Essex County was established in 1643. It has a total area of 501 square miles and a coastline that is 493 miles long! The county consists of 34 cities and towns and has a population of over 750,000 people. An incredible 25% of land here is under conservation.
Fun Facts!
-
Andover
The Peabody Museum at Philips Academy in Andover is a major repository of American Indian artifacts. -
Beverly
The first ship commissioned by the United States military was the armed schooner, Hannah. It first sailed from Beverly Harbor on September 5, 1775. For this reason, Beverly is known as the "Birthplace of America's Navy". -
Danvers
The Endicott Pear Tree in Danvers is believed to be the oldest living cultivated fruit tree in North America. -
Gloucester
Clarence Birdseye revolutionized American mealtime when he invented frozen foods in Gloucester in 1925. -
Lawrence
Lawrence is home to the Ayer Mill Clock Tower, the largest mill clock in the world and the second largest tower clock— just 6 inches smaller than Big Ben! -
Lynn
Lynn Woods is the largest municipal park in New England, and the second largest in the country at 2,200 acres. -
Newburyport
The story of what would become the National Biscuit Company, now Nabisco, began in 1792 in Newburyport when Pearson & Sons Bakery created 'Pilot Bread', a sturdy biscuit that could withstand the conditions aboard sailing ships. -
Saugus
The first American ironworks was established in Saugus in 1650. -
Topsfield
The Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary, located in Topsfield, is the Audubon Society's largest wildlife sanctuary in Massachusetts.
North Andover
Have a fun fact about your town? Send it to us at j.ruh@eccf.org.
Early History and Founding of Essex County
Compiled as part of a research project by ECCF Founder, David Tory
| 1004 | It is said that Thorwold the Norseman visited the shore line of southern Essex County between Cape Ann and Nahant. Some conjecture that he might even have been buried in Nahant. |
| 1497 | Explorer, John Cabot, reported that the local natives in Newfoundland refferred to cod by the basque name of “baccalaos” picked up by their frequent contacts with basque fishing boats. By the mid 1500’s there were hundreds of French, English, Spanish and Portuguese boats fishing for cod off Newfoundland. |
| 1524 | Giovanni da Verazzano, who was looking for a passage to China, surveyed the North American coast line including Cape Ann. |
| 1602 | Bartholomew Gosnold landed on Cape Ann and met natives whose Chief wore a pair of breeches and a waistcoat, sailed what looked like a basque sailing shallop and whose language included some French words. |
| 1604 | Samuel de Champlain and George Weymouth (1605) visited and surveyed the coastline of Essex County. |
| 1614 | Captain John Smith, of Pocahontas fame, explored the coast line, first naming Cape Ann Tragabigzanda after a Turkish aquaintance. |
| 1624 | Prince Charles who later became Charles I of England, renamed the area Cape Ann after his mother. |
| 1623 | The first fishing settlement was established in Gloucester. However, after the first year, most of the settlers returned to England leaving 14 farmers behind over the winter to try and establish self-sustaining crops. Over the next three years the settlement increased to about 50 people, including families of both fishermen and farmers. They came from England’s west country, the counties of Devon and Dorset and were brought over by the Dorchester Company, a fish trading company. The Dorchester Company appointed Roger Conant, a Plymouth pilgrim, to manage the settlement. |
| 1626 | Eventually, most of the Gloucester settlers returned to England. Those that remained followed Roger Conant down the coast to a place that offered better farming opportunities called Naumkeag (the name of the local tribe), later renamed Salem. |
| 1629 | Another group of about 100 puritans organized by the Dorchester Company, and led by John Endecott arrived in Namkeag usurping Roger Conant. After the two leaders made peace the town was renamed Salem (meaning “peace” in Hebrew) in their honor. |
|
1630 | 1642 |
 The Great Migration - During this period, over 20,000 mostly puritan settlers from East Anglia and the midlands of England, followed John Winthrop to colonize Massachusetts. A few thousand of them moved along the coast and up the rivers of Essex County. The Great Migration was caused by increasing intolerance and persecution of puritans in England. The puritans abhorred the catholic dogma that remained in the Anglican church following its separation from Rome, as well as the ceremony and hierarchy of the Anglican Church which the puritans considered antithetical to their beliefs in simplicity of worship and direct communication with God. John Winthrop became the leader of the movement to seek a new world where they could worship and build the society they believed God had intended. The mass migration ceased when the puritan movement became so strong in England that it resulted in Civil War and puritan victory under Oliver Cromwell and the execution of Charles I. |
| 1643 | In 1643, Massachusetts was divided into four counties to establish manageable administrative and judicial oversight. The four counties were Essex, Middlesex, Suffolk and Norfolk. At this time, Essex County consisted of just ten towns: Salem, Lynn, Gloucester, Ipswich, Rowley, Newbury, Salisbury, Hampton, Haverhill and Andover. |
Thanks to the Gloucester Education Foundation for sharing the artwork at top of page. The mural of Gloucester was created by Veterans' Elementary School Student participants in the 2011 Gloucester Education Foundation sponsored Summer Literacy Program.
