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, 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. A nickname is a Name of an entity or thing that is not its Proper name. Wikipedia talkFeatured lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below -->This list of countries, arranged alphabetically The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The political units and divisions of the United States include The 50 states (four of these being officially styled as Commonwealths) which are typically The Commonwealth of Massachusetts ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States. This is a list of Massachusetts counties, consisting of the 14 Massachusetts counties Worcester County is a non-governmental County located in the U In the council-manager form of government an elected city council (typically between five and 11 people is responsible for making Policy, passing Ordinances voting Appropriations A city manager is an official appointed as the administrative manager of a City, in a council-manager form of city government O'Brien
- Mayor	Konstantina B. Lukes
- City Council	Joseph M. Konstantina B Lukes, known as Konnie Lukes, is currently serving as the Mayor of Worcester Massachusetts. Petty Frederick C. Rushton Kathleen M. Toomey Gary Rosen Michael J. Germain Joffrey A. Smith (D1) Philip P. Palmieri (D2) Paul P. Clancy, Jr. (D3) Barbara G. Haller (D4) William J. Eddy (D5)
Area
- Total	38. Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. 6 sq mi (99. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. 9 km²)
- Land	37. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of 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. The elevation of a Geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point often the mean sea level. A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume 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 /ˈwʊstər/) is a city in the state of Massachusetts in the United States of America. The Eastern Time Zone ( ET) of the Western Hemisphere falls mostly along the east coast of North America and the west coast of South America UTC−5 is the Time offset used in the North American Eastern Time Zone during Standard time and in the North American Central Time Zone during Daylight saving time ( DST The Eastern Time Zone ( ET) of the Western Hemisphere falls mostly along the east coast of North America and the west coast of South America UTC−4 is the Time offset used in the Atlantic Standard Time Zone in Canada in winter and the North American Eastern Time Zone during A telephone numbering plan is a plan for allocating Telephone number ranges to countries regions areas and exchanges and to non-fixed telephone networks Area code 508 was split from Area code 617 on July 16, 1988. In addition northeastern Massachusetts originally a part of the 508 area code was given Area code 774 is an overlay of parts of Area code 508. It was added in 2001 to create more Telephone numbers Exchanges Federal Information Processing Standards ( FIPS) are publicly announced standards developed by the United States Federal government for use by all non-military The Geographic Names Information System ( GNIS) is a database that contains name and locative information about more than two million physical and cultural features located throughout A city is an Urban area with a large Population and a particular Administrative, Legal, or Historical status A US state is any one of the fifty subnational entities of the United States of America that share Sovereignty with the federal government The Commonwealth of Massachusetts ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A 2006 estimate put the population at 175,898, making it the estimated second-largest city^[1] in New England, after Boston. History See also History of New England New England's earliest inhabitants were Algonquian -speaking Native Americans including the ^[2] It is also the second-largest city in Massachusetts, and the county seat of Worcester County. Worcester County is a non-governmental County located in the U The city marks the western periphery of the Boston-Worcester-Manchester (MA-RI-NH) U. S. Census Combined Statistical Area (CSA). Table of United States Combined Statistical AreasThe United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB defines micropolitan and metropolitan statistical areas. Located in Central Massachusetts, Worcester is known as the "Heart of the Commonwealth. "

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. Worcester firsts The Declaration of Independence was first publicly read in Massachusetts by Isaiah Thomas in Worcester in July 1776 The Nipmuc (also spelled Nipmuck) are a group of Algonquian Indians native to Worcester County Massachusetts. Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States 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. Auburn is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. ^[3] Mt. Wachusett was their sacred place. ^[4]

Worcester was first settled by the English in 1673,^[5] but the modest settlement of six or seven 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. King Philip's War, sometimes called Metacom 's War or Metacom's Rebellion was an armed conflict between Native American inhabitants of Events 1409 - The University of Leipzig opens 1755 - The second Eddystone Lighthouse is destroyed by fire The town was subsequently resettled and was incorporated in 1684. On September 10 of that year, Daniel Gookin and others petitioned to have the town's name officially changed from "Quinsigamond" to "Worcester". Events 506 - The Bishops of Visigothic Gaul meet in the Council of Agde. Major-General Daniel Gookin ( 1612 - 19 March 1687) was a settler of Virginia and Massachusetts, and a writer on the subject of ^[6] 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. Queen Anne's War ( 1702 &ndash 1713) was the second in a series of four French and Indian Wars fought between France and England (later ^[7]

In 1713 Worcester was re-settled for the third time, permanently, by Jonas Rice, whose farm was located atop Union Hill. 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. Worcester (ˈwʊstə is a city and County town of Worcestershire, in the West Midlands of England. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located ^[8] 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). Events 68 - Galba, Governor of Hispania, names himself legatus senatus populique Romani, breaking the line of Year 1731 ( MDCCXXXI) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year A county seat is a term for an Administrative center for a County, primarily used in the United States. From that date until the dissolution of the county government on July 1, 1998, it was the only county seat. "July 1st" redirects here For the Ayumi Hamasaki song see H (song. 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. In this article the inhabitants of the thirteen colonies that supported the American Revolution are primarily referred to as "Americans" with occasional references to "Patriots" Because it was an important munitions depot, Worcester was targeted for attack by Loyalist general Thomas Gage. This article concerns Loyalists in the American Revolution. For information on the role of those Loyalists in Canadian history after their emigration see United Empire 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 However, officers sent secretly to inspect the munitions depot were discovered by Patriot Timothy Bigelow. This article concerns Patriots in the American Revolution. For other uses see Patriot (disambiguation. General Gage then decided to move on to the second munitions depot, in Lexington. Lexington is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. In 1775 determining that Boston was too dangerous, Isaiah Thomas moved his newspaper, the Massachusetts Spy, to Worcester. Isaiah Thomas ( January 8, 1749 - April 4, 1831) was an American newspaper publisher and author The history of American newspapers goes back to the 17th century with the publication of the first colonial newspapers 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 front of Worcester City Hall. Events 1223 - Louis VIII becomes King of France upon the death of his father Philip II of France. Year 1776 ( MDCCLXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a 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 American Antiquarian Society (AAS located in Worcester Massachusetts, is both a Learned society and national research library of pre-twentieth century The Society's holdings from 1821 to 1876 compare favorably with those of the Library of Congress and other major research libraries.

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. Timothy Ruggles ( October 20, 1711 &ndash August 4, 1795) was as an American military leader jurist and politician

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. The Blackstone Valley or Blackstone River Valley is a region of Massachusetts and Rhode Island. 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,'"^[9] 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.

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. ^[10]

An innovative form of affordable housing appeared in the 19th century: the three-decker. A triple-decker (also referred to as a three-decker) is a three-story Apartment building, typically of light-framed wood construction, where each 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.

Several entrepreneurs 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 George Fuller, an inventor and philanthropist, who developed a heat-treating process crucial to developing steel strong enough to be used in train couplings and the first automobile crankshafts. His company, Wyman-Gordon, has been a leading manufacturer of machine parts.

Charles Palmer, another innovator, 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.

They were joined in early automobile manufacture by American Wheelock, which built compressed air-powered trucks at Worcester in 1904. ^[11]

Many Irish immigrants settled in Worcester during this period, as well. The Irish people ( Irish: Muintir na hÉireann, na hÉireannaigh, na Gaeil) are a Western European Ethnic group who originate 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.

On September 21, 1938, the city was hit by the brutal New England Hurricane of 1938. Events 1217 - The Estonian tribal leader Lembitu of Lehola was killed in a battle against Teutonic Knights. Year 1938 ( MCMXXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The New England Hurricane of 1938 (or Great New England Hurricane or Long Island Express or simply The Great Hurricane of 1938) was the first major Fifteen years later, Worcester was hit by a tornado that killed 94 people. The Flint-Worcester Tornadoes were two Tornadoes one occurring in Flint Michigan on June 8, 1953, the other in Worcester Massachusetts 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. 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. The Worcester Cold Storage Warehouse fire was a fire that began on December 3, 1999, in Worcester Massachusetts. Two homeless persons, deemed mentally disabled, 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 six of these firefighters lost their lives in one of the worst U. S. firefighting tragedies of the late 20th-century. The tragedy received national attention, with then- President Bill Clinton, vice-president Al Gore, and the area congressional and state political delegations attending services and a memorial program. William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III, August 19 1946 served as the forty-second President of the United States Albert Arnold Gore Jr (born March 31 1948 is an American environmental Activist, author Businessperson, former Politician, and former

Pronunciation

"Worcester" is correctly pronounced with two syllables, not three (IPA: [ˈwʊstər]^listen). A syllable ( Greek:) is a unit of organization for a sequence of speech sounds Worcester (ˈwʊstə is a city and County town of Worcestershire, in the West Midlands of England. However, some varieties of the local dialect pronounce "Worcester" roughly to rhyme with "mister" or, more precisely, IPA: ['wɨstə], since Worcester English is non-rhotic. English pronunciation is divided into two main accent groups the rhotic (ˈroʊtɪk and non-rhotic, depending on when the sound typically represented Occasionally, the city's name is misspelled as "Worchester".

Geography

Worcester Massachusetts and the surrounding area

Worcester is located at 42°16′8″N, 71°48′14″W (42. 268843, -71. 803774). ^[12] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 38. The United States Census Bureau (officially Bureau of the Census as defined in Title) is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census 6 square miles (99. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. 9 km²), of which, 37. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of 6 square miles (97. 3 km²) of it is land and 1. 0 square miles (2. 6 km²) of it (2. 59%) is water. Worcester is bordered by the towns of Auburn, Grafton, Holden, Leicester, Millbury, Paxton, Shrewsbury, and West Boylston. Auburn is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Grafton is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Holden is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Leicester (ˈlɛstɚ 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. Shrewsbury is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. 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. The Blackstone Valley or Blackstone River Valley is a region of Massachusetts and Rhode Island. 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. Grafton Hill refers to one of the seven hills of Worcester Massachusetts, the third largest city in New England. Lake Quinsigamond, on its eastern border, is frequently the site of rowing competitions. Lake Quinsigamond (also Long Pond) is a body of water situated between the city of Worcester and the town of Shrewsbury in Worcester County, GB coxless pair of Toby Garbett & Rick Dunn at Henley Royal Regatta 2004

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. Frederick Law Olmsted ( April 25, 1822 &ndash August 28, 1903) was an American landscape designer and father of American S. Both the City Common and Elm Park are listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP is the United States government's official list of districts sites buildings structures and objects deemed worthy of ^[13] 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.

Demographics

Successive waves of immigrants have formed coherent ethnic enclaves, many of which contribute to the rich ethnic texture of Worcester 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. Swedish Americans are Americans of Swedish descent most often related to the large groups of immigrants from Sweden in the late nineteenth century and early 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, Syrians, Lebanese, Puerto Ricans, French Canadians, and more recently, Albanians and Brazilians. The Irish people ( Irish: Muintir na hÉireann, na hÉireannaigh, na Gaeil) are a Western European Ethnic group who originate The' Italian people' are a Southern European Ethnic group located primarily in Italy, Switzerland, France and by virtue of a wide-ranging Other prominent groups include Russians, Armenians, 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.

As of the census^[14] of 2000, there were 172,648 people, 67,028 households, and 39,211 families residing in the city, making it the third largest city by population in New England, behind Boston and Providence. A census is the procedure of acquiring information about every member of a given population The population density was 4,596. Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume 5 people per square mile (1,774. 8/km²). There were 70,723 housing units at an average density of 1,882. 9/sq mi (727. 0/km²). 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. The top 5 largest ancestries include: Irish (19. Irish Americans (Gael-Mheiriceánach are citizens of the United States who can claim ancestry originating in Ireland. 0%), Italian (11. An Italian American is an American of Italian descent and/or dual citizenship 6%), French (10. French Americans or Franco-Americans are citizens or permanent residents of the United States of French descent 3%), English (6. English Americans (occasionally known as Anglo -Americans although this may have a wider cultural meaning are Citizens of the United States whose ancestry 2%), and Polish (6. A Polish American is an American citizen of Polish descent There are an estimated 10 million Americans of Polish descent 1%)[1]

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. NOTICE TO WOULD-BE ROMEOS ************** 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. Per capita income means how much each individual receives in monetary terms of the yearly income generated in the country About 14. 1% of families and 17. 9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24. The poverty threshold, or poverty line, is the minimum level of Income deemed necessary to achieve an adequate Standard of living in a given country 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.

Climate

Worcester's continental climate is typical of the New England region. Continental climate is a Climate that is characterized by Winter Temperatures cold enough to support a fixed period of Snow cover each Year History See also History of New England New England's earliest inhabitants were Algonquian -speaking Native Americans including the 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 warm and humid, while winters are cold, windy and snowy. New Englanders expect snow as early as September (rarely), and as late as May. The USDA classifies the city as hardiness zone 5. A hardiness zone is a geographically-defined zone in which a specific category of Plant life is capable of growing as defined by Temperature hardiness or ability

The hottest month is July, with an average high of 79 °F (26 °C) and a low of 61 °F (16 °C). Fahrenheit is a temperature scale named after Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit (1686–1736 a German Physicist who proposed it in 1724 The Celsius Temperature scale was previously known as the centigrade scale. 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 all-time record high temperature is 102 °F (38. 8 °C), recorded on July 4, 1911. ^[15] The all-time record low temperature is -24 °F (-31. 1 °C), recorded on February 16, 1943. ^[16]

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. Inches redirects here To see the Les Savy Fav album see Inches. The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International In Meteorology, precipitation (also known as one class of hydrometeors, which are atmospheric water phenomena is any product of the condensation of atmospheric A centimetre ( American spelling: centimeter, symbol cm) is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one hundredth 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. A nor'easter (also northeaster; see below is a macro-scale Storm along the East Coast of the United States and Atlantic Canada.

Government

See also: List of Mayors of Worcester, Massachusetts

Worcester is governed by a Council-manager government with a popularly elected mayor. The United States House of Representatives is one of the two chambers of the United States Congress; the other is the Senate. James P "Jim" McGovern (born November 20, 1959) an American politician, has been a Democratic member of the United States Massachusetts's 3rd congressional district is a congressional district in central and southeastern Massachusetts. The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives Edward Moore "Ted" Kennedy (born February 22 1932 is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts and a member of the Democratic } John Forbes Kerry (born December 11 1943 is an American Politician who is currently serving his fourth term as the junior United States Senator In the council-manager form of government an elected city council (typically between five and 11 people is responsible for making Policy, passing Ordinances voting Appropriations A mayor (from the Latin māior, meaning "greater" is a modern title used in many countries for the highest ranking officer in a municipal government A city council acts as the legislative body, and the council-appointed manager handles the traditional day-to-day chief executive functions. A city council is a form of Local government, usually covering a City or other Urban area, such as a 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. A charter is the grant of authority or rights stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified In Government, bicameralism (bi + Latin la ''camera'' chamber is the practice of having two legislative or Parliamentary chambers Thus a bicameral Together, the two chambers — the 11-member Board of Aldermen and the 30-member Common Council — were vested with complete legislative powers. An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions 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. ^[18]

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.

Politics

Worcester's social progressivism includes a number of temperance and abolitionist movements. See also Prohibition, Teetotalism The Temperance Movement attempted to reduce the amount of Alcohol consumed within a community or society in Abolitionism was a political movement of the 18th and 19th century which sought to make Slavery illegal particularly in the United States and British West Indies

The city is a leader in the women's suffrage movement: The first national convention advocating women's rights was held in Worcester, October 23-24, 1850. Events 4004 BC - Creation of the world begins according to the calculations of Archbishop James Ussher 42 BC - Events 69 - Second Battle of Bedriacum, forces under Antonius Primus the commander of the Danube armies loyal to Vespasian, defeat For the game see 1850 (board game. 1850 ( MDCCCL) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link ^[19]

The American Red Cross was established on May 21, 1881 by Worcester County native Clara Barton, the first president of the organization. Events 878 - Syracuse Italy is captured by the Muslim sultan of Sicily. Year 1881 ( MDCCCLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common

Two of the nation’s most radical (and often despised) abolitionists, Abby Kelley Foster and her husband Stephen S. Abby Kelley (Abby Kelley Foster ( January 15, 1811 &ndash January 14, 1887) was an American abolitionist and radical social 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. Thomas Wentworth Higginson ( December 22, 1823 &ndash May 9, 1911) was an American minister Author, Abolitionist Edward Everett Hale.

The area was already home to Lucy Stone, Eli Thayer, and Samuel May, Jr. Lucy Stone ( August 13, 1818 &ndash October 19, 1893) was a prominent American Suffragist. Eli Thayer (1819-1899 was a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1857 to 1861 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. Emma Goldman (June 27 1869 – May 14 1940 was an anarchist known for her political activism writing and speeches "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. Events 202 BCE - The Battle of Zama results in the defeat of Carthage and Hannibal. Year 1924 ( MCMXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Ku Klux Klan ( KKK) is the name of several past and present secret domestic terrorist organizations in the United States, generally in the southern states that are 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. Abbot Howard "Abbie" Hoffman (November 30 1936 &ndash April 12 1989 was a radical social and political activist in the United States who co-founded the 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. Biographer and friend Jonah Raskin explains that "Worcester provided him with his view of society and his way of dealing with the world. Jonah Raskin (born January 3, 1942) an American writer who left an East Coast university teaching position to participate in the 1970s radical counterculture "

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 political education and action organization founded by Robert W

Economy

Postcard view of Lincoln Square in the city (undated)

Historically, Worcester's economic roots were tied to the Blackstone River. The Blackstone River is a River in the US states of Massachusetts and Rhode Island. 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.

In the 1930s a local merchant, Anthony "Spag" Borgatti, opened Spag's, a small hardware business. Spag's was from 1934 to 2004 a discount department store on Route 9 in Shrewsbury Massachusetts. Credited with the invention of discount marketing, he stored his wares in old trailer trucks in order to avoid paying taxes. He was a local philanthropist. Every spring, Spag offered free tomato seedlings to his customers.

Today, Worcester has a diversified economy. The largest employer is the University of Massachusetts Medical School. 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 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. Abbott Laboratories ( is a diversified pharmaceuticals 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. Saint-Gobain SA ( is a French Multinational corporation, founded in 1665 in Paris and headquartered on the outskirts of Paris at La Norton Abrasives of Worcester Massachusetts is the world's largest manufacturer and supplier of abrasives for commercial applications household and automotive refinishing Polar Beverages is also located in the city. Polar Beverages is a fourth- generation family-owned business that traces its roots back to 1882 and is based in Worcester, Massachusetts.

In the financial sector, Hanover Insurance maintains their national headquarters in the city. The Hanover Insurance Group Inc ( based in Worcester Massachusetts, is one of the oldest continuous businesses in the United States still operating within its original 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 ( is a Chattanooga Tennessee -based Insurance company previously named UnumProvident which was formed from the merger of two competing insurance companies

David Clark Company pioneered aeronautical protective equipment since 1941, ranging from anti-gravity suits to space suits. David Clark Company Inc is an American manufacturer best known for aviation headsets with boom microphones for use in military aviation commercial aviation and professional 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 located in nearby Shrewsbury is best known for the development of the oral contraceptive pill (1951) and for pioneering research on in vitro fertilization. The Worcester Foundation for Biomedical Research ( WFBR) is a Non-profit Biomedical Research institute based in Shrewsbury Massachusetts Shrewsbury is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The first American conceived by this method (1981), Elizabeth Jordan Carr, lived in nearby Westminster. 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. ( German, literally means "children's garden" is a form of education for young children which serves as a transition from home to the commencement of more formal schooling ^[20] The system consists of 33 elementary schools, 4 middle schools, 7 high schools,^[21] and 13 other learning centers such as magnet schools, alternative schools, and special education schools. See also Primary education An elementary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of Compulsory education known as elementary Middle school or Junior High School serves as a "bridge" between the Elementary School and the High School High school is the name used in some parts of the world (in particular Scotland, North America and Australia) to describe an institution A magnet school is a School which offers specialized courses or curricula. An alternative school (sometimes called a minischool) is an educational establishment with a curriculum and methods that are nontraditional or sometimes ultratraditional Special Education is the individually planned and systematically monitored arrangement of teaching procedures adapted equipment and materials accessible settings and other interventions The city's public school system also administers an adult education component called "Night Life", and operates a cable accessible television station, Channel 11.

Twenty-one private and parochial schools are also found throughout Worcester, including the city's oldest educational institution, Worcester Academy, founded in 1834, and Bancroft School, founded in 1900. Parochial school is one term used (particularly in the United States) to describe a school that 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 Bancroft School is a private K-12 preparatory school, located in Worcester, Massachusetts.

Higher education

Boynton Hall at Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Jonas Clark building at Clark University

Worcester is home to 11 colleges and universities:

• 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. The College of the Holy Cross is a prestigious exclusively undergraduate Roman Catholic liberal arts college located in Worcester Massachusetts, Well-known graduates include Billy Collins, former Poet Laureate of the United States, Bob Cousy, and Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. William A ("Billy" Collins (born March 22, 1941) is an American poet. Robert Joseph "Bob" Cousy (born August 9 1928 in New York City) is a former French - American professional Basketball player Clarence Thomas (born June 23, 1948) is an American Jurist. He has been serving as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United In 2007, the College of the Holy Cross was ranked by U.S. News and World Report as the nation's 32nd highest rated liberal arts college. The College of the Holy Cross is a prestigious exclusively undergraduate Roman Catholic liberal arts college located in Worcester Massachusetts, USNews & World Report is an influential weekly American Newsmagazine published in Washington D Liberal arts colleges are primarily colleges with an emphasis upon Undergraduate study in the Liberal arts. ^[22]

• Worcester Polytechnic Institute (1865) is an innovative leader in engineering education and partnering with local biotechnology industries.

• Clark University, founded in 1887, has historic strengths in psychology and geography. Clark University is a private University and Liberal arts college in Worcester Massachusetts. 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. Albert Abraham Michelson ( December 19, 1852 &ndash May 9, 1931) was a Polish - American Physicist known Robert Hutchings Goddard, PhD ( October 5, 1882 &ndash August 10 1945 U Clark offers the only program in the country leading to a Ph. D. in Holocaust History and Genocide Studies. Sigmund Freud spoke at Clark during his only trip to America. Sigmund Freud (ˈziːkmʊnt ˈfʁɔʏt born Sigismund Shlomo Freud (May 6 1856 &ndash September 23 1939 was an Austrian Psychiatrist who founded

• The University of Massachusetts Medical School (1970) is one of the nation's top 50 medical schools. 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 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. USNews & World Report is an influential weekly American Newsmagazine published in Washington D "^[23]

• Tufts University Veterinary School (in Grafton) is part of the Greater Worcester education community.

• The Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences — Worcester Campus. Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences ( MCPHS) is an accredited private institution providing traditional and non-traditional programs of study focusing on professional

• At 175-acres, the largest college in Worcester is Assumption College, which is also the fourth oldest Roman Catholic college in New England, founded in 1904. Assumption College is a private Catholic, liberal arts college located on 175 acres (708000 m² in Worcester Massachusetts.

• Worcester State College
• Anna Maria College, in the neighboring town of Paxton,
• Salter College, now located in West Boylston. Awards Worcester State College was the only Massachusetts state college to be placed on the Princeton Review's list of "Best Northeastern Colleges" Anna Maria College is a four-year Catholic Liberal arts college founded in 1946 and located in the rural town of Paxton Massachusetts.
• Becker College
• Quinsigamond Community College. Becker College is a college in Massachusetts, United States with campuses in Worcester and Leicester. Quinsigamond Community College ( colloq: QCC Quinsig is a public two-year academic institution located in Worcester Massachusetts.

An early education institution, the Oread Institute, closed in 1934. Oread Institute was a women's college founded in Worcester, Massachusetts in 1849 by Eli Thayer.

Many of these institutions participate in the Colleges of Worcester Consortium. The Colleges of Worcester Consortium, Inc is a non-profit association of 13 colleges and universities located in central Massachusetts 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 non-governmental County located in the U

Culture

A notable piece of out door art, The Burnside Fountain A. K. A Turtle Boy

Museums

Worcester is home to several noteworthy libraries and museums including,

• The American Antiquarian Society, a national library. Turtle Boy may refer to one of two things The Burnside Fountain, A statue of a young boy riding a Hawksbill turtle located in Worcester Massachusetts The American Antiquarian Society (AAS located in Worcester Massachusetts, is both a Learned society and national research library of pre-twentieth century
• The Higgins Armory Museum, housed in a steel Art Decco Building, is the sole museum in the western hemisphere dedicated purely to arms and armour. Higgins Armory Museum, located in Worcester Massachusetts, is a "national treasure" a Public, Non-profit Museum specializing in Steel is an Alloy consisting mostly of Iron, with a Carbon content between 0 ^[24]
• The Worcester Art Museum, highlights include works by El Greco, Rembrandt, Matisse, Renoir, Gauguin, Kandinsky, Winslow Homer, John Singer Sargent, Franz Kline, and Jackson Pollock. The Worcester Art Museum, located in Worcester Massachusetts, is one of the largest art museums in Central Massachusetts El Greco' ("The Greek " 1541 &ndash April 7 1614 was a painter, sculptor, and architect of the Spanish Renaissance Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (July 15 1606 &ndash October 4 1669 was a Dutch painter and etcher. Henri Matisse (31 December 1869 – 3 November 1954 was a French Artist, known for his use of Colour and his fluid brilliant and original draughtsmanship Pierre-Auguste Renoir ( February 25, 1841 &ndash December 3, 1919) was a French Artist who was a leading painter in Eugène Henri Paul Gauguin (7 June 1848 – 8 May 1903 was a leading Post-Impressionist painter. Wassily Kandinsky (Russian Василий Кандинский first name pronounced as) ( – 13 December 1944 was a Russian painter, Printmaker Winslow Homer ( February 24, 1836 – September 29, 1910) was an American Landscape painter and Printmaker John Singer Sargent (January 12 1856 &ndash April 14 1925 was the most successful portrait painter of his era During his career he created roughly 900 oil paintings and more than Franz Kline ( May 23, 1910 – May 13, 1962) was an American painter mainly associated with the Abstract Expressionist Paul Jackson Pollock (January 28 1912 &ndash August 11 1956 was an influential American painter and a major force in the abstract expressionist movement ^[25]
• The EcoTarium, a Science Museum. The EcoTarium is a science and nature museum located in Worcester Massachusetts. For science museums in general check out Science museum. The Science Museum on Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London is part
• The American Sanitary Plumbing Museum, the only plumbing museum in the world. ^[26]

Performing Art

Performing arts centers and arenas are abundant in the city. They include,

• Mechanics Hall, a Renaissance revival concert hall on the national Register of Historic Places. Mechanics Hall is a Concert Hall in Worcester Massachusetts. It was built in 1857 in the Renaissance Revival style and restored in 1977 "Neo-Renaissance" is an all encompassing style designation that covers many aspects of those 19th century architectural revival styles which were neither The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP is the United States government's official list of districts sites buildings structures and objects deemed worthy of
• Tuckerman Hall, designed by Josephine Wright Chapman, one of this country's earliest woman architects, is home of the Massachusetts Symphony Orchestra.
• The Worcester Foothills Theater,housed in the former Worcester Common Outlets, is the only profesional theaterical company in Worcester. ^[27]
• The Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts, at the site of the old Poli Palace Theatre on Main Street, is Worcester's venue for Broadway Shows, concerts, and nationally recognized performers. ^[28]

Clasical Music

Music Worcester, Inc. , is the largest non-profit concert presenter in central Massachusetts. It hosts the Worcester Music Festival, which is the oldest Music Festival in the United States, as well as International Artists Series, and the Mass Jazz Festival. ^[29]

Popular Music

In September 1981, the Rolling Stones played an unscheduled performance at local nightclub, Sir Morgan's Cove, (now The Lucky Dog) before embarking on their national tour that year. ^[30] Billed as "Blue Monday with The Cockroaches", the Stones played before a packed house of 350 people who had been given tickets in a promotion by WAAF Radio that day.

"Wormtown," a nickname for Worcester that first appeared about 1977, originally referred to an underground musical subculture, but later became used to refer to the city itself. Underground culture, or just underground, is a term to describe various Alternative cultures which either consider themselves different from the Mainstream For the term in biology see Subculture (biology. For the song by New Order see Sub-culture (song.

Visual Arts

There are mutiple outlets for the Visual Arts in Worcester, including the Worcester Art Museum. The Worcester Art Museum, located in Worcester Massachusetts, is one of the largest art museums in Central Massachusetts The Worcester Center for Crafts, founded in 1856 as the Worcester Employment Society, is another. 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.

Arts Worcester is yet another visual arts outlet in the city. They provide open studio tours, literary, performing and visual arts lectures, workshops, exhibitions, concerts, and events, as well as owning the only professionally managed non-profit membership gallery in Central Massachusetts; The Aurora Gallery. ^[31] Qutie possibly their largest event of the year is "stART on the Street" ^[32], a street art festival.

Other

The Worcester County Poetry Association fosters the poetic tradition by sponsoring readings by national and local poets, celebrating Bloomsday, and holding conferences and literary tours of Worcester. Local poets have competed successfully in the National Poetry Slam. The National Poetry Slam (NPS is a performance poetry competition where teams from across the United States Canada and France participate in a large-scale Poetry slam

Worcester is also home to the New England Summer Nationals, a large car show that brings together thousands of vehicles and many more thousands of automotive enthusiasts from across the country. This event takes place annually around the 4 July holiday. Events 836 - Pactum Sicardi, peace between the Principality of Benevento and the Duchy of Naples

Sports

Lake Quinsigamond is home to the Eastern Sprints, one of the United States premier rowing events. The Worcester Tornadoes are a professional baseball team based in Worcester Massachusetts, in the United States. Fitton Field is a multi-purpose sports stadium in Worcester Massachusetts. The Worcester Sharks are a professional Ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. American Hockey Association (1926–1942The American Hockey League (AHL is a Professional Ice hockey league in North America that serves as the primary The DCU Center, formerly known as The Centrum, Centrum in Worcester and Worcester's Centrum Centre, is an Indoor arena and Convention The New England Surge are an expansion team of the Continental Indoor Football League, having begun play in the league's second year 2007. The Continental Indoor Football League ( CIFL) is an indoor football league based along the Northeastern United States region The DCU Center, formerly known as The Centrum, Centrum in Worcester and Worcester's Centrum Centre, is an Indoor arena and Convention The New England Football League (NEFL is a Semi-professional American football league Lake Quinsigamond (also Long Pond) is a body of water situated between the city of Worcester and the town of Shrewsbury in Worcester County, Eastern Sprints refers to the annual rowing championship for the Eastern Association of Rowing Colleges (EARC GB coxless pair of Toby Garbett & Rick Dunn at Henley Royal Regatta 2004 Competitive rowing teams first came to Lake Quinsigamond in 1857. GB coxless pair of Toby Garbett & Rick Dunn at Henley Royal Regatta 2004 Finding the lake ideal for such crew meets, 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, such as the Eastern Sprints, on the lake. Eastern Sprints refers to the annual rowing championship for the Eastern Association of Rowing Colleges (EARC Beginning in 1895, local high schools held crew races on the lake. In 1952, the lake played host to the National Olympic rowing trials.

The Worcester Tennis Club on Sever Street is the second oldest tennis club in New England. It features natural red clay courts.

Worcester has a long storied past with sports teams and sporting events.

Marshall Walter ("Major") Taylor (November 26, 1878–June 21, 1932) was an American cyclist who won the world one-mile track cycling championship in 1899, 1900, and 1901. Marshall Walter ("Major" Taylor ( November 26 1878 &ndash June 21 1932) was an American Taylor was the second black world champion in any sport, after boxer George Dixon.

The Worcesters, an early Major League Baseball team, was one of the first teams to play in the nascent National League. The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the National League ( NL) is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball This team, which operated from 1880 to 1882, is believed to be the only major league team in history not to have an attached nickname. (There are some references throughout major league history books to the team being called the "Worcester Brown Stockings", "Brownies", and "Ruby Legs". ^[33] However, the Worcester Telegram sportswriter Bill Ballou, in conducting thorough research on the team for years, has found no contemporary reference to any of those nicknames. ) The team's home field, the Worcester Agricultural Fairgrounds was the site of the first recorded perfect game in professional baseball. Worcester Agricultural Fairgrounds was a 20- Acre (80000 m² site in Worcester Massachusetts in the 19th century A perfect game is defined by Major League Baseball as a game in which a Pitcher (or combination of pitchers pitches a victory that lasts a minimum Pitcher John Lee Richmond achieved this feat on June 12, 1880, against the Cleveland Blues. In Baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the Pitcher's mound toward the Catcher to begin each play with the goal of John Lee Richmond (or simply Lee Richmond) (born May 5, 1857, in Sheffield Ohio - died October 1, 1929, in Toledo Events 1381 - Peasants' Revolt: in England, rebels arrive at Blackheath. Year 1880 ( MDCCCLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year The Cleveland Blues were a Major League Baseball team based in Cleveland Ohio that operated in the National League from 1879 to 1884 Other professional teams that have moved on from the city include the New England Blazers, a Major League Lacrosse team that played at the Worcester Centrum during the 1980s, the Bay State Bombardiers of the Continental Basketball Association, who played in the Worcester Auditorium from 1984 to 1986, and the Worcester Ice Cats, an American Hockey League franchise and developmental team for the National Hockey League's St. Louis Blues who played in the DCU Center (nee Worcester Centrum) from 1994 to 2005. Major League Lacrosse is a professional outdoor Lacrosse league that is made up of teams within the United States. The Continental Basketball Association ( CBA) is a professional men's Basketball league in the United States. The Worcester IceCats were an Ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. The National Hockey League ( NHL) is a professional Ice hockey league composed of 30 teams in North America The St Louis Blues are a professional Ice hockey team based in St

View from the endzone of the DCU Center during the first New England Surge home game in April 2007

Currently, Worcester is home to three professional sports franchises. The Worcester Sharks play in the American Hockey League, a developmental team for the National Hockey League's San Jose Sharks. The Worcester Sharks are a professional Ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. American Hockey Association (1926–1942The American Hockey League (AHL is a Professional Ice hockey league in North America that serves as the primary The National Hockey League ( NHL) is a professional Ice hockey league composed of 30 teams in North America The San Jose Sharks are a professional Ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States. The season 2006-2007 was the team's inaugural season. The team replaced the Worcester IceCats when the franchise moved to Peoria, Illinois, in 2005. The Worcester IceCats were an Ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. Peoria Illinois (named after the Peoria tribe is the largest city on the Illinois River and the County seat of Peoria County, Illinois

Professional baseball in Worcester is represented by the Worcester Tornadoes baseball team, which played its first season in 2005. Baseball is a Bat-and-ball Sport played between two teams of nine players each The Worcester Tornadoes are a professional baseball team based in Worcester Massachusetts, in the United States. Though not affiliated with any Major League Baseball team, the Tornadoes currently play their games at Hanover Insurance Park at Fitton Field on the campus of the College of the Holy Cross and are a member of the Canadian-American Association of Professional Baseball League. Fitton Field is a multi-purpose sports stadium in Worcester Massachusetts. The team finished its inaugural season by winning the Can-Am championship. The team 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.

Indoor football returned to the city in April 2007. This article discusses indoor variations of American football for indoor versions of association football (soccer see Futsal and Indoor soccer and for the The New England Surge, a member of the Continental Indoor Football League, play their home games in the DCU Center. The New England Surge are an expansion team of the Continental Indoor Football League, having begun play in the league's second year 2007. The Continental Indoor Football League ( CIFL) is an indoor football league based along the Northeastern United States region The team replaced an Arena Football League team called the Massachusetts Marauders which played briefly in 1994. The Arena Football League (AFL was founded in 1987 as an American football indoor league. History Detroit Drive ( 1988 - 1993) The Detroit Drive were a professional American football team

In 2002, Worcester's Jesse Burkett Little League baseball team competed in the Little League World Series's U. Jesse Cail Burkett ( December 4, 1868 &ndash May 27, 1953) nicknamed "The Crab" was a Major League Baseball player Little League Baseball is the name of a Non-profit organization in the United States which organizes local children's leagues of baseball and Softball The Little League World Series is a Baseball Tournament for children aged 11 12 and 13 years old S. Final. Though the Burkett team lost to the Little League All-Stars from Louisville, Kentucky, its second-place finish was the best in the history of Massachusetts Little League baseball. ^[34]

Worcester's colleges have had long histories and many notable achievements in collegiate sports:

• The Holy Cross Crusaders, led by future basketball hall-of-famers Bob Cousy and Tom Heinsohn, were NCAA men's basketball champions in 1947 and NIT men's basketball champions in 1954. Robert Joseph "Bob" Cousy (born August 9 1928 in New York City) is a former French - American professional Basketball player Thomas William Heinsohn (born August 26 1934 in Jersey City, New Jersey) is a former professional basketball player known for his time as a player on the The 1947 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 8 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division The National Invitation Tournament is an annual US Basketball competition
• The Holy Cross Crusaders football team played in the 1946 Orange Bowl, losing 13-6 to Miami (FL). The Orange Bowl is an annual College football game that is usually played the first week in January in the Miami Florida metro area in the United States The University of Miami Hurricanes football team is a collegiate football program that represents the University of Miami.
• Holy Cross won the 1952 NCAA College World Series, beating the University of Missouri 8-4. The 1952 College World Series was played at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha NE from June 13 to June 17. The University of Missouri (also known as the University of Missouri–Columbia, Mizzou, or MU) is a public land-grant and research To date, the 1952 Crusaders remain the only college team from the Northeast to win the College World Series. The College World Series or CWS is a Baseball Tournament held in Omaha Nebraska that is the culmination of the NCAA Division I Baseball
• In one of the biggest upsets in NCAA hockey history, the Holy Cross men's hockey team made history by defeating the Golden Gophers of the University of Minnesota in the first round of the 2006 NCAA Division I Tournament by the score of 4-3 in overtime. The University of Minnesota Twin Cities ( U of M or The U) is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system.
• Holy Cross's Gordie Lockbaum is widely acknowledged as the last major college football program player to regularly play both offense and defense. Gordon "Gordie" C Lockbaum, born November 16, 1965 in Media Pennsylvania, was a star running back and cornerback in NCAA Division I-AA Lockbaum finished third in the 1987 Heisman Trophy balloting, after finishing fifth in 1986. Lockbaum's son, Gordon Lockbaum Jr. , was a star player on the 2002 Worcester Little League World Series team (See above).
• The Assumption College Greyhounds lay claim to being the only college baseball team to ever have two future baseball hall-of-famers (Jesse Burkett and Rube Marquard) on its staff at the same time (1931-32). Assumption College is a private Catholic, liberal arts college located on 175 acres (708000 m² in Worcester Massachusetts. Jesse Cail Burkett ( December 4, 1868 &ndash May 27, 1953) nicknamed "The Crab" was a Major League Baseball player Richard William "Rube" Marquard (October 9 1886 - June 1 1980 was an American left-handed Pitcher in Major League Baseball in the 1910s
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute's "WPI Engineers" football has had three undefeated, untied seasons (1938, 1954 and 1983) and two Freedom Football Conference (FFC) Championships (1992 and 1993).
• The 1965-66 WPI Engineers basketball team was defeated by Army 71-62 on December 8, 1965. "USMA" redirects here For other uses see USMA (disambiguation The United States Military Academy (also known as USMA, Events 1609 - Biblioteca Ambrosiana opens its reading room the second public library of Europe. Year 1965 ( MCMLXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1965 Gregorian calendar. The win marked the first career coaching victory for a young coach named Bobby Knight. Robert Montgomery (Bob or Bobby Knight (born October 25 1940 in Massillon Ohio) also known as "The General" is an American former college
• WPI football has the distinction of being Worcester's first college football team, debuting in 1888 with back-to-back losses to Harvard of 70-0 and 68-0^[35]
• The Clark University Cougars earned 10 consecutive NCAA Division III tournament berths, including two finishes as national runner-up in 1984 and 1987. Clark University is a private University and Liberal arts college in Worcester Massachusetts.
• Clark's women's basketball team earned back-to-back NCAA Division III Final Four appearances and were NCAA Northeast Champions in 1982 and 1983.
• The Worcester State College Women's Soccer team advanced to the 3rd round of the NCAA Tournament in 2007, which was the most successful NCAA appearance of any team in Worcester State history. They beat the #5 ranked William Smith College by a score of 2-0 in the first round. After not receiving a national ranking all year, Worcester State ended the season at #21.

The Worcester Rugby Football Club (WRFC), a recognized member of the United States Rugby Football Union (USARFU), currently competes in the New England Rugby Football Union (NERFU) Division I league. The New England Rugby Football Union ( NERFU) is the Local Area Union (LAU for Rugby union teams in New England The club was founded in 1979 by Rob Anderson, Peter Coz, and Mike Minty; joined NERFU in 1980, and was invited to join USARFU Division I league after a very successful 1999 fall season. WRFC is one of the top men's rugby clubs in the U. S. , having reached the 2006 Men's Division 1 Club Final Four, before losing to eventual national champion Santa Monica in a close 20-13 match.

Golf's Ryder Cup's first official tournament was played at the Worcester Country Club in 1927. The Ryder Cup is a Golf trophy donated by Samuel Ryder, which is awarded Biennially in an event called the "Ryder Cup Matches" between teams from The course also hosted the U.S. Open in 1925, and the U.S. Women's Open in 1960. The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the US The United States Women's Open Golf Championship, one of thirteen national championships conducted by the United States Golf Association (USGA is one of the LPGA The Centrum (now DCU Center) was home to the Virginia Slims of New England women's tennis tournament for a few years in the late 1980s. The DCU Center, formerly known as The Centrum, Centrum in Worcester and Worcester's Centrum Centre, is an Indoor arena and Convention Martina Navratilova, Chris Evert, and Steffi Graf were some of the outstanding players who participated in the tournaments. Martina Navratilova ( Czech: Martina Navrátilová; born October 18, 1956, in Prague, Czechoslovakia) is a former World Christine Marie "Chris" Evert (Evert-Lloyd 1979–1987 (born December 21, 1954) is a former World No Stefanie Maria Graf (born June 14, 1969, in Mannheim, Baden-Württemberg, West Germany) is a former World No Various boxing title bouts have been fought in Worcester. Boxing (sometimes also known as English boxing or pugilism) is a Combat sport in which two participants generally of similar weight, The NCAA National Division I hockey and Division I basketball early rounds have been contested here. The National Collegiate Athletic Association ( NCAA, often pronounced "N-C-Double-A" is a voluntary association of about 1200 institutions conferences organizations Basketball is a team Sport in which two teams of five active players each try to score points against one another by propelling a ball through a 10 feet (3 m Charlie's Surplus Road Race fielded many world-class runners before ending in the early 1990s. Candlepin bowling was invented in Worcester in 1880 by Justin White, an area bowling alley owner. Candlepin bowling is a variation of Bowling that is played primarily in several New England states and in the Canadian Maritime provinces of New Brunswick

Infrastructure

Transportation

Two interstate highways run through Worcester. The Dwight D Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly called the Interstate Highway System (or simply the Interstate System) Interstate 290 is a spur route off the Mass Pike (I-90). Interstate 290 (abbreviated I-290) runs for 2016 miles from Auburn Massachusetts to Marlboro Massachusetts. The Massachusetts Turnpike (commonly shortened to the MassPike or The Pike) is the easternmost 138-mile (222 km stretch of Interstate 90. Interstate 90 (I-90 is the longest interstate highway in the United States at nearly 3100 miles (5000 kilometers 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. ^[36] Interstate 190 is a spur from I-290 to Route 2, in the north. Interstate 190 (abbreviated I-190) runs for 1926 miles north from I-290 in Worcester Massachusetts to Route 2 in Leominster Massachusetts Route 2 is a major east-west State highway in Massachusetts. Along with Route 9 and Route 20 to the South these highways are the main alternatives I-190 joins I-290 at an interchange in north-central Worcester. In the field of Road transport, an interchange is a road junction that typically I-190 links Worcester to the twin cities of Fitchburg and Leominster of northern Worcester County. Fitchburg is a city in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Leominster (pronounced "lemon-ster" is a City in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States

Worcester also serves as a hub for several smaller Massachusetts state highways. Route 9 links the city to its eastern and western suburbs, Shrewsbury, and Leicester. Route 9 is a major east-west State highway in Massachusetts. Along with US 20 to the south and Route 2 to the north this highway is one Shrewsbury is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Leicester (ˈlɛstɚ is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Route 9 runs almost the entire length of the state, connecting Boston with Pittsfield, near the New York State border. Route 12 was the primary route north to Leominster and Fitchburg until the completion of I-190. Route 12 is a multi-state north-south State highway in the New England region of the United States, running from Groton Connecticut through Route 12 also connected Worcester to Webster before I-395 was completed. Webster is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. It also still serves as an alternate route. Route 146, the Worcester-Providence Highway, connects the eponymous cities. Route 146 is a high-speed road mostly Freeway, linking Rhode Island Route 146 (the North Smithfield Expressway towards Providence Rhode Island Work is underway to complete the final sections in Worcester to make the road a divided highway along its entire length. ^[37] Route 20 touches the southernmost tip of Worcester. US Route 20 is an east-west United States highway. As the "0" in its route number implies U It is a coast-to-coast route connecting the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean, and is the longest road in the United States. The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth 's Oceanic divisions ^[38]

Union Station, Worcester

Worcester is the last stop on the Framingham/Worcester commuter rail line run by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. The Framingham/Worcester Line is a Railroad line of the MBTA Commuter Rail system running west from Boston Massachusetts to Worcester Massachusetts The MBTA Commuter Rail is the Regional rail arm of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, in the United States. The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority ( MBTA) is "a body politic and corporate and a political subdivision" of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Union Station, an early-20th century structure restored to full operation in 2000, serves as the hub for commuter railway traffic. Union Station is located at Washington Square in downtown in Worcester Massachusetts. It is also an Amtrak station, serving the Lake Shore Limited from Boston to Chicago, Illinois. The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Doing business as Amtrak, is a Government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971 The Lake Shore Limited is a daily Passenger train route operated by Amtrak in the Northeastern and Midwestern United States Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. Train passengers may also connect to additional services such as the Canada-bound Vermonter line in Springfield. Springfield is a City in and the County seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States.

The Worcester Regional Transit Authority, or WRTA, manages the municipal bus system. Worcester Regional Transit Authority (WRTA is a public non-profit organization charged with providing Public transportation to the city of Worcester, Massachusetts Buses operate intracity as well as connect Worcester to surrounding central Massachusetts communities. The WRTA also operates a shuttle bus between member institutions of the Colleges of Worcester Consortium. The Colleges of Worcester Consortium, Inc is a non-profit association of 13 colleges and universities located in central Massachusetts The Worcester Bus Station was recently relocated to Worcester Intermodal Center at Union Station. From here, Peter Pan Bus Lines (based in nearby Springfield) services other points in the Northeast. Peter Pan Bus Lines is a long-distance Bus carrier that operates in the northeastern states of the United States.

The Worcester Regional Airport, managed by Massport for the city, lies at the top of Worcester's highest hill. Worcester Regional Airport is a public Airport located three miles (5 km) west of the Central business district of Worcester, a city in Massachusetts Port Authority, or Massport, is a Port district in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. As of 2008 the airport has no commercial service and many Worcester residents use Logan International Airport in Boston or T.F. Green Airport in Warwick, Rhode Island, for their commercial flights. T F Green International Airport, also known as Theodore Francis Green State Airport, is a public Airport located in Warwick, six miles (10 Warwick is a city in Kent County, Rhode Island, United States. Westover Metropolitan Airport has replaced Worcester Regional as the only active passenger airport west of greater Boston in the state. For the military airport use of this facility see Westover Air Reserve Base Westover Metropolitan Airport is a civilian Airline, and General The low-cost carrier Skybus Airlines located there to service air travelers from Worcester, Springfield, and Hartford. Skybus Airlines Inc was a privately-held Airline based in Columbus, Ohio, USA. Springfield is a City in and the County seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States.

Healthcare and utilities

The Worcester State Lunatic Hospital (1833) was the first hospital in the United States established to treat mental illnesses.

UMass-Worcester Medical School Hospital

Worcester is home to the University of Massachusetts Medical School, 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. 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 USNews & World Report is an influential weekly American Newsmagazine published in Washington D "^[39] The school also operates the UMass Memorial Health Care, the clinical arm of the teaching hospital, which has expanded its locations all over central Massachusetts. St. Vincent Hospital at Worcester City Hospital in the downtown area rounds out Worcester's primary care facilities. Fallon Clinic, presently the largest private multi-specialty group in central Massachusetts, includes St. Vincent's Hospital in its over 30 locations. Fallon Clinic was the creator of Fallon Community Health Plan, a now independent HMO based in Worcester, and one of the largest health maintenance organizations (HMOs) in the state. "HMO" redirects here For other uses see HMO (disambiguation.

Worcester has a municipally owned water supply. Sewage disposal services are provided by the Upper Blackstone Water Pollution Abatement District, which services Worcester as well as some surrounding communities. National Grid is the exclusive distributor of electric power to the city, though due to deregulation, customers now have a choice of electric generation companies. Electric power is defined as the rate at which Electrical energy is transferred by an Electric circuit. Natural gas is distributed by NSTAR Gas; only commercial and industrial customers may choose an alternate natural gas supplier. Natural gas is a Gaseous Fossil fuel consisting primarily of Methane but including significant quantities of Ethane, Propane, NSTAR was also the name of the Ion Engine tested on NASA 's space probe Deep Space 1. Verizon, successor to New England Telephone, NYNEX, and Bell Atlantic, is the primary wired telephone service provider for the area. "Verizon" redirects here this article is about the corporation see also Verizon Wireless, Verizon Online DSL and Verizon FiOS. New England Telephone was a Bell Operating Company that served most of New England as a part of the original AT&T for seven decades from the creation of NYNEX Corporation (pronounced Nine-x) was a Telephone company which served five New England states ( Maine, Massachusetts, "Verizon" redirects here this article is about the corporation see also Verizon Wireless, Verizon Online DSL and Verizon FiOS. Phone service is also available from various national wireless companies. Cable television is available from Charter Communications, with Broadband Internet access also provided, while a variety of DSL providers and resellers are able to provide broadband Internet over Verizon-owned phone lines. Charter Communications is an American company providing Cable television, High-speed Internet, and telephone services to more than 5 Broadband Internet access, often shortened to just Broadband, is high-speed Internet access—typically contrasted with dial-up access over a Modem

Notable Residents

See also: Notable people from Worcester, Massachusetts

• Harvey Ball, inventor of the smiley face
• George Bancroft, author of the first comprehensive history of the United States
• Esther Forbes, author of Johnny Tremain
• Robert Benchley, humorist
• Stanley Kunitz, Pulitzer Prize-winning Poet Laureate of the United States
• Elizabeth Bishop, Pulitizer Prize winning poet
• Billy Collins, College of the Holy Cross Poet Laureate
• Ronald Dworkin, Legal Philosopher
• Charles Olson, Beat Poet
• Nicholas Gage, Author
• Christos Gage, screenwriter

Sister cities

Worcester has the following sister cities:

• Worcester, England (1998)
• Piraeus, Greece (2005)
• Pushkin, Russia

See also

• List of Registered Historic Places in Worcester, Massachusetts
• Notable people from Worcester, Massachusetts
• Media of Worcester, Massachusetts
• Greater Worcester Land Trust

References

Further reading

• Erskine, Margaret A. (1981). Heart of the Commonwealth: Worcester. Windsor Publications, Inc. ISBN 0-89781-030-9.  
• Flynn, Sean (2002). 3000 Degrees: The True Story of a Deadly Fire and the Men who Fought It. New York: Warner Books.  
• Lincoln, William (1837). History of Worcester, Massachusetts, from its earliest settlement to September 1836. M. D. Phillips.  
• Moynihan, Kenneth J. (2007). A History of Worcester, 1674-1848. The History Press. ISBN 978-1596292345.  
• Wall & Gray. 1871 Atlas of Massachusetts. Map of Massachusetts. USA. New England. Counties - Berkshire, Franklin, Hampshire and Hampden, Worcester, Middlesex, Essex and Norfolk, Boston - Suffolk,Plymouth, Bristol, Barnstable and Dukes (Cape Cod). Cities - Springfield, Worcester, Lowell, Lawrence, Haverhill, Newburyport, Salem, Lynn, Taunton, Fall River. New Bedford. These 1871 maps of the Counties and Cities are useful to see the roads and rail lines.
• Beers,D. G. 1872 Atlas of Essex County Map of Massachusetts Plate 5. Click on the map for a very large image. Also see map of 1872 Essex County Plate 7.

External links

• Worcester (Massachusetts) travel guide from Wikitravel
• Worcester official website
• [2]
• Official Worcester visitors website
• Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce
• Worcester Regional Research Bureau
• Worcester Public Schools official website
• Colleges of Worcester Consortium
• Worcester Love (Video Guide)

• Worcester, Massachusetts is at coordinates 42°16′N 71°48′W / 42.27, -71.80 (Worcester, Massachusetts)Coordinates: 42°16′N 71°48′W / 42.27, -71.80 (Worcester, Massachusetts)