Past Characteristics

• 18th September 1810 the Pease family helped to plan and build the Stockton to Darlington Railway and the middlesbrough branch opened in 1830
• The new town layout for middlesbrough begun in 1830
• In 1850 Iron ore was discovered in the Cleveland hills near Eston which is South of Middlesbrough

  Iron gradually replaced coal as the lifeblood of the town
• Iron Ore was discovered by John Vaughan (the principal ironmaster of Middlesbrough) who alongside Henry Bolckow had already established a small iron foundry and rolling mill using Ironstone found in the Durham and Yorkshire coast

  This prompted the construction of Teesside's first blast furnace in 1851
• Due to the huge expansion of railways across the whole country in 1851 iron was in high demand

  Teesside was producing 1/3 of the nation's iron output
• Henry Bolckow became the Town's first mayor in 1853

  He became the town's first MP in 1868
• Middlesbrough's development as an 'iron town' spurred on its continuous growth and by 1860 the population had grown to 20,000
• In 1862 the town was visited by the Victorian Minister Gladstone who remarked

  'This remarkable place, the youngest child of England's enterprise, is an infant, but if an infant, an infant Hercules'
• In 1867 Albert Park opened

  From the 1870s onwards development took place to the south

  > 1877 - the railway station opened south of the old town

  > 1883 - The construction of the old town hall began

  > 1889 - The old town hall opened of the Corner of Corporation and Albert Road

  > 1901 - Transporter Bridge opened

  > 1934 - Newport Bridge opened which was built using local steel, engineering and great expertise
• After the first world war ended in 1918, areas of land were used to build houses (e.g. Berwick Hills) by the council to house the expanding population coming to work in the Industries
• After the Second world war ended in September 1945, there was a large increase in building houses and settlements in Acklam, Linthorpe, Marton and Nunthorpe