Haverhill, Massachusetts
Haverhill (pronounced /ˈheɪvrɪl/ HAY-vril) is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population is approximately 60,521.Located on the Merrimack River, it began as a farming community that would evolve into an important industrial center, beginning with sawmills and gristmills run by water power. In the 18th century, Haverhill developed tanneries, shipping and shipbuilding. The town was for many decades home to a significant shoe-making industry, by the end of 1913 Haverhill boasted one tenth of the shoes produced in America and because of this the town was known for a time as the 'Queen Shoe City of the World.' The city was also known for the manufacture of hats.
History
Haverhill has played a role in nearly every era of American history, from the initial colonial settlement, to the French and Indian Wars, and the American Revolutionary and Civil Wars.
17th century
The town was founded in 1640 by settlers from Newbury, and was originally known as Pentucket, which is the native American word for 'place of the winding river.' The town was renamed for the city of Haverhill, England, in deference to the birthplace of the settlements first pastor, Rev. John Ward. The original Haverhill settlement was located around the corner of Water Street and Mill Street, near the Linwood Cemetery and Burying Ground. The home of the city's father, William White, still stands, although it has been expanded and renovated in the 17th and 18th centuries. White's Corner (Merrimack Street and Main Street) was named for his family, as was the White Fund at Boston's Museum of Fine Arts.Judge Nathaniel Saltonstall was chosen to preside over the Salem Witch Trials in the 17th century; however, he found the trials objectionable and recused himself. Historians cite his reluctance to participate in the trials as one of the reasons that the witch hysteria did not take as deep a root in Haverhill as it did in the neighboring town of Andover, which had among the most victims of the Trials. However, a number of women from Haverhill were accused of witchcraft, and a few were found 'guilty' by the Court of Oyer and Terminer.One of the initial group of settlers, Tristram Coffin, ran an inn. However, he grew disenchanted with the town's stance against his strong ales, and in 1659 left Haverhill to become one of the founders of the settlement at Nantucket.
18th century
Haverhill was for many years a frontier town, and was occasionally subjected to Indian raids, which were sometimes accompanied by French colonial troops from New France. In 1708 the town, then about thirty homes, was raided by a party of French, Algonquin and Abenaki Indians.The city has the distinction of featuring the first statue erected in honor of a woman in the United States. In the late 19th century, descendants of the controversial settler Hannah Dustin erected a statue in her memory in Grand Army Republic Park. The statue depicts Dustin brandishing an axe and several Abenaki scalps. Her captivity narrative and subsequent escape and revenge upon her captors caught the attention of Cotton Mather who wrote about her, and she also demanded from the colonial leaders the reward per Indian scalp.Like most towns, Haverhill has been struck by several epidemics. Diphtheria killed 256 children in Haverhill between November 17, 1735 and December 31, 1737.
19th century
In 1826, influenza struck.A temperance society was formed in 1828.Haverhill was an early advocate for the abolition of slavery, and still retains a number of houses which served as stops on the Underground Railroad. In 1834, a branch of the American Anti-Slavery Society was organized in the city. In 1841, citizens from Haverhill petitioned Congress for dissolution of the Union, on the grounds that Northern resources were being used to maintain slavery. John Quincy Adams presented the Haverhill Petition on January 24, 1842. Even though Adams moved that the petition be answered in the negative, an attempt was made to censure him for even presenting the petition. In addition, poet John Greenleaf Whittier was an outspoken abolitionist.The Haverhill and Boston Stage Coach company operated from 1818 to 1837 when the railroad was extended to Haverhill from Andover. It then changed its name and routes to the Northern and Eastern Stage company.Haverhill was incorporated as a city in 1870.In the early morning hours of February 17, 1882 a massive fire destroyed much of the city's mill section, in a blaze that encompassed over ten acres. Firefighting efforts were hampered by not only the primitive fire fighting equipment of the period, but also high winds and freezing temperatures. The nearby water source - the Merrimack River - was frozen, and hoses dropped through the ice tended to freeze as well. A New York Times report the next day established the damage at 300 businesses destroyed and damage worth appx. $2M (in 1882 dollars)In 1897 Haverhill annexed the town of Bradford. Bradford had previously been part of the town of Rowley. At the time, this was regarded as a promising move for Bradford, given the wealth and prosperity of the manufacturing center in Haverhill. Haverhill's international prominence in shoe manufacturing waned, however, after the Great Depression. Historians also cite a lack of reinvestment in newer plants and equipment, as well as competition from less expensive imports as reasons for the erosion of the industry.
20th Century
Haverhill was the site of the eponymous Haverhill Fever, also known as Rat Bite fever, in 1926.In the early part of the 20th century, the manufacturing base in the city came under pressure as a result of lower priced imports from abroad. The Great Depression exacerbated the economic slump, and as a result city leaders enthusiastically embraced the concept of Urban Renewal in the 1950s and 1960s, receiving considerable federal funds used to demolish much of the north side of Merrimack Street, most of the Federal homes along Water Street (dating from the city's first hundred years of development), and throughout downtown. Many of the city's iconic buildings were lost, including the Oddfellows Hall, the Old City Hall, the Second Meetinghouse, the Pentucket Club, and the Old Library, among others.During Urban Renewal, the iconic high school—the inspiration for Bob Montana's Archie Comics—was falsely declared 'unsound' and slated for demolition. Instead, the historic City Hall on Main Street was demolished, and city began using the High School of Archie's Gang as the new City Hall.Urban Renewal polarized the city, and several leading citizens including architect Jonathan Woodman, argued to use the funds for preservation rather than demolition. Their plan was not accepted in Haverhill, which chose to demolish much of its historic downtown, including entire swaths of Merrimack Street, River Street, and Main Street. However, Examples of the city's architecture spanning nearly four centuries, abound; from early colonial houses (the White residence; the Duston Garrison House, The 1704 John Ward House, the 1691 Kimball Tavern, and the historic district of Rocks Village) to the modernist 1960s architecture of the downtown Haverhill Bank. The city's Highlands district, adjacent to downtown, is a fine example of the variety of Victorian mansions built during Haverhill's boom years as a shoe manufacturing city.
21st Century
Housing trends in the 21st century lead to the conversion of several of the old factories and business into Loft apartments and condominiums. Additionally, the Washington Street area gained new dining and entertainment spots and federal funds have been secured to remove and rebuild an old factory building on Granite Street as a 350 space parking garage However, many old buildings remain vacant or underutilized, such as the former Woolworth department store - boarded up for some 40 years now at the intersection of Main street and Merrimack Street.
Higher education
Haverhill is the home of the main campus of Northern Essex Community College. Until its closing in 2000, Bradford College provided liberal arts higher education in Haverhill. In 2007, it became the new home of the Zion Bible College.
Geography and transportation
Haverhill is located at 42°46′41″N 71°5′6″W / 42.77806°N 71.085°W / 42.77806; -71.085 (42.778090, -71.084916).. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 35.6 square miles (92.3 km²), of which, 33.3 square miles (86.3 km²) of it is land and 2.3 square miles (6.0 km²) of it (6.48%) is water. The city ranks 60th in the Commonwealth in terms of land area, and is the largest city or town in Essex County. Haverhill is drained by the Little and Merrimack rivers, the latter bisecting the Bradford section of town from the rest of Haverhill. Ayer's Hill, a drumlin with an elevation of 339 feet (103 m), is the highest point in the city. The city also has several ponds and lakes, as well as three golf courses. Haverhill is bordered by Merrimac to the northeast, West Newbury and Groveland to the east, Boxford and a small portion of North Andover to the south, Methuen to the southwest, and Salem, Atkinson and Plaistow, New Hampshire to the north. From its city center, Haverhill is 8 miles northeast of Lawrence, 27 miles southeast of Manchester, New Hampshire, and 32 miles north of Boston.Haverhill lies along Interstate 495, which has five exits throughout the city. The town is crossed by five state routes, including Routes 97, 108, 110, 113 and 125. Routes 108 and 125 both have their northern termini at the New Hampshire state border, where both continue as New Hampshire State Routes. Four of the five state routes, except Route 108, share at least a portion of their roadways in the town with each other. Haverhill is the site of six road crossings and a rail crossing of the Merrimack; two by I-495 (the first leading into Methuen), the Gonzalian Bridge (Railroad Avenue, which leands to the Bradford MBTA station), the Haverhill/Reading Line Railroad Bridge, the Basiliere Bridge (Rte. 125/Bridge St.), the Bates Bridge (Rtes. 97/113 to Groveland) and the Rocks Bridge to West Newbury, just south of the Merrimac town line. In 2010, a project began to replace the Bates Bridge, 60 feet downstream, with a modern bridge. The project is expected to take two to three years and cost approximately $45 million.MBTA Commuter Rail provides service from Boston's North Station with the Haverhill and Bradford stations on its Haverhill/Reading Line. Amtrak provides service to Portland, Maine and Boston's North Station from the same Haverhill station. Additionally, MVRTA provides local bus service to Haverhill and beyond (map). The nearest small craft airport, Lawrence Municipal Airport, is in North Andover. The nearest major airport is Manchester-Boston Regional Airport in Manchester, and the nearest international airport is Logan International Airport in Boston.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 58,969 people, 22,976 households, and 14,865 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,769.4 people per square mile (683.1/km²). There were 23,737 housing units at an average density of 712.2/sq mi (275.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 89.67% White, 2.41% African American, 0.22% Native American, 1.36% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 4.30% from other races, and 2.01% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.77% of the population. 16.8% were of Irish, 14.6% Italian, 10.1% French, 9.0% English, 7.8% French Canadian and 6.3% American ancestry according to Census 2000.There were 22,976 households out of which 33.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.0% were married couples living together, 13.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.3% were non-families. 28.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.11.In the city the population was spread out with 25.7% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 33.5% from 25 to 44, 20.4% from 45 to 64, and 12.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 90.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.7 males.The median income for a household in the city was $49,833, and the median income for a family was $59,772. Males had a median income of $41,197 versus $31,779 for females. The per capita income for the city was $23,280. About 7.0% of families and 9.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.3% of those under age 18 and 10.0% of those age 65 or over.The population of Haverhill in 1765–1980, 1776 - 2810, 1790 - 2408, 1800 - 2730, 1810 - 2682, 1820 - 3070, 1830 - 3896, 1840 - 4336, 1850 - 3877, 1907–41,242(includes Bradford annexed in 1897).
Topics of interest
Tattersall Farm
Winnekenni Castle
The Buttonwoods Museum – Haverhill Historical Society
John Greenleaf Whittier Homestead
Bradford College
Haverhill tower clockat Walnut Square School
Notable visitors and inhabitants
George Washington visited the city on his victory tour in the 1790s, and proclaimed that Haverhill was 'one of the most beautiful villages.' In honor of his visit, the city renamed a portion of Merrimack Street to Washington Street, and Washington Square Park was also named in his honor.Henry Ford acquired one of the city's historic bridge toll booths and installed it in his Greenfield Village in Dearborn, Michigan. It is thought that Ford's project was, in part, an inspiration for the historic Old Sturbridge Village in central Massachusetts. Another industrialist was so impressed with the design and elegant proportions of the White Church at the Bradford Common that he had the church measured and raised funds to have several replicas built around the United States.Among the city's other notable visitors were a number of presidents, and the young Henry David Thoreau who visited the city in his professional capacity as a land surveyor in the 19th century. The painter Henry Bacon (1839–1912) was born in Haverhill.Hollywood mogul Louis B. Mayer got his start in show business by operating a chain of theaters in downtown Haverhill.Former whaler Rowland H. Macy established his first dry goods store on Merrimack Street in 1851, on the site of the present A-1 Deli. That store was the precursor to his later Macy's stores, and he held his first Thanksgiving Day Parades in downtown Haverhill.Haverhill is also one of the main inspirations for the comic Archie. The comic's creator, Bob Montana, lived in Haverhill and attended Haverhill High School from 1936 to 1939. He based Riverdale High School on the old high school building (which is now City Hall) and the characters Archie, Jughead, Veronica, Betty, and Reggie on his classmates from Haverhill High School. The 'Choc'lit Shoppe' of Archie Comics fame was also inspired by an actual Chocolate Shop in operation on Merrimack Street in the 1930s.Haverhill has become familiar to riders of Amtrak's Downeaster train service between Portland ME and Boston. The conductors regularly refer to it as 'the jewel in the crown of the Merrimack valley'.Other notable inhabitants include:John Mapes Adams,Medal of HonorRecipient during theBoxer Rebellion
Louis Alter(1902–1980),songwriter('Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans?')
Daniel Appleton(1785–1849), publisherof Lewis Carroll, Arthur Conan Doyle, Charles Darwin, Thomas Henry Huxley, Herbert Spencer, and John Stuart Mill.
William Henry Appleton(1814–1899), son of Daniel Appleton, publisher
Bailey Bartlett(1750–1830), member of theUnited States Constitutional Convention
Alexander Graham Bell(1847–1922),inventor, spent considerable time in Haverhill initially as a tutor to the deaf son of a prominent shoe magnate who later invested in Bell's telephone concept
John Bellairs(1938–1991),authorof horror fiction for children and young adults
William Berenberg(1915–2005),Harvard Universityprofessor and pediatrician
Tom Bergeron(1955-),game showhost
Isaac Newton Carleton(1832–1902),educator
Walter Tenney Carleton(1867–1900),businessman
Stuart Chase(1888–1985), Americaneconomist
Tristram Coffin, among the town's first settlers, who later left to settleNantucket
Andre Dubus(1936–1999), American short story writer, essayist, and autobiographer
Andre Dubus, III, American short story writer, essayist, and novelist
Euterpe (née Boukis) Dukakis, (1903–2003), mother ofMichael Dukakis
Hannah Duston(1657–1736), controversial colonial heroine, and also the first woman in the United States to be honored with a statue
Frank Fontaine(1920–1978),comedian, Crazy Guggenheim onThe Jackie Gleason Show
Jeff Fraza,boxer, and contestant on reality television showThe Contender
Charlotte Fullerton, author and Emmy-winning children's television writer/producer
Moses Hazen(1733–1803), Continental Army General
Rowland H. Macy(1822–1877),merchant
Karen McCarthy, Missouri politician
Dr. Duncan MacDougall,physicianwhose studies inspired the film21 Grams
William Henry Moody(1853–1917), Supreme Court Justice, and prosecutor in theLizzie Bordentrial.
Carlos Peña, professional baseball player (Chicago Cubs)
Seth Romatelli, actor, host ofUhh Yeah Dude
James E. Rothman, notable cell biologist
Mike Ryan, MLB baseball player
Nathaniel Saltonstall(1639–1707), judge atSalem Witch Trials
Jon Shain, (1967-) folk musician
Spider One, ne Michael Cummings, musician, brother of Robert Cummings a.k.a. Rob Zombie
Ian Opolski(1989-) Voice of the dragon in the upcoming film 'The Hobbit'
Charles Augustus Strong(1862–1940) philosopher, of the American school ofcritical realism
John Greenleaf Whittier(1807–1892), poet; his poemSnow-Boundis set in Haverhill
Rob Zombie(1965-), ne Robert Cummings, musician and founding member ofWhite Zombie, film director, mainly horror genre.
Brian Evans(1971-), singer, writer, author, opening act for such stars as Joan Rivers, Jay Leno, and Social Distortion.
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