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The
Town of New Braintree Mass is an upland agricultural and residential community
in the southwestern portion of Worcester County. The town lies between
900 and 1100 feet above sea level and was the site of an early major Indian/European
battle in King Philip's war in 1675. The town has seen no sustained industrial
development and has been almost wholly agricultural throughout its history,
with a reputation for fine grazing land.
By the late 18th century, New Braintree
was shipping its annual production of dairy products, cheese and beef to
Boston and had attained a high degree of prosperity. In 1832 a group of
48 men in New Braintree formed a Thief Detection Society, while a Temperance
House was set up in 1837. Over 1,000 milk cows lived in New Braintree by
the 19th century and the town produced over 200,000 pounds of cheese annually.
Townspeople made some shoes in small
shoe shops, built carriages and made spoke shaves. Immigrants included
Canadians, Lithuanians and Poles who came to work in milk production, dairying,
poultry-raising and orchards.
New Braintree Mass is located in
Central Massachusetts, bordered by Barre and Oakham on the northeast, North
Brookfield on the southeast, West Brookfield and Ware on the southwest,
and Hardwick on the northwest. New Braintree is 14 miles west of Worcester,
53 miles west of Boston. |