Lowell is a city located in the county of Middlesex, Massachusetts, within the United States. The population of the city was 106,519 during the year 2010, according to the U.S. census. The city of Lowell is Massachusetts' 4th biggest city. It is recognized as being the birthplace of the industrial revolution in the USA. A lot of the historic locations within the city of Lowell have been preserved by the National Park Service. Both the cities of Cambridge and Lowell are the county seats of Middlesex County.
The town of Lowell was initially founded during the early 1820s. It was incorporated as a town in 1826 and in the year 1836 was incorporated as a city. The area was based on the dream of a planned industrial community that was constructed around the natural power derived from the Merrimack River.
The name of Lowell actually comes from a prominent industrialist during that time named Francis Cabot Lowell. He played a big part in developing the canal and power system within the region. He was likewise important in the massive mill complex which grew around the city of Lowell, eventually making the city amongst New England's largest cities and one of the biggest industrial centers within America.
During the 19th century, the industrial boom helped to bring much economic change in the city of Lowell that lasted well into the 20th century. Throughout the 1980's, the city of Lowell was at the forefront of the technological boom. Many businesses began making plastics, minicomputers, together with computer workstations. Lowell gained prominence becoming the home and global head office of Wang Laboratories, which was amongst the main players of the minicomputer business.
Due to the arrival of personal computers and microprocessors, the market changed very much in the 1990s. The city of Lowell saw a decline during that decade and an increased decline in its economic power. Presently, Lowell is enjoying an upswing once more. It is fueled by a resurgence of the technology within the area, combined with the growth of new service businesses. These new revitalizations to the economy in the city of Lowell have brought a fresh new depth to the culture of the city, together with more ethnicity.
The service sector of Lowell City has shown through statistics to support about 25 percent of the city's workers. Popular industries consist of: tourism, trade, research, electronics, transportation and healthcare. Additionally, the city of Lowell has a diversified industrial sector with a prominent number of small companies.
Some of the jobs are made by companies manufacturing things including threads, textiles, textile machinery and yarns, electronic publishing and printing, and computer software and hardware. Lowell is home to several well known companies such as NYNEX, Raytheon, M/A Com and Coca-Cola.
The Merrimack Repertory Theatre is an award-winning theatre company that offers different dramatic productions for theatre fans to enjoy. Each and every July, a popular 3 day event called the Lowell Folk Festival happens. This is actually the biggest festival of its kind. Attracting many people to a celebration of conventional music and folk entertainment, it is the best cultural event within the city. There are 6 outdoor stages with lots of terrific entertainment. The Boarding House Park's Summer Music Festival is one more concert event held one summer evening. It features a huge mix of entertainment including folk pop, contemporary bluegrass, Irish music and big band.