38-398: The South Reading Branch Railroad or just South Reading Railroad (later Wakefield Branch ) was a short line railroad that ran from Wakefield, Massachusetts to Peabody, Massachusetts . Its origins began sometime in 1850 when the railroad was named after the town of South Reading before its name change to Wakefield in 1868. By the time Boston and Maine took over the railroad in 1884,
76-522: A microburst . Downed power lines, snapped trees, and a house fire caused by a lightning strike were reported, with damage being especially heavy in the town's Greenwood section. Then, on October 30, Wakefield was hit by a "Snowtober"—an unseasonable October snowstorm. The storm pelted much of Greater Boston with record setting snowfall for the month of October, exceeding the previous October high snowfall, in October 2011, by approximately two inches. As of
114-581: A climate typical to the Northeastern United States , with cold, snowy winters, cool, rainy springs, cool, sunny autumns, and hot, humid summers. During the summers, many droughts occur, and lakes and other means of water supply often go down a couple of inches. The town received, along with many other parts of Massachusetts, 2 to 3 feet (0.61 to 0.91 m) of snow during a January 2011 Nor'Easter . Wakefield also received 27.5 inches (700 mm) or 2.29 feet (0.70 m) of snow during
152-528: A group of investors from Salem and Danvers were granted a charter to build a railroad line from South Reading to South Danvers. The line took two years to build and opened for business in 1850 and opened up another Boston to Salem route as it was given trackage rights to Salem on the Essex Railroad . The Boston to Salem route had long been monopolized by the Eastern Railroad and when
190-518: Is a town , not a city , Wakefield's main decisions are made, in the New England style , by a Board of Selectmen , which works in collaboration with a town administrator . Stephen Maio is the town administrator as of 2024. Administrator Maio hosts a "Town Administrator's Report" monthly on the public-access television cable TV station, WCAT-TV (about which more below ). A number of other matters are handled by different committees in
228-684: Is evidence that Parker was "conspicuous in naming the town" and that he was related to the Parker family of Little Norton , England, who owned land by the name of Ryddinge. The old parish church became known as the Old or South Parish when in 1713 the North Parish was established. This North Parish later became the town of North Reading . In 1769 the West Parish was established. In 1812 the Old or South Parish of Reading separated from Reading and
266-491: Is particularly notable for its extensive line of balsa wood model airplane kits. Route 128 was built along the north edge of the town by 1958, and the American Mutual Insurance Company built its headquarters between Lake Quannapowitt and Route 128. American Mutual had over 1000 employees, most of them commuting to work via Route 128. By the late 1980s American Mutual was in liquidation due to
304-558: Is prohibited on Crystal Lake. Lake Quannapowitt, meanwhile, is used for a wide variety of recreational activities, including boating, windsurfing, kayaking, and fishing, and is the primary source of the Saugus River. In 1847, Lake Quannapowitt was named for the Native American James Quannapowitt, one of the signers of the old Indian Deed of 1686. The earliest settlers referred to the lake simply as
342-579: The Saugus River . Thomas Parker (1609–1683) was one of the founders of Reading, and his home was in what is now downtown Wakefield (on the east side of Crescent Street where it intersects Princess Street). He also was a founder of the 12th Congregational Church (now the First Parish Congregational Church), and served as deacon there. He was a selectman of Reading and was appointed a judicial commissioner. There
380-592: The Woburn W. R. Grace litigation. The headquarters building was sold to the Beal Company and was home to Boston Technology Inc. which invented and manufactured corporate voice mail systems that operated on computer systems. Boston Technology merged in 1997 with Comverse Technology , a digital telecommunications equipment manufacturer, which later bought the building; Wakefield became headquarters of its eventual spinoff, Comverse . The northeastern part of Wakefield
418-542: The census of 2000, there were 24,804 people, 9,747 households, and 6,608 families residing in the town. The population density was 3,321.6 inhabitants per square mile (1,282.5/km ). There were 9,937 housing units at an average density of 1,330.7 per square mile (513.8/km ). The racial makeup of the town was 96.94% White , 0.45% Black or African American , 0.08% Native American , 1.43% Asian , 0.01% Pacific Islander , 0.20% from other races , and 0.90% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.82% of
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#1732791172502456-460: The census of 2010 , there were 24,932 people, 9,994 households, 10,500 housing units, and 6,547 families residing in the Town of Wakefield. The racial makeup of the Town in 2010 was: Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.3% (575) of the population. In the town in 2010, there were 9,994 households, out of which: The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.07. In
494-494: The " Town Council " in 2018 in an effort to maintain gender neutrality . Since that time, "Selectmen" have been called "Councilors." A single Councilor term lasts for three years; barring special elections, annual town elections take place each April. The Town Council consisted of, as of April 2024, Chair Jonathan Chines, Vice-Chair Michael J. McLane, Mehreen N. Butt, John F. Carney, Anne P. Danehy, Edward F. Dombroski, Jr., and Robert E. Vincent. with Sherri A. Dalton as clerk to
532-537: The "Greate Pond" or "Reading Pond." Lake Quannapowitt is also home to the oldest inland yacht club in the United States, Quannapowitt Yacht Club, which was founded in 1886. Long regarded as "Wakefield's greatest natural resource," Lake Quannapowitt covers an area of 247 acres (1.00 km ; 100 ha). Its outlet is the Saugus River to the Atlantic Ocean . Wakefield Common sits to the south of
570-486: The "Yankee Division Highway". According to the United States Census Bureau , the town has a total area of 7.9 square miles (20 km ), of which 7.5 square miles (19 km ) is land and 0.4 square miles (1.0 km ), or 5.56%, is water. Wakefield has two lakes, Crystal Lake and Lake Quannapowitt . Crystal Lake is used as a reservoir for some of the town's drinking water; as such, recreation
608-588: The February 2013 Nor'Easter known as Winter Storm Nemo , and snowfall in Wakefield was unofficially reported as 29.0 inches (740 mm) or 2.42 feet (0.74 m) following the January 2015 Nor'Easter known as Winter Storm Juno . In 2020, Wakefield suffered significant impacts from two major storms: firstly, on August 24, 2020, the town took the brunt of an exceptionally severe thunderstorm cell that included
646-588: The Middlesex County– Essex County line. As the crow flies , Wakefield Lower Common is located approximately 10.3 miles (16.6 km) north of Government Center, Boston , while the Wakefield–Melrose line is located about 7.95 miles (12.79 km) north. Route 129 runs through Wakefield as its Main Street. I-95 / Route 128 skirt the northwestern border of Wakefield as one road known as
684-642: The South Reading line was opened, it took quite a bit of the business away with lower fares and the fact that passengers had a direct link to downtown Boston via the Boston and Maine Railroad , the Eastern's most heated rival. Whereas the Eastern had to ferry their passengers from East Boston across the harbor to get to and from Boston, many passengers preferred to take the B&;M to Wakefield and go to Salem via
722-706: The South Reading. In 1851, the Eastern Railroad, fearing that the B&M would take over the South Reading, in self-defense took over the line at steep cost. The Massachusetts State Legislature for years forced the Eastern to keep the Boston-to-Salem route open via the South Reading even after the Eastern had leased the Grand Junction Railroad in order to provide service directly into downtown Boston. In 1868, South Reading became Wakefield and South Danvers changed to Peabody. The line
760-403: The average family size was 3.09. In the town, the population was spread out, with 22.6% under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 32.7% from 25 to 44, 23.8% from 45 to 64, and 15.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.8 males. The median income for a household in the town
798-415: The incorporation of Wakefield took place in 2012, whereas 2018 was the sesquicentennial of the 1868 town name change from "South Reading" to "Wakefield." On December 26, 2000, seven workers at Edgewater Technology in Wakefield, Massachusetts were shot and killed by an Edgewater Tech employee. The 42-year-old gunman was an application supporter at Edgewater Technology. During his trial, he stated that he
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#1732791172502836-462: The lake, and is the site of many recreational activities and events throughout the year. In 1991, a group of local citizens formed "The Friends of Lake Quannapowitt" to advocate for the lake and to educate the public about this natural resource. The group has also raised money for projects that benefit the lake and the surrounding areas. Wakefield has been recognized as an Arbor Day Foundation Tree City USA annually since 2001. Wakefield harbors
874-479: The line had already become obsolete due to competing branches. Boston and Maine eventually halted passenger service in 1925 by abandoning 8 miles of track between Peabody and Lynnfield. The tracks of the former Wakefield branch continued to operate from Lynnfield to Boston until 1959 when passenger service ended. The remaining tracks were then used for freight service from Salem through Peabody Square to South Peabody to serve industrial parks until October 2023. In 1848,
912-524: The line split from the Newburyport Branch) to Peabody. In the 1950s, the abandoned right-of-way became part of Massachusetts Route 128 / Interstate 95 in the Montrose section of Wakefield. In 1965, the first two miles of the line were rebuilt between Peabody and South Peabody to service a new industrial park and freight service is now operated on this line by Pan Am Railways . Portions of
950-468: The local lake, Lake Quannapowitt . Wakefield was first settled in 1638 and was originally known as Lynn Village. It officially separated from Lynn and incorporated as Reading in 1644 when the first church (First Parish Congregational Church) and the first mill were established. This first corn mill was built on the Mill River on Water Street, and later small saw mills were built on the Mill River and
988-408: The population. There were 9,747 households, out of which 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.1% were married couples living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.2% were non-families. 26.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and
1026-568: The right-of-way in Lynnfield and Wakefield are still traceable. Wakefield, Massachusetts Wakefield is a town in Middlesex County , Massachusetts , United States, in the greater Boston metropolitan area , incorporated in 1812 and located about 12.5 mi (20.1 km) north-northwest of Downtown Boston . Wakefield's population was 27,090 at the 2020 census . Wakefield offers an assortment of activities around
1064-471: The town in 2010, the population was spread out agewise with: The median age was 41.9 years, 40.6 for males and 43.0 for females. The population of Wakefield was 24,915 as of July 2007. The town's population was composed of 11,814 (47.4%) males and 13,101 (52.6%) females. The median resident age was 38.9 years, higher than the Massachusetts median age of 36.5. In 2008, the median household income
1102-853: The town, such as the Finance Committee , or FinCom, the Zoning Board of Appeals , and the School Board . The Town Hall houses the office of the Town Administrator and the Finance Committee, as well as other town boards and offices. Board of Selectmen/Town Council meetings, formerly held at the Town Hall, have in recent years moved to the studios of WCAT-TV. The Board of Selectmen was the name of Wakefield's primary governing body until it changed its name to
1140-403: Was $ 66,117, and the median income for a family was $ 77,834. Males had a median income of $ 51,591 versus $ 39,327 for females. The per capita income for the town was $ 30,369. About 1.7% of families and 3.1% of the population were below the poverty line , including 1.7% of those under age 18 and 4.6% of those age 65 or over. Wakefield holds yearly major town meetings to discuss the budget. As it
1178-402: Was $ 85,011, about $ 20,000 above Massachusetts as a whole. The estimated income per capita was $ 39,918. The estimated median property value in 2008 was $ 416,592, up from $ 240,300 in 2000, representing a $ 176,292 increase. Racially , Wakefield broke down as: Ancestries in Wakefield broke down thus The cost of living index was listed as 121.4, 21.4 points above the U.S. average. As of
South Reading Branch Railroad - Misplaced Pages Continue
1216-483: Was born without a soul and that God had allowed him to earn a soul by traveling back in time to kill Nazis . However, the prosecution asserted that the killings were motivated by his employer's garnishing of his wages to the IRS , as he failed to pay back taxes. He was found guilty of seven counts of first degree murder and sentenced to seven consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole . In 2008 this case
1254-578: Was established in 1856 by Cyrus Wakefield . This later grew into the Wakefield Rattan Company and at one time had a thousand employees. In 1868 Cyrus Wakefield donated land and money for a new town hall, and in thanks the town voted to change its name from South Reading to Wakefield. The town hall, currently named for William J. Lee, is located at 1 Lafayette Street. In 1856 the South Reading Public Library
1292-557: Was established, which later became the Beebe Town Library. In 1923, the Lucius Beebe Memorial Library was built and established by Junius Beebe, the son of Lucius Beebe (1810–1884). The first weekly newspaper in Wakefield was established in 1858. One of the oldest and largest manufacturers of flying model airplane toys in the world, Paul K. Guillow, Inc. is located in Wakefield. The company
1330-464: Was home to an amusement park, Pleasure Island , billed as "The Disneyland of the Northeast," but the park closed in 1969 after only ten years of operation due to unseasonably cold weather that brought diminishing returns among tourists. In April 1971, a fire burned down much of the amusement park. The area now consists of several office buildings and is called "Edgewater Park". The bicentennial of
1368-563: Was officially incorporated as South Reading. At the time it was spelled South Redding , not South Reading . The railroad was chartered and built in 1844 between Wilmington and Boston . This later became the main line of the Boston and Maine Railroad . The Boston and Maine Foundry was built in 1854 and was later reincorporated as the Smith and Anthony Stove Company. The Boston Ice Company cut and shipped ice from Lake Quannapowitt starting in 1851. The Rattan Works (which made wicker furniture)
1406-732: Was studied on the psychology program Most Evil . On July 3, 2021, armed members of the group " Rise of the Moors " were approached by police resulting in a standoff , blocking traffic along a section of I-95 that runs through Wakefield. Eleven individuals were peacefully detained, ending the incident. Wakefield is located at 42°30′4″N 71°4′16″W / 42.50111°N 71.07111°W / 42.50111; -71.07111 (42.501345, −71.071324). Reading (northwest), Melrose (south), Stoneham (southwest), Lynnfield (northeast) and Saugus (southeast) border Wakefield. Wakefield's borders with Lynnfield and Saugus are coterminous with
1444-729: Was then renamed the Wakefield Branch. When the B&M took over the Eastern RR in December 1884, the South Reading line became obsolete as the B&M had other lines that went to Salem via the Newburyport Branch and the former Boston and Lowell Railroad branch line, the Salem and Lowell Railroad . In 1925, the B&M received permission to abandon the line and the tracks were removed from Wakefield Center (where
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