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84-554: 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 , United States. It is 4 miles (6.4 km) long, between 50 and 85 feet (15 and 26 m) deep, and has a surface area of approximately 772 acres (3.12 km). Lake Quinsigamond hosts 8 islands with the majority owned by private citizens. Two islands are connected to land via bridge. The largest island, Drake Island,
168-460: 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 1848 charter, Worcester voters in November 1947 approved
252-604: A blizzard traversed over the city as it shed almost 32 inches (81 cm) of snow. This was the highest single-day snowfall total for anywhere in Massachusetts since data collection began in 1892. While rare, the city has had its share of extreme weather. 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
336-508: A center of American revolutionary activity. The Worcester Revolt on September 6, 1774, was an early successful attempt to throw off British rule. British General Thomas Gage was given information of patriot ammunition stockpiled in Worcester in 1775. That same year, Massachusetts Spy publisher Isaiah Thomas moved his radical newspaper out of British occupied Boston to Worcester. Thomas would continuously publish his paper throughout
420-502: 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
504-886: A commemoration of the Haymarket affair and would strengthen socialist and anarchist movements that backed the May 1 commemoration around the globe. In 1887, he publicly supported the September Labor Day holiday as a less inflammatory alternative, formally adopting the date as a United States federal holiday through a law that he signed in 1894. Since the mid-1950s, the United States has celebrated Loyalty Day and Law Day on May 1. Unlike Labor Day, neither are legal public holidays (in that government agencies and most businesses do not shut down to celebrate them) and therefore have remained relatively obscure. Loyalty Day
588-605: A day be set aside to celebrate labor. "Labor Day" was promoted by the Central Labor Union and the Knights of Labor , which organized the first parade in New York City . In 1887, Oregon was the first state of the United States to make it an official public holiday . By the time it became an official federal holiday in 1894, thirty states in the U.S. officially celebrated Labor Day. Canada's Labour Day
672-638: A deed to eight square miles of land in Quinsigamond from the Nipmuc people and English traders and settlers began to inhabit the region. In 1675, King Philip's War broke out throughout New England with the Nipmuc Indians coming to the aid of Indian leader King Philip . The English settlers completely abandoned the Quinsigamond area and the empty buildings were burned by the Indian forces. The town
756-485: A five-alarm fire at the Worcester Cold Storage & Warehouse Company . The fire took the lives of six firemen and drew national attention as one of the worst firefighting tragedies of the late 20th century. President Bill Clinton , Vice President Al Gore and other local and national dignitaries attended the funeral service and memorial program in Worcester. In recent decades, a renewed interest in
840-447: A gravel-covered plank bridge. Due to the unstable nature of the lakebed, the nine piers settled at different levels, causing gaps to appear in the road surface. The piers and the bridge split apart and fell into the water on September 19, 1817. The collapse of the suspension bridge was quickly followed with a second floating bridge, this one lasting until 1861. The first stable bridge over Lake Quinsigamond (the fourth such attempt overall)
924-611: A holiday for federal workers. As late as the 1930s, unions were encouraging workers to strike to make sure they got the day off. All U.S. states, the District of Columbia , and the United States territories have subsequently made Labor Day a statutory holiday. The date of May 1 (an ancient European folk holiday known as May Day ) emerged in 1886 as an alternative holiday for the celebration of labor, later becoming known as International Workers' Day . The date had its origins at
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#17328021795221008-400: A large area of the city of Worcester. The tornado left massive destruction and killed 94 people. The Worcester tornado would be the deadliest tornado ever to hit Massachusetts. Debris from the tornado landed as far away as Dedham . In the 1960s, Interstate 290 was built right through the center of Worcester, permanently dividing the city. In 1963, Worcester native Harvey Ball introduced
1092-489: A large part of the city and surrounding towns. It struck Assumption Preparatory School , now the site of Quinsigamond Community College . According to the 2020 U.S. Census, Worcester had a population of 206,518, of which 104,911 (50.8%) were female and 101,607 (49.2%) were male. In terms of age, 81.0% were over 18 years old and 13.6% were over 65 years old; children under 5 made up 5.2% of the city's population. In terms of race and ethnicity, Worcester's population as of 2020
1176-628: A new retail, commercial and living destination in the city. After struggling to secure finances for a number of years, Hanover Insurance took over the project and demolition began on September 13, 2010. Unum Insurance and the Saint Vincent Hospital leased into the project and both facilities opened in 2013. The new Front Street opened on December 31, 2012. Worcester has become home to many refugees in recent years. The city has successfully resettled over 2,000 refugees coming from over 24 countries. Today, most of these refugees come from
1260-660: A public demonstration of organized labor's solidarity and strength, with the march followed by a picnic, to which participating local unions could sell tickets as a fundraiser. According to McGuire he suggested the first Monday in September as an ideal date for such a public celebration, owing to optimum weather and the date's place on the calendar, sitting midway between the Fourth of July and Thanksgiving public holidays. Labor Day picnics and other public gatherings frequently featured speeches by prominent labor leaders. In 1909,
1344-439: A riot broke out. Klansmen's cars were stoned and burned, and their 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. Robert Stoddard , owner of The Telegram and Gazette ,
1428-724: A schoolteacher and studied law in Worcester. Worcester also had a role in the start of the American Revolution , with an event that is oft-forgotten. On September 6, 1774, 4,622 militiamen from 37 towns in Worcester County assembled and marched on Main Street, Worcester; they sought to shut down the Crown's court before it could sit for a new session. The event was dubbed the Worcester Revolution , or
1512-559: A soda-water fountain and some lovely colored dishes." On October 19, 1924, the largest gathering of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) 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,
1596-480: A visit to Toronto where he saw parades celebrating labor that May, had put forward the initial proposal in the spring of 1882. According to McGuire, on May 8, 1882, he made a proposition to the fledgling Central Labor Union in New York City that a day be set aside for a "general holiday for the laboring classes". According to McGuire he further recommended that the event should begin with a street parade as
1680-588: A year, as well as an average of 64 inches (160 cm) of snowfall a season, receiving far more snow than coastal locations less than 40 miles (64 km) away. Massachusetts' geographic location, jutting out into the North Atlantic , as well as Worcester's elevation relative to the surrounding terrain, makes the city very prone to Nor'easter weather systems that can dump heavy snow on the region. Extreme winters have brought up to 120 inches (300 cm) of snowfall, as happened in 2005. In late January 2015,
1764-408: Is 102 °F (39 °C), recorded on July 4, 1911, the only 100 °F (38 °C) or greater temperature to date. The all-time record low temperature is −24 °F (−31 °C), recorded on February 16, 1943. Worcester is known for being particularly snowy in the cold months, sometimes even experiencing intense autumn blizzards. The city averages 48.07 inches (1,220 mm) of precipitation
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#17328021795221848-530: Is a regional hub of government, industry, and transportation hub. Since the 1970s, and especially since the construction of Route 146 and interstates 90 , 495 , 190 , 290 , and 395 , both Worcester and its surrounding towns have become more integrated with Boston's suburbs. The Worcester region now marks the western periphery of the Boston–Worcester–Providence (MA–RI–NH) U.S. Census Combined Statistical Area (CSA), or Greater Boston . The area
1932-401: Is a two barrel steel arch bridge that consists of two separate structures supporting eastbound and westbound traffic. Each structure is an 870-foot-long, five-span, open spandrel steel-tied deck arch, supported on two concrete abutments and four perched pile caps. The two structures both carry three traffic lanes, a bike lane, and a pedestrian walkway, with overlooks provided for scenic views of
2016-626: Is also celebrated on the first Monday of September. More than 150 other countries celebrate International Workers' Day on May 1, the European holiday of May Day . May Day was chosen by the Second International of socialist and communist parties to commemorate the general labor strike in the United States and events leading to the Haymarket affair , which occurred in Chicago, Illinois , from May 1 – May 4, 1886. Beginning in
2100-559: Is credited for first proposing that a national Labor Day holiday subsequently be held on the first Monday of each September in the aftermath of this successful public demonstration. An alternative theory maintains that the idea of Labor Day was the brainchild of Peter J. McGuire , a vice president of the Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions , which was a predecessor of the American Federation of Labor . After
2184-481: Is formally celebrated in a few cities, while some bar associations hold Law Day events to celebrate the rule of law . Labor Day is called the "unofficial end of summer" because it marks the end of the U.S. culture's nominal summer season. Of the 7% of Americans who take two-week vacations, many take their vacations during the two weeks ending Labor Day weekend. Many fall activities, such as school and sports (particularly football ), begin about this time. In
2268-415: 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. 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
2352-542: Is known as the "Heart of the Commonwealth" because of its proximity to the center of Massachusetts. The city is about 40 miles (64 km) west of Boston , 50 miles (80 km) east of Springfield , and 38 miles (61 km) northwest of Providence, Rhode Island . The Blackstone River forms in the center of Worcester by the confluence of the Middle River and Mill Brook. The river courses underground through
2436-522: Is near the geographic center of Massachusetts, Worcester is known as the "Heart of the Commonwealth"; a heart is the official symbol of the city. Worcester is the historical seat of Worcester County . Worcester developed as an industrial city in the 19th century because the Blackstone Canal and railways facilitated the import of raw materials and the export of such finished goods as machines, textiles, and wire. Many European immigrants made up
2520-539: Is still state owned. Water from the lake empties into the Quinsigamond River in the Blackstone Valley . The lake's long and narrow shape posed a challenge to settlers of the Worcester area in the 17th century since it was deeded by Peter Jethro and other Native Americans in 1665. Lacking modern bridging techniques, westward travelers had to ride around the lake's northern and southern tips. At
2604-531: Is the second-most populous city in the U.S. state of Massachusetts and the 114th most populous city in the United States . Named after Worcester, England , the city had 206,518 people at the 2020 census , also making it the second- most populous city in New England , after Boston . Worcester is about 40 miles (64 km) west of Boston, 50 miles (80 km) east of Springfield , and 40 miles (64 km) north-northwest of Providence . Because it
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2688-766: The American Revolutionary War . On July 14, 1776, Thomas performed the first public reading in Massachusetts of the Declaration of Independence from the porch of the Old South Church, where the 19th-century Worcester City Hall stands today. He would later go on to form the American Antiquarian Society in Worcester in 1812. During the turn of the 19th century, Worcester's economy moved into manufacturing. Factories producing textiles, shoes and clothing opened along
2772-558: The Democratic Republic of the Congo , Iraq , Somalia , Bhutan , Syria , Ukraine and Afghanistan . Worcester has a total area of 38.6 square miles (100 km ): 37.6 square miles (97 km ) of land and 1.0 square mile (2.6 km ), comprising roughly 2.59%, of water. Worcester is bordered by the towns of Auburn , Grafton , Holden , Leicester , Millbury , Paxton , Shrewsbury , and West Boylston . Worcester
2856-602: The National Hot Rod Association hold their finals of the NHRA U.S. Nationals drag race that weekend. Labor Day is the middle point between weeks one and two of the U.S. Open tennis championships , held in Flushing Meadows , New York. In fashion, Labor Day is (or was) considered the last day when it is acceptable to wear white or seersucker . The source of the tradition lies in part with
2940-423: The poverty threshold . Worcester is known for its diversity and large immigrant population, with significant communities of Vietnamese , Brazilians , Albanians , Puerto Ricans , Ghanaians , Dominicans , along with Chinese and Indian Americans. 22% of Worcester's population in 2018 was born outside the United States. Data is from the 2015–2019 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Worcester
3024-554: The 1885 convention of the American Federation of Labor, which passed a resolution calling for adoption of the eight-hour day effective May 1, 1886. While negotiation was envisioned for achievement of the shortened work day, use of the strike to enforce this demand was recognized, with May 1 advocated as a date for coordinated strike action. The proximity of the date to the bloody Haymarket affair of May 4, 1886, further accentuated May First's radical reputation. There
3108-467: The American Federation of Labor convention designated the Sunday preceding Labor Day as "Labor Sunday", to be dedicated to the spiritual and educational aspects of the labor movement. This secondary date failed to gain significant traction in popular culture, although some churches continue to acknowledge it. The popularity of the event spread across the country. In 1887, Oregon became the first state of
3192-723: The Canal District Business Association, have proposed restoring the canal and creating a Blackstone Valley National Park . Worcester is one of many cities claimed, like Rome , to be found on seven hills : Airport Hill, Bancroft Hill, Belmont Hill (Bell Hill), Grafton Hill , Green Hill, Pakachoag Hill and Vernon Hill. However, Worcester has more than seven hills, examples of which include Indian Hill, Newton Hill, Poet's Hill, and Wigwam Hill. Worcester has many ponds and two prominent lakes: Indian Lake and Lake Quinsigamond . Lake Quinsigamond (also known as Long Pond) stretches four miles (6.4 km) across
3276-521: 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
3360-644: The Performing Arts . In 2000, the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences built a new campus in downtown Worcester. In 2007, WPI opened the first facility in their new Gateway Park center in Lincoln Square. In 2004, Berkeley Investments proposed demolishing the old Worcester Center Galleria for a new mixed-used development called City Square . The ambitious project looked to reconnect old street patterns while creating
3444-546: The United States to make Labor Day an official public holiday . By 1894, thirty U.S. states were already officially celebrating Labor Day. In that year, shortly after the Pullman Strike , the Congress passed a bill recognizing the first Monday of September as Labor Day and making it an official federal holiday . President Grover Cleveland signed the bill into law on June 28. The federal law, however, only made it
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3528-666: The United States, many school districts resume classes around the Labor Day holiday weekend (see First day of school ). Some begin the week before, making Labor Day weekend the first three-day weekend of the school calendar, while others return the Tuesday following Labor Day. Many districts across the Midwest are opting to begin school after Labor Day. In the U.S. state of Virginia , the amusement park industry has successfully lobbied for legislation requiring most school districts in
3612-462: The United States. Worcester would also claim many inventions and firsts. New England Candlepin bowling was invented in Worcester by Justin White in 1879. Esther Howland began the first line of Valentine's Day cards from her Worcester home in 1847. Loring Coes invented the first monkey wrench and Russell Hawes created the first envelope folding machine. On June 12, 1880, Lee Richmond pitched
3696-529: The Worcester Revolt. Having seized the courthouse, the militiamen waited for the 25 appointees from the Crown to arrive, where they were denied entry and later forced to disavow their appointments by King George III. Bloodshed and violence was avoided, with not a shot fired. British authority had been demonstrably overthrown in the American colonies for the first time. In the 1770s, Worcester became
3780-547: The Worcester and Shrewsbury border and is a very popular competitive rowing and boating destination. Worcester's humid continental climate ( Köppen : Dfb ) is typical of New England . The weather changes rapidly owing to the confluence of warm, humid air from the southwest; cool, dry air from the north; and the moderating influence of the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Summers are typically hot and humid, while winters are cold, windy, and snowy. Snow typically falls from
3864-492: The amusement park's closure. The retail complex still bears the White City name, though the movie theater, White City Cinemas, was shut down in recent years. An elder apartment complex now stands on the former site of Lincoln Park. Quinsigamond State Park is located on the Worcester side, to the north and south of Route 9. Ramshorn Island is owned by the city of Worcester, and is open to the public. Its walking paths cover
3948-529: The center of the city, and emerges at the foot of College Hill. It then flows south through Quinsigamond Village and into Millbury. Worcester is the beginning of the Blackstone Valley that frames the river. The Blackstone Canal was once an important waterway connecting Worcester to Providence and the Eastern Seaboard , but the canal fell into disuse at the end of the 19th century and was mostly covered up. In recent years, local organizations, including
4032-605: The circumference of the 1.5 acre island, which is located toward the western bank of the lake just south of the renovated Kenneth F. Burns Memorial Bridge. The island is only accessible by boat. Competitive rowing teams first came to Lake Quinsigamond in 1857. Finding the lake ideal for such crew regattas , avid rowers established boating clubs on the lake's shores, the first being the Quinsigamond Boating Club. More boating clubs and races followed, and soon many colleges (both local and abroad) held regattas on
4116-591: The city's downtown has brought new investment and construction to Worcester. A Convention Center was built along the DCU Center arena in downtown Worcester in 1997. In 2000, Worcester's Union Station reopened after 25 years of neglect and a $ 32 million renovation. Hanover Insurance helped fund a multimillion-dollar renovation to the old Franklin Square Theater into the Hanover Theatre for
4200-615: The city's growing population. After World War II , manufacturing there waned; economic and population decline was not reversed until the 1990s, when higher education, medicine, biotechnology , and new immigrants started making their mark. The population has grown by 28% since 1980, reaching its all-time high in the 2020 census and effecting urban renewal . Modern Worcester is known for its diversity and large immigrant population, with significant communities of Vietnamese , Brazilians , Albanians , Puerto Ricans , Ghanaians , Dominicans , and others. Twenty-two percent of Worcester's population
4284-541: 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. From 1949 through 1959, elections were by the single transferable vote . Voters repealed that system in November 1960. Despite non-partisan elections, two groups alternated in control of council:
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#17328021795224368-571: The country and Washburn became one of the leading industrial and philanthropic figures in the city. Worcester would become a center of machinery, wire products and power looms and boasted large manufacturers, including Washburn & Moen, Wyman-Gordon Company, American Steel & Wire, Morgan Construction and the Norton Company . In 1908, the Royal Worcester Corset Company was the largest employer of women in
4452-731: The first perfect game in Major league baseball history for the Worcester Ruby Legs at the Worcester Agricultural Fairgrounds . The first three-decker homes were built by Francis Gallagher (1830–1911) in Worcester. After World War II, Worcester began to fall into decline as the city lost its manufacturing base to cheaper alternatives across the country and overseas. Worcester felt the national trends of movement away from historic urban centers. The city's population dropped over 20% from 1950 to 1980. In
4536-493: The holiday. According to one early history of Labor Day, the event originated in connection with a General Assembly of the Knights of Labor convened in New York City in September 1882. In connection with this clandestine Knights assembly, a public parade of various labor organizations was held on September 5 under the auspices of the Central Labor Union (CLU) of New York. Secretary of the CLU Matthew Maguire
4620-851: The holiday. One reason given for this timing was to allow time for schoolchildren to show 4-H projects at the Fair. In U.S. sports, Labor Day weekend marks the beginning of many fall sports. National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) teams usually play their first games that weekend, and the National Football League (NFL) traditionally play their kickoff game the Thursday following Labor Day. The Southern 500 NASCAR auto race has been held on Labor Day weekend at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina from 1950 to 2003 and since 2015. At Indianapolis Raceway Park ,
4704-563: The iconic yellow smiley face to American culture. In the late 20th century, Worcester's economy began to recover as the city expanded into biotechnology and healthcare fields. The UMass Medical School has become a leader in biomedical research and the Massachusetts Biotechnology Research Park has become a center of medical research and development. Worcester hospitals Saint Vincent Hospital and UMass Memorial Health Care have become two of
4788-674: The lake played host to the National Olympic rowing trials. The Quinsigamond Rowing Association hosted the US Rowing Masters National Championship in 2005, 2012 and 2016. The Mandaean-American community of Worcester regularly performs masbuta (baptism) rituals in Lake Quinsigamond. Worcester, Massachusetts Worcester ( / ˈ w ʊ s t ər / WUUST -ər , locally [ˈwɪstə] )
4872-411: The lake was a floating log bridge, built in 1806. This first attempt was unstable, often swaying under the weight of horse-drawn wagons. The floating bridge was broken apart by waves in 1806, and was rebuilt in the year 1807 as an interim solution. The second bridge was an early suspension bridge , and was completed in early 1817. Nine wooden piers, built into the lakebed at regular intervals, held aloft
4956-423: The lake's shores. White City, once a park that featured '50,000 Electric Lights,' shut down on Labor Day , 1960. Lincoln Park closed in 1961, and the White City property was sold in November of that same year. Both parks lost buildings due to suspicious fires during their final years. The buyer of the White City property, Albert Shore, developed the land into a shopping center and movie theater complex shortly after
5040-808: The lake, such as the New England Rowing Championships , the ECAC National Invitational Championship, the Eastern Sprints , the Big East Championship and the Patriot League Championship. The NEIRA championship regatta has been held on the lake since the 1950s and now features over 40 schools in 8+ , 4+ and 1X divisions. Beginning in 1895, local high schools held crew races on the lake. In 1952,
5124-408: The lake. Most of the lakeside development occurred around the southern shores, due to the construction of the causeway in 1863. The causeway split the lake in half for those traveling by water, namely, steamboat cruises and competitive rowers. Lincoln Park , a family amusement park, opened on the Worcester (western) side of the lake in 1867; steamboat cruises began twenty years earlier, launched from
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#17328021795225208-538: The largest employers in the city. Worcester's many colleges, including the College of the Holy Cross , Worcester Polytechnic Institute , Clark University , UMass Medical School, Assumption University , Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences , and Worcester State University , attract many students to the area and help drive the new economy. On December 3, 1999, a homeless couple accidentally started
5292-408: The late 19th century, as the trade union and labor movements grew, diverse groups of trade unionists chose a variety of days on which to celebrate labor. In the United States, a September holiday called Labor Day was first proposed in the early 1880s. Alternative accounts of the event's origin exist. Descendants of two men with similar last names claim their great-grandfather was the true father of
5376-527: The local Democratic Party and a slate known as the Citizens' Plan E Association (CEA). CEA members included the Republican Party leadership and other groups not affiliated with the regular Democratic Party. 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
5460-554: 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 and school committee. Currently, there are 11 councilors: 6 at-large and 5 district. Worcester's first charter , which went into effect in 1848, established
5544-530: The mid-19th century and later many immigrants of Lithuanian, Polish, Italian, Greek, Turkish, Armenian, Syrian, and Lebanese descent. Immigrants moved into new three-decker houses (which originated in Worcester) lining hundreds of Worcester's expanding streets and neighborhoods. In 1831, Ichabod Washburn opened the Washburn & Moen Company . The company would become the largest wire manufacturing in
5628-580: The mid-20th century, large urban renewal projects were undertaken to try to reverse the city's decline. A huge area of downtown Worcester was demolished for new office towers and the 1,000,000 sq ft (93,000 m ) Worcester Center Galleria shopping mall. After only 30 years, the Galleria would lose most of its major tenants and its appeal to more suburban shopping malls around Worcester County. On June 9, 1953, an F4 tornado touched down in Petersham , northwest of Worcester. The tornado tore through 48 miles (77 km) of Worcester County including
5712-409: The migration of wealthy 19th century New Yorkers back from their summer-home Newport Mansions and accompanying change back from summer clothes. The traditional last day to wear straw hats moved from around Labor Day (September 1) to September 15. In 1922, the Straw Hat Riot broke out due to gangs snatching the hats of men violating this rule in New York City. The unofficial beginning of summer, and
5796-501: The nearby Blackstone River . However, the manufacturing industry in Worcester would not begin to thrive until the opening of the Blackstone Canal in 1828 and the opening of the Worcester and Boston Railroad in 1835. The city transformed into a transportation hub and the manufacturing industry flourished. Worcester was officially chartered as a city on February 29, 1848. The city's industries soon attracted immigrants of primarily Irish, Scottish, French, German, and Swedish descent in
5880-567: The second half of November into early April, with occasional falls in October; May snow is much rarer. The USDA classifies the city as straddling hardiness zones 5b and 6a. The hottest month is July, with a 24-hour average of 70.2 °F (21.2 °C), while the coldest is January, at 24.1 °F (−4.4 °C). There are an average of only 3.5 days of highs at or above 90 °F (32 °C) and 4.1 nights of lows at or below 0 °F (−18 °C) per year, and periods of either extremes are rarely sustained. The all-time record high temperature
5964-489: The site of the Park. Horace H. Bigelow, a local businessman, opened a competing amusement park called White City on the Shrewsbury side in 1905. Both parks became famous for unique rides: Lincoln for the 'Dummy Railroad,' a passenger train running between Union Station in Worcester and the Park; White City, for its artificial lake, Shoot-the-Chutes ride, and other water attractions. By the 1940s, both parks began to suffer declines in attendance due to development elsewhere along
6048-458: The state to have their first day of school after Labor Day, in order to give families another weekend to visit amusement parks in the state. The relevant statute has been nicknamed the " Kings Dominion law" after one such park. This law was repealed in 2019. In the U.S. state of Minnesota , the State Fair ends on Labor Day. Under state law, public schools normally do not begin until after
6132-446: 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 also run and win as an at-large councilor. Worcester's history of social progressivism includes a number of temperance and abolitionist movements. It was a leader in the women's suffrage movement: The first national convention advocating women's rights
6216-829: The summer fashion season in the United States, is Memorial Day . In the 2020s, some people have approved of wearing white year-round. There are numerous events and activities organized in major cities. For example, New York offers the Labor Day Carnival , and fireworks over Coney Island. In Washington, one popular event is the Labor Day Concert at the U.S. Capitol featuring the National Symphony Orchestra with free attendance. To take advantage of large numbers of potential customers with time to shop, Labor Day has become an important weekend for discounts and allowances by many retailers in
6300-515: The turn of the 19th century, Isaiah Thomas , a Worcester resident, developed plans for a direct link between Worcester and Boston (plans that eventually became Route 9 ). Construction of this road was under the authority of the Worcester Turnpike Corporation (until 1841; thereafter, the city of Worcester). Like the settlers 150 years earlier, Thomas and company faced the problem of Lake Quinsigamond. The first span across
6384-491: Was 67.7% White (including Hispanics), 13.0% Black or African American , 0.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 7.2% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, 5.2% from Some Other Race, and 6.4% from Two or More Races. Hispanics and Latinos of any race made up 24.6% of the population (of whom nearly half were Puerto Rican). Non-Hispanic Whites were 48.93% of the population in 2020, down from 96.8% in 1970. In 2010, 19.7% of Worcester's population are below
6468-428: Was again abandoned during Queen Anne's War in 1702. Finally, in 1713, Worcester was permanently resettled for a third and final time by Jonas Rice . Named after the city of Worcester, England , the town was incorporated on June 14, 1722. On April 2, 1731, Worcester was chosen as the county seat of the newly founded Worcester County government. Between 1755 and 1758, future U.S. president John Adams worked as
6552-422: Was an earthen causeway , finished in 1863. Formed from a mixture of rock, gravel and dirt, the causeway was the first span to not sway under heavy loads. The causeway effectively split the lake in half, stifling the nascent lakeside steamboat industry. Contemporary public opinion likened the causeway to an 'eyesore' and an 'abomination'. Despite these problems, the span survived into the early 20th century, when it
6636-438: Was born outside the United States. A center of higher education, it is home to eight colleges and universities, including the College of the Holy Cross , Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), and Clark University . Worcester has many 19th-century triple-decker houses, Victorian-era mills and related buildings , and lunch-car diners, such as Miss Worcester . Worcester is the principal city of Central Massachusetts , and
6720-399: Was disagreement among labor unions at this time about when a holiday celebrating workers should be, with some advocating for continued emphasis of the September march-and-picnic date while others sought the designation of the more politically charged date of May 1. Conservative Democratic President Grover Cleveland was one of those concerned that a labor holiday on May 1 would tend to become
6804-533: Was held in Worcester on October 23–24, 1850. Two of the nation's most radical 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
6888-524: Was inhabited by members of the Nipmuc tribe at the time of European contact. The native people called the region Quinsigamond and built a settlement on Pakachoag Hill in Auburn . In 1673, English settlers John Eliot and Daniel Gookin led an expedition to Quinsigamond to establish a new Christian Indian praying town and identify a new location for an English settlement. On July 13, 1674, Gookin obtained
6972-595: Was one of the founders of the John Birch Society . Labor Day (United States) Labor Day is a federal holiday in the United States celebrated on the first Monday of September to honor and recognize the American labor movement and the works and contributions of laborers to the development and achievements in the United States . Beginning in the late 19th century, as the trade union and labor movements grew, trade unionists proposed that
7056-544: Was replaced by the current bridge. In ca. 1900, the causeway was expanded to include trolley tracks, linking downtown Worcester to the lakeside attractions. A modern, two-lane bridge made of stone, cement and steel replaced the old causeway on July 31, 1919. Renovations completed in 1973 expanded the bridge to a four-lane roadway. At the north end of the lake, a second bridge was built to support Interstate 290 . The new Kenneth F. Burns Memorial Bridge opened November 1, 2015 and carries Route 9 over Lake Quinsigamond. The crossing
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