Millis, Massachusetts

Millis is a town in Norfolk County in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. It had a population of 8,460 at the 2020 census. The town is approximately 19 miles (31 km) southwest of downtown Boston and is bordered by Norfolk, Sherborn, Holliston, Medfield, and Medway. Massachusetts state routes 109 and 115 run through Millis.

This article is about the town of Millis. For the census-designated place, see Millis-Clicquot, Massachusetts.

Millis, Massachusetts
Town
Veterans Memorial Building
Veterans Memorial Building
Official seal of Millis, Massachusetts
Seal
Motto: 
In unitate vis (Latin "Strength in Unity")
Location in Norfolk County in Massachusetts
Location in Norfolk County in Massachusetts
Coordinates: 42°10′03″N 71°21′30″W
Country United States
State Massachusetts
County Norfolk
Settled1657
Incorporated1885
Government
 • TypeOpen town meeting
Area
 • Total31.8 km2 (12.3 sq mi)
 • Land31.5 km2 (12.2 sq mi)
 • Water0.3 km2 (0.1 sq mi)
Elevation
50 m (163 ft)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total8,460
 • Density268.6/km2 (693.4/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (Eastern)
ZIP code
02054
Area code508 / 774
FIPS code25-41515
GNIS feature ID0618324
Websitewww.millisma.gov

History

Millis was first settled in 1657 and was officially incorporated in 1885. Millis was originally part of Dedham, until that town granted the lands of Millis, and other present day surrounding towns, to Medfield in 1651. In 1713, pioneers of Medfield applied for a grant to create a new town and, when approved, named this new land Medway. This new town consisted of West Medway (the present day town of Medway) and East Medway (present day Millis). Lansing Millis, the founder of the town of Millis, successfully incorporated Millis into the Commonwealth of Massachusetts on February 24, 1885.

Lansing Millis was successful in turning the small town of Millis into an important area of Massachusetts. Lansing Millis, who was widely known as a railroad entrepreneur, built up a strong rail system in Millis. This was arguably his most important accomplishment, as the rail system is regarded as the most significant factor in its independence from Medway. In addition, the railroad system was a major factor in the early promotion of economic growth in the town and the integration of Millis to the larger cities of Dedham, Boston and Cambridge. Currently, this old railroad that formerly began in Medway is known as the Bay Colony Railroad. The Medway tracks have since been dismantled, making Millis the railroad's western terminus. The railroad is now mostly defunct, but several miles of the Bay Colony tracks in Millis are owned by the MBTA and are leased by the Bay Colony Railroad line. The Bay Colony Railroad merges with the present day MBTA Commuter Rail in Needham.

Aside from the tremendous contribution of the rail system to Millis' integration with the major Massachusetts cities, another important moment in the town's history is the construction of the Hartford and Dedham Turnpike, known today as Massachusetts Route 109. The road was constructed in 1806 and officially accepted by the town of Millis in 1896. The Hartford and Dedham Turnpike connected Millis, Medway, Medfield, and several other towns directly to Dedham and Boston. Today, Route 109 still serves as a major road connecting Metrowest Boston communities to the city of Boston.

Millis was the home of the "Millis Wonderland", a display of Christmas decorations and lights on the 40-acre (160,000 m2) Causeway Street estate of Kevin Meehan, the owner of several car dealerships. In 2004, Al Roker traveled to Millis for a segment centered on the "Millis Wonderland". After the publicity on The Today Show, an estimated 6,000 cars traveled to the "Millis Lights" daily during the Christmas season.[1] The display was permanently closed after the 2014 holiday season.[2]

Industrial history

The industrial history of Millis is long and varied, beginning with the water power of a small establishment named Hinsdell's mill. Soon, Millis grew from a small new town with a mill to a successful industrial society. Numerous industries opened up in the town and stimulated employment and growth. Some of these industries include the Holbrook factories, which included a bell foundry, organ manufactory, and organ pipe manufactory, Clicquot Club, and Herman Shoe Company; the latter two being the most notable industries in the town's history.

Today the prominent employers in the town are Tresca Brothers Sand & Gravel and Roche Bros. Supermarket. Millis was also home to a thriving automobile recycling industry located in the western, industrial section of town.

Herman Shoe Company

The Herman Shoe Company was an extremely important industry in town. The Herman Shoe Company, a result of several private buyouts, produced large amounts of material, specifically boots and other equipment, during the Spanish–American War. In addition, it produced most of the boots worn by the troops during World War II.

The company is now out of business and the former factory was demolished in March 2020.

Clicquot Club

Cliquot Club was started by Henry Millis, using funds from his father and founder of Millis, Lansing Millis. The company, which distributed the first brand of ginger ale in the United States for about eighty years, was located on Main Street and is the namesake for the village of Clicquot in Millis. The ginger ale produced by Clicquot Club was made using local Millis ginger. Later, the company produced several different sodas and was the first company in the nation to can drinks. Clicquot Club owned more than 100 factories throughout the United States and sold its beverages internationally. As sales declined in the 1960s, however, the company went bankrupt and was bought by the Cott company, which in turn was acquired by Canada Dry.

Causeway Street and the Brickyards

An area of land around Causeway Street, although now a rural street in the west of town, was once a huge industrial hub for the early town of Millis. This area of Causeway Street was used for clay excavation for the manufacture of bricks, as well as sand excavation. The clay excavations were turned into bricks that built many large estates and buildings in the immediate area and beyond. The remnants of clay pits today look like small ponds. In fact, one of the clay pits is so large that it is now a body of water named Heather's Pond. These abandoned pits are home to many species of wildlife and are protected along with the Great Black Swamp. Historically, the sand from the pits was used to fill in the most recent runway at Logan International Airport. Today, the remnants of old sand pits lie vacant.

The several large brickyards around Causeway Street were owned by a few wealthy families. One of these estates, the Clark Family estate, was later the home to former Massachusetts Governor and United States Secretary of State Christian Herter.

Notable sites

One of the most important sites in Millis is Richardson's Tavern, which was built c. 1720. This tavern accommodated George Washington for lunch on his way to Cambridge in 1775. It is rumored that Nathan Hale and the Marquis de Lafayette also stopped at the tavern to dine.

Millis' cemetery, called Prospect Hill Cemetery, is home to the grave of Christian Herter, the United States Secretary of State under President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Secretary Herter lived on a large farm on Causeway Street in Millis and, it is rumored, when summoned to Washington, D.C., he left his farm directly by helicopter to Logan International Airport. Prospect Hill Cemetery is listed on the National Historic Register.

King Philip's War

The history of Millis is closely tied with King Philip's War of 1675 to 1676. On February 21, 1676, Native Americans killed 17 Medfield citizens and destroyed half of the town (32 houses, two mills, and many barns). Immediately after this attack, the Native Americans under King Philip (Metacom) fled to Millis where they held a grand feast. This spot is marked by "The King Phillip Trees", which are two hundred-year-old trees protected by the Millis Historical Society. The next day, on February 22, the Native American forces led an offensive against the Fayerbanke Palisades at Boggestowe Farms, which are in present-day Millis. This attack was repulsed, as well as a second attack, which occurred on May 6.

Geography

There are many areas of town-administered land, which helps to protect the environment and limit development. In addition, Millis has several wells and is home to various large farms.

The Charles River runs through Millis and the town has other smaller streams and brooks; most notably Bogastow Brook. Bogastow Brook, named after the Indian tribe formerly inhabiting the area, rises in East Holliston and runs through Millis, emptying in Millis' South End Pond.

Millis is also home to the Great Black Swamp. This swamp, covering hundreds of acres, is a very important characteristic of Millis. This swamp geographically divides Millis from its neighboring town Medway, and is a significant factor in the separation of the two towns in 1885.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 12.3 square miles (32 km2). Of this, 12.2 square miles (32 km2) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2) (0.90%) is water.

Demographics
See also: List of Massachusetts locations by per capita income
Historical population
YearPop.±%
1890786—    
19001,053+34.0%
19101,399+32.9%
19201,485+6.1%
19301,738+17.0%
19402,278+31.1%
19502,551+12.0%
19604,374+71.5%
19705,686+30.0%
19806,908+21.5%
19907,613+10.2%
20007,902+3.8%
20107,891−0.1%
20208,460+7.2%
20228,836+4.4%
* = population estimate. Source: United States Census records and Population Estimates Program data.[3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10]

As of the 2020 census, there were 8,472 people. The racial makeup of Millis is 92.3% White, 1.8% African American, 0.0% Native American, 1.7% Asian, 1.0% two or more races, and Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.5% of the population. 11.1% of the population is foreign born and 14.9% of people over 5 years old speak a language other than English at home.

As of 2020 there are 3,110 households, with an average household size of 2.65 people. 82.7% of housing is owner-occupied with a median value of $446,200. 4.9% of the population is persons under 5 years old, 21.4% of the population is persons 18 years old and under, and 19.6% of the population is persons 65 years old and older. Female make up 52.5% of the population.

The median household income is $114,255.. The per capita income for the town was $50,185. Approximately 1.2% of the population is impoverished. 96.5% of persons over 25 years old had a high diploma and 48.4% of persons over 25 years old had a bachelor's degree or higher. 96.2% of households had a computer and 94.2% of households had a broadband internet subscription.[11]

Government

The town is part of the Massachusetts Senate's Norfolk, Bristol and Middlesex district.

Education

The Millis school system is led by Superintendent Robert Mullaney, the former principal of Millis High School.[12] The district consists of three schools: Clyde F. Brown Elementary School and Millis Middle/High School and has a student population of 1,175. As of the 2021-2022 school year 29.9% of students are high needs, 18.85 are low-income, 14.2% are students with disabilities, 6.4% have a first language other than English, and 2% are English language learners. The district had a student teacher ratio of 12:1.[13]

In 2007 Millis was awarded the Blue Ribbon School Of Excellence award by the Federal Government under the No Child Left Behind Act. In addition, Millis High School has been awarded Silver Medal status in U.S. News & World Report's [14] online ranking of U.S. high schools. In 2010, Millis earned Silver Medal status as one of America's Best High Schools in U.S. News & World Report's latest ranking of public high schools. The magazine editors analyzed 18,743 high schools in the United States and ranked Millis High School in the top 3%.[14] As of 2021, Millis High School is ranked #74 in Massachusetts by U.S. News & World Report.

The Millis Public Library is the only library in the town and is part of the Minuteman Library Network.

Notable people

References
  1. "The buzz is already starting. Yesterday, for the first time this season, the "Milford Daily News" was at the Meehan's own "Winter Wonderland" in Millis getting the scoop as Day One of set-up began". Millis Wonderland. 17 October 2005. Archived from the original on 12 December 2005. Retrieved 4 February 2022. "We expanded this year with the miniature houses and it seems to be a big hit," said Meehan, who estimates that around 6,000 cars pass through the compound each day. Roker, who was raised in Queens, N.Y., and lives in Manhattan, joked with the crowd of chilly onlookers before, during and after his second broadcast in front of a glass display of mannequins dressed in Red Sox uniforms.
  2. "MILLIS WONDERLAND HAS CLOSED FOR THE SEASON". Millis Wonderland. n.d. Archived from the original on 3 February 2015. Retrieved 5 February 2022. Recently, Mr. Meehan and his wife made the decision to give The Wonderland and all its assets (1,200 animations, 45 glass-encased floats, 100,000 lights, and all supporting equipment) to a suitable nonprofit after this season.
  3. "Census - Geography Profile: Millis town, Norfolk County, Massachusetts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 6, 2021.
  4. "Massachusetts by Place and County Subdivision - GCT-T1. Population Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on November 3, 2011. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
  5. "1990 Census of Population, General Population Characteristics: Massachusetts" (PDF). US Census Bureau. December 1990. Table 76: General Characteristics of Persons, Households, and Families: 1990. 1990 CP-1-23. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 7, 2013. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
  6. "1980 Census of the Population, Number of Inhabitants: Massachusetts" (PDF). US Census Bureau. December 1981. Table 4. Populations of County Subdivisions: 1960 to 1980. PC80-1-A23. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 5, 2010. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
  7. "1950 Census of Population" (PDF). Bureau of the Census. 1952. Section 6, Pages 21-10 and 21-11, Massachusetts Table 6. Population of Counties by Minor Civil Divisions: 1930 to 1950. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 9, 2011. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
  8. "1920 Census of Population" (PDF). Bureau of the Census. Number of Inhabitants, by Counties and Minor Civil Divisions. Pages 21-5 through 21-7. Massachusetts Table 2. Population of Counties by Minor Civil Divisions: 1920, 1910, and 1920. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
  9. "1890 Census of the Population" (PDF). Department of the Interior, Census Office. Pages 179 through 182. Massachusetts Table 5. Population of States and Territories by Minor Civil Divisions: 1880 and 1890. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
  10. "City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2022". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
  11. "QuickFacts Millis town, Norfolk County, Massachusetts". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
  12. Razzaq, Zane (October 15, 2020). "Mullaney to lead Millis schools". Milford Daily News. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
  13. "DESE School and District Profiles Millis". MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
  14. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on September 19, 2010. Retrieved September 5, 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  15. Belluck, Pam (25 July 2004). "HIS BOSTON; To Trace Kerry's Footsteps, Get a Good Pair of Sneakers". Section 15. The New York Times (National ed.). p. 2. eISSN 1553-8095. ISSN 0362-4331. OCLC 1645522. Archived from the original on 26 February 2021. Retrieved 4 February 2022. There is 359 Orchard Street in Millis, a suburb about 30 miles southwest of Boston where Mr. Kerry lived for five years as a young boy."Millis is where I learned to walk and talk and my family would tell you I haven't stopped doing either ever since," he said.
  16. Kranish, Michael (15 June 2003). "Part 1: A privileged youth, a taste for risk". The Boston Globe. John Kerry: A Candidate in the Making. p. A1. ISSN 0743-1791. OCLC 66652431. Archived from the original on 25 December 2021. Retrieved 5 February 2022. His father worked for the State Department, and his mother was an active volunteer in community service. Kerry lived his first year in Groton and his next five in another Massachusetts town, Millis. But by the time he was 7, the family had moved to Washington.
  17. "Samuel J. Abrams - Harvard University | CBS Transcript: The Continental Divide". CBS News Sunday Morning. 4 July 2004. Archived from the original (XML) on 24 July 2007. Retrieved 7 February 2022 – via Harvard University.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Millis, Massachusetts.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.