Lynn Heritage State Park

IUCN Category V - Protected Landscape / Seascape

The visitor center of the park

The Lynn Heritage State Park is a state park conceived as a history museum in the center of Lynn, Massachusetts in the United States. The approximately 4 acres ( 1.7 ha) large park is managed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR ) and is part of the Metropolitan Park System of Greater Boston.

Description

In the visitor center exhibits from the industrial past of the city are exhibited that show in particular the development of shoemaking from its beginnings to the mechanization. Other exhibits tell the story of the engineer and inventor Elihu Thomson, who played a major role in the founding of General Electric among others. There are regular guided tours and the chance to explore the grounds on your own.

Historical Background

The City of Lynn was founded in 1629 and moved at an early stage companies in the leather and iron industry. The shoe production began in 1635 with handmade shoes, which were often made ​​during the winter months at home. In 1750, the Welsh immigrant John Adam Dagyr brought with improved technologies in the city, with which high-quality women's shoes could be produced. In the early 1800s, the shoe industry had already become a significant sector of the city, across the U.S. supplied by the nearby sea ports. The advent in the 1850s mechanization created job opportunities, attracting workers from all over New England and later from Europe.

In 1882, Elihu Thomson brought the business of electricity to Lynn. His experiments led in 1892 to eventually together with Thomas Edison conducted founding of General Electric. The shoemaker was in the 1920s and 1930s back more and more, while on General Electric expanded. During the Second World War, the first jet engine of the United States was built in Lynn under the strictest secrecy. These and other stories are clearly illustrated by the exhibits in the visitor center and experiential impact.