Reading, Massachusetts
Reading is a town located in Middlesex County, Massachusetts. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 23,708.
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Geography
Reading is located at 42°31'33" North, 71°6'35" West (42.52585, -71.109939)GR1.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 25.7 km² (9.9 mi²). None of the area is covered with water.
Demographics
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there are 23,708 people, 8,688 households, and 6,437 families residing in the town. The population density is 921.8/km² (2,388.3/mi²). There are 8,823 housing units at an average density of 343.1/km² (888.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the town is 96.47% White, 0.36% Black or African American, 0.06% Native American, 2.21% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.21% from other races, and 0.65% from two or more races. 0.84% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 8,688 households out of which 36.7% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.5% are married couples living together, 8.3% have a female householder with no husband present, and 25.9% are non-families. 22.4% of all households are made up of individuals and 9.9% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.71 and the average family size is 3.22.
In the town the population is spread out with 26.3% under the age of 18, 5.1% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 24.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.2% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 39 years. For every 100 females there are 93.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 88.3 males.
The median income for a household in the town is $77,059, and the median income for a family is $89,076. Males have a median income of $61,117 versus $39,817 for females. The per capita income for the town is $32,888. 2.6% of the population and 1.7% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 2.7% of those under the age of 18 and 3.2% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Community Facts
Like every town, Reading has its own quirks and unusual facts.
- Amos Potamia was the only black slave to be buried in Reading.
- African American Basketball player Bill Russell lived in Reading in the 1960s next to a gas station on Main Street, but later moved a more upperclass part of town. Due to his race, vandals broke into the basketball player's home and damaged his property, and his residency was petitioned against by a small group of towns people. Russell left Reading after several years.
- The Burbank Arena skating rink and the Bear Hill condos are built on top of decommissioned Nike Missile Silos.
- The Reading Police Department is slightly ill-noted as being slightly prejudiced towards black/African Americans, such as pulling over African Americans frequently (one driver complained of being 'routinely' stopped by Reading Police four times within the span of a year). One of the most notorious of these incidents involved the civil rights violation (illegal search, detainment, arrest, and assault) of an African American Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) special agent Paul L. D. Russell Jr., by Officer Robert Moreschi and Sargent Peter Garchinsky.
- Reading officials refused to grant a common victulator's license for a fast food chain known as Sambo's to open in the town on the ground that the name was racist. Sambo's won a court decision, but helped in part by publicity from the Reading controversy, the chain changed the name of its restaurants but ended up in bankruptcy.
- Reading was an early and active participant in Boston's METCO program, which brought African-American and inner-city students from Boston to attend grades K-12. Reading's participation in the program continued without incident, even when other suburban communities started turning their backs on Boston's black student population and dropping out of the program. The program is still running strongly today.
- On Nov. 17, 2005, the famous "Rocky Rd." party was thrown where a mother bought kegs of alcohol for her son and charged admission for area youths to attend. Charges were pressed on Mrs. Caufield.
- Reading is home to the Burbank Ice Area where, in July 2000, youth hockey dad Tom Junta engaged in a fight with a Lynnfield hockey dad, Michael Costin, over his son's stick practice, resulting in the death of Costin. On January 11, 2002, Junta was convicted of involuntary manslaughter, which carries a sentence of up to 20 years in prison.
- Reading was once home to a circus
Famous People
- Reading was the birthplace (February 19, 1902) of renowned banjo player Eddie Peabody.
- Folk musician Mark Erelli is from Reading.
- Brad Whitford, who replaced Ray Tabano (aka Crazy Raymond) as the second guitarist of Aerosmith is from Reading, Ma.
- The infamous Charles Stuart and the pregnant wife he murdered, Carol DiMaiti Stuart, were both residents of Reading at the time.
External links
- Reading official website
- Reading Public Library
- Reading Public School System
- Informed Residents Of Reading website
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Local or Yahoo! Maps
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
- Satellite image from Google Local or Microsoft Virtual Earth
