CHELSEA. A city in Suffolk County, Mass., and a suburb of Boston, front which it. is distant 2 miles, on the Boston and Maine Railroad (-Map: Massachusetts, E 3). it is connected with Charlestown by a bridge across the Mystic and with P,oston by ferry and steam and electric railroad:. The principal public buildings are the court-house, city hall, the United State: naval and marine hospitals, soldiers' home, Fitz Public Library, and Odd Fellows' and Masonic halls. The city contains also Union Park and public playgrounds, and a soldiers' monument. Though I'helsca is principally a residential place, it has manufactures of rubber goods. woolens, foundry and machine-shop products, shoes, brass goods. stoves awl furnaces, tiles, pottery, etc. The city owns and operates its water-works. The government is conducted under a charter of 1S94. revised 1899, which provides for a mayor, elected annually% and a board of aldermen, the majority of whom are elected at large for two years. the remaining members being chosen an nually. one front each city ward. The hoard
of aldermen elects the city clerk, treasurer, solicitor, auditor, assessors, messenger, clerk of committees, and commissioners of sinking fund, and, upon nomination of the executive, all other municipal officials. The mayor's clerk alone is appointed by the mayor. The annual income of the city is about the principal expen ditures are: $35,000 for the police department, $30,000 for the tire department. and $120,001) for schools. Population, in 1890, 27,909; in 1900. 34,072.
First settled in 1626 as Winnisimmet. Chelsea was part of from 1634 to 163S, when it was incorporated as a town nnder its present name. Here, in May, 1775, occurred a sharp skirmish between a body of British troops and a thousand Americans under Stark and Putnam, the latter being victorious. Chelsea was incor porated as a city in 1857. Out of parts of Chelsea the present towns of Winthrop and Revere were created. Consult. Winsor. Memo rial History of Boston (4 Boston, 1880-S1).