page_title: Melrose, Massachusetts
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Melrose, Massachusetts / History
caption_attribution_description: Map of the lower stretch of the Middlesex Canal, north of Boston, Massachusetts, 1852. This map was made about the time the canal was abandoned, some 50 years after its construction was completed.
context_page_description: Melrose is a city located in the Greater Boston metropolitan area in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. Its population, as per the 2010 United States Census, is 26,983. It is a suburb located approximately seven miles north of Boston. It is situated in the center of the triangle created by Interstates 93, 95 and U.S. Route 1.
  The land that comprises Melrose was first settled in 1628 and was once part of Charlestown and then Malden. It became the Town of Melrose in 1850 and then the City of Melrose in 1900.
context_section_description: Melrose was originally called "Ponde Fielde" for its abundance of ponds and streams or "Mystic Side" because of its location in a valley north of the Mystic River. The area was first explored by Richard and Ralph Sprague in 1628 and became part of Charlestown in 1633 along with a large area of land encompassing most of the surrounding communities. In 1649, the neighborhood of Charlestown known as Malden was incorporated as a separate town; the new town of Malden included most of present-day Melrose (then called North Malden) within its borders. North Malden largely remained a lightly populated farming community.
  In 1845, the Boston and Maine Railroad built three stops (now the commuter rail stations of Wyoming Hill, Melrose/Cedar Park, and Melrose Highlands). Boston workers in search of a country atmosphere moved to the area and began commuting to work. The population of North Malden began growing, and in 1850 North Malden split from Malden proper and was incorporated as the town of Melrose. Melrose annexed the highlands from neighboring Stoneham in 1853, creating the city's current borders.
  The population of Melrose continued to grow throughout the second half of the nineteenth century. Farmland was increasingly partitioned into smaller parcels for residences and businesses. The fire department and the town's school district were founded, and the town hall was built in 1873. In 1899, the City of Melrose became the 33rd incorporated city in Massachusetts. Levi S. Gould became the city's first mayor on January 1, 1900.
  Melrose reached a peak in a population of 33,180 residents in 1970, before beginning a slow decline continuing through 2010. On April 1, 1982, Downtown Melrose was added to the National Register of Historic Places; the public library was similarly added to the register in 1988.
caption: 1852 map of Boston area showing Melrose and rail lines
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