Timeline of Lynn, Massachusetts

The following is a timeline of the history of Lynn, Massachusetts, USA.

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by expanding it with reliably sourced entries.

17th-18th century

• 1629 - Saugus founded. Among the founders—Edmund Ingalls
• 1637 - Saugus renamed "Lynn."[1]
• 1642 - Saugus Iron Works in business.
• 1644 - Reading separates from Lynn.[1]
• 1720 - Lynnfield burying-ground established.[2]
• 1732 - Saugus burying-ground established.[2]
• 1782 - Lynnfield separates from Lynn.[1]
• 1793 - Post office in operation.[2]
• 1797 - Population: 2,291.[3]

19th century

• 1803 - Floating Bridge constructed on Salem-Boston turnpike.[2]
• 1810 - Population: 4,087.[4]
• 1812 - Eastern Burial-Place established.[2]
• 1814 - Town House built.[5]
• 1815
  • Saugus separates from Lynn.[1]
  • Social Library formed.[6]

Lyceum building

• 1830 - Lynn Record newspaper begins publication.[7]
• 1838
  • Eastern Railroad in operation.[5]
  • Lynn Natural History Society formed.[8]
• 1840 - Population: 9,367.[4]
• 1841
  • Lyceum building constructed.[9]
  • Frederick Douglass moves to Lynn.[10]
  • September 28 - Frederick Douglass is thrown off[11] the Eastern Railroad train at Lynn Central Square station for refusing to sit in the segregated coach[12][13][14]
• 1845 Frederick Douglass writes his first autobiography Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave[12] while living in Lynn
• 1848 - First High Rock Tower built.[15]
• 1850
  • City of Lynn incorporated.
  • George Hood becomes mayor.
  • Pine Grove Cemetery consecrated.[2]
• 1851 - First High School built.
• 1852
  • May - Swampscott separates from Lynn.[1]
  • June - Benjamin Franklin Mudge becomes mayor.
• 1853
  • February - Saugus Branch Railroad opens for passengers with four stations in Lynn. Lynn's Andrews Breed is the railroad's first superintendent.[16][17]
  • March - Nahant separates from Lynn.[1]
  • April - Daniel C. Baker becomes mayor.

Ezra W. Mudge

• 1854 - Lynn Weekly Reporter newspaper begins publication.[7]
• 1855
  • Andrews Breed becomes mayor.
  • Lynn Library Association organized.[6]
• 1856
  • Ezra W. Mudge becomes mayor.
  • African Methodist Episcopal Church established.[5]
• 1858
  • William F. Johnson becomes mayor.
  • Telegraph in service.
  • St. Mary's Cemetery consecrated.[2]
• 1859 - Edward S. Davis becomes mayor.
• 1860 - New England Shoemakers Strike of 1860 begins in Lynn
• 1861 - Hiram N. Breed becomes mayor.
• 1862
  • Peter M. Neal becomes mayor.
  • Free Public Library established.[18]
• 1863 - Boston & Lynn Horse Railroad begins operating.[19]
• 1865
  • April 19 - original High Rock Tower destroyed by fire
• 1866
  • Roland G. Usher becomes mayor.
  • Mary Baker Eddy experiences the fall in Lynn, believed by Christian Scientists to mark the birth of their religion.[20]

Music Hall

• 1867
  • City Hall dedicated.[21]
  • Lynn Transcript newspaper begins publication.[7]
• 1868 - Young Men's Christian Association organized.[9]
• 1870
  • Edwin Walden becomes mayor.
  • Music Hall opens.[9]
• 1872
  • Labor strike by shoemakers.[22]
  • James N. Buffum becomes mayor.
  • Odd Fellows Hall built.[5]
  • Boston, Revere Beach & Lynn Railroad chartered.[17]
• 1873
  • Jacob M. Lewis becomes mayor.
  • Soldiers' Monument installed.[5]
• 1876 - Lynn City Item newspaper begins publication.[7]
• 1877 - Samuel M. Bubier becomes mayor.

St. Stephen's Memorial Episcopal Church

• 1879
  • January - George Plaisted Sanderson becomes mayor.
  • June - 250th anniversary of settlement.[23]
• 1880 - Lynn Masonic Hall built.
• 1881
  • Henry B. Lovering elected mayor.
  • Lynn Woods established.[24]
  • St. Stephen's Memorial Episcopal Church built.
  • Saint Mary's Boys High School established.

G.A.R. Hall and Museum

• 1882 - Lynn's Henry B. Lovering is elected to the United States House of Representatives.
• 1883
  • William L. Baird becomes mayor.
  • Thomson-Houston Electric Company in business.
• 1885
  • John R. Baldwin becomes mayor.
  • G.A.R. Hall built.
• 1886 - George D. Hart becomes mayor.
• 1887
  • English High School established.
  • Henry Cabot Lodge becomes Massachusetts's 6th congressional district representative.[25]
• 1888
  • March 11-14 Lynn and all of Massachusetts are crippled by the Great Blizzard of 1888[26]
  • George C. Higgins becomes mayor.
  • Thomson-Houston Electric Company powers the first electric streetcar in Massachusetts:[27] the Highland Circuit of the Lynn & Boston Railway Company[28]
• 1889
  • Asa T. Newhall becomes mayor.
  • A fire sweeps through the downtown, destroying a large swath of commercial and retail space.
• 1890 - Fabens Building and Tapley Building constructed.
• 1891
  • E. Knowlton Fogg becomes mayor.
  • Lynn Bank Block and Mowers' Block built.
• 1892
  • Elihu B. Hayes becomes mayor.
  • General Electric formed by a merger of Edison General Electric Company of Schenectady, New York and Thomson-Houston Electric Company of Lynn.[29]
  • Lynn English High School on Essex Street opens[30]
  • Lynn Classical High School opened.
• 1893 - Lynn Armory built.

Emblem of Lynn Historical Society, 1898

• 1894 - Charles E. Harwood becomes mayor.
• 1895 - Boston and Maine's Central Square station rebuilt.[31]
• 1896
  • Eugene A. Besson becomes mayor.
  • Post Office built.
• 1897
  • Walter L. Ramsdell becomes mayor.
  • Lynn Historical Society incorporated.
• 1898 - Lynn Public Library built.
• 1899 - William Shepherd becomes mayor.

20th century

Vamp Building

• 1900 - Population: 68,513.[1]
• 1903
  • Henry W. Eastham becomes mayor.
  • Vamp Building constructed.
• 1904
  • second High Rock Tower constructed [32]
• 1905
  • St. Michael the Archangel Parish established.
  • 431 factories in Lynn.[1]
• 1906 - Charles Neal Barney becomes mayor.
• 1907 Lynndyl, Utah, a town named after Lynn, is founded.
• 1908 - Thomas F. Porter becomes mayor.
• 1909 - James E. Rich becomes mayor.
• 1911 - William P. Connery, Sr. becomes mayor.
• 1913
  • George H. Newhall becomes mayor.
  • Chamber of Commerce established.[2]

English High School 1916 section

• 1916 - James Street addition to the original Lynn English High School opens
• 1918 - Walter H. Creamer becomes mayor.

Walter H. Creamer

• 1921 - Bridge rebuilt on Salem-Boston turnpike.[2]
• 1922
  • Harland A. McPhetres becomes mayor.
  • Lynn's William P. Connery, Jr. is elected to the United States House of Representatives.
• 1924
  • March 29 - Fire destroys the 1892 portion of the original Lynn English High School[33]
• 1926 - Ralph S. Bauer becomes mayor.

Lynn Post Office

• 1930
  • Population: 102,320.
  • J. Fred Manning becomes mayor.

Capitol Diner

• 1933 - United States Post Office–Lynn Main built.
• 1937
  • March 28 - Highland Circuit electric streetcar line (first electric trolley in Massachusetts) is converted to motor bus operations
  • June - Congressman William P. Connery, Jr. dies.
  • September - Lawrence J. Connery elected to fill his late brother's Congressional seat.
  • November - Manning Bowl stadium opens.
• 1938 - Capitol Diner in business.
• 1940
  • Albert Cole becomes mayor.
  • Fraser Field opens.
• 1943
  • River Works plant opens.
  • Mayor Albert Cole resigns to serve in U.S. Army. Arthur J. Frawley becomes acting mayor.
• 1944
  • Arthur J. Frawley elected mayor.
• 1946
  • Albert Cole becomes mayor.
  • Lynn Red Sox baseball team active.

Lynn City Hall

• 1947
  • Lynn Vocational and Technical Institute established (approximate date).
  • WLYN goes on the air.
• 1949
  • City Hall built.
  • Lynn Tigers baseball team active.
• 1948 - Stuart A. Tarr becomes mayor.
• 1952
  • Arthur J. Frawley becomes mayor.
  • Boston and Maine's Central Square station rebuilt.[31]
• 1953 - Lynn's Harry Agganis signs with the Boston Red Sox.
• 1955 - Harry Agganis dies at the age of 26.
• 1956 - Thomas P. Costin, Jr. becomes mayor.
• 1959 - The Chicago Bears defeat the Philadelphia Eagles 24-21 in the Cardinal Cushing Charity Game held at the Manning Bowl.
• 1960 - Lynn Sunday Post begins publication.[7]
• 1961
  • July - Mayor Thomas P. Costin, Jr. resigns to become Postmaster of Lynn. M. Henry Wall becomes acting mayor.
  • November - M. Henry Wall elected mayor.
• 1963 - WBWL begins broadcasting.
• 1965 - North Shore Community College established
• 1966
  • Irving E. Kane becomes mayor.
  • The Rolling Stones kick off their North American Tour at the Manning Bowl.
• 1970 - J. Warren Cassidy becomes mayor.
• 1972
  • January - Pasquale Caggiano becomes mayor.
  • April - Pasquale Caggiano dies. Walter F. Meserve becomes acting mayor.
  • July - Antonio J. Marino becomes mayor.
  • Plans to construct Interstate 95 through Lynn and Lynn Woods Reservation are scrapped[34][35]
• 1974 - David L. Phillips becomes mayor.
• 1975
  • Lynn's Thomas W. McGee becomes Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives
  • Great Stew Chase footrace begins.
• 1976 - Antonio J. Marino becomes mayor.
• 1980 - Lynn Sailors baseball team formed.
• 1981 - November - Fire levels approximately three square blocks of the downtown, destroying 17 buildings[36]
• 1982 - Lynn Sailors relocate to Burlington, Vermont.
• 1986 - Albert V. DiVirgilio becomes mayor.
• 1990 - The Bay State Titans, a semi-pro football team, is established. The team's Defensive Tackle, Eric Swann, would be selected with the 6th overall pick in the 1991 NFL Draft.
• 1992
  • Patrick J. McManus becomes mayor.
  • Central Square - Lynn MBTA station rebuilt.[31]
• 1999 - New Lynn Classical High School building opened.

21st century

• 2001 - City website online (approximate date).[37]
• 2002 - Edward J. Clancy, Jr. becomes mayor.
• 2003 - North Shore Spirit baseball team begins play.
• 2004 - KIPP Lynn Academy opens.
• 2007 - North Shore Spirit cease operations.
• 2008 - North Shore Navigators baseball team relocates to Lynn.
• 2010
  • Population: 90,329.
  • Judith Flanagan Kennedy becomes Lynn's first female mayor.
• 2011 - KIPP Academy Lynn Collegiate (High School) holds its first class.
• 2012 - KIPP Academy Lynn opens doors the Highlands.
• 2014 - Seasonal ferry service to/from Boston is established
• 2016 - Ferry service is suspended
• 2017 - Ferry service resumes
• 2018
  • 200th birthday of Frederick Douglass is celebrated throughout the year[38][39]
  • Thomas M. McGee becomes mayor
  • Ferry service is suspended

See also

• Lynn history
• List of mayors of Lynn, Massachusetts
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Lynn, Massachusetts
• Timelines of other municipalities in Essex County, Massachusetts: Gloucester, Haverhill, Lawrence, Newburyport, Salem
• Timeline of Massachusetts[40]
• History of Massachusetts

References

1. Britannica 1910.
2. Arrington 1922.
3. Morse 1797.
4. Population of the 100 Largest Cities and Other Urban Places in the United States: 1790 to 1990, U.S. Census Bureau, 1998
5. Industries of Massachusetts 1886.
6. Davies Project. "American Libraries before 1876". Princeton University. Retrieved October 1, 2012.
7. "US Newspaper Directory". Chronicling America. Washington DC: Library of Congress. Retrieved October 1, 2012.
8. "Lynn Natural History Society". Magazine of Horticuture. Boston, Mass.: Hovey & Co. October 1843.
9. Newhall 1890.
10. "Frederick Douglass Chronology". Frederick Douglass National Historic Site. U.S. National Park Service. Retrieved May 30, 2015.
11. The full text of Page:My Bondage and My Freedom (1855).djvu/411 at Wikisource
12. "Frederick Douglass Chronology - Frederick Douglass National Historic Site (U.S. National Park Service)". www.nps.gov. Retrieved 2018-06-01.
13. "Transportation Protests: 1841 to 1992". www.civilrightsteaching.org. Retrieved 2018-06-01.
14. "Resistance to the Segregation of Public Transportation in the Early 1840's". primaryresearch.org. Retrieved 2018-06-01.
15. "High Rock Park". City of Lynn. Retrieved October 1, 2012.
16. Carlson, Stephen P. (1980). All Aboard!. Saugus, Massachusetts: Stephen P. Carlson.
17. Bradlee, Francis F. C. (1917). The Eastern Railroad: A Historical Account of Early Railroading in Eastern New England. Salem, MA: The Essex Institute.
18. Lynn Public Library. "About our library". Archived from the original on October 4, 2006. Retrieved October 1, 2012.
19. Johnson 1880.
20. Fraser, Caroline (1999). God's Perfect Child: Living and Dying in the Christian Science Church. Henry Holt and Company. p. 52. ISBN 978-0805044317.
21. Nichols 1869.
22. Aaron Brenner; Benjamin Day; Immanuel Ness, eds. (2015) [2009]. "Timeline". Encyclopedia of Strikes in American History. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-317-45707-7.
23. Anniversary 1880.
24. "Lynn Woods Reservation". City of Lynn. Retrieved October 1, 2012.
25. W.H. Michael (1889). "Massachusetts". Official Congressional Directory: Fiftieth Congress (2nd ed.). Washington DC: Government Printing Office.
26. "March 11, 1888, Blizzard Shuts Down Massachusetts". Massachusetts Foundation for the Humanities. Retrieved 2020-01-18. On this day in 1888, ordinary life in Massachusetts came to a standstill. One of the most destructive blizzards ever to strike the East Coast raged for 36 hours.
27. The Thomson-Houston Road at Lynn, Mass., The Electrical World, Dec. 8, 1888, page 303
28. Electric Railway at Lynn, Mass., Electric Power, January, 1889, page 21
29. "FAQs: How did the firm impact the advent of electricity?". J.P. Morgan. Retrieved 3 February 2013.
30. "MACRIS inventory record for English High School (498 Essex Street)". Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Retrieved 2017-01-16.
31. Belcher, Jonathan (31 December 2011). "Changes to Transit Service in the MBTA district" (PDF). NETransit. Retrieved 13 March 2012.
32. "High Rock Park, Tower and Observatory". City of Lynn. Retrieved 2017-06-14.
33. Quarterly of the National Fire Protection Association, Volume 17. National Fire Protection Association. 1923. p. 366. Retrieved 2020-01-12.
34. "The Roads Not Taken". www.architects.org. Retrieved 2017-06-14.
35. "Interstate 95-Massachusetts (North of Boston Section)". www.bostonroads.com. Retrieved 2017-06-14.
36. "BLAZE DESTROYS URBAN COMPLEX IN LYNN, MASS". New York Times. Retrieved 2018-05-28.
37. "City of Lynn, Massachusetts Official Homepage". Archived from the original on July 2001 – via Internet Archive, Wayback Machine.
38. "Frederick Douglass' 200th Birthday in Lynn" (PDF). Lynn Douglass 200th Committee. Retrieved 2018-06-01.
39. "Re-Examining Fredrick Douglass's Time In Lynn". Lynn Daily Item / itemlive.com. Retrieved 2018-06-01.
40. Federal Writers' Project (1937), "Chronology", Massachusetts: a Guide to its Places and People, American Guide Series, Boston: Houghton Mifflin, hdl:2027/mdp.39015014440781

Bibliography

Published in the 18th-19th century

• Jedidiah Morse (1797), "Lynn", American Gazetteer, Boston: At the presses of S. Hall, and Thomas & Andrews
• Alonzo Lewis (1829), The history of Lynn, Boston: J.H. Eastburn, OCLC 11545142, OL 6905784M
• Alonzo Lewis (1844), The history of Lynn, including Nahant (2nd ed.), Boston: Printed by S. N. Dickinson, OL 24930364M
• Alonzo Lewis; James R. Newhall (1865), History of Lynn, Essex County, Massachusetts: including Lynnfield, Saugus, Swampscot, and Nahant, Boston: J.L. Shorey, OL 13446280M
• Lynn Directory, 1867. Lynn, Mass.: Sampson, Davenport & Co. 1867.
• City Hall of Lynn, Lynn, Mass.: T. P. Nichols, printer, 1869, OL 14000539M
• "Chronological Table", Centennial Memorial of Lynn, Essex County, Massachusetts, Lynn: Pub. by order of the City Council, 1876
• Proceedings in Lynn, Massachusetts, June 17, 1879: being the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the settlement, Published by order of the City Council, 1880, OCLC 4042721, OL 6905493M
• David Newhall Johnson (1880), Sketches of Lynn: or, the changes of 50 years, Lynn, Mass.: T. P. Nichols, printer, OL 14042347M
• "City of Lynn", Industries of Massachusetts, New York: International Pub. Co., 1886, OCLC 19803267
• Lynn and Surroundings, Lynn, Mass: Lewis & Winship, 1886, OL 14021197M
• Lynn Manual and Essex County Road Book, Lynn, Mass.: E. F. Bacheller, 1888, OL 24157919M
• James R. Newhall (1890), History of Lynn, Essex County, Massachusetts, 2, Lynn: G. C. Herbert, OCLC 2882816, OL 13523901M

Published in the 20th century

• "Lynn", Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.), New York, 1910, OCLC 14782424 – via Internet Archive
• Benjamin F. Arrington (1922), "City of Lynn", Municipal History of Essex County in Massachusetts, New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company, OCLC 1619460
• Atlas of the City of Lynn, Massachusetts. L.J. Richards & Co. 1924 – via State Library of Massachusetts.
• Alan Dawley (1976), Class and Community: the industrial revolution in Lynn, Harvard Studies in Urban History, Harvard University Press, ISBN 0674133900

External links

• Works related to Lynn, MA, various dates (via Digital Public Library of America).
• Items related to Lynn, Mass., various dates (via US Library of Congress)
• Maps of Lynn (via Boston Public Library, Map Center)
• Images related to history of Lynn (via Lynn Public Library)