Medford is a city in
Middlesex CountyMiddlesex County is a county located in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. It is the most populous county in Massachusetts. As of the 2000 census, the population was 1,465,396. The center of population of Massachusetts is located in Middlesex County, in the town of Natick.Its county seats are...
,
MassachusettsThe Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. Most of its population of...
, in the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, on the
Mystic RiverThe Mystic River is the name of a short river in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. Its name derives from the Wampanoag word "muhs-uhtuq", which translates to "big river". It lies to the north of and flows approximately parallel to the lower portions of the Charles River.Mystic...
, just a few miles north of Boston. In the
2000 censusThe Twenty-Second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
, Medford's population was 55,765. It is the home of
Tufts UniversityTufts University is a private research university in Medford/Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts, USA. The university is home to the nation's oldest graduate school of international relations, The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy....
.
1600s
Medford was settled in 1630 as part of
CharlestownCharlestown is a part of the city of Boston, Massachusetts located on a peninsula north of Boston proper. Charlestown was originally a separate town and the first capital of the Massachusetts Bay Colony; it became a city in 1847 and was annexed by Boston on January 5, 1874...
, when
Thomas DudleyThomas Dudley was a colonial magistrate who served several terms as governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, during which he sometimes clashed with his rival John Winthrop. Dudley was the chief founder of Newtowne, later Cambridge, Massachusetts, and built the town's first home. As Governor,...
referred to it as "Mistick" (a name which persisted for many decades), which his party renamed "Meadford". In 1634, the land north of the Mystic River became the private plantation of former Governor
Matthew CradockMatthew Cradock or Craddock was a London merchant who in 1628 became the first governor of the Massachusetts Bay Company.-Life:In 1618 he was in London, and is described as an 'adventurer' trading to the East Indies. He purchased £2,000 stock in the East India Company in 1628...
; across the river was Ten Hills Farm, which belonged to
John WinthropJohn Winthrop led a group of English Puritans to the New World in 1630, and joined the Massachusetts Bay Company later that year, and then was elected their governor in October 1639. Between 1639 and 1648 he was voted out of governorship and re-elected a total of 12 times...
, Governor of the Massachusetts Bay colony. The name may have come from a description of the "
meadowA meadow is a field vegetated primarily by grass and other non-woody plants . It may be cut for hay or grazed by livestock such as cattle, sheep or goats.- Agricultural meadow :...
by the ford" in the Mystic River, or from two locations that Cradock may have been familiar with in England: the hamlet of Mayford or Metford in
StaffordshireStaffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
near
CaverswallCaverswall is a village and parish in Staffordshire, to the south east of Stoke-on-Trent.- Eytomology :The name Caverswall is thought to have its origins in the Saxon words Cafhere, a personal noun and Waelle which meant spring or well.By the time of the Domesday Book the village was called...
, or from the parish of Maidford or Medford (now
TowcesterTowcester , the Roman town of Lactodorum, is a small town in south Northamptonshire, England. The English name is derived from the Latin for "Camp on the Tove". -Location:...
,
NorthamptonshireNorthamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census...
).
In 1637, the first bridge (a
toll bridgeA toll bridge is a bridge over which traffic may pass upon payment of a toll, or fee.- History :The practice of collecting tolls on bridges probably harks back to the days of ferry crossings where people paid a fee to be ferried across stretches of water. As boats became impractical to carry large...
) across the Mystic River was built at the site of the present-day Cradock Bridge, near Medford Square. It would be the only bridge across the Mystic until 1787, and as such became a major route for traffic coming into Boston from the north (though ferries and fords were also used).
Until 1656, all of northern Medford was owned by Cradock his heirs, or Edward Collins. Medford was governed as a "peculiar" or private plantation. As the land began to be divided among several people from different families, the new owners began to meet and make decisions locally and increasingly independently from the Charlestown town meeting. In 1674, a Board of Selectmen was elected, in 1684, the colonial legislature granted the ability to raise money independently, and in 1689, a representative to the legislature was chosen. The town got its own religious meeting room in 1690, and a secular meeting house in 1696.
1700s and 1800s
The land south of the Mystic River was known as "Mistick Field". It was transferred from Charlestown to Medford in 1754. This grant also included the "Charlestown Wood Lots" (the Medford part of the Middlesex Fells), and part of what was at the time
WoburnWoburn is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA. The population was 37,258 at the 2000 census. Woburn is located 11 miles north of Boston, Massachusetts, and just south of the intersection of I-93 and I-95....
(now
WinchesterWinchester is a town located in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, eight miles north of Boston. With its agricultural roots having mostly disappeared, it is now mostly an affluent bedroom community. However, there is a fair amount of reduced price housing on the edges of town near Woburn...
). Parts of Medford were transferred to Charlestown in 1811, Winchester in 1850 ("Upper Medford"), and Malden in 1879. Additional land was transferred to Medford from Malden (1817), Everett (1875), and Malden (1877) again.
The population of Medford went from 230 in 1700 to 1,114 in 1800. After 1880, the population rapidly expanded, reaching 18,244 by 1900. Farmland was divided into lots and sold to build residential and commercial buildings, starting in the 1840s and 1850s; government services expanded with the population (schools, police, post office) and technological advancement (gas lighting, electricity, telephones, railways). Tufts University was chartered in 1852.
Medford was incorporated as a city in 1892 and was a center of industry, including the manufacture of
brickA brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using mortar.-History:The oldest shaped bricks found date back to 7,500 B.C. They have been found in Çayönü, in the upper Tigris region, and in south east Anatolia close to Diyarbakir. Other more recent findings,...
and
tileA tile is a manufactured piece of hard-wearing material such as ceramic, stone, metal, or even glass. Tiles are generally used for covering roofs, floors, and walls, showers, or other objects such as tabletops...
, rum, Medford Crackers, and
clipperA clipper was a very fast sailing ship of the 19th century that had multiple masts and a square rig. They were generally narrow for their length, could carry limited bulk freight, small by later 19th century standards, and had a large total sail area. Clipper ships were mostly made in British and...
ships.
Transportation
During the 1600s, a handful of major public roads (High Street, Main Street, Salem Street, "the road to Stoneham", and South Street) served the population, but the road network started a long-term expansion in the 1700s. The Medford Turnpike Company was incorporated in 1803, but turned what is now Mystic Avenue over to the city in 1866. The Andover Turnpike Company was incorporated in 1805, but turned what is now Forest Street and Fellsway West over to Medford in 1830.
Other major commercial transportation projects included the
Middlesex CanalThe Middlesex Canal was a 27 mile barge canal connecting the Merrimack River with the port of Boston. When operational it was 30 feet wide, and 3 feet deep, with 20 locks, each 80 feet long and between 10 and 11 feet wide...
by 1803, the
Boston and Lowell RailroadThe Boston and Lowell Railroad is a historic railroad that operated in Massachusetts. It was one of the first railroads in North America and the first major one in the state...
in West Medford in the 1830s, and the
Boston and Maine RailroadThe Boston and Maine Corporation , known as the Boston and Maine Railroad until 1964, was the dominant railroad of the northern New England region of the United States for a century...
to Medford Center in 1847.
A
horse-powered street railwayA horsecar was an animal-powered streetcar or tram.These early forms of public transport developed out of industrial haulage routes or from the omnibus that first ran on public streets in the 1820s, using the newly-invented iron or steel rail or 'tramway'...
began running to Somerville and Charlestown in 1860. The street railway network expanded in the hands of various private companies, and went electric in the late 1890s, when trolleys to Everett and downtown Boston were available. Streetcars were converted to buses in the 1900s.
Interstate 93Interstate 93 is an Interstate Highway in the New England section of the United States. Its southern terminus is in Canton, Massachusetts, in the Boston metropolitan area, at Interstate 95; its northern terminus is near St. Johnsbury, Vermont, at Interstate 91.For most of its length, Interstate 93...
was constructed between 1956 and 1963.
Gypsy moth
In 1868, a French
astronomerAstronomy is the scientific study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the Earth's atmosphere...
and naturalist, Leopold Trouvelot, was attempting to breed a better silkworm using
Gypsy mothThe gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar, is a moth in the family Lymantriidae of Eurasian origin. Originally ranging from Europe to Asia, it was introduced to North America in the late 1860s and has been expanding its range ever since.-Eggs:...
s. Several of the
mothA moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. The differences between butterflies and moths are more than just taxonomy. Sometimes the names "Rhopalocera" and "Heterocera" are used to formalize the popular distinction...
s escaped from his home, at 27 Myrtle Street, which no longer exists. Within ten years, the insect had denuded the vegetation in the neighborhood. It spread over North America.
Holiday songs
In a tavern and boarding house on High Street (Simpson's Tavern) in the late 19th century, local resident
James PierpontJames Lord Pierpont was an American songwriter, arranger, organist, and composer, best known for writing and composing Jingle Bells in 1857, originally entitled "The One Horse Open Sleigh". He was born in Boston, Massachusetts, and died in Winter Haven, Florida...
wrote "
Jingle Bells"Jingle Bells" is one of the best known and commonly sung winter songs in the world. It was written by James Lord Pierpont and copyrighted under the title 'One Horse Open Sleigh' on September 16 1857. Despite being inextricably connected to Christmas, it is not specifically a Christmas song...
" after watching a sleigh race from Medford to
MaldenMalden is a suburban city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 56,340 at the 2000 census.-History:Malden, a hilly woodland area north of the Mystic River, was settled by Puritans in 1640 on land purchased in 1629 from the Pawtucket Indians. The area was originally...
. Another local resident, Lydia Maria Child (1802–1880), made a poem out of the trip across town to her
grandparents' houseGrandfather's house, at 114 South Street, Medford, Massachusetts, is the original house named in the American song "Over the River and through the Woods". Some versions of the song mention Grandmother's house. It is unclear which is the correct phrase.The rear portion of the modern house was built...
, now the classic song "
Over the River and Through the Woods"Over the River and Through the Woods" is a Thanksgiving song by Lydia Maria Child. Written originally as a poem, it appeared in her Flowers for Children, volume 2, in 1844. The title of the poem is, "A Boy's Thanksgiving Day". It celebrates her childhood memories of visiting her Grandfather's House...
".
Other notables
Medford was home to
Fannie FarmerFannie Merritt Farmer was an American culinary expert whose Boston Cooking-School Cook Book became a widely used culinary text.-Biography:...
, author of one of the world's most famous cookbooks—as well as James Plimpton, the man credited with the 1863 invention of the first practical four-wheeled roller skate, which set off a roller craze that quickly spread across the United States and Europe.
Amelia EarhartAmelia Mary Earhart ; was a noted American aviation pioneer and author. Earhart was the first woman to receive the Distinguished Flying Cross, awarded for becoming the first aviatrix to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean...
lived in Medford, while working as a social worker in 1925.
"The Black Dahlia", the infamous Hollywood murder victim, was born in Hyde Park (the southernmost neighborhood of the city of
BostonBoston is the capital and largest city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is considered the economic and cultural center of the region and is sometimes regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England"...
, Massachusetts) but raised in Medford before going to the West Coast looking for fame.
The Peter Tufts house (350 Riverside Ave.) is thought to be the oldest all-brick building in New England. Another important site is the "Slave Wall" on Grove Street, built by "Pomp," a slave owned by the prominent Brooks family.
Medford has sent more than its share of athletes to the
National Hockey LeagueThe National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league as a joint venture for its self perpetuating membership of 30 franchised member clubs located in the United States and Canada...
;
Shawn BatesShawn Bates is an American professional ice hockey center currently playing for the HIFK in the SM-liiga in Finland. He previously played in the National Hockey League, in which he played for the Boston Bruins and New York Islanders.- College :Bates played four seasons with the Boston University...
, though born in Melrose, MA grew up in Medford, as did
Keith TkachukKeith Matthew Tkachuk is an American professional ice hockey player and alternate captain currently playing for the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League .- Playing career :...
,
Mike MorrisonMike Morrison is an American professional ice hockey goaltender, currently playing for Albany River Rats in American Hockey League.-Playing career:...
and Joe Sacco. Former Red Sox Pitcher Bill Monbouquette grew up in Medford.
Medford is home to some of New England's most well-known bakeries and Italian restaurants and delis.
Medford was home to
Michael BloombergMichael Rubens Bloomberg is the current Mayor of New York City. He was listed as the eighth-richest American, with a net worth of US $16 billion, in the Forbes 400 on September 17, 2008, making him the richest resident of New York City, ahead of David H. Koch...
, American businessman,
philanthropistA philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
, and the founder of
Bloomberg L.P.Bloomberg L.P. is a closely-held financial software, news and data company. It has a one-third share of the market, similar to Thomson Reuters. Bloomberg L.P...
, who is currently serving as the
Mayor of New York CityThe Mayor of the City of New York is head of the executive branch of New York City's government. The Mayor's office administers all city services, public property, police and fire protection, most public agencies, and enforces all city and state laws within New York City.The budget overseen by the...
. Mayor Bloomberg attended Medford High School and resided in Medford until after he graduated college. His mother remains a resident of Medford.
In Medford is located the only cryobank of
amniotic stem cellsAmniotic stem cells are multipotent stem cells extracted from amniotic fluid.In fact amniotic fluid contains a considerable quantity of stem cells , that are multipotent and able to differentiate into various tissues and are useful for future human applications.Amniotic stem cells can...
in the United States, built by
Biocell CenterItalian biotech company, active in studies about amniotic fluid stem cells , Biocell opened in 2008 the first amniotic stem cells bank in the world ....
, a biotechnology company led by
Giuseppe SimoniGiuseppe Simoni is an Italian biologist and scientist. He was born in Pavia, Italy in 1944, and obtained his degree in biology at the University of Milan, where he later became a professor of genetics and biology for thirteen years....
.
Medford is an excellent place to view the Mystic River on a fall eve.
Medford and the law
Medford is home to some famous crimes:
- A few crooked officers of the Medford Police and MDC forces pulled off one of the biggest bank robberies and jewel heists in world history in 1980, robbing the Depositors Trust bank over the Memorial Day weekend. The book The Cops Are Robbers: A Convicted Cop's True Story of Police Corruption is based upon this event.
- The only recorded proof of the Mafia's existence is from an FBI audiotape of a Mafia induction ceremony held on Guild Street in Medford in the late 1980s.
- An admitted Mob execution by Somerville
Somerville is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, located just north of Boston. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 77,478 and was the most densely populated municipality in New England. It is also the 17th most densely populated incorporated place in...
's Irish Winter Hill GangThe Winter Hill Gang is a loose confederation of Boston, Massachusetts-area organized crime figures, predominantly Irish-American with a small Italian-American faction. It derives its name from the Winter Hill neighborhood of Somerville, Massachusetts north of Boston. Its members have included...
of Joe Notarangeli took place at the "Pewter Pot" cafe in Medford Square.
Geography
Medford is located at (42.419996, −71.107942).
According to the
United States Census BureauThe United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data. As part of the United States Department of Commerce, the Census Bureau serves as the leading source of quality data about...
, the city has a total area of 8.6 square miles (22.4 km²), of which, 8.1 square miles (21.1 km²) of it is land and 0.5 square miles (1.3 km²) of it (5.79%) is water.
A park called the
Middlesex Fells ReservationMiddlesex Fells Reservation, often referred to simply as the Fells, is a Massachusetts state park located in Malden, Medford, Melrose, Stoneham, and Winchester...
1 straddles the city's northern boundary. This preserve is shared by Medford with the municipalities of
WinchesterWinchester is a town located in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, eight miles north of Boston. With its agricultural roots having mostly disappeared, it is now mostly an affluent bedroom community. However, there is a fair amount of reduced price housing on the edges of town near Woburn...
,
StonehamStoneham is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. Its population was 22,219 at the 2000 census. The town is the birthplace of Olympic figure skating medalist Nancy Kerrigan and is the home of the Stone Zoo.- History :...
,
MelroseMelrose is a city located in the Greater Boston metropolitan area and Middlesex County, Massachusetts. The population was 26,708 in the 2008 population estimate from the U.S. Census Bureau...
,
MaldenMalden is a suburban city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 56,340 at the 2000 census.-History:Malden, a hilly woodland area north of the Mystic River, was settled by Puritans in 1640 on land purchased in 1629 from the Pawtucket Indians. The area was originally...
and
ArlingtonArlington is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, six miles northwest of Boston. The population was 42,389 at the 2000 census.-History:...
. The
Mystic RiverThe Mystic River is the name of a short river in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. Its name derives from the Wampanoag word "muhs-uhtuq", which translates to "big river". It lies to the north of and flows approximately parallel to the lower portions of the Charles River.Mystic...
flows roughly west to southeast through the middle of the city.
Neighborhoods
People from Medford often identify themselves with a particular neighborhood.
- West Medford
- North Medford (a.k.a. The Heights, North, or Fulton Heights)
- Wellington
- Medford Square
- South Medford
South Medford is the southern part of Medford, Massachusetts. The neighborhood is predominantly Italian American in South Medford.South Medford was founded together with Medford in 1630, making it the 4th oldest English settlement in North America....
- Medford Hillside
- Tufts University
Tufts University is a private research university in Medford/Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts, USA. The university is home to the nation's oldest graduate school of international relations, The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy....
(includes College Hill, South Medford)
- Lawrence Estates
Demographics
At one time the majority of Medford's population were
Italian AmericanAn Italian American is an American of Italian ancestry, and/or may also refer to someone possessing Italian/American dual citizenship. Italian Americans are the fourth largest European ethnic group in the United States.-History:...
families, many of whom lived in the South Medford neighborhood of the city. Irish-Americans also are a strong presence in the city and live in all areas. West Medford, the most affluent of Medford's many neighborhoods, was once the bastion of some of Boston's elite families—including the Brooks family, in-laws to the Adams family—and is also home to an historic African-American neighborhood that dates to the Civil War.
As of the
censusA "census" is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population.In other words every 10 years...next one would be in 2010 The term is used mostly in connection with...
of 2000, there were 55,765 people, 22,067 households, and 13,505 families residing in the city. The
population densityPopulation density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans. It is a key term used in geography....
was 6,851.3 people per square mile (2,645.1/km²). There were 22,687 housing units at an average density of 2,787.3/sq mi (1,076.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 86.45% White, 6.10% African American, 0.11% Native American, 3.87% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.14% from
other racesRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 2.30% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.59% of the population.
There were 22,067 households out of which 23.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.6% were
married couplesMarriage is a social union or legal contract between individuals that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged by a variety of ways, depending on the culture or demographic...
living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.8% were non-families. 28.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 3.04.
In the city the population was spread out with 17.9% under the age of 18, 11.0% from 18 to 24, 32.6% from 25 to 44, 21.2% from 45 to 64, and 17.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 88.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $52,476, and the median income for a family was $62,409. Males had a median income of $41,704 versus $34,948 for females. The
per capita incomePer capita income means how much each individual receives, in monetary terms, of the yearly income generated in the country. This is what each citizen is to receive if the yearly national income is divided equally among everyone. Per capita income is usually reported in units of currency per year...
for the city was $24,707. About 4.1% of families and 6.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.7% of those under age 18 and 7.4% of those age 65 or over.
Medford has three
Public AccessPublic Access is a 1993 film directed by Bryan Singer, who also wrote the screenplay with Christopher McQuarrie and Michael Feit Dougan. It was a joint winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the 1993 Sundance Film Festival.-Plot:...
television stations: TV3, Channel 15 (educational access) and Channel 16 (governmental or municipal access).
Transportation
Numerous
Massachusetts Bay Transportation AuthorityThe Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, often referred to as the MBTA or simply The T, is "a body politic and corporate, and a political subdivision" of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts...
bus lines go through Medford. On Medford's east side,
Wellington stationWellington Station is a MBTA station on the Orange Line, located in Medford, Massachusetts, USA on the Revere Beach Parkway slightly east of its intersection with Route 28....
on the
Orange LineThe Orange Line is one of the four subway lines of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. It extends from Forest Hills in Jamaica Plain, Boston in the south to Oak Grove in Malden, Massachusetts in the north. It meets the Red Line at Downtown Crossing, the Blue Line at State, and the Green...
provides a connection to Boston and the entire rapid transit system. On the west side, the
Lowell Commuter Rail LineThe Lowell Line is a railroad line of the MBTA Commuter Rail system, running north from Boston to Lowell, Massachusetts. Originally built as the Boston and Lowell Railroad, and later operated as part of the Boston and Maine Railroad's Southern Division, the line was one of the first railroads in...
stops in
West Medford SquareWest Medford station is located at 481 High Street as it passes through West Medford Square in Medford, Massachusetts, a suburb of Boston.When the original Boston and Lowell Railroad was laid out in the 1830s, West Medford was mostly farmland...
.
Discussion of bringing the
Green LineThe Green Line is a light rail/streetcar system run by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority in the Boston, Massachusetts area of the United States. It is the oldest line of Boston's subway, which is known locally as the 'T'. The Green Line runs underground downtown and on the surface in...
into Medford, as is mandated by environmental mitigation provisions of the Big Dig project, is ongoing. On February 2, 2009, the state formally endorsed
extending the Green Line through MedfordGreen Line Extension is the name for a proposed northward extension of the Green Line from its present northern terminus at Lechmere, into Somerville, Massachusetts and southern neighborhoods of Medford, Massachusetts...
, terminating near the intersection of Boston Avenue and Mystic Valley Parkway (Massachusetts Route 16). As proposed, the terminus would not have parking facilities. The extension would serve an additional 10,000 potential Green Line riders.
Joseph's Limousine and Transportation (located in Medford) runs a bus line through the city, and also picks up passengers going to other parts of Greater Boston or out of state.
Interstate 93Interstate 93 is an Interstate Highway in the New England section of the United States. Its southern terminus is in Canton, Massachusetts, in the Boston metropolitan area, at Interstate 95; its northern terminus is near St. Johnsbury, Vermont, at Interstate 91.For most of its length, Interstate 93...
travels roughly north-south through the city. State routes passing through Medford include 16, 28, 38, and 60
Points of interest
- Tufts University
Tufts University is a private research university in Medford/Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts, USA. The university is home to the nation's oldest graduate school of international relations, The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy....
: Though mainly located in Medford, the SomervilleSomerville is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, located just north of Boston. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 77,478 and was the most densely populated municipality in New England. It is also the 17th most densely populated incorporated place in...
-Medford border actually runs through Tufts' campus. The school employs many local residents and has many community service projects that serve the city, especially those run through the Leonard Carmichael Society and the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Citizenship and Public ServiceThe Jonathan M. Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service, is a college of Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts...
, the latter of which especially emphasizes public service in Tufts' host communities.
- Springstep, a nonprofit that hosts variety of dance and music classes, weekly social dances, and a six-part Performance Series. It is located across from City Hall.
- Amelia Earhart
Amelia Mary Earhart ; was a noted American aviation pioneer and author. Earhart was the first woman to receive the Distinguished Flying Cross, awarded for becoming the first aviatrix to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean...
residence, 76 Brooks Street
- Former site of Fannie Farmer
Fannie Merritt Farmer was an American culinary expert whose Boston Cooking-School Cook Book became a widely used culinary text.-Biography:...
's house; corner of Paris & Salem Streets
- Grandfather's House
Grandfather's house, at 114 South Street, Medford, Massachusetts, is the original house named in the American song "Over the River and through the Woods". Some versions of the song mention Grandmother's house. It is unclear which is the correct phrase.The rear portion of the modern house was built...
- Grace Church
The Grace Episcopal Church is an Episcopal church designed by noted American architect H. H. Richardson, with a major stained glass window by John LaFarge. It is located at 160 High Street, Medford, Massachusetts and now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.The church was constructed...
, designed by H. H. Richardson
- Gravity Research Foundation
The Gravity Research Foundation, established in 1948 by businessman Roger Babson , was an organization designed to find ways to implement gravitational shielding...
monument at Tufts University
- Isaac Royall House
The Isaac Royall House is a historic house located at 15 George Street, Medford, Massachusetts. It is a National Historic Landmark, operated as a non-profit museum, and open for public visits between June 1 and the last weekend in October....
- Jingle Bells
"Jingle Bells" is one of the best known and commonly sung winter songs in the world. It was written by James Lord Pierpont and copyrighted under the title 'One Horse Open Sleigh' on September 16 1857. Despite being inextricably connected to Christmas, it is not specifically a Christmas song...
historical marker, High Street
- Peter Tufts House
The Peter Tufts House is a Colonial American house located at 350 Riverside Avenue, formerly known as Ship Street in Medford, Massachusetts. It is currently thought to have been built between 1677-1678...
- Salem Street Burying Ground
Salem Street Burying Ground is a cemetery located at the intersection of Salem Street and Riverside Avenue in Medford, Massachusetts. The Salem Street Burying Ground was used exclusively in the late 1600s to late 1800s for the burial of the town's wealthy....
- Outside The Lines Studio
Notable residents
- Edwin Adams
Edwin Adams was a United States stage actor, considered to have been one of America's best light comedians....
, (1834-1877), stage comedian of the 19th century
- Lou Antonelli
Louis Sergio Antonelli is an American science fiction and fantasy writer who resides in Mount Pleasant, Texas...
, science fiction writer
- Shawn Bates
Shawn Bates is an American professional ice hockey center currently playing for the HIFK in the SM-liiga in Finland. He previously played in the National Hockey League, in which he played for the Boston Bruins and New York Islanders.- College :Bates played four seasons with the Boston University...
, professional hockey player,
- Laurel Mcgoff
Laurel McGoff is an actress and singer, most widely known for her appearance in the CBS reality series Kid Nation in 2007...
actress
New York IslandersThe New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
- Jessica Biel
Jessica Claire Biel is an American actress and former model, who has appeared in several Hollywood films, including Summer Catch, the remake of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Illusionist and I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry...
, actress, resident while attending Tufts University.
- Michael Bloomberg
Michael Rubens Bloomberg is the current Mayor of New York City. He was listed as the eighth-richest American, with a net worth of US $16 billion, in the Forbes 400 on September 17, 2008, making him the richest resident of New York City, ahead of David H. Koch...
, current mayor of New York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States, and the center of the New York metropolitan area, which is among the most populous urban areas in the world. A leading global city, New York exerts a powerful influence over worldwide commerce, finance, culture, fashion and entertainment...
- Dale Bozzio
Dale Bozzio , Boston Massachusetts, is an American musician and former Playboy Bunny. She became famous as the lead singer for the 1980s pop/new wave band Missing Persons.- Career :...
Lead singer of band Missing Persons, worked with Frank Zappa.
- David Brickman, former publisher of the Medford Daily Mercury, TV personality, and speechwriter to Massachusetts Governor John Volpe.
- Terri Lyne Carrington
Terri Lyne Carrington is a jazz drummer, composer, and record producer. She has played with jazz legends Dizzy Gillespie, Stan Getz, Clark Terry, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Joe Sample, Al Jarreau, and many more...
, jazz drummer
- Lydia Maria Child, anti-slave activist, writer of the poem "Over the River and Through the Woods"
- Martha Coakley
Martha Mary Coakley is the Attorney General of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and a candidate in the special election to fill the Class 1 seat in the United States Senate made vacant by the death of Senator Ted Kennedy...
, attorney general of the State of Massachusetts.
- Thayer David
Thayer David was a film and television actor. He was best known for his work on the cult ABC serial Dark Shadows and as the fight promoter George Jergens in the Oscar-winning movie Rocky in 1976...
, successful TV and film character actor during 1950's, 60's, and 70's
- Amelia Earhart
Amelia Mary Earhart ; was a noted American aviation pioneer and author. Earhart was the first woman to receive the Distinguished Flying Cross, awarded for becoming the first aviatrix to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean...
, pioneer aviatrix
- Fannie Farmer
Fannie Merritt Farmer was an American culinary expert whose Boston Cooking-School Cook Book became a widely used culinary text.-Biography:...
- Paul Geary
Paul Geary was once the drummer for the Funk metal band, Extreme. He was replaced in the group in 1994, by then future and now former Annihilator member Michael Mangini....
former drummer of the hard rock band ExtremeExtreme or Xtreme may refer to:In music:*Extreme , an American band**Extreme , an album by Extreme*Xtreme , a bachata duo**Xtreme , an album by Xtreme*Extremes , an album by Collin Raye...
, music manager for acts such as GodsmackGodsmack is an American heavy metal band from Lawrence, Massachusetts, formed in 1995. The band comprises founder, frontman and songwriter Sully Erna, guitarist Tony Rombola, bassist Robbie Merrill, and drummer Shannon Larkin...
- Colonel
Colonel is a military rank of a commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every country in the world. It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
Edward Needles HallowellEdward "Ned" Needles Hallowell was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on November 3 1836 to Morris Hallowell and Hannah Penrose, and died on July 26 1871 in Medford, Massachusetts. Hallowell is most notable for being one of the commanders of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry...
, merchant and commander of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer InfantryThe 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that saw extensive federal service in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The regiment was one of the first official black units in the United States armed forces...
in the Civil WarA civil war is a war between organized groups within a single nation state, or, less commonly, between two nations created from a formerly-united nation state. The aim of one side may be to take control of the nation or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies...
- John Honeycutt, TV producer for the Discovery Networks
- Robert Kelly
Robert Kelly is an Irish-American stand-up comedian from Boston, Massachusetts. He frequently performs at the Comedy Cellar. Robert Kelly often appears on The Opie and Anthony Show on Sirius Satellite Radio and XM Satellite Radio, and has also appeared on Last Call with Carson Daly, Tough Crowd...
, comedian, TourgasmTourgasm was a 30-day 20-show stand-up comedy tour in 2005 featuring Dane Cook and three of his best friends in the industry: Robert Kelly, Gary Gulman and Jay Davis. The tour was filmed in its entirety and aired on HBO as a documentary in June 2006. The documentary was created and directed by Dane...
, Comedy CentralComedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries predominantly comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
- Brian McGoff, Fetch with Ruff Ruffman
- Maria Menounos
Maria Menounos is an American actress, journalist, and television presenter known at home for her appearances as a correspondent for The Today Show and Access Hollywood, and abroad for co-hosting the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 in Athens, Greece.-Early life and beauty pageants:Menounos, a Greek...
, Miss Massachusetts Teen USAThe Miss Massachusetts Teen USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Massachusetts in the Miss Teen USA pageant....
1996, media personality (Entertainment TonightEntertainment Tonight is a daily tabloid-like television entertainment news show that is syndicated by CBS Television Distribution throughout the United States, Canada and in many countries around the world. Kaylee Stacey is the producer...
), actress
- Bill Monbouquette
William Charles Monbouquette is a former pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Boston Red Sox , Detroit Tigers , New York Yankees and San Francisco Giants...
, former Major League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of play in North American professional baseball. Specifically, Major League Baseball refers to the organization that operates the National League and the American League, by means of a joint organizational structure that has developed gradually between...
pitcher 1958-1968 (Red Sox, Tigers, Yankees)
- Priscilla Morrill
Priscilla Morrill was an American actress best known for her television performance as Lou Grant's wife on The Mary Tyler Moore Show.-Career:...
, actress, played Edie GrantEdith McKenzie Grant Gordon was a fictional character on the seventies sitcom, The Mary Tyler Moore Show. She was played on a recurring basis by the late actress, Priscilla Morrill.- Lou's wife :...
on the Mary Tyler Moore Show
- John Forbes Nash
John Forbes Nash Jr., Ph.D. is an American mathematician whose works in game theory, differential geometry, and partial differential equations have provided insight into the forces that govern chance and events inside complex systems in daily life...
, Princeton professor, winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics
- Julianne Nicholson
Julianne Nicholson is an American actress. She is currently playing Det. Megan Wheeler on Law and Order: Criminal Intent.-Personal life:...
, actress (Ally McBealAlly McBeal is an American television series which ran on the Fox network from 1997 to 2002. The series was created by David E. Kelley, who also served as the executive producer, along with Bill D'Elia...
, ConvictionConviction is an American television drama on NBC that debuted as a midseason replacement on Friday, March 3 2006. The cast includes Stephanie March reprising her Law & Order: Special Victims Unit role as Alexandra Cabot...
)
- Mike Pagliarulo
Michael Timothy Pagliarulo, aka "Pags" , is a former Major League Baseball third baseman during the 1980s and into the mid 1990s...
, former Major League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of play in North American professional baseball. Specifically, Major League Baseball refers to the organization that operates the National League and the American League, by means of a joint organizational structure that has developed gradually between...
player
- Jerry Pallotta, children's book author
- Edward L. Papazian, Actor (IMDB listed), Japan
- James Pierpont
James Lord Pierpont was an American songwriter, arranger, organist, and composer, best known for writing and composing Jingle Bells in 1857, originally entitled "The One Horse Open Sleigh". He was born in Boston, Massachusetts, and died in Winter Haven, Florida...
, writer of "Jingle Bells"
- Ruth Posselt
Ruth Pierce Posselt was an American violinist and educator.-Studies and Performances:...
, classical violinist
- William Zebina Ripley, American economist
An economist is an expert in the social science of economics. The individual may also study, develop, and apply theories and concepts from economics and write about economic policy...
and racial theorist
- Isaac Royall, Jr.
Isaac Royall, Jr. was a colonial American slaveholder who played an important role in the creation of Harvard Law School.He was the son of Isaac Royall, an Antiguan slaveholder who moved his family to Medford, Massachusetts in the early 18th century...
- Joe Sacco, NHL Hockey player (Toronto, Anaheim, NY Islanders, Washington & Philadelphia)
- David Sacco
David Sacco is a retired professional ice hockey player. Drafted 195th overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1988 NHL Entry Draft, Sacco played 35 games in the National Hockey League with the Maple Leafs and Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, scoring a total of 5 goals and 13 assists for 18 points and...
, NHL Hockey player (Toronto & Anaheim)
- Elizabeth Short, aspiring starlet, brutally mutilated and murdered, dubbed the "Black Dahlia
Elizabeth Short was an American woman who was the victim of a gruesome and much-publicized murder. She acquired the nickname Black Dahlia after moving to California. Short was found mutilated, her body severed, on January 15, 1947 in Leimert Park, Los Angeles, California...
" by the press
- Clifford Shull
Clifford Glenwood Shull was a Nobel Prize-winning American physicist.-Biography:...
, Nobel PrizeThe Nobel Prize is a Sweden-based international monetary prize. The award was established by the 1895 will and estate of Swedish chemist and inventor Alfred Nobel. It was first awarded in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature, and Peace in 1901...
winning AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
physicistA physicist is a scientist who studies or practices physics. Physicists study a wide range of physical phenomena in many branches of physics spanning all length scales: from sub-atomic particles of which all ordinary matter is made to the behavior of the material Universe as a whole...
- Michael F. Skerry
Michael "Mike" Skerry was a Massachusetts legislator; he served in the Massachusetts House of Representatives for six terms, from 1941-1957, and was the speaker from 1955 to 1958. Skerry served as delegate from the 8th District of Middlesex County to the Democratic National Convention from...
, political figure, Speaker, Massachusetts House of Representatives
- Paul Theroux
Paul Edward Theroux is an American travel writer and novelist, whose best known work is, perhaps, The Great Railway Bazaar , a travelogue about a trip he made by train from the United Kingdom through Western and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, through South Asia, then South-East Asia, up through...
, author
- Keith Tkachuk
Keith Matthew Tkachuk is an American professional ice hockey player and alternate captain currently playing for the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League .- Playing career :...
, NHL Hockey player (Winnipeg, Phoenix, St. Louis & Atlanta)
- Ed Tryon
Ed Tryon was an American football player. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1963....
, halfback at Colgate University, elected to College Football Hall of Fame in 1963
See also
Further reading
External links