Lawrence, Massachusetts, USA
1895 - Lawrence

Lawrence, a city, one of the capitals of Essex co., Mass., on both sides of the Merrimac River, and on several divisions of the Boston & Maine Railroad, 26 miles N. by W. of Boston, and 10 miles N.E. of Lowell. It contains a city hall, a court-house, 31 churches, a high school which cost $80,000, a public library, a theatre, 6 national banks, 3 savings-banks, a masonic temple, large reservoirs for water-supply, a jail, a city prison, public and Catholic hospitals, a Catholic protectory, a convent, and a house of Augustinians. Three daily, 6 weekly, and 3 Sunday newspapers are published here. Near the middle of the city is a public park of 17 acres. The river, which is here nearly 1000 feet wide, falls 28 feet in the course of half a mile, affording immense water-power, which is employed in cotton-mills and other factories. In 1845–47 the Essex Company constructed a solid granite dam, 900 feet long and 40 feet high, across the river, which, in its natural condition, flowed over a bed of rocks. A canal 14 miles long and 90 feet wide conducts the water from the dam to the different mills, and on the S. side of the river there is a similar but shorter canal. Here are the Atlantic Cotton Mills, with a capital of $1,000,000 and 2100 looms, employing 1000 operatives; the Pacific Mills (capital, $2,500,000), which employ about 5600 operatives, and manufacture cotton and worsted goods; the Arlington Mills (capital, $2,000,000), employing 3000 hands on worsteds and cot tons; the Washington Mills '' $2,000,000), employing about 2500 operatives; and the Everett Mills, for cotton and woollen goods, with a capital of $800,000. Lawrence has also large paper-mills, and manufactures of steam engines, boilers, railway-cars, machinery, hardware, carriages, sewing-machines, clothing, hats, belting, &c. The buildings of the Pacific Company are of colossal dimensions and present an imposing appearance: Their principal building is 800 feet long and 6 stories high. They manufacture mousseline-de-laine, calico, shirting, lawn, and alpaca. The Washington Mills produce broadcloth, doe skin, cambric, shawls, and flannel. The assessed value of property for 1892 was $32,527,937. Four bridges cross the river at this place, and the various parts of the city are connected by an electric railway which extends to Methuen, North Andover, and Andover. The city is lighted with and electricity. Lawrence was incorporated as a town in 1847, and as a city in 1853. Pop: in 1860, 17,639; in 1870, 28,921; in 1880, 39,151; in 1890, 44,654

Lippincott's Gazetteer of the World: A Complete Pronouncing Gazetteer Or Geographical Dictionary of the World Containing Notices of Over One Hundred and Twenty-five Thousand Places ... Joseph Thomas January 1, 1895 J.B. Lippincott

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