Editing Middleborough, Massachusetts (section)

==History==

The town was first settled by [[Europe]]ans in 1661 as Nemasket, later changed to Middlebury, and officially incorporated as Middleborough in 1669. The name Nemasket or Namasket came from a [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Native American]] settlement along the small river that now bears the same name. ''Nemasket'' may have meant "place of fish",<ref>{{cite book |editor-last=Gille |editor-first=Frank H. |date=1998 |title=Encyclopedia of Massachusetts Indians |location=St. Clair Shores, Michigan |publisher=Somerset Publishers, Inc. |page=166 |isbn=0-403-09330-9 |quote=The Namasket, from namaus "fish", aki "land", et "at," was a tribe or band that formerly lived in a village of the same name near present Middleboro, Massachusetts. They were subordinate to the Wampanoag. The village was populous when first known, but the Indians rapidly decreased as white setlements [sic] advanced. In 1794 there were still about 40 members of the tribe. One family, named Mitchell still lived near Middleboro in the early 1900s, and claimed descent from the famous Indian King Philip.}}</ref> due to the large amount of [[herring]] that migrate up the river each spring.<ref name="Making history since 2300 BC">{{cite web |author1=Town of Middleborough |title=Middleborough, Massachusetts: Making History Since 2300 B.C. |url=https://www.middleborough.com/304/History |website=Middleborough.com |access-date=May 16, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Huden |first1=John Charles |title=Indian place names of New England |date=1962 |publisher=Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation |location=New York |page=142 |url=https://library.si.edu/digital-library/book/indianplacenames00hude |access-date=May 15, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Costa |first1=David J. |title=The Dialectology of Southern New England Algonquian |journal=Papers of the Algonquian Conference |date=December 1, 2007 |volume=38 |pages=100, 103 }}</ref> There are no contemporary records that indicate the name Middlebury was taken from a place in England. The names Middlebury and Middleborough were actually derived from the city of [[Middelburg, Zeeland|Middelburg]], [[Zeeland]], the westernmost province of the Netherlands.{{Citation needed|date=May 2023}} Middelburg was an international intellectual center and economic powerhouse. The English religious dissenters known as the [[Brownist]]s developed their governing institutions in Middelburg before emigrating on the ''Mayflower'', and were the earliest settlers of Middleborough.

During [[King Philip's War]] (1675–1676), the town's entire populace took shelter within the confines of a fort constructed along the [[Nemasket River]]. The site is located behind the old Memorial High School (now a [[kindergarten]]), and is marked by a state historical commission marker along [[Massachusetts Route 105|Route 105]].  Before long, the fort was abandoned and the population withdrew to the greater shelter of the [[Plymouth Colony]].  In their absence, the entire village was burned to the ground, and it would be several years before the town would be reestablished.<ref name="Making history since 2300 BC" />

Western Middleborough broke away on May 13, 1853, and formed the town of [[Lakeville, Massachusetts|Lakeville]], taking with it the main access to the large freshwater lakes there, including [[Assawompset Pond]].<ref name="Making history since 2300 BC" />

Middleborough was once a large producer of shoes and is still home to the [[Alden Shoe Company]], one of the last remaining shoe manufacturers in America.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.aldenshoe.com/history.htm |title=History of Alden Shoe Company |access-date=April 18, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110622223849/http://aldenshoe.com/history.htm |archive-date=June 22, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The local [[Maxim Motors]] manufactured fire engines from 1914 to 1989. Middleborough has since become the location of the corporate headquarters of [[Ocean Spray (cooperative)|Ocean Spray]] Cranberries.<ref name="Making history since 2300 BC" />

Notable sights include the 1870s [[Victorian architecture|Victorian]]-style town hall and the Beaux Arts-style town library (1903). In the spring, the Nemasket River alewife and blueback herring run upstream to the Assawompset Ponds complex to spawn.<ref name="Making history since 2300 BC" />

In the summer of 2007, Middleborough became the proposed location for a controversial future resort [[casino]],<ref>[http://www.capecodtoday.com/blogs/index.php/2008/06/05/friends-of-glenn-a-dense-fog?blog=145 WampaGate] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110929211315/http://www.capecodtoday.com/blogs/index.php/2008/06/05/friends-of-glenn-a-dense-fog?blog=145 |date=September 29, 2011 }}, ''Cape Cod Today'', June 5, 2008.</ref> sponsored by the [[Wampanoag people|Wampanoag]] Tribe of [[Mashpee, Massachusetts]].<ref><!--is a 9-year-old proposal still relevant?-->[http://enterprise.southofboston.com/articles/2007/07/23/news/news/news06.txt Home - Brockton, MA - The Enterprise<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080901085956/http://enterprise.southofboston.com/articles/2007/07/23/news/news/news06.txt |date=September 1, 2008 }}</ref>

Teams from Middleborough have twice reached the [[Little League World Series]] (LLWS) the only Little League in the state to reach twice in the International Era (1958+). Middleborough reached the [[1994 Little League World Series|1994 edition]] by defeating [[Millburn, New Jersey|Milburn-Short Hills, New Jersey]], to take the [[Little League World Series (East Region)|East Region]] title.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/107537436/middleborough-thinks-world-of-little-lea/ |title=Middleborough thinks world of Little Leaguers |first=Mark |last=Singelais |newspaper=[[The Boston Globe]] |page=40 |date=August 22, 1994 |accessdate=August 13, 2022 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref> In [[South Williamsport, Pennsylvania]], the team lost two games (to Virginia and California) and won one game (over Minnesota). They were one of only two Massachusetts Little League teams to win the East title (the other being from [[Andover, Massachusetts|Andover]] in 1988) before it was split into the [[Little League World Series (New England Region)|New England Region]] and [[Little League World Series (Mid-Atlantic Region)|Mid-Atlantic Region]] in 2001. Middleborough advanced to the [[2022 Little League World Series|2022 edition]] of the LLWS with a 10–1 win over Maine. They were the first Massachusetts team to reach South Williamsport since [[Peabody, Massachusetts|Peabody]] in 2009.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/more-sports/5-things-to-know-as-middleborough-becomes-first-mass-team-to-make-little-league-world-series-since-2009/ar-AA10D5YJ |title=5 things to know as Middleborough becomes first Mass. team to make Little League World Series since 2009 |first=Trevor |last=Hass |website=[[Boston.com]] |via=MSN.com |date=August 13, 2022 |accessdate=August 13, 2022}}</ref>  Middleboro lost each of its two games falling 5–3 to Southeast (Tennessee) and 7–5 to Mid-Atlantic (Pennsylvania).<ref>{{cite news |author1=WBZ-News Staff |title=Middleboro team eliminated at Little League World Series |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/little-league-world-series-middleboro/ |access-date=May 16, 2023 |work=CBS News |date=August 20, 2022}}</ref>

<gallery widths="200px" heights="135px">
Image:South Main Street, Looking North, Middleborough, MA.jpg|South Main Street in 1912
Image:Webster Street, Middleborough, MA.jpg|Webster Street {{circa|1910}}
Image:Nemasket Mill, Middleborough, MA.jpg|Nemasket Mill in 1914
Image:Bank Building, Middleborough, MA.jpg|Bank building in 1910
</gallery>

=== Profanity ban controversy ===

On June 11, 2012, Middleborough made national headlines after residents approved an ordinance outlawing the use of [[profanity]] in public, making it punishable by a $20 fine. It passed 183–50 in the town of over 23,000 residents.<ref>{{cite news|last=Sanburn|first=Josh|title=What the @!#$? Cursing in Public in This Massachusetts Town Will Cost You $20|url=https://business.time.com/2012/06/13/what-the-cursing-in-public-in-this-massachusetts-town-will-cost-you-20/|access-date=July 4, 2012|newspaper=TIME|date=June 13, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Weinger|first=Mackenzie|title=Fines for swearing in public in Massachusetts town|url=http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0612/77329.html|access-date=July 4, 2012|newspaper=Politico|date=June 12, 2012}}</ref> Many legal experts said the law violates the [[First amendment|First Amendment to the United States Constitution]]. Dozens of residents on both sides of the issue attended a protest in front of the town hall.<ref>{{cite news|last=Harish|first=Alon|title=Public Swearing Ban Cursed at Protest in Massachusetts Town|url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/cursing-ban-draws-protesters-massachusetts-town/story?id=16653252#.T_R5gPVFmS0|access-date=July 4, 2012 |publisher=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]] |date=June 26, 2012}}</ref> The Massachusetts state director for the [[American Civil Liberties Union]] said, "the Supreme Court has ruled that the government can't prohibit public speech just because it contains profanity."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wric.com/story/18764112/mass-town-imposes-fine-for-public-swearing |title=Mass. Town Imposes Fine For Public Swearing |publisher=WRIC.com |date=June 12, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=June 25, 2012 |title=Opponents, supporters rally on Mass. swearing code |url=https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/national-international/profanity-rally-protests-towns-anti-swearing-law/1919454/ |access-date=2025-05-04 |work=NBC Bay Area |agency=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref> In October 2012, Massachusetts attorney general [[Martha Coakley]] blocked enforcement of the law, saying it was inconsistent with the Constitution, and the town ultimately backed off the profanity ban.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Bolton |first1=Michele Morgan |title=Martha Coakley halts profanity ban enforcement |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2012/10/09/coakley-upholds-middleborough-bylaw-against-profanity-antisocial-behavior/FQmNDZzIfPSv6jehAyWXJJ/story.html |access-date=July 1, 2020 |work=[[The Boston Globe]] |date=October 10, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Proctor |first1=Jason |title=Taber's anti-swearing bylaw fits tradition of behaviour-busting |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/taber-s-anti-swearing-bylaw-fits-tradition-of-behaviour-busting-1.2997483 |access-date=July 1, 2020 |agency=[[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]] |date=March 17, 2015}}</ref>