Lawrence, Massachusetts
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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. It and Salem are the county seats of Essex County[Geographic references#6GR6].
Manufacturing products of the city include electronic equipment, textiles, footwear, paper products, computers, and foodstuffs. Lawrence was, for a while, the residence of American poet Robert Frost, and was where he published his first poem.
History
Europeans first settled in the area in 1640. The site of the city 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 textile mills were unsafe and in 1860 a factory collapsed, killing 88 workers. In 1912 the so-called Bread and Roses strike, one of greatest labor actions in American history, began when textile-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 militia 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 in New England mills. Lawrence was a great wool-processing center until that industry declined in the 1950s. The decline of industry in Lawrence and throughout the Northeast has left Lawrence a struggling city.Geography
Lawrence is located at (42.703741, -71.162979)[Geographic references#1GR1].According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 19.2 km² (7.4 mi²). 18.0 km² (7.0 mi²) of it is land and 1.2 km² (0.4 mi²) of it (6.07%) is water.
Demographics
As of the census[Geographic references#2GR2] of 2000, there were 72,043 people, 24,463 households, and 16,903 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,996.5/km² (10,351.4/mi²). There were 25,601 housing units at an average density of 1,420.2/km² (3,678.4/mi²). 40.29% of 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. The other Hispanic or Latino of any race 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.
Education
Community College
- Northern Essex Community College http://www.necc.mass.edu/
- Cambridge College http://www.cambridgecollege.edu/lawrence/
High schools
- Lawrence High School http://www.lawrencehighschool.org/
- Central Catholic High School http://www.centralcatholic.net/
- Notre Dame High School http://www.ndhslaw.org/
- Greater Lawrence Technical School http://www.glts.tec.ma.us/
Grammar Schools
- Lawrence Public Schools http://www.lawrence.k12.ma.us/
- St Patrick's School http://www.saintpatrickparish.com/html/school.html
- Holy Trinity School http://www.holytrinity.mec.edu/index.htm
- Lawrence Family Development Charter School http://www.lfdcs.org
Famous people from Lawrence
- Robert Frost Poet
- Robert Goulet Actor
- Leonard Bernstein Composer and Conductor
- Thelma Todd Actress
- Susie Castillo, Miss USA 2003 and MTV VJ
- Sully Erna, Musician, (Godsmack lead singer)
- The Campagnone Family, a real-life Saving Private Ryan story
- Joe Perry (musician), guitarist of Aerosmith
External links
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