History of Taunton
Taunton was founded in 1637 by members of the Plymouth colony, making it one of the oldest towns in the United States. The colonists purchased the land from the Nemasket tribe and relocated the remaining families. The Taunton Iron Works was built on the Two Mile River and became the first successful industry to be established in the town in 1656. Many more iron industries opened around Taunton and during the 19th century, silversmithing became another major industry in the city. The iron industry produced goods like stoves and machinery out of bog iron harvested from nearby swamps and the silversmiths produced fine silverware and other valuables. Most of the immigration into Taunton occurred during the turn of the 1900's when immigrants came looking for jobs in the many mills and factories around the town. As of 2015 the total population of Taunton was 56,789. The highest reporting ethnic background in the city is Portuguese, making up 23% of the population, and every year there is a Portuguese festa held in East Taunton to celebrate the culture. Anyone is invited and there is plenty of Portuguese food there as well as music and games. The second highest ethinc background reported is Irish at 17% followed by French and English, which make up 9% of the population each.
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