The street railways were a potent factor in the development of Lawrence and outlying districts, bringing all sections into closer touch. In the early part of the 20th century nowhere in the United States was there a section so thoroughly netted with trolley lines as that of eastern Massachusetts, and Lawrence occupied a position as an important center from which lines radiated in all directions and from which could travel by trolley to practically any point in New England.
The days of the old stage coaches driven between Lawrence, Methuen, Andover and Lowell started to come to an end when the first company to operate a street railway in Lawrence was organized on August 13, 1867. Ground was broken for the first line October 21, 1867, work being begun at the woolen mill in Methuen. On Christmas Day, 1867, two horse cars were run on Essex street from the depot to the Everett mills. The following day the first car was run to Methuen. The Machine Shop in North Andover was reached in 1868 and by 1876 tracks were extended by the South Lawrence Branch. In 1887 the Newbury, East Haverhill and Berkeley streets line was built. The Belt line was constructed the same year, made necessary by the burning of the Union Street bridge and cutting off of North Andover on the old location. The tracks on Water and Lawrence streets were built in 1888. Extension of local lines, one after another, gradually followed until it was deemed wise to experiment in wider fields, so that in 1893 a line was extended to Haverhill, and the next year to Lowell, thus connecting these three great factory cities of the Merrimack valley. Andover was connected before this, in 1891. The Middleton, Danvers & Salem line of the Lawrence division was opened in 1902.
1891 saw the passing of the horse car and the applying of electric power on the street railway. Prior to 1893 service was provided by several companies operating in the city which included the Merrimack Valley Horse Railroad, Lawrence & Methuen Street Railway Company later absorbed by the Southern New Hampshire which then became Massachusetts Northeastern Street Railway.
From Hampshire street cars ran to Haverhill direct and Salem, N. H., also to Lowell and Pelham, Nashua, Hudson and Goffs Falls, N. H., where connections could be made for Manchester, N. H. Canobie Lake Park, which was owned by the Massachusetts Northeastern, originally The Hudson, Pelham & Salem Railways (HP&S), and in the radius of these lines opened to the public in 1903. Practically all streets in Lawrence, traversed by trolley cars, are paved with granite blocks.
In 1901 the Lowell Lawrence & Haverhill Street Railway was replaced by the Boston & Northern Street Railway which was replaced by the Bay State Street Railway Co. in 1911. By 1919 it was in receivership due to the increasing popularity of the automobile when the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway took over. The operated the last of the street cars in the city in 1936 and replaced them with buses. Eastern Mass operated until 1968, temporarily replaced by the MBTA and then Trombly Motor coach in 1969 until 1974.

mostly condensed from "LAWRENCE YESTERDAY AND TODAY (1845-1918)" by MAURICE B.DORGAN