IS CHRONICLE MPLETS >> PEOPLE ASK WHERE THE COGWAY
RAILWAY IS AND WE SAY ABOUT
FOUR HOURS NORTH.
>> FOR THE SOUTHWICK ZOO DON'T
DRIVE TO SOUTHWICK.
>> YOU SHOULD SEE THE LOOK ON
THEIR FACE WHEN WE TELL THEM
YOU MISSED IT ABOUT AN HOUR
BACK.
BACK.
BACK. >> NAVIGATING THE BAY STATE BY
COMPASS?
COMPASS?
COMPASS? FORGET ABOUT IT.
SOUTH BORO IS TO THE EAST AND
WESTBORO SOUTH.
WESTBORO SOUTH. AND, REALLY, MANCHESTER BY THE
SEA?
SEA?
SEA? >> SOUNDS A LITTLE SNOBBY.
>> I TELL PEOPLE I LIVE BY THE
TICKS.
TICKS.
TICKS. >> THE MADDENING, MIXED UP,
NAME GAME OF MASSACHUSETTS.
>> IT IS CHAOS.
>> OUR STATE OF CONFUSION.
NEXT.
NEXT.
NEXT. ON "CHRONICLE."
ON "CHRONICLE." SHAYNA: GOOD EVENING EVERYONE.
YOU HAVE TO WONDER ABOUT
MASSACHUSETTS' EARLIEST
MASSACHUSETTS' EARLIEST RESIDENTS.
RESIDENTS. WHAT WERE THEY THINKING WHEN
THEY NAMED OUR 351 CITIES AND
TOWNS?
TOWNS?
TOWNS? TED REINSTEIN'S INQUIRING MIND
WANTS ANSWERS
WANTS ANSWERS TED: FOR REALLY CONVENIENT IF
NOT BIG MOUNTAIN SKIING IT IS
HARD TO BEAT LITTLE NASHOBA
VALLEY RIGHT OUTSIDE BOSTON IN
THE TOWN OF WESTFORD.
OR IS IT WESTFIELD?
WESTBORO?
WESTBORO?
WESTBORO? EVER HEAR SOMETHING IS IN
WILLIAMSBURG, MASSACHUSETTS,
WILLIAMSBURG, MASSACHUSETTS, AND THINK, OH, THAT CUTE LITTLE
OLLEGE TOWN AT THE END OF THE
MOHAWK TRAIL WITH THE GREAT
MUSEUM?
MUSEUM?
MUSEUM? WRONG.
WRONG.
WRONG. YOU'RE THINKING OF WILLIAMS
TOWN.
TOWN.
TOWN. SHOOTSBURY?
SHOOTSBURY? OH, SURE.
OH, SURE.
OH, SURE. WHERE THE CRAZY DISCOUNT STORE
SPAG'S USED TO BE.
>> WRONG AGAIN.
YOU'RE THINKING OF SHREWSBURY.
OUR FAIR STATE IS FILLED WITH
TOWNS THAT HAVE SIMILAR
SOUNDING NAMES.
SOUNDING NAMES. BOXFORD OR BOXBORO, ANYBODY?
QUICK, ALL THOSE CARS.
ARE THEY IN NORWOOD OR NORWELL?
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, I THINK
IT'S PRETTY CLEAR THAT WHAT
WE'RE LIVING IN HERE IS A STATE
OF CONFUSION.
OF CONFUSION. >> SO BACK TO MATTERS OF
PERSONAL TASTE.
PERSONAL TASTE. WILLIAMS TOWN'S CLARK INSTITUTE
OF ART MAY BE FAMOUS FOR ITS
RENOIRS BUT ONLY WILLIAMSBURG
HAS THE RAPPLE.
>> RAFT APPLE.
ISN'T THAT CLEVER?
>> DAVID, FROM THE WILLIAMSBURG
GENERAL STORE, A FEW MILES WEST
OF NORTHAMPTON.
OF NORTHAMPTON. >> YES, WILLIAMSBURG, NOT
WILLIAMS TOWN.
WILLIAMS TOWN. PLEASE.
PLEASE.
PLEASE. >> PURVEYORS OF CLASSIC GENERAL
STORE ITEMS AS WELL AS THEIR
EVER POPULAR APPLE TREATS, THE
FOLKS AT THE WILLIAMSBURG
GENERAL STORE SPEND A GOOD
AMOUNT OF TIME TELLING CONFUSED
TRAVELERS WHERE THEY AREN'T.
>> HONESTLY DOES HAPPEN.
MORE OFTEN THAN YOU CAN
BELIEVE.
BELIEVE.
BELIEVE. WE DO HAVE PEOPLE ASKING WHERE
IS THE CLOCK MUSEUM?
AND WE EXPLAIN IT'S AN HOUR AND
15 MINUTES NORTHWEST OF HERE.
>> BUT SOME WHO FIND THEIR WAY
TO THIS HANDSOME LITTLE TOWN ON
ROUTE 9 ARE A COUPLE CENTURIES
OFF COURSE.
OFF COURSE. >> CONFUSED WITH THE OTHER
WILLIAMSBURG, IN VIRGINIA.
HONEST.
HONEST.
HONEST. PEOPLE FROM THE WEST COAST,
THIS IS ALL ONE PLACE OUT HERE.
SO THEY COME IN AND THEY'LL
LOOK AROUND A LITTLE WHILE AND
THEN THEY'LL ASK.
WHERE IS THE HISTORIC DISTRICT
WE'VE HEARD ABOUT?
WE EXPLAIN, WELL, ABOUT A
THOUSAND MILES SOUTH OF HERE.
>> LET'S TRAVEL NOW DOWN TO THE
CAPE WHERE TOWNS AREN'T ALWAYS
WHAT THEY SEEM.
EXAMPLE?
EXAMPLE?
EXAMPLE? IF WE WERE TO ASK WHICH TOWN ON
CAPE COD IS BIGGEST, YOU MIGHT
SAY, HYANNIS.
SAY, HYANNIS. WHICH IS SORT OF TRUE.
BUT NOT REALLY.
>> AND WHAT ABOUT THE TOWN THAT
FEATURES THE CLASSIC FOUR C'S
ICE CREAM STAND?
THOSE IN THE KNOW MIGHT SAY
CENTREVILLE.
CENTREVILLE. WHICH IS ALSO KIND OF TRUE BUT
NOT REALLY.
NOT REALLY. SEE, HYANNIS AND CENTREVILLE
AREN'T TOWNS.
AREN'T TOWNS. THEY'RE ACTUALLY VILLAGES IN
THE TOWN OF BARNSTABLE.
>> 2-7 ALONG WITH OASTERVILLE
AND THE OTHERS.
LET'S TRY TO REGAIN OUR
BEARINGS A BIT.
TURNING NOW TO THE FOUR
CARDINAL POINTS OF THE COMPASS
COULDN'T BE SIMPLER, RIGHT?
NORTH, SOUTH, EAST, AND WEST.
>> IN MASSACHUSETTS, IT'S A BIT
MORE COMPLICATED.
MORE COMPLICATED. TAKE THAT BEWILDERING CLUSTER
OF BOROS WHERE SOUTH BORO IS TO
THE EAST AND WESTBOROUGH SOUTH.
>> IF AIR LOOKING FOR SOMEONE
FROM THE CENTER IN MIDDLEBORO
YOU'RE WAY OFF.
>> I REALLY DON'T KNOW THE
REASON WHY NORTH BORO, SOUTH
BORO, WESTBOROUGH IS WHERE THEY
ARE, BECAUSE THIS IS THE
MIDDLE.
MIDDLE.
MIDDLE. HERE.
HERE.
HERE. >> ACCORDING TO THE MIDDLEBORO
HISTORICAL SOCIETY MIDDLE BORO
WAS HERE FIRST, MIND YOU.
>> THEY BELIEVE THE NAME
ORIGINATED BECAUSE IT WAS HALF
WAY BETWEEN THE ENGLISH COLONY
IN PLYMOUTH AND THE PATUCKET
CHIEF TAIN'S VILLAGE AROUND
BRISTOL, RHODE ISLAND.
>> MIDDLEBORO IS THE SECOND
LARGEST MUNICIPALITY IN THE
STATE.
STATE.
STATE. AREA WISE AFTER PLYMOUTH.
BUT LOCAL PRIDE EXTENDS FAR
BEYOND MERE LOCAL BORDERS.
>> IT'S A GREAT LITTLE TOWN.
IT IS THE MIDDLE OF THE
UNIVERSE AS FAR AS WE'RE
CONCERNED.
CONCERNED. SHAYNA: NOW FOR ALL YOU PURISTS
OUT THERE WE ARE AWARE THE
PREFERRED SPELLING FOR THE
BEWILDERING BORO TOWNS ENDS
WITH THE LETTERS OUGH BUT THINK
ABOUT THE WORK FOR OUR MAP
MAKER USING THE LONGER SPELLING
WOULD MEAN SQUEEZING AN AWFUL
LOT OF LETTERS ON TO A SMALL
MAP.
MAP.
MAP. TAKE PITY ON THE TOWN CLERKS OF
MEDFORD AND MEDFIELD.
>> ADDRESSED TO MEDFIELD BUT
--.
--.
--. >> VOTER REGISTRATIONS BELONG