Spencer Massachusetts MA Warrant Search

Spencer, Massachusetts Spencer is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 11,691 at the 2000 census.For geographic and demographic information on the census-designated place Spencer, please see the article Spencer (CDP), Massachusetts. History Spencer was first settled in 1717 by Nathaniel Wood, and first permanently settled by Samuel Bemis in 1721. It was officially incorporated on April 12, 1753, splitting from the town of Leicester. Spencer was named after the then-acting governor of Massachusetts, Spencer Phips. Spencer was the home of the Howe family of inventors, including Elias Howe, who perfected the lockstitch sewing machine.A Brief History of SpencerRich in history, Spencer is located in central Worcester County, twenty minutes west of Worcester via Route 9, and about forty-five minutes form Springfield via Routes 49, 20, and the Massachusetts Turnpike. Settled in 1717 by Nathaniel Wood, and first permanently settled by Samuel Bemis in 1721. Bemis built the first frame house in the town. His descendants still reside in Spencer to this day. Spencer was incorporated as a town in 1753. It has been established as a district from a part of Leicester. Its name was assigned by Lieutenant Governor Spencer Phipps who had signed the order establishing the district.In 1784 Spencer was a major stopping place on the Old Boston Post Road’s stage route between Boston and Hartford, and on to New York. Passengers changed stages in Spencer, as one coach would come from Boston and connect with one coming north from Hartford. Each stagecoach would turn around and return whence it came. Travelers often stopped for the night at Jenk’s Tavern in Spencer, as did General Henry Knox pushed his cannons through the streets of the town on his way to Boston from Ticonderoga, and George Washington in 1789.When the war of Independence broke out in 1774 it found Spencer ready to take part in it. Fifty-six men under Captain Ebenezer Mason immediately set out to Boston. Many of these men later took part in the Battle of Bunker Hill. Three hundred and thirteen Spencer men are known to have served in the Civil War. Thirty-two lost their lives in the service of their country.Spencer’s first mill was built in 1740 on Seven-Mile River, the greatest source of waterpower in the town. In 1811, Josiah Green began making shoes, and in 1834 he built a factory. The Prouty family began to make shoes in 1820, and built their factory in 1855. In 1812, Elliot Prouty had begun to 'draw' wire in a mill he had built. His business flourished in his family until 1916, when it merged with Wickwire Steel Co. At one time, Spencer had eleven factories and twenty-six buildings for wire drawing. In 1839, the town hall was constructed and eighteen years later, Denny Hall, the town's first high school, was built. In 1888-1889, four prominent citizen (David Prouty, Richard Sugden, Luther Hill and Nathaniel Myrick) presented the town with a new high school, a library, a public park and the Spencer Agricultural Fair Grounds. The Howe family of Spencer did much to make the town famous in the annals of ingenious Americans. William Howe of Spencer developed a wooden truss bridge named for him, and his brother, Tyler Howe, patented a spring bed. Their nephew, Elias Howe, Jr., may well have eclipsed them when he invented the lockstitch sewing machine. 2007 Public Water Lye Accident On April 25, 2007, it was discovered early in the morning that there was a malfunction at one of the town's water treatment facilities where a hazardous amount of sodium hydroxide (lye) was released into the town's water supply. The official cause was a malfunction of the system that regulates the amount of lye released. According to local news reports, dozens of people received medical treatment for 'burning sensations and skin rashes.' Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 34.0 square miles (88 km2), of which, 32.8 square miles (85 km2) of it is land and 1.2 square miles (3.1 km2) of it (3.52%) is water.The town, roughly rectangular in shape, is bounded on the east by Leicester, on the south by Charlton, on the west by East Brookfield and North Brookfield, on the northwest by New Braintree, on the north by Oakham, and on the northeast by Paxton.It is divided into quarters by north-south Route 31 and east-west Route 9. A third state highway, Route 49, connects the town's western portions with nearby Sturbridge. Demographics As of the census of 2000, there were 11,691 people, 4,583 households, and 3,093 families residing in the town. The population density was 355.9 inhabitants per square mile (137.4 /km2). There were 4,938 housing units at an average density of 150.3 per square mile (58.0 /km2). The racial makeup of the town was 97.93% White, 0.59% Black or African American, 0.24% Native American, 0.33% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.26% from other races, and 0.64% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.33% of the population.There were 4,583 households out of which 31.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.0% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.5% were non-families. 25.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.05.In the town the population was spread out with 24.6% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 24.4% from 45 to 64, and 12.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 98.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.9 males.The median income for a household in the town was $46,598, and the median income for a family was $56,763. Males had a median income of $40,581 versus $29,837 for females. The per capita income for the town was $21,017. About 5.9% of families and 8.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.2% of those under age 18 and 10.1% of those age 65 or over. Library The Spencer public library began in 1870. In fiscal year 2008, the town of Spencer spent 2.04% ($280,959) of its budget on its public library—some $23 per person. Education Spencer's public schools are regionalized K-12 with East Brookfield. Spencer students attend Maple Street School for kindergarten, Lake Street School for grades 1-3, and Wire Village School for grades 4-6. Students from both towns attend Knox Trail Junior High School for grades 7-8 and David Prouty High School for grades 9-12. David Prouty Junior High School, which was also the former building of the old high school, was recently closed after being replaced by the Wire Village School. Notable residents Elias Howe(1819–1867), American inventor of the Sewing Machine Phineas Jones(1819–1884), representedNew Jersey's 6th congressional districtfrom 1881-83. Paul D'Amato, actor fromThe Deer Hunter(Green Beret veteran),Slap Shot(Tim 'Dr Hook' McCracken) andSuspect(Michael), also featured inDestination Anywhere: The Film