The Events

1642: Woburn incorporated as a city, portioned from being a village of Charlestown

1675-1678: King Philip's War (anglicized name of Wampanoag sachem Metacomet) with Sergeant Abraham Jaquith of Aldrich Road

1706: Indian Massacre of John Harnden's wife and three children, 200th Anniv

1730: Wilmington incorporated as a town, portioned from Woburn ("Land of Goshen"), western portion of Reading, and northern region belonging to Charlestown ("Land of Nod")

1731: First meetinghouse built

1737: Annexation of a portion of Billerica this side of the Shawsheen River (the "thumb" of Wilmington's hand)

1737: Epidemic of diptheria, killing 32 of 400 citizens (mostly children), 250th Anniv, by Adele C Passmore (possibly smallpox?)

1764: Renovation of first meetinghouse

1775: Wilmington Minutemen, WickedLocal, by Bruce Coulter, 200th Anniv

1775: Wilmington Militia added 81 men at Concord on 18 April, commanded by Capt. Timothy Walker, Town Crier1, Town Crier2, by Larz F. Neilson

1778: Smallpox in Wilmington, "Shall we inoculate?" at Town Meeting

1793-1803: Construction of Middlesex Canal, first artificial waterway for transportation in America,  250th Anniv, by Adele C Passmore

1806-1838: Known as "Hoptown" due to the prolific growing after War of 1812,  250th Anniv, by Adele C Passmore, Inland economy begins to grow WBUR

1813: Second meetinghouse built to replace the first

1828: Established the Town Farm and Almshouse, led by Deacon Benjamin Foster

1830: Town operated four schools, at a cost of $330, Town Ledger(1830)

1835: Boston and Lowell Railroad opens with line through Wilmington, Town Crier, by Larz F Neilson

1855: First Bond Bakery Burned Town Crier, Capt Larz Neilson

1861: Civil War drew some 100 men from Wilmington, Town Crier, Town Crier, by Capt Larz Neilson & W A Stickney, Edited by Larz F Neilson

1863: 27 Men serving in US Army, Annual Reports

1864: Second Bond bakery and second meetinghouse burned Town Crier, Capt Larz Neilson

1864: 14 deaths and 11 discharges due to disability from Wilmington's Civil War soldiers (quota: 90), 250th Anniv, by Adele C Passmore

1865: Third (current) meetinghouse built on same foundation as second.

1871: Establishment of Perry, Cutler, & Co Tannery (Later Harriman's) Historical Commission, by Joseph A Jackson

1874: First graduating class of Wilmington High School Students: 10 youth! Annual Reports

1875: Farmers and Mechanics Club Chartered, build a bandstand and erect a flagpole on the common for Decoration Day

1880: 150th Anniversary, with Historical Address by Rev. Daniel P Noyes, Annual Report

1882: Town acquires the land for the Town Common from Otis Buck (butcher) from bequeath from Sabra Carter

1886: Telephone service from the Woburn Telephone Exchange.  Wilmington soon got exchange at Hudson's Store (Church & Main), 200th Anniv

1893: Flagstaff Committee spends $285.73 for locally grown 100' flagpole masts at the Town Common Town Report (until 1966, replaced 1968 with 50' pole)

1895: Streetcar service came to Wilmington, Town Report,  Town Crier, by Larz F Neilson

1895: Placement of the Baldwin Apple Monument, Town Crier, by Larz F Neilson

1897: Raising Central Square for the sake of a train bridge, Town Crier, by Captain Larz Neilson

1903: Square Fire of 1903, Town Crier, Larz F Neilson

1904: Old Home Week, Town Crier, Capt. Larz (record-length 6 mile parade route!)

1909: Fire Department Re-Organized, with Two Companies each of 15 men Town Report

1912: Wilmington receives Electric Service from RMLD (68 homes, 1142 lamps, 200 street lights), Town Crier, by Capt Larz Neilson (1908 vote failed)

1916: Blue Hog Piggery incorporated, thrived through the 1920s on south Main Street, Historical Commission

1919: Almshouse burned down, assets of Town Farm sold, funds toward the purchase of new fire apparatus.

1923-27: Plans made to add electric lights and public water supply to the schools, Town Report Town Report

1928: Implementation of Public Water Supply, Town Report

1942: Cocoanut Grove fire, and other casualties incident with the war, Historical Commission

1952/3: Closure of Harriman's Tannery, Historical Commission

1958: Building of I-93, with 4 exits for Wilmington

1969: Wilmington Minutemen Re-established, Town Crier1, Town Crier2, by Larz F. Neilson, Town Crier

1973: Historical Commission first appointed, acquisition of Harnden Tavern by imminent domain for local heritage museum, 250th Anniv, by Adele C Passmore-

2022: Adele Passmore's 90th Birthday Celebration at the Harnden Tavern, and a few months later her celebration of life (1932-2022)