All About Worcester

Discover Central Massachusetts provides information about arts, entertainment and other happenings in Worcester and nearby towns.  

The City of Worcester provides statistics as well as guides to events, city ordinances, and other useful information on its home page. 

• Isaiah Thomas delivered the first public reading in Massachusetts of the Declaration of Independence in Worcester July, 1776. 
• The Coes Knife Company of Worcester developed and marketed the first monkey wrench in 1840.
• Worcester resident Charles Thurber patented the first modern-day typewriter in 1843.
• The first national convention of women advocating women's suffrage was held in Worcester on October 23 and 24, 1850.
• Elm Park became one of the first public parks in the country in 1854.
• Abolitionist and women’s rights activist Abby Kelley Foster lived in the city's Tatnuck neighborhood. 
•  Resident Joshua Stoddard invented the steam calliope in 1855.
• J. Lee Richmond of the Worcester pitched the first perfect game in major league baseball history on June 12, 1880.
• Worcester resident Henry Perky became the first to mass produce shredded wheat in 1895.
• African American champion bicyclist and "Worcester Whirlwind" Major Taylor lived here for much of his career. 
• Albert A. Michelson, chairman of Clark Univeristy Phiysics Department, named America's first Nobel Prize Winner in 1902.
• Dr. Rober H. Goddard of Clark University patented the first liquid fuel rocket in 1914.
• Worcester resident Harvey Ball designed the world-famous Smiley face in 1963. 

At the time of European settlement in the 17th century, Worcester County was occupied by the Nipmuc people.

The first Europeans settled the area in 1674, naming their village Quinsigamond, located near today's Auburn. This community was destroyed in 1675 during a conflict between European settlers and Native Americans known as King Philip's War. 

Settlers returned to the area in 1684 and named the community "Worcester" after the county town, Worcester, in the West Midlands of England. This settlement was also abandoned in 1702. The third and permanent settlement dates from 1713.  Worcester was incorporated a town in 1722 and as a city 1848. 

Worcester grew rapidly during the Industrial Revolution becoming a major center of manufacturing and railroads. Numerous inventions and firsts occurred here including the monkey wrench, the Valentine's Day card, the first "perfect" game in major league baseball history. Deindustrialization and decline followed World War II before the city's economy rebounded in the 21st century in the biotechnology and healthcare industries. Today, Worcester is the 2nd largest city in New England with a population of more than 200,000. 

Worcester in 1841, from Charles Nutt's History of Worcester.