Whitman, Massachusetts facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Whitman, Massachusetts
Town
Whitman Town Hall
Seal
Motto(s):  "The Birthplace Of The Chocolate Chip Cookie"
Location in Plymouth County in Massachusetts
Country	United States
State	Massachusetts
County	Plymouth
Settled	1670
Incorporated	March 4, 1875
Government
• Type	Open town meeting
Area
• Total	7.1 sq mi (18.1 km2)
• Land	7.0 sq mi (18.0 km2)
• Water	0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation	110 ft (34 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	15,121
• Density	2,160.1/sq mi (840.1/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (Eastern)
ZIP Code	02382
Area code(s)	339/781
FIPS code	25-79530
GNIS feature ID	0618355
Website	www.whitman-ma.gov

Whitman is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. About 15,121 people lived here in 2020. It is located about 20 miles south of Boston. Whitman is famous because the first chocolate chip cookie was invented here! This happened at the Toll House Inn by Ruth Graves Wakefield.

History of Whitman

Whitman was first settled by Europeans around 1675. It was originally part of a larger town called Bridgewater. Later, in 1712, it became part of Abington.

How Whitman Got Its Name

In the 1800s, the area was known as South Abington. On March 4, 1875, it became its own town. Then, on May 3, 1886, the town voted to change its name to Whitman. This was to honor Jared Whitman, a local lawyer. He served in the state government in 1839 and 1840. In its early days, Whitman was known for making shoes.

The Famous Cookie Invention

In the late 1930s, Ruth Graves Wakefield created the very first chocolate chip cookies in Whitman. She made them at her restaurant, the Toll House Inn, on Bedford Street. Sadly, the Toll House Inn burned down on New Year's Eve in 1984. It was never rebuilt. Today, a historical marker shows where it once stood. A Wendy's restaurant and a Walgreens pharmacy are now on the land, but the original Toll House sign is still there.

Other Interesting Facts

The former Whitman Savings Bank was the first bank in the country to offer a special type of life insurance. For many years, from 1968 to 1994, Whitman was also home to King's Castle Land. This was a children's amusement park.

Geography of Whitman

Whitman covers about 7.0 square miles (18.1 square kilometers) of land. It is one of the smallest towns in Plymouth County. Whitman is surrounded by other towns. Abington is to the north, and Brockton is to the west.

Natural Features

Today, Whitman is mostly a residential town, meaning many people live here. There is a small town forest in the northeastern part of town. The Shumatuscacant River flows through the eastern half of Whitman. This river has a dam near the town center. The eastern part of town also has two large meadows, Hobart Meadow and Bear Meadow, both along the river.

Getting Around Whitman

The main roads in Whitman are Route 18 and Route 27. These roads cross near the town center. Route 14 and Route 58 also pass through parts of town. There are no major highways directly in Whitman. The closest big highway is Route 24 in nearby Brockton.

Public Transportation

Whitman has a train station called Whitman station. It is part of the MBTA Commuter Rail system. This train line, called the Kingston/Plymouth Line, helps people travel to and from Boston. The nearest major airport is Logan International Airport in Boston.

People of Whitman

In 2000, there were about 13,882 people living in Whitman. Most people in Whitman are White. A small number of people are African American, Native American, or Asian. About 0.88% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

Age and Families

The population in Whitman is made up of people of all ages. About 26.7% of the people are under 18 years old. The average age in town was 35 years old. Many families live in Whitman. About 56.5% of households were married couples living together.

Education in Whitman

Whitman shares a school district with the town of Hanson. This is called the Whitman-Hanson Regional School District.

Schools in Town

There are two elementary schools in Whitman: the Duval School and the Conley School. These schools teach students from kindergarten through fifth grade. The Whitman Middle School teaches students from sixth to eighth grades.

High School and Beyond

Students from both Whitman and Hanson go to Whitman-Hanson Regional High School. This school is located on Route 27, in Hanson. A new, modern school building opened in 2005. The school's sports teams are called the Panthers, and their colors are red and black. One of their biggest rivals is Abington. They have played each other in football on Thanksgiving Day for over 100 years! Students can also choose to go to South Shore Regional Vocational Technical High School in Hanover. This school teaches job skills. The closest college is Massasoit Community College in Brockton.

Famous People from Whitman

Many interesting people have connections to Whitman:

• Lennie Baker was a singer in the band Sha Na Na.
• Sean Conover played professional football for the St. Louis Rams.
• Geoff Diehl was a state representative.
• Lt. John R. Fox was a war hero who received the Medal of Honor.
• Alex Karalexis is a professional fighter.
• Dana LeVangie was a baseball player and coach for the Boston Red Sox.
• Joe List is a comedian.
• James Lowder is an editor and author of fantasy and horror books.
• Harry Markopolos was a whistleblower who warned about Bernard Madoff's financial fraud.
• Poppy is a singer, songwriter, and YouTube personality.
• Steve Smith is the drummer for the rock band Journey.
• Francis Spellman was a very important leader in the Roman Catholic Church.
• Ruth Wakefield was the inventor of the Toll House Cookie.

See also

In Spanish: Whitman (Massachusetts) para niños