Editing Haverhill, Massachusetts (section)

== History ==

Haverhill has played a role in nearly every era of American history, from the initial colonial settlement, to the [[French and Indian Wars]],  and the American [[American Revolutionary War|Revolutionary]] and [[American Civil War|Civil]] Wars.<ref>George Wingate Chase, ''History of Haverhill, Massachusetts.''</ref>

=== 17th century  ===
The town was founded in 1640 by settlers from [[Newbury, Massachusetts|Newbury]], and was originally known as Pentucket, which is  for "place of the winding river". Settlers such as John Ward, Robert Clements, Tristram Coffin, Hugh Sheratt, William White, and Thomas Davis aided in the purchase of Pentuckett. The land was sold by Passaquo and Saggahew who claimed to have permission from [[Passaconaway]], though nothing more is known of these two figures in the historical record and it is not clear whether they were at liberty to sell the land, or indeed whether they had a shared understanding of what such a contract would entail.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Perley|first=Sidney|url=http://archive.org/details/indianlandtitles00perl|title=The Indian land titles of Essex County, Massachusetts|date=1912|publisher=Salem, Mass. : Essex Book and Print Club|others=The Library of Congress}}</ref>

Settlers Thomas Hale, Henry Palmer, Thomas Davis, James Davis and William White were Pentuckett's first [[Board of selectmen|selectmen]]. First Court appointments given to end small causes were given to Robert Clements, Henry Palmer, and Thomas Hale. At the same court, it was John Osgood and Thomas Hale that were also appointed to lay the way from Haverhill to Andover.<ref>George Wingate Chase, ''The History of Haverhill, Massachusetts,'' p. 46–47, 63–65.</ref> It is said that these early settlers worshipped under a large oak tree, known as the "Worshipping Oak".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.uuhaverhill.org/welcome/history|title=History of Universalist Unitarian Church of Haverhill|website=uuhaverhill.org|access-date=15 March 2018|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130523031006/http://www.uuhaverhill.org/welcome/history|archive-date=23 May 2013}}</ref> 
[[File:Worshipping Oak - Haverhill, MA - August 2012.jpg|thumbnail|Worshipping Oak, August 2012]]
The town was renamed for the English town of [[Haverhill, Suffolk]],<ref>{{cite book | url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ | title=The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States | publisher=Govt. Print. Off. | author=Gannett, Henry | year=1905 | pages=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ/page/n151 152]}}</ref> in deference to the birthplace of the settlement's first pastor, Rev. John Ward.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=81}} The original Haverhill settlement was located around the corner of Water Street and Mill Street, near the Linwood Cemetery and Burying Ground. The home of the city's father, William White, still stands, although it was expanded and renovated in the 17th and 18th centuries. White's Corner (Merrimack Street and Main Street) was named for his family, as was the [[White Fund]] at Boston's [[Museum of Fine Arts, Boston|Museum of Fine Arts]].

Judge [[Nathaniel Saltonstall]] was chosen to preside over the [[Salem witch trials]] in the 17th century; however, he found the trials objectionable and recused himself. Historians cite his reluctance to participate in the trials as one of the reasons that the witch hysteria did not take as deep a root in Haverhill as it did in the neighboring town of [[Andover, Massachusetts|Andover]], which had among the most victims of the trials. However, a number of women from Haverhill were accused of witchcraft, and a few were found "guilty" by the [[Court of Oyer and Terminer]].

One of the initial group of settlers, [[Tristram Coffin (Nantucket)|Tristram Coffin]], ran an inn. However, he grew disenchanted with the town's stance against his strong ales, and in 1659 left Haverhill to become one of the founders of the settlement at [[Nantucket]].

Haverhill was for many years a frontier town, and was occasionally subjected to Indian raids, which were sometimes accompanied by French colonial troops from [[New France]], in which dozens of civilians were murdered.  During [[King William's War]], [[Hannah Dustin]] became famous for killing and then [[scalping]] her native captors, who were converts to Catholicism, after being captured in the [[Raid on Haverhill (1697)]]. The city has the distinction of featuring the first statue erected in honor of a woman in the United States. In the late 19th century, it was Woolen Mill Tycoon Ezekiel J. M. Hale that commissioned a statue in her memory in Grand Army Republic Park. The statue depicts Dustin brandishing an axe.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Mason|first=Amelia|date=May 1, 2021|title=Town's Statue Of Colonial Woman Who Killed Natives Sparks Debate|url=https://www.npr.org/2021/05/01/989921230/statue-of-a-killer-towns-debate-presentation-of-a-colonial-woman|access-date=2021-05-05|work=NPR News|language=en}}</ref> Her captivity narrative and subsequent escape and revenge upon her captors caught the attention of [[Cotton Mather]], who wrote about her, and she also received from the colonial leaders a reward per Indian scalp. In recent years some have criticized Hannah Dustin since the Native American Indians she killed and scalped in order to escape were allegedly not her original captors and among the people she killed were young children. Hannah, born Hannah Emerson, is often maligned for coming from a troubled family: in 1676 her father Michael Emerson was fined for excessive violence toward his 12-year-old daughter Elizabeth, who in 1693 was hanged for concealing the deaths of her illegitimate twin daughters; and in 1683 Hannah's sister Mary was whipped for fornication. There were never any allegations of any sort against Hannah herself.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=http://www.executedtoday.com/2012/06/08/1693-elizabeth-emerson/|title=ExecutedToday.com » 1693: Elizabeth Emerson|date=June 8, 2012 |access-date=Apr 29, 2019}}</ref>

=== 18th century ===
In 1708, during [[Queen Anne's War]], the town, then about thirty homes, [[Raid on Haverhill|was raided]] by a party of French, [[Algonquin people|Algonquin]] and Abenaki Indians. Like most towns, Haverhill has been struck by several [[epidemic]]s. [[Diphtheria]] killed 256 children in Haverhill between November 17, 1735, and December 31, 1737.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.rootsweb.com/~maessex/EssexAntiquarian/Volume1/189701.html#TDinHaverhill|title=Throat Distemper in Haverhill from Essex Antiquarian Vol.3 1899 page 10.|access-date=April 29, 2019}}</ref>

[[George Washington]] visited Haverhill on November 4, 1789. This tour was part of "A tour through the Eastern states in order to acquire knowledge of the face of the Country, the growth and agriculture thereof and the temper and disposition of the inhabitants toward the new government," according to Washington.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://arthursgazette.blogspot.com/2009/02/george-washingtons-haverhill-visit.html|title=George Washington's 1789 Visit to Haverhill.|access-date=October 29, 2023}}</ref>

=== 19th century ===

The [[Bradford College (United States)|Bradford Academy]] was established in 1803. It began as a co-educational institution, then became women-only in 1836.<ref>{{cite book | last = Kingsbury | first = J. D. | title = Memorial History of Bradford, Mass. | publisher = C.C. Morse & Son | year = 1883 | url = http://magenweb.org/Essex/Bradford/1Memorial_History_of_Bradford__Mass_.pdf | pages = 119, 120 | access-date = August 22, 2016 | archive-date = November 25, 2015 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151125065514/http://magenweb.org/Essex/Bradford/1Memorial_History_of_Bradford__Mass_.pdf | url-status = dead }}</ref>

In 1826, [[influenza]] struck. A [[temperance society]] was formed in 1828.

Haverhill residents were early advocates for the [[Abolitionism in the United States|abolition of slavery]], and the city still retains a number of houses which served as stops on the [[Underground Railroad]]. In 1834, a branch of the [[American Anti-Slavery Society]] was organized in the city. In 1841, citizens from Haverhill petitioned Congress for dissolution of the Union, on the grounds that Northern resources were being used to maintain slavery. [[John Quincy Adams]] presented the Haverhill Petition on January 24, 1842.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=81}} Even though Adams moved that the petition be answered in the negative, an attempt was made to censure him for even presenting the petition.<ref>{{cite book |author= Miller, William Lee |title= Arguing About Slavery. John Quincy Adams and the Great Battle in the United States Congress |publisher= Vintage Books |location= New York |year= 1995 |isbn= 0-394-56922-9 |pages= [https://archive.org/details/arguingaboutslav00mill/page/430 430–431] |url-access= registration |url= https://archive.org/details/arguingaboutslav00mill/page/430 }}</ref> In addition, poet and outspoken abolitionist [[John Greenleaf Whittier]] was from Haverhill.

The Haverhill and Boston Stage Coach company operated from 1818 to 1837 when the railroad was extended to Haverhill from Andover. It then changed its name and routes to the Northern and Eastern Stage company.

It was Ezekiel Hale Jr. and son Ezekiel James Madison Hale (descendants of Thomas Hale) that gave Haverhill a great head of steam. It was in the summer of 1835, the brick factory on Winter St. was erected by Ezekiel Hale Jr. and son. It was intended to run woolen flannel at a whopping {{Convert|600|yd|m}} of flannel per day. It was Ezekiel JM Hale, age 21 and graduate of Dartmouth College that came to the rescue when fire destroyed the operation in 1845. He rebuilt the mill at Hale's Falls, now more than twice as large produced nearly three times the output. Ezekiel JM Hale became Haverhill's Tycoon. EJM Hale served a term in the State Senate and was much revered in the area. Hale donated large sums of money to build the hospital and library.<ref>Arthurs Gazette http://arthursgazette.blogspot.com/2010/02/ejm-was-married-to-lucy-lapham-daughter.html</ref>

Haverhill was incorporated as a city in 1870.

In the early morning hours of February 17, 1882, a massive fire destroyed much of the city's mill section, in a blaze that encompassed over {{convert|10|acre}}. Firefighting efforts were hampered by not only the primitive fire fighting equipment of the period, but also high winds and freezing temperatures. The nearby water source—the Merrimack River—was frozen, and hoses dropped through the ice tended to freeze as well. A ''New York Times'' report the next day established the damage at 300 businesses destroyed and damage worth approximately $2M (in 1882 dollars).<ref>{{Cite news| title=The Great Fire At Haverhill| url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1882/02/20/106241968.pdf | work=The New York Times | date=February 20, 1882}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news| title=Haverhill's Great Loss| url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1882/02/19/103404409.pdf | work=The New York Times | date=February 19, 1882}}</ref><ref>[https://www.gendisasters.com/massachusetts/14034/haverhill-ma-city-fire-feb-1882 Haverhill, MA City Fire, Feb 1882 | GenDisasters ... Genealogy in Tragedy, Disasters, Fires, Floods] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129035015/http://www3.gendisasters.com/massachusetts/14034/haverhill-ma-city-fire-feb-1882 |date=2014-11-29 }}. .gendisasters.com (2009-11-02). Retrieved on 2013-08-02.</ref>

====Annexation====

Bradford fits naturally into Haverhill but they were separate towns until January 1, 1897, when Bradford joined the City of Haverhill. Bradford was originally the western part of [[Rowley, Massachusetts|Rowley]] until it split from Old Rowley in 1672. In 1850, the East part of Bradford left and was founded as the independent town of [[Groveland, Massachusetts|Groveland]]. When Haverhill became a city in 1870, there were calls for Bradford to be annexed. This would go on for another 26 years.  Neither town agreed to a plan, until in late 1896, the vote came up and both sides agreed to join.

There were many reasons for the decision.  Finances played a part into the annexation; a lot of people who lived in Bradford had businesses in Haverhill and wanted lower taxes. Traditionalists wanted Haverhill to be a [[dry town]] as Bradford was. Businesses in [[Lawrence, Massachusetts|Lawrence]], [[Portsmouth, New Hampshire|Portsmouth]], and [[Andover, Massachusetts|Andover]] wanted Haverhill to be a dry town so more business would show up and increase businesses in those towns. The demand for municipal services like hospitals, schools, and a new factory downtown were in Haverhill while Bradford had none of the three. The Bradford Center of town wanted to join Haverhill but the Ward Hill section of town did not at the time since it was a substantial distance from both Bradford and Haverhill.

Finally, another reason why Haverhill wanted to annex Bradford was to return the town to majority English instead of the plurality of [[Irish people|Irish]], [[French Canadians]] and Central Europeans ([[Hungarians]], [[Slovaks]], [[Germans]], and [[Italians]]) it had become with the influx of mill workers. Haverhill gladly approved with the first ballot in 1870 and Bradford was no more starting January 1, 1897. Bradford remains the only town in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to be annexed to a neighboring city other than [[Boston]].

Haverhill became the first American city with a [[socialism|socialist]] mayor in 1898 when it elected former shoe factory worker and cooperative grocery store clerk [[John C. Chase]].<ref>Frederic C. Heath, ''Social Democracy Red Book.'' Terre Haute, IN: Debs Publishing Co., 1900; p. 108.</ref> Chase was re-elected to this position in 1899 but was defeated the following year.

=== 20th century ===
Haverhill was the site of a [[Leyden riot|riot]] in 1915 as well as the eponymous [[Haverhill fever]], also known as [[rat-bite fever]], in 1926.

In the early part of the 20th century, the manufacturing base in the city came under pressure as a result of lower priced imports from abroad. The Great Depression exacerbated the economic slump, and as a result city leaders enthusiastically embraced the concept of [[urban renewal]] in the 1950s and 1960s, receiving considerable federal funds used to demolish much of the north side of Merrimack Street, most of the [[Federal architecture|Federal]] homes along Water Street (dating from the city's first hundred years of development), and throughout downtown. Many of the city's iconic buildings were lost, including the [[Oddfellows]] Hall, the Old City Hall, the Second Meetinghouse, the Pentucket Club, and the Old Library, among others.

In 1932, French residents erected a statue of [[Marquis de Lafayette]] which still stands today in the aptly named intersection called Lafayette Square.

During Urban Renewal, the iconic high school—the inspiration for [[Bob Montana]]'s [[Archie Comics]]<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.wbur.org/artery/2015/05/30/archie-betty-haverhill-geary |title=A Search For The Real-Life Archie, Betty And Friends Began In Haverhill |website=www.wbur.org |date=May 30, 2015 |language=en |access-date=2019-12-24}}https://www.wbur.org/artery/2015/05/30/archie-betty-haverhill-geary</ref>—was declared "unsound" and slated for demolition. Instead, the historic City Hall on Main Street was demolished, and city began using the High School of Archie's Gang as the new City Hall.

Urban Renewal was controversial.  Several leading citizens argued to use the funds for preservation rather than demolition. Their plan was not accepted in Haverhill, which chose to demolish much of its historic downtown, including entire swaths of Merrimack Street, River Street, and Main Street. However, examples of the city's architecture, spanning nearly four centuries, abound: from early colonial houses (the White residence, the [[Dustin House]], the 1704 John Ward House, the 1691 Kimball Tavern, and the historic district of Rocks Village) to the modernist 1960s architecture of the downtown Haverhill Bank. The city's Highlands district, adjacent to downtown, is a fine example of the variety of [[Victorian architecture|Victorian]] mansions built during Haverhill's boom years as a shoe manufacturing city.{{citation needed|date=May 2021}}

=== 21st century ===
Throughout the 21st century, Haverhill has undergone a substantial renaissance of many sorts. Housing trends, combined with a rezoning by the city led by longtime Mayor James Fiorentini and the use of Federal and State brownfield's money to clean up abandoned factories, resulted in the conversion of several abandoned factories in downtown into [[loft apartment]]s and [[Condominium (living space)|condominium]]s. There has been a total of $150 million in public and private investment in the old factory district area. Additionally, the Washington Street area gained new dining and entertainment spots, with federal, state and local funds contributing to removing an abandoned gas station on Granite Street. The site was cleaned up and converted into a 350-space parking garage. The city was also able to obtain federal, state and local money to put in a new boardwalk and boat docks in the downtown area aside the Merrimack River.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Haverhill gets final $1.7 million for parking garage|url=https://www.eagletribune.com/news/local_news/haverhill-gets-final-million-for-parking-garage/article_f63e0246-b04f-5882-9f7a-b75e19707d26.html|last=Regan|first=Shawn|website=Eagle-Tribune|date=28 September 2009 |access-date=April 29, 2019}}</ref>

In recent years,{{When|date=January 2022}} the city completed a rezoning of downtown proposed by Mayor Fiorentini designed to encourage artist loft live work space and educational uses for the downtown area. Despite the city's efforts, old buildings remain vacant or underutilized, such as the former [[F. W. Woolworth Company|Woolworth]] department store, which has been boarded up for over 40 years at the intersection of Main Street and Merrimack Street. The building was eventually purchased, with plans put into place to renovate and repurpose the site; however, this never actually happened.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Last historic items gone from Woolworth building|url=https://www.eagletribune.com/news/haverhill/last-historic-items-gone-from-woolworth-building/article_36e35d2a-1083-54e7-8e69-05f7159d2774.html|last=Regan|first=Shawn|website=Eagle-Tribune|date=11 December 2014 |access-date=January 19, 2021}}</ref> On March 19, 2015, the Woolworth building was demolished to make way for a $68 million (~${{Format price|{{Inflation|index=US-GDP|value=68000000|start_year=2015}}}} in {{Inflation/year|US-GDP}}) development.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Woolworth's Gone; What You Never Knew About the Land|url=https://whav.net/2015/03/20/woolworths-gone-what-you-never-knew-about-the-land/|website=WHAV|date=20 March 2015|access-date=January 19, 2021}}</ref>

In 2018, it was announced that the mayor's administration was successful in acquiring $13 million (~${{Format price|{{Inflation|index=US-GDP|value=13000000|start_year=2018}}}} in {{Inflation/year|US-GDP}}) in state funding to go towards increasing pedestrian safety on North Avenue, a major northern route connecting the city to [[Plaistow, New Hampshire]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=City secures money for North Avenue fix|url=https://www.eagletribune.com/news/haverhill/city-secures-money-for-north-avenue-fix/article_fd9a11ed-1d2c-55f4-8104-b86cefbad4c8.html|last=LaBella|first=Mike|website=Eagle-Tribune|date=11 June 2018 |access-date=January 19, 2021}}</ref>

=== Timeline ===
{{hidden begin
|title = Timeline of Haverhill, Massachusetts
|titlestyle = background:#F8F8FF;width:90%
}}
* 1640 - European settlers arrive.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=81}}
* 1645
** Town of Haverhill incorporated.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=81}}
** First Parish Church founded.<ref>{{Citation |publisher = C.C. Morse & Son, printers |location = Haverhill, Mass |title = Historical Sketch of First Parish, Haverhill, Mass |author = Frank A. Gilmore |date = 1895 |oclc = 15062015 |ol = 6909262M }}</ref>
* 1679 - Town becomes part of [[Essex County, Massachusetts|Essex County]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://publications.newberry.org/ahcbp/ |title=Massachusetts: Individual County Chronologies |work=Atlas of Historical County Boundaries |author=Scholl Center for American History and Culture |publisher=[[Newberry Library]] |location=Chicago |access-date=December 30, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170305011359/http://publications.newberry.org/ahcbp/ |archive-date=March 5, 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* 1697 - [[Hannah Duston]] captured during [[King William's War]].
* 1708 - Town raided during [[Queen Anne's War]].{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=81}}
* 1735 - [[Diphtheria]] epidemic.{{citation needed|date=September 2012}}
* 1789 - [[George Washington]] visits town.
* 1790 - Population: 2,408.
* 1796 - Haverhill Social Library organized.<ref name=davies>{{cite web |url=http://www.princeton.edu/~davpro/databases/index.html |title=American Libraries before 1876 |author= Davies Project |publisher=Princeton University |access-date=September 29, 2012}}</ref>
* 1803 - [[Bradford College (United States)|Bradford Academy]] founded.
* 1812 - Haverhill Musical Society organized.{{sfn|Bridgman|1879}}
* 1814 - Merrimack Bank incorporated.{{sfn|Industries|1886}}
* 1818 - Haverhill and Boston Stage Coach in operation.
* 1821 - ''[[Haverhill Gazette]]'' begins publication.
* 1826 - [[Influenza]] outbreak.{{citation needed|date=September 2012}}
* 1835 - Farrington & Chace shoe manufactory in business.{{sfn|Industries|1886}}
* 1837 - [[Andover and Haverhill Railroad]] begins operating.
* 1840 - Population: 4,336.<ref name=census1998>{{citation |title=Population of the 100 Largest Cities and Other Urban Places in the United States: 1790 to 1990 |year=1998 |url=https://www.census.gov/library/working-papers/1998/demo/POP-twps0027.html |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau }}</ref>
* 1850 - Population: 5,877.
* 1851 - [[Rowland Hussey Macy|Macy's]] dry good shop in business.{{citation needed|date=February 2014}}
* 1852 - Haverhill Athenaeum established.<ref name=davies />
* 1853 - Smiley & Sons machinery dealer in business.{{sfn|Industries|1886}}
* 1859 - Haverhill Library Association established.<ref name=davies />
* 1868
** [[Primrose Street Schoolhouse]] built.
** Herman F. Morse & Co. picture store in business.{{sfn|Industries|1886}}
* 1869 - Morse & Son's Circulating Library in business.<ref name=davies />
* 1870 - City of Haverhill incorporated.
* 1871 - Haverhill Hat Company incorporated.{{sfn|Board of Trade|1889}}
* 1873 - Fire.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=81}}
* 1875 - [[Winnekenni Castle]] (residence) built.
* 1877 - Jennings & Spaulding and E.H. Emerson & Co. shoe manufactories in business.{{sfn|Industries|1886}}
* 1878 - Haverhill Furniture Exchange in business.{{sfn|Industries|1886}}
* 1880 - Population: 18,472.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=81}}
* 1882 - February - Fire.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=81}}
* 1883 - Merrimac Bridge constructed.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/ma1421/ |title=Merrimac Bridge, Spanning Merrimac River on Bridge Street, Haverhill, Essex County, MA |work=Historic American Engineering Record (Library of Congress) |access-date=September 29, 2012}}</ref>
* 1885
** Bon Ton Bazar opens.{{sfn|Industries|1886}}
** Pentucket Wheel Club organized.<ref>{{cite web |title=Outing (magazine) |date=August 1885 }}</ref>
* 1889
** City Hall rebuilt.{{sfn|Board of Trade|1889}}
** [[Intervale Factory]] built.
* 1890 - John C. Tilton Elementary School was built.
* 1895 - [[Peabody School (Haverhill, Massachusetts)|Peabody School]] built.
* 1897 - Town of [[Bradford, Massachusetts|Bradford]] becomes part of Haverhill.
* 1898
** [[John C. Chase]] (socialist) becomes mayor.
** Haverhill Historical Society incorporated.<ref>{{cite journal |title=List of Historical Societies in Massachusetts |journal=Old-Time New England |date=July 1921 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |edition=Preliminary |title=Guide to Depositories of Manuscript Collections in Massachusetts |publisher=[[Historical Records Survey]] |location=Boston |author=Works Progress Administration |year= 1939 |hdl = 2027/mdp.39015034759541|author-link = Works Progress Administration}}</ref>
* 1900 - Population: 37,175.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=81}}
* 1901 - [[St. Michael the Archangel Parish, Haverhill|St. Michael the Archangel Parish]] founded.
* 1906 - [[Haverhill Board of Trade Building|Board of Trade Building]] constructed.
* 1916 - Rotary Club established.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.haverhillrotary.com/cms2/history/ |title=History |publisher=Rotary Club of Haverhill |access-date=October 26, 2013 |archive-date=October 29, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029195315/http://www.haverhillrotary.com/cms2/history/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* 1947 - [[WHAV]] radio begins broadcasting.
* 1961 - [[Northern Essex Community College]] opens.
* 1972 - [[Whittier Regional Vocational Technical High School]] established.
* 1988 -  Haverhill Community Television incorporated.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.haverhillcommunitytv.org/|title=HC Media - Investing in our community.|website=HC Media|access-date=15 March 2018}}</ref>
* 1989 - [[Mason and Hamlin|Mason & Hamlin]] piano manufactory relocates to Haverhill.
* 1997 - [[John F. Tierney]] becomes [[U.S. representative]] for [[Massachusetts's 6th congressional district]].
* 1998 - Pentucket Lake School Opens
* 2003
** City website online.<ref>{{cite web |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20030322050409/http://www.ci.haverhill.ma.us/ |url= http://www.ci.haverhill.ma.us/ |archive-date= 2003-03-22 |title= City of Haverhill Official Website |via= Internet Archive, [[Wayback Machine]] }}</ref>
** James J. Fiorentini elected mayor.  Mayor Fiorentini is the longest-serving mayor in Haverhill's history, which has had Mayors since 1870.<ref>{{cite web |title=Meet the Mayors |publisher=[[United States Conference of Mayors]] |location=Washington, DC |url=http://usmayors.org/meetmayors/mayorsatglance.asp |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080627104834/http://www.usmayors.org/meetmayors/mayorsatglance.asp |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 27, 2008 |access-date=March 30, 2013 }}</ref>
* 2007 - [[Niki Tsongas]] becomes [[U.S. representative]] for [[Massachusetts's 5th congressional district]].
* 2008
** Spotlight Playhouse founded.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.spotlightplayhouse.org/history.html |title=History |publisher=Spotlight Playhouse |location=Haverhill |access-date=October 26, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131022074141/http://spotlightplayhouse.org/history.html |archive-date=October 22, 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.emact.org/membership/member_directory.asp |title=Member Directory |publisher=Eastern Massachusetts Association of Community Theatres |access-date=October 26, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131030022408/http://www.emact.org/membership/member_directory.asp |archive-date=October 30, 2013 }}</ref>
** [[Zion Bible College]] relocates to Haverhill.
* 2010 - Population: 60,879.
{{hidden end}}

<gallery mode="packed" heights="120px">
Image:1850 lithograph of Haverhill, Massachusetts from Silver Hill.jpg|View of Haverhill, 1850
Image:1876 bird's eye view map of Haverhill, Massachusetts.jpg|Map of Haverhill, 1876
Image:City hall Haverhill Massachusetts postcard.jpg|City Hall, built 1889
Image:1902 TeddyRoosevelt in Haverhill Massachusetts LC 1s01959u.jpg|Teddy Roosevelt addressing crowd in Haverhill, 1902
Image:2008 aerial Haverhill Massachusetts 2538890730.jpg|Aerial view of Haverhill, 2008
</gallery>