Lowell, Massachusetts

   

Ruins of abandoned mill along the Merrimack River in downtown Lowell
Enlarge
Ruins of abandoned mill along the Merrimack River in downtown Lowell

Lowell is a city located in Middlesex County, Massachusetts. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 105,167. It and Cambridge are the county seats of Middlesex County6. Founded as a planned manufacturing center for textiles along the Merrimack River northwest of Boston, it was a thriving industrial center during the 19th century, attracting many immigrants and migrant workers to its mills. With the decline of its manufacturing in the 20th century, the city fell into deep hard times but has begun to rebound in recent decades. The former mill district along the river is partially restored and comprises part of the Lowell National Historical Park.

History

Lowell was first settled in 1653 and was officially incorporated in 1826. The city was named after Francis Cabot Lowell, an inventor of weaving machines, in 1817. Lowell is considered to have been one of the most important cities in the industrial revolution in the United States. Its textile mills, which line the Merrimack River, were the largest, most modern mills of their time. Lowell's historical mills, locks, and canals have been designated as a National Historical Park.

Sculpture commemorating the textile mill industry in downtown Lowell
Enlarge
Sculpture commemorating the textile mill industry in downtown Lowell

Lowell was the international headquarters for Wang Laboratories until the late 1980s. After Wang folded during an economic depression, Lowell had its ups and downs. Lowell was featured in a 1995 HBO documentary called High on Crack Street: Lost Lives in Lowell. However, Lowell's prosperity grew throughout the 1990s and today its reputation has improved dramatically. It offers a campus of the University of Massachusetts, several theaters, and a minor league baseball team called The Spinners (with its own stadium), and there is a thriving new generation of Cambodian Americans who have put down roots there.

Lowell is musically known for the Lowell Folk Festival, the largest free such festival in the US, and for the school of electronic music at the University of Lowell.

Lowell is the birthplace of Moxie, the first mass-produced soft drink in the U.S.

Geography

Lowell is located at 42°38'22" North, 71°18'53" West (42.639515, -71.314588)1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 37.7 km² (14.5 mi²). 35.7 km² (13.8 mi²) of it is land and 2.0 km² (0.8 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 5.23% water.

Demographics

As of the census2 of 2000, there are 105,167 people, 37,887 households, and 23,982 families residing in the city. The population density is 2,948.8/km² (7,635.6/mi²). There are 39,468 housing units at an average density of 1,106.7/km² (2,865.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 68.60% White, 4.21% African American, 0.24% Native American, 16.52% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 6.48% from other races, and 3.92% from two or more races. 14.01% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 37,887 households out of which 34.0% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.1% are married couples living together, 17.4% have a female householder with no husband present, and 36.7% are non-families. 29.0% of all households are made up of individuals and 9.3% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.67 and the average family size is 3.35.

In the city the population is spread out with 26.9% under the age of 18, 11.9% from 18 to 24, 32.5% from 25 to 44, 17.9% from 45 to 64, and 10.8% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 31 years. For every 100 females there are 97.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 94.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $39,192, and the median income for a family is $45,901. Males have a median income of $33,554 versus $27,399 for females. The per capita income for the city is $17,557. 16.8% of the population and 13.6% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 23.2% of those under the age of 18 and 14.0% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

Famous people from (or associated with) Lowell

External links


Retrieved from "http://www.centipedia.com/articles/Lowell%2C_Massachusetts"

This page has been accessed 211 times. This page was last modified 16:53, 11 Nov 2004. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License (see Copyrights for details).