The Town of Randolph
Located fifteen miles south of Boston, at the intersection of Routes 128 and 24, Randolph's location has been an important factor in its economic and social history.
As Randolph celebrates over two centuries as a town, the community feels itself to be one of the most culturally diverse municipalities on the South Shore. Working together to meet the challenges of a changing society and economy, town residents celebrate their unique heritage and strive to build for a future in which all can take pride.
History
From wikipedia.org
The Town was Incorporated in 1793 and was formerly the "south precinct" of the Town of Braintree. It is a widely-held assumption that Randolph was named after Peyton Randolph, first President of the Continental Congress. However, according to the Randolph Historical Society, there is no definitive record indicating the source of the Town's name.
Randolph was formerly the home of several large shoe companies. Many popular styles were made exclusively in Randolph, including the "Randies". At the time of Randolph's incorporation in 1793, local farmers were making shoes and boots to augment household incomes from subsistence farming. In the next half century, this sideline had become the town's major industry, attracting workers from across New England, Canada and Ireland and later from Italy and Eastern Europe, each adding to the quality of life in the town. By 1850 Randolph had become one of the nation's leading boot producers, shipping boots as far away as California and Australia.
The decline of the shoe industry at the beginning of the twentieth century led to Randolph's evolution as a suburban residential community. Boot and shoe making has been supplanted by light manufacturing and service industries. The town's proximity to major transportation networks has resulted in an influx of families from Boston and other localities who live in Randolph but work throughout the metropolitan area.
The inspiration for the nationally observed "smoke-out day" came from Randolph High School Guidance councilor Arthur Mullaney, who observed in a 1969 discussion with students that he could send all of them to college if he had a nickel for every cigarette butt he found on the ground. This touched off an effort by the Randolph Rotary club to have local smokers give it up for a day and put the savings toward a college scholarship fund. Smoke out day went national in 1976.
Noted residents
- Ebenezer Alden (1788-1881), born in Randolph, physician, practiced in Randolph for 70 years, author of several books
- William Rimmer (1816-1879), noted painter and sculptor, lived and worked as a shoemaker in Randolph from 1845-1855
- Mary E. Wilkins Freeman (1852-1930), born in Randolph, prominent author
- Gene McAuliffe (1872-1953), Randolph's only Major League Baseball player
- Rod Langway (1957-), raised in Randolph, professional defenseman in the National Hockey League
Statistics and Facts
From the Town website
Founded: 1634
Township Incorporated: 1793
Town Government: Selectmen (Five Member Board), Representative Town Meeting (240 members elected from eight precincts plus at-large members)
County: Norfolk
First Town Meeting: April 1st, 1793
District Court: Quincy
Total Area: 10.32 Square Miles (Land: 10.08 sq. miles Water: 0.24 sq. miles)
Acres: 6,498
Density: 3,000 residents/sq. miles
Location: 42.173587 N, 71.051392 W
Elevation: 190 feet above mean sea level
Zip Code: 02368
Area Code: 781
Location: Eastern Massachusetts, south of Boston, bordered on the north by Milton and Quincy, by Braintree and Holbrook on the east, by Canton on the west, by Avon and Stoughton on the south and southwest. Ten miles from Boston, sixteen miles from Taunton and 211 miles from New York City.
Population:
(1800): 1,021
(1850): 4,741
(1875): 4,064
(1880): 4,027
(1885): 3,807
(1890): 3,946
(1895): 3,694
(1900): 3,993
(1905): 4,034
(1915): 4,734
(1920): 4,756
(1925): 5,644
(1930): 6,553
(1935): 7,580
(1940): 7,634
(1945): 8,463
(1950): 9,982
(1960): 18,900
(1970): 27,035
(1980): 28,218
(1990): 30,963
(2000): 31,873