Halifax, Massachusetts
| Halifax | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Location in Massachusetts
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| Basic data | |||
| Foundation : | 1670 (inc. 1734) | ||
| State : | United States | ||
| State : | Massachusetts | ||
| County : | Plymouth County | ||
| Coordinates : | 41 ° 59 ′ N , 70 ° 52 ′ W | ||
| Time zone : | Eastern ( UTC − 5 / −4 ) | ||
| Residents : | 7,500 (as of: 2000) | ||
| Population density : | 179.4 inhabitants per km 2 | ||
| Area : | 44.9 km 2 (approx. 17 mi 2 ) of which 41.8 km 2 (approx. 16 mi 2 ) is land |
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| Height : | 27 m | ||
| Postal code : | 02338 | ||
| Area code : | +1 339, 781 | ||
| FIPS : | 25-27795 | ||
| GNIS ID : | 0618340 | ||
| Website : | www.town.halifax.ma.us | ||
Halifax is a city in Plymouth County in the US state of Massachusetts .
geography
According to the United States Census Bureau , the town has a total area of 44.9 km², of which 41.8 km² is land and 3.1 km² (= 6.81%) is water. In terms of area, Halifax ranks 235 in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Neighboring cities are north of Halifax Hanson , northeast Pembroke , southeast Plympton , southwest Middleborough and west Bridgewater and East Bridgewater . Halifax is 53 kilometers south-southeast of Boston .
The city, whose urban area is characterized by water, is located on the western shore of Silver Lake ; Robbins Pond , the Indian Trail Reservoir and Burrage Pond lie in the west of the city area, the two Monponsett Ponds in the city center are separated from each other by a strip of land barely fifty meters wide in some places. Part of the city limits to Bridgewater is formed by the Taunton River , which flows into the Winnetuxet River . West of the Monponsett Ponds is the Great Cedar Swamp, to the east of which is the Peterson Swamp.
history
The first settlers arrived in what is now Halifax around 1669. The English Bosworth family were the first to start farming in Halifax. In 1734 the place was officially separated from Plympton and was named Halifax, after the city of the same name in West Yorkshire in England. In 1795 a canal project was started to link Buzzards Bay and Massachusetts Bay by connecting the Taunton River and North River and connecting Halifax and Pembroke to these waters by means of ports.
economy
The first settlers already carried out intensive forestry. In 1728 the first sawmill was opened in town. By 1815, blast furnaces for iron production and several cotton factories were built in Halifax. In the course of the 19th century, industrialization continued. Halifax was connected to railway lines. Towards the end of the 19th century, however, industrialization was partially abandoned and agriculture was again increasingly used . The focus in Halifax at the beginning of the 20th century was on poultry farming and the cultivation of cranberries .
traffic
The major arteries that cross Halifax are State Routes 58 and 106 . The two streets intersect south of the Monponsett Ponds in the center of town. State Route 58 runs in a north-south direction over the narrow strip between the two lakes; State Route 106 is the southern endpoint of State Route 36 to the east and the northern end of State Route 105 to the west .
A rail line connects Halifax, Kingston and Plymouth with South Station in Boston. There is no airfield in the city, the nearest regional airport is Plymouth Municipal Airport , the nearest international airport is Logan International Airport in Boston.
Politics, administration and public institutions
Halifax is represented in the Massachusetts House of Representatives by Plymouth 6 and 12 constituencies, and in the Massachusetts Senate election , Halifax belongs to the Plymouth & Bristol 2 constituency. Nationally, Halifax belongs to the 4th Congressional constituency of Massachusetts .
Halifax is governed by the local council and administered by a city council. The city has its own police and fire brigade, whose stations are located near the center. There is an independent ambulance service in Halifax, the nearest hospitals are in Plymouth and Brockton. Other public facilities in Halifax include a post office and library. The city operates a lido on western Monponsett Pond and a jetty in both lakes.
Halifax, like Plympton and Kingston, is part of the Silver Lake Regional School District . Middle School and High School are in Kingston, and Elementary School is between the library and the fire station. There are no private schools in the city.
Demographics
At the time of the 2000 United States Census, Halifax had 7500 residents. The population density was 179.3 people per km ². There were 2841 housing units at an average of 67.9 per km ². The Halifax population was 98.13% White , 0.31% Black or African American , 0.03% Native American , 0.27% Asian , 0% Pacific Islander , 0.48% said they were of other races and 0.79% named two or more races. 0.55% of the population declared to be Hispanic or Latino of any race.
The residents of Halifax were distributed in 2,758 households out of which 34.8% were living in children under the age of 18. 61.3% of households were married, 9.9% had a female head of household without a husband, and 25.5% were not families. 21.3% of households were made up of individuals and someone lived in 10.9% of all households aged 65 years or older. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.18.
The population was divided into 25.4% minors, 6.3% 18–24 year olds, 31.4% 25–44 year olds, 24.1% 45–64 year olds and 12.8% aged 65 and over or more. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 women there were 93.5 men. For every 100 women over the age of 18, there were 89.7 men.
The median household income in Halifax was 57,015 US dollars and the median family income reached the amount of 65,461 US dollars. The median income for men was $ 47,788 compared to $ 31,200 for women. The per capita income was $ 23,738. 3.3% of the population and 1.8% of families had an income below the poverty line , including 4.5% of minors and 5.9% of the age group 65 and over.
Halifax, Massachusetts ranks 204th by population and 186th for population density.
Web links
- History of Halifax (English)