TAUNTON. One of the eounty-seats of Bristol County, Mass., 36 miles south of Bos ton; on Taunton River, and on the New York, New Haven and Ilartford Railroad (Map: Mas sachusetts, E 4). It is regularly laid out with finely shaded streets, and has many handsome residences, Among its institutions are the State Insane Asylum, Morton Hospital, the Old Ladies' Home, and Bristol Academy. The Pub lic Library contains 47,000 volumes. Other im portant collections are the Bristol County Law Library and that of the Old Colony Historical Society. The city hall, county court house, the post-office, and the jail are buildings of merit. There are several pleasure grounds, of which Taunton Green and Woodward Springs Park are the more noteworthy. The Bristol County Agri eultural Society has extensive grounds and build ings here.
Taunton carries on a large trade, being the business centre of a number of towns in the vi cinity. It has also important industrial inter ests, the various establishments in the census year 1900 having 811.737,399 capital, and an output valued at $12,594,814. The principal manufactures are cotton goods and silverware. There are stove foundries, locomotive works, wood-working establishments, and nnanufacto•ies of copper ware, tacks, wire nails, stove lining, carriages, buttons, boxes, oilcloth, brick, etc.
Herring fishing is another industry of consider able importance.
The government, under the charter of 1882, is vested in a mayor, chosen annually, and a bi cameral oouneil, and in subordinate officials, the majority of whom are elected by the council. The school committee, however, is chosen by popular vote. For maintenance and operation, the city spends annually about $462,000, the principal items being: schools, $116,000; interest on debt, $81,000; streets, $41,000; police department, $40,000; charities, $33,000; and tire department, $27,000. The water-works, which represent an expenditure of $1,288,129, and the electric light plant, are owned by the municipality. Popula tion, in 18:10, 25,448; in 1900, 31,036.
Settled in 1638 as Cohannat, Taunton was in corporated under its present name in 1639. It was made a shire town in 1746 and was chartered as a city in 1865. The first permanent settle ment in Vermont was made by a company from Taunton in 1736. Consult: Quarter-Millennial Celebration. of the City of Taunton (Taunton, 1889) ; Emery, History of Taunton (Syracuse, 1893).