City of Worcester
Downtown Worcester, with City Hall at the right
Flag Seal
Nickname: The Heart of the Commonwealth, The City of the Seven Hills, croWtown, Wortown, Wormtown
Location in Worcester County in Massachusetts
Coordinates: 42°16′N 71°48′W / 42.267, -71.8
Country	United States
State	Massachusetts
County	Worcester
Settled	1673
Incorporated (town)	1722
Incorporated (city)	1848
Government
- Type	Council-manager also known as Plan E
- City Manager	Michael V. O'Brien
- Mayor	Konstantina B. Lukes
- City Council	Dennis L. Irish Michael C. Perotto Joseph M. Petty Gary Rosen Kathleen M. Toomey Joffrey A. Smith (D1) Philip P. Palmieri (D2) Paul P. Clancy, Jr. (D3) Barbara G. Haller (D4) Frederick C. Rushton (D5)
Area
- Total	38.6 sq mi (99.9 km²)
- Land	37.6 sq mi (97.3 km²)
- Water	1.0 sq mi (2.6 km²)
Elevation	480 ft (146 m)
Population (2005)
- Total	175,898
- Density	4,678.1/sq mi (1,807.8/km²)
Time zone	Eastern (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	Eastern (UTC-4)
ZIP code	01601–01610, 01612–01615, 01653–01655
Area code(s)	508 / 774
FIPS code	25-82000
GNIS feature ID	0617867
Website: www.ci.worcester.ma.us

Worcester (pronounced IPA: /ˈwʊstər/) is a city in the state of Massachusetts in the United States of America. A 2006 estimate put the population at 175,454, making it the estimated second-largest city^[1] in New England.^[2] It is also the second-largest city in Massachusetts, and the county seat of Worcester County. The city marks the western periphery of the Boston-Worcester-Manchester (MA-RI-NH) Combined Statistical Area (CSA). Being located in central Massachusetts, Worcester is referred to as the "Heart of the Commonwealth." Worcester, pronounced (two syllables - the first syllable has the same vowel sound as wood) is the placename used around the world: Worcester, England, the county town of Worcestershire and home of: Worcester Cathedral Worcestershire sauce (also known as Worcester sauce) The Royal Grammar School Worcester Worcester, Massachusetts Worcester, New York... Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... City seal of Worcester, Massachusetts. ... EXAMPLE:Laughbox,Blondie,BamBam,Pinkie,etc. ... Image File history File links Worcester_ma_highlight. ... This list of countries, arranged alphabetically, gives an overview of countries of the world. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas  US Government Portal      The political units and divisions of the United States include: The 50 states... This article is about the U.S. state. ... Massachusetts counties This is a list of Massachusetts counties, consisting of the 14 Massachusetts counties currently in existence. ... Worcester County is a county located in the state of Massachusetts. ... The council-manager government is one of two main variations of representative municipal government in the United States. ... The council-manager government is one of 2 main variations of representative municipal government (for contrast, also see Mayor-Council government). ... Konstantina B. Lukes, known as Konnie Lukes, is currently serving as the Mayor of Worcester, Massachusetts. ... This article is about the physical quantity. ... A square mile is an English unit of area equal to that of a square with sides each 1 statute mile (≈1,609 m) in length. ... Square kilometre (US spelling: Square kilometer), symbol km², is an SI unit of surface area. ... Elevation histogram of the surface of the Earth – approximately 71% of the Earths surface is covered with water. ... A foot (plural: feet or foot;[1] symbol or abbreviation: ft or, sometimes, ′ – a prime) is a unit of length, in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... This article is about the unit of length. ... Population density per square kilometre by country, 2006 Population density map of the world in 1994. ... Timezone and TimeZone redirect here. ... The Eastern Standard Time Zone is a geographic region that keeps time by subtracting five hours from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). ... -12 | -11 | -10 | -9:30 | -9 | -8 | -7 | -6 | -5 | -4 | -3:30 | -3 | -2:30 | -2 | -1 | -0:25 | UTC (0) | +0:20 | +0:30 | +1 | +2 | +3 | +3:30 | +4 | +4:30 | +4:51 | +5 | +5:30 | +5:40 | +5:45 | +6 | +6:30 | +7 | +7:20 | +7... Although DST is common in Europe and North America, most of the worlds people do not use it. ... The Eastern Standard Time Zone is a geographic region that keeps time by subtracting five hours from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). ... −12 | −11 | −10 | −9:30 | −9 | −8 | −7 | −6 | −5 | −4 | −3:30 | −3 | −2:30 | −2 | −1 | −0:25 | UTC (0) | +0:20 | +0:30 | +1 | +2 | +3 | +3:30 | +4 | +4:30 | +4:51 | +5 | +5:30 | +5:40 | +5:45 | +6 | +6:30 | +7 | +7:20 | +7... Area code 508 was split from area code 617 on July 16, 1988. ... Area code 774 is an overlay of parts of area code 508. ... Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) are publicly announced standards developed by the U.S. Federal government for use by all (non-military) government agencies and by government contractors. ... GNIS (The Geographic Names Information System) contains name and locative information about almost two million physical and cultural features located throughout the United States of America and its Territories. ... For other uses, see City (disambiguation). ... Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas  US Government Portal      A U.S. state is any one of the fifty subnational entities of... This article is about the U.S. state. ... This article is about the region in the United States of America. ... Worcester County is a county located in the state of Massachusetts. ... The United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB) defines micropolitan and metropolitan statistical areas. ...

History

See also: Worcester, Massachusetts Firsts

The Pakachoag tribe of the Nipmuc nation of Native Americans were the indigenous settlers of Quinsigamond, now known as Worcester. For the Pakachoag, Worcester's Lake Quinsigamond offered fine hunting and fishing grounds a short distance from their main village near a spring on Pakachoag Hill in what is now Auburn. Mt. Wachusett was their sacred space. Worcester resident Harvey Balls iconic smiley face The Declaration of Independence was first publicly read in Massachusetts by Isaiah Thomas in Worcester in July 1776. ... Nipmuck emblem The Nipmuck are an aboriginal North American people, belonging to the family of Algonquian peoples, currently living in and around the Chaubunagungamaug Reservation of Webster, Massachusetts. ... This article is about the people indigenous to the United States. ... Auburn is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. ...

Worcester was first settled by the English in 1673, but the modest settlement of 6 or 7 houses was burned to the ground during King Philip's War on December 2, 1675 and the English settlers were either killed or driven off; it was subsequently resettled and was incorporated in 1684. On September 10 of that year, Daniel Gookin petitioned to have the town's name officially changed from "Quinsigamond" to "Worcester." However, its inhabitants were still vulnerable to attack, and some such as Samuel Lenorson Jr. were taken hostage by natives during the 1690s; and when Queen Anne's war started in 1702, the town was again abandoned by all its English inhabitants except for Diggory Sargent, who was later tomahawked, as was his wife who was too weak to make the journey on foot to Canada; their children were taken to Canada and survived. Attack King Philips War, sometimes called Metacoms War or Metacoms Rebellion,[1] was an armed conflict between Indian inhabitants of present-day southern New England and English colonists and their Indian allies from 1675 – 1676. ...

In 1713 Worcester was re-settled for the third and final time by Jonas Rice, whose farm was located atop Union Hill. From this point forward, the community was permanently settled. Named after the historic city of Worcester, UK, Worcester [= War + cester camp] was incorporated as a town in 1722 and chartered as a city in 1848.^[3] When the government of Worcester County was established on April 2, 1731, Worcester was chosen as its shire town (later known as a county seat). From that date until the dissolution of the county government on July 1, 1998, it was the only county seat. This article is about the city of Worcester in England. ... is the 92nd day of the year (93rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events 10 Downing Street becomes the official residence of the United Kingdoms Prime Minister when Robert Walpole moves in. ... A county seat is a term for an administrative center for a county, primarily used in the United States. ... is the 182nd day of the year (183rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ...

As political tensions rose in the months before the American Revolution, Worcester served as a center of revolutionary activity. Because it was an important munitions depot, Worcester was targeted for attack by Loyalist general Thomas Gage. However, officers sent secretly to inspect the munitions depot were discovered by Patriot Timothy Bigelow. General Gage then decided to move on to the second munitions depot, in Lexington. In 1775 determining that Boston was too dangerous, Isaiah Thomas moved his newspaper, the Massachusetts Spy, to Worcester. The Massachusetts Spy was one of the few papers published continuously during the Revolution. On July 14, 1776, Isaiah Thomas, intercepting the packet from Philadelphia to Boston, performed the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence ever. In 1812, Thomas founded the American Antiquarian Society, a research library holding nearly two thirds of the items known to have been printed in America from 1639, through 1820. The Society's holdings from 1821 to 1876 compare favorably with those of the Library of Congress and other major research libraries. John Trumbulls Declaration of Independence, showing the five-man committee in charge of drafting the Declaration in 1776 as it presents its work to the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia The American Revolution refers to the period during the last half of the 18th century in which the Thirteen... Britannia gives a heros welcome to returning American Loyalists. ... Sir Thomas Gage (1719 – April 2, 1787) was a British general and commander in chief of the North American forces from 1763 to 1775 during the early days of the American Revolution. ... This article concerns Patriots in the American Revolutionary War. ... Location in Middlesex County in Massachusetts Coordinates: , Country State County Middlesex Settled 1642 Incorporated 1713 Government  - Type Representative town meeting Area  - Total 16. ... Isaiah Thomas (1749-1831) was an American publisher and author. ... The history of American newspapers spans the history of the United States from 1700 till today. ...

In 1778, a scandal unfolded in Worcester: 32-year-old Bathsheba Spooner arranged the murder of her husband by three Revolutionary soldiers. The first woman executed in the new American republic, Spooner was hanged by a community that was fearful of civil disorder. Trapped in an abusive marriage, she declared on the scaffold that she "justly died; that she hoped to see her Christian friends she left behind her, in Heaven, but that none of them might go there in the ignominious manner that she did." Her father, Timothy Ruggles of Hardwick, arranged her unhappy marriage, and continues to be honored as a Revolutionary War hero.

Dodge Park Gazebo

Known for innovation in commerce, industry, education, and social thought, Worcester and the nearby Blackstone Valley claim their historic role as the birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution. Ichabod Washburn, an early industrialist, developed a process for extruding steel wire. His company, Washburn & Moen, founded in 1831, was "the company that 'barbed-wire fenced the American West,'" ^[4] and held the battle lines during the First World War. In 1840, Loring Coes invented the monkey wrench. In the 1850s, George Crompton and LJ & FB Knowles founded companies that manufactured the textile looms that fueled the Industrial Revolution. Another Worcester innovator, physician Russel Howes, invented the first envelope folding machine in 1856. His machine could produce 25,000 envelopes in ten hours, using three operators. A view of Dodge Park in Worcester, MA from Randolph St. ... A view of Dodge Park in Worcester, MA from Randolph St. ... The Blackstone Valley or Blackstone River Valley is a region of Massachusetts and Rhode Island. ...

Women found economic opportunity in Worcester. An early female entrepreneur, Esther Howland designed and manufactured the first American valentine cards in 1847. Women also found opportunity in The Royal Worcester Corset Factory, a company that provided employment opportunity for 1200 women; it was the largest employer of women in the United States in 1908^[5].

Many Irish immigrants settled in Worcester during this period. They helped build the railroad and the Blackstone Canal, further driving Worcester's economic engine. The Blackstone Valley or Blackstone River Valley is a region of Massachusetts and Rhode Island. ...

An innovative form of affordable housing appeared in the nineteenth century: the three decker. Hundreds of these houses were built, affording spacious, comfortable apartments for a homeowner and two tenants. Many extended families settled in these houses, developing strong, safe, and stable neighborhoods for the city's factory workers. Ships of the line were 1st, 2nd, or 3rd-rated ships in the rating system of the Royal Navy. ...

Two entrepreneurs in particular brought growth to Worcester's economy during this period. John Jeppson, a skilled potter, emigrated from Hoganas, Sweden to Worcester in search of a better life. In Worcester he founded Norton Company, now the world's largest manufacturer and supplier of performance engineered abrasives for technical manufacturing and commercial applications as well as general household and automotive refinishing. Jeppson created economic opportunity for the thousands of his countrymen who followed him to Worcester and for others, as well.

Another innovator was Charles Palmer, who received the first patent (1891) for a lunch wagon, or diner. He built his "fancy night cafes" and "night lunch wagons" in the Worcester area until 1901. After building a lunch wagon for himself in 1888, Thomas Buckley decided to manufacture lunch wagons in Worcester. Buckley was very successful and became known for his "White House Cafe" wagons. In 1906 Philip Duprey and Irving Stoddard established The Worcester Lunch Car Company, which shipped 'diners' all over the Eastern Seaboard.

On September 21, 1938, the city was hit by the brutal New England Hurricane of 1938. Fifteen years later, Worcester was hit by a tornado that killed 94 people. The deadliest tornado in New England history, it damaged a large part of the city and surrounding towns. It struck Assumption Preparatory School, now the site of Quinsigamond Community College. Lowest pressure 938 mbar (hPa; 27. ... The Flint-Worcester Tornadoes were two tornadoes, one occurring in Flint, Michigan on June 8, 1953, the other in Worcester, Massachusetts on June 9, 1953. ... Quinsigamond Community College (colloq: QCC, Quinsig) is a public, two-year academic institution located in Worcester, Massachusetts. ...

A human tragedy unfolded in December 1999 with the Worcester Cold Storage Fire. Two derelicts, deemed mentally ill, accidentally knocked over a lit candle in an abandoned cold storage warehouse and fled the scene. Under the belief that the two were trapped inside, firefighters entered the building. Ultimately all six firefighters lost their lives. The tragedy received national attention, with then President Bill Clinton, vice-president Al Gore, and the area congressional and state political delegations attending services. The Worcester Cold Storage Warehouse fire was a fire that occurred on December 3, 1999 in Worcester, Massachusetts in the United States. ... William Jefferson Bill Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III[1] on August 19, 1946) was the 42nd President of the United States, serving from 1993 to 2001. ... This article is about the former Vice President of the United States. ...

Geography

Worcester Massachusetts and the surrounding area

Worcester is located at 42°16′8″N, 71°48′14″W (42.268843, -71.803774).^GR1 According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 99.9 km² (38.6 mi²). 97.3 km² (37.6 mi²) of it is land and 2.6 km² (1.0 mi²) of it (2.59%) is water. Worcester is bordered by the towns of Auburn, Grafton, Holden, Leicester, Millbury, Paxton, Shrewsbury, and West Boylston. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (2272x1704, 1971 KB)Description: Worcester Massachusetts And The Surrounding Area. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (2272x1704, 1971 KB)Description: Worcester Massachusetts And The Surrounding Area. ... The United States Census Bureau (officially Bureau of the Census as defined in Title ) is a part of the United States Department of Commerce. ... A square metre (US spelling: square meter) is by definition the area enclosed by a square with sides each 1 metre long. ... A square mile is an English unit of area equal to that of a square with sides each 1 statute mile (≈1,609 m) in length. ... Auburn is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. ...   Grafton is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. ... Holden is a town located in Worcester County, Massachusetts. ...   Leicester (pronounced ) is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. ...   Millbury is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. ...   Paxton is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. ... Location in Worcester County in Massachusetts Coordinates: , Country State County Worcester County Settled 1722 Incorporated 1727 Government  - Type Representative town meeting  - Town    Manager Daniel J. Morgado  - Board of    Selectmen Bruce Card Maurice DePalo Moira Miller John Lebeaux James A. McCaffrey Area  - Town  21. ... West Boylston is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. ...

The Blackstone River passes through Worcester, but is almost completely covered as it passes through. Water Street and the appearance of the river just south of the city are the only indications of its existence. There are seven very steep hills that distinguish its topography: Airport Hill, Bancroft Hill, Belmont Hill (Bell Hill), Grafton Hill, Green Hill, Pakachoag Hill and Vernon Hill. Lake Quinsigamond, on its eastern border, is frequently the site of rowing competitions. The Blackstone Valley or Blackstone River Valley is a region of Massachusetts and Rhode Island. ... Grafton Hill refers to one of the seven hills of Worcester, Massachusetts, the second largest city in New England. ... Lake Quinsigamond (also Long Pond) is a body of water situated between the city of Worcester and the town of Shrewsbury in Worcester County, Massachusetts, USA. It is 4 miles (6 km) long, between 50 and 85 feet (15 and 26 m) deep, and has a surface area of approximately... A coxless pair which is a sweep-oar boat. ...

Worcester counts within its borders over 1,200 acres (5 km²) of publicly owned property. Elm Park, purchased in 1854 and laid out by Frederick Law Olmsted, was not only the first public park in the city (after the 8 acre (32,000 m²) City Common from 1669) but also one of the first of its kind in the U.S. Both the City Common and Elm Park are listed in the National Register of Historic Places.^[6] In 1903 the Green family donated the 549 acres (2.2 km²) of Green Hill area land to the city, making Green Hill Park the largest in the city. In June 2002, city and state leaders dedicated the state's Vietnam Veterans Memorial on the Green Hill Park grounds. {{Infobox Person | name = | image = FLOlmstead. ... A typical plaque showing entry on the National Register of Historic Places. ...

Demographics

Successive waves of immigrants have formed coherent ethnic enclaves, the remnants of which survive today. Swedes settled in Quinsigamond Village and Greendale, Italians settled along Shrewsbury Street, Irish and Polish settled around Kelly Square, and Jews built their first synagogue on Grafton Hill. The African-American community has existed since colonial times. Since the late 1800s, Grafton Hill has been a point of entry for immigrants from all over the world: Irish, Italians, Lithuanians, Puerto Ricans, French Canadians, and more recently, Albanians and Brazilians. Other prominent groups include Russians, Armenians, Syrians, Lebanese, Greeks, Vietnamese, Liberians, and Congolese. Each successive group has been helped to integrate into the city's life by settlement houses such as Friendly House, a community-based, human services organization that traces its roots to the settlement house movement of the late 19th century. The Sixth Census of the United States, conducted by the Bureau of the Census, determined the resident population of the United States to be 17,069,453 — an increase of 32. ... The Seventh Census of the United States, conducted by the Bureau of the Census, determined the resident population of the United States to be 23,191,876 — an increase of 35. ... The United States Census of 1860 was the eighth Census conducted in the United States. ... The Ninth United States Census was taken in 1870. ... 1880 US Census The United States Census of 1880 was the tenth United States Census. ... The Eleventh United States Census was taken June 1, 1890. ... 1900 US Census The Twelfth United States Census, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States to be 76,212,168, an increase of 21. ... The Thirteenth United States Census was taken in 1910. ... The Fourteenth United States Census was taken in 1920. ... The Fifteenth United States Census was taken in 1930. ... The Sixteenth United States Census, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States to be 132,164,569, an increase of 7. ... The Seventeenth United States Census was taken in 1950. ... The Eighteenth United States Census was taken in 1960. ... The Nineteenth United States Census was taken in 1970. ... The Twentieth United States Census, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States to be 226,545,805, an increase of 11. ... The Twenty-first United States Census, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States to be 248,709,873, an increase of 9. ... 2000 US Census logo The Twenty-Second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13. ...

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 172,648 people, 67,028 households, and 39,211 families residing in the city, making it the second largest city by population in Massachusetts, behind Boston. The population density was 1,774.8/km² (4,596.5/mi²). There were 70,723 housing units at an average density of 727.0/km² (1,882.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 77.11% White, 6.89% African American, 0.45% Native American, 4.87% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 7.24% from other races, and 3.39% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 15.15% of the population. Image:1870 census Lindauer Weber 01. ... Boston redirects here. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ... It has been suggested that Ethnicity (United States Census) be merged into this article or section. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ...

Worcester skyline from Queen Street

There were 67,028 households out of which 29.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.3% were married couples living together, 15.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.5% were non-families. 33.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 3.11. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1280 × 960 pixel, file size: 311 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg)uploaded by the author. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1280 × 960 pixel, file size: 311 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg)uploaded by the author. ... Matrimony redirects here. ...

The population is spread out with 23.6% under the age of 18, 13.3% from 18 to 24, 30.3% from 25 to 44, 18.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 92.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.7 males.

The median household income is $35,623, and the median family income is $42,988. Males had a median income of $36,190 versus $28,522 for females. The per capita income is $18,614. About 14.1% of families and 17.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.6% of those under age 18 and 11.6% of those age 65 or over. Of the city's population over 25, 76.7% are high school graduates and 23.3% have a bachelor's degree. The per capita income for a group of people may be defined as their total personal income, divided by the total population. ... Map of countries showing percentage of population who have an income below the national poverty line The poverty line is the level of income below which one cannot afford to purchase all the resources one requires to live. ...

Climate

Worcester experiences a continental climate that is very common in New England. The weather, like much of New England, changes rapidly. Summers are typically warm and humid, while winters are cold, windy and snowy. It has been known to snow as early as September and as late as May. The USDA rates the city at Zone 5 for growing plants. Regions containing a continental climate exist in portions of Northern Hemisphere continents, and also at higher elevations in certain other parts of the world. ... This article is about the region in the United States of America. ... “USDA” redirects here. ...

The hottest month is July, with an average high of 79 °F (26 °C) and a low of 61 °F (16 °C). The coldest month is January, with an average high of 32 °F (0 °C) and a low of 16 °F (-8 °C). Periods exceeding 90 °F in summer and below 10 °F in winter are not uncommon, but rarely prolonged. The record high temperature is 99 °F (37 °C), recorded in the summer of 1953.^[7] The record low temperature is -13 °F (-25 °C), recorded the winter of 1976.^[8] For other uses, see Fahrenheit (disambiguation). ... Celsius is, or relates to, the Celsius temperature scale (previously known as the centigrade scale). ...

The city averages 47.3 in (1,200 mm) of precipitation a year, including averaging 68 in (172 cm) of snowfall a season, receiving more snow than coastal locations less than 40 miles (64 km) away. Massachusetts' geographic location's jutting out into the North Atlantic also make the city very prone to Nor'easter weather systems that can dump more than 20 in (50 cm) of snow on the region in one storm event. An inch (plural: inches; symbol or abbreviation: in or, sometimes, ″ - a double prime) is the name of a unit of length in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... A millimetre (American spelling: millimeter), symbol mm is an SI unit of length that is equal to one thousandth of a metre. ... cm redirects here, alternate uses: cm (disambiguation) A centimetre (symbol cm; American spelling: centimeter) is an SI unit of length. ... For other uses, see Atlantic (disambiguation) The Atlantic Ocean is Earths second-largest ocean, covering approximately one-fifth of its surface. ... Satellite image of the intense noreaster responsible for the North American blizzard of 2006. ...

Government

See also: List of Mayors of Worcester, Massachusetts

Worcester is governed by a Council-manager government with a popularly elected mayor. A city council acts as the legislative body, and the council-appointed manager handles the traditional day-to-day chief executive functions. Categories: | | ... The council-manager government is one of two main variations of representative municipal government in the United States. ... A mayor (from the Latin māior, meaning larger, greater) is the modern title of the highest ranking municipal officer. ... A city council is the most common style of legislative government in a city or town. ...

City councilors can run as either a representative of a city district or as an at-large candidate. The winning at-large candidate who receives the greatest number of votes for mayor becomes the mayor (at large councilor candidates must ask to be removed from the ballot for mayor if they do not want to be listed on the mayoral ballot). As a result, voters must vote for their mayoral candidate twice, once as an at large councilor, and once as the mayor. The mayor has no more authority than other city councilors, but is the ceremonial head of the city and chair of the city council. Currently, there are 11 councilors: 6 at-large and 5 district.

Worcester's first charter, which went into effect in 1848, established a Mayor/Bicameral form of government. Together, the two chambers — the 11-member Board of Aldermen and the 30-member Common Council — were vested with complete legislative powers. The mayor handled all administrative departments, though appointments to those departments had to be approved by the two-chamber City Council. It has been suggested that this article be split into multiple articles accessible from a disambiguation page. ... This article is about bicameralism in government. ... An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions. ...

Seeking to replace the old outdated charter, Worcester voters in November 1947 approved of a change to Plan E municipal government. In effect from January 1949 until November 1985, this charter (as outlined in chapter 43 of the Massachusetts General Laws) established City Council/City Manager government. This type of governance, with modifications, has survived to the present day.

Initially, Plan E government in Worcester was organized as a 9-member council (all at-large), a ceremonial mayor elected from the council by the councilors, and a council-appointed city manager. The manager oversees the daily administration of the city, makes all appointments to city offices, and can be removed at any time by a majority vote of the Council. The mayor chairs the city council and the school committee, and does not have the power to veto any vote.^[10]

In 1983, Worcester voters again decided to change the city charter. This "Home Rule" charter (named for the method of adoption of the charter) is similar to Plan E, the major changes being to the structure of the council and the election of the mayor. The 9-member Council became 11, 6 At-Large and 1 from each city district. The mayor is chosen by popular election, but must run as an At-Large Councilor.

Worcester County is a county located in the state of Massachusetts. ... A court clerk or clerk of the court is an occupation whose responsibilities include maintaining the records of a court. ... Look up Treasurer in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A district attorney is, in some U.S. jurisdictions, the title of the local public official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminals. ... Recorder of deeds refers to the government office tasked with maintaining a record of real estate ownership, as well as other deeds that provide persons other than the owner of a property with real rights over that property. ... Probate is the legal process of settling the estate of a deceased person; specifically, resolving all claims and distributing the decedents property. ... Look up Sheriff in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the bicameral state legislature of Massachusetts. ... The Massachusetts Senate is the upper house of the Massachusetts General Court, the bicameral state legislature of Massachusetts. ... The Governors Council (also known as the Executive Council) of Massachusetts is a popularly-elected board which oversees judicial nominations. ... Type Bicameral Speaker of the House of Representatives House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi, (D) since January 4, 2007 Steny Hoyer, (D) since January 4, 2007 House Minority Leader John Boehner, (R) since January 4, 2007 Members 435 plus 4 Delegates and 1 Resident Commissioner Political groups Democratic Party Republican Party... For other persons named Jim McGovern, see Jim McGovern (disambiguation). ... Massachusetts Congressional District 3 is a congessional district in central Massachusetts. ... The United States Senate is the upper house of the U.S. Congress, smaller than the United States House of Representatives. ... For other persons named Ted Kennedy, see Ted Kennedy (disambiguation). ... John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is the junior United States Senator from Massachusetts, in his fourth term of office. ...

Politics

Worcester's social progressivism includes a number of temperance and abolitionist movements. A cartoon from Australia ca. ... This article is about the abolition of slavery. ...

The city was a leader in the women's suffrage movement: the first national convention advocating women's rights was held from October 23-24, 1850.^[11] The term womens suffrage refers to an economic and political reform movement aimed at extending suffrage — the right to vote — to women. ... is the 296th day of the year (297th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 297th day of the year (298th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the game, see: 1850 (board game) 1850 (MDCCCL) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday [1] of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ...

The American Red Cross was established on May 21, 1881 by Worcester County native Clara Barton, the first president of the organization.

Two of the nation’s most radical (and often despised) abolitionists, Abby Kelley Foster and her husband Stephen S. Foster, adopted Worcester as their home, as did Thomas Wentworth Higginson, the editor of The Atlantic Monthly and Emily Dickinson's avuncular correspondent, and Unitarian minister Rev. Edward Everett Hale.

The area was already home to Lucy Stone, Eli Thayer, and Samuel May, Jr. They were joined in their political activities by networks of related Quaker families such as the Earles and the Chases, whose organizing efforts were crucial to the anti-slavery cause in central Massachusetts and throughout New England.

Anarchist Emma Goldman and two others opened an ice cream shop in 1892. "It was spring and not yet warm," Goldman later wrote, "but the coffee I brewed, our sandwiches, and dainty dishes were beginning to be appreciated. Within a short time we were able to invest in a soda-water fountain and some lovely coloured dishes."

On October 19,1924, the largest gathering of the Ku Klux Klan ever held in New England took place at the Agricultural Fairgrounds in Worcester. Klansmen in sheets and hoods, new Knights awaiting a mass induction ceremony, and supporters swelled the crowd to 15,000. The KKK had hired more than 400 "husky guards," but when the rally ended around midnight, a riot broke out. Klansmen's cars were stoned, burned, and windows smashed. KKK members were pulled from their cars and beaten. Klansmen called for police protection, but the situation raged out of control for most of the night. The violence after the "Klanvocation" had the desired effect. Membership fell off, and no further public Klan meetings were held in Worcester.

Sixties Radical Abbie Hoffman was born in Worcester in 1936 and spent more than half of his life there. Until he was 30, Worcester was the center of his universe; when he moved to New York in 1966, Worcester remained a haven. Even during his years as a fugitive, he would slip back into town and gather with old friends at his favorite restaurant, El Morocco. Raskin explains that "Worcester provided him with his view of society and his way of dealing with the world."

Robert Waring Stoddard, former CEO of Wyman Gordon Corporation and publisher of the Worcester Telegram and Gazette, was a prominent member of the John Birch Society. The John Birch Society is a conservative American exceptionalist organization founded in 1958 to fight what it saw as growing threats to the Constitution of the United States, especially a suspected communist infiltration of the United States government, and to support free enterprise. ...

Economy

Postcard view of Lincoln Square in the city (undated)

Historically, Worcester's economic roots were tied to the Blackstone River. Textiles, shoes, and finished clothing were some of the first industries in the city. A second wave of manufacturing facilities soon came on the scene to further develop Worcester into a manufacturing center. Wire and machinery were the strengths of this economic cycle. Image File history File links LincolnSquareWorcesterMApostcard. ... Image File history File links LincolnSquareWorcesterMApostcard. ... The Blackstone River begins in central Massachusetts and travels through Rhode Island until emptying into Narragansett Bay which connects to the Atlantic Ocean. ...

Today, Worcester has a diversified economy. The largest employer is the University of Massachusetts Medical School. The adjacent biotech park is host to many innovative companies, including Advanced Cell Technology, which focuses on the development of effective methods to generate replacement cells from stem cells, and Abbott Laboratories, a leading pharmaceutical research and manufacturing firm. The University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS) is one of five campuses of the University of Massachusetts (UMass) system and is home to three schools: the #School of Medicine, the #Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, the #Graduate School of Nursing; a thriving #biomedical research enterprise; and a range of #public... Abbott Laboratories (NYSE: ABT) is a diversified pharmaceuticals and health care company. ...

Morgan Construction, a manufacturer of steel rolling mills, has their headquarters in Worcester. Wright Line, a manufacturer of consoles and other workstations for 911/emergency operations centers, server enclosures and racks for data centers, office and computer lab furniture, is also headquartered in the city. Saint-Gobain has a substantial presence in Worcester following its 1993 purchase of the Norton Abrasives, a 100+ year old manufacturer of abrasives, ceramics, and specialty materials. Polar Beverages is also located in the city. St. ... Norton Abrasives of Worcester, Massachusetts is the worlds largest manufacturer and supplier of abrasives for commercial applications, household, and automotive refinishing usage. ... Polar Beverages, founded in 1916, is the largest independent soft drink bottling company in the United States and is based in Worcester, Massachusetts. ...

In the financial sector, Hanover Insurance maintains their national headquarters in the city. A subsidiary of Unum (formerly UnumProvident), the Paul Revere Life Insurance Company, is also headquartered in Worcester as is the Harleysville Worcester Insurance Company, the oldest insurance company based in Massachusetts. Unum or UNM NYSE: UNM is a Chattanooga, Tennessee based insurance company previously named UnumProvident, which was formed from the merger of two competing insurance companies, Unum of Portland, Maine and Provident of Chattanooga, TN. It is currently the largest disability insurance company worldwide. ...

David Clark Company pioneered aeronautical protective equipment since 1941, ranging from anti-gravity suits to space suits. Innovations include full-pressure suits for X-15 test pilots flying to record speeds and altitudes and the spacesuit worn by all Apollo astronauts on lunar missions. The company produces suit worn by modern space shuttle astronauts.

The Worcester Foundation for Experimental Biology is best known for the development of the oral contraceptive pill (1951) and for pioneering research on in vitro fertilization. The first American conceived by this method (1981), Elizabeth Jordan Carr, lived in nearby Westminster. The Worcester Foundation for Experimental Biology is a now-defunct research center where the birth control pill was developed by Gregory Pincas and Min Chueh Chang. ... Elizabeth Jordan Carr (born 28 December 1981) was the United States first baby born from the in-vitro fertilization procedure. ...

Education

Primary and secondary education

Worcester's Public Schools educate of more than 23,000 students in Kindergarten through 12th grade.^[12] The system consists of 33 elementary schools, 4 middle schools, 7 high schools,^[13] and 13 other learning centers such as magnet schools, alternative schools, and special education schools. The city's public school system also administers an adult education component called "Night Life", and operates a cable accessible television station, Channel 11. For other uses, see Kindergarten (disambiguation). ... Primary or elementary education is the first years of formal, structured education that occurs during childhood. ... Middle school and junior high school cover a period of education that straddles primary education and secondary education and serve as a bridge between them. ... High school, or secondary school, is the last segment of compulsory education in Hong Kong, United States, Australia, Canada, China, Korea and Japan. ... In the U.S. system of education, a magnet school is a public school that draws students interested in specific subjects such as academics or the arts, from the surrounding region (typically a school district or a county or region-wide group of school districts). ... In education, the phrase alternative school usually refers to a school based on a non-traditional, new, or non-standard educational philosophy. ... This article is about educating students with disabilities or behavioral problems. ...

Twenty-one private and parochial schools are also found throughout the city including Worcester Academy, founded in 1837 and Bancroft School, founded in 1900. A parochial school is a type of private school which engages in religious education in addition to conventional education. ... Worcester Academy is an independent coeducational preparatory school spread over 67 acres in Worcester, Massachusetts in the United States. ... The Bancroft School of Worcester, Massachusetts, founded in 1901 is a co_educational K through 12 private school. ...

Higher education

Boynton Hall at Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Jonas Clark building at Clark University

Worcester is home to eleven colleges and universities: Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1024x768, 392 KB)[edit] Summary [edit] Licensing I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1024x768, 392 KB)[edit] Summary [edit] Licensing I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2048 × 1536 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2048 × 1536 pixel, file size: 1. ...

-The oldest, founded in 1843, is the Jesuit College of the Holy Cross, the oldest Roman Catholic college in New England and one of the oldest in the United States. In 2007, the College of the Holy Cross was ranked by U.S. News and World Report as the nation's thirty-second highest rated liberal arts college^[14]. Not to be confused with Holy Cross College (Indiana) or other similarly named Holy Cross Colleges. ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... Not to be confused with Holy Cross College (Indiana) or other similarly named Holy Cross Colleges. ... U.S. News & World Report is a weekly newsmagazine. ... A liberal arts college is an institution of higher education found in the United States, offering programs in the liberal arts at the post-secondary level. ...

-Worcester Polytechnic Institute (1865) is an innovative leader in engineering education and partnering with local biotechnology industries. Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) is a private university located in Worcester, Massachusetts, in the United States. ...

-Clark University, founded in 1887, has historic strengths in psychology and geography. Well-known professors include Albert A. Michelson, who won the first American Nobel Prize in 1902 for his measurement of light, Robert Goddard, the father of the space age, and G. Stanley Hall from Clark University, the founder of organized psychology as a science and profession, the father of the child study movement, and the founder of the American Psychological Association. Clark offers the only program in the country leading to a Ph.D. in Holocaust History and Genocide Studies. Statue at the center of campus of Sigmund Freud, commemorating his 1909 visit to the University Front Entrance to Clark Universitys Jonas Clark Hall, the main academic facility for undergraduate students For the university in Atlanta, see Clark Atlanta University. ... Albert Abraham Michelson. ... Robert Goddard is the name of several notable individuals, including: Robert Goddard (scientist) (1882-1945), one of the pioneers of modern rocketry. ... Granville Stanley Hall, circa 1910. ...

-The University of Massachusetts Medical School (1970) is one of the nation's top 50 medical schools. Dr. Craig Mello won the 2006 Nobel Prize for Medicine. The University of Massachusetts Medical School is ranked fourth in primary care education among America's 125 medical schools in the 2006 U.S. News & World Report annual guide "America’s Best Graduate Schools."^[15] The University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS) is one of five campuses of the University of Massachusetts (UMass) system and is home to three schools: the #School of Medicine, the #Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, the #Graduate School of Nursing; a thriving #biomedical research enterprise; and a range of #public... U.S. News & World Report is a weekly newsmagazine. ...

-Tufts University Veterinary School (Grafton) is part of the Greater Worcester educational community.

-The Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences - Worcester Campus. Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS) is an accredited [2] private institution providing traditional and non-traditional programs of study focusing on vocational education of pharmacy and areas of the health sciences. ...

-At 175-acres, the largest college in Worcester is Assumption College, which is also the 4th oldest Roman Catholic college in New England, founded in 1904. This article is about the college in Worcester, Massachusetts, USA. For other colleges of the same name see Assumption College (disambiguation) Assumption College is a private, Catholic, liberal arts college located on 175 acres (708,000 m²) in Worcester, Massachusetts. ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ...

-Worcester State College and Gold Home page worcester. ...

-Anna Maria College

-Salter

-Quinsigamond Community College. Quinsigamond Community College (colloq: QCC, Quinsig) is a public, two-year academic institution located in Worcester, Massachusetts. ...

An early educational institution, the Oread Institute, closed in 1934. The Oread Institute, founded in Worcester, Massachusetts in 1849 by Eli Thayer, was the first all-female college in the United States, and only the second college to admit women (the first being Oberlin). ...

Many of these institutions participate in the Colleges of Worcester Consortium. This independent non-profit collegiate association operates and facilitates cooperation among the colleges and universities. One example is its inter-college shuttle bus and student cross registration. The consortium includes all academic institutions in Worcester County, whether within or outside the city boundaries. Worcester County is a county located in the state of Massachusetts. ...

• The Worcester Center for Crafts was founded in 1856 as the Worcester Employment Society. Originally, the Center forged a tradition for economic empowerment by teaching immigrants the skills needed to create and sell crafts. Today, The Worcester Center for Crafts offers craft education in weaving, metalwork, woodwork, enameling, jewelry-making, and other crafts, and seeks to promote an appreciation for fine craft.

Culture

The Burnside Fountain

Worcester is home to several noteworthy libraries and museums, including a national library, the American Antiquarian Society; a museum that features the largest collection of medieval armor in the New World --the Higgins Armory Museum; a world-class art musem, the Worcester Art Museum; the science-focused