Cities and Towns in Massachusetts Quiz

Answer:

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts was settled in 1620 and incorporated in 1629. By "settled" is meant the arrival of the Europeans. Paleo-Indian (indigenous peoples) occupation of the land that is now the State of Massachusetts dates to 8000 BC.

Massachusetts is currently made up of fourteen counties, including thirty-nine cities and three hundred twelve towns. Those counties are: Barnstable County, established 1685; Berkshire County, established 1761; Bristol County, established 1685; Dukes County, established 1695; Essex County, established 1643; Franklin County, established 1811; Hampden County, established 1812; Hampshire County, established 1662; Middlesex County, established 1643; Nantucket County, established 1695; Norfolk County, established 1793; Plymouth County, established 1685; Suffolk County, established 1643; Worcester County, established 1731.

"Old" Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex and Middlesex Counties were the four original counties created in the Massachusetts Bay Colony on May 10, 1643. Hampden County was the last county created on February 25, 1812.

Mashpee: Mashpee is a town in Barnstable County. Established in 1660, it was incorporated in 1870.

Orleans: The town of Orleans, in Barnstable County, was settled in 1693 and incorporated in 1797.

Tyringham: The town of Tyringham in Berkshire County, settled in 1735, was incorporated in 1762.

Fall River: Fall River is a city in Bristol County. Settled in 1656, it was incorporated as a town in 1803 and as a city in 1854.

Oak Bluffs: The town of Oak Bluffs in Dukes County was established in 1642 and incorporated in 1880.

Methuen: Six communities hold city designations, though without wards. Methuen is one of these. Settled in 1642 in Essex County, it was incorporated in 1725.

Newburyport: Newburyport is the county seat of Essex County. It was settled in 1635, incorporated as a town in 1764 and as a city in 1851

Buckland: The town of Buckland is located in Franklin County. Settled in 1779, it was incorporated in the same year.

West Springfield: There are fourteen communities with city structures that refer to themselves as towns. West Springfield is one of these. Established in Hampden County in 1660, it was incorporated in 1774.

Belchertown: The Hampshire County town of Belchertown was settled in 1731 and incorporated in 1761.

Pepperell: The town of Pepperell is situated in Middlesex County. Established in 1720, it was incorporated in 1775.

Dedham: The county seat of Norfolk County, the town of Dedham was established in 1635 and incorporated in 1636.

Scituate: A town in Plymouth County, Scituate was settled in 1630 and incorporated in 1636.

Revere: Revere, in Suffolk County, was settled in 1630. Incorporated as a town in 1846, it became a city in 1914.

Athol: Athol is a town in Worcester County. It was settled in 1735 and incorporated in 1762.