Historical Markers in
Essex County, Massachusetts

Abraham True House Adam Hawkes Admiralty Anchor Agawam - Ipswich Agnes Surriage Well Alexander Graham Bell America’s First Comb Industry Appleton's Pulpit Approach to Carr's Ferry At this site in 1952 Bailey's Head Balch House Bear Skin Neck Benjamin Tarr House Beverly Korean War Memorial Beverly Vietnam War Memorial Beverly World War I Memorial Beverly World War II Memorial Birthplace of Cornelius Conway Felton Birthplace of George Peabody Birthplace of Jacob Bayley Blacksmith Shop Blynman Bridge Bombshell Boxford Korea and Vietnam Service Memorial Boxford Remembers the World War Boxford Spanish American War Memorial Brig Falconer Memorial Camp Sylvester Cannon from the U.S.S. Constitution Cape Ann Granite Cape Ann Settlement Capt. Jennifer J. Harris U.S.M.C. Capt. John Hodges House - 1750 Captain Alfred (Centennial) Johnson Captain Howard Blackburn Captain William Driver Captured English Cannon Central Wharf Central Wharf Charles Heberle Chester H. Grant Circle Coast Guard Aviation Monument Coast Guard Bicentennial Marker Col. Thomas Knowlton Conant House Custom House Place Dalton House Danversport Deacon Nathaniel Ingersoll Derby House Derby Wharf Dogtown & Babson Builders Eastern Point Lighthouse Fog Bell Edgerly-Brooks House Edward Rawson Elihu Thomson House Elizabeth Montgomery as Samantha Stephens Essex Coastal Scenic Byway Essex County Armed Services Memorial Essex Massachusetts Soldier’ Monument First Armed Resistance First Congregational Church of Rockport Steeple Rehabilitation First Fulling Mill First Meetinghouse First Settler First Site of the Second Parish Meetinghouse First Town Meeting Fort Sewall Fort Sewall Fort Sewall Fort Sewall Site Plan Free School Friendship of Salem Gardner-Pingree House Gen. Casimir Pulaski Gen. James Appleton Memorial Gideon Tucker Mansion Gloucester Fishermen's Memorial Gloucester Fishermen's Wives Memorial Gloucester Korean – Vietnam Veterans Monument Gloucester Spanish American War Memorial Gloucester World War II Merchant Marine Monument Gloucester World War II Monument Goodrich Massacre Great Salem Fire Alarm Great Salem Fire Centennial Hale Farm Harvey Park Herbert Goodhue War Memorial Historic 1893 Newburyport Train Station Home for Aged Women Home of Nathaniel H. Felt Hospital Point Light / Honor the Valiant Men Hospital Point Lighthouse Huzzah! for "Old Ironsides" Immaculate Conception Parish Immaculate Conception Parish War Memorial In Commemoration of Arnold's Expedition to Quebec In Honor of Nathaniel Haraden In Memory of G. Norman Albree In Memory of Those Who Have Died Ipswich Massachusetts Village Green Memorial Ipswich Massachusetts War Memorial Iron Works James Babson Farm John Pool John Wise House Joseph Fenno House / Woman's Friend Society Joseph Story House Judge Andrew R. Linscott Knowlton Moore Memorial Playground Landing Place of First Settlers Leslie's Retreat Lt. Gen. John R. Chaisson Lyceum Hall Lynn Lynn Veterans Memorial Lynn World War I Memorial Macy-Colby House Making Iron Marblehead Light Marblehead Soldiers Memorial Marblehead Vietnam Veterans Memorial Marblehead World War I Memorial Marblehead World War I Monument Marblehead World War II – Korean War Monument Market Square Tea Burning Masconomet Sagamore of the Agawams Maximilian and Joseph Jewett McIntire Historic District Narbonne House Nathaniel Hawthorne lived here 1847 - 1850 Nathaniel Warner Company Monument Native American Raid Near This Site Near This Site Newbury Newbury Newburyport Custom House Newburyport Firehouse Center Newburyport Sailor's Memorial Old Burial Hill Old First Parish Burying Ground Old Stone Fort On "The Line" 1880-1940 Original site of the First Parish Meetinghouse. Parson Capen House Parson Capen House Peabody Museum of Salem Pedrick Store House, 1770 Pentucket-Haverhill Pillow Lace Planters Neck Planters Path to their Landing Place Porter Anchor Privateer Warehouse Rebecca Nurse Homestead Rev. John Hale House Revolution of 1689 Revolutionary War Memorial River Basin Terminus Riverdale Martyrs Riverdale World War II Monument Robert Pike Homestead Rockport World War I & II Memorial Rocky Neck Roger Conant Roger Conant Rowley Burial Ground Rowley Massachusetts Civil War Memorial Rowley Massachusetts Korean War Honor Roll Memorial Rowley Massachusetts Revolutionary War Memorial Rowley Massachusetts Viet Nam Honor Roll Memorial Rowley Massachusetts World War I Honor Roll Rowley Massachusetts World War II Honor Roll Saint Peter's Episcopal Church Salem Common Salem Harbor Salem Maritime National Historic Site Salem Rotary Club Salem Village Meeting House Salem Village Parsonage Salem Village Witchcraft Victims’ Memorial Salem Willows Salem Willows Park Opens for Business Salisbury Salting Fish Samuel de Champlain Samuel De Champlain Samuel Holten House Samuel Parris Archaeological Site Samuel Sawyer Saugus Korea/Vietnam Memorial Saugus Massachusetts Memorial Saugus Massachusetts World War I Honor Roll Saugus Vietnam Memorial Settlement of Cape Ann Shipbuilders Memorial Shipyard of 1668 Site of Camp Lander Site of Israel Hutchinson's Home / Israel Hutchinson Site of the Quaker Meetinghouse Soldiers and Sailors of Newburyport 1861-1864 Soldiers of All Wars Marker Solomon Jacobs Landing & Park St. Joseph's Parish War Memorial Stacy Esplanade Stage Fort Fisherman's Field Stephen White House Straitsmouth Island Swampscott Civil War Monument Swampscott Desert Shield - Desert Storm Monument Swampscott Honor Roll Swampscott Korean War Honor Roll Swampscott Mariners Memorial Swampscott Revolutionary War Honor Roll Swampscott Vietnam Veterans Honor Roll Swampscott World War Honor Roll Swampscott World War I Memorial Ten Pound Island Lighthouse The 1681 Salem Village Parsonage The 1734 Addition The 1873 Train Wreck The Bartlet Mall The Birthplace of Nathaniel Hawthorne The Burying Point The Casting House The Church in Salem Village The Covered Wagon The Custom House The Endecott Pear Tree The First Meeting House Erected in Salem The First Muster The First Settlers of Sandy Bay The Forge The Hawkes House The Large Packet Ship Dreadnought The McIntire District The Memorial Bell The Memory of the Officers and Men The Pedrick Store House The Plains The Point Neighborhood The Salem Witch Trials Memorial The Scotch House The Town House The Witch Gaol This Ground This Stone Marks the Site of Peter Hill To the Farthest Port Town Wharves Twenty Third Regiment Memorial Very Reverend Theobald Mathew Village Training Field War Memorial Honor Roll War Memorial Honor Roll Ward Seven World War II Monument Watts' Cellar Wenham Wenham Wenham Lake West India Goods Store Wharves in the Early 1800s Wharves in the late 1800's William Lloyd Garrison Within Lie Buried World War I Memorial “The Volunteer”
The Boston Marathon, one of the world's oldest annual marathons, has been held since 1897. It takes place on Patriots' Day, a Massachusetts state holiday commemorating the start of the American Revolutionary War.
Massachusetts random facts
Essex County, located in northeastern Massachusetts, has a rich and diverse history that spans over four centuries. The area was originally inhabited by Native American tribes, including the Pawtucket and Naumkeag people, prior to European colonization. In the early 17th century, English colonists settled the region, establishing several towns, most notably Salem, which became a major port and center of trade.

During the late 17th century, Essex County experienced a dramatic event that would shape its history for centuries to come: the Salem Witch Trials. In 1692, a wave of hysteria swept through Salem, resulting in the execution of 20 individuals accused of witchcraft. This dark period is now remembered as one of the most infamous episodes in American history and has left a lasting impact on the county's cultural identity.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, Essex County became a hub of economic activity and industrialization. The region's harbors facilitated trade and shipbuilding, while its rivers powered mills and factories. Cities like Lawrence and Lowell became major centers of textile manufacturing, attracting large numbers of immigrants seeking employment in the mills. This influx of diverse cultures has enriched Essex County's cultural heritage.

In the 20th century, Essex County continued to evolve and adapt to changing times. The decline of traditional industries led to a shift towards a more diversified economy, with an emphasis on healthcare, education, and technology. Today, Essex County remains an important part of the Greater Boston metropolitan area, with its towns and cities offering a blend of historical charm, natural beauty, and urban amenities.

This timeline provides a concise overview of the key events in the history of Essex County, Massachusetts.

  • 1629: The area that is now Essex County is settled by English colonists.
  • 1643: Essex County is officially established as one of the three original counties in the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
  • 1692: The infamous Salem Witch Trials take place in Essex County, leading to the execution of several individuals accused of witchcraft.
  • 1700s: Essex County becomes a center for shipbuilding and maritime trade.
  • 1775-1783: Essex County residents play a significant role in the American Revolutionary War, with many serving in the Continental Army.
  • 1808: The Essex Merrimack Bridge, connecting Essex County with Merrimack, New Hampshire, is completed, facilitating trade.
  • 1836: The city of Lawrence is incorporated, becoming one of the major industrial centers in Essex County.
  • 1861-1865: Many residents of Essex County fight in the American Civil War, with some notable involvement in naval operations.
  • 1908: The Great Chelsea Fire destroys parts of Chelsea, a city in Essex County, leading to advancements in fire safety regulations.
  • 1965: Essex County Community College is established in Haverhill, providing higher education opportunities for local residents.
  • 2004: Essex County Greenbelt Association is formed to preserve and protect open spaces and farmlands in the county.