Oakham, Massachusetts

Oakham, Massachusetts
Town
Town Center
Seal
Location in Worcester County and the state of Massachusetts.
Coordinates: 42°21′10″N72°02′45″W / 42.35278°N 72.04583°W / 42.35278; -72.04583
Country	United States
State	Massachusetts
County	Worcester
Settled	1749
Incorporated	1775
Government
• Type	Open town meeting
Area
• Total	21.5 sq mi (55.8 km2)
• Land	21.1 sq mi (54.7 km2)
• Water	0.4 sq mi (1.1 km2)
Elevation	1,050 ft (320 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	1,851
• Density	86/sq mi (33/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (Eastern)
ZIP code	01068
Area code	508 / 774
FIPS code	25-50670
GNIS feature ID	0618378
Website	www.oakham-ma.gov

Oakham is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 1,851 at the 2020 census. ^[1]

History

Oakham was first settled by British colonists in 1749 as part of Rutland, and was officially incorporated in 1762. It was originally named Oakhampton, but the name was changed for an unknown reason. ^{[ citation needed ]}

The village of Coldbrook Springs was a part of Oakham, near the Barre line, established on the site of a natural iron spring. A railroad depot was built in nearby in the 1830s and the village eventually included a hotel, tavern, medicinal spa, and a number of houses. The area is part of the Ware River Watershed and now part of the Massachusetts state forest, having been cleared of all structures as a part of the Quabbin Reservoir Aqueduct system.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 21.5 square miles (56 km²), of which 21.1 square miles (55 km²) is land and 0.4 square miles (1.0 km²), or 1.90%, is water.

Oakham is bordered by Barre to the northwest, Rutland to the northeast, Paxton to the southeast, Spencer to the south, and New Braintree to the southwest. The towns of Oakham, New Braintree, Spencer and North Brookfield share a common town corner; however, due to its location within feet of the banks of Brooks Pond, there is no direct way to get to North Brookfield from Oakham.

Demographics

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±%
1850	1,137	—
1860	959	−15.7%
1870	860	−10.3%
1880	869	+1.0%
1890	738	−15.1%
1900	588	−20.3%
1910	552	−6.1%
1920	477	−13.6%
1930	502	+5.2%
1940	423	−15.7%
1950	455	+7.6%
1960	524	+15.2%
1970	730	+39.3%
1980	994	+36.2%
1990	1,503	+51.2%
2000	1,673	+11.3%
2010	1,902	+13.7%
2020	1,851	−2.7%
2022*	1,866	+0.8%
* = population estimate. Source: United States census records and Population Estimates Program data. [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12]

As of the census ^[13] of 2000, there were 1,673 people, 578 households, and 467 families residing in the town. The population density was 79.2 inhabitants per square mile (30.6/km²). There were 591 housing units at an average density of 28.0 per square mile (10.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.33% White, 0.36% African American, 0.12% Native American, 0.60% Asian, 0.24% from other races, and 0.36% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.02% of the population.

There were 578 households, out of which 41.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 71.5% were married couples living together, 6.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.2% were non-families. Of all households 14.7% were made up of individuals, and 5.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.89 and the average family size was 3.24.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 29.6% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 29.0% from 25 to 44, 27.5% from 45 to 64, and 7.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.8 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $60,729, and the median income for a family was $63,487. Males had a median income of $42,065 versus $30,882 for females. The per capita income for the town was $23,175. About 1.5% of families and 1.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.8% of those under age 18 and 2.2% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Oakham is part of the Quabbin Regional School District along with Barre, Hardwick, Hubbardston, and New Braintree. Elementary School Students attend Oakham Center School, from grades K–6, middle school students attend Quabbin Regional Middle School from grades 7–8, and high school students attend Quabbin Regional High School from grades 9–12.

Government

State government
State Representative(s):	Donnie Berthiaume (R)
State Senator(s):	Anne M. Gobi (D)
Governor's Councilor(s):	Jen Caissie (R)
Federal government
U.S. Representative(s):	James P. McGovern (D-2nd District),
U.S. Senators:	Elizabeth Warren (D), Ed Markey (D)

Library

The Oakham Free Public Library was established in 1892, ^[14] and in 1907 a library building made of local fieldstone, Fobes Memorial Library, was built with money donated by the Fobes family. ^[15] In fiscal year 2008, the town of Oakham spent 1.71% ($47,657) of its budget on its public library—approximately $24 per person, per year ($29.39 adjusted for inflation to 2021). ^[16] In fiscal year 2017, Oakham spent 1.66% ($58,062) of its budget on its public library—approximately $30 per person, per year. ^[17]

References

1. "Census - Geography Profile: Oakham town, Worcester County, Massachusetts". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved November 12, 2021.
2. "Total Population (P1), 2010 Census Summary File 1". American FactFinder, All County Subdivisions within Massachusetts. United States Census Bureau. 2010.
3. "Massachusetts by Place and County Subdivision - GCT-T1. Population Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
4. "1990 Census of Population, General Population Characteristics: Massachusetts" (PDF). US Census Bureau. December 1990. Table 76: General Characteristics of Persons, Households, and Families: 1990. 1990 CP-1-23. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
5. "1980 Census of the Population, Number of Inhabitants: Massachusetts" (PDF). US Census Bureau. December 1981. Table 4. Populations of County Subdivisions: 1960 to 1980. PC80-1-A23. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
6. "1950 Census of Population" (PDF). Bureau of the Census. 1952. Section 6, Pages 21-10 and 21-11, Massachusetts Table 6. Population of Counties by Minor Civil Divisions: 1930 to 1950. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
7. "1920 Census of Population" (PDF). Bureau of the Census. Number of Inhabitants, by Counties and Minor Civil Divisions. Pages 21-5 through 21-7. Massachusetts Table 2. Population of Counties by Minor Civil Divisions: 1920, 1910, and 1920. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
8. "1890 Census of the Population" (PDF). Department of the Interior, Census Office. Pages 179 through 182. Massachusetts Table 5. Population of States and Territories by Minor Civil Divisions: 1880 and 1890. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
9. "1870 Census of the Population" (PDF). Department of the Interior, Census Office. 1872. Pages 217 through 220. Table IX. Population of Minor Civil Divisions, &c. Massachusetts. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
10. "1860 Census" (PDF). Department of the Interior, Census Office. 1864. Pages 220 through 226. State of Massachusetts Table No. 3. Populations of Cities, Towns, &c. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
11. "1850 Census" (PDF). Department of the Interior, Census Office. 1854. Pages 338 through 393. Populations of Cities, Towns, &c. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
12. "City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2022". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved October 29, 2023.
13. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
14. Report of the Free Public Library Commission of Massachusetts. v.9 (1899)
15. "Building History | Oakham, MA". www.oakham-ma.gov. Retrieved May 26, 2021.
16. July 1, 2007 through June 30, 2008; cf. The FY2008 Municipal Pie: What's Your Share? Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Board of Library Commissioners. Boston: 2009. Available: Municipal Pie Reports Archived 2012-01-23 at the Wayback Machine . Retrieved 2010-08-04
17. Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (December 2018). "The FY2017 Municipal Pie What's Your Share?". State Library of Massachusetts. Boston. p. 2. OCLC   725879606. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 7, 2019. Retrieved June 19, 2022.

Further reading

• Wright, Henry Parks (1914). Soldiers of Oakham, Massachusetts, in the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812 and the Civil War. New Haven: Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor Press. Retrieved April 20, 2014.

External links

• Media related to Oakham, Massachusetts at Wikimedia Commons