# 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.

## 19th century
### 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.
* St. Peter's Fiesta started in 1927.
* The Greasy Pole contest started in 1931 and is held yearly at the St. Peter's Fiesta a five-day festival honoring the patron saint of the fisherman, St. Peter. Hosted by the Italian American community of Gloucester, Massachusetts.
* 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.