Talk:History of Dedham, Massachusetts/draft

The town of Dedham, Massachusetts (in the United States) has a long and storied history.

Pre-colonial
Before the colonization of North America, the area that became Dedham was settled by the Massachusett and Wampanoag tribes. The Neponset tribe settled near a body of water in Dedham now known as Wigwam Pond.

17th century
Dedham was "planted" in 1635, and was formally settled as its own town in September 1636. The original tract of land granted to Dedham stretched for some 177 square miles, (roughly 20 miles long and 10 miles wide), extending from modern-day Roxbury and Dorcheste r to the Rhode Island state border. Despite this, most people lived near 1.5 miles of the town center until 1682.

The town remained primarily agricultural until the 19th century.

The town grew rapidly over the course of the 17th century. In 1648, the population was roughly 400 people; in 1700, the population was roughly 750. Roughly 25% to 40% of the people of Dedham at any given time were new arrivals who did not live there during the previous decade, most of which were close relatives of Dedham's families. (The data is distorted by the towns separated out of Dedham. )

The town of Medfield, Massachusetts was split out of Dedham in 1649–51. Wrentham, Massachusetts was split out of Dedham in 1669–73.

18th century
Dedham grew further in the 18th century. Its population reached 1,500 people around 1750, and almost 2,000 by 1775.

Three more towns were separated from Dedham in the 18th century with little opposition: Needham in 1711, Bellingham in 1719, and Walpole in 1724. By 1725, however, Dedham was much smaller than it had been, and people started questioning whether to break up the town further.

In the American Revolution
In the Woodward Tavern (where Fisher Ames was born), a convention met in September 1774 and adjourned to Milton, where it passed the Suffolk Resolves.

19th century
The Dedham Public Library was organized in 1854 and incorporated in 1871. The Dedham Historical Society was organized in 1859 and incorporated in 1862.

20th century
As of the 1910 census, the town was home to 9,284 people. The 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica described the town's economy as follows: "Carpets, handkerchiefs and woollen [sic] goods are manufactured, and a pottery here is reputed to make the only true crackleware outside the East."