Taunton

Taunton is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts located approximately 40 miles south of Boston, 18 miles east of Providence. It is the seat of Bristol County. Taunton is situated on the Taunton River which winds its way through the city on its way to Mount Hope Bay Founded in 1637 by members of the Plymouth Colony, Taunton is one of the oldest towns in the United States. The native Americans called the region Cohannet, Tetiquet and Titicut before the arrival of the Europeans. Most of the town’s settlers were originally from Taunton in Somerset, England, which led early settlers to name the settlement after that town.

Taunton is also known as the “Silver City”, as it was a 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. In the 19th century, Taunton was also the center of an important iron-making industry, utilizing much bog iron from the numerous swamps in the surrounding area. Taunton was a major shipping point for grain from the inland rural farm areas of Massachusetts to the rest of the nation. Since December 1914, the city of Taunton has provided a large annual light display each December on Taunton Green, giving it the additional nickname of “Christmas City”. Today, the city’s economy has many emphases on semiconductor, silicon, and electronics manufacturing. Silver City Galleria is a large shopping mall in Taunton catering to the local city and to the neighboring towns. Education in Taunton ranges from preschool through post-secondary education. Taunton has nine public elementary schools and three public middle schools. The city also has two Catholic elementary schools; one Catholic middle school and one Catholic high school. Taunton has two public high schools Taunton High School, which houses grades 9-12 as well as all of the city’s public 8th grade students, and Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical School. Taunton is home to a satellite campus of Bay State College Associate and Bachelor degrees to working professionals and career changers in the fields of business and management, criminal justice and medical assisting. It is also home to a satellite campus of Bristol Community College. In addition, the city houses career schools. The city is home to two state parks. The Central Fire Station is recognized as the oldest functioning station house in the United States. Taunton is home to the Morton Hospital and Medical Center. Taunton State Hospital is a psychiatric hospital, now one of the very few mental health hospitals in Massachusetts for longer term in-patient care of psychiatric patients. Taunton is the central highway hub of southeastern Massachusetts. There are plans being worked on to link parts of the commercial rail with the Stoughton line of the MBTA commuter rail system to Boston. The Greater Attleboro Taunton Regional Transit Authority, or GATRA, provides bus mass transit. Taunton has its own municipal airport, serving mostly smaller craft and occasional commuter jets. The nearest airport with national airline service is T.F. Green Airport in Rhode Island, and the nearest international service is at Logan International Airport in Boston.
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