History of Melrose, Mass.

Melrose was originally called "Ponde Fielde" for its abundance of ponds and streams or "Mystic Side" because of its location in a valley north of the Mystic River. The area was first explored by Richard and Ralph Sprague in 1628, and became part of Charlestown in 1633, along with a large area of land that included most of what today is the towns of Reading and Burlington in the north and portions of Cambridge in the west.

In 1649, the neighborhood of Charlestown known as Malden was incorporated as a town in its own right. Included in the new town was most of present-day Melrose, which was at first called "The Commons". In 1653 the Legislature ordered a road laid out that passed through the area, and for many years it was the only one.

By 1700 there were "families of six or seven different names" living in the area, including Lyndes, Greens, Uphams, Barretts, Spragues, and Howards. As the 18th Century progressed, the name "The Commons" was dropped in favor of the more geographically accurate "North Malden".

For the next 100 years or so North Malden largely remained a lightly populated farming community, with a small shoe manufacturing industry. A history of the town compiled by Elbridge Goss in 1876 records that as late as 1815 there were only about 35 homesteads in town, "all unpainted."

Change and growth

Then, in 1845, the railroad came to town, and everything changed. The Boston and Maine built three rail stops, in locations that are now the commuter rail stations at Wyoming Hill, Melrose/Cedar Park, and Melrose Highlands. Quickly, the old farms began to be sold and cut up into house lots, and Boston workers in search of a country atmosphere began moving to town and commuting to work.

A mere five years later the population of North Malden had swelled to 1,260, and when residents petitioned to split from Malden proper, the Legislature agreed. On May 3, 1850, the new town of Melrose was incorporated. The name "Melrose" comes from the burgh of Melrose, Scotland, and was suggested by William Bogle, a longtime North Melrose resident who thought the town's hills resembled those of his native country. Melrose annexed the highlands from neighboring Stoneham in 1853, creating the its current borders.

Melrose continued to grow throughout the second half of the 19th century as farmland was increasingly partitioned into smaller parcels for residences and businesses. The town sent 203 of its sons to fight in the Civil War, and more 10 percent were killed in action. The Fire Department and the town's school district were founded and town hall was built in 1873. By 1876, the population had more than tripled to 1,260 and the number of houses had increased from 125 to 946.

Melrose becomes a city

As the 19th century drew to a close, town officials began to consider changing Melrose's governmental structure from a town to a city. An attempt in 1895 was defeated by Town Meeting, but three years later a similar petition was approved, and granted by the Legislature. Melrose because the state's 33rd city on March 18, 1899. Levi S. Gould was elected the first mayor, and took office on Jan. 1, 1900.

The population of Melrose peaked at 33,180 in 1970 before beginning a slow decline that continues to this day. On April 1, 1982, downtown Melrose was added to the National Register of Historic Places; the public library was similarly added to the register in 1988.

Source: Wikipedia, the City of Melrose, Historical Address by Elbridge Goss, delivered July 4, 1876.