Saugus River

Saugus River and environs

The Saugus River is a river in Massachusetts.

The river is 13 miles (21 km) long, drains a watershed of approximately 47 square miles (120 km²), and passes through Wakefield, Lynnfield, Saugus, and Lynn as it meanders east and south from its source in Lake Quannapowitt in Wakefield (elevation 90 feet) to its mouth at Boston Broad Sound. It has at least eight tributaries: the Mill River; Bennets Pond Brook; the Pines River; Hawkes Brook; Crystal Pond Brook; Beaver Dam Brook; Strawberry Brook; and Shute Brook.

Although Native Americans called the river Aboutsett ("winding stream"), European settlers first called it the River at Saugus, where Saugus (possibly a native word for "long") arguably named the beach running from Swampscott to Revere (there are competing theories as to the origin of the word "Saugus"). In early European times, alewives and bass were harvested from 1632 onwards. The Saugus Iron Works used water power from the river in by 1642, and the river subsequently attracted grist mills, chocolate mills, wool and flannel mills, and a tannery.

Legend Lake Quannapowitt Lowell Street, Wakefield Main Street, Wakefield I-95/MA-128 Beaverdam Brook I-95/MA-128 Salem Street, Wakefield Water Street, Wakefield Mill River Hawkes Pond Brook US-1 Oaklandvale Brook Prankers Pond Central Street, Saugus Elm Street, Saugus Hamilton Street, Saugus Saugus Branch Railroad Lincoln Ave, Saugus Salem Turnpike, Saugus / Lynn Newburyport/Rockport Line Pines River MA-1A General Edwards Bridge Lynn Harbor

References

• Saugus River Watershed Council
• "A Gathering of Memories: Saugus 1900-2000" by John Burns, Tom Sheehan, et al.; 2000, Jostens / Saugus.net, ISBN 978-0-9703141-0-9; http://www.saugus.org/GatheringOfMemories/ (Provides at least three conflicting theories as to the origin of the name "Saugus")