28 Interesting Massachusetts Facts

By Karin Lehnardt, Senior Writer

Published March 29, 2023

Norfolk County, Massachusetts, is known as the County of Presidents. It's the birthplace of four U.S. presidents: John Adams, John Quincy Adams, John F. Kennedy, and George H. W. Bush._[3]
Massachusetts is home to Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg, which is from the Algonquian words that, roughly translated, mean, "you fish on your side; I fish on my side; nobody fishes in the middle" or "boundary lake."_[3]
Early settlers planted the United States' first apple and pear trees on Massachusetts' Governors Island._[4]
In Massachusetts, the most important maple tree is the sugar maple, which is the main source of maple syrup._[3]
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is in Springfield, Massachusetts. James Naismith invented basketball in the city in 1891. Early hoops were peach baskets._[4]

The Great Blue Hill is the origin of Massachusetts' name

The name Massachusetts is from the Algonquian Indian word meaning "near the great mountain."_[3]
Nantucket was once the whaling capital of the world._[3]
The Higgins Armory Museum in Worcester has one of the world's largest collections of weapons and armor. Among its exhibits are a Roman gladiator helmet, Viking weapons, and samurai swords._[3]
Massachusetts is the United States' second-largest producer of cranberries, after Wisconsin._[3]
Started in 1897, the Boston Marathon is the world's oldest marathon. Over 20,000 people run in the marathon each year (pre-COVID)._[4]
The Puritans founded America's first democratic institution: the town meeting. At the town meeting, every member of the church had the right to speak, and decisions were made by majority rule._[3]
In 1621, the Puritans elected William Bradford as governor of Plymouth. He was reelected 30 times._[3]
Residents of Massachusetts are officially called "Bay Staters."_[3]

Legend holds that on warm days, you can still smell molasses

On January 15, 1919, a storage tank burst, releasing a tsunami of molasses down the streets of Boston. It killed 21 people, injured 150, and molasses could be smelled in the area for decades._[4]
Massachusetts has one of the most educated workforces. An estimated 1 in 3 people has at least a bachelor degree._[4]
The first World Series took place in Boston in 1903. The Boston Red Sox defeated Pittsburg 5–3._[3]
Massachusetts' state heroine is Deborah Samson, who assumed a male identity to fight in the Revolutionary War._[3]
The Fig Newton was named after Newton, Massachusetts._[3]
The Boston Lighthouse is the first lighthouse built in the United States._[3]
America's first public school, the Boston Latin School, opened in 1635._[1]

Johnny Appleseed's real name was John Chapman. He was born in Massachusetts on September 26, 1774, and grew up during the Revolutionary War

Massachusetts named Johnny Appleseed the state hero in 1996._[3]
Benjamin Franklin was born in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1706._[1]
The official state cat of Massachusetts is the tabby cat._[3]
Established in 1634, Boston Commons is the first public park in the United States._[3]
The Puritans once banned Christmas in Massachusetts._[4]
The Boston Library was the first public library in the United States._[1]
Colonists destroyed an estimated 19 million cups of tea during the Boston Tea Party._[2]
The Boston terrier is the first purebred dog in the United States._[3]