Originally settled in 1626 and then incorporated in 1629 as a part of Salem, Peabody has gone through its share of changes. The town eventually broke off from Salem and then from Danvers, before finally changing its name from South Danvers to Peabody in 1868. It was not until 1916 that Peabody was incorporated as a city in Essex County and then later considered a suburban area in Boston’s North Shore. Throughout these initial years, Peabody was a farming community that included mills, but it also became a hub for the leather industry and tanneries so much to the point that it earned the nickname of Leather City or Tanner City. There was a shift over the years in Peabody’s economic structure, however, as it became more of an industrialized city, particularly with the appearance of the Northshore Mall and Centennial Park. Peabody has had its share of notable residents such as Olympic swimmer Samantha Arsenault, well-known astronomer, mathematician, and navigator Nathaniel Bowditch, industrialist Jack Welch, victims of the Salem Witch Trials: Giles Corey, Martha Corey, and John Proctor, Congressmen Nicholas Mayroules and Daniel P. King, and novelist Nancy Werlin. Peabody is close to Gloucester and Lawrence, and bordered by Middleton, Danvers, Salem, Lynn, Lynnfield, along with being located approximately 15 miles from Boston.
Peabody has a slew of lovely, public outdoor areas like Craig Pond, Sidneys Pond, Suntaug Lake, a number of parks: Kernwood, Mack, Emerson, Connelly, Marrs, and O’ Connor, which along with the Salem Country club, all offer a variety of possible activities to be enjoyed in the fresh air. And for those who would like to explore some of Peabody’s city history, there is the George Peabody House Museum and Brooksby Farm, which is a working farm and conservation area. The local Peabody schools include Peabody Veterans Memorial High School, Bishop Fenwick High School, and Covenant Christian Academy. In getting to Peabody, the city is connected by Interstate 95, Rt. 128, US-Rt. 1, and Rt. 114. Further transportation includes the MBTA Bus, the MBTA Commuter Rail in Salem, and the Springfield Terminal rail line. The Beverly Municipal Airport and Boston’s Logan International Airport are both nearby.
