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Peabody, Essex County, Massachusetts, USA.

Settled as early as 1626, the area today known as Peabody was originally part of Salem called Brooksby Village. Early residents were farmers, but the abundant streams of Brooksby made it a logical location for industries requiring water power. By 1668 the tanning business had become well established, hence the nickname "Tanner City." Brooksby separated from Salem in 1752 to form the township of Danvers. In the years following the Revolutionary War, the township flourished and in 1855 the southern part was incorporated into the separate Town of South Danvers. Confusion resulted from the similarly named towns, and it was decided in 1868 to rename South Danvers after George Peabody, the international financier and philanthropist born in 1795 at 205 Washington Street, South Danvers. The population of the town grew steadily until the town meeting form of government grew too cumbersome. In 1916 the citizens of Peabody voted to become the thirty-seventh city in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.^*

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