rev. J.M. Stowe; published by the Town of Hubbardston Publishing Committee, Printed by Higginson Book Company, 1881
