Profile for Shirley, Massachusetts, MA

A paper mill was built around 1790. Other early products included iron, nails, textiles, rope and suspenders. A Shaker community existed here from 1793 to 1908

The Fort Devens Army base was established near here in 1917 as a temporary training camp for soldiers during World War I. The base later became a permanent installation; at its peak, 15,000 military personnel and their families lived here. The base closed in 1996

Crime: The number of violent crimes recorded by the FBI in 2003 was 4. The number of murders and homicides was 0. The violent crime rate was 0.6 per 1,000 people.

Ranked No. 1 in the nation and in the state, June 2001, in the ePodunk Historic Small Towns Index

Well-known residents have included:
· Benton MacKaye, forester who proposed the Appalachian Trail
· Earl Tupper, creator of Tupperware

Nearby parks & recreation: Benjamin Hill Recreation Area

Support for libraries: Local government funding for the local library system, in fiscal years 2001-2002, was on par with the national average. (See library links below.)

Quotes:
To say the least, Shirley is off the beaten path of tourist New England.
-- Boston Globe, 2001

Listed places near Shirley

Cemeteries (37)

Colleges (1)

Communities (8)

Hotels (6)

Libraries (8)

Museums (2)

Parks (1)

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• Shirley population
• Ancestry of people in Shirley
• Housing in Shirley
• Income in Shirley
• Marital status of adults in Shirley
• Place of birth of people in Shirley
• Residence in 1995, of people in Shirley
• School enrollment & education levels in Shirley
• Transportation & commute times in Shirley
• Middlesex County data
• Fastest-growing counties in Massachusetts
• State data - Massachusetts
• Data by street address
• Historical census records (Ancestry.com)

Sections below provide additional information and links about Shirley demographics, travel and tourism, nearby airports, cemeteries, the Middlesex County economy, education, environment, genealogy, government, historic sites, Boston area jobs, libraries, maps, museums, newspapers and other media, nonprofit groups, real estate, recreation, religion, transportation, and weather in the 01450 ZIP code.

(Also see local map below.)

8% of Shirley residents report German ancestry, and 18% report Irish. For more info on local ancestry groups, see the Shirley ancestry & family history guide.

• Cemeteries in or near Shirley
• Cemeteries in Middlesex County
• Libraries in or near Shirley

Post a query on a message board:

• Middlesex County Ancestry forum
• GenForum

Records & databases:

• Ancestry.com - MA data
• Birth, marriage & death records
• Cemetery records
• County history catalog
• Census records (historic)
• Court, land & probate records
• Death index
• Family & local history
• Immigration records
• Military records (historic)
• Newspaper articles

• Shirley museums
• Shirley historic sites
• Shirley area parks
• Wineries near Shirley

• Add a local cemetery to our listings
• Shirley area cemeteries
• Cemeteries in Middlesex County
• Cemetery record compendium
• Massachusetts cemetery message boards
• National database of cemetery records
• Veteran grave locator

• Communities near Shirley
• Nearby cities of 10,000 or more
• Nearby cities of 50,000 or more
• Communities in Middlesex County

• Shirley business guide
• Better Business Bureau
• Business licenses
• Corporate records search

• Courts in Massachusetts
• Local ordinances in Massachusetts (Partial selection)

• Crime in Middlesex County
• Arrests in Middlesex County

• Obituaries - search nearby newspapers
• Obituary database - Ancestry.com
• Charitable donations

• Local information on disability access
• Americans with Disabilities Act
• Independent living centers in Massachusetts
• National Council on Independent Living

At the time of the 2000 census, the per capita income in Shirley was $20,556, compared with $21,587 nationally.

• Banks
• Building permits
• Current labor force
• Wage estimates
• Middlesex County economic census
• Middlesex County economic summary
• Middlesex County employment growth
• Middlesex County unemployment rate
• Massachusetts economic data

20% of Shirley residents age 25 and older have a bachelor's or advanced college degree.

• Colleges in or near Shirley
• Colleges in Massachusetts
• Learning Disabilities Association in Massachusetts
• Schools in or near Shirley
• School districts in or near Shirley
• School report cards
• Yearbooks (old) of Massachusetts high schools

• Movies playing in or near Shirley
• Tickets to local concerts, sporting events & theaters
• YouTube videos about Shirley

• Air pollution in Middlesex County
• Diesel soot in Middlesex County
• Land contamination in Middlesex County
• Nature Conservancy projects in Massachusetts
• Ozone status & air pollution - American Lung Association
• Toxic chemical releases in Middlesex County
• Water levels & streamflow conditions in Massachusetts

• ePodunk festival listings
• Massachusetts county fairs
• Massachusetts festivals (Massachusetts tourism department)
• Send us festival info for Shirley

• Confluence of latitude & longitude near Shirley
• Geocaches in Massachusetts

• Shirley items now on sale

• Middlesex County government
• Massachusetts state government
• Driver's licenses
• Motor vehicles
• Passports
• Social Security
• Veterans affairs
• Where to write for birth, death, marriage or divorce records

• Ancestry & family history
• Business
• Demographics
• Health
• Moving
• Nonprofit resources
• Sports & rec
• Travel

• Shirley medical services & health statistics

• State historical society

Historic districts in Shirley include Shirley Center Historic District, Shirley Shaker Village, Shirley Village Historic District ... View historic districts

• Historic sites in or near Shirley
• Historic sites in Massachusetts
• Museums in or near Shirley
• Museums in Massachusetts
• Massachusetts state archives
• National Historic Landmark search
• Search the Library of Congress
• Search the National Register for historic properties
• Post history questions in Middlesex County genealogy forum

Median rent in Shirley, at the time of the 2000 Census, was $529.   Monthly homeowner costs, for people with mortgages, were $1,293.

• Research Shirley Apartments
• Find Foreclosure in Shirley
• Homes for sale in Shirley
• Find a Shirley Realtor
• Get free moving quotes
• Free home valuation
• Check Massachusetts mortgage rates
• Property and neighborhood reports
• Mortgage calculator

• Jobs in the Shirley area
• Job services in Massachusetts
• Minimum wage laws by state

Libraries in Shirley include Hazen Memorial Library ... View libraries

• Libraries near Shirley

• Massachusetts library

• Massachusetts statewide library catalog

• Get directions from Shirley
• Get directions to Shirley
• Census map of Shirley area
• Historic maps of MA cities - Library of Congress
• Historic maps of Massachusetts
• Topographic map of Shirley

• Daily newspapers in or near Shirley
• AM radio stations in or near Shirley
• Commercial FM radio stations in or near Shirley
• Public & educational radio stations in or near Shirley
• TV stations in or near Shirley
• Media ownership in the Shirley area
• Search historic newspaper articles
• Search recent news archives in Massachusetts

• Military bases in Massachusetts
• American Legion post locator
• Veterans of Foreign Wars post locator

• Check daily newspapers in or near Shirley
• Search obituaries in Massachusetts
• Recent death notices - selected MA newspapers

• Chambers of commerce in Massachusetts
• Community foundations (by state)
• Foundations (by name)
• Kiwanis clubs in Massachusetts
• Lions clubs in Massachusetts
• Nonprofit groups
• Nonprofit guide for Shirley
• Rotary club search
• Volunteer opportunities in or near Shirley

• Parks near Shirley
• National forests in Massachusetts
• Ski areas near Shirley
• Ski areas in Massachusetts
• State parks in Massachusetts

• Find friends & family

• Find a local animal shelter
• Report animal cruelty

• Aerial photo of Shirley
• Historic photos of U.S. cities
• Panoramic photos of Massachusetts communities
• Photos of Massachusetts places
• Post cards of Massachusetts communities

• Massachusetts Democratic party
• Massachusetts Republican party
• Massachusetts elections board

• ZIP codes (by street address)
• ZIP codes (by city)
• ZIP code reverse lookup (find cities in a ZIP code)

• Churches, other places of worship in or near Shirley
• Total membership by faith, in Middlesex County

• Nearby restaurants taking online reservations
• Chowhound message boards for MA

The average commute time for Shirley workers is 31 minutes, compared with 26 minutes nationwide.

• Train schedules

• Shirley travel guide
• Airports near Shirley
• Hotels near Shirley
• Massachusetts tourism bureau

• Monthly averages & records
• Major storms (searchable by county)
• Massachusetts coastal water temperatures
• National weather map

• Audubon centers
• Birding spots in Massachusetts
• Wildlife refuges in Massachusetts

Browse list of Massachusetts community profiles