Editing Haverhill, Massachusetts (section)

====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.