Essex, Massachusetts
|
|
Essex is a town located in Essex County, Massachusetts, 26 miles north of Boston. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 3,267. Essex borders Hamilton to the south, Manchester-by-the-Sea to the southeast, Gloucester to the east, and Ipswich to the north.
This article is about the town of Essex. Additional demographic detail about the central settlement or village within Essex, which is a census-designated place, is available in the article Essex (CDP), Massachusetts. The details it provides for the village are included in the aggregate numbers reported here.
| Contents |
History
Essex was incorporated as a town in 1819. It was previously a part of the town of Ipswich and was then called Chebacco Parish. The first European settlers arrived in 1634. At that time, the land formed part of an area inhabited by Native Americans of the Agawam tribe. The name Chebacco is Agawam in origin and refers to a large lake whose waters extend into neighboring Hamilton. Conomo Point, the eastern-most part of the town, is named for the Sagamore or Chief of the Agawams, Masconomo, the leader of the tribe in the late 17th century. Early on, Chebacco Parish lobbied for status as an independent town, asking for permission to build a meeting house. In colonial times the existence of a meeting house in a settlement conferred de-facto autonomy, so Chebacco Parish was denied permission to build such a structure. Popular history tells that one written dictate was issued stating that "no man shall raise a meeting house", so the residents of the settlement interpreted it as to mean that women would be allowed to do so. It is reported that a local woman, Madam Varney, assembled the town's women and construction of a meeting house was carried out by them while the men looked on.
Government and Administration
Essex's small size makes New England's traditional direct-democracy style of government practical. The residents of Essex elect a board of three selectmen to carry out the routine business of local government while relying on the town meeting system to decide major issues. In recent years, the most important these issues have been the controversy over the lease of public lands at Conomo Point, a school regionalization plan with Manchester-By-The-Sea and the construction of infrastructure for dealing with sewerage.
In 2002 the town hired a Town Administrator to work for the board of selectmen and oversee day-to-day operations. Policy and major decisions are still verified by the town meeting.
Schools
Essex has one public school that offers instruction to children from kindergarten to grade 8. Until recently, Essex schools did not operate a high school, and sent its grade 9 through 12 students to neighboring districts. Arrangements in the past have included sending high school students to Manchester-By-The-Sea, Gloucester and Hamilton-Wenham public schools. The town recently approved a plan to create a regional school district with Manchester-By-The-Sea. Under the plan, the two towns are served by a consolidated school system, the 'Manchester-Essex Schools', and a new high school. This mark's the first time Essex did not have to send its students to another district to attend high school.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 41.3 km² (15.9 mi²). 36.7 km² (14.2 mi²) of it is land and 4.6 km² (1.8 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 11.17% water. It has an outlet to the Atlantic Ocean by way of the Essex River.
The central part of Essex lies on marsh land that surrounds the Essex River. The central channel of this river converges with the Annisquam River at the western-most tip of Cape Ann where both flow into the Atlantic Ocean. The land that makes up the limits of the town is close to sea level in altitude with a few low hills dotting the landscape. Essex's population has increased at a sustainable rate over the last quarter century, so it still maintains a certain rural quality with abundant forested areas, wet lands and open spaces. Though not accessible directly by a major highway, Essex can be reached by three divided highways (by the South from Route 22, by the North from Route 133 and from Gloucester by Route 133 as well). Access to major highway Route 128 can be found within two miles of the town limits of both Manchester-By-The-Sea and Gloucester. The aforementioned Chebacco Lake and surrounding wetlands make up most of the southwestern part of the town.
Economy
Seafood, Tourism and Antiques
The main source of income for the town of Essex comes from the shellfish industry and tourism. The fried clam was reportedly "invented" in Essex by Chubby Woodman early in the 20th Century. Due to the exceptional quality of the clam that lives in the tidal river in Essex, local restaurants thrive by preparing it along with other types of seafood. Tourists are mainly drawn to Essex for its restaurants, but in recent years leisure activities such as excursions down the Essex River in boats or self-guided kayak trips have become increasingly popular. One major disadvantage that Essex has is that its only beach is not easily accessible by land and as such is not a major draw for tourists as are the beaches of neighboring Gloucester, Ipswich and Manchester-By-The-Sea. Essex, with an abundance of natural beauty, must also compete with nearby Rockport for tourists in search of quaint New England charm. In the last two decades, there has also emerged a flourishing antiques trade in Essex. The town now boasts of being the municipality with the greatest number of antique shops per square mile in the US.
Former shipbuilding center
The town of Essex was once home to a prosperous shipbuilding trade. This industry accounted for most of the revenue of the town from the days of its settlement as Chebacco Parish until the early part of the 20th century. Once a leading supplier of schooners for Gloucester and other Atlantic fishing communities, Essex did not adapt to the transition from sail powered wooden ships to engine powered metal vessels and this activity disappeared around World War II. There have been recent attempts to return to shipbuilding on a small scale as a tourist attraction and they have met with some success.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there are 3,267 people, 1,313 households, and 887 families residing in the town. The population density is 89.1/km² (230.7/mi²). There are 1,446 housing units at an average density of 39.4 persons/km² (102.1 persons/mi²). The racial makeup of the town is 98.50% White, 0.15% African American, 0.12% Native American, 0.43% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.21% from other races, and 0.55% from two or more races. 0.92% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 1,313 households out of which 31.5% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.1% are married couples living together, 7.8% have a woman whose husband does not live with her, and 32.4% are non-families. 26.7% of all households are made up of individuals and 9.4% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.49 and the average family size is 3.03.
In the town the population is spread out with 24.2% under the age of 18, 5.3% from 18 to 24, 30.1% from 25 to 44, 26.9% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 40 years. For every 100 females there are 96.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 97.4 males.
The median income for a household in the town is $59,554, and the median income for a family is $70,152. Males have a median income of $48,036 versus $32,000 for females. The per capita income for the town is $31,613. 6.6% of the population and 4.3% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 6.1% are under the age of 18 and 10.8% are 65 or older.
Notable natives
- John Wise (1652-1725), Pastor of Chebacco Parish. Reverend Wise reportedly spoke out against "taxation without representation" more than a half century before the American Revolutionary War. John Wise Ave (a section of MA Route 133) is named for him.
- Rufus Choate, (1799-1859) Lawyer, orator, US Congressman and Senator. Choate was a nationally renown public servant. A close friend of Daniel Webster, Choate was chosen to serve out his unfinished term in the US Senate. Choate is considered today to be one of the fathers of traditional American conservatism. Choate St, named after the Choate family, connects John Wise Ave to Chebacco Rd.
- Michael G. Ford (born 1950), The eldest son of U.S. President Gerald R. Ford lived in Essex at the same time his father occupied the White House. Ford made Essex his home while studying at nearby Gordon-Cornwell Theological Seminary.
Cultural Activities
Essex has several churches of various Protestant Christian denominations (Methodist, Universalist, Congregational) as well as a Roman Catholic parish. There are several active youth sports teams as well as other youth organizations such as the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts.
Notable Events
1995. The feature film The Crucible, starring Winona Ryder and Daniel Day-Lewis, was filmed in Essex. Winona Ryder stayed in a private home on Western Ave. during the filming of The Crucible.
External links
- Essex Town web site (http://www.essexma.org/)
- Manchester-Essex Schools web site (http://www.mec.edu/manchester)
- Essex, Ma - Cape Ann Web (http://www.capeannweb.com/essex/Essex.htm)