Hanson

History

Hanson was first settled in 1632 as the western parish of Pembroke. The town was officially incorporated in 1820, and was named for Maryland publisher of the Federal Republican newspaper and U.S. Senator Alexander Contee Hanson. Hanson was a champion of free speech and freedom of the press, and he was severely beaten and his newspaper offices were attacked and destroyed by an angry mob after he published an article that was critical of the administration shortly after the outbreak of the War of 1812. The town's early industry revolved around farming, as well as bog iron and quarrying. Mills also popped up along the rivers during the nineteenth century. Today the town is mostly residential, with some farming and cranberry farming. Ocean Spray was first started by several bogs in Hanson, and remained headquartered in Hanson before moving to Plymouth in September 1977. Hanson was home to the Plymouth County Hospital, a tuberculosis sanatorium, located on Bonney Hill, opening in 1919 and remaining open until 1992. It was demolished in 2017.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which is land and , or 4.21%, is water. It is the 250th largest town in the Commonwealth, over seven square miles smaller than the average. Hanson is considered one of the inland towns of Massachusetts's South Shore and is bordered by Rockland and Hanover to the north, Pembroke to the east, Halifax to the south, East Bridgewater to the west, and Whitman to the northwest. Hanson is located approximately east of Brockton, south of Quincy, and south-southeast of Boston. Mostly flatland, the highest elevation in town is Bonney Hill at , making it one of the highest points in Plymouth County. Another hill of prominence is Almshouse Hill near the current-day center of town and named for the Josiah Cushing home (built in 1763), which was purchased in 1837 and used as an almshouse until 1902. Hanson, like many towns in central Plymouth County, is dominated by lakes, rivers, and swamps. The largest ponds include Oldham Pond along the Pembroke town line, Indian Head Pond (the source of Indian Head Brook) just south of Oldham Pond, Maquan Pond, located east of the center of the town, and Wampatuck Pond, located in the center of the town. In addition to Indian Head Brook, the town has several other brooks and rivers, including the Shumatuscacant River and Poor Meadow Brook to the west, and White Oak Brook to the south. To the north of town lies the Little Cedar Swamp, along Indian Head Brook. There is a small town forest and two camps, Rainbow Camp and Camp Kiwanee, within the town. Burrage Pond Wildlife Management Area lies mainly in the section of town called Burrage or South Hanson. About half of the are in Hanson, the other half in Halifax.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  19,683
• Song Sparrow

  Melospiza melodia (A.Wilson, 1810) · Aves
  19,388
• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  18,343
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  18,279
• Black-capped Chickadee

  Poecile atricapillus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  17,461
• Tufted Titmouse

  Baeolophus bicolor (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  15,291
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  15,043
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  14,222

Most recent

• M 3.6 — 2020-11-08
  10 km S of Bliss Corner, Massachusetts
• M 2.7 — 2018-02-15
  0 km SE of East Kingston, New Hampshire
• M 2.6 — 2015-01-13
  2 km E of Wauregan, Connecticut
• M 3.3 — 2015-01-12
  0 km NE of Wauregan, Connecticut
• M 2.5 — 2007-10-19
  2 km WSW of Littleton Common, Massachusetts
• M 2.5 — 2005-11-17
  4 km S of Plymouth, Massachusetts