7 Things You May Not Know About Massachusetts

Did you know that Massachusetts has an official state cat?  Or that there's a house in the state that's made from something very unusual?  How about the first public park in America?  Well those are some of the interesting things about Massachusetts that a lot of people who live here don't know.  Here are 7 things about the Commonwealth, according to onlyinyourstate.com that you may not have known, until now:

-The "Paper House" in Rockport is made entire of newspaper.  That includes the walls, floors and furniture.

-The very first public beach in America was in Massachusetts.  It's Revere Beach and it opened in 1896.

-Massachusetts is the home of the first public park in the U.S.  Boston Common was established in 1634 for the purpose of grazing sheep.

-The first subway system in America was in Boston.  It was built in 1897 and is the oldest subway system in the country.

-Four U.S. Presidents were all born in the same Massachusetts county.  John Adams, John Quincy Adams, John F. Kennedy and George H.W. Bush were all born in Norfolk County here in Massachusetts.

- The Chocolate Chip Cookie was invented in Massachusetts.  It was first baked at the Toll House Inn and restaurant in Whitman, MA.  That was back in 1930, as is why chocolate chips are often called "Toll House Cookies."

-The official cat of Massachusetts is the Tabby Cat.  The state government made this designation in 1988 after a request from a group of school kids.