Lowell Travel Guide

Located at 42°38'22" North, 71°18'53" West (42.639515, -71.314588), in the state of Massachusetts, Lowell is considered by many to be the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution in America.  Lowell is a planned city, named after the famed industrialist Francis Cabot Lowell.  Throughout the city, you can see the history of America's Industrial Revolution commemorated in Lowell. 

Since its early days as an industrial center, Lowell has seen various influxes of immigration.  Early immigrants came from Northern Englan, French Canada, and Ireland.  Later groups came from Poland and Greece, among other central and eastern European countries.  In the past few decades, many people from Southeast Asia (including Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, and Thailand), the Carribean (Puerto Rico, The Dominican Republic, Haiti), and South America (Brazil, Colombia) have settled in Lowell.

Lowell is the birthplace of many famous and influential people.  Likely the most famous is Jack Kerouac, the most prolific author of the Beat Generation.  Other notable figues born in Lowell are actress Bette Davis; boxer "Irish" Mickey Ward; politician and presidential candidate Paul Tsongas; painter James McNeil Whistler; actor Michael Chiklis; and entertainer Ed McMahon.