LAWRENCE (ante), a city of Massachusetts and one of the capitals of Essex co., situated on both sides of the Merrimack river, 26 m. n.w. from Boston, and on the Boston and Maine, the Lowell and Lawrence, and the Manchester (N. H.) and Lawrence railroads; pap. '60, 17,639; '70. 28,921; '80, 39,178. The Merrimack at this point has a descent of 26 ft. within the distance of half a mile, affording a water-power of almost unlimited extent—a circumstance which in 1815 led to the selection of the place as a Site for it manufacturing city. Abbott Lawrence, Nathan Appleton. and other wealthy manufacturers of Boston enlisted in the enterprise, and the Essex company was incor porated for the purpose of carrying it into effect. A dam of solid granite, 900 ft. long and 40 ft. high, was thrown across the rapids, and a canal 9J ft. wide and more titan a mile in length constructed for the utilization of the water. These works Oct. 14, 1817, at a cost of $250,000, and in the following February the first wheel was set in motion by water front the canal. A second canal on the side of the river oppo
site the first has been built, and an capital liras been invested in the erectioa of cotton and woolen mills, and in other branches of manufactures. The place was named in honor of the Lawrence family. several of whose members were among the founders. It was incorporated as a town in 1817. and as a city in 1853, since which time its devel opment has been almost unexampled in New England. The amount invested in the cotton manufacture can hardly be less than $7,000.000, while that employed in the manufacture of woolens is probably not much less. The city has more than 20 churches, 2 national and 3 savings banks, 2 daily and 4 weekly newspapers, 60 public schools, a public library of 14,000 volumes, a beautiful park of 17 acres, a court-house, city hall, high school (costing $80,000), music hall, and other public buildings. The assessed value of property in 1875 was $24,117,373. All the mills and most ofthe stores and private houses are lighted with gas.