History of Lynn, including Lynnfield, Saugus, Swampscot, and Nahant

This history is the digital edition of a 620-page book by Alonzo Lewis and James R. Newhall, originally published in 1865. It consists of two text files (2.1Mb) in doc format and 32 image files (2.2Mb) in jpg and gif formats, digitized in 2009 and issued on CD-Rom. The story of Lynn, one of the earliest settlements of Massachusetts, is presented in this volume in five chapters. The first chapter (102 pages) contains a notice of early voyages and discoveries in the territory; an account of the natives, with biographical sketches of some of the most prominent of them; a description of the topography of the place; some of its natural history; and an account of some of its business enterprises (shoemaking, in particular). It ends with a look at "peculiar customs and doings in religious matters." The second chapter (368 pages) "carries forward [the] history year by year, in the form of annals, giving all important events under the appropriate dates, from the time of the first settlement in 1629 to the year 1865, interspersed with brief notices of prominent individuals, and other matters deemed pertinent." The third chapter (96 pages) has biographical sketches of persons (twenty-four in number)" who from position, endowments, or acts seemed entitled to some special notice." Among the twenty-four are seven Newhalls, two Burrills, two Breeds, and two Mudges. For Alonzo Lewis, author of the first version of this History, there is a twenty-two page account, with examples of Mr. Lewis's poetry. The fourth chapter (15 pages) contains lists -- public officials, early settlers, ministers, soldiers, etc. -- and statistical summaries. The fifth chapter (three pages) offers a conclusion, of sorts, with special reference to the progress of Lynn in the recent past (i.e., from about 1840 to 1865). In addition to LEWIS and NEWHALL, The family names that occur most frequently in this History are ALLEY, ARMITAGE, BATCHELDER, BAKER, BALLARD, BASSETT, BREED, BRIDGES, BROWN, BURRILL, COBBET, COLLINS, DAVIS, DEXTER, DOWNING, FARRINGTON, FULLER, GRAY, HART, HAWKES, HOOD, HOWE, HUDSON, HUMPHREY, HUTCHINSON, JOHNSON, KING, LAIGHTON, LUMMUS, MANSFIELD, MARSHALL, MUDGE, PHILLIPS, PURCHIS, RHODES, SADLER, SHEPARD, SMITH, TOMLINS, TURNER, WALKER, WHITING, and WOOD.