Northampton Massachusetts MA Warrant Search

Northampton, Massachusetts Northampton is a city in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States and is part of Massachusetts's second congressional district. As of the 2000 census, the population (of the central neighborhoods, excluding associated municipalities, e.g. Florence, Massachusetts) was 28,978. It is the county seat of Hampshire County. It is nicknamed The Paradise City. Northampton is home to Smith College. Northampton is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. History The area now known as Northampton was named Norwottuck, or Nonotuck, meaning 'the midst of the river' by its original Pocumtuc inhabitants. The Pocumtuc confederacy occupied the Connecticut River Valley, from what is now southern Vermont and New Hampshire into northern Connecticut. The Pocumtuc tribes were Algonquian, and traditionally allied with the Mahican confederacy to the west. By 1606, an ongoing struggle between the Mahican and Iroquois confederacies led to direct attacks on the Pocumtuc by the Iroquoian Mohawk nation. The Mahican confederacy had been defeated by 1628, limiting Pocumtuc access to trade routes to the west. The area suffered a major smallpox epidemic in the 1630s, following the arrival of Dutch traders in the Hudson Valley and English settlers in the Massachusetts Bay Colony during the previous two decades. It was in this context that the land making up the bulk of modern Northampton was sold to settlers from Springfield, Massachusetts in 1653, and settled the following year. The situation in the region further deteriorated when the Mohawk escalated hostilities against the Pocumtuc confederacy and other Algonquian tribes after 1655, forcing many of the plague-devastated Algonquian groups into defensive mergers. This coincided with a souring of relations between the Wampanoag and the Massachusetts Bay colonists, eventually leading to the expanded Algonquian alliance which took part in King Philip's War.Northampton's territory would be enlarged beyond the original settlement, but later portions would be carved up into separate cities, towns, and municipalities. Southampton, for example, was incorporated in 1775, and included parts of the territories of modern Montgomery (which was itself incorporated in 1780) and Easthampton. Westhampton was incorporated in 1778, and Easthampton in 1809. Formerly, a section of Northampton called Smith's Ferry was separated from the rest of the town by the boundaries of Easthampton. The shortest path to downtown was on a road near the Connecticut River oxbow, which was subject to frequent flooding. Smith's Ferry was ceded to Holyoke, Massachusetts in 1909.Northampton hosted its own witch trials in the 18th century, although no alleged witches were executed. Members of the Northampton community were present at the Constitutional Convention.Colonial American Congregational preacher Jonathan Edwards led a spiritual revival in Northampton beginning in 1733. It reached such intensity, in the winter of 1734 and the following spring, as to threaten the business of the town. In the spring of 1735, the movement began to subside and a reaction set in. But the relapse was brief, and the Northampton revival, which had spread through the Connecticut River Valley and whose fame had reached England and Scotland, was followed in 1739–1740 by the Great Awakening, under the leadership of Edwards.On August 29, 1786, Daniel Shays and a group of Revolutionary War Veterans (who called themselves Regulators and were also called Shaysites), stopped the civil court from sitting in Northampton.in 1805 a crowd of 15000 gathered to see the trial of two Irishmen, Dominic Daley, 34, and James Halligan, 27, accused of murder. There were scenes of anti-catholic sentiments and bonfires were lit. The evidence was sparse, circumstantial, contrived, and perjurious. The men were hanged on June 5, 1806, on nearby Pancake Plain and their bodies were denied a burial, they were destroyed in the local slaughterhouse.Northampton was linked to the sea by the Hampshire and Hampden Canal, later known as the New Haven and Northampton Canal, in 1835 , but the canal enterprise foundered and after about a decade was replaced by a railroad running along the same route. A flood on the Mill River on May 16, 1874, destroyed almost the entire village of Leeds in the township of Northampton.Northampton, which was incorporated as a city in 1883, developed into a thriving community of commerce, education, (e.g. Smith College,) and the arts, even supporting a still-extant opera house, the Academy of Music, which functioned as an independent movie house until recently. However, the 800 seat theatre now operates as a venue for rent for local and other productions. In 1851, opera singer Jenny Lind, the 'Swedish Nightingale', declared Northampton to be the 'Paradise of America,' from which Northampton took its nickname The Paradise City. The first game of women's basketball was played in 1892 at Smith College.Immigrant groups that settled Northampton in large numbers included Irish, Polish, and French-Canadian. Former U.S. President—and former mayor of Northampton--Calvin Coolidge retired to Northampton upon leaving the White House in 1929. He died there on January 5, 1933.The city experienced several decades of economic decline, peaking in the 1970s, and related to the emergence of the Rust Belt phenomenon. Though Western Massachusetts lies outside of the typical geographic bounds of the Rust Belt, the centrality of commerce and the arts in Northampton's economy left it economically vulnerable, as the decline of Springfield's manufacturing sector and Holyoke's paper industry immediately to the east coincided with massive plant closures in the upstate New York Capital District region to the west.Today, Northampton is a popular tourist destination, and attracts patrons to its many restaurants from throughout the region. Since 1995 the city has been home to the twice-yearly Paradise City Arts Festival, held at the Three County Fairgrounds on Memorial Day Weekend and Columbus Day Weekend. The Festival is ranked the #1 arts fair in America, and is a national juried showcase for contemporary craft and fine art. As Smith College is part of the 'Five Colleges' in the surrounding area, including Hamshire College, Amherst College, UMass, and Mount Holyoke College, Northampton has a vibrant youth culture and is a destination for that reason as well.Northampton is also home to a vibrant music scene. The city features live music venues such as the Calvin Theater, Pines Theater, Pearl Street, Iron Horse Music Hall, The Elevens, and The Academy of Music. Musicians and bands that refer to the Northampton area as 'home' include Sonic Youth, Mobius Band, The Alchemystics, The Primate Fiasco, Erin McKeown, The Thungs, The Amity Front, The Nields, The Young@Heart Chorus, Ella Longpre, Swillmerchants, The Trials and Tribulations, Cordelia's Dad, Thrillpillow, Rusty Belle, The Novels, Los Hijos Unicos, Spanish for Hitchhiking, The Skeptics, Fountains of Wayne, Roger Salloom, Sore Eros and the Winterpills. Geography Northampton sits on the banks of the Connecticut River, in the Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts. It is located at 42°19′39″N 72°39′28″W / 42.3275°N 72.65778°W / 42.3275; -72.65778Coordinates: 42°19′39″N 72°39′28″W / 42.3275°N 72.65778°W / 42.3275; -72.65778.According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 35.6 square miles (92.2 km²), of which, 34.5 square miles (89.3 km²) of it is land and 1.1 square miles (3.0 km²) of it (3.20%) is water. 21% of the City is permanently protected open space Within the city limits are the villages of Florence and Leeds. It is bordered to the north by the towns of Hatfield and Williamsburg, to the west by Westhampton, to the east by Hadley (across the Connecticut River), and to the south by Easthampton. The Calvin Coolidge Bridge connects Northampton with Hadley across the Connecticut River. Demographics As of the census of 2000, there were 28,978 people, 11,880 households, and 5,880 families residing in the city. Northampton has the most lesbian couples per capita of any city in the US. The population density was 841.0 people per square mile (324.7/km²). There were 12,405 housing units at an average density of 360.0/sq mi (139.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 90.01% White, 2.08% African American, 0.30% Native American, 3.13% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 2.41% from other races, and 2.03% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.24% of the population.There were 11,880 households out of which 22.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.7% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 50.5% were non-families. 37.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.14 and the average family size was 2.87.In the city the population was spread out with 17.0% under the age of 18, 15.4% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 23.9% from 45 to 64, and 13.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 75.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 71.1 males.The median income for a household in the city was $41,808, and the median income for a family was $56,844. Males had a median income of $37,264 versus $30,728 for females. The per capita income for the city was $24,022. About 5.7% of families and 9.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.4% of those under age 18 and 9.1% of those age 65 or over.Northampton's public schools include four elementary schools (kindergarten through 5th grade), one middle school (6th to 8th grade), one high school (9th to 12th grade), and one vocational-agricultural high school (9th to 12th grade). There are a few charter schools and several private schools in Northampton and surrounding towns. Government As of 2010, Mary Clare Higgins is the Mayor. Previous mayors include former president Calvin Coolidge and James 'Big Jim' Cahillane who served from 1954 to 1960. Also well known Judge Sean M. Dunphy was the youngest elected mayor in its history at age 28.The Paradise City Forum was founded November 2001 to provide a nonpartisan discussion tool for the community. Transportation Northampton is served by Interstate 91, which passes to the east of downtown along the Connecticut River. U.S. Route 5, Massachusetts Route 9, and Massachusetts Route 10 all intersect in the city's downtown area.The Pioneer Valley Transit Authority operates several local passenger buses which originate in Northampton, with service to local towns such as Amherst, Williamsburg, Hadley, South Hadley and Holyoke, as well as nearby universities, such as Mount Holyoke College, Amherst College, University of Massachusetts Amherst and Hampshire College. The Franklin Regional Transit Authority operates a bus to Greenfield, Massachusetts. There is a Peter Pan Bus terminal with services to Springfield, Boston, and other locations in New England. The Vermont Transit Lines bus also serves this terminal.At present, passenger railway service to the Northampton area is provided by Amtrak via the Springfield Train Station, about a 20-minute drive south of Northampton, or a short walk from the Peter Ban Bus terminal in Springfield. The only active rail line through Northampton is operated by a Class 2 railroad regional railway, Pan Am Railways (formerly known as Guilford Rail System). The Amtrak Montrealer was the last passenger train to run through Northampton in 1988. Part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 includes $8 billion for rail, of which $70 million will be spent to realign the Amtrak's Vermonter route. The Vermonter now travels from Springfield to Brattleboro, Vermont via Palmer, Massachusetts, but in the future will take the original more direct Montrealer route through Northampton. In addition to restoring the Northampton stop, stops will be added at Greenfield and possibly Holyoke.Major domestic and limited international service is available 40 miles to the south at Bradley International Airport (BDL) in Windsor Locks, Connecticut. Northampton Airport, identified by the airport code 7B2, offers a 3365 X 50 foot runway and is within a mile-and-a-half walk from downtown.Northampton serves as the hub of a growing rail trail network. The north-south Manhan Rail Trail (a/k/a New Haven and Northampton Canal Rail Trail and Farmington Canal Rail Trail) extends from Northampton to Easthampton and with some gaps that are rapidly being filled in, all the way to New Haven. The east-west Norwottuck Rail Trail (a/k/a Mass Central Rail Trail) extends from the Leeds section of Northampton through downtown Northampton and Amherst and, with significant gaps that are very slowly being filled in, to Boston. Media The Daily Hampshire Gazette is based in Northampton, covering Hampshire and Franklin counties. Northampton is the city of license for three commercial radio stations: WLZX, WEIB and WHMP. Northampton is also home to WXOJ-LP, a low power community radio station owned and operated by Valley Free Radio. The station was built by more than 400 volunteers from Northampton and around the country in August 2005 at the eighth Prometheus Radio Project barnraising, in conjunction with the tenth annual Grassroots Radio Coalition conference. WXOJ broadcasts music, news, and public affairs to listeners at 103.3FM. Northampton is also the birthplace of The Rainbow Times, the only lesbian-owned LGBT newspaper (found in 2006), which serves all of MA, Rhode Island, north central CT & Southern VT. According to the U.S. Census 2000, Northampton is the second gayest zip code in Massachusetts, followed by Boston, MA. In addition, Northampton is home to Northampton Community Television, which has existed in numerous forms since the mid-1980s, but which experienced a radical change in 2006 when it became an independently run nonprofit community media center. After a new public unveiling in November 2007, NCTV grew to over 200 active members in less than 18 months and had already attracted statewide and national attention in the community media landscape. Points of interest First Churches, located on Main Street, was the home church ofJonathan Edwards, 18th century theologian, philosopher and leader of theFirst Great Awakening. Smith Collegeis awomen's college(one of theSeven Sisters) founded in 1871. It is also one of theFive Colleges. Northampton State Hospitala massiveasylumthat was constructed in 1856. Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech, formerly the Clarke School for the Deaf, specializes in oral education (speech andlip-reading, as opposed tosigning), and holds an annual summer camp, the theme varying from summer to summer. Clarke is also the oldest oral school for the deaf in the country, being established in 1867 on Round Hill Road overlooking the Connecticut River Valley. TheConnecticut RiverandThe Oxbow, are popular areas for boaters in the valley. Broad Brook/Fitzgerald Lake Conservation Area, Connecticut River Greenway (Elwell and Rainbow Beach), Mill River Greenway, Mineral Hills Conservation Area, and Saw Mill Hills/Roberts Hill Conservation Area provide a portion of the protected open space that covers 21% of the City. Look Parkis a 150+ acre recreationalparkfounded in 1930. The park is free for visitors arriving by foot or bicycle consistent with the will ofFrank Newhall Look, who left the property to the city, who requested that the park would always have free admission for the public. A day use fee or the current annual membership fee of $25 provides vehicular access. Blanket picnicking is not permitted, although picnic tables may be rented for an additional fee. Northampton is arail trailhub. Currently, theNorwottuck Rail Trailextends 18 miles from Leeds,Florenceand downtown Northampton sections of Northampton toAmherstandBelchertown. TheManhan Rail Trailextends 8 miles from the Norwottuck Rail Trail, through Northampton and Easthampton to Southampton. Four other rail trail extensions are in the planning process. The Botanic Garden of Smith Collegeis a diverse outdoor collection of trees, shrubs, and plants, as well as a fine collection of plant conservatories for the tropics, semi-tropics, and desert regions. It also includes an indoorgreenhouse. The Three County Fairclaims to be the 'longest consecutive runningagricultural fairin the country', having been established and incorporated in 1818. Due to its relative proximity to Boston, its strong arts community, as well as the fact that there are five colleges in the immediate and surrounding area[citation needed]many musicians perform in Northampton at local venues such as the Calvin theater, the Iron Horse Music Hall, and the Pearl Street Nightclub. TheNorthampton Independent Film Festival(NIFF) is held each fall. Founded as the Northampton Film Festival in 1995 by Howard Polonsky and Dee DeGeiso, it has continued to grow under a variety of directors. It is one of the largest in New England. The Academy of Music, built in 1890 by Edward H.R. Lyman,[citation needed]is the only municipally ownedtheatrein the nation, and was the first to be so owned; it is also one of the six oldest theatres, nationally.Boris KarloffandHarry Houdini(who installed a trap door in the stage) performed here. The Academy is still in operation today. Forbes Librarybuilt in 1894 is thepublic libraryfor Northampton. The second floor houses the unofficialCalvin Coolidgepresidential library. Mirage Studios, the Creators of theTeenage Mutant Ninja TurtlesFranchise. In the TMNT series, the turtles andCasey Jonesvisit Casey Jones' grandmother'sfarmin Northampton, Massachusetts. Northampton Community Music Center Each May, students from the(NCMC) fill the streets with music. LGBT Pride On the first Saturday of May, Northampton marks the annual Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride March & Rallywith a colorful parade down Main St. (Route 9), ending with an all-day family-friendly festival at a designated location in town. Thornes Marketplace in downtown Northampton contains shops and a restaurant. On a small hill overlooking the city, by the site of the former Northampton State Hospital, a simple stone monument marks the spot of the hangings of Domenic Daley and James Halligan, two Irishmen wrongfully convicted of murder in 1806. Sylvester's Restaurant – Located at 111 Pleasant Street. Sylvester's is located in the former home of Sylvester Graham, inventor of the Graham Cracker. Sylvester's claimed top honors for breakfast in the Valley Advocate's 'Best Of' reader's poll and since then, Sylvester's has consistently ranked among the top 3 contenders for assorted restaurant categories. Union Station Restaurant and Spaghetti Freddy's- Located at 125A Pleasant St. Paradise Pond trail is a walking path on Smith College and adjacent public and private land around Paradise Pond. Mill River Market Place located on route 10 towards Easthampton Northampton Fire Department building- Frequented for being the tallest fire fighting related building. Pioneer Valley Roller Derby, the first co-ed flat track roller derby league, trains in the village ofFlorence, Massachusetts. Notable residents Lexie Barnes, handbag designer, author, and director of Twist, a contemporary craft and art fair. Jesse Barrett-Mills, Independent Filmmaker Jeanne Birdsall, children's author, best known for her debut novel,The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy William Cullen Bryant, 19c author and newspaper editor Mary-Ellis Bunim, television producer and co-creator ofMTV'sThe Real WorldandRoad Rules Augusten Burroughs, author, his bestsellerRunning with Scissorsdescribes his strange childhood in Northampton Paul Johnson Calderon, socialite, heir, and television personality best known for co-starring onThe CW'sHigh Society Eric Carle, children's book author and illustrator Lydia Maria Child, authoress of theThanksgivingpoem 'Over the River and Through the Woods' Chris Collingwood, lead singer of the bandFountains of Wayne Carol T. Christ,PresidentofSmith Collegeand Victorian Literature Scholar Calvin Coolidge; served as mayor of Northampton before becominggovernorofMassachusettsandU.S. president Galaxy Craze, actress and author known for bestselling novelBy the Shore. Kevin EastmanandPeter LairdpublishedTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtlescomics from their Northampton studio Jonathan Edwards, 18c Congregational theologian, philosopher, leader ofFirst Great Awakeningand local pastor Anthony Giardina, author Herbert Gintis, economist[citation needed] Sylvester Graham,Vegetarianadvocate and namesake of theGraham Cracker Jonathan Harr, author of theA Civil Action D. Dennis Hudson, emeritus professor and internationally known scholar of Indian religion Jonathan Hunt (Vermont Lieutenant Governor)(1738–1808), early Vermont pioneer, landowner, officeholder, born Northampton Jeph Jacques, creator of webcomicQuestionable Content Tracy Kidder, author Michael Klare, author, professor and defense correspondent forThe Nation Griff Kohout, actor (Chuck;Some Guy Who Kills People) Jason Loewenstein, singer, songwriter with indie-rock bandsSebadohandThe Fiery Furnaces Elinor Lipman, author David Lyman, actor (Friday Night Lights; Funny Books) Rachel Maddow, radio personality, MSNBC television host, and liberal political commentator Ruth Romero ('13)Smith College student. Charles McCarry, author Stu Miller, Major League Baseball pitcher José Molina, Former member, USA nationalIndoor field hockeyteam William Monahan, novelist and screenwriter Thurston MooreandKim Gordonof the bandSonic Youth Jo Newman, actress (Love and Other Drugs;Gossip Girl) Lesléa Newman, author ofHeather Has Two Mommies. Nerissa Nields, folk musician, author, and member of the bandThe Nields Alix Olson, spoken word poet and owner of Subtle Sisters Productions David Pakman, host of the nationally syndicated political talk radio and TV program, 'The David Pakman Show' Dr.Kyle Pruettauthor and child psychiatry expert Mary Rohlich, film and documentary producer on projects includingHorrible BossesandFreakonomics Jeffrey Rowland, creator of the webcomicsWiguandOvercompensating Liza Snyder, actress (Yes, Dear;Pay It Forward) Talisa Soto, actress Sherry Thomas, prominent Hollywood movie and televisioncasting director Crystal Truehart, model and co-star onThe Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency Sojourner Truth, African Americanabolitionistand orator Kurt Vonnegut, author; died 2007 Mo Willems, popular children's book author Dar Williams, popular musician. Andrew Zimbalist, prominent sports economist and father ofJeffand Michael Zimbalist Jeff Zimbalist, documentary filmmaker andTribeca Film Festivalaward winner Michael Zimbalist, documentary filmmaker and brother ofJeff Zimbalist Cultural references Northampton, Massachusetts is the birthplace of theeponymousprotagonistinHenry James's 1875 novelRoderick Hudson. Segments of the 1966 filmWho's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?were filmed in and around Northampton during the fall of 1965.When not filming,Elizabeth TaylorandRichard Burtonfrequented Northampton's Academy of Music, where they sat in the balcony to watch movies.[citation needed] Other films filmed in Northampton include theAcademy-Award-winningThe Cider House Rules,MalicewithNicole KidmanandAlec Baldwin,In DreamswithAnnette BeningandRobert Downey Jr., andSylviawithGwyneth Paltrow. Edge of Darknesswas filmed in October 2008 in Northampton and the surrounding area. It is also the headquarters forMirage Studiosformer ownersand the publishers of the comic until their last scheduled book in April 2010 AuthorTracy Kidderdocumented the many layers of Northampton society at the end of the 20th century in his nonfiction bookHome Town. WebcomicsQuestionable ContentandMinimalist Stick Figure Theatretake place primarily in Northampton. Artist Jeffrey Rowlands makes his home in Northampton and is primarily famous for hisOvercompensatingComic.