Webster, Massachusetts
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Webster is a town in Worcester County,
Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...
, United States. The population was 17,776 at the 2020 census. Named after statesman
Daniel Webster Daniel Webster (January 18, 1782 – October 24, 1852) was an American lawyer and statesman who represented New Hampshire and Massachusetts in the U.S. Congress and served as the U.S. Secretary of State under Presidents William Henry Harrison ...
, the town was founded by industrialist
Samuel Slater Samuel Slater (June 9, 1768 – April 21, 1835) was an early English-American industrialist known as the "Father of the American Industrial Revolution" (a phrase coined by Andrew Jackson) and the "Father of the American Factory System". In the ...
, and was home to several early American textile mills. It is home to the Chaubunagungamaug Reservation of the
Nipmuc The Nipmuc or Nipmuck people are an Indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands, who historically spoke an Eastern Algonquian language. Their historic territory Nippenet, "the freshwater pond place," is in central Massachusetts and nearby part ...
, as well as Lake Chaubunagungamaug, the third largest body of freshwater, and largest natural lake, in Massachusetts.


History

The area that is now Webster was the ancestral home of the
Nipmuc The Nipmuc or Nipmuck people are an Indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands, who historically spoke an Eastern Algonquian language. Their historic territory Nippenet, "the freshwater pond place," is in central Massachusetts and nearby part ...
people for thousands of years. It was first settled by Europeans in 1713 and was officially incorporated on March 6, 1832. The area forming the town had previously been divided among the town of
Dudley Dudley is a large market town and administrative centre in the county of West Midlands, England, southeast of Wolverhampton and northwest of Birmingham. Historically an exclave of Worcestershire, the town is the administrative centre of the ...
, the town of
Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
and an unincorporated gore. The primary founder was the manufacturer
Samuel Slater Samuel Slater (June 9, 1768 – April 21, 1835) was an early English-American industrialist known as the "Father of the American Industrial Revolution" (a phrase coined by Andrew Jackson) and the "Father of the American Factory System". In the ...
, who came to the area after his celebrated activities in Pawtucket,
Rhode Island Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area and the seventh-least populous, with slightly fewer than 1.1 million residents as of 2020, but it ...
, and founded several textile mills, one of which was taken over by the Cranston Print Works in 1936. He named the town after his friend
Daniel Webster Daniel Webster (January 18, 1782 – October 24, 1852) was an American lawyer and statesman who represented New Hampshire and Massachusetts in the U.S. Congress and served as the U.S. Secretary of State under Presidents William Henry Harrison ...
. Slater spent his last years in Webster and died and is buried there in Mount Zion Cemetery.


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 t ...
, the town has a total area of , of which is land and , or 14.10%, is water. The town is bounded on the north by Oxford; on the east by Douglas; on the south by Thompson,
Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its capita ...
, and on the west by Dudley, with which it is most closely tied culturally and politically. The town is home to Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg, also known as Lake Chaubunagungamaug or simply "Webster Lake", the third largest lake in Massachusetts. The 45-character name is often regarded as the longest place name in the
United States of America The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territo ...
and the third longest in the world.


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 in ...
of 2000, there were 16,415 people, 6,905 households, and 4,274 families residing in the town. The
population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), 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 ...
was 1,314.2 people per square mile (507.4/km). There were 7,554 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 94.82%
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 o ...
(92.9% if non-Hispanic whites are counted), 1.11%
Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ...
or
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 ...
, 0.34% Native American, 0.95% Asian, 1.49% 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 1.29% from two or more races.
Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, 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 viceroyalties forme ...
or Latino of any race were 3.95% of the population. About 60% of the Latinos were Puerto Ricans. The town is known for incorporating many Polish-American immigrants. Persons of Polish descent may constitute as much a third of the town's population. St. Joseph Basilica, the oldest Polish-American
Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
parish church in New England, is located in Webster. As of 2000, there were 6,905 households, out of which 28.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.4% were married couples living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.1% were non-families. 31.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.94. In the town, the population was spread out, with 23.2% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 30.6% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 16.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.9 males. The median income for a household in the town was $38,169, and the median income for a family was $48,898. Males had a median income of $37,863 versus $26,912 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 $20,410. About 8.1% of families and 11.0% 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 12.7% of those under age 18 and 14.5% of those age 65 or over. Chaubunagungamaug Reservation, a state-recognized
Nipmuc The Nipmuc or Nipmuck people are an Indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands, who historically spoke an Eastern Algonquian language. Their historic territory Nippenet, "the freshwater pond place," is in central Massachusetts and nearby part ...
Indian reservation, is located within the town. There are over 500 tribe members officially recognized by the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...
, but they are not recognized as a tribal government by the Bureau of Indian Affairs.


Education

Public schools in Webster include Park Avenue School (grades K–4), Webster Middle School (grades 5–8), and Bartlett High School (grades 9–12). Webster Middle School opened in 2005, replacing the former Anthony J. Sitkowski Middle School, a building attached to Town Hall which is now an apartment building for senior citizens. Three of Webster's Catholic churches also support elementary schools: St. Anne's, St. Joseph's and St. Louis. In 2016, St. Anne's and St. Louis's were combined to form All Saints Academy, which has two buildings: a middle school campus (grades 5–8), and an elementary school campus (grades K–4).


Economy

MAPFRE Insurance (formerly the
Commerce Insurance Group The Commerce Insurance Company, formerly known as Commerce Insurance Group, was an American company that provided personal insurance, commercial property insurance, and casualty insurance in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Their core product l ...
) is based in Webster. Indian Ranch is a summer concert venue located on Webster Lake, and has hosted musical acts such as Charlie Daniels, Thomas Rhett, the Barenaked Ladies, Scotty McCreery, Third Eye Blind, Huey Lewis & the News, Gavin DeGraw, and many more. Also, it is currently home to the Indian Princess, a riverboat that once rode the Mississippi River, where guests can take a tour of the lake.
Goya Foods Goya Foods, Inc. is an American producer of a brand of foods sold in the United States and many Spanish-speaking countries. It has facilities in the United States, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and Spain. It is under third-generation ownersh ...
has its Massachusetts division in Webster.


Government


Media

* ''Webster Times'', published every Friday * ''
Telegram & Gazette The ''Telegram & Gazette'' (and ''Sunday Telegram'') is the only daily newspaper of Worcester, Massachusetts. The paper, headquartered at 100 Front Street and known locally as ''the Telegram'' or the ''T & G'', offers coverage of all of Worcest ...
'' (Worcester; South Central edition) * ''
The Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe'' is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes, and has a total circulation of close to 300,000 print and digital subscribers. ''The Boston Glob ...
'' * '' Boston Herald'' * WQVR-AM 940


Library

The Webster public library began in 1889. In fiscal year 2008, the town of Webster spent 1.07% ($299,159) of its budget on its public library—approximately $17 per person ($22.40 adjusted for inflation to 2022). The Chester C. Corbin Library opened in 1921 and served the town until being demolished in the fall of 2016, with its contents temporarily moved to the Webster Town Hall while a new building was constructed. The new library, named for Gladys E. Kelly, opened in 2018.Grand Opening at Webster's new Gladys E. Kelly Public Library
Blackstone Valley Xpress


Notable people

* Andrew J. Bates (1839–1915), industrialist and founder of the Bates Shoe Company * Bette Boucher (born 1943), retired professional wrestler * William Slater Brown (1896–1997), novelist, biographer, and translator of French literature *
Stasia Czernicki Stasia Milas Czernicki (May 18, 1922 – January 17, 1993) was an American professional candlepin bowler. Born in Webster, Massachusetts, she set the all-time candlepin record in her hometown for ten strings with 1388 pins. Stasia Czernicki ha ...
(1922–1993), professional candlepin bowler * George Derby (1857–1925), professional baseball player * Gene Filipski (1931–1994), professional football player * Frank Gilmore (1864–1929), professional baseball player * George R. Stobbs (1877–1966), member of the United States House of Representatives * Mike Sullivan (1860–1929), professional baseball player * Lyman T. Tingier (1862–1920), Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut


See also

* Civil War Memorial (Webster, Massachusetts) * List of mill towns in Massachusetts


References


External links


Town of Webster official siteWebster Public Schools official siteThe Lake 940 Local NewsOldeWebster.com
historical information *
Nipmuck Nation, related to the Chabunnagaug tribe of WebsterWebster history, old newspaper articles, and genealogy
at Greenerpasture.com {{authority control Towns in Worcester County, Massachusetts Populated places established in 1713 Towns in Massachusetts 1713 establishments in Massachusetts