| Woburn, Massachusetts | |
|---|---|
| — City — | |
| Benjamin Thompson House, Woburn, Massachusetts | |
| Motto: Industria et Virtus (Industry and Virtue) | |
| Location in Middlesex County, Massachusetts | |
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Massachusetts |
| County | Middlesex |
| Settled | 1640 |
| Incorporated | 1642 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor-council city |
| • Mayor | Scott Galvin |
| • Ward aldermen |
Rosa DiTucci (1) Richard F. Gately Jr. (2) Mark E. Gaffney (3) Michael D. Anderson (4) Darlene Mercer-Bruen (5) Michael L. Raymond (6) Raymond B. Drapeau (7) |
| • At-large aldermen |
Paul J. Denaro Richard M. Haggerty |
| Area | |
| • Total | 15.6 sq mi (33.4 km2) |
| • Land | 12.7 sq mi (32.8 km2) |
| • Water | 0.2 sq mi (0.6 km2) |
| Elevation | 100 ft (30 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 38,120 |
| • Density | 2,916.7/sq mi (1,129.3/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | Eastern (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 01801 / 01888 |
| Area code(s) | 339 / 781 |
| FIPS code | 25-81035 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0612270 |
| Website | www.cityofwoburn.com |
Woburn ( /ˈwuːbərn/) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA. The population was 38,120 at the 2010 census. Woburn is located 11 miles (18 km) north of Boston, Massachusetts, and just south of the intersection of I-93 and I-95.
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Woburn was first settled in 1640 near Horn Pond, a primary source of the Mystic River, and was officially incorporated in 1642. At that time the area included present day towns of Woburn, Winchester, Burlington, and parts of Stoneham and Wilmington. In 1730 Wilmington separated from Woburn. In 1799 Burlington separated from Woburn; in 1850 Winchester did so, too.
Woburn got its name from Woburn, Bedfordshire. Woburn played host to the first religious ordination in the Americas on Nov. 22, 1642. Rev. Thomas Carter was sworn in by many of the most prominent men of New England including John Cotton, minister of the First Church of Boston, Richard Mather minister of the First Church of Dorchester, and Capt. Edward Johnson co-founder of the church and town of Woburn. Johnson is regarded as "the father of Woburn." He served as the first town clerk, represented the town in the Massachusetts General Court, made the first map of Massachusetts, and wrote the first history of the colony.[1]
Deacon Edward Convers was also one of the founders of Woburn. He was one of its first selectmen, and built the first house and first mill in Woburn. He was very active in town affairs and was a large landowner, miller and surveyor.[2][3]
List of important events
In contemporary history, Woburn was the scene of a high-profile water contamination crisis. During the mid to late 1970s, the local community became concerned over the high incidence of childhood leukemia and other illnesses, particularly in the Pine Street area of east Woburn. After high levels of chemical contamination were found in City of Woburn’s Wells G and H in 1979, some members of the community suspected that the unusually high incidence of leukemia, cancer, and a wide variety of other health problems were linked to the possible exposure to volatile organic chemicals in the groundwater pumped from wells G and H.
In May 1982, a number of citizens whose children had developed or died from leukemia filed a civil lawsuit against two corporations, W. R. Grace and Company and Beatrice Foods. Grace's subsidiary, Cryovac, and Beatrice were suspected of contaminating the groundwater by improperly disposing of trichloroethylene (TCE), perchloroethylene (perc or PCE) and other industrial solvents at their facilities in Woburn near wells G and H.
In a controversial decision over what many considered a bungled trial (Judge Walter Jay Skinner ruled that the jurors should answer questions that they and many others considered confusing), Beatrice was acquitted and Grace only paid $8 million, a third of which went to the lawyers and lawyer fees. A United States Environmental Protection Agency report later found Beatrice and Grace responsible for the contamination.[4][5][6] A book titled A Civil Action was written about the case by Jonathan Harr. In 1998 the book was turned into a movie starring John Travolta and Robert Duvall, also titled A Civil Action.
Woburn is located at (42.484545, -71.152060).[7] It is bordered by the towns of Wilmington, Reading, Stoneham, Winchester, Lexington, and Burlington.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 12.9 square miles (33 km2), of which 12.7 square miles (33 km2) is land and 0.2 square miles (0.52 km2) (1.71%) is water.
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1790 | 1,727 | — |
| 1800 | 1,228 | −28.9% |
| 1810 | 1,219 | −0.7% |
| 1820 | 1,519 | +24.6% |
| 1830 | 1,977 | +30.2% |
| 1840 | 2,993 | +51.4% |
| 1850 | 3,956 | +32.2% |
| 1860 | 6,287 | +58.9% |
| 1870 | 8,560 | +36.2% |
| 1880 | 10,931 | +27.7% |
| 1890 | 13,499 | +23.5% |
| 1900 | 14,254 | +5.6% |
| 1910 | 15,308 | +7.4% |
| 1920 | 16,574 | +8.3% |
| 1930 | 19,434 | +17.3% |
| 1940 | 19,751 | +1.6% |
| 1950 | 20,492 | +3.8% |
| 1960 | 31,214 | +52.3% |
| 1970 | 37,406 | +19.8% |
| 1980 | 36,626 | −2.1% |
| 1990 | 35,943 | −1.9% |
| 2000 | 37,258 | +3.7% |
| 2001* | 38,036 | +2.1% |
| 2002* | 37,886 | −0.4% |
| 2003* | 37,725 | −0.4% |
| 2004* | 37,742 | +0.0% |
| 2005* | 37,578 | −0.4% |
| 2006* | 38,404 | +2.2% |
| 2007* | 38,476 | +0.2% |
| 2008* | 38,598 | +0.3% |
| 2009* | 38,983 | +1.0% |
| 2010 | 38,120 | −2.2% |
| * = population estimate. Source: United States Census records and Population Estimates Program data.[8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18] |
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As of the census[19] of 2000, there were 37,258 people (37,010 by 2006 estimate), 14,997 households, and 9,658 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,939.6 people per square mile (1,135.4/km²). There were 15,391 housing units at an average density of 1,214.3 per square mile (469.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 90.57% White, 1.87% African American, 0.10% Native American, 4.85% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 1.44% from other races, and 1.13% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.09% of the population.
There were 14,997 households out of which 26.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.5% were married couples living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.6% were non-families. 28.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.09.
In the city the population was spread out with 21.1% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 34.9% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 15.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 95.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $54,897, and the median income for a family was $66,364. Males had a median income of $45,210 versus $33,239 for females. The per capita income for the city was $26,207. About 4.5% of families and 6.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.9% of those under age 18 and 5.4% of those age 65 or over.
The Woburn Business Association (WBA) is a membership organization consisting of companies located in Woburn, Massachusetts. Memberships are also available to those firms who are situated elsewhere, but do business in Woburn. The purpose of the WBA is to promote and protect Business Interests in the City of Woburn and provide Networking Services for the Business Community.
The WBA Board of Directors meets monthly to develop policy and provide direction for the Association. The Executive Committee meets periodically, usually on an “as needed” basis, to review important issues and make recommendations to the Board regarding WBA policy. Th WBA accomplishes its work through committees of WBA members and representatives of the Woburn community. The membership is encouraged to actively participate on these committees.
The Woburn Redevelopment Authority is an independent municipal urban renewal authority established by the City of Woburn in 1961, in accordance with Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 121B. The Authority is governed by five members, four of whom are appointed by the Mayor, and one by the Governor. The WRA functions as the City's community development agency, under an agreement with the City of Woburn executed in July 2000.
Woburn's public elementary schools are the Goodyear-Clapp Elementary, Altavesta Elementary, Daniel P. Hurld Elementary, Shamrock Elementary, Malcolm White Elementary, Clyde Reeves Elementary, Linscott Elementary, and Wyman Elementary. (The Parker, Tarkey, Plympton, Golden, and Veterans' Memorial Schools are now closed, and the former Veterans' Memorial School now serves as the Woburn Senior Center.) The two middle schools are the John F. Kennedy Middle School and Joyce Middle School.
In recent years Reeves, Shamrock, and Malcolm White, as well as Woburn Memorial High School, have been rebuilt. (Rebuilding of Goodyear Elementary is finished.) The new Woburn Memorial High School building now has automated teller machines, automatic light switches, and classrooms with projectors.
St. Charles, a pre-K-to-8 Catholic school, is part of the adjacent St. Charles Parish.
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