Amesbury Massachusetts MA Warrant Search

Amesbury, Massachusetts Amesbury is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. Though it officially became a city in 1996, it is still commonly referred to as the Town of Amesbury. In 1890, 9798 people lived in Amesbury; in 1900, 9473; in 1910, 9894; in 1920, 10,036; and in 1940, 10,862. The population was 16,450 at the 2000 census. A former farming and mill town, Amesbury is today largely residential. History Settled in 1642, Amesbury was first recognized as 'Salisbury New Town' in 1666 when it formally separated from Salisbury. It was incorporated as 'Amesbury' in 1668, after Amesbury in Wiltshire, England.Originally the boundary between Amesbury and Salisbury was the Powwow River. In 1876 Merrimac was created out of West Amesbury. In 1886 West Salisbury was annexed to Amesbury so the mill area on the Powwow River was unified. See the maps linked below.Beginning as a modest farming community, it would develop an aggressive maritime and industrial economy. The 90 foot drop in the falls of the Powwow River provided water power for sawmills and gristmills. Shipbuilding, shipping and fishing were also important. The ferry across the Merrimack River to Newburyport was a lively business until the construction of bridges to Deer Island. Newton, New Hampshire would be set off from Amesbury in 1741, when the border between the two colonies was adjusted.In the 19th century, textile mills were built at the falls, as was a mechanized nail-making factory, believed to be the nation's first. The Merrimac Hat Company produced more hats than any of its competitors. Beginning in 1853, Amesbury became famous for building carriages, a trade which would evolve into the manufacture of automobile bodies. The industry, however, would end with the Great Depression. Amesbury also produced Hoyt's Buffalo Brand Peanut Butter Kisses. In 1876, the town of Merrimac was set off from Amesbury. In 1996, the town changed its status to a city, and adopted the mayor and municipal council form of government, although it retained the title 'Town of Amesbury.' The current mayor is Thatcher W. Kezer III.The community has an impressive collection of early architecture, particularly in the Federal and Victorian styles. Following a recent restoration of the historic downtown, many new restaurants opened. The 'Doughboy', a memorial sculpture by Leonard Craske, stands on the front lawn of the Amesbury Middle School. It was dedicated November 11, 1929. Craske is best known as sculptor for the 'Fishermens' Memorial' in Gloucester. There is here a monument erected to Josiah Bartlett, who was born in Amesbury. Geography Amesbury is located at 42°51′29″N 70°55′50″W / 42.85806°N 70.93056°W / 42.85806; -70.93056. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 13.6 square miles (35.4 km²), of which, 12.4 square miles (32.1 km²) of it is land and 1.2 square miles (3.2 km²) of it (9.08%) is water. Amesbury is drained by the Powwow River. Powwow Hill, elevation 332 feet (98 m), is the highest point in town. Once the site of Indian gatherings, or 'powwows,' it has views to Maine and Cape Ann. Amesbury is the second northern-most town in Massachusetts, its northernmost point coming just south of the northernmost point of the state, in Salisbury. Amesbury lies along the northern banks of the Merrimack River, and is bordered by Salisbury to the east, Newburyport to the southeast, West Newbury to the southwest, Merrimac to the west, a small portion of Newton, New Hampshire to the northwest, and South Hampton, New Hampshire to the north.In addition to the Merrimack, the Powwow River bisects the town, breaking off with the Black River near the town center. The river flows through Lake Gardner and Tuxbury Pond, which are two of several inland bodies of water in town, including Lake Attitash (which is partially in Merrimac), Meadowbrook Pond, and Pattens Pond. Several brooks also flow through the town. Amesbury has a town forest, which is connected to Woodsom Farm, as well as Powow Conservation Area, Victoria Batchelder Park and Amesbury Golf & Country Club.Amesbury is served by two interestate highways. Interstate 495 runs from west to east through town, ending just over the Salisbury Town Line. It has two exits in town, Exit 54 at Massachusetts Route 150 (which lies entirely within Amesbury, and leads to New Hampshire Route 150) and Exit 55 at Massachusetts Route 110, which also provides the town's only access to Interstate 95 at Exit 58. I-95 crosses the southeast corner of town, entering along the John Greenleaf Whittier Memorial Bridge, a steel through truss bridge crossing the Merrimack River. The Whittier Memorial Bridge also lies just east of the town's only other bridges across the Merrimack, the Derek S. Hines Memorial Bridge, which connects Amesbury to Deer Island (which is still part of Amesbury), and the Chain Bridge, the only suspension bridge in Massachusetts, which spans from Deer Island to Newburyport. The current version was built in 1909, but was predated by the 1810 suspension bridge, one of the oldest suspension bridges in the country. The Chain Bridge and its counterparts over the years have been the main entryways into town across the Merrimack, and until the building of the Newburyport Turnpike Bridge, it was the easternmost bridge on the Merrimack River. Demographics For additional demographic information on the central urban area of Amesbury, which is a census-designated place, see the article Amesbury (CDP), Massachusetts. It provodes details that are included in the aggregate numbers reported here.As of the census of 2000, there were 16,450 people, 6,380 households, and 4,229 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,326.3 people per square mile (512.2/km²). There were 6,623 housing units at an average density of 206.2 persons/km² (534.0 persons/sq mi). The racial makeup of the city was 97.2% White, 0.6% African American, 0.22% Native American, 0.9% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.There were 6,380 households out of which 34.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.2% were married couples living together, 11.3% have a woman whose husband does not live with her, and 33.7% were non-families. 26.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.09.In the city the population was spread out with 26.1% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 33.8% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 12.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 93.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.7 males.The median income for a household in the city was $34,906, and the median income for a family was $62,875. Males had a median income of $25,489 versus $31,968 for females. The per capita income for the city was $23,103. 5.9% of the population and 3.9% of families were below the poverty line. Education Amesbury Academy Amesbury High School Amesbury Middle School Amesbury Elementary School Charles C. Cashman Elementary School Amesbury Public Schools Amesbury's high school football rival is Newburyport; the two teams play against each other every Thanksgiving Day. Points of interest Amesbury Carriage Museum 270 Main St. Amesbury Hat Museum 978-388-0091 which displays hats of the old Merrimack Hat Factory. Bartlett Museum, Inc.(1870) 270 Main St. Macy-Colby House(c. 1654) 257 Main St. Mary Baker Eddy Historic House277 Main Street John Greenleaf Whittier Home86 Friend St. Friends' Meeting House(1850) 120 Friend St. Salisbury Point Railroad Historical Society9 Water St. Old Powder House (1810) Rocky Hill Meeting House(c. 1785)4 Portsmouth Road. Alliance Park (Site of the Construction of theU.S.S. Alliancein 1777) Chain Bridge Lowell's Boat Shop(1793) Notable residents Susanna North Martin, victim ofSalem witch trialsin 1692 Josiah Bartlett(1729–1795), signer of theDeclaration of Independence, firstGovernor of New Hampshire Paine Wingate(1739–1838), preacher, statesman Daniel Blaisdell(1762–1833),United States Congressmanfrom New Hampshire John Greenleaf Whittier(1807–1892), poet Nathaniel Currier(1813–1888), American lithographer,Currier and Ives Luther Colby (1814–1894), journalist,spiritualist William Ezra Northen (1819–1897), vice president and engineer of theNew York and New Haven Railroad, chief engineer of theChicagoMain Drainage Canal Mary Baker Eddy(1821–1910), founder ofChristian Science Harriet Prescott Spofford(1835–1921), author William A. Paine(1844–1929), businessman Jimmy Bannon(1871-1948),outfielderinMajor League Baseball Robert Frost(1874–1963), poet Jeffrey Donovan(b. 1968), actor; star of television showBurn Notice Sister city Amesbury is sister cities with:Esabalu,Kenya Publications ^Census estimate 2007 ^Although it is called the 'Town of Amesbury,' it is a statutory city of Massachusetts.SeeOffice of the Secretary of the Commonwealth. ^abCensus 2000 ^'US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990'.United States Census Bureau. 2005-05-03.http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2008-01-31. ^abcdWho Was Who in America, Historical Volume, 1607-1896. Chicago: Marquis Who's Who. 1963. Merrill, Joseph,History of Amesbury, from theHistory of Essex CountyVolume 2 Chapter 125 , pages 1495-1535, Compiled by D.Hamilton Hurd, published by J.W.Lewis 1888. James Merrill,History of Amesbury(Haverhill, 1880, 430 pages) Full image at books.google Sargeant, Christopher.1794 Map of Amesbury. Clough, Aaron.1795 Map of Salisbury. Nichols, W., J S Morse.1830 Map of Amesbury. Anderson, Philander.1830 Map of Salisbury. Beers, D.G. 1872 Atlas of Essex County, MassachusettsAmesbury. Plate 9.Amesbury and Salisbury Mills. Now Amesbury Center. Plate 12.Salisbury. Plate 15.West Amesbury now Merrimac. And East Salisbury. Plate 17.Salisbury Point. Plate 19. (Now The Point in Amesbury). Bigelow, E.H.Amesbury and Salisbury Mills.Birds eye view at the Boston Public Library Website. Norris, George E.Amesbury.Panaramic View. Published 1890. Burleigh Lith.Est. At the Library of Congress Website. Hughes & Bailey.Amesbury.Panoramic View. Published 1914. Walker, George H. 1884 Atlas of Essex County Massachusetts1884 Map of Amesbury. Plate 169.Amesbury,Salisbury Point. Plate 74.Merrimac Center (was West Amesbury). Plate 151.Amesbury Village Mills. Plate 170-171.1884 Map of Merrimac. Plate 172.1884 Map of Salisbury. Plate 175.Salisbury Village Mills on the Powwow River. Plate. 176-177.East Salisbury. Plate 178.Danvers Catholic Church, Folger's Carriage Factory Amesbury. Plate 166. Amesbury Vital Records to 1849.Published 1913. Transcribed and put online by John Slaughter and Jodi Salerno. This article incorporates text from an edition of theNew International Encyclopediathat is in thepublic domain.