Bolton is a town in Worcester County,

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

, United States. Bolton is in eastern Massachusetts, located 25 miles west-northwest of downtown Boston. The population was 5,665 at the 2020 census.

History

The town of Bolton 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 Metacomet (1638 – August 12, 1676), also known as Pometacom, Metacom, and by his adopted English name King Philip,Lancaster, but

seceded Secession is the withdrawal of a group from a larger entity, especially a political entity, but also from any organization, union or military alliance. Some of the most famous and significant secessions have been: the former Soviet republics lea ...

along the Still River, where the current boundary line still stands. In the 1920s Bolton was used as a setting and mentioned a number of times in H.P. Lovecraft's fiction: as a setting in his ''Herbert West—Reanimator'', and also mentioned in his ''The Rats in the Walls'' and ''The Colour out of Space''. However, H.P. Lovecraft's Bolton was located on the North Shore near

Ipswich, Massachusetts Ipswich is a coastal town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 13,785 at the 2020 census. Home to Willowdale State Forest and Sandy Point State Reservation, Ipswich includes the southern part of Plum Island. A reside ...

, and was described as a factory town bearing little resemblance to the actual town.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the town has a total area of , of which is land and , or 0.35%, is water.

Surrounding towns

Bolton is located in MetroWest, surrounded by several towns:

Demographics

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2010, there were 4,897 people, 1,670 households, and 1,391 families residing in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was . There were 1,738 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 94.9%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 0.5%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.1% Native American, 2.7%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.02%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...

, 0.2% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 1.6% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 1.8% of the population. There were 1,670 households, out of which 43.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 74.3% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 2.8% had a male householder with no husband present, 6.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 16.7% were non-families. The householders of 12.1% of all households were living alone and the householders of 4.9% of households were living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.93 and the average family size was 3.22. In the town, the population was spread out, with 31.2% of the population 19 and under, 3.4% from 20 to 24, 19.7% from 25 to 44, 36.3% from 45 to 64, and 9.4% 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. As of 2015, the median income for a household in the town was $147,446, and the median income for a family was $155,063. Males had a median income of $101,042 versus $71,905 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the town was $51,791. About 1.3% of families and 1.8% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 1.6% of those under age 18 and 2.0% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Schools

Bolton is a member of the Nashoba Regional School District, also serving the towns of Lancaster and

Stow Stow may refer to: Places United Kingdom * Stow, Lincolnshire or Stow-in-Lindsey, a village * Stow of Wedale or Stow, Scottish Borders, a village * Stow-on-the-Wold, Gloucestershire, a small town * Stow, Shropshire or Stowe, a village * Stow ...

. Bolton is home to

Florence Sawyer School Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...

(Pre-K–8) and

Nashoba Regional High School Nashoba Regional High School (NRHS) is a high school (grades 9-12) that is part of the Nashoba Regional School District. It is located in Bolton, Massachusetts, United States and also serves the towns of Lancaster and Stow. As of the 2018-2019 sch ...

Notable people

* Suzy Becker (born 1962), is an author, illustrator, entrepreneur, educator, and social activist * William C. Edes (1856–1922), was a U.S. civil engineer who was the chairman for Alaskan Engineering Commission *

Bill Ezinicki William "Wild Bill" Ezinicki (March 11, 1924 – October 11, 2012) was a Canadian professional ice hockey forward for the Toronto Maple Leafs (1944–1950), the Boston Bruins (1950–1952), and the New York Rangers (1954–1955) of the NHL. Pl ...

(1924–2012),

NHL The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...

hockey player,

professional golfer A professional golfer is somebody who receives payments or financial rewards in the sport of golf that are directly related to their skill or reputation. A person who earns money by teaching or playing golf is traditionally considered a "golf pr ...

, won three Stanley Cups with the Toronto Maple Leafs, inducted into PGA tour hall of fame New England Section in 1997 *

Heather K. Gerken Heather Kristin Gerken (born ) is an American legal scholar who serves as the Dean of Yale Law School, Dean and Sol & Lillian Goldman Professor of Law at Yale Law School, where she teaches election law and runs the San Francisco Affirmative Litiga ...

(born 1969), is the Dean and Sol & Lillian Goldman Professor of Law at Yale Law School *

Hal Gill Harold Priestley Gill III (born April 6, 1975) is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman who played 16 NHL seasons with six different teams, winning the Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2009. He also played for the Bo ...

(born 1975), former NHL player *

William Ellery Leonard William Ellery Leonard (January 25, 1876, in Plainfield, New Jersey – May 2, 1944, in Madison, Wisconsin) was an American poet, playwright, translator, and literary scholar. Early life William Ellery Channing Leonard was born on the family ho ...

(1876–1944), poet and author, professor at the University of Wisconsin's Dept. of English *

J. Sterling Livingston J. Sterling Livingston (June 7, 1916 – February 14, 2010) was an American entrepreneur, management consultant, and professor at the Harvard Business School for 25 years. Early life Sterling was born in Salt Lake City, Utah on June 7, 1916, an ...

(1916–2010), was an American entrepreneur, management consultant, and professor at the Harvard Business School * Frank L. McNamara Jr. (born 1947), is an American attorney who served as the United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts *

Amos Nourse Amos Nourse (December 17, 1794April 7, 1877) was a medical doctor who became a U.S. Senator from the state of Maine for a very short term. Born in Bolton, Massachusetts, he graduated from Harvard College in 1812 and from Harvard Medical School i ...

(1794–1877),

United States Senator The United States Senate is the Upper house, upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States House of Representatives, House of Representatives being the Lower house, lower chamber. Together they compose the national Bica ...

from Maine *

Karen O'Connor Karen Lende O'Connor (born February 17, 1958) is an American equestrian who competes in three-day eventing. Although she did not come from a family of equestrians, her interest in horses started at an early age, and she received her first hor ...

(born 1958), is an American equestrian who competes in three-day eventing *

Philip J. Philbin Philip Joseph Philbin (May 29, 1898 – June 14, 1972) was a Democratic Party (United States), Democratic United States Congress, U.S. Congressman from Massachusetts. He was born in Clinton, Massachusetts, where he attended the public and high ...

(1898–1972), member of the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

from

Massachusetts's 3rd congressional district Massachusetts's 3rd congressional district is located in northeastern and central Massachusetts. Massachusetts congressional redistricting after the 2010 census has greatly changed the borders of this congressional district, largely dividing it ...

from 1943 to 1971 *

Wilbert Robinson Wilbert Robinson (June 29, 1864 – August 8, 1934), nicknamed "Uncle Robbie", was an American catcher, coach and manager in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played in MLB for the Philadelphia Athletics, Baltimore Orioles, and St. Louis Cardinal ...

(1864–1934),

Baseball Hall of Fame The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests. It serves as the central point of the history of baseball in the United States and displays baseball-r ...

manager nicknamed "Uncle Robbie", managed the Brooklyn Dodgers for 17 years * Frederick A. Sawyer (1822–1891),

from South Carolina * Samuel Stearns (1741–1809), astronomer and author * William C. Sullivan (1912–1977), was a Federal Bureau of Investigation official * Nathan Wilson (1758–1834), was a United States Representative from New York

References

External links

Bolton official websiteBolton LibraryBolton Historical Society''History of Bolton 1738–1938''
free online in digital facsimile. {{Authority control Towns in Worcester County, Massachusetts