Sutton, Massachusetts

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Sutton, Massachusetts
Town
Sutton Town Common
Sutton Town Common
Official seal of Sutton, Massachusetts
Seal
Location in Worcester County and the U.S. state of Massachusetts.
Location in Worcester County and the U.S. state of Massachusetts.
Coordinates: 42°09′00″N 71°45′48″W / 42.15000°N 71.76333°W / 42.15000; -71.76333Coordinates: 42°09′00″N 71°45′48″W / 42.15000°N 71.76333°W / 42.15000; -71.76333
CountryUnited States
StateMassachusetts
CountyWorcester
Settled1704
Incorporated1714
Government
 • TypeOpen town meeting
 • Town
   Manager		James Smith
 • Board of
   Selectmen		David Hall
Jesse Limanek
Wendy Mead
Jonathan Anderson
Jeff Bannon
Area
 • Total33.9 sq mi (87.9 km2)
 • Land32.4 sq mi (83.9 km2)
 • Water1.6 sq mi (4.0 km2)
Elevation
706 ft (215 m)
Population
 (2010)
 • Total8,963
 • Density260/sq mi (100/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (Eastern)
ZIP Code
01590
Area code(s)508/774
FIPS code25-68610
GNIS feature ID0619491
Websitewww.suttonma.org

Sutton is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 8,963 at the 2010 census.

History[]

A Nipmuc, John Wampas, visited England in the 1600s and deeded land in the Sutton area to Edward Pratt. Pratt sold interests in this land to others, and competing claims among them and the Nipmucs led to a General Court case in Massachusetts in 1704, which granted Pratt and his fellow proprietors an eight-mile-square section of land, which is now Sutton.[1]

Three families were the first to settle on the land, that of Benjamin Marsh, Elisha Johnson and Nathaniel Johnson. Brothers Samuel and Daniel Carriel also occupied the Marsh family cabin. The "big snow" of 1717 completely buried their cabins. A friendly Indian found the cabin of the Johnson family only by seeing smoke from the chimney coming out of the snow. The Indian rescued the family, and as Mrs. Johnson recalled, "No voice ever sounded so sweet as that of that Indian down the chimney." Marsh served as a selectman, town moderator and in various other positions of responsibility as the town became established. Benjamin Marsh founded the town's Baptist church, which is the fourth oldest Baptist church in Massachusetts. He served as elder of the church, and was pastor from 1737 until his death in 1775.[2][3][4] They settled on property in the area called Manchaug, near Marble Village. It is home of one of the oldest schoolhouses in America dating back to the 18th century, according to the Worcester Telegram & Gazette.

By 1735, Hassananmisco and a small portion of the northeastern territory of the township of Sutton had incorporated as the town of Grafton. Millbury was set apart from Sutton in 1813. In early days, Millbury was called North Parish. Another area name is "Pleasant Valley," now known due to a golf course of the same name in Sutton.

Manchaug Mill

Through the 18th and 19th centuries, Sutton was a town that enjoyed both agricultural and industrial benefits. The farms and orchards in the area did very well, as did the three large mills that were built in the Manchaug area.[5]

The town is part of the historic Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor and has several of its sites.[6]

Geography[]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 33.9 square miles (88 km2), of which 32.4 square miles (84 km2) is land and 1.5 square miles (3.9 km2), or 4.57%, is water.

The town contains five villages, known as Sutton Center, Manchaug, Wilkinsonville, West Sutton, and South Sutton. Located in the Blackstone Valley, Sutton shares its borders with the towns of Millbury, Grafton, Northbridge, Douglas, Uxbridge, and Oxford.

Purgatory Chasm State Reservation is located in the eastern part of town.

Climate[]

hideClimate data for Sutton, Massachusetts
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 64
(18) 		73
(23) 		83
(28) 		91
(33) 		95
(35) 		97
(36) 		98
(37) 		98
(37) 		95
(35) 		87
(31) 		79
(26) 		72
(22) 		98
(37)
Average high °F (°C) 34
(1) 		37
(3) 		45
(7) 		57
(14) 		68
(20) 		77
(25) 		81
(27) 		80
(27) 		73
(23) 		61
(16) 		51
(11) 		38
(3) 		59
(15)
Average low °F (°C) 12
(−11) 		15
(−9) 		23
(−5) 		34
(1) 		44
(7) 		54
(12) 		60
(16) 		58
(14) 		49
(9) 		37
(3) 		30
(−1) 		19
(−7) 		36
(2)
Record low °F (°C) −28
(−33) 		−22
(−30) 		−16
(−27) 		2
(−17) 		25
(−4) 		34
(1) 		40
(4) 		34
(1) 		9
(−13) 		16
(−9) 		−2
(−19) 		−16
(−27) 		−28
(−33)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 3.76
(96) 		3.39
(86) 		4.45
(113) 		4.39
(112) 		3.73
(95) 		4.15
(105) 		4.30
(109) 		3.78
(96) 		3.88
(99) 		4.61
(117) 		4.49
(114) 		3.87
(98) 		48.8
(1,240)
Source: [7]

Demographics[]

Historical population
YearPop.±%
18502,595—    
18602,676+3.1%
18702,699+0.9%
18803,105+15.0%
18903,180+2.4%
19003,328+4.7%
19103,078−7.5%
19202,578−16.2%
19302,147−16.7%
19402,749+28.0%
19503,102+12.8%
19603,638+17.3%
19704,590+26.2%
19805,855+27.6%
19906,824+16.5%
20008,250+20.9%
20108,963+8.6%
* = population estimate.
Source: United States census records and Population Estimates Program data.[8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17]

As of the 2010 U.S. Census there were 8,963 people residing in Sutton. As of the census[18] of 2000, there were 8,250 people, 2,811 households, and 2,282 families residing in the town. The population density was 254.8 inhabitants per square mile (98.4/km2). There were 2,950 housing units at an average density of 91.1 per square mile (35.2/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 98.18% White, 0.68% African American, 0.01% Native American, 0.59% Asian, 0.27% from other races, and 0.55% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.70% of the population.

There were 2,811 households, out of which 42.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 71.3% were married couples living together, 6.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.8% were non-families. Of all households, 15.0% were made up of individuals, and 6.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.93 and the average family size was 3.27.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 29.4% under the age of 18, 5.6% from 18 to 24, 31.5% from 25 to 44, 25.4% from 45 to 64, and 8.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.1 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $75,141, and the median income for a family was $81,000. Males had a median income of $53,482 versus $37,463 for females. The per capita income for the town was $27,490. About 3.4% of families and 4.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.2% of those under age 18 and 6.8% of those age 65 or over.

Notable local businesses[]

Government[]

Sutton has an open town meeting type government. The current Town Moderator is Ken Stuart, who served as a Selectman prior to his election in 2015.

The town government in Sutton consists of the Town Manager and the Board of Selectmen. The current Town Manager is James A. Smith, and the current members of the Board of Selectmen are David Hall (since Oct 2012), Jesse Limanek (since May 2015), Wendy Mead (since May 2018), Jonathan Anderson (since Oct 2018), and Jeff Bannon (since May 2019).

Noteworthy former elected officials[]

John Hebert, who served four terms on the Board of Selectmen, retired from public service in May 2019. Mr. Hebert had served Sutton for fifty years, first as a member of the Highway Department, then as a Patrolman for the Sutton Police, and then as the Chief of Police.

Paul Maynard, who served one term on the Board of Selectmen, retired from the Board in May 2017. Mr. Maynard has served Sutton for many years, including as the Chief of the Sutton Fire Department. Currently, Mr. Maynard serves on the Police Station Building Committee and is part of the Emergency Management Team.

Michael Chizy, who served eight terms on the Board of Selectmen, retired from the Board in May 2015. Mr. Chizy served Sutton for fifty years. In addition to serving on the BOS, he served on the Conservation Commission for seventeen years and the Council of Aging for 17 years. After retiring from the Board of Selectmen in 2015, the Sutton Food Pantry was renamed after him.

[19]

Library[]

The Sutton Free Library was established in 1876.[20][21] In fiscal year 2008, the town of Sutton spent 0.7% ($165,982) of its budget on its public library—some $18 per person.[22]

Public services[]

The public services in Sutton include the police, fire, and highway departments. The Police Department is located at 4 Uxbridge Road. A new Police station is currently under construction on Putnam Hill Road. The Fire Department has three stations, one in the center of town, one in the Wilkinsonville village, and one in the Manchaug village. The Sutton Highway Department is located at 25 Pleasant Valley Road.[23]

Education[]

Public schools in Sutton fall under the jurisdiction of Sutton Public School District. Sutton public schools consist of the Simonian Center for Early Learning, Sutton Elementary School, Sutton Middle School, and Sutton Memorial High School.

Notable people[]

  • Edward Putnam, early pioneer of Sutton (and the Edward Putnam House still stands in Sutton)
  • Rufus Putnam, Revolutionary War general (and his home is pictured on the Sutton town seal)[24]
  • Solomon Sibley, first mayor of Detroit, Michigan, was born in Sutton
  • Amos Singletary, Anti-Federalist Representative in the Massachusetts General Court
  • Homer Sprague, Civil War Colonel, writer, and academic who served as president of the University of North Dakota and Mills College, among others
  • Keytar Bear, well-known Boston-area busker, was homeschooled by his grandmother in Sutton

Adjacent towns[]

Notes[]

  1. ^ "History of Sutton". suttonma.org. Retrieved January 24, 2011.
  2. ^ Stager, Helen A. and Evelyn, A Family Odyssey, pp. 106-7, Nicollet Press, Inc., Pipestone, MN, 1983.
  3. ^ Benedict, Rev. William A. and Tracy, Rev. Hiram A., History of the Town of Sutton, Massachusetts, from 1704 to 1876, pp. 18-24, 27, 37, 39, 43, 45, 46, 49, 51, 58, 61, 70, 71, 75, 77-8, 89, 255, 461-3, 689-91, Sanford & Co., Worcester, MA, 1878.
  4. ^ Marsh, William H. III, History of our Marsh Family, p. 9, Bremerhaven, Germany, 1978.
  5. ^ "Sutton Massachusetts". www.suttonmass.org. Retrieved 15 April 2018.
  6. ^ "Plan your visit/valley sites/Douglas, Nortbridge, Sutton". National Park Service. Retrieved 2007-12-26.
  7. ^ "Sutton, MA Monthly Weather". www.weather.com. Retrieved 29 August 2020.
  8. ^ "Total Population (P1), 2010 Census Summary File 1". American FactFinder, All County Subdivisions within Massachusetts. United States Census Bureau. 2010.
  9. ^ "Massachusetts by Place and County Subdivision - GCT-T1. Population Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
  10. ^ "1990 Census of Population, General Population Characteristics: Massachusetts" (PDF). US Census Bureau. December 1990. Table 76: General Characteristics of Persons, Households, and Families: 1990. 1990 CP-1-23. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
  11. ^ "1980 Census of the Population, Number of Inhabitants: Massachusetts" (PDF). US Census Bureau. December 1981. Table 4. Populations of County Subdivisions: 1960 to 1980. PC80-1-A23. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
  12. ^ "1950 Census of Population" (PDF). Bureau of the Census. 1952. Section 6, Pages 21-10 and 21-11, Massachusetts Table 6. Population of Counties by Minor Civil Divisions: 1930 to 1950. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
  13. ^ "1920 Census of Population" (PDF). Bureau of the Census. Number of Inhabitants, by Counties and Minor Civil Divisions. Pages 21-5 through 21-7. Massachusetts Table 2. Population of Counties by Minor Civil Divisions: 1920, 1910, and 1920. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
  14. ^ "1890 Census of the Population" (PDF). Department of the Interior, Census Office. Pages 179 through 182. Massachusetts Table 5. Population of States and Territories by Minor Civil Divisions: 1880 and 1890. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
  15. ^ "1870 Census of the Population" (PDF). Department of the Interior, Census Office. 1872. Pages 217 through 220. Table IX. Population of Minor Civil Divisions, &c. Massachusetts. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
  16. ^ "1860 Census" (PDF). Department of the Interior, Census Office. 1864. Pages 220 through 226. State of Massachusetts Table No. 3. Populations of Cities, Towns, &c. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
  17. ^ "1850 Census" (PDF). Department of the Interior, Census Office. 1854. Pages 338 through 393. Populations of Cities, Towns, &c. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
  18. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  19. ^ MA, Sutton. "Sutton, MA - Board of Selectmen". suttonma.org. Retrieved 15 April 2018.
  20. ^ C.B. Tillinghast. The free public libraries of Massachusetts. 1st Report of the Free Public Library Commission of Massachusetts. Boston: Wright & Potter, 1891.
  21. ^ Sutton Public Library. Retrieved 2010-11-10
  22. ^ July 1, 2007 through June 30, 2008; cf. The FY2008 Municipal Pie: What's Your Share? Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Board of Library Commissioners. Boston: 2009. Available: Municipal Pie Reports Archived 2012-01-23 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2010-08-04
  23. ^ MA, Sutton. "Sutton, MA". suttonma.org. Retrieved 15 April 2018.
  24. ^ Hubbard, Robert Ernest. General Rufus Putnam: George Washington's Chief Military Engineer and the "Father of Ohio," pp. 6-8, 192, McFarland & Company, Inc., Jefferson, North Carolina. ISBN 978-1-4766-7862-7.

External links[]

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