Haverhill

Haverhill, city, Essex county, northeastern Massachusetts, U.S., on the Merrimack River. Founded by the Reverend John Ward in 1640, it was named for Haverhill, England. Early agricultural efforts gave way to shipbuilding and leather industries during the early 19th century. By 1836 it had become a major centre of shoe, comb, and hat manufacturing, reaching its industrial peak in the 1920s. A decline in industrial activity eventually resulted in economic diversification, which now includes the...