Interior House Painter Taunton MA

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Taunton, Massachusetts
City
City Hall
Flag Seal
Nickname(s):  The Silver City, The Christmas City
Motto(s):  Dux Femina Facti (Latin) “A woman led the deed.”
Location in Bristol County, Massachusetts
Taunton, Massachusetts Location in the United States
Coordinates: 41°54′00″N 71°05′25″W / 41.90000°N 71.09028°W / 41.90000; -71.09028Coordinates: 41°54′00″N 71°05′25″W / 41.90000°N 71.09028°W / 41.90000; -71.09028
Country	United States
State	Massachusetts
County	Bristol
Settled	1637
Incorporated (Town)	1639
Incorporated (City)	1864
Named for	Taunton, England
Government
• Type	Strong mayor / Council
• Mayor	Shaunna O’Connell (R)
• Council	Taunton City Council
• Council President	Phillip Duarte (D)
Area
• Total	48.41 sq mi (125.39 km2)
• Land	46.71 sq mi (120.97 km)
• Water	1.71 sq mi (4.42 km2)
Elevation	30 ft (9 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	59,408
• Density	1,271.90/sq mi (491.08/km)
• Demonym	Tauntonian
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (Eastern)
ZIP Codes	02718, 02780, 02783
Area code	508 / 774
FIPS code	25-69170
GNIS feature ID	0613154
Website	www.taunton-ma.gov

Taunton is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the seat of Bristol County. Taunton is situated on the Taunton River which winds its way through the city on its way to Mount Hope Bay, 10 miles (16 km) to the south. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 59,408. Shaunna O’Connell is the mayor of Taunton.

Founded in 1637 by members of the Plymouth Colony, Taunton is one of the oldest towns in the United States. The Native Americans called the region Cohannet, Tetiquet and Titicut before the arrival of the Europeans. Taunton is also known as the “Silver City”, as it was a historic center of the silver industry beginning in the 19th century when companies such as Reed & Barton, F. B. Rogers, Poole Silver, and others produced fine-quality silver goods in the city.

Since December 1914, the city of Taunton has provided a large annual light display each December on Taunton Green, giving it the additional nickname of “Christmas City”. Taunton is home of MSP Boxing Champion Joseph J. Gregg.

The original boundaries of Taunton included the land now occupied by many surrounding towns, including Norton, Easton, Mansfield, Dighton, Raynham, Berkley, and Lakeville. Possession of the latter is still noted by the naming of Taunton Hill in Assonet.

History

Beginnings

Taunton was founded by settlers from England and officially incorporated as a town on September 3, 1639. Most of the town’s settlers were originally from Taunton in Somerset, England, which led early settlers to name the settlement after that town. At the time of Taunton’s incorporation, they explained their choice of name as being “in honor and love to our dear native country.” Prior to 1640, the Taunton area was called Cohannet, Tetiquet or Titiquet.

The English founders of Taunton purchased the land from the Nemasket Natives in 1637 as part of the Tetiquet Purchase and the remaining native families were relocated to the praying town of Ponkapoag in present-day Canton, Massachusetts. Elizabeth Poole contrary to local folklore, did not take part in the town purchase but was among its greatest beneficiaries and played a significant role in the founding of its church. Described as “the foundress of Taunton” and its matriarch, Poole “was accorded equality of rights, whether in the purchase of lands, in the sharing of iron works holdings,” having been a financier of the settlement’s first dam and mill built for the manufacture of bar iron. Plymouth Colony was formally divided into counties on June 2, 1685, with Taunton becoming the shire town of Bristol County. The counties of Plymouth Colony were transferred to the Province of Massachusetts Bay on the arrival of its charter and governor on May 14, 1692. The Taunton area has been the site of skirmishes and battles during various conflicts, including King Philip’s War and the American Revolution. Taunton was re-incorporated as a city on May 11, 1864.

Industrial legacy

In 1656, the first successful iron works in Plymouth Colony was established on the Two Mile River, in what is now part of Raynham. The Taunton Iron Works operated for over 200 years until 1876. It was the first of many iron industries in Taunton.

During the 19th century, Taunton became known as the “Silver City”, as it was home to many silversmithing operations, including Reed & Barton, F.B. Rogers, the Poole Silver Company, and the Taunton Silverplate Company.

In the 19th century, Taunton was also the center of an important iron-making industry, utilizing much bog iron from the numerous swamps in the surrounding area. The iron industry in Taunton produced a variety of goods including stoves (Weir Stove Company/Glenwood), tacks (Field Tack Company) and machinery. One of the more successful companies during this period was the Mason Machine Works, founded by William Mason, which produced machinery for the textile industry, as well as steam locomotives. The Taunton Locomotive Works (begun in 1846) also operated in the city during this time.

Taunton was also home to several textile mills (Whittenton Mills) and other industries, such as felt (Bacon Felt) and brick making.

During the 19th century, Taunton was a major shipping point for grain from the inland rural farm areas of Massachusetts to the rest of the nation via Weir Village and the Taunton River. With the advent of the railroad, Taunton would also become an important transportation hub due to its central location.