Timeline of Lowell, Massachusetts

19th century

1822

Merrimack Manufacturing Company incorporated.

Hugh Cummiskley leads 30 Irishmen up the Middlesex Canal starting in Charleston, Mass to Pawtucket falls in Chelmsford, Ma

1824

St. Anne's Church organized.

Lowell Daily Journal and Courier begins publication.

1825 - Middlesex Mechanic Association, Hamilton Manufacturing Company,and Mechanic Phalanx established.

1826

Town of Lowell established from Chelmsford land.

First Baptist Church and First Universalist Church organized.

Merrimack Journal newspaper in publication.

Central Bridge opens.

1827 - First Methodist Episcopal Church organized.

1828 - Appleton Company, Lowell Bank, and Lowell Manufacturing Company incorporated.

1829

Lowell Institution for Savings incorporated.

Lowell Fire Department established.

1830

Lawrence Manufacturing Company, Middlesex Company, Suffolk Manufacturing Company, and Tremont Mills incorporated.

Appleton Street Church, South Congregational Church, and Worthen Street Baptist Church established.

Town Hall built.

Population: 6,474.

1831

First Roman Catholic Church organized.

Railroad Bank incorporated.

1832 - Lowell Bleachery incorporated.

1833 - Police Court established.

1834

Women's labor strike.

First Freewill Baptist Church organized.

Lowell Advertiser and Lowell Patriot newspapers begin publication.

Lowell Circulating Library in business.

James Abbott McNeill Whistler born.

1835

Boston and Lowell Railroad begins operating.

Boott Cotton Mills incorporated.

1836

City of Lowell incorporated.

Factory Girls' Association, Dispensary, Lowell Temperance Society, and Second Universalist Parish established.

1838

Nashua and Lowell Railroad begins operating.

County jail built.

1839

Massachusetts Cotton Mills incorporated.

Middlesex Horticultural Society and Lowell Medical Association founded.

1840

Hospital Association and Lowell Museum established.

Lowell Offering begins publication.

Population: 20,796.

1841

Lowell Cemetery established.

Vox Populi newspaper begins publication.

1843 - First Wesleyan Methodist Churchand Missionary Association established.

1844 - City Library, Lowell Female Labor Reform Association, and New Jerusalem Swedenborgian Church established.

1845 - Lowell Machine Shop incorporated.

1846

Lowell and Lawrence Railroad incorporated.

Jefferson Bancroft becomes mayor.

1847 - June: U.S. president Polk visits Lowell.

1848 - Francis floodgate and Colburn School built.

1850

Lowell Gas Light Company in business.

Salem and Lowell Railroad begins operating.

Middlesex County Law Library founded.

Court-House built.

Population: 33,383.

1851 - Lowell Daily Citizen newspaper begins publication.

1852 - May: Lajos Kossuth visits Lowell.

1853

Belvidere Woollen Manufacturing Company organized.

St. Patrick's Church and Merrimack Street Depot built.

1856 - Jail built.

1857 - Varnum School built.

1863 - High School Association organized.

1864 - Lowell Horse Railroad begins operating.

1865

United States Bunting Company in business.

Wamesit Power Company incorporated.

1867 - St. John's Hospital and Young Men's Christian Association established.

1868 - Old Franklin Literary Association and Old Residents' Historical Association organized.

1870 - Coggeshall's Circulating Library in business.

1873 - Young Women's Home established.

1875 - Riding Park, and Club Dramatique established.

1876

Moxie beverage invented.

Lowell Art Association founded.

1882 - Butler School built.

1883

Public Library opens.

Yorick Club active.

1887 - Board of Trade established.

1889 - Opera House built.

1890 - Population: 77,696.

1891 - Lowell General Hospital founded.

1893 - Lowell Post Office built.

1894 - Normal School and Middlesex Women's Club founded.

1895 - Middlesex Village School built.

1897 - Lowell Textile School opens.

1898 - Pawtucket Congregational Church built.

20th century

1900 - Gaity Theatre opens.

1902 - Lowell Historical Society incorporated.

1908 - Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church built.

1910 - Population: 106,294.

1911 - Colonial Theatre opens.

1917 - Demoulas Market (grocery) in business.

1918 - International Institute active.

1922 - Lowell Memorial Auditorium built.

1924 - Commodore Ballroom opens.

1925 - Edith Nourse Rogers becomes U.S. representative for Massachusetts's 5th congressional district.

1927 - Victory Theater opens.

1930 - Post Office built.

1937 - Cawley Memorial Stadium built.

1942 - Lowell Ordnance Plant active.

1946 - New England Golden Gloves boxing tournament begins.

1951

WCAP (AM) radio begins broadcasting.

Monarch Diner in business.

1970 - Lowell Community Health Center established.[1]

1974 - Lowell Regional Transit Authority created.

1975

University of Massachusetts Lowell established.

Paul Tsongas becomes U.S. representative for Massachusetts's 5th congressional district.

1976 - Wang Laboratories relocates to Lowell.

1978

Lowell National Historical Park established.

Yorick Club goes bankrupt.

1979

B. Joseph Tully becomes city manager.

Merrimack Regional Theatre active.

1980

Wang headquarters construction begins.

Population: 92,418.

1983 - Lowell Historic Board and Downtown Lowell Historic District established.

1987

Middlesex Community College opens campus in Lowell.

New England Quilt Museum founded.

1989

Glory Buddhist Temple established.

Sister city relationship established with Saint-Dié-des-Vosges, France.

1990

Lowell Folk Festival begins.

Baystate Marathon begins.

1991

Richard Johnson becomes city manager.

University of Massachusetts' Industrial History Center established.

1992 - August: Wang goes bankrupt.

1995

Brian J. Martin becomes city manager.

Chamber of Commerce formed.

1996

Lowell Spinners baseball team founded.

Stoklosa Alumni Field opens.

1997

Showcase Cinema in business.

Merrimack Valley Textile Museum relocated to Lowell.

1998

Edward A. LeLacheur Park and Paul E. Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell open.

Lowell Lock Monsters hockey team formed.

City website online (approximate date).

21st century

2000

John Cox becomes city manager.

String Project (music education) established.

2001

Cultural Organization of Lowell established.

Winterfest begins.

Sister city relationships established with Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, Cambodia.

2006

Bernard Lynch becomes city manager.

Shree Swaminarayan Temple established.

Sister city relationship established with Bryansk, Russia.

2007 - Niki Tsongas becomes U.S. representative for Massachusetts's 5th congressional district.

2010

Patrick O. Murphy becomes mayor.

Sister city relationship established with Winneba, Ghana.

Population: 106,519.

2014

July: Fire.

Kevin Murphy becomes city manager.[2]