Methuen 300: Looking to the past … & future!

The Methuen 300 celebration is off and running!

Three events commemorated the first town meeting held March 9, 1726. From the humble beginning in the home of Asie Swan to the current City Hall, Methuen has 300 years of community to celebrate.

On March 6, state and city officials, local business and nonprofit leaders and their guests gathered at Nevins Library for a luncheon to honor Methuen’s history. The Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin provided a scanned copy of the charter which created and named our community Methuen. The charter shows where the provincial Gov. William Dummer wrote in the name to honor his friend, Lord Paul Methuen. Lord Methuen was a member of the British King’s Privy Council and ambassador to Portugal.

State Rep. Ryan Hamilton, chair of the Methuen 300 Committee, welcomed guests to the event with a request: “Every business, every school, every house of worship, every civic organization, this is your celebration. So here is the ask, and it’s a simple one. Come, bring someone with you. Bring your kids, your parents, your neighbors. Share the story of this city with the people who don’t know it yet. Because one of the most powerful things we can do this year is to remind ourselves what Methuen actually is, where we came from, what we’ve overcome and what we’re capable of.”

The Rev. Dr. Ann Rogers-Brigham, interim pastor of First Church Congregational, offered the invocation. The national anthem was sung by Methuen High School student Tony Maalouf and music was provided by Emile R. “Mike” Boutin Jr., minister of music at First Church.

Mayor D.J. Beauregard reminded the audience that Methuen’s story is an American one: “In many ways, Methuen’s story and America’s story have always been intertwined. Both are stories of people striving to bequeath the legacy worthy of the generations that follow: a stronger community here in Methuen and a more perfect union across our nation. Generations before us built and strengthened the institutions and traditions that sustain our democracy.”

Former Mayor Sharon M. Pollard offered a brief history of Methuen including the details of the first Town Meeting. The benediction was offered by Rev. Nathaniel C. Burnes, pastor of First Baptist Church.

Present at the luncheon was every living mayor of Methuen as well as all members of Methuen’s Legislative delegation.
The event was recorded and is available in its entirety on Methuen Community Studios Cable TV channels, website streaming and on demand at methuentv.org

Fired up about
our history

Hollywood visited Methuen at the second event March 7. The celebrated Firebird Pops Orchestra delighted hundreds of guests with classic movie themes and pop hits. The orchestra, directed by Brendan J. Kenney, included Methuen residents performing music from “Star Wars,” “Pirates of the Caribbean,” “Jurassic Park” and more. Vocalist Peter Mill, who flew in from London for the concert, wowed the crowd with selections such as Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now.”

“I just think it’s a cool proximity for this concert to be so close to the actual anniversary. And not only that, on March 21st, 50 years ago, you had another fairly well-known orchestra, by the name of the Boston Pops, perform a 250th anniversary concert,” Kenney told the audience.

It was the first time some Methuen residents heard the Firebird Pops Orchestra.

“I’m absolutely sad that we were not able to record this concert due to copyright agreements because it was fabulous. This group presents movie themes as they were composed and performed for the films. What an experience!” said Karen Hayden, executive director of Methuen Community Studios.

March 12, the first of four Storytellers history presentations took place at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church. Historian Alex Cain spoke about the role of Methuen and the Merrimack Valley in the American Revolution. His research encompasses Methuen and surrounding towns as all were involved in resurrecting militia companies and creating new minutemen companies.

His talk covered the situation in 1774 through the Battle of Bunker Hill.

“Do you know where the Merrimack Valley men were? Right in the middle of it. They were in the redoubt in the center at the top of the hill,” Cain said.

He reported that they were attacked repeatedly and held out as long as they could. Methuen suffered three dead that day.
For upcoming Methuen 300 events, check out the box that accompanies this story.