Dalton, Massachusetts
| Dalton, Massachusetts | ||
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| Town | ||
| Town of Dalton | ||
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| Motto: "Heaven in the heart of the Berkshires" | ||
 Location in Berkshire County and the state of Massachusetts. |
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| Coordinates: 42°28′25″N 73°10′00″W / 42.47361°N 73.16667°WCoordinates: 42°28′25″N 73°10′00″W / 42.47361°N 73.16667°W | ||
| Country |
 United States
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| State |
 Massachusetts
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| County | Berkshire | |
| Settled | 1755 | |
| Incorporated | 1784 | |
| Named for | Tristram Dalton | |
| Government | ||
| • Type | Open town meeting | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 56.7 km2 (21.9 sq mi) | |
| • Land | 56.4 km2 (21.8 sq mi) | |
| • Water | 0.3 km2 (0.1 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 365 m (1,199 ft) | |
| Population (2010) | ||
| • Total | 6,756 | |
| • Density | 119.8/km2 (310/sq mi) | |
| • Demonym | Daltonian | |
| Time zone | Eastern (UTC-5) | |
| • Summer (DST) | Eastern (UTC-4) | |
| ZIP code | 01226 | |
| Area code(s) | 413 | |
| FIPS code | 25-16180 | |
| GNIS feature ID | 0619418 | |
| Website | dalton-ma |
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Dalton is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts. Dalton is a transition town between the urban and rural portions of Berkshire County. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 6,756 at the 2010 census.
Dalton was first settled in 1755 and officially incorporated in 1784. The town was named after Tristram Dalton, the Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives at the time of the town's incorporation.
Dalton was settled as a rural-industrial community, with mills set up along the East Branch of the Housatonic River and small patches of farmland in other areas. In 1801, Zenas Crane, Henry Wiswall and John Willard set up a paper mill along the river which, by 1844, had begun producing banknote paper, which was purchased by banks all the way to Boston. The company, Crane & Co., still is the largest employer in town, making paper products, stationery, and, since 1873, has been the only supplier of paper for the Federal Reserve Note, the United States' paper money. The town now has a mix of small town and suburban qualities, and was served by trolleys to Pittsfield for many years.
In 1973, Dalton was the host of the International Six Days Enduro (ISDE or ISDT). Also referred to as "The Olympics of Motorcycling". The ISDE is an annual event held in a different country each year since 1913 (minus WW-I & WW-II), and draws competitors from all around the world.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 21.9 square miles (56.7 km2), of which 21.8 square miles (56.4 km2) is land and 0.12 square miles (0.3 km2), or 0.45%, is water. Dalton is bordered by Cheshire to the northwest and north, Windsor to the northeast, Hinsdale to the east, Washington to the south, and Pittsfield and Lanesborough to the west. The town center is 5 miles (8 km) northeast of downtown Pittsfield, 45 miles (72 km) northwest of Springfield, and 140 miles (230 km) west of Boston.
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