Hutchinson has a rich and interesting recorded history that begins with its founding on Nov. 20, 1855, by the Hutchinson Brothers, a singing trio of abolitionists from New Hampshire.

Below is a listing of other important dates and events in Hutchinson’s 153 years.

1855: Lewis Harrington’s original 640-acre plat of Hutchinson included three parks. Hutchinson’s park system is second only to New York City’s Central Park as the country’s oldest platted park system.

1856: Harrington opened the first post office in a log cabin at the intersection of Main Street and Washington Avenue.

Sept. 4, 1862: Dakota Indians under Chief Little Crow attacked settlers who built a protective stockade. Most of the rest of the settlement, including Pendergast Academy, was burned.

1878: The first graduating class from Hutchinson schools included four students.

July 10, 1880: The first issue of the Hutchinson Leader published.

Aug. 21, 1885: Hutchinson’s census showed 2,495 residents, slightly larger than Glencoe, 2,416, and Litchfield, 2,099.

December 1886: A Great Northern Railway predecessor completed a branch line from the Twin Cities, three months after the Milwaukee Road built its 13-mile branch from Glencoe. In 1900, residents could take any one of five daily passenger trains to the Twin Cities. The Luce Line Railroad arrived here in 1915.

1892: E. J. Stearns bought the Stillwater Lumber yard and built Stearns Lumber into a chain of yards in several area towns. It evolved into today’s Stearnswood.

Dec. 1, 1896: Mark W. and Wellington S. Clay established the Hutchinson Telephone Co. The company was sold to New Ulm Telephone in January 2008.

June 1, 1900: Hutchinson Glove and Hosiery Co. was founded.

Feb. 11, 1903: The three-story Ansgar College building on “the hill” burned just five months after opening. The eastern half was rebuilt to four stories and opened again in the fall for classes. That building was torn down Feb. 6, 1980.

May 10, 1908: By a vote of 260-222, Hutchinson residents voted to not allow the issuance of liquor licenses. Hajicek’s Bewery continued operations, but could not sell within a half-mile of city limits.

Jan. 1, 1915: A two-story city hall was dedicated across Washington Avenue West from today’s Hutchinson Leader building. It stood until 1995.

1916: The three-story Hotel Jorgenson was built on the southwest corner of Main Street and Washington Avenue. It was restored in 2005 and is the Hutchinson Area Chamber of Commerce.

Sept. 22, 1922: The first hospital dedicated. The three-story building was on the site of today’s seven-story Park Towers apartment building on Third Avenue Southwest.

March 8, 1936: The Ames Mill, the second one built at the north end of the Crow River dam since 1866, burned to the ground. The original mill burned in 1884.

Feb. 12, 1947: Tape production began at 3M’s Hutchinson plant. Today, 1,500 employees work at 3M’s largest U.S. plant.

April 1965: The Crow River topped its banks and flooded much of the north end of downtown.

1965: Hutchinson Industrial Co., today’s Hutchinson Technology Inc., opened as a two-employee business specializing in chemical milling, or etching, of parts for the aerospace and consumer products industry.

March 21, 1975: The 63-year-old Merrill School, next to Park Elementary, burned.

1981: Hutchinson Mall opened with Kmart and J.C. Penney as its anchor stores.

2007: The city’s largest-ever public works project, the reconstruction of State Highway 7 and the rebuilding of the Main Street bridge, are completed after two seasons of work.