Gloucester Fishing Industry—1600s
historical timeline of the fishing industry in gloucester
Through early 1600s — Native Americans fished along the shore
1605–1606 — Samuel de Champlain named Cape Ann “Cape aux Isles” and Gloucester Harbor “Beauport”
1614 — Capt. John Smith named area Tragabigzanda, but the name was changed to Cape Ann by Prince Charles in honor of his mother
1623 — Gloucester settled by a company from Dorchester, England, and built fishing stages or wharves near Half Moon Beach, Stage Fort Park
1623 — Early colonists fished from wherries and dried the fish on flakes — took 4–10 days
— Then later fished from shallops, sloops, pinnaces, barks
1625 — Governor Roger Conant settled disagreement over fishing stages between Pilgrims led by Miles Standish and the crew of the Friendship led by Capt. Hewes.
1626 — large group of settlers led by Conant leave Gloucester and settle in Naumkeag (Salem)
1629 — Fort built at Stage Fort Park
1642 — Gloucester incorporated as a town, mostly in the Riverdale area, with a meeting house and a canal built and named after builder Rev. Richard Blynman
1643 — 1st record of a ship built by William Stevens in Gloucester
1675 — ketches with masts then Grand Bankers used for fishing further out to sea.
— First wharves and boat-building industry was in Annisquam and Wheeler’s Point where the first permanent settlements were
1690 — 1st commercial fishery founded by John Babson
