Located along the eastern shore of the Mystic River, Everett emerged as an important industrial center in the last quarter of the nineteenth century. Although settlement began in the mid-seventeenth century, no sustained growth occurred until the arrival of the railroad in 1854. Following the Civil War, the short-lived New England Chemical Company established a plant in 1868, inaugurating the long-term association of Everett with chemical and related industries. Explosive development occurred between 1870 and 1900, when the town (incorporated as a city in 1893) doubled or tripled in size each decade. Industrial expansion continued through the 1920s, with Everett reaching its maximum population of 48,242 in 1930 (exceeded briefly in 1945).