DANVERS

17th century, Salem Village

Around 1630, English colonists improved an existing Naumkeag trail as the Old Spanish Road, creating a connection to the main cities of Salem and Boston. Danvers was permanently settled in 1636 as Salem Village. The historical event for which Danvers is best-known is the Salem witch trials of 1692, which began in the home of Rev. Samuel Parris, and spread throughout the region. Resident Rebecca Nurse was convicted in a trial for witchcraft and executed, along with 19 other innocent victims. The Rebecca Nurse Homestead is still standing in Danvers, and can be visited as a historical landmark.

18th century, Danvers

The residents of Salem Village petitioned the Massachusetts General Court several times over the following decades to become a town separate from Salem beginning as early as 1733. In 1752, the General Court finally separated Danvers from Salem, but established Danvers as an independent self-governing "district" instead of incorporating it as a town, because of a royal prohibition against creating new towns in Massachusetts. A district had all the rights and powers of a town except the ability to send representatives to the legislature. Following the refusal to admit Danvers to township, 5 out of the 18 Essex County, Massachusetts towns didn't send any representatives and some larger towns like Wenham and Middleton sent only 1 out of their 2 representatives during the 1751-52 meetings of Massachusetts General Court. Danvers was likely named for Danvers Osborn, and 1752 is the date locally commemorated on major anniversaries as the creation of Danvers, despite it not being incorporated yet at that time, because that is when it received its name.

On June 9, 1757, Massachusetts incorporated Danvers as a town regardless of the royal prohibition and, according to legend, King George II later vetoed this act of incorporation and returned it with the message "The King Unwilling". Massachusetts simply ignored this royal veto, which was later included on the town's seal.

Danvers was a heavy supporter of the revolution after the refusal by King George II to grant them township. Danvers has been thought to be the home of the first shot of the revolution in recent times, contrary to the typical retelling of the shot heard round the world. On June 2, 1774, after the events of the Boston Tea Party, Governor General Thomas Gage marched to Danvers in an 87-day occupation of the Northeast of Massachusetts. General Gage officially moved the capital of Massachusetts to Salem for the short occupation. The occupation spanned from June 2, 1774, to August 27, 1774. General Gage left Danvers in August as General Benedict Arnold marched a force of 1,100 continental troops from Cambridge to Quebec City into the northeast on the path to his later invasion of Quebec, where the groups then exchanged gunfire.

From the Battle of Lexington even back to the King Phillips War and onward, Danvers residents have participated in the armed forces. Noteworthy Revolutionary figures who stayed in Danvers include Royal Governor General Thomas Gage and Benedict Arnold. Arnold Plaque is found at 1 Conant Street.

In 1776, the Danvers town meeting voted to support the continental congress in the American Revolution, formally expressing their support.

19th century

In 1845, a fire dubbed "The Great Danvers Fire" swept through Danvers square, destroying 18 buildings. That same year James Fossa then purchased Fossa Block, which would later become a part of the new Danvers square downtown area. The block was officially built in 1915, and many business began to operate in and around the arena throughout the following years.

In 1847, the railroad came to Danvers. A street railway was installed in 1884, originally consisting of 69 horse-drawn trolleys. This system was later converted to electricity.

The Town Hall was built in 1855. It has been modified and renovated and is still in use. Also in 1855, the southern portion of Danvers broke away to become the town of South Danvers, later renamed Peabody.

In 1878, the Danvers State Hospital opened its doors. This was an institution to provide asylum and treatment for the mentally ill.

Originally an agricultural town, Danvers farmers developed two breeds of vegetables: the Danvers Onion (origin of the "Oniontown" nickname) and the Danvers Half-Long Carrot. This carrot was introduced by "market gardeners" in 1871.

In 1889, The Danvers Historical Society was founded by Reverend Alfred Porter Putnam D.D. Danvers Electric was founded that same year and became the first publicly owned Municipal Light Plant in Massachusetts.

Shoe manufacturing was a prominent industry in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Successful manufacturing companies included Ideal Baby Shoe. Local shoe companies were undercut in price by factories in other areas, and shoe manufacturing moved out.

In 1935, the Danvers branch of the U.S. post office was opened. In 1958, a Nike missile site was built on the Danvers-Topsfield line to protect Boston from Soviet bombers it was later decommissioned in 1974.

The towns first shopping mall the Liberty Tree Mall was opened in 1972. Around this time many car dealerships began to open in Danvers such as GMC, Ira, Kia and Honda.

In 2007, a CoCo Key Water Resort opened in Danvers, in 2008, it was ordered to close by the state of Massachusetts after families reported chemical burns on their children due to high chloramine levels; fifteen times the allowed limit. In 2012, the CoCo Key had a $10,000,000 renovation and a hotel rebrand to the DoubleTree by Hilton–Northshore after a franchise agreement. The water park was kept.

Chemical plant explosion

On November 22, 2006, around 2:46 a.m., a major chemical explosion occurred at a facility housing Arnel Company (a manufacturer of industrial-use paint products) and CAI Inc. (a manufacturer of solvents and inks). The blast shook several North Shore towns, knocking homes off foundations and damaging buildings up to half a mile away. Glass windows shattered at least 3 miles (5 km) away, in neighboring Peabody and even in downtown Salem. The explosion was heard and felt up to 45 miles (72 km) away; the concussion was intense.

No one was killed, and none of the injuries were life-threatening, according to Fire Chief Jim Tutko. Approximately 90 homes were damaged. Residents whose homes were damaged or destroyed in the blast were taken to Danvers High School, where the Red Cross established a relief shelter. The blast occurred next to a marina, a bakery/pizza shop, and a gas station, and across the street from Eastern Propane Gas.

A May 13, 2008, report from the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board attributed the explosion to unintentional overnight heating of an ink-mixing tank containing flammable solvents.

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