Lowell is one of the greatest textile manufac turing cities in the United States. It derives immense water-power from the falls of the Merri mac River (32 feet), and that afforded by the Concord is also utilized by several mills, though steam is largely employed in many important plants. The textile establishments include cotton, woolen, worsted, knitting, hosiery, felt, and carpet mills, and bleaching and dyeing works. Other ex tensive manufactures are cartridges, machinery, various kinds of tools, and patent medicines. The government is vested in a mayor, annually elected, who appoints the board of police and, with the consent of the council, the board of health, li brary and cemetery trustees, and registrars of voters; and a bicameral council which controls elections of all other administrative officials ex cept the chief of department of supplies, school committee. and overseers of the poor, all of whom are chosen by popular election. Lowell spends annually, in maintenance and operation, over $1.300,000, the principal items of expendi
ture being about $325,000 for schools. $135,000 for the police department, $120.000 for hospitals, asylums, almshouses, etc.. $115.000 for the tire department, and 885,000 each for municipal light ing and for the water-works. The city owns and operates the water-works, which were built in 1873 at a cost of over $2.850.000, the entire sys tem now comprising 12S miles of mains. Popula tion, in 1830. 6474; in 1850, 33.383: in 1870. 40,928; in 1880, 59.475; in 1890, 77.696; in 1900. 94,969, including 40,974 persons of foreign birth and 136 of negro descent.
Lowell was founded by the 'Merrimac Manufac turing, Company' in 1822. and named after Fran cis C. Lowell (q.v.). The village grew very rapidly from the first. In 1826 it was incor porated as a town and ten years later was char tered as a city. Consult: Illustrated History of Lowell, Massachusetts (Lowell, 1897) Drake, History of Middlesex County (Boston, 1880).