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Hanson MA Real Estate and Town Profile
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Hanson, Massachusetts is located in Eastern Massachusetts, bordered by Pembroke on the east, Halifax on the south,
East Bridgewater and Whitman on the west, Whitman on the northwest, and Rockland
and Hanover on the north. Hanson is about 8 miles east of Brockton, 22 miles
southeast of Boston, and 217 miles from New York City. Principal highways are State Routes 14, 27, and 58. Beginning in 1996-97, commuter rail service to South Station, Boston, will
be available from the South Hanson Station in Hanson and from the Whitman
Station in neighboring Whitman. The Bay Colony Railroad provides freight
rail service to South Hanson. Contact number: (781) 380-3556
Hanson is a rural pastoral community incorporated in 1820. Residents of
the town established a preserve for the native population of the area on
100 acres of land in 1662 when they purchased the land on which the town is
situated. Early settlers farmed and lumbered, setting up the first saw
mill in 1695 on the Indian Head Brook near the present town hall. There
were some early 19th century textile mills in Hanson, as well as shoemakers
and lumber mills. Lumbering, making shingles and the cranberry industry
dominated the town's economy in the 19th century. In 1912, a huge
cranberry packing house was built in Hanson. This, with many later
additions, eventually became the national Ocean Spray Corporation. By 1915
there were 21 cranberry growers and 20 poultry farms in a community which
has to this day remained significantly agricultural.
The town was named for Alexander Conte Hanson, a Maryland newspaper
publisher who upheld the rights of a free press in the early 1800's when he
defended his right to condemn the War of 1812. But Hanson, residents say,
is much quieter and more peaceful than its namesake was and that, they
note, is how they like it.
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Map of Hanson
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Some information gathered on Hanson, MA is courtesy of Commonwealth Communities at Mass.gov
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