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Newbury
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The Plantation
of Newbury is located n the northeastern portion of Essex County.
Pawtucket Indians hunted, fished and captured seasonal runs of smelt,
alewives, shad, salmon and sea-run trout before settlers appeared. The
shellfish were especially plentiful on Plum Island and were appreciated
by the 100 people from the Wiltshire and Hampshire sections of England
who established the first Colonial settlements. The settlers were
younger and more socially prominent than settlers of other towns in the
area, and were forced out of England by declining economic
opportunities. In 1635, Reverend Thomas Parker from Wiltshire applied to
the General Court for the liberty to settle and begin a plantation on
land that is now Newbury. The proprietors made the land grants in such a
way that 60% of the land was controlled by 10% of the population. As the
community grew, fishing became an important industry, as did small scale
shipbuilding, weaving, tanning and shoemaking. Farmers dealt in cattle
and sheep and by 1791 there were 3,000head of cattle grazing on town
lands. About the same time, the town set a pattern of diversified
industry, producing woolen goods made by the first American-made wool
carding machines as well as snuff , chaises and slate. Competition from
England's woolen mills decreased the emphasis on woolens and led to
greater cotton fabric production and the establishment of cooperage,
machine made nail factory and scythe mill. In the late18th and early
19th century, industry rivaled agricultural employment in the town. In
1844, James Steam Mills was established, in 1850 the railroads arrived
in town and by 1745 45,000 pairs of shoes were made. After the Civil
War, manufacturing initiative died as water power gave way to steam
power. The economy of the town swung back to agriculture and by the end
of the 19th century there was a big shift to dairying in Newbury. By
1905, instead of shoes, 450,000 gallons of milk were produced and
poultry and eggs became a significant business. Newbury hosts a number
of New England's most important examples of Colonial architecture, one
of which is the Tristram Coffin House, built in 1654. The Plum Island
section of town is a residential area, much loved by its summer and
year-round residents.
(Narrative based on information provided by the Massachusetts Historical
Commission) |
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LOCATION
Northeaster Massachusetts, bordered by Newburyport and Salisbury on the
north; West Newbury, Groveland, and Georgetown on the west; Rowley on
the south, and the Atlantic Ocean on the east. Newbury is about 12 miles
east of Haverhill; 28 miles north of Boston; about 72 miles south of
Portland, Maine; and about 250 miles from New York City.
FORM OF GOVERNMENT
Board of Selectmen
Open Town Meeting
YEAR INCORPORATED
As a town: 1635
TRANSPORTATION AND ACCESS
The development of transportation resources in the Merrimack Valley
Region, where Newbury is situated, was shaped by the history of the
region as a major site of American industrial development in the
nineteenth century. The area has exceptionally good highways and rail
facilities linking the major cities and towns to each other and to the
port, airport, and intermodal facilities of Boston.
MAJOR HIGHWAYS
Principal highways are Interstate Route 95 and U.S. Route 1, which both
run from Maine to Florida.
RAIL
There is no freight or passenger rail service in Newbury, but the
network of intermodal facilities serving eastern Massachusetts is easily
accessible.
BUS
Newbury is a member of the Merrimack Valley Regional transit Authority (MVRTA)
but does not receive services.
The Newburyport-Plum Island Airport, a privately owned public-use
facility, is easily accessible from Newbury. It has a 2,520'x 50'
asphalt runway. Instrument approaches available: Non-precision.
*(Information from Mass.gov website)
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