Grafton, Massachusetts
Grafton | ||
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Location in Massachusetts
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Basic data | ||
Foundation : | 1718 | |
State : | United States | |
State : | Massachusetts | |
County : | Worcester County | |
Coordinates : | 42 ° 12 ′ N , 71 ° 41 ′ W | |
Time zone : | Eastern ( UTC − 5 / −4 ) | |
Residents : | 17,765 (as of 2010) | |
Population density : | 300.6 inhabitants per km 2 | |
Area : | 60.4 km 2 (approx. 23 mi 2 ) of which 59.1 km 2 (approx. 23 mi 2 ) are land |
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Height : | 130 m | |
Postal code : | 01519 | |
Area code : | +1 508 | |
FIPS : | 2502726430 | |
GNIS ID : | 00619480 | |
Website : | www.Grafton-MA.gov |
Grafton is a city in Worcester County and is located in the state of Massachusetts in the United States .
geography
The city is located 8 kilometers southeast of Worcester , 50 kilometers southwest of Boston and approximately 80 kilometers northeast of Springfield and is located directly on Interstate 90 , which is also called the Massachusetts Turnpike .
history
The region of today's Grafton was originally inhabited by the Nipmuck Indians , who called the place Hassanamisco (place of small stones). As early as 1671, the English missionary John Elliot tried to convert the indigenous population to Christianity . The first European settlers came to the area in the early 18th century and Grafton was founded in 1735. The name was chosen in honor of Charles FitzRoy, 2nd Duke of Grafton (son of Henry FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Grafton ). After that, numerous industries developed, and the city became a major pioneer in the industrialization of the country.
In 1955 the United States Air Force opened a large forge in North Grafton, which also manufactured parts for the space shuttle . The operational management of this forge was taken over by Wyman-Gordon . The site is home to one of the largest forging presses in the world, developed in the 1950s as part of the Heavy Press Program .
Demographics
In 2009 there was a population of 17,800 people, which means an increase of 19.8% compared to 2000.
swell
- History
- blackstonedaily
- nipmucnation
- files.asme.org (PDF; 2.2 MB)
- city-data
- grafton-ma