In 2019, Essex County Greenbelt worked with the Town of Ipswich and the Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game to create the Castle Neck River Reservation, the Pony Express soccer fields, and the Castle Neck River Wildlife Management Area.
Year: 2023
The Stagecoach
The fascinating history of stage and railroad travel was written in 1878 by Cyrus Mason Tracy in the "Standard History of Essex County."
Hill’s Men’s Shop
Howard R."Taffy Hill "was a familiar sight at his iconic store on Market Street, in operation since 1929 when it was opened by his father as Hill’s Men’s Store.
The Cape Ann Earthquake, November 18, 1755
At between 6.0 and 6.3 on the Richter scale, the 1755 Cape Ann Earthquake remains the largest earthquake in the history of Massachusetts, and caused great alarm.
The Gerrymander is Born in Essex County, February 11, 1812
Marblehead's Elbridge Gerry served as governor of Massachusetts and vice-president of the United States, but his historic legacy will forever be tied to a political monster dubbed the "Gerrymander."
Strong Drink
Colonial liquor licenses were granted to Ipswich men of highest esteem. They were bound “not to sell by retail to any but men of family, and of good repute, nor sell any after sunset; and that they shall be ready to give account of what liquors they sell by retail, the quantity, time and to whom.”
The Body Snatcher of Chebacco Parish
In 1819 the inhabitants of Chebacco Parish began noticing lights moving about at night in the graveyard. It was discovered that at least eight graves had been dug up and their coffins were empty.
Sarah Dillingham Caldwell
The story of Sarah Dillingham, wife of John Caldwell is of a loving and most thoughtful life.One of the first children born in Ipswich, and then orphaned, she became a "woman of qualities" that caused her name to never be forgotten. The years entrusted them with eight children and countless Ipswich descendants. Their home on High Street still stands.
The Dying Confession of Pomp, Who Was Executed at Ipswich on the 6th August, 1795
On Aug 6th 1795, Pomp an African-American slave was hung for chopping off the head of his master. He was confined in Ipswich jail, and a sentence of death was passed. He was held there until the day of his execution, which was attended by a "cheering crowd of thousands" after a sermon by Rev. Dana.
The Choate Bridge
The American Society of Civil Engineers cites the Choate Bridge in Ipswich as the oldest documented two-span masonry arch bridge in the U.S., and the oldest extant bridge in Massachusetts.
Ipswich to Marietta, December 1787
In December 1787, a group of Revolutionary War veterans and adventurers set out from Ipswich on an 800-mile journey through the wilderness by horseback and rafts to establish the first settlement in the Ohio Territory.
Linebrook Parish
This remote area was originally known as Ipswich Farms. After the residents began pressing for their own church, the Massachusetts General Court on June 4, 1746, created the Linebrook Parish, the boundries of which were defined by 6 brooks and lines connecting them. The community had a church, store, school and its own militia.
Maple Avenue
Maple Street first appears in the 1884 Ipswich map, without houses. Maple Street first appears in the 1884 Ipswich map, without houses. A white arrow in the photo above points to the house still standing at 6 Maple Street, with a horse in front. The photo was taken from Town Hill by Edward Darling, around 1890. In the foreground are houses still standing on High Street. On the far left of the photo is the old Lord Square fire station and the Payne School, bright white. Behind them you can see the train tracks. Several houses are seen behind it on Washington Street. The hillside behind was still primarily farmland. By 1910, the Ipswich map shows the street completely filled.
1793 and 1818: the “Burden of the Poor” Divides Ipswich into 3 Towns, Ipswich, Hamilton and Essex
As the people of the Hamlet were financially stable, the burden of taxation for the support of the poor in the old town of Ipswich was considered to be an unjust imposition. 25 years later, the men of Chebacco petitioned the Legislature for incorporation as a separate town.
Destination Ipswich: The Old North Burying Ground
For the 9th episode of "Destination Ipswich", we're visiting the Old North Burying Ground on High Street in Ipswich, established in 1633. Take a video tour with local historian Gordon Harris as we view some of the gravestones in the oldest section of the cemetery. To see all the gravestones, along with dates, inscriptions, location maps, and photos, go to the Old North Burying Ground page at the Historic Ipswich site.
Choate Island and Rufus Choate
Choate Island was originally known as Hog Island, and is the largest island in the Crane Wildlife Refuge and is the site of the Choate family homestead, the Proctor Barn, the White Cottage, and the final resting place of Mr. and Mrs. Cornelius Crane. There are great views from the island summit of the Castle Neck dunes and Plum Island Mount Agamenticus in Maine.
Historic Ipswich 