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 adding missing items with reliable sources.

17th-18th century

• 1629 - Saugus founded. ^[1] Among the founders — Edmund Ingalls
• 1637 - Saugus renamed to Lynn in honor of Reverend Samuel Whiting (Senior), Lynn's first official minister who arrived from King's Lynn.^[2][1]
• 1642 - Saugus Iron Works in business.^[1]
• 1644 - Reading separates from Lynn.^[1]
• 1720 - Lynnfield burying-ground established.^[3]
• 1732 - Saugus burying-ground established.^[3]
• 1782 - Lynnfield separates from Lynn.^[1]
• 1793 - Post office in operation.^[3]
• 1797 - Population: 2,291.^[4]

19th century

• 1803 - Floating Bridge constructed on Salem-Boston turnpike.^[3]
• 1810 - Population: 4,087.^[5]
• 1812 - Eastern Burial-Place established.^[3]
• 1814 - Town House built.^[6]
• 1815
  • Saugus separates from Lynn.^[1]
  • Social Library formed.^[7]

Lyceum building

• 1830 - Lynn Record newspaper begins publication.^[8]
• 1838
  • Eastern Railroad in operation.^[6]
  • Lynn Natural History Society formed.^[9]
• 1840 - Population: 9,367.^[5]
• 1841
  • Lyceum building constructed.^[10]
  • Frederick Douglass moves to Lynn.^[11]
  • September 28 - Frederick Douglass is thrown off^[12] the Eastern Railroad train at Lynn Central Square station for refusing to sit in the segregated coach^[13][14][15]
• 1845 Frederick Douglass writes his first autobiography Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave^[13] while living in Lynn
• 1847 - High Rock Cottage (also called "Stone Cottage") is built by Alonzo Lewis^[16] for Jesse Hutchinson^[17]
• 1848 - First High Rock Tower built.^[18][17]
• 1850
  • May 14 - City of Lynn incorporated.^[19][1]
  • George Hood becomes mayor.
  • Pine Grove Cemetery consecrated.^[3]
• 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.^[20][21]
  • March - Nahant separates from Lynn.^[1]
  • April - Daniel C. Baker becomes mayor.

Ezra W. Mudge

• 1854 - Lynn Weekly Reporter newspaper begins publication.^[8]
• 1855
  • Andrews Breed becomes mayor.
  • Lynn Library Association organized.^[7]
• 1856
  • Ezra W. Mudge becomes mayor.
  • African Methodist Episcopal Church established.^[6]
• 1858
  • William F. Johnson becomes mayor.
  • Telegraph in service.
  • St. Mary's Cemetery consecrated.^[3]
• 1859 - Edward S. Davis becomes mayor.
• 1860 - 1860 New England Shoemakers Strike begins in Lynn
• 1861 - Hiram N. Breed becomes mayor.
• 1862
  • Peter M. Neal becomes mayor.
  • Free Public Library established.^[22][1]
• 1863 - Boston & Lynn Horse Railroad begins operating.^[23]
• 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.^[24]

Music Hall

• 1867
  • City Hall dedicated.^[25]
  • Lynn Transcript newspaper begins publication.^[8]
• 1868 - Young Men's Christian Association organized.^[10]
• 1870
  • Edwin Walden becomes mayor.
  • Music Hall opens.^[10]
• 1872
  • Labor strike by shoemakers.^[26]
  • James N. Buffum becomes mayor.
  • Odd Fellows Hall built.^[6]
  • Boston, Revere Beach & Lynn Railroad chartered.^[21]
• 1873
  • Jacob M. Lewis becomes mayor.
  • Soldiers' Monument installed.^[6]
• 1876 - Lynn City Item newspaper begins publication.^[8]
• 1877 - Samuel M. Bubier becomes mayor.

St. Stephen's Memorial Episcopal Church

• 1879
  • January - George Plaisted Sanderson becomes mayor.
  • June - 250th anniversary of settlement.^[27]
• 1880 - Lynn Masonic Hall built.
• 1881
  • Henry B. Lovering elected mayor.
  • Lynn Woods established.^[28]
  • 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.^[29]
• 1888
  • March 11–14 Lynn and all of Massachusetts are crippled by the Great Blizzard of 1888^[30]
  • George C. Higgins becomes mayor.
  • Thomson-Houston Electric Company powers the first electric streetcar in Massachusetts:^[31] the Highland Circuit of the Lynn & Boston Railway Company^[32]
• 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.^[33]
  • Lynn English High School on Essex Street opens^[34]
  • 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.^[35]
• 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

Central Square, c. 1920

• 1900 - Population: 68,513.^[1]
• 1903
  • Henry W. Eastham becomes mayor.
  • Vamp Building constructed.
• 1904
  • second High Rock Tower constructed ^[36]
• 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.
• 1910 - Population: 89,336.^[1]
• 1911 - William P. Connery, Sr. becomes mayor.
• 1913
  • George H. Newhall becomes mayor.
  • Chamber of Commerce established.^[3]

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.^[3]
• 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^[37]
• 1926 - Ralph S. Bauer becomes mayor.

Lynn Post Office

• 1928 - An explosion at the Preble Box Toe Company factory kills 20.^[38]

Lynn Beach, State Bath House, Lynn, Mass. a postcard from 1930

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

Capitol Diner

• 1933 - United States Post Office–Lynn Main built.
• 1934 - President of the Massachusetts Poetry Society Jeanette Maes is born.
• 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 24 - 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).^{[citation needed]}
  • 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.^[35]
• 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.

- Musician Brian Maes is born.

• 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.^[8]
• 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^[39][40]
• 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^[41]
• 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 sixth overall pick in the 1991 NFL draft.
• 1992
  • Patrick J. McManus becomes mayor.
  • Central Square - Lynn MBTA station rebuilt.^[35]
• 1999 - New Lynn Classical High School building opened.

21st century

• 2001 - City website online (approximate date).^[42]
• 2002 - Edward J. Clancy, Jr. becomes mayor.
• 2003 - North Shore Spirit baseball team begins play.

- Madeline Maes is born.

• 2004 - Regina Maes is born.
• 2005 - Manning Bowl is demolished and replaced by Manning Field.
• 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

Downtown Lynn and the MBTA Lynn station 2015

Downtown Lynn in 2016

• 2016 - Ferry service is suspended
• 2017 - Ferry service resumes
• 2018
  • 200th birthday of Frederick Douglass is celebrated throughout the year^[43][44]
  • Thomas M. McGee becomes mayor
  • Ferry service is suspended
• 2021
  • August 18: The Frederick Douglass Park is dedicated, directly across the street from the site of the Central Square railroad depot where Douglass was forcibly removed from the train in 1841.^[45]
• 2022
  • January 3: Jared C. Nicholson is sworn in as the 58th Mayor

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
• History of Massachusetts