Lawrence, Massachusetts
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| Lawrence, Massachusetts | |
| Nickname: Mill City | |
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| Coordinates: | |
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| Country | United States |
| State | Massachusetts |
| County | Essex |
| Settled | 1655 |
| Incorporated | 1847 |
| Government | |
| - Type | Mayor-council city |
| - Mayor | Michael J. Sullivan (R) |
| - City Council President | Patrick Blanchette |
| Area | |
| - Total | 7.4 sq mi (19.2 km²) |
| - Land | 7.0 sq mi (18.0 km²) |
| - Water | 0.5 sq mi (1.2 km²) |
| Elevation | 50 ft (15 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| - Total | 72,043 |
| - Density | 10,351.4/sq mi (3,996.7/km²) |
| Time zone | Eastern (UTC-5) |
| - Summer (DST) | Eastern (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 01840 |
| Area code(s) | 351 / 978 |
| FIPS code | 25-34550 |
| Website: http://www.cityoflawrence.com/Pages/index | |
Lawrence is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts on the Merrimack River. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 72,043. Surrounding communities include Methuen to the north, Andover to the southwest, and North Andover to the southeast. It and Salem are the county seats of Essex County.GR6 Lawrence is also part of the Merrimack Valley.
Manufacturing products of the city include electronic equipment, textiles, footwear, paper products, computers, and foodstuffs. Lawrence was, for a while, the residence of Robert Frost, where he published his first poem.
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[edit] History
Europeans first settled the area in 1640. The site of the city -- formerly parts of Andover and Methuen -- was purchased in 1845 by a group of Boston industrialists headed by the wealthy merchant and congressman Abbott Lawrence, the community's namesake. The city was incorporated in 1853.
The industrialists, most prominently Lawrence, established textile mills near sources of abundant waterpower. Working conditions in these mills were unsafe and in 1860 a factory collapsed, killing 88 workers. In 1912 the so-called Bread and Roses strike or the Lawrence textile strike, one of greatest labor actions in American history, began when mill owners increased the speed of factory looms, and subsequently lowered wages for thousands of women and child workers. The Massachusetts National Guard, private and city police countered 23,000 strikers for two months, resulting in numerous deaths and mass arrests. When police and National Guard assaulted a group of women and children, public outcry forced mill owners to capitulate. The striking workers won wage increases for themselves and thousands of workers across New England. One of the major companies involved in the strike was the American Woolen Company.
Lawrence was a great wool-processing center until that industry declined in the 1950s. The decline of industry in Lawrence and throughout the Northeast left Lawrence a struggling city. However, a sharp reduction in violent crime starting in 2004 and massive private investment in former mill buildings along the Merrimack River -- to be converted into commercial, residential and education uses -- have lent encouragement to boosters of the city. One of the final remaining mills in the city is Malden Mills.
[edit] Geography
Lawrence is located at (42.703741, -71.162979).GR1 According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 7.4 square miles (19.2 km²), of which, 7.0 square miles (18.0 km²) of it is land and 0.4 square miles (1.2 km²) of it (6.07%) is water.
Aside from the Merrimack River, other water features include the Spicket River, which flows into the Merrimack from Methuen, and the Shawsheen River, which forms the southeastern border of the city. Additionally, Lawrence has two power canals that were formerly used to provide hydropower to the mills - one on the north bank of the river, the other on the south. Channeling water into these canals is the Great Stone Dam, which lies across the entire Merrimack.
The highest point in Lawrence is the top of Tower Hill in the northeast corner of the city, rising approximately 240 feet above sea level. Other prominent hills include Prospect Hill, in the northwest corner of the city, and Mount Vernon, along the southern edge of the city. Most industrial activity was concentrated in the flatlands along the rivers.
Den Rock Park, a wooded conservation district on the southern edge of Lawrence that spans the Lawrence-Andover town line, provides recreation for nature lovers and rock-climbers alike.[1]
[edit] Demographics
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 72,043 people, 24,463 households, and 16,903 families residing in the city. The population density was 10,351.4 people per square mile (3,996.5/km²). There were 25,601 housing units at an average density of 3,678.4/sq mi (1,420.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 48.64% White, 4.88% African American, 0.81% Native American, 2.65% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 36.67% from other races, and 6.25% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race mainly Dominican or Puerto Rican were 59.71% of the population.
There were 24,463 households out of which 41.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.6% were married couples living together, 25.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.9% were non-families. 25.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.90 and the average family size was 3.46.
In the city the population was spread out with 32.0% under the age of 18, 11.1% from 18 to 24, 30.3% from 25 to 44, 16.7% from 45 to 64, and 9.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 91.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $25,983, and the median income for a family was $29,809. Males had a median income of $27,772 versus $23,137 for females. The per capita income for the city was $11,360. About 21.2% of families and 34.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 31.7% of those under age 18 and 20.1% of those age 65 or over.
By 2006, the population of Lawrence was estimated to be more than 68% Hispanic.[2]
[edit] Government
[edit] Local
Form of government:
Plan B - "Weak mayor" - Mayor and city council, the councillors being elected partly at large and partly from districts or wards of the city. Party primaries prohibited. [3]
Lawrence has an established City Charter and its form of government is a Mayor-council government. There are nine city councilors and six school committee members; most are elected by district; three city council members are elected at large. There are six districts in Lawrence and all elections are non-partisan. The Mayor serves as the seventh member and chair of the school committee. The city council chooses one of its number as president who serves as chair of the council. The city of Lawrence also elects three members to the Greater Lawrence Technical School Committee these members are elected at-large.
The current Mayor is Michael J. Sullivan; the current City Council President is Patrick J. Blanchette.
| City Council | Lawrence School Committee | Greater Lawrence Technical School Committee |
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* = President/Chair
** = Vice President/Vice Chair
[edit] State and Federal
| County government: Essex County | |
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| Clerk of Courts: | Thomas H. Driscoll, Jr. (D) |
| County Treasurer: | Position Eliminated |
| District Attorney: | Jonathan W. Blodgett (D) |
| Registrar of Deeds: | Robert F. Kelley (D) |
| Registrar of Probate: | Daniel J. Passacantilli |
| County Sheriff: | Frank G. Cousins, Jr. (D) |
| State government | |
| State Representative(s): | Barry Finegold (D) William Lantigua (D) David M. Torrisi (D) |
| State Senator(s): | Susan Tucker (D) |
| Governor's Councilor(s): | Mary-Ellen Manning (D) |
| Federal government | |
| U.S. Representative(s): | Niki Tsongas (D-5th District), |
| U.S. Senators: | Ted Kennedy (D), John Kerry (D) |
[edit] Education
[edit] Public schools
The City of Lawrence has a public school system managed by Lawrence Public Schools.
Elementary schools
High schools
[edit] Private schools
Elementary schools
High schools
[edit] Higher education
Public
Private
[edit] Media
[edit] Newspapers
- The Eagle-Tribune - Daily Newspaper (English only)
- Rumbo - Weekly Newspaper (Spanish and English)
- Siglo 21 - Weekly Newspaper (Spanish only)
- The Valley Patriot - Monthly Newspaper (English only)
[edit] Radio
[edit] TV
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Local television stations Local digital television channels Concord / Keene / Manchester / Portsmouth (Southern New Hampshire) television stations Defunct television stations Local cable television channels |
[edit] Infrastructure
[edit] Healthcare
[edit] Transportation
Airport
The City of Lawrence owns the Lawrence Municipal Airport located in North Andover, MA.
Boating
Local boating at the Greater Lawrence Community Boating Program
Bus service
Local busing options include the Merrimack Valley Regional Transit Authority.
Rail service
Commuter rail to Boston is provided by the MBTA Haverhill/Reading Line.
Roadways
Lawrence is circled with expressways. Interstate 495 runs from the south-eastern portion of the city through the eastern edge of the city, Interstate 93 is to the west, running through Andover, Massachusetts. The final part of the circle is "The Loop Connector" (named after the The Loop shopping center) which runs through Methuen, Massachusetts, parallel to Route 113. Major street-level routes include Routes 28 (north/south) and 110 (east/west).
[edit] Telecommunications
Lawrence is served only by the 978 area code. Area code 978 was created as a split from area code 508 on September 1, 1997.
[edit] Points of interest
- Lawrence Public Library
- Essex Art Center
- Saint Alfio Society Inc. the organization that puts on the Feast of the Three Saints
- Lawrence Community Works
- Lawrence History Center
- Lawrence Heritage State Park
- Lawrence Experiment Station
- YMCA
- YWCA
[edit] Notable residents
- Leonard Bernstein, composer and conductor
- John Breen, Mayor of Lawrence; First Irish-American Mayor in the United States
- Susie Castillo, Miss USA 2003 and MTV VJ
- Ferdinand W. Demara, The Great Imposter
- William E. Donovan, major league baseball player and manager
- Sully Erna, Godsmack, lead singer
- Robert Frost, poet
- Robert Goulet, singer
- Steve Holman, voice of the Atlanta Hawks
- William S. Knox, US Congressman from March 4, 1895 to March 3, 1903
- Thomas J. Lane, US Congressman from March 4, 1941 to March 3, 1963
- Abbott Lawrence, Founder of Lawrence, MA
- Anna LoPizzo, a striker killed during the Lawrence textile strike
- Robert S. Maloney, US Congressman from March 4, 1921 to March 3, 1923
- Robbie Merill, Godsmack, bassist
- Endicott Peabody, former Governor of Massachusetts (1963-1965)
- Joe Perry, guitarist of Aerosmith
- Gil Reyes, former WBA, Fedecentro Welterweight Champion
- William A. Russell, US Congressman from March 4, 1879 to March 3, 1885
- John K. Tarbox, US Congressman from March 4, 1875 to March 3, 1877 and Mayor of Lawrence from (1873-1875)
- Thelma Todd, actress
- William M. Wood, Co-founder of the American Woolen Company
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Lawrence, Massachusetts is at coordinates Coordinates:
Categories: Settlements established in 1655 | Lawrence, Massachusetts | Cities in Massachusetts | Essex County, Massachusetts | County seats in Massachusetts | Industrial Revolution | Early American Industrial Centers | History of the textile industry | Labor disputes in the United States | United States communities with Hispanic majority populations
