Charlton

[chahrl-tn]

Charlton, Bobby (Sir Robert Charlton), 1937-, one of the most celebrated of all English soccer players. Famous for his graceful athleticism, powerfully accurate kick, and sportsmanlike behavior, Charlton was (1954-73) a forward for Manchester United, making his pro debut in 1956. He survived the 1958 Munich plane crash that killed eight of his teammates and went on to lead and inspire Manchester, which during his tenure won three league championships (1957, 1963, 1967), the Football Association Cup (1963), and the European Cup (1968). Charlton also played (1957-73) on England's national team, appearing a record-breaking 106 times and sparking the team's 1966 the World Cup victory. He managed (1973-75) Preston North End and became a director of Manchester United in 1984. He was knighted in 1994.

See his My Soccer Life (1965) and The Game of Soccer (1967).

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia Copyright © 2004.
Licensed from Columbia University Press

Charlton, Massachusetts

Charlton is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 11,263 at the 2000 census.

History

Charlton was first settled in 1735, and was officially incorporated in 1775. It became a separate district (from Oxford) in 1755, and based on that, the town celebrated its 250th anniversary in 2005. During the 1800s, farming continued to be the major occupation, but woolen mills were being built along some of the town's brooks by the turn of the twentieth century.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 43.8 square miles (113.4 km²), of which, 42.5 square miles (110.2 km²) of it is land and 1.2 square miles (3.2 km²) of it (2.86%) is water.

The town is bordered on the west by Sturbridge; on the north by East Brookfield, Spencer and Leicester; on the east by Oxford; and on the south by Dudley and Southbridge.

Charlton is bisected by north-south Route 31, which runs through the historical villages of Charlton Center, Charlton City and Charlton Depot. North-south Route 169 connects Charlton City with Southbridge. East-west routes include Route 20, a major commuter road, and the Massachusetts Turnpike (Interstate 90), which crosses through Charlton but does not have an exit in the town. While there is no exit for the town, there are two rest stops on the Mass Pike that is in Charlton.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 11,263 people, 3,788 households, and 3,045 families residing in the town. The population density was 264.8 people per square mile (102.2/km²). There were 4,008 housing units at an average density of 94.2/sq mi (36.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.08% White, 0.46% African American, 0.23% Native American, 0.20% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.34% from other races, and 0.62% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.98% of the population.

There were 3,788 households out of which 45.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.4% were married couples living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.6% were non-families. 14.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.92 and the average family size was 3.24.

In the town the population was spread out with 30.0% under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 34.4% from 25 to 44, 22.1% from 45 to 64, and 7.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 95.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.8 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $63,033, and the median income for a family was $70,208. Males had a median income of $46,727 versus $33,451 for females. The per capita income for the town was $23,626. About 4.9% of families and 5.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.3% of those under age 18 and 10.7% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Education

Charlton public schools are part of the Dudley–Charlton Regional School district. The town of Charlton has schools to serve children of all ages. Charlton Elementary serves students in kindergarten and first grade. The Heritage School serves students in grades 2 through 4. The Charlton Middle School serves grades 5 through 8. Charlton High Schoolers (ninth grade through twelfth grade) attend Shepherd Hill Regional High School in Dudley.

Charlton is also home to Bay Path Regional Vocational Technical High School which serves Charlton and surrounding communities.

There used to be a high school in the center of town called Charlton High School. That building is now used for the Charlton Municipal Offices.