FRAMINGHAM, Mass., town in Middle sex County, on the Sudbury River, and on the New York, New Haven and Hartford, and the Boston and Albany railroads, about 20 miles west of Boston. It comprises the villages of Framingham, South Framingham, Saxonville and Nobscot. The chief centre of commerce and industry is South Framingham which has manufactures of straw braids and hats, boots, shoes and rubber goods, paper boxes, tags, crepe paper, leather board, gummed labels, boilers and carriage wheels; while in Saxon ville blankets, wool and worked yarn and cloth are manufactured; farming implements, heaters, sugar and coffee machinery are also produced. The United States Census of Manufactures for 1914 showed within the town limits 49 indus trial establishments of factory grade, employ ing 5,150 persons; 3,982 being wage-earners re ceiving annually a total of $2,257,000 in wages. The capital invested aggregated $9,285,000, and the year's output was valued at $8,727,000; of this, $5,280,000 was the value added by manu facture. Framingham was early known as an
educational centre. Framingham Academy, es tablished in 1792, was incorporated in its public school system in 1851. The first State normal school established in the United States is here, removed from Newton in 1853, its first location having been Lexington from 1839-44. At Sher born adjoining South Framingham is the State reformatory for women. Framingham also contains hospitals, almshouse, Home for the Aged, a public library and its historical and natural history society has notable collections. Municipal waterworks are operated and the ad ministration is by town meetings. Known as Danforth's plantation, the property of Governor Thomas Danforth from 1640, on the Boston to Worcester turnpike, the sold Connecticut path," and named Framingham from his Eng lish home, its incorporation as a township dates from 1700. Pop. 13,648. Consult Temple, J. H., of Framingham> (Framingham 1887).