Time-Line

This outline of the history of America's oldest fishing port was compiled to aid serious researchers as well as to enliven the work of students, and grasp the attention of casual browsers.

It reports chronologically on evidence of the earliest visits to the area by Native Americans and reports of visits by Norsemen. From Gloucester's permanent settlement in 1623, through the struggles of frontier days and beyond,it recounts the growth of human endeavor through fifteen generations of immigrants. It records their role in building a nation founded on religious freedom. From that foundation evolved broad recognition of all human rights.

The Time-Line reflects that as Massachusetts grew from colony to commonwealth, Gloucester grew in shipbuilding, fishing, and maritime trade. The book traces the growth and decline of the granite industry, and the community's enduring pursuit of fine arts. All the while Gloucester has been providing more than a fair share of sacrifices in wars to preserve liberty at home and abroad.

The book's unique format, exhaustive index, footnotes, and bibliography open doors to the professional and amateur alike.