Марлборо, Массачусетс: История города и его развитие

Marlborough is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 41,793 at the 2020 census. Marlborough became a prosperous industrial town in the 19th century and made the transition to high technology industry in the late 20th century after the construction of the Massachusetts Turnpike. Marlborough was declared a town in 1660, and was incorporated as a city in 1890 when it changed its municipal charter from a New England town meeting system to a mayor–council government.

John Howe in 1656 was a fur trader and built a house at the intersection of two Indian trails, Nashua Trail and Connecticut path. He could speak the language of the Algonquian Indians though the local tribe referred to themselves as the Pennacooks. The settlers were welcomed by the Indians because they protected them from other tribes they were at war with. In the 1650s, several families left the nearby town of Sudbury, 18 miles west of Boston, to start a new town. The village was named after Marlborough, the market town in Wiltshire, England. It was first settled in 1657 by 14 men led by Edmund Rice, John Ruddock, John Howe and a third John named John Bent ; in 1656 Rice and his colleagues petitioned the Massachusetts General Court to create the town of Marlborough and it was officially incorporated in 1660. Rice was elected a selectman at Marlborough in 1657. Sumner Chilton Powell wrote, in Puritan Village: The Formation of a New England Town, "Not only did Rice become the largest individual landholder in Sudbury, but he represented his new town in the Massachusetts legislature for five years and devoted at least eleven of his last fifteen years to serving as selectman and judge of small causes." The Puritan minister Reverend William Brimstead became the first minister of First Church in Marlborough, William Ward the first deacon and Johnathan Johnson was the first blacksmith. Marlborough was one of the seven "Praying Indian Towns" because they were converted to Christianity by the Rev. John Eliot of Roxbury. In 1674, a deed was drawn up dividing the land between the settlers and the natives. This is the only record of names of the natives. The settlement was almost destroyed by Native Americans in 1676 during King Philip's War. In 1711, Marlborough's territory included Northborough, Southborough, Westborough, and Hudson. As population, business, and travel grew in the colonies, Marlborough became a favored rest stop on the Boston Post Road. Many travelers stopped at its inns and taverns, including George Washington, who visited the Williams Tavern soon after his inauguration in 1789. In 1836, Samuel Boyd, known as the "father of the city," and his brother, Joseph, opened the first shoe manufacturing business an act that would change the community forever. By 1890, with a population of 14,000, Marlborough had become a major shoe manufacturing center, producing boots for Union soldiers, as well as footwear for the civilian population. Marlborough became so well known for its shoes that its official seal was decorated with a factory, a shoe box, and a pair of boots when it was incorporated as a city in 1890. The Civil War resulted in the creation of one of the region's most unusual historical monuments. Legend has it that a company from Marlborough, assigned to Harpers Ferry, appropriated the bell from the firehouse where John Brown last battled for the emancipation of the slaves. The company left the bell in the hands of one Mrs. Elizabeth Snyder for 30 years, returning in 1892 to bring it back to Marlborough. The bell now hangs in a tower at the corner of Route 85 and Main Street. Around that time, Marlborough is believed to have been the first community in the country to receive a charter for a streetcar system, edging out Baltimore by a few months. The system, designed primarily for passenger use, provided access to Milford to the south, and Concord to the north. As a growing industrialized community, Marlborough began attracting skilled craftsmen from Quebec, Ireland, Italy, and Greece.

Marlborough is located at (42.350909, −71.547530). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 22.2 square miles (57 km2), of which 21.1 square miles (55 km2) is land and 1.1 square miles (3 km2) (4.87%) is water. The Assabet River cuts across the northwest corner of the city. Within city limits are three large lakes, known as Lake Williams, Millham Reservoir and Fort Meadow Reservoir. (A portion of Fort Meadow Reservoir extends into nearby Hudson.) Marlborough is crossed by Interstate 495, U. S. Route 20 and Massachusetts Route 85. The eastern terminus of Interstate 290 is also in Marlborough.

Marlborough is located in eastern Massachusetts, bordered by six municipalities: Berlin, Hudson, Sudbury, Framingham, Southborough, and Northborough.

As of the census of 2000, there were 36,255 people, 14,501 households, and 9,280 families residing in the city. The population density was There were 14,903 housing units at an average density of The racial makeup of the city was 87.70% White, 2.17% African American, 0.20% Native American, 3.76% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 3.27% from other races, and 2.86% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.06% of the population. There were 14,501 households, out of which 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.5% were married couples living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.0% were non families. 28.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.07. In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.3% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 36.7% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 11.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.8 males. The median income for a household in the city was $56,879, and the median income for a family was $70,385. Males had a median income of $49,133 versus $32,457 for females. The per capita income for the city was $28,723. About 4.7% of families and 6.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.9% of those under age 18 and 10.3% of those age 65 or over.

Marlborough is home to many businesses, stores and restaurants. The revitalized southwestern corner of the city – locally known as the "Southwest Quadrant" – features numerous office parks and corporate buildings clustered together in a busy industrial core dotted along Forest Street, Cedar Hill Street, Simarano Drive, Ames Street, D’Angelo Drive and Campus Drive (serving The Campus at Marlborough property) with easy access to the Interstate 495 highway. Within these six neighboring streets of Marlborough alone, companies as of February 2024 include TJX, Adcole, Redwire, DuPont, Fresenius Medical Care, Bonhams, Viasat, IPG Photonics, Ken's Foods, ExaGrid, Phio Pharmaceuticals, Quest Diagnostics, Hologic, BJ's Wholesale Club and many more. The city’s recent growth of suburban office park infrastructure adjacent to Interstate 495 – which is commonly known as Greater Boston’s outer circumferential highway – is a strategic land usage format comparable to the city of Waltham, which itself has many office parks adjacent to the region’s inner circumferential highway of Massachusetts State Route 128. Elsewhere in Marlborough, companies and businesses which play a significant role in the city’s economy include Raytheon, Boston Scientific, Sunovion (formerly Sepracor), NAPA Auto Parts, Target, The Home Depot, Apex Entertainment, the Best Western Royal Plaza Hotel along the Boston Post Road West strip which includes a trade center and over 75 stores inside the Solomon Pond Mall. The Marlborough Center Historic District – focused primarily on Main Street in the heart of the city’s downtown area – features restaurants, hair salons, barber shops, insurance agencies and many other businesses.

The Marlborough Regional Chamber of Commerce is the local chamber of commerce for Marlborough and five other surrounding towns in MetroWest Massachusetts. The chamber represents the business needs of over 650 businesses and thousands of employees in the area and is headquartered in the city. The Chamber of Commerce's role has included working with the MetroWest Regional Transit Authority to improve transportation options and to obtain recognition for Marlborough's Downtown Village as a cultural district.

Marlborough is located near the intersection of Routes 495, 290, 20 and the Massachusetts Turnpike. It is connected to neighboring towns and cities by MWRTA. MWRTA Bus Route 7 connects Marlborough to the town of Southborough and the Framingham Commuter Rail Station at the Banana Lot parking facility – the latter of which provides a direct connection to the MBTA's Framingham/Worcester Commuter Rail Line for train service to Boston, Worcester and other intermediate stops. The Banana Lot stop in Framingham also connects to Amtrak's Lake Shore Limited train and Greyhound intercity bus service. MWRTA Bus Route 7C (Inner City Marlborough) runs roughly east–west through Marlborough. This route operates through downtown Marlborough and connects with multiple shopping complexes/malls, residential localities and Marlborough Hospital. Transfers can be made between Routes 7 and 7C at the Newton & Weed Street bus stop. MWRTA Bus Route 15 connects Marlborough with the town of Hudson to the north. The route begins at the Newton & Weed Street bus stop in downtown Marlborough with intermediate stops at Marlborough Hospital, Boston Scientific and Walmart before reaching its outer terminus at Highland Commons in Hudson. Limited rush hour service on Route 15 is provided between Boston Scientific, the Bolton Street bus shelter (at Marlborough Center) and the MBTA's Southborough Commuter Rail Station. Route 15 passengers can transfer to both Routes 7 and 7C at the Newton & Weed Street bus stop.

A number of private Taxi/Limousine services have been listed as being operated in Marlborough e. g. Marlborough City Taxi, American Way, Etc.

Ghost Light Players is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization based in Marlborough. The group has been performing in and around the Marlborough area since 2012, with productions including Hamlet, Dog Sees God, Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, Godspell, and Love Comics.