Welcome to Lowell, MA!
People have always
been drawn to rivers. They choose to live, work and enjoy life in places
fed by bountiful waters. The power and promise of the Merrimack led to
the settlement of the area near the Pawtucket Falls by native peoples
and to the founding of a new city in the 19th century.
The vision of a
planned industrial community based on the efficient production of
textiles convinced a group of entrepreneurs to acquire land around the
falls in 1821. Naming the new community for innovative industrialist
Francis Cabot Lowell, the developers constructed a massive complex of
mills. By the 1840s, Lowell was the second largest city in New England
and the industrial center of America.
Lowell's
accomplishments spurred competition from many river towns in the
Northeast; competition meant lower prices, which affected wages and
working conditions. Eager to work, immigrants from central and southern
Europe traveled to Lowell. These families, together with the Irish
immigrants already present, provided the basis for Lowell's cultural and
ethnic diversity.
Like many older
American cities, Lowell has weathered significant economic change
through much of the 20th century. By the 1980s, the city was
experiencing a resurgence during the prevailing technological boom, as
new companies began producing minicomputers, computer workstations, and
plastics. This boom, coupled with the generous spirit of the city,
welcomed a wave of newcomers from Southeast Asia, which provided a ready
work force in an expanding economy. Also integral to the economic
resurgence was Lowell's National Historical Park, established in 1978
as a tribute to Lowell's contributions to the Industrial
Revolution.
Today Lowell offers
an environment highly favorable to both relocating and emerging
businesses. The city whose history is the source of its vitality has
regained its position as a thriving commercial area.
Greater Lowell Chamber of Commerce
Lowell
Demographics
Lowell Memorial
Auditorium
Merrimack Repertory
Theatre
University of Mass.
Continuing Education
Lowell, A Flowering
City
Convention & Visitor's
Bureau
Lowell Regional
Transit Authority
Lowell
Telecommunications
Hospitals & Places
of Worship
Restaurants
Mass. Office of
Childcare