Worcester, Massachusetts

Worcester is a city in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States of America. A 2004 estimate put the population at 175,966. In terms of population, Worcester is the third-largest city in New England, behind Boston and Providence, Rhode Island. Worcester is the second-largest city in Massachusetts, and the county seat of Worcester County.

The city and its surrounding region are the fastest growing areas in the state. Nevertheless, downtown Worcester has suffered from the trend toward urban sprawl, as some of its business activity has been lured away by shopping malls.

History

Worcester was first settled in 1673 and was officially incorporated in 1684. The settlement was established as a town in 1722, and chartered as a city in 1848. 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.

John Adams taught at the village schoolhouse in Worcester before returning to Braintree to practice law.

On June 9, 1953, Worcester was hit by a tornado that killed 94 people and damaged a large part of the city. It was the deadliest tornado in New England history. The tornado struck the then-campus of Assumption College (currently Quinsigamond Community College).

The "Worcester Six"

On December 3, 1999, a five-alarm fire broke out in an abandoned cold storage warehouse 5 blocks east of the downtown business district, near the Union Station train station. Fire companies from throughout the city and neighboring towns were called in. The firefighters' task was made difficult by the building's extensive interior insulation and its many darkened hallways. The lack of available windows prevented them from creating an exhaust for the smoke, which added to the darkness inside the building. The fire claimed the lives of six Worcester firefighters, who have since become known locally as the "Worcester Six".

Services for the firefighters were held in the DCU Center (then called the Worcester Centrum Centre). The funeral procession was broadcast on several national news networks and was attended by Bill Clinton and Al Gore. City leaders plan to erect a memorial to the Six in Institute Park, behind the Grove Street fire station. A new fire station is planned for the space formerly occupied by the cold storage facility.^*

Worcester firsts

The first dictionary printed in the United States was printed in Worcester in the 18th century, by Isaiah Thomas, who also printed the largest newspaper of the time, the Massachusetts Spy.
The Declaration of Independence was first publicly read in Massachusetts by Isaiah Thomas in Worcester in July 1776.
The monkey wrench was invented by Loring Coes of the Coes Knife Company in 1840.
In 1847, the first commercial valentine was mass produced in Worcester by Esther Howland.
Worcester blacksmith Albert Tolman is said to have invented the rickshaw in 1848 for a missionary traveling to South America (There are, however, numerous other theories about the origin of the rickshaw.)
Similarly, many lists of Worcester inventions include barbed wire, which seems to be dubious.
The first national convention of women advocating women's suffrage was held in Worcester on October 23 and 24, 1850.
Elm Park became the first public park in the country when land was deeded to the city of Worcester in 1854.
Worcester resident Joshua Stoddard invented the steam calliope in 1855.
Candy Cummings is reputed to have thrown the first ever curveball pitch in Worcester in 1867 while playing for the Brooklyn Stars. It was a strike.
J. Lee Richmond of the Worcesters pitched the first perfect game in major league baseball history on June 12, 1880.
Candlepin bowling was first developed in Worcester in 1880.
The founding meeting of the American Psychology Association was held at Clark University in 1892.
Worcester resident Henry Perky became the first to mass produce shredded wheat in 1895.
Between September 6-10, 1909, Sigmund Freud delivered his only American lectures at Clark University ("Five Lectures on Psycho-Analysis" later published as "On Psychoanalysis"). Carl Jung joined him, and William James attended.
Albert A. Michelson, chairman of Clark University's Physics Department, was named America's first Nobel Prize Winner in 1902 for his experiments relating to his calculation of the speed of light.
Dr. Robert H. Goddard of Worcester Polytechnic Institute's class of 1908 and later Clark University patented the first liquid fuel rocket in 1914.
The birth control pill was developed by the Worcester Foundation for Experimental Biology in the Worcester suburb of Shrewsbury.
Charles Olson, a poet and Worcester native, coined the term "postmodern" in his 1958 essay "The Present is Prologue".
Harvey Ball designed the world famous Smiley face in 1963.

Geography

Worcester is located at (42.268843, -71.803774). 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.

The Blackstone River passes through Worcester, but is almost completely covered as it passes through. Water Street (the traditional hub of Worcester's Jewish population, famed for its bakeries), and the appearance of the river just south of the city, are the only indications of its existence. Just as in Rome, Italy, 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.

ZIP codes in Worcester are 01601-01610 and 01653-01655.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 172,648 people, 67,028 households, and 39,211 families residing in the city. 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.

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.

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.

Government

Worcester is governed by a Council-Manager type of 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.

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.

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.

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.

In 1998 Worcester was twinned with its English namesake, Worcester, England.

Education

Colleges and universities

The city is known for its numerous institutions of higher learning, including:

Assumption College (1904 - present)
Becker College (1887 - present) (formerly Becker Junior College)
Central New England Colleges (1977 - 1989)
- Central New England College of Technology (1938 - 1989)
- Worcester Junior College (1905 - merged with Nichols College, 1989)
Clark University (1887 - present)
College of the Holy Cross (1843 - present)
Oread Institute (1849 - 1881)
Quinsigamond Community College (1963 - present)
Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Worcester campus (2000 - present)
University of Massachusetts Medical School (1970 - present)
Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) (1865 - present)
Worcester State College (1874 - present)

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, for example, through 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. Members not listed above include Anna Maria College, Atlantic Union College, Nichols College, and Tufts Veterinary School.

Professional schools

Preparatory schools

Worcester Academy
Bancroft School
The Massachusetts Academy of Mathematics and Science, a public magnet school for science and mathematics founded in 1992, is affiliated with and located near the campus of WPI.

Culture

Landmarks

Worcester counts within its borders over 1200 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) Common, 1669) but also one of the first of its kind in the nation. Both the City Common and Elm Park are listed in the National Register of Historic Places. 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.

Worcester is home to the American Antiquarian Society, Higgins Armory Museum (the largest collection of arms and armor in the western hemisphere), the Worcester Art Museum, Mechanics Hall, the EcoTarium, and the DCU Center (formerly the Worcester Centrum).

Worcester's Union Station, recently renovated back to its French Renaissance glory, opines in symbol the elegance and industrial legacy of this bustling metropolis. The station, once serving 10,000 passengers daily, is now home to an intermodal terminal, a successful restaurant, and The FDR American Heritage Center Museum and Special Collection showcase.

Worcester also has its share of quirky landmarks. For example, the American Sanitary Plumbing Museum on Piedmont street is home to a collection of toilets and sinks from various periods of history. The Burnside Fountain, located on the south side of the Worcester Common, is known to locals as "The Turtle-Boy Love Statue". The fountain features a boy and a turtle engaged in what many observers believe to be an obscene act.

Media

Print

The Worcester Telegram & Gazette
Worcester Magazine
InCity Times

Broadcast

WCTR-TV
WUNI-TV
WCRN AM 830
WORC AM 1310
WTAG AM 580
WVEI AM 1440
WCHC 88.1 FM
WCUW 91.3 FM
WICN 90.5 FM

Internet

Sports

Worcester has a long, checkered history with professional sports franchises. The only professional team based in the city in recent years, the Worcester IceCats minor league ice hockey team, ended its final Worcester season in the spring of 2005. The franchise moved to Peoria, Illinois. In response, a pledge drive was started in late 2005 by city officials and hockey fans to encourage the American Hockey League to return minor-league hockey to Worcester.^* While the pledge drive fell far short of its goal of 3000 season ticket pledges before their deadline, it was announced on January 9, 2006 that the San Jose Sharks' AHL team would move to Worcester for the 2006-2007 season and would be called the Worcester Sharks.

The New England Blazers are a now-defunct Major League Lacrosse team that played at the Worcester Centrum during the 1980s. Worcester also had an Arena Football League team, the Massachusetts Mauraders, that played at the Worcester Centrum during the 1994 season. The Bay State Bombardiers of the Continental Basketball League, were based in Worcester from 1984 to 1986.

In 2002, Worcester's Jesse Burkett Little League baseball team competed in the Little League World Series's U.S. Final. Though the Burkett team lost to the Little League All-Stars from Louisville, Kentucky, their second-place finish was the best in the history of Massachusetts Little League baseball.^*

Worcester Tornadoes

In January 2005, Worcester mayor Tim Murray announced the formation of the Worcester Tornadoes baseball team. The organization is a private enterprise, headed by business leaders in central Massachusetts. It set an ambitious schedule of being ready for the 2005 season, playing at an upgraded Fitton Field on the campus of the College of the Holy Cross. The team will play against area rivals in the Canadian-American Association of Professional Baseball League. It is not affiliated with any Major League Baseball team.

On March 9, 2005, in a press conference at Holy Cross, team managemant announced the team name -- the Worcester Tornadoes -- and official logo. The name was chosen from among 1000 entries in a two-month-long naming contest. The "Tornadoes" refers to the deadly tornado that struck Worcester and central Massachusetts in 1953. Team management plans to honor the memory of the tornado by making a contribution to the tornado memorial, at the present site of Quinsigamond Community College.

The Tornadoes played their first game on May 30, 2005, defeating the Brockton Rox. They finished their inaugural season by winning the Can-Am championship, sweeping the Quebec Capitales in three games in the final series.

The Worcesters

The Worcesters, a defunct Major League Baseball team, was one of the first teams to play in the nascent National League. This team, which operated from 1880 to 1882, is believed to be the only major league team in history to not have an attached nickname.

The team's home field, the Worcester Agricultural Fairgrounds, off of Sever Street in Worcester (near the present site of Becker College's Worcester campus), was the site of the first recorded perfect game in professional baseball. Pitcher John Lee Richmond achieved this feat on June 12, 1880, against the Cleveland Blues.

Attendance suffered in following seasons, despite this early spectacle, and at one game in 1882 the crowd was measured at 18 strong. This was down from the franchise high of 3,652 in 1881. At the end of its third season, the team was expelled from the National League, and replaced with a team from Philadelphia.

City name pronunciation

"Worcester" is correctly pronounced with two syllables, not three (^{Worcester2.wav}). However, some residents pronounce "Worcester" to rhyme with "mister". (The speakers in that group have the non-rhotic accent common in New England, and so would say , or "WIH-stuh".)

Transportation

Two interstate highways run through Worcester. Interstate 290, a spur route off the Mass Pike (I-90), was highly controversial in its planning and construction in the late 1950s-early 1960s. City residents living in the path of the proposed highway voiced opposition to the plan. However, by 1955 the project was part of the federal Interstate Highway System and out of municipal control. Construction on the Worcester section began in 1958 and finished 10 years later. The entire route, from I-90 to I-495 in Marlborough, opened to traffic in 1970. As one of the main toll-free alternatives to the Mass Pike, I-290 currently carries approximately 125,000 vehicles per day in the city ^*, more than the road's design limit of 70,000.

Interstate 190 opened to traffic in 1983 as a spur from I-290 to Route 2, in the north. I-190 joins I-290 at an interchange in north-central Worcester. I-190 is known for the high average and peak speeds reached by drivers on its long straights and sweeping curves.

Worcester serves as a hub for several smaller Massachusetts state highways. Route 9 links the city to its eastern suburb, Shrewsbury, and points east. Route 12 was the primary route north to Fitchburg until the completion of I-190. Route 146, the Worcester-Providence Highway, now serves as an alternative north-south route to the traffic-congested I-290/I-395.

The Worcester Regional Transit Authority, or RTA, manages the municipal bus system. The RTA also operates a shuttle bus between member institutions of the Colleges of Worcester Consortium. Many people also rely on the two taxi companies (known as Red Cab and Yellow Cab) operating in Worcester or on the plentiful parking.

Worcester is the last stop on the Worcester/Framingham commuter rail line run by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. Union Station, an early-20th century structure restored to full operation in 2000, serves as the hub for commuter railway traffic. It is also an Amtrak station, serving the Lake Shore Limited from Boston to Chicago, Illinois.

The Worcester Regional Airport lies at the top of the city's highest hill. The airport was devoid of airline carriers after US Airways, the last holdout, withdrew in February 2003. Attempts to draw commercial service back to the airport had been unsuccessful until late September 2005, when Allegiant Air, a small Las Vegas-based airline, announced plans to create leisure-based routes to Florida. The airline began testing the market by starting a non-stop run from Worcester to Orlando-Sanford Airport on December 22, 2005. The airport also remains open for use by private and business flights. Boston-based CBS affiliate WBZ-TV installed a Doppler radar weather station at the station for use in their televised weather reports.

Notable people

Born in Worcester

John Coolidge Adams, popular living composer
Jerry Azumah, former defensive backfor the Chicago Bears(since retired)
Harvey Ball, inventor of the Smiley face
S. N. Behrman, playwright and author of a memoir, The Worcester Account
Robert Benchley, writer and member of the Algonquin Round Table
Elizabeth Bishop, American poet and writer
William Austin Burt, 19th century explorer and surveyor in Michigan
Ronald Dworkin, American and English legal and political philosopher
Mark Fidrych, former Detroit Tigers pitcher
Samuel Fuller, producer and director
Rich Gedman, former Boston Red Sox catcher, now manager of the Worcester Tornadoes
Robert Goddard, father of modern rocketry
John Michael Hayes, writer of the Alfred Hitchcock films Rear Window, To Catch a Thief, The Trouble with Harry, and The Man Who Knew Too Much
Abbie Hoffman, radical activist
Ryan Idol, adult film actor
Ken Doane, professional wrestler
Arthur Kennedy, actor
Jordan Knight, member of the boy band "New Kids On The Block"
Jarrett J. Krosoczka, children's book author/illustrator; his book Punk Farm optioned by DreamWorks Animation
Stanley Kunitz, American Poet Laureate
Denis Leary, actor and comedian
Charles Olson, American modernist poet
Alisan Porter, actress and singer
J.P. Ricciardi, general manager of the Toronto Blue Jays
Tanyon Sturtze, New York Yankees Relief Pitcher
Erik Per Sullivan, actor from Malcolm in the Middle
Eric Taubert, Author and Photographer
Chris Titus, actor and comedian
Alicia Witt, actress
Nicolas Ortiz, United States Representative
John Dufresne, American Novelist and screenwriter
Bill Guerin, St. Louis Blues Right Winger
Eddie Mekka, actor best know for playing Carmine on Laverne and Shirley

Other residents

Alexander H. Bullock, Governor of Massachusetts (1866–1868)
Bob Cousy, Hall of Fame Basketball player
Frank O'Hara, American poet
Major Taylor, track cycling champion
Charley Parkhurst, Legendary stagecoach driver and horseman
Emma Goldman, Legendary Lithuanian-American anarchist. Owned ice cream parlor in Worcester

References

City Parks. Retrieved June 23, 2004.
Considering Worcester's Charter (1999). Retrieved June 17, 2004. (PDF-document)
Travel Destinations - Worcester. Lycos Travel. Retrieved June 2, 2004.

External links

All-America City | Cities in Massachusetts | Worcester County, Massachusetts | Worcester, Massachusetts | 1673 establishments

Worcester (Massachusetts) | Worcester (Massachusetts) | Worcester (Massachusetts) | Worcester (Massachusetts) | Worcester, Massachusetts

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