Looking for a source of abundant water power to run cotton and woolen mills, a group of Boston investors dubbed the “Boston Associates” found what they needed just south of the New Hampshire state line, at the confluence of the Merrimack and Concord Rivers northwest of Boston. Originally settled by the English in the 1650s, Lowell was transformed from a farm village to an industrial hub during the Industrial Revolution by the construction of riverside mills and power canals in 1822.

Named for early American cotton textile manufacturer Francis Cabot Lowell, in the decades to follow the city became a major textile manufacturing center that employed thousands of immigrants under poor conditions for low pay.

Eventually massive five- and six-story brick mills lined the river for nearly 1 mile, a sight so imposing that it became an almost obligatory stop for Europeans touring the United States. By 1850 almost 6 miles of canals coursed through the city, powering 40 mill buildings, 320,000 spindles, and nearly 10,000 looms operated by more than 10,000 workers. The textile industry here declined steadily in the twentieth century, and many operations were moved to the South.

The fascinating story of Lowell and the Industrial Revolution is told at Lowell National Historic Park, which includes mills, workers’ housing, the canal system, and industrial exhibits. Visitors can take one of the daily guided tours.

The Boott Cotton Mills Museum is housed within the brick walls of a cotton mill built in 1873. It includes an operating weave room with 88 power looms and “mill girl” boardinghouses.

Today Lowell is home to about 103,400 residents, and it is the site of the University of Massachusetts at Lowell. High-tech businesses are beginning to revitalize the economy. Its cultural heritage also includes the Whistler House Museum of Art, the birthplace (1834) of painter James A.M. Whistler.

Beat Generation writer Jack Kerouac (1922-69) was also born and raised in Lowell, and wrote five books set in the town. The New England Quilt Museum and the Sports Museum of New England are also here.

By car, the Lowell National Historical Park is accessible via the Lowell Connector from either I-495 or US-3. Commuter rail service is available from Boston’s North Station to Lowell’s Gallagher Terminal, where convenient shuttles to downtown Lowell can then be boarded.