Lowell, Massachusetts is located within Middlesex County. Presently, the population of Lowell City is just over 105,000 people based on the latest census numbers. Lowell is the 4th biggest city in the state of Massachusetts. It is recognized as being the birthplace of the industrial revolution within the USA. A lot of the historic places in Lowell have been preserved by the National Park Service. Both Cambridge and Lowell are the county seats of Middlesex County.
The township of Lowell was originally founded during the early 1820s. It was incorporated as a township in the year 1826 and in 1836 was incorporated as a city. The area was based on the vision of a planned industrial community which was built around the natural power that came from the Merrimack River.
The city got its name from Francis Cabot Lowell, a well-known industrialist who played a major role in the development of the power system and canal within the area. He was likewise influential in the massive mill complex that grew around the city of Lowell, eventually making Lowell among New England's largest cities and one of the largest industrial centers within the country.
The industrial boom in the 19th century allowed for much economic change to occur within the city of Lowell through most of the 20th century. The city of Lowell became at the forefront of a technological boom in the 1980s. Many companies started making plastics, minicomputers, along with computer workstations. The city gained prominence becoming the global head office and home of Wang Laboratories, that was one of the main players of the minicomputer business.
The market changed significantly in the 1990s, due to the arrival of personal computers and microprocessors, the city of Lowell saw a major decline throughout the decade and a steady decline in its economic power. Currently, the city of Lowell is enjoying an upswing once again. It is fueled by a revival of the technology in the area, along with the growth of new service industries. These new revitalizations to the economy within Lowell have brought a fresh new depth to the culture of Lowell City, along with more ethnicity.
Statistics report that around 25 percent of the employees within the city are working within the service sector. Popular industries consist of: tourism, trade, research, electronics, transportation and healthcare. Moreover, the city has a diversified industrial sector together with a prominent number of small businesses.
Some of the jobs are made by companies manufacturing items such as textiles, threads, yarns and textile machinery, electronic printing and publishing, and computer hardware and software. Lowell is home to some famous businesses such as Raytheon, NYNEX, M/A Com and Coca-Cola.
For the area's theatre enthusiasts, the award-winning theatre company referred to as the Merrimack Repertory Theatre provides a lot of dramatic productions. There is also a popular 3-day event held each month of July, referred to as the Lowell Folk Festival takes place. This is the biggest festival of its kind. Attracting many tourists to a celebration of folk entertainment and traditional music, it is the best cultural event within the city of Lowell. 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 such as contemporary bluegrass, folk, pop, big band and Irish music.