Taunton

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Founded in 1637 by members of the Plymouth Colony, Taunton is one of the oldest towns in the United States.

Taunton was founded by settlers from England and officially incorporated as a town on September 3, 1639. Most of the town’s settlers were originally from Taunton in Somerset, England, which led early settlers to name the settlement after that town.  The British founders of Taunton took possession of the land from the native Wampanoag people. The Taunton area was the site of battles (on its soil or in the surrounding area) during various conflicts, including King Philip’s War and the American Revolution. Taunton was re-incorporated as a city on May 11, 1864.

The native Americans called the region Cohannet before the arrival of the Europeans. Taunton is also known as the Silver City, as it was an historic center of the silver industry beginning in the 19th century when companies such as Reed & Barton, F. B. Rogers, Poole Silver, and others produced fine-quality silver goods in the city.

Since December 1914, the city of Taunton has provided a large annual light display each December on Taunton Green, also giving it the nickname of Christmas City.

Taunton once included many surrounding towns, including Norton, Easton, Mansfield, Dighton, Raynham, and Berkley. Possession of the latter is still noted by the naming of Taunton Hill in Assonet, which is now North Main Street, a street that heads into Berkley and Fall River.

 Taunton is located  40 miles (64 km) south of Boston, 18 miles (29 km) east of Providence, 10 miles (16 km) north of Fall River and 25 miles (40 km) west of Plymouth. The City of Taunton is situated on the Taunton River which winds its way through the city. It has a total area of 48.0 square miles  of which 46.6 square miles is land and 1.4 square miles is water. This is the second-largest city by area in Massachusetts. Only Boston, at 48.42 square miles (125.4 km2) of land, is larger.

 The Taunton Green is the city’s central square. Early in its history, “The Green” was used as a training ground for militias in the American Revolution. Some say it was also the site of the historic “Liberty & Union”/”Taunton” flag raising in 1774 by the Sons of Liberty, prior to the American Revolution. 

Since the early 20th century, Taunton Green has temporarily been transformed during the winter holiday season into a grand display of holiday lights, scenes, and extravagant events. This is where and how the city earned its unofficial nickname in the surrounding areas as the “Christmas City.”

The city is served by a central public library, the Taunton Public Library, which opened in 1903 and has undergone several expansions and renovations since that time. Also of note is the Old Colony Historical Society, which archives the city and region’s past.

The city is home to two state parks operated by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts / Department of Conservation and Recreation, Massasoit State Park in East Taunton and Watson Pond State Park in the north part

Historic districts within the city:

 Silver City Galleria is a large shopping mall in Taunton catering to the local city and to the neighboring towns/cities of Easton, Raynham, Rehoboth, Dighton, Fall River, Middleboro, and Norton.

Taunton City Hall
15 Summer St.
Taunton, MA 02780
 http://www.taunton-ma.gov/Pages/index

The Taunton Area Chamber of Commerce
90 Route 44, Suite 1
Raynham, Massachusetts 02767 U.S.A.
508-824-4068 Fax: 508-884-8222
Email: info@tauntonareachamber.org or visit http://www.tauntonareachamber.org/contact.htm
The Taunton Area Chamber of Commerce is a champion of the needs of small business in the communities of Taunton, Raynham, Dighton & Berkley.  

The Taunton Daily Gazette
http://www.tauntongazette.com/features/x427974856/Maxham-Walker-to-close