Timeline of Gloucester, Massachusetts

This is a timeline of the history of the city of Gloucester, Massachusetts, USA.

Prior to 19th century

 * 1606 - Samuel de Champlain anchors in "Beauport."
 * 1623 - Dorchester Company settlers arrive and setup at Stage Fort Park.
 * 1630 or 1631 - Abraham Robinson, son of John Robinson (pastor), and band of Pilgrims, establishes settlement and fishing stage at Annisquam.
 * 1642 - Town of Gloucester incorporated.
 * 1660 - Edward Harraden house built.
 * 1698 - First school house built, Thomas Riggs first school master.
 * 1700 - Congregational Church organized, West Gloucester (approximate date).
 * 1709 - Davis-Freeman house built.
 * 1710 - White-Ellery House built.
 * 1713 - Schooner ship type begins operating.
 * 1716 - Second Parish Church incorporated.
 * 1720 - Dyke-Wheeler house built.
 * 1728 - Third Parish Church established.
 * 1739 - "Great meeting-house at the harbor" built.
 * 1740 - Babson-Alling house built.
 * 1765 - Population: 3,763.
 * 1770 - Freemason Tyrian Lodge established.
 * 1771 - Cape Ann Light erected on Thacher Island.
 * 1775 - Battle of Gloucester.
 * 1789 - U.S. custom house established.
 * 1790 - Population: 5,317.
 * 1792 - Gloucester post office established.
 * 1796 - Gloucester Bank established.

1800s-1850s



 * 1801 - Annisquam Harbor Light erected.
 * 1805 - Daily Boston-Gloucester stagecoach begins operating.
 * 1806 - First Universalist Church built.
 * 1808 - First Baptist Church founded.
 * 1819 - Nearby Essex incorporated as a town.
 * 1821 - Ten Pound Island Light erected.
 * 1827 - Gloucester Telegraph newspaper begins publication.
 * 1828 - First Parish Church built on Middle Street.
 * 1830
 * Gloucester Lyceum and Lanesville Congregational Church established.
 * 30 September: Fire.
 * Population: 7,510.
 * 1831 - Eastern Point Light erected.
 * 1832 - Gloucester Circulating Library, Front Street, in operation.
 * 1834 - Gloucester Democrat newspaper begins publication.
 * 1835 - Straitsmouth Island Light erected.
 * 1836 - Female Charitable Society organized.
 * 1838
 * Methodist Church built.
 * Congregationalist Ladies' Sewing Circle organized.
 * 1839 - Annisquam Universalist Ladies' Sewing Circle organized.
 * 1840
 * Part of Gloucester becomes the new town of Rockport.
 * Population: 6,350.
 * 1842 - Lane's Cove Pier Co. formed.
 * 1843 - Cape Ann Light newspaper begins publication.
 * 1844 - Town Hall built.
 * 1845 - Odd Fellows Ocean Lodge established.
 * 1847
 * Railway begins operating.
 * Gloucester Mutual Fishing Insurance Co., Gloucester Marine Insurance Co., and Annisquam Mutual Fire Insurance Co. incorporated.
 * Artist Fitz Hugh Lane moves to town.
 * 1848
 * Gloucester News newspaper begins publication.
 * Mount Adnah Cemetery organized.
 * 1849 - Fitz Henry Lane house and Pavilion Hotel built.
 * 1850
 * Burnham Brothers Marine Railway built.
 * Population: 7,786.
 * 1851 - Cape Ann Savings Bank incorporated.
 * 1852 - Company G., 8th Regiment organized.
 * 1853 - Gloucester Gas Light Company in business.
 * 1855
 * Gloucester Cornet Band organized.
 * Cunningham & Thompson in business.
 * Timothy Davis becomes US representative for Massachusetts's 6th congressional district.
 * 1856
 * Oak Grove Cemetery, Independent Sons of Temperance, and Cape Ann Bank established.
 * Cape Ann Advertiser newspaper begins publication.
 * 1857
 * Procter Brothers in business.
 * Citizens' Library Association organized.
 * 1858
 * Police court, Cape Ann Telegraph Co., Congregationalist Young Ladies' Society, and Congregationalist Ladies' Society at the Cove established.
 * East Gloucester Baptist Church built.
 * 1859
 * Gloucester Fishermen's Widow's and Orphan's Fund Society; Sons of Temperance, Annisquam Division; Franklin Club; Congregationalist Ladies' Home Missionary Society; and Band of Hope organized.
 * November 2: "Mechanic Engine Co. had a grand parade."

1860s-1890s



 * 1860 - Population: 10,904.
 * 1861 - Railway to Rockport begins operating.
 * 1862 - Shute & Merchant in business |url=http://www.shuteandmerchant.com/history-2.html |
 * 1864
 * February 18: Fire.
 * First National Bank in business.
 * 1865 - Freemason Acacia Lodge established.
 * 1866
 * Board of Trade and Cape Ann Horticultural Society established.
 * Cape Ann Anchor & Forge in business.
 * 1867
 * North Gloucester Universalist church active.
 * Sylvanus Smith & Co. in business.
 * 1869
 * May 16: Town Hall burns down.
 * Cape Ann Granite quarry in business.
 * 1870
 * Universalist Centenary.
 * Population: 15,389.
 * 1871 - Gloucester City Hall built.
 * 1872 - Gloucester Lyceum & Sawyer Free Library incorporated.
 * 1873
 * Gloucester becomes a city.
 * Lanesville Granite quarry in business.
 * YMCA and Cape Ann Scientific and Literary Association founded.
 * 1874
 * Slade Gorton & Company established.
 * Robert R. Fears becomes first city mayor.
 * Procter Brothers circulating library opens.
 * 1877
 * Gloucester Bulletin newspaper begins publication.
 * Artist William Morris Hunt active.
 * 1880
 * Sea Side Library in operation.
 * Population: 19,329.
 * 1881
 * Gloucester Water Supply Co. incorporated.
 * Harbor Methodist Church built.
 * Gloucester Isinglass and Glue in business.
 * 1882 - Russia Cement Co. in business.
 * 1884
 * Gloucester News and Cape Ann Breeze newspapers begin publication.
 * Tarr and Wonson paint factory built.
 * Magonolia Library Association formed.
 * 1885
 * October 16: North Shore Tricycle Run arrives in Gloucester.
 * Horse-drawn Gloucester Street Railway begins operating.
 * 1887 - Magnolia Congregational Church and Gloucester Co-operative Bank established.
 * 1888
 * Gloucester Daily Times newspaper begins publication.
 * Gloucester Electric Co. in business.
 * 1891
 * Gloucester Safe Deposit and Trust in business.
 * Hawthorne Inn built.
 * 1892
 * 250th anniversary of incorporation of town of Gloucester.
 * Gloucester Towboat Co. in business.
 * 1895
 * Gloucester, Essex and Beverly Street Railway begins operating.
 * American Halibut Co. in business.
 * 1896 - Eliot house (residence) built.
 * 1897 - Addison Gilbert Hospital built.
 * 1898
 * S.S. Portland shipwreck.
 * Business Men's Association formed.
 * 1899 - Ravenswood Park established.
 * 1900 - Population: 26,121.

20th century

 * 1902 - Cape Pond Ice Co. in business.
 * 1905 - Gloucester Cold Storage in business.
 * 1906 - Gorton-Pew Fisheries in business.
 * 1907
 * Gloucester Net and Twine Company in business.
 * Beauport, Sleeper-McCann House expanded.
 * Shute & Merchant became the fifth firm to join the Gorton-Pew Fisheries Company |url=http://www.shuteandmerchant.com/history-2.html |
 * 1914
 * Our Lady of Good Voyage Church rebuilt.
 * Synagogue active.
 * 1920 - Population: 22,947.
 * 1921 - Chamber of Commerce established.
 * 1922 - North Shore Art Association founded.
 * 1923
 * Tercentenary of European settlement of Gloucester.
 * Gloucester Tercentenary Permanent Memorial Association selects Leonard Craske's design for the Gloucester Fisherman's Memorial.
 * 1925 - General Seafood Corporation in business.
 * 1926 - Adventure (schooner) launched.
 * 1929 - Hammond Castle built.
 * 1943 - WPA murals painted in City Hall.


 * 1969 - Gloucester Fishermen's Wives Association founded.
 * 1976 - [[citizens voted to change the City Charter replacing a city manager with a mayor elected every two years. Leo Alper was the first mayor elected under the new city charter.
 * 1979 - Gloucester Stage Company founded.
 * 1984 - Richard Silva elected mayor.
 * 1988 - William Squillace elected mayor.
 * 1991
 * October 28: Ship Andrea Gail lost at sea in the 1991 Perfect Storm.
 * Bruce Tobey becomes mayor.
 * 1992 - William S. Rafter Jr. becomes mayor.
 * 1994 - Bruce Tobey becomes mayor again.
 * 1997 - John F. Tierney becomes US representative for Massachusetts's 6th congressional district.
 * 1998 - City website online (approximate date).

21st century

 * 2002
 * North Shore North - Newspaper Begins (Mike Ryan, James Oliver, Gregg B. Smith)
 * John Bell becomes mayor.
 * 2003 Gloucester Island News - Newspaper Begins (James Oliver, Gregg B. Smith)
 * 2004 - Sister city relationship established with Tamano, Japan.
 * 2007 - Good Morning Gloucester blog begins publication.
 * 2008
 * Teen pregnancy controversy occurs.
 * Carolyn Kirk becomes mayor.
 * 2010 - Population: 28,789.
 * 2013 - Gloucester Marine Genomics Institute (GMGI) founded.
 * 2015
 * Police department program for drug addicts begins.
 * Sefatia Romeo Theken becomes mayor.
 * Seth Moulton becomes US representative for Massachusetts's 6th congressional district.