Lowell City, MA
Lowell, city, and semi-capital of
Middlesex co., Mass., 25 n. N. w. Boston, 444 W., in the
rapidity of its growth, and the extent of its population and
manufactures, is a remarkable place, and well deserves the
appellation. "the Manchester of America." An example of an
equally rapid growth has never else been exhibited in the United
States. It lies on the s. side of the Merrimac, below Pawtucket
falls, and at the junction of Concord r. with the Merrimac. In
1820 it constituted a part of Chelmsford, and the present
territory of Lowell then contained less than 200 inhabitants,
and the valuation of property did not exceed $100,000. In 1826
it was incorporated as a town; and having received a small
addition from Tewksbury, it obtained, in 1836, the charter of a
city. The population in 1830 was 6,474; in 1840, 20,796, showing
an increase in 10 years of 14,322. The assessors' valuation of
property in 1840 was $12,400,000.
The water power at this place is very extensive and easily
available. It is produced by a canal 60 feet wide, 8 feet deep,
and a mile and a half in length, commencing at the head of
Pawtucket falls, and extending to Concord river. By locks at its
outlet into Concord r., it forms a boatable passage around the
falls in the Merrimac. From the main canal, the water is carried
by lateral canals to mills and manufactories, where it is
needed, and is then discharged, either into the Merrimac or the
Concord. The entire fall is 30 feet. Before the project was
entertained of using this water for hydraulic purposes, a canal
existed, made by a corporation created in 1792, for the
transportation of "boats, rafts, and masts around the falls."
About the year 1820, this canal was purchased by a company, who,
under the original charter and name of "Proprietors of locks and
canals on Merrimac river," in 1822 commenced enlarging and
deepening the canal, and putting it in a suitable condition to
supply such manufactories as might be erected. They are the
bottom corporation, or root, of nearly all the manufacturing
establishments in Lowell. They own the Pawtucket canal, which
supplies all the water power, and have purchased all the lands
adjoining the river on both sides of the falls. The company is
landlord and grantor of nearly all the other corporations. They
have an extensive machine shop, of brick, 5 stories high, and
250 feet long; an iron foundry, a saw mill, a planing machine,
with ample workshops, furnaces, and outbuildings. They give
constant employment to the most skillful mechanics, who
manufacture the machinery for the mills, and cars and
locomotives for railroads, which are sent to every part of the
Union. When a new company is formed, it contracts with the
"Proprietors of Locks and Canals," for land and for water power,
sufficient to drive the contemplated number of spindles; for
which an annual rent is paid. They then contract with the
Proprietors to erect the desired number of mills, and to fill
them with machinery ready for running; and to erect counting,
ware, and boarding houses, sufficient for all operatives to be
employed in the mills. For the whole, a gross sum is paid; and
the new company has little concern in the matter, excepting to
see that everything is done according to contract, until the
first mill is ready to run. This arrangement is found
advantageous to both parties. The machine shop can furnish
machinery complete for a mill of 5,000 spindles, in 4 months.
All the mills, ware, counting, and boarding houses, excepting
the boarding houses of the oldest company, are of brick, neatly
and substantially built.
Page 360
Eleven incorporated manufacturing companies in this city, with
an aggregate capital of $10,500,000, are supplied with water by
the Pawtucket canal, from the original company, above named. The
whole number of mills which belong to the 11 corporations,
exclusive of print works, is 32; the number of spindles,
166,044; and 5,183 looms. Females employed, 6,430; males, 2,077.
Very few children are employed, probably not 200, under 15 years
of age. The companies produce 58,263,000 yards of cloth
annually. They consume 19,255,000 pounds of cotton, or 53,340
bales a year. Two companies have print works and dye houses, and
together produce 13,780,000 yards of dyed and printed cloth
annually.
The goods manufactured at Lowell are sheetings, flannels,
drillings, prints, shirtings, negro-cloth, carpets, rugs,
broadcloths, waterproof woolens, and cassimere.
For manufacturing purposes, 200 caldrons of smiths' coal are
consumed in a year; 11,460 tons of anthracite coal; 500,000
bushels of charcoal; 3,510 cords of wood; 3,000 barrels of flour
for starch; 600,000 pounds of starch; 65,289 gallons of oil, of
which 5,000 gallons are olive oil.
Besides the above named companies, there are in the city, the
Lowell Bleachery, with a capital of $50,000; Whitney Mills,
capital $100,000, for the manufacture of milled blankets; and
extensive powder mills, which make superior gunpowder. There are
also various mills and manufactories, owned by individuals. New
companies and manufactories are continually springing up; and
much water power is unimproved.
The average wages of female operatives, exclusive of board, is 2
dollars a week, but some of them earn double that; the males, on
an average, 80 cents a day, exclusive of board. All the
corporations and private companies pay off their hands once a
month, but on different days. The whole amount of wages paid to
operatives in each month is $160,000 an average; a very
considerable portion of which is deposited by the receivers in
the "Lowell Savings Institution."
A railroad from Lowell to Boston, 26 miles, was completed in
1835, which is very thoroughly constructed. Andover Branch
railroad extends from it, 10 miles from the city, and goes to
Dover, New Hampshire. The Lowell and Nashua railroad extends 9
ms. to New Hampshire line. The Merrimac canal leaves the
Merrimac, 2 miles above Lowell, and proceeds to Boston harbor.
Among the literary institutions, the lyceum, for procuring
courses of lectures, and for debate, has existed a number of
years; and more recently, the Lowell Institute has been formed,
for similar purposes. But the most remarkable institution is the
Mechanics' Association, formed by intelligent mechanics, and
incorporated many years ago. They have a costly brick edifice,
called Mechanics' Hall, which has a fine lecture Tom, in which
courses are annually delivered, together with a handsome
library, and an extensive reading room, which is always open,
and a fine mineralogical cabinet.
The citizens of Lowell have taken a great interest in the cause
of education. The whole amount raised in 1840 for schools by
taxation was $17,500. Besides this, the city erected an elegant
edifice for a high school, which cost $28,000; and 2 houses for
grammar schools, which cost together $30,000. There are 29
public free schools. There are 6 grammar schools, besides the
two above mentioned. About one eighth of the population is
Catholic, but they have entered, with spirit, into the business
of education. The whole number of pupils in all the schools is
over 4,000.
There are 2 newspapers in the place, each published tri-weekly;
2 weekly papers from the same offices, and 3 other weekly papers
devoted to religion and literature. A magazine, called "the
Offering," is issued, consisting of original communications,
chiefly by the young ladies in the factories, under the general
superintendence of a clergyman, which is very respectable
There are 15 congregations with settled ministers, and several
others which constantly worship in halls, and the churches are
well attended. It is abundantly proved by this splendid model of
American manufacturing cities, that this employment has no
necessary tendency to depress that intellect, or to corrupt the
morals.
The Lowell Bank, with a capital of $250,000 was chartered in
1828. The Savings Bank was chartered in 1829, and has its office
at the Lowell Bank. The Railroad Bank was chartered in 1831,
with a capital of $800,000, to facilitate the financial affairs
of the manufacturing companies most of which pay their
operatives in its bills.
The territory of Lowell does not exceed 2 ms. square. The Indian
name of it was Wamsit the seat of a tribe of praying Indians, at
the breaking out of Philip's war, in 1765. It was in honor of
Francis C. Lowell, of Boston, distinguished for his efforts to
introduce the cotton manufacture into the United States.
That a place which, 20 years since, had cot "local habitation,
nor a name," should have become the second place in population
in Massachusetts, the fourteenth in the United State; larger
than any city s. of the Potomac, excepts Charleston and New
Orleans, is proof of what manufactures, properly conducted, can
accomplish. Nor have these manufacturers benefited themselves
more than they have promoted public interest. Cottons which, 20
years sine would have cost 30 cents a yard, can now be purchased
for 6 cents; and such establishments as those at Lowell, have
wrought this change.
Page 361
There were in 1840, 191 retail stores, capital $373,300; 5
lumber yards, cap. $19,000; 1 furnace, Cap. $3,500; 4 fulling
m., 8 woolen fac, cap. $551,300; 26 cotton fac. 166,000 sp., 3
dyeing and printing estab., total cap. $8,000,000; 3 powder m.,
cap. $150,000; 1 paper fac, capital $8,000; 1 flouring m., 3
grist m., 1 saw m., cap. $50,000; 2 printing offices, 2
binderies, 3 weekly, 2 semiweekly newspapers, and 1 periodical,
cap. $10,000. Total cap. in manufac. $3,837,460. 7 acad. 1,311
students, 28 sch. 4,306 scholars.
Table of Contents
Source: A Complete Descriptive And
Statistical Gazetteer Of The United States Of America, By Daniel
Haskel, A. M and J. Calvin Smith, Published By Sherman & Smith,
1843
This book is a joint project between
members of AHGP, Paula Franklin, Judy White, Sheryl McClure and
Susan Dorris our finder!
Please Come Back Again!!
|
