According to "Early American Railroads," by Franz Anton Ritter von Gerstner, the railroad first came to Haverhill with the Boston and Portland. In 1835 the Andover &Wilmington Railroad Corporation constructed a railway from Wilmington on the Lowell Railroad, 15 miles from Boston, to Andover a distance of 7.75 miles. It opened on August 8, 1936 when an extension to Haverhill was decided. The route at that time did not go through Lawrence (or what would be) but instead took a different route from Ballardvale across town through portions of High Street and Waverley Road to the Sutton Street area. The now named Andover & Haverhill RR Corp. completed the line to Bradford by October of 1837 when it was authorized to extend the line across the river and on to the New Hampshire border to join the Boston and Maine which was being built to Portland. The 850 foot bridge across the Merrimack was built in 1839. It was replaced in 1880 and in 1905-06 a grade elimination change was implemented. The rails and bed were elevated eliminating the grade and a newer station was built. The bridge was replaced again in 1920.