Brockton, Massachusetts

In 1649, Ousamequin (Massasoit) sold the surrounding Wampanoag land—then known as Saughtucket—to Myles Standish as an addition to Duxbury.{{Cite web |last=Cline |first=Sara |title=Massasoit and Myles Standish signed it -- Bridgewater saved it |url=https://www.enterprisenews.com/story/news/2017/09/08/massasoit-myles-standish-signed-it/18853923007/ |access-date=2023-04-15 |website=Enterprise News |language=en-US}} Brockton was part of this area, which the English renamed Bridgewater. On June 15, 1821, a portion of the then Bridgewater Township was established as North Bridgewater.{{Cite book|url=https://www.familysearch.org/library/books/records/item/388219-vital-records-of-bridgewater-massachusetts-to-the-year-1850-vol-1|title=Vital Records of Bridgewater, Massachusetts to the year 1850|publisher=New England Historic Genealogical Society|year=1916|editor-last=Scott|editor-first=Henry Edwards|volume=1 - Births|location=Boston, Massachusetts|pages=3|access-date=19 Nov 2021|url-access=registration}} Brockton is named after Isaac Brock. He was the British commanding general at Queenston Heights—the first major battle of the War of 1812—where invading American troops retreated in defeat. Because Brock was a loyalist, naming the town after him was a subject of contention among its colonial residents. Ultimately, it was given the name Brockton in 1874, and officially became a city on April 9, 1881.

Brockton was a stop on the Underground Railroad, a network of secret routes and safe houses that helped enslaved people escape to freedom in the North and Canada.{{Cite web |title=Black history comes alive in the hands and voices of prominent Brocktonians |url=https://www.enterprisenews.com/story/news/history/2023/02/10/brockton-black-history-month-naacp-library-martin-luther-king-malcolm-x-kamala-harris-harriet-tubman/69873734007/ |access-date=2023-04-15 |website=Enterprise News |language=en-US}} Famous abolitionist Frederick Douglass, spoke to a crowd at the Liberty Tree in Brockton during the pre-Civil War period.{{Cite web |last=Saint-Ciel |first=Alisha |title=5 influential African Americans with ties to Brockton area |url=https://www.enterprisenews.com/story/news/local/2021/02/18/african-american-brockton-west-bridgewater-frederick-douglass-jacob-talbot-eugene-marrow-mary-baker/6781214002/ |access-date=2023-04-15 |website=Enterprise News |language=en-US}} During the American Civil War, Brockton was America's largest producer of shoes, and until the latter parts of the 20th century, Brockton had a large shoe and leather products industry.{{cite web|url=http://www.wickedlocal.com/x1959832707/Once-known-as-Shoe-City-Brockton-loses-its-last-factory|title=Once known as 'Shoe City,' Brockton loses its last factory|first=Elaine|last=Allegrini}}

Since the company's 1898 founding, Brockton has been the headquarters city of office supplies retailer W.B. Mason, itself founded to provide those supplies to the city's shoe industry. The city's economy was once based on the shoe industry, but it has since diversified to include other industries such as healthcare, education, and manufacturing. Brockton has faced a number of challenges, including poverty, crime, and regional and local racial segregation.[https://www.bostonindicators.org/-/media/indicators/boston-indicators-reports/report-files/changing-faces-2019/indicators-changing-facesf2web.pdf Boston Indicators Project, 2018, pp. 37-40] Despite these challenges, the city has made progress in recent years, particularly in the development of its downtown area, by highlighting its diversity and rich history, and working toward a more welcoming atmosphere for businesses and residents.{{Citation |last=CityBrockton |title=Brockton: Where Better Begins |date=2022-11-09 |url=https://vimeo.com/769246635 |access-date=2023-04-15}}

File:1906 Brockton station postcard.JPG|Brockton station on a 1906 postcard

File:Oldest House in Brockton Heights, MA.jpg|Oldest house in 1910

File:Main Street, Looking North From Crescent, Brockton, MA.jpg|Main Street {{circa|1910}}

File:Howard & Foster's Shoe Factory, Brockton, MA.jpg|Shoe factory in 1910

• On October 1, 1883, Brockton became the first place in the world to have a three-wire underground electrical system when Thomas Edison threw a switch to activate it.[http://www.thomasedison.com/enlightened.html#brocktonbreak Edison's Fabulous Breakthrough in Brockton, Massachusetts], thomasedison.com; accessed April 16, 2014.
• The City Theater opened on October 24, 1894, the first theater in the world to be tied into the three-wire electrical system.

• On December 30, 1884, the first electrically operated fire station in the United States opened in Brockton.
• The department store Santa Claus appeared in Brockton in December 1890, when James Edgar, of Edgar's Department Store, suited up for the first time.[http://1stdepartmentstoresanta.com/james-edgar.pdf Department Store Santa Tradition] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707060442/http://1stdepartmentstoresanta.com/james-edgar.pdf |date=2011-07-07 }}; retrieved April 19, 2011
• Brockton became the first city in the country to abolish grade crossings in 1896.
• In 2020, Brockton became the first city in New England with a majority-Black population. Brockton's new majority-Black population is expected to have a positive impact on the city's culture, economy, and politics.{{Cite web |last=Berke |first=Ben |title=Brockton is now majority Black, for first time in city's history |url=https://www.enterprisenews.com/story/news/local/2020/10/23/brockton-is-now-majority-black-for-first-time-in-citys-139-year-history/114467122/ |access-date=2023-04-15 |website=Enterprise News |language=en-US}}

• On November 23, 2010, Brockton set the world record for the most Santa Hat wearers in one place at one time, with 872 people participating in the event.[http://www.worldrecordsacademy.org/mass/most_Santa_hat_wearers_in_one_place_Brockton_sets_world_record_101979.html World Records Academy] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120515160211/http://www.worldrecordsacademy.org/mass/most_Santa_hat_wearers_in_one_place_Brockton_sets_world_record_101979.html |date=2012-05-15 }}; accessed April 16, 2014.
• On November 20, 2011, Brockton doubled the city's Santa Claus hat-wearing record with 1792 people in downtown Brockton wearing Santa hats.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/massachusetts/2011/11/20/sea-santas-stand-counted/orsfeGAv8F6guYbukoD53N/story.html|title=Brockton dons Santa hats, shatters its own record - the Boston Globe|website=The Boston Globe}}

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of {{convert|21.6|sqmi|km2}}, of which {{convert|21.5|sqmi|km2}} is land and {{convert|0.1|sqmi|km2}} (0.56%) is water. Brockton is the 162nd largest city by land area in the Commonwealth, and the twelfth largest of the twenty-seven towns in Plymouth County. Bordered by Avon to the north, Holbrook to the northeast, Abington to the northeast, Whitman and East Bridgewater to the southeast, West Bridgewater to the south, and Easton to the west. Brockton is located 22 miles (35 km) south of Boston, and 30 miles (48 km) northeast of Providence, Rhode Island.

Brockton is mostly an urban setting, lying along the Salisbury Plain River, which once powered the many shoe factories of the city. To the northeast lies the Beaver Brook Conservation Land, attached to the southern end of the Ames Nowell State Park in Abington. There are several parks throughout the city, but the largest is D.W. Field Park, an Olmsted-inspired park which includes ponds, Waldo Lake and Brockton Reservoir in Avon, as well as a golf course.

According to the Köppen climate classification, Brockton has either a hot-summer humid continental climate (abbreviated Dfa), or a hot-summer humid subtropical climate (abbreviated Cfa), depending on the isotherm used.

{{Weather box

|location = Brockton, Massachusetts, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1894–present

|single line = Yes

|Jan record high F = 71

|Feb record high F = 72

|Mar record high F = 88

|Apr record high F = 95

|May record high F = 97

|Jun record high F = 101

|Jul record high F = 103

|Aug record high F = 104

|Sep record high F = 100

|Oct record high F = 89

|Nov record high F = 82

|Dec record high F = 78

|Jan avg record high F = 59.7

|Feb avg record high F = 59.3

|Mar avg record high F = 67.8

|Apr avg record high F = 79.9

|May avg record high F = 88.7

|Jun avg record high F = 92.4

|Jul avg record high F = 95.1

|Aug avg record high F = 93.4

|Sep avg record high F = 88.7

|Oct avg record high F = 79.9

|Nov avg record high F = 70.6

|Dec avg record high F = 62.4

|year avg record high F = 97.0

|Jan high F = 38.7

|Feb high F = 40.8

|Mar high F = 48.0

|Apr high F = 59.0

|May high F = 69.7

|Jun high F = 78.3

|Jul high F = 84.2

|Aug high F = 82.9

|Sep high F = 75.3

|Oct high F = 64.0

|Nov high F = 53.5

|Dec high F = 43.7

|year high F =

|Jan mean F = 29.6

|Feb mean F = 31.4

|Mar mean F = 38.3

|Apr mean F = 48.5

|May mean F = 58.5

|Jun mean F = 67.7

|Jul mean F = 73.8

|Aug mean F = 72.4

|Sep mean F = 64.8

|Oct mean F = 53.5

|Nov mean F = 43.8

|Dec mean F = 35.0

|year mean F =

|Jan low F = 20.6

|Feb low F = 22.0

|Mar low F = 28.7

|Apr low F = 38.0

|May low F = 47.4

|Jun low F = 57.1

|Jul low F = 63.4

|Aug low F = 62.0

|Sep low F = 54.2

|Oct low F = 43.0

|Nov low F = 34.2

|Dec low F = 26.4

|year low F =

|Jan avg record low F = 0.2

|Feb avg record low F = 3.8

|Mar avg record low F = 11.2

|Apr avg record low F = 25.2

|May avg record low F = 33.7

|Jun avg record low F = 43.5

|Jul avg record low F = 51.4

|Aug avg record low F = 49.2

|Sep avg record low F = 38.1

|Oct avg record low F = 27.6

|Nov avg record low F = 18.7

|Dec avg record low F = 8.9

|year avg record low F = -1.8

|Jan record low F = -18

|Feb record low F = -19

|Mar record low F = -5

|Apr record low F = 13

|May record low F = 25

|Jun record low F = 35

|Jul record low F = 40

|Aug record low F = 37

|Sep record low F = 27

|Oct record low F = 13

|Nov record low F = 3

|Dec record low F = -16

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation inch = 4.02

|Feb precipitation inch = 3.62

|Mar precipitation inch = 5.23

|Apr precipitation inch = 4.53

|May precipitation inch = 3.44

|Jun precipitation inch = 4.13

|Jul precipitation inch = 3.17

|Aug precipitation inch = 3.60

|Sep precipitation inch = 4.08

|Oct precipitation inch = 4.96

|Nov precipitation inch = 4.39

|Dec precipitation inch = 5.06

|year precipitation inch =

|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in

|Jan precipitation days = 11.0

|Feb precipitation days = 10.7

|Mar precipitation days = 12.0

|Apr precipitation days = 12.3

|May precipitation days = 12.8

|Jun precipitation days = 11.4

|Jul precipitation days = 9.7

|Aug precipitation days = 9.3

|Sep precipitation days = 9.4

|Oct precipitation days = 11.4

|Nov precipitation days = 11.0

|Dec precipitation days = 12.3

|Jan snow inch = 9.1

|Feb snow inch = 12.8

|Mar snow inch = 6.9

|Apr snow inch = 0.7

|May snow inch = 0.0

|Jun snow inch = 0.0

|Jul snow inch = 0.0

|Aug snow inch = 0.0

|Sep snow inch = 0.0

|Oct snow inch = 0.1

|Nov snow inch = 0.2

|Dec snow inch = 4.5

|year snow inch =

|unit snow days = 0.1 in

|Jan snow days = 2.2

|Feb snow days = 2.3

|Mar snow days = 1.5

|Apr snow days = 0.2

|May snow days = 0.0

|Jun snow days = 0.0

|Jul snow days = 0.0

|Aug snow days = 0.0

|Sep snow days = 0.0

|Oct snow days = 0.0

|Nov snow days = 0.1

|Dec snow days = 1.4

|source 1 = NOAA

{{cite web

|url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&stations=USC00190860&format=pdf&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-TMIN-NORMAL,MLY-TAVG-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL,MLY-SNOW-NORMAL

|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

|title = U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access – Station: Brockton, MA

|access-date = June 16, 2023

}}

|source 2 = National Weather Service

{{cite web

|url = https://www.weather.gov/wrh/climate?wfo=box

|publisher = National Weather Service

|title = NOAA Online Weather Data – NWS Boston

|access-date = June 16, 2023

}}

}}

{{Historical populations

|type= USA

|1830|1953

|1840|2616

|1850|3939

|1860|6584

|1870|8007

|1880|13608

|1890|27294

|1900|40063

|1910|56878

|1920|66254

|1930|63797

|1940|62343

|1950|62860

|1960|72813

|1970|89040

|1980|95172

|1990|92788

|2000|94304

|2010|93810

|2020|105643

|2024*|105788

|source={{center|U.S. Decennial Census{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015}}}}

|footnote=* = population estimate. {{Historical populations/Massachusetts municipalities references}}{{cite journal|title=1950 Census of Population|volume=1: Number of Inhabitants|at=Section 6, pp. 21-7 through 21-09, Massachusetts Table 4. Population of Urban Places of 10,000 or more from Earliest Census to 1920|publisher=Bureau of the Census|access-date=July 12, 2011|year=1952|url=http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/23761117v1ch06.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110609073753/http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/23761117v1ch06.pdf |archive-date=2011-06-09 |url-status=live}}{{cite web | title=City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2022| publisher=United States Census Bureau | access-date=November 23, 2023 | url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-total-cities-and-towns.html}}

}}

File:Race and ethnicity 2020 Brockton, MA.png

As of the census{{cite web|last=Jones|first=Jarred|date=2020-10-21|title=U.S. Census website|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=brockton,%20ma%20&tid=ACSDP1Y2019.DP05&hidePreview=false|access-date=2020-10-21|website=U.S. Census website|publisher=United States Census Bureau}} of 2020, there were 105,643 people, 31,440 households, and about 3.04 people living in each household, and about an average family size of 3.59. The population density was 4,486.3 people per square mile. The racial makeup of the city treating Hispanics as if a separate race was 27.8% White, 33.8% African American, 0.2% Native American, 2.1% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 6.9% other race; 17.1% Mixed race or Multiracial, and 12.1% Hispanic or Latino of any race. The African-American population in Brockton has grown significantly since the beginning of the early 2000s.

Brockton has one of the largest populations of Cape Verdean ancestry in the United States. Per the 2023 American Community Survey five-year estimates, the Cape Verdean American population was 16,753 or approximately 16% of the population.{{cite web|url=https://data.census.gov/table/ACSDT5Y2023.B04006?t=Ancestry&g=160XX00US2509000|title=B04006 People Reporting Ancestry – Brockton, Massachusetts – 2023 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates|date=July 1, 2023|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=December 13, 2024}} Brockton also has a significant Angolan American community.{{cite web|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-8599845.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121025033251/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-8599845.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2012-10-25|title=Trouble's Temptations: Angolan-American activists worry that young immigrants from their homeland will be drawn into the cycle of violence that plagues Cape Verdeans|periodical=The Boston Globe|last=Latour|first=Francie|date=2000-06-25|access-date=March 15, 2009}}

Statistically, Brockton is the most populous and most densely populated community in Plymouth County. It is the sixth largest community in the commonwealth. However, it is only the twenty-seventh most densely populated community in the Commonwealth. {{citation needed|date=April 2014}}

As of 2010, there were 33,675 households, out of which 35.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.0% were married couples living together, 19.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.4% were non-families. 26.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. In the city, the population was spread out, with 27.8% under the age of 18, 9.1% from 18 to 24, 30.5% from 25 to 44, 20.8% from 45 to 64, and 11.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.4 males.

As of 2018, the median income for a household in Brockton is $55,140. Males have an average income of $41,093 versus $35,145 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,163. The poverty rate in Brockton is 15.61% of the population. Notably by race, 23.55% of Hispanics were in poverty, while the Black population of Brockton had about 18.61% of its population living in poverty.

{{See also|List of Massachusetts locations by per capita income}}

Data is from the 2009–2013 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates.{{cite web|url=http://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=ACS_13_5YR_DP03&prodType=table|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200212214424/http://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=ACS_13_5YR_DP03&prodType=table|url-status=dead|archive-date=2020-02-12|title=SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS 2009-2013 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|access-date=2015-01-12}}{{cite web|url=http://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=ACS_13_5YR_DP05&prodType=table|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200212212731/http://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=ACS_13_5YR_DP05&prodType=table|url-status=dead|archive-date=2020-02-12|title=ACS DEMOGRAPHIC AND HOUSING ESTIMATES 2009-2013 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|access-date=2015-01-12}}{{cite web|url=http://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=ACS_13_5YR_S1101&prodType=table|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200212210258/http://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=ACS_13_5YR_S1101&prodType=table|url-status=dead|archive-date=2020-02-12|title=HOUSEHOLDS AND FAMILIES 2009-2013 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|access-date=2015-01-12}}

Brockton is home to the Brockton Symphony Orchestra, a community orchestra founded in 1948.Pfeifer, Ellen (10 April 1998). [https://web.archive.org/web/20130812010542/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-56381394.html "Handel rarity is a royal tragedy; Brockton Symphony celebrates 50 years"]. Boston Herald{{cite web|url=http://www.brocktonsymphony.org/|title=The Brockton Symphony Orchestra|first=BrSO|last=Webmaster|website=www.brocktonsymphony.org}} The orchestra performs five or six concerts per season at local venues such as Brockton's West Middle School Auditorium and the Oliver Ames Auditorium in the neighboring town of Easton. The orchestra comprises 65 musicians from the greater Brockton area and its musical director since 2007 is James Orent, a guest conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Boston Pops.Mccready, Daniel (February 25, 2012).[http://www.enterprisenews.com/answerbook/brockton/x1911641511/Orchestra-to-bring-Life-to-Brockton#ixzz2DzFxw9KY "Orchestra to bring 'Life' to Brockton"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130812021805/http://www.enterprisenews.com/answerbook/brockton/x1911641511/Orchestra-to-bring-Life-to-Brockton#ixzz2DzFxw9KY |date=August 12, 2013 }}. The Enterprise; retrieved December 3, 2012.Knox, Robert (September 9, 2007). [https://web.archive.org/web/20130812012706/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-8716373.html "Brockton Symphony's pilot - New director plans both rare, popular works"]. Boston Globe

• Brockton Summer Concert Series{{cite web|url=http://www.enterprisenews.com/news/20170711/free-summer-concerts-return-to-brockton|title=Free summer concerts return to Brockton|first=Jessica|last=Primavera}}
• Downtown Brockton Arts and Music Festival – End of August annually[http://brocktonarts.org/dbam Downtown Brockton Arts and Music Festival]{{cite web|url=http://brocktonarts.org/about-us/ |title=About Us |publisher=Brockton Arts |date=2015-08-29 |access-date=2018-07-26}}
• Towerfest – Columbus Day Weekend annually {{Cite news|url=http://www.enterprisenews.com/photogallery/WL/20161008/PHOTOGALLERY/100809994/PH/1?start=2|title=Photos: Brockton's Towerfest offers a bird's-eye view of D.W. Field Park|work=The Enterprise, Brockton, MA|access-date=2017-08-11|language=en}}
• Greek Festival – Third week of September
• Veterans Day Parade annually
• Holiday Parade – Late November annually
• The Cape Verdean Festival – Last Sunday in July{{Cite news|url=https://www.enterprisenews.com/news/20190728/brockton-cape-verdeans-celebrate-25th-annual-cv-day-in-style|title=Brockton Cape Verdeans celebrate 25th annual CV Day in style|last=Larocque|first=Marc|date=July 28, 2019|work=The Enterprise}}

File:DelanoBrockton.jpg), 60 Main Street, Brockton, Massachusetts, December 1940. Additionally upstairs, the first main offices of W.B. Mason.]]

The city supports three buildings within the Brockton Public Library system. The main library is a Carnegie building.{{cite web|title=Brockton Public Library|url=http://www.brocktonpubliclibrary.org/|website=Brockton Public Library|access-date=30 November 2016}}

• Brockton Airport – formerly, now the South Side Shopping Center
• Fuller Craft Museum
• Westgate Mall

• Brockton City Hall
• Brockton Edison Electric Illuminating Company Power Station
• Central Fire Station
• Curtis Building
• Dr. Edgar Everett Dean House
• D.W. Field Park
• Forest Avenue School
• Franklin Block
• Gardner J. Kingman House
• Goldthwaite Block
• Howard Block
• Lyman Block
• Moses Packard House
• Old Post Office Building
• Snow Fountain and Clock
• South Street Historic District

Based at Campanelli Stadium, the Brockton Rox are a professional baseball team competing in the Frontier League. The team began play in 2024 as the New England Knockouts,{{cite press release |url=https://www.frontierleague.com/sports/bsb/2022-23/releases/20240227i7qm2d |title=Knockouts Unveil Logos, Paying Homage to Brockton & its Boxing History |website=frontierleague.com |date=February 27, 2024 |accessdate=March 20, 2024}} and changed their name in January 2025.{{cite news |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/01/29/sports/brockton-rox-2025/ |title=Brockton Rox returning to professional baseball with Red Sox Hall of Famer Jim Rice as co-owner |first=Amin |last=Touri |website=The Boston Globe |url-access=limited |date=January 29, 2025 |accessdate=January 30, 2025}}

An earlier Brockton Rox team played in the Futures Collegiate Baseball League (FCBL). From 2003 through 2011, the team was a member of the independent professional Can-Am League, then in 2012 joined the amateur FCBL.{{cite web|url=http://www.pointstreaksites.com/view/mvsharks/sharks-what-s-new/martha-s-vineyard-sharks-news/news_44311 |title=Brockton Rox Join FCBL|date=February 29, 2012|website=pointstreaksites.com|access-date=August 4, 2013}} Collegiate players on FCBL teams, who are looking for more experience and scouting exposure, are offered non-paid playing opportunities.

{{See also|List of mayors of Brockton, Massachusetts}}

On the national level, Brockton is a part of Massachusetts's 8th congressional district, and has been represented since January 2013 by Stephen Lynch.

On the state level, Brockton is represented in three districts in the Massachusetts House of Representatives: the Ninth Plymouth, Tenth Plymouth (which includes West Bridgewater and Precinct 1 of East Bridgewater), and the Eleventh Plymouth (which includes most of Easton). The city is represented in the Massachusetts Senate as a part of the Second Plymouth and Bristol district, which includes Halifax, Hanover, Hanson, Whitman and portions of East Bridgewater and Easton[http://www.mass.gov/legis/citytown.htm Index of Legislative Representation by City and Town] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929115141/http://www.mass.gov/legis/citytown.htm |date=2007-09-29 }}, mass.gov; accessed April 16, 2014.

Brockton has a city government led by a mayor and city council. The city elects a mayor for two-year terms. Previous mayors include Winthrop H. Farwell Jr., John T. Yunits Jr., David Crosby, Carl Pitaro, Richard L. Wainwright, John E. Sullivan, Alvin Jack Sims, Joseph H. Downey and Paul Studenski. James Harrington was elected mayor in 2005 and began his term in January 2006. He was re-elected on November 6, 2007, for another two-year term. He had previously served 16 years as a City Councilor. In the fall of 2009, City Councilor Linda Balzotti defeated Harrington to become the city's first female mayor. Balzotti was defeated in 2013 by Bill Carpenter, who won the election by only 44 votes. After the unexpected death of Bill Carpenter on July 3, 2019, City Councillor President Moises Rodrigues become the acting Mayor. On July 15, 2019 Rodrigues was unanimously elected by the 11-person City Council to become the Mayor of Brockton.{{Cite web|url=https://www.southcoasttoday.com/news/20190715/moises-rodrigues-becomes-brocktons-first-cape-verdean-mayor|title=Moises Rodrigues becomes Brockton's first Cape Verdean mayor|last=Larocque|first=Marc|date=July 15, 2019|website=The Enterprise|access-date=September 7, 2019}} Rodrigues became the first person of color to become Mayor of Brockton after serving six years on the Brockton city council. In 2009, community activist Jass Stewart was elected to councilor-at-large becoming the first African American to serve in Brockton's city council.{{Cite web|url=https://www.baystatebanner.com/2009/11/11/brocktons-stewart-makes-history-in-city-council-election/|title=Brockton's Stewart makes history in city council election|last=Thomas|first=John|date=November 11, 2009|website=Bay State Banner}} The city council consists of four Councilors-at-Large and seven ward Councilors, one for every ward in the city. As of January 2020, the mayor of Brockton is Robert F. Sullivan.

Brockton operates its own school system for the city's approximately 17,000 students. There is an early education school (Barrett Russell), ten elementary schools (Angelo, Arnone, Baker, Brookfield, Downey, George, Gilmore, Hancock, John F. Kennedy and Raymond), the Davis K–8 school, six middle/junior high schools (North, East, West, South, Ashfield and the Plouffe Academy), Brockton High School and four alternative schools (Huntington, Edison, Champion and B.B. Russell). Brockton High School's athletics teams are called the Boxers (after the city's undefeated heavyweight boxing champion, Rocky Marciano{{Cite web|url=https://www.biography.com/athlete/rocky-marciano|title=Rocky Marciano Biography|website=Biography|date=23 July 2020 }}). In February 2024, Brockton High School entered the national spotlight following four district committee members requesting National Guard assistance via letter to the state’s Governor to deal with increasing levels of violence between students and security staffing shortages at the school, a request opposed by the Mayor of Brockton at the time.[https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/boston/news/brockton-national-guard-school-safety-proposal/]

Brockton was home to three parochial schools (Sacred Heart, Saint Casimir and Saint Edward) which merged in 2007 to form two schools. Trinity Lower Campus at the former Saint Edwards school site, and Trinity Upper Campus located on the former site of the Saint Colman's school, one Christian school (South Shore Christian and the Brockton Christian School closed in 2010), and Cardinal Spellman High School, a Catholic high school named for Francis Cardinal Spellman, Brockton area native and former Archbishop of New York. Students may also choose to attend tuition-free Southeastern Regional Vocational Technical High School (in South Easton). {{citation needed|date=April 2014}}

Brockton is the site of Massasoit Community College and offers Adult Studies/LEAD classes in Brockton.{{cite news|title=ENC's Adult and Graduate Studies Program expands into satellite locations around the state|publisher=Nazarene Communications Network|date=December 18, 2008|url=http://www.ncnnews.com/nphweb/html/ncn/article.jsp?sid=10000013&id=10006683|access-date=2009-01-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081223132025/http://www.ncnnews.com/nphweb/html/ncn/article.jsp?sid=10000013&id=10006683|archive-date=2008-12-23|url-status=dead}} Fisher College also has a campus in Brockton. The Brockton VA Hospital offers classes, internships, and apprenticeships to medical students from Fisher College, Harvard University, Boston University, Northeastern University, University of Massachusetts Boston, and Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. Additionally, the city also has a campus for the National College of Technical Instruction. Porter and Chester Institute also has a campus in Brockton. Brockton is also home to the Brockton Hospital School of Nursing as well as the Monna Bari Medical School.

Massachusetts Route 24, a six-lane divided motorway, passes through the west side of the city, with exits at Route 27 to the north and Route 123 to the south. The two routes pass through the center of the city, crossing at that point. Massachusetts Route 28 passes from north to south through the center of the city, The western end of Route 14 (at its intersection with Route 27) and the southern end of Route 37 (at its intersection with Route 28) both are in the city.

Brockton has its own bus services, operated by the Brockton Area Transit Authority (BAT). Each bus has a designated route running through a section of Brockton, i.e. Montello, Campello, Cary Hill, etc. There are also buses that have routes outside the city, i.e., Bridgewater Industrial Park, Ashmont Station (MBTA subway end-of-line), Stoughton and a connecting bus stop in Montello to the Braintree Station (MBTA subway end-of-line).

The Fall River/New Bedford Line of the MBTA Commuter Rail system runs north-south through Brockton with stations at {{bts|Montello}}, {{bts|Brockton}}, and {{bts|Campello}}.

Brockton has three hospitals: Signature Healthcare Brockton Hospital on the east side, Boston Medical Center – South (formerly Good Samaritan, and before that Cardinal Cushing) Hospital to the northwest, and the Brockton Veterans Administration Hospital to the southwest. The VA Hospital is the sponsoring institution for the Harvard South Shore Psychiatry program. It serves as a teaching facility for students of various medical specialties from Boston University, physician assistant students from Northeastern University, nursing students from the University of Massachusetts Boston and physician assistant and pharmacy students from the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. {{citation needed|date=April 2014}}

Brockton has a community health center that serves individuals with low income and poor access to health care at Brockton Neighborhood Health Center.[http://www.bnhc.org/main.html Brockton Neighborhood Health Center website]; accessed April 16, 2014.

File:Central Fire Station, Brockton MA.jpg

The city of Brockton is protected around the clock by 174 paid, professional firefighters of the city of Brockton Fire Department. The Brockton Fire Department currently operates out of six fire stations, located throughout the city, and maintains a fire apparatus fleet of five engines, three ladders, one squad, one tactical rescue unit and several other special, support, and reserve units. The fire department does not provide EMS services; ambulance coverage is currently contracted to Brewster Ambulance Service.{{cite web|url=https://www.enterprisenews.com/story/news/2015/05/25/brockton-ambulance-contract-political-hornet/34484540007/|title=Brockton ambulance contract a political hornet's nest|access-date=2023-05-22}}

In 1905, local newspapers recounted many heroic acts by Brockton firefighters during the Grover Shoe Factory disaster.{{cite web|first=Derek A.|last=Canavan|url=http://www.brocktonma.com/Grover%20DC1.html|title=Remembering Brockton's Greatest Tragedy|quote=The men of the Campello firehouse were heroes that day. As hundreds of workers and residents of the Campello neighborhood ran from the fire, the Campello firefighters charged into the inferno looking for workers whose cries for help were barely audible over the roar of the flames.}} On March 10, 1941, thirteen Brockton firefighters died when the roof collapsed as they were fighting a fire at the Strand Theatre.{{cite news|first=Milton J.|last=Valencia|url=http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/05/04/a_memory_painful_and_indelible|title=A memory painful and indelible|work=The Boston Globe|quote=Outside, the flames roaring through the walls and ceiling were clearly visible. But to the firefighters inside, on the balcony, the flames were hidden.|date=May 4, 2008}} That fire resulted in one of the worst firefighting tragedies in American history.

The City of Brockton Police Department has roughly 181 sworn members and 31 non-sworn employees. The officers are assigned to the Patrol Division, and Operations Division which includes; Detectives, Narcotics, Gang Unit, Special Weapons And Tactics, K-9, Quality of Life, GREAT Program, Elderly Affairs, and Community Education Units.[http://www.brocktonpolice.com Brockton Police Department website]; accessed April 16, 2014. In addition, the city is patrolled by the Fourth (Middleborough) Barracks of Troop D of the Massachusetts State Police.{{cite web|url=http://www.mass.gov/?pageID=eopsterminal&L=5&L0=Home&L1=Law+Enforcement+&+Criminal+Justice&L2=Law+Enforcement&L3=State+Police+Troops&L4=Troop+D&sid=Eeops&b=terminalcontent&f=msp_divisions_field_services_troops_troop_d_msp_field_troop_d_station_d4&csid=Eeops|title=Mass.gov|website=Mass.gov}} Brockton also has several citizen anti-crime groups, including the Guardian Angels and Operation Archangel.

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• Kristian Alfonso, actress
• Jo Baker, singer and songwriter; niece of Mary E. Baker
• Mary E. Baker, first African-American to work at Brockton City Hall; civic leaderUncredited, [http://www.enterprisenews.com/x785864366/Shaping-our-lives Six notable African-Americans with ties to the Brockton area]. The Enterprise, February 7, 2010. Retrieved 2017-02-03.
• Steve Balboni, professional baseball player
• Ronnie Bardah, professional poker player and Survivor: Island of the Idols contestant
• Darius Bazley, Professional NBA Basketball
• Chris Bender, R&B singer
• Bumpy Bumpus, sprint car racer
• Alfred Campanelli, businessman
• Andrew Card, politician
• John Cariani, actor, playwright
• Patrick Condon, author and professor of urban design
• Robert Cottle, television personality
• Jim Corbett, NFL player
• William Damon, psychologist and author
• Al Davis, owned Oakland Raiders
• John Doucette, actor
• Levi Lewis Dorr, American Civil War veteran and physician
• John M. Dowd, lawyer
• Bonnie Dumanis, District Attorney of San Diego County
• AJ Dybantsa, basketball player
• James Edgar, first department store Santa
• Shawn Fanning, creator of Napster
• Kenneth Feinberg, attorney
• George Wilton Field, marine biologist
• Keith Gill, stock investor
• Edward Gilmore, first Democrat elected to US Congress from Plymouth County
• Brian Gordon, cartoonist known for Fowl Language
• Scott Gordon, professional hockey player, head coach of New York Islanders
• Noel Gourdin, singer
• Marvin Hagler, professional middleweight boxing champion
• Pooch Hall, actor
• Rudy Harris, professional football player
• Josephine Hasham, women's professional baseball player
• Josh Hennessy, professional hockey player
• George V. Higgins, author
• Pete Hughes, college baseball coach
• David Hungerford (1927–1993), geneticist, co-discoverer of Philadelphia chromosome
• George Hurley, musician
• Megan Khang, professional golfer{{cite web | last = Filing | first = Jane | title = Rising LPGA Star Megan Khang | date = August 2019 | publisher = Womansgolf.com | url = https://www.womensgolf.com/lpga-player-megan-khang | access-date = August 22, 2020}}
• Al Louis-Jean, NFL player
• Joe Lauzon, professional MMA fighter
• George N. Leighton, United States court judge
• Jimmy Luxury, musician
• Ken MacAfee, professional football player
• Jim Mann, professional baseball player
• Rocky Marciano, undefeated heavyweight boxing champion
• Bill McGunnigle, inventor of the baseball glove
• Greg McMurtry, professional football player
• Arthur Mercante, boxing referee
• Christy Mihos, entrepreneur, politician
• Ed Nelson, professional basketball player
• Sean Newcomb, professional baseball player
• Aaron O'Brien, retired, six time champion softball player
• Leo Paquin, football player at Fordham University
• Goody Petronelli, boxing trainer
• Cory Quirk, professional hockey player
• Jodie Rivera, online personality
• Evelyn Scott, actress
• Robbie Sims, middleweight boxer
• Kevin Stevens, professional hockey player
• Jason Vega, professional football player
• Wyatt Tee Walker, civil rights leader
• Dave Wedge, author, journalist
• Art Whitney, professional baseball player
• Herbert Warren Wind, writer
• Jamie Loftus, writer and comedian

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Brockton was named one of the 100 Best Communities for Young People in the United States in 2005, 2008, 2010, and 2011 by the America's Promise Alliance.[http://www.americaspromise.org/Our-Work/Community-Action/100-Best-Communities/2010-Winners/Brockton-MA.aspx America's Promise Alliance 100 Best Communities for Young People (2010)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110524162020/http://www.americaspromise.org/Our-Work/Community-Action/100-Best-Communities/2010-Winners/Brockton-MA.aspx |date=2011-05-24 }}; accessed April 16, 2014.

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• [https://brockton.ma.us/ City of Brockton official website]

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Category:Brockton, Massachusetts

Category:Cities in Massachusetts

Category:Cities in Plymouth County, Massachusetts

Category:Cape Verdean American history

Category:County seats in Massachusetts

Category:Populated places established in 1700

Category:1700 establishments in the Province of Massachusetts Bay