Do You Know Haverhill, MA? Trivia Quiz

Answer: Land of the winding river.

The Pentucket, a branch of the Pennacook tribe, gave the city its name due to its position on the Merrimack River, which divides the northern and southern sections of town. European settlers changed its name to Haverhill when they purchased it from the tribe in 1641. Several references to the Pentucket name still exist in the area, including the names of businesses and the Pentucket school district nearby.

Answer: True

Haverhill is situated in northeast Massachusetts, bordering Atkinson and Plaistow, New Hampshire. This is ideal for shoppers, given that New Hampshire has no sales tax.

Answer: George Washington

The square (and the street that runs through it) was named for first US President George Washington, who paid a visit in 1789. At the time, he referred to the town as the most pleasant village he'd ever passed through.

Answer: Archie

The Archie comic strip was created by Bob Montana, who based his characters on classmates and faculty from Haverhill High School. Archie made his big debut in the December 1941 edition of Pep Comics.

Answer: 58,969

In 1995, Money Magazine voted Haverhill as the #7 best city to live in nationwide, making it the #1 city in the northeast. According to the 2000 Census, the median age of a Haverhill citizen was 36 years old, and for every 100 female citizens, there were 90.3 males.

Answer: Macy's

Businessman Rowland H. Macy opened the very first Macy's Dry Goods Store in downtown Haverhill in 1851. In 1858 Macy opened his first location in New York City, where Macy's flagship store is located today. The red star logo that the chain is now well known for originated from a tattoo that was branded on Macy's hand when he worked on a whaling ship called the Emily Morgan as a teenager.

Answer: Kenoza Lake

Kenoza Lake was originally referred to as "Great Pond," then rededicated on August 31, 1859 as Kenoza, which is an Algonquin word meaning "lake of the pickerel." Atop a hill overlooking the lake sits Winnekenni Castle, a medieval-style fortress built in 1861 that is a popular site for city gatherings and private functions. Winnekenni is another Algonquin word meaning "very beautiful."

Answer: Farming

The English settlers first purchased the Pentucket land to establish a farming community. The settlement's position on the banks of the Merrimack River made it ideal for planting. However, as the town grew, industries expanded to include shipbuilding, tanneries, and several mills.

By the 18th Century, Haverhill had become one of the largest producers of shoes in the country, earning the nickname of "Queen Slipper City." The industry faded out by the Great Depression in the 1930's, but several of the mill buildings still stand as of this writing (2007), and many have been converted to offices and residences.

Answer: She was kidnapped by and escaped from a tribe of Indians.

Hannah was a wife and a forty year-old mother of nine when the Abenaki tribe attacked Haverhill in 1697. Her husband Thomas and eight of her children escaped, but Thomas was too late to save Hannah and their baby, Martha, whom the Indians killed. Hannah and her nurse were forced to travel north to what is now Boscawen, New Hampshire.

After spending about two weeks in captivity, the two women were able to kill their captors with the aid of a fourteen year-old boy named Samuel Lennardson. The trio travelled for several days before finally reaching Haverhill, where Hannah was reunited with her husband and their eight surviving children.

Answer: Comeau Bridge

The Comeau Bridge was closed on June 16, 2002, due to severe structural problems, and the construction of a new bridge is now underway. The bridge is scheduled to be completed and open to traffic in late 2007. The Basiliere bridge is about a mile upstream from the Comeau bridge and is the most commonly used alternate route for commuters in Haverhill to get back and forth across the Merrimack River.