When Nathan Appleton and his colleagues built their first textile mill
on the banks of the Merrimack River in 1822, they were pursuing the
vision of their departed mentor, Francis Cabot Lowell. The complex
system of machinery, labor, management, and capital that resulted made
the city that they named Lowell the centerpiece of America's Industrial
Revolution. Changes in technology and commerce made the golden age of
Lowell's mills short lived. Despite the success of businesses such as
the patent medicine company of James C. Ayer, jobs remained scarce for
decades. Hard times created strong leaders--people like Congresswoman
Edith Nourse Rogers, who sponsored the G.I. Bill, and writer Jack
Kerouac, who added a new voice to the country's literary mix. More
recently, Paul Tsongas inspired a new generation to transform Lowell
into one of the most exciting mid-sized cities in post-industrial
America and a world model of urban revitalization. Legendary Locals of
Lowell tells the city's story through pictures of its people.