Leominster is a
cityA city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
in
Worcester County-Demographics:In 1990 Worcester County had a population of 709,705.As of the census of 2000, there were 750,963 people, 283,927 households, and 192,502 families residing in the county. The population density was 496 people per square mile . There were 298,159 housing units at an average density...
,
MassachusettsThe Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, United States. It is the second-largest city in Worcester County, with a population of 40,759 at the 2010 census. Leominster is located north of
WorcesterWorcester is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the city's population is 181,045, making it the second largest city in New England after Boston....
and west of
BostonBoston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
. Both Route 2 and
Route 12Massachusetts Route 12 is a north-south state highway that runs through central Massachusetts from the Connecticut state line at Dudley to the New Hampshire state line at Winchendon.-Route description:...
pass through Leominster.
Interstate 190Interstate 190 runs for north from I-290 in Worcester, Massachusetts to Route 2 in Leominster, Massachusetts. A portion of the highway was built with extra-wide shoulders, which are painted green, to prevent runoff from contaminating the nearby Wachusett Reservoir...
, Route 13, and Route 117 all have starting/ending points in Leominster. Leominster is bounded by
FitchburgFitchburg is the third largest city in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 40,318 at the 2010 census. Fitchburg is home to Fitchburg State University as well as 17 public and private elementary and high schools.- History :...
and
LunenburgLunenburg is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 10,086 at the 2010 census.For geographic and demographic information on the census-designated place Lunenburg, please see the article Lunenburg , Massachusetts....
to the north,
LancasterLancaster is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, in the United States. Incorporated in 1653, Lancaster is the oldest town in Worcester County...
to the east,
SterlingSterling is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, USA. The population was 7,808 at the 2010 census.- History :Sterling was first settled by Europeans in 1720 and was officially incorporated in 1781....
and
PrincetonPrinceton is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States.It is bordered on the east by Sterling and Leominster, on the north by Westminster, on the northwest by Hubbardston, on the southwest by Rutland, and on the southeast by Holden....
to the south, and
WestminsterWestminster is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 7,277.- History :Westminster was first settled in 1737, and was officially incorporated in 1759....
to the west.
History
Before European settlement, various divisions of the
PennacookThe Pennacook, also known by the names Merrimack and Pawtucket, were a North American people that primarily inhabited the Merrimack River valley of present-day New Hampshire and Massachusetts, as well as portions of southern Maine...
or Nipmuc tribes inhabited the area, with a settlement nearby called Nashua. Leominster was first settled in 1653 as part of the town of
LancasterLancaster is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, in the United States. Incorporated in 1653, Lancaster is the oldest town in Worcester County...
. The settlers of Lancaster lived in peace with the Native Americans for more than years, until the start of
King Philip's WarKing Philip's War, sometimes called Metacom's War, Metacomet's War, or Metacom's Rebellion, was an armed conflict between Native American inhabitants of present-day southern New England and English colonists and their Native American allies in 1675–76. The war is named after the main leader of the...
in 1675. Many of Lancaster's inhabitants were either killed or fled the town. Once the fighting had ceased, the town was left virtually deserted. In an effort to bring people back, a new grant of land (containing what is now Leominster and
SterlingSterling is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, USA. The population was 7,808 at the 2010 census.- History :Sterling was first settled by Europeans in 1720 and was officially incorporated in 1781....
) was offered to the former residents. To avoid further hostilities with the Native Americans, a negotiation with Chief Sholan of the
NashawayThe Nashaway were a tribe of Algonquian Indians inhabiting the upstream portions of the Nashua River valley in what is now the northern half of Worcester County, Massachusetts, mainly in the vicinity of Sterling, Lancaster and other towns near Mount Wachusett...
tribe resulted in one of the only parcels of land in
central MassachusettsCentral Massachusetts is the geographically central region of Massachusetts. Though definitions vary, most include all of Worcester County and the northwest corner of Middlesex County. Worcester, the largest city in the area and the seat of Worcester County, is often considered the cultural capital...
to be legally purchased. The first house was built in 1724, and by 1740 Leominster had gained enough inhabitants to be officially incorporated into a town.
Early Leominster consisted of family farms, growing mainly grains, vegetables, and fruit. It became a city in 1915. Leominster is now known as "The Pioneer Plastics City" because of its thriving
plasticA plastic material is any of a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic solids used in the manufacture of industrial products. Plastics are typically polymers of high molecular mass, and may contain other substances to improve performance and/or reduce production costs...
s industry from the early part of the 20th century to the present day, and as "The Home of
Street HockeyStreet hockey is a variation of the sport of ice hockey where the game is played on foot or with inline skates or roller skates. The object of the game is to score more goals than the opposing team by shooting a ball or puck into the opposing team's net...
" due to its contributions to the game. Leominster and
FitchburgFitchburg is the third largest city in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 40,318 at the 2010 census. Fitchburg is home to Fitchburg State University as well as 17 public and private elementary and high schools.- History :...
are commonly known as the twin cities in the area because of their similar populations, their shared history of industry, and their location on the
Nashua RiverThe Nashua River, long, is a tributary of the Merrimack River in Massachusetts and New Hampshire in the United States. It is formed in eastern Worcester County, Massachusetts, by junction of its north and south branches near Lancaster, and flows generally north-northeast past Groton to join the...
.
Leominster was a major contributor in the
Underground RailroadThe Underground Railroad was an informal network of secret routes and safe houses used by 19th-century black slaves in the United States to escape to free states and Canada with the aid of abolitionists and allies who were sympathetic to their cause. The term is also applied to the abolitionists,...
. The Emory Stearn Schoolhouse and the John Drake home, both on Franklin Street, led anti-slavery campaigns and helped house slaves on their journey to freedom.
Plastics industry
The city of Leominster has played a more significant role in the establishment and progress of
plasticA plastic material is any of a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic solids used in the manufacture of industrial products. Plastics are typically polymers of high molecular mass, and may contain other substances to improve performance and/or reduce production costs...
s than any other city in the United States. The plastics industry arose from the
combA comb is a toothed device used in hair care for straightening and cleaning hair or other fibres. Combs are among the oldest tools found by archaeologists...
industry, which appeared in Leominster in the 1770s and has flourished there ever since. Early combs were made of animal shell, horn, and hooves; by the mid-19th century, these supplies were dwindling rapidly. Everything changed when in 1868
John Wesley HyattJohn Wesley Hyatt was an American inventor. He is mainly known for simplifying the production of celluloid, the first industrial plastic. Hyatt, a Perkin Medal recipient, is an inductee into the National Inventors Hall of Fame.-Biography:Hyatt was born in Starkey, New York, and began working as a...
invented a material made from cellulose nitrate, to which he gave the name "
celluloidCelluloid is the name of a class of compounds created from nitrocellulose and camphor, plus dyes and other agents. Generally regarded to be the first thermoplastic, it was first created as Parkesine in 1862 and as Xylonite in 1869, before being registered as Celluloid in 1870. Celluloid is...
". Celluloid was hard, durable, and easy to shape and mold when heated to a certain temperature. Leominster's facilities for horn fabrication rapidly become the center for plastic fabrication in the United States. Leominster used celluloid not only for combs but also for toys, cutlery handles, optical frames, buttons, and novelties of all shapes and sizes. Most celluloid manufacturing was later changed to
cellulose acetateCellulose acetate , first prepared in 1865, is the acetate ester of cellulose. Cellulose acetate is used as a film base in photography, as a component in some adhesives, and as a frame material for eyeglasses; it is also used as a synthetic fiber and in the manufacture of cigarette filters and...
which did not burn as quickly. The peak of the plastics industry in Leominster was between 1900 and 1920. The plastics industry was Leominster's largest employer.
Unfortunately, in the late 1920s women's styles were changing rapidly; hair was worn shorter with no need for elaborate combs. With the advent of the
Great DepressionThe Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, which began in 1929 and did not end until the end of
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Leominster's plastics industry went into a decline.
Foster Grant
In May 1919 Sam Foster Jr. and his only employee, Grace Goodhue, started the Foster Manufacturing Company. The work the company did was subcontracted from the Viscoloid Company and other Leominster manufacturers. The first product produced was jewelry. Foster then decided he needed a salesman. He hired William Grant, who was made a partner in the business and was responsible for sales. The name was changed to
Foster GrantFoster Grant, or FosterGrant, is a brand of eyewear founded by Sam Foster in 1919. The FosterGrant brand is a subsidiary company of FGX International, a consumer goods wholesaler with headquarters in Smithfield, Rhode Island, USA....
Company, Inc. Grant only lasted a couple months but, with no money left to legally change the name back, the company remained Foster Grant.
In 1920, Goody Hair Products, a
New York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
-based firm, started ordering products from Foster Grant. Foster Grant was getting national recognition and an increase in orders from various companies. The factory was moved to a three-building complex on Lancaster Street with a total 40000 square feet (3,716.1 m²) in 1924. Sam Foster learned about the technique of
injection moldingInjection molding is a manufacturing process for producing parts from both thermoplastic and thermosetting plastic materials. Material is fed into a heated barrel, mixed, and forced into a mold cavity where it cools and hardens to the configuration of the cavity...
and brought it to the United States, quickly turning Foster Grant into one of the leading plastic manufacturers in the country. Due to the growth of the company, Sam Foster hired his son Joe to be the company's representative in New York. Joe Foster moved the company to national prominence with the sale of plastic notepads with attached
crayonA crayon is a stick of colored wax, charcoal, chalk, or other materials used for writing, coloring, drawing, and other methods of illustration. A crayon made of oiled chalk is called an oil pastel; when made of pigment with a dry binder, it is simply a pastel; both are popular media for color...
s—one of Sam's inventions—to
Woolworth'sThe F. W. Woolworth Company was a retail company that was one of the original American five-and-dime stores. The first successful Woolworth store was opened on July 18, 1879 by Frank Winfield Woolworth in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, as "Woolworth's Great Five Cent Store"...
. The order was for three thousand gross at about twenty-five thousand dollars, the largest order by far the company had filled. Sometime between 1927 and 1929 Sam Foster designed the first-ever Foster Grant
sunglassesSunglasses or sun glasses are a form of protective eyewear designed primarily to prevent bright sunlight and high-energy visible light from damaging or discomforting the eyes. They can sometimes also function as a visual aid, as variously termed spectacles or glasses exist, featuring lenses that...
. The first sunglasses were sold for 10 cents, but were viewed as childish, until Hollywood movie stars were seen and photographed wearing the sunglasses in sunny southern California. The sunglasses industry exploded in the 1930s and expanded through the 50's, 60's, and 70's. During
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, due to the lack of consumer demand for plastic, Joe Foster began selling plastic to the military; during this period, 80% of the company's profit came from military contracts. Foster Grant continued to grow, and eventually went international. Sam Foster retired from Foster Grant in 1942 at age 59, and Joe Foster died on November 10, 1971. The company was sold and moved from Leominster in 1986.
The Dupont Viscoloid Company
The Viscoloid Company was incorporated in 1901. It was founded by Alexander Paton, the president of the company. He was accompanied by Ludwig Stross and his Secretary and Treasurer Bernard Doyle. In 1902, the partners started the Sterling Comb company which made dress combs and other hair ornaments. The men owned the Viscoloid Company, Harvard Novelty Company, and the Paton Company, but in 1912 the companies were consolidated under the name Viscoloid Company and later the Viscoloid Company Inc. By 1923, the company's capital reached three million dollars and had become the largest employer in Leominster. That same year, Alexander Paton resigned and Bernard Doyle became Chief Executive. He remained Chief until 1925 when the company merged with the
DuPontE. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company , commonly referred to as DuPont, is an American chemical company that was founded in July 1802 as a gunpowder mill by Eleuthère Irénée du Pont. DuPont was the world's third largest chemical company based on market capitalization and ninth based on revenue in 2009...
company. The name was then changed to the Dupont Viscoloid Company. The company was the largest in the city, making dress combs, brushes, mirrors, toilet articles, hair ornaments, and other novelties.
Pink Flamingo
Union Products first conceived the idea of plastic
lawn ornamentLawn ornaments are decorative objects placed in the grassy area of a property.- Common lawn ornaments :Bird bath - A structure designed to hold water for birds to bathe in or drink, generally supported upon a pedestal....
s in 1946. Unfortunately, the first ones were two-dimensional and not very well designed. In 1956, the company decided to hire an artist to correct the problem. They turned to the prestigious
Worcester Art MuseumThe Worcester Art Museum, also known by its acronym WAM, houses over 35,000 works of art dating from antiquity to the present day, representing cultures from all over the world. The WAM opened in 1898 in Worcester, Massachusetts, and is the second largest art museum in New England...
School for candidates, ultimately hiring
Don FeatherstoneDonald "Don" Featherstone is an American artist who is most widely known for his 1957 creation of the Plastic Pink Flamingo while working for Union Products. Currently Featherstone resides in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, where he keeps 57 plastic flamingos on his front lawn...
. His first project was a creature named “Charlie the Duck"; it was modeled after a real
duckDuck is the common name for a large number of species in the Anatidae family of birds, which also includes swans and geese. The ducks are divided among several subfamilies in the Anatidae family; they do not represent a monophyletic group but a form taxon, since swans and geese are not considered...
that Featherstone kept at his studio. Charlie met with moderate success, but Featherstone was sure that he could do better. Using
flamingoFlamingos or flamingoes are gregarious wading birds in the genus Phoenicopterus , the only genus in the family Phoenicopteridae...
pictures from National Geographic, he created a clay sculpture of the famous bird. The company made aluminum molds, and the pink flamingo was born.
During the 1950s, vast numbers of families were moving into
ranch housesRanch-style houses is a domestic architectural style originating in the United States. First built in the 1920s, the ranch style was extremely popular amongst the booming post-war middle class of the 1940s to 1970s...
in new suburban developments. The new homes were affordable and comfortable, but employed a repetitive “cookie-cutter” design. The new homeowners now had lawns and a desire to publicly express their tastes. The sales of Leominster’s native bird took off. Since then, sales have had their ups and downs over the years, the birds occasionally being replaced in popular fashion by more tasteful
rabbitRabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in several parts of the world...
s or less tasteful
gnomesA garden gnome or lawn gnome is a figurine of a small humanoid creature, usually wearing a pointy hat, produced for the purpose of ornamentation and protection from evil sorcery, typically of gardens or on lawns....
. During the 1980s, sales increased dramatically because of the successful television show
Miami ViceMiami Vice is an American television series produced by Michael Mann for NBC. The series starred Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas as two Metro-Dade Police Department detectives working undercover in Miami. It ran for five seasons on NBC from 1984–1989...
where the birds gave a strong but understated and uncredited performance as show regulars. Today, they are purchased for uses as varied as wedding decorations, house warming gifts, or to humorously mark a birthday. Authentic Leominster pink flamingos have Don Featherstone’s signature under their tails, a yellow beak with black tip, and are only sold in pairs.
Union Products of Leominster stopped production of pink flamingos on November 1, 2006. However, HMC International LLC, a subsidiary of Faster-Form Corporation, purchased the copyright and plastic molds of Featherstone's original plastic flamingos in 2007, and will be resuming production of them in
Westmoreland, New YorkWestmoreland is a town in Oneida County, New York, United States. The population was 6,207 at the 2000 census.The Town of Westmoreland is in the west-central part of the county. The New York State Thruway passes across the town. Westmoreland is west of Utica, New York.The Westmoreland Central...
.
Geography
According to the
United States Census BureauThe United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 29.8 square miles (77.2 km²), of which 28.9 square miles (74.9 km²) is land and 0.9 square miles (2.3 km²), or 2.96%, is water.
Leominster lies on a plateau bordered on the north and west by hills. The southern part of the city is relatively flat, with the
Nashua RiverThe Nashua River, long, is a tributary of the Merrimack River in Massachusetts and New Hampshire in the United States. It is formed in eastern Worcester County, Massachusetts, by junction of its north and south branches near Lancaster, and flows generally north-northeast past Groton to join the...
running through the plateau's eastern portion.
Villages
The city is divided into several small "
villageA village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
s" such as French Hill, a large hill covered in planned blocks of "
triple deckerA triple-decker is a three-story apartment building, typically of light-framed, wood construction, where each floor usually consists of a single apartment; although two apartments per floor is not uncommon....
"
apartment housesAn apartment or flat is a self-contained housing unit that occupies only part of a building...
located from 1st Street to 12th Street. It is called French Hill because this is where the large immigrant French population took root. In the early 20th century, on Lincoln Terrace, immigrating Italian families began to arrive in the area and built a semi-closed society which existed for many years. The French population built a new church and moved closer to it. Other areas include Morse Hollow,
North LeominsterNorth Leominster is a village or neighborhood of the city of Leominster, Massachusetts.Settlement started in 1725, and by 1740 Leominster was separated from the town of Lancaster. Settlers north of North Nashua river were in the North village. The name change over time from North Village to North...
, Rice Hill, the Flats, the Bowery, the West Side, and the Car Barn area, located along the Fitchburg border, so-called because the Fitchburg & Leominster Railway trolley cars were stored and maintained in this area. It now has buses. A granite marker showing the birth place of
Johnny AppleseedJohnny Appleseed , born John Chapman, was an American pioneer nurseryman who introduced apple trees to large parts of Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois...
can be found on Johnny Appleseed Lane.
Demographics
As of the
censusA census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 41,303 people, 16,491 households, and 10,900 families residing in the city. The
population densityPopulation density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,430.3 people per square mile (552.2/km²). There were 16,976 housing units at an average density of 587.9 per square mile (227.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 81.50% White, 3.70% African American, 0.15% Native American, 2.44% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 4.32% from
other racesRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 2.21% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 11.00% of the population.
There were 16,491 households out of which 32.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.5% were
married couplesMarriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 12.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.9% were non-families. 27.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.05.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.5% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 32.4% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 92.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $44,893, and the median income for a family was $54,660. Males had a median income of $41,013 versus $30,201 for females. The
per capita incomePer capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $21,769. About 7.2% of families and 9.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.0% of those under age 18 and 9.4% of those age 65 or over. Leominster has the lowest single tax rate than any other city or town in the Commonwealth.
Nicknames
Leominster is called the "Pioneer
PlasticA plastic material is any of a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic solids used in the manufacture of industrial products. Plastics are typically polymers of high molecular mass, and may contain other substances to improve performance and/or reduce production costs...
s City" because of its early role in plastics manufacturing. It was also called the "Comb City". The National Plastics Center & Museum is located in Leominster. One would be hard pressed to walk through a large department store or supermarket today and not find some plastic product from Leominster.
Leominster is named after the
market townMarket town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
of
LeominsterLeominster is a market town in Herefordshire, England, located approximately north of the city of Hereford and south of Ludlow, at...
in
HerefordshireHerefordshire is a historic and ceremonial county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire" NUTS 2 region. It also forms a unitary district known as the...
, England. The city name is not pronounced as spelled, "Leo" followed by "minster"; locals refer to the city as "Lemin-stah" in the
Eastern New England dialectThe Boston dialect is the dialect characteristic of English spoken in the city of Boston and much of eastern Massachusetts. The accent and closely related accents can be heard commonly in an area stretching into much of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, and areas of south-western Nova Scotia...
. However, it is commonly referred to in standard pronunciation as "Lemon-stir". (Leominster, England is pronounced in fewer syllables yet, as if it were spelled Lemster.)
Sports
Leominster High SchoolLeominster High School is a public high school located in Leominster, Massachusetts. It is the only secondary educational institution found in Leominster. It is situated in the western area of Leominster...
has had a long tradition of Massachusetts Division 1 sports. Basketball, baseball, tennis, and track have become popular sports. Football has emerged as the main competitive sport. Leominster has 10 state championships, second to only
BrocktonBrockton High School, established in 1871, is a high school located in Brockton, Massachusetts and is the largest high school in Massachusetts and New England. Although it is smaller by approximately 200 students than Reading High School, Brockton is one of the largest high schools east of the...
, which has 11. Leominster High's football team has faced Fitchburg High School's team since 1894 and have met each other 125 consecutive years and 103 consecutive years on Thanksgiving, one of the longest
Thanksgiving DayThanksgiving, or Thanksgiving Day, is a holiday celebrated in the United States on the fourth Thursday in November. It has officially been an annual tradition since 1863, when, during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national day of thanksgiving to be celebrated on Thursday,...
rivalries in the state.
Emile Johnson, the long-time Leominster High School
baseballBaseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
coach, has the most career wins in the state of
MassachusettsThe Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
; he is still coaching today. The Leominster High School Blue Devils baseball team has earned three Division 1 state championships, most in the state of Massachusetts, and is a regular contender.
Leominster High School is also home to the award-winning Blue Devil Marching Band. The band, under the direction of Barry Hudson, plays at more than thirty school and municipal events each year. With over seventy members, the marching band is an organization of the school's most talented musicians. The Music Department also boasts a Jazz Band, that plays throughout the city at both public and private events.
Doyle Field: Leominster plays at Doyle Field, dedicated to the city by Mayor Bernard W. Doyle in 1929. The original stadium included a press box, bleachers for 6,200 people, and additional portable bleachers that could be placed in the end zone making seating for nearly 10,000 fans. Doyle Field was dedicated on October 10, 1931. Doyle had spent $200,000 on the project. The field had the longest fence in the United States surrounding its perimeter when first built. 2005 was the start of the Doyle Field Renovation Project. The project consists a three-phase plan to update the complex. Phase One will cost an estimated $4 million The Phase includes improving the bowl land form, replacing bleachers, installing new turf, constructing an Entertainment Plaza and Pavilion for cultural events, building new locker rooms, providing concession stands and restrooms, replacing the media box, and installing new ticket booths.
In 1988, the Leominster High School Blue Devils football team defeated the
USA TodayUSA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
top-ranked high school team in the nation, the Brockton Boxers, by a score of 27-12 before a crowd of 11,000 at a noisy and jubilant Doyle Field.
The city is the home of the Leominster Post 151 American Legion baseball team. The team were the Massachusetts state champions in 1971 and has recently made trips to the State Finals in 2000, 2002 and 2004. The 1971 team was coached by the legendary Emile Johnson who retired the Legion position in 1978. The team has recently been guided by Sid Rafuse, a former team member ('83-'84), who has amassed over 225 wins (1998–2009).
Announced in summer 2011, Doyle Field will receive major capital improvements to host a
Futures Collegiate Baseball LeagueThe Futures Collegiate Baseball League is a 6 team collegiate summer baseball league. The Futures League was co-developed by the New York-Penn League's Lowell Spinners owner Drew Weber, Weber formally developed and owned the New Hampshire Fisher Cats Double A Affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays...
expansion franchise, the Wachusett Dirt Dawgs.
Library
The Leominster Public Library was established in 1856. In fiscal year 2008, the city of Leominster spent 1.39% ($1,183,076) of its budget on its public library—some $28 per person.
Education
Public schools
- Bennett
- Priest Street School
- Fall Brook
- Johnny Appleseed
- Lincoln School
- Northwest
- Samoset
- Skyview Middle School
- Southeast Elementary School
- Center for Technical Education
Leominster High School is a public high school located in Leominster, Massachusetts. It is the only secondary educational institution found in Leominster. It is situated in the western area of Leominster...
- Leominster Senior High
Leominster High School is a public high school located in Leominster, Massachusetts. It is the only secondary educational institution found in Leominster. It is situated in the western area of Leominster...
Private schools
- St. Anna's Elementary School
- St. Leo's Elementary School
- Bright Beginnings Preschool
Approved special education schools
- Lipton Academy
- North Leominster Community College for The Blind and Deaf
Newspapers
- Sentinel & Enterprise
The Sentinel & Enterprise is a morning daily newspaper published in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, with a satellite news bureau in Leominster, Massachusetts. The newspaper covers local news in Fitchburg, Leominster and several nearby towns in northern Worcester County and northwest Middlesex County,...
- Telegram & Gazette
- Leominster Champion
Television
Points of interest
Kendall Hall (which currently houses a branch of the local
fire departmentA fire department or fire brigade is a public or private organization that provides fire protection for a certain jurisdiction, which typically is a municipality, county, or fire protection district...
) and
City Hall are two major landmarks in the city.
Parks
Other than the triangle-shaped
commonCommon land is land owned collectively or by one person, but over which other people have certain traditional rights, such as to allow their livestock to graze upon it, to collect firewood, or to cut turf for fuel...
in downtown, and the various
parkA park is a protected area, in its natural or semi-natural state, or planted, and set aside for human recreation and enjoyment, or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. It may consist of rocks, soil, water, flora and fauna and grass areas. Many parks are legally protected by...
s like Barrett and Carter, Leominster is home to two large forest parks. One, the
Doyle ReservationThe Doyle Reservation, located in the city of Leominster, Massachusetts, is a landscaped urban park and open space reservation managed by The Trustees of Reservations , a non-profit conservation organization. It is also the location of TTOR's Doyle Center: a conservation education center, regional...
, is home to the
local branch of the Trustees of Reservations. The other large forest park is the
Leominster State ForestLeominster State Forest is a Massachusetts state forest located in Leominster, Fitchburg, Princeton, Sterling and Westminster. The park is managed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation.-Description:...
. This large
state forestA state forest is a forest that is administered or protected by some agency of a sovereign state.The precise application of the term varies by jurisdiction...
is home to hiking and multi-use trails, some of which connect with the Midstate Trail. Leominster is a hilly city and provides plenty of hiking with great views.
The renovations at Doyle Field have given the teams of
Leominster High SchoolLeominster High School is a public high school located in Leominster, Massachusetts. It is the only secondary educational institution found in Leominster. It is situated in the western area of Leominster...
some of the best playing fields in the area. However, the track is not being resurfaced and will be torn up in the next few years. This will leave the high school track team, which already cannot have home meets because of the poor condition of the track, without a practice track. Over the years, Leominster has provided some of the state's best runners.
Transportation
Commuter railCommuter rail, also called suburban rail, is a passenger rail transport service that primarily operates between a city center, and the middle to outer suburbs beyond 15km and commuter towns or other locations that draw large numbers of commuters—people who travel on a daily basis...
service from
BostonBoston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
's North Station is provided by the MBTA with a stop in
North LeominsterNorth Leominster is the penultimate railroad station on MBTA Commuter Rail's Fitchburg Line. The station is located at 34 Nashua Street east of Main Street in Leominster, Massachusetts. The station is handicap accessible and has plenty of parking for vehicles and bicycles. There are connections to...
on its
Fitchburg LineThe Fitchburg Line is an MBTA line that runs from Boston's North Station to Fitchburg, Massachusetts. The line is along the tracks of the former Fitchburg Railroad, which was a railroad line across northern Massachusetts, United States, leading to and through the Hoosac Tunnel. It is one of the...
. Extensive bus transportation is provided by the
Montachusett Regional Transit AuthorityThe Montachusett Regional Transit Authority is one of Massachusetts' regional transit authorities. It is a public, non-profit organization in Massachusetts, charged with providing public transportation to an area consisting of the cities of Fitchburg, Leominster and Gardner, and the adjoining...
, also known as the Montachusett Area Regional Transit or MART. This service operates specifically in Leominster, Fitchburg, and Gardner.
Fitchburg Municipal AirportFitchburg Municipal Airport is a public airport located three miles southeast of the central business district of Fitchburg, a city in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States...
, an airport in neighboring
FitchburgFitchburg is the third largest city in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 40,318 at the 2010 census. Fitchburg is home to Fitchburg State University as well as 17 public and private elementary and high schools.- History :...
, serves as the air-hub of the area.
Notable residents
- John Chapman, better known as Johnny Appleseed
Johnny Appleseed , born John Chapman, was an American pioneer nurseryman who introduced apple trees to large parts of Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois...
, American pioneer nurseryman
- Robert Cormier
Robert Edmund Cormier was an American author, columnist and reporter, known for his deeply pessimistic, downbeat literature. His most popular works include I Am the Cheese, After the First Death, We All Fall Down and The Chocolate War, all of which have won awards. The Chocolate War was challenged...
, author of "I Am the CheeseI Am the Cheese is a novel written by American author Robert Cormier and first published in 1977. It is categorized as young adult literature.- Plot summary :...
", and The Chocolate WarThe Chocolate War is a young adult novel by American author Robert Cormier. First published in 1974, it was adapted into a film in 1988. Although it received mixed reviews at the time of its publication, some reviewers have argued it is one of the best young adult novels of all time...
http://www.wpi.edu/Academics/Library/Archives/WAuthors/cormier/bio.html
- Paul DiGiovanni, guitarist of popular rock band Boys Like Girls
Boys Like Girls is an American rock band from Massachusetts. Formed in 2005, the group gained mainstream recognition when it released its self-titled debut album. Boys Like Girls was the co-headliner with Good Charlotte for the Soundtrack of Your Summer Tour 2008 that toured across the United...
- Matthew Kelly
Matthew Kelly is an English television presenter and Olivier-award winning actor. Having been trained as a theatre actor, he first came to public prominence as a television presenter of ITV light entertainment shows such as You Bet! and Stars in Their Eyes...
, drummer for popular punk band Dropkick MurphysDropkick Murphys are an Irish-American punk rock band formed in Quincy, Massachusetts in 1996. The band was initially signed to independent punk record label Hellcat Records, releasing five albums for the label, and making a name for themselves locally through constant playing and yearly St....
- Adrian Nicole LeBlanc
Adrian Nicole LeBlanc is an American journalist whose works focus on the marginalized members of society: adolescents living in poverty, prostitutes, women in prison, etc. She is best known for her 2003 non-fiction book Random Family...
, author of Random Family: Love, Drugs, Trouble and Coming of Age in the Bronx
- Shannon (Sontag) Sylvia, television personality on SyFy channel for Ghost Hunters International
- James Nachtwey
James Nachtwey is an American photojournalist and war photographer.He grew up in Massachusetts and graduated from Dartmouth College, where he studied Art History and Political Science ....
, award-winning war photographer
- Mark Osowski
Mark Osowski was a head coach for the Continental Basketball Association's Connecticut Pride, a college coach; and assistant coach for the Charlotte Hornets, the Golden State Warriors, and the Cleveland Cavaliers under Paul Silas...
, former NBA assistant coach for the New Orleans Hornets, the Golden State WarriorsThe Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in Oakland, California. They are part of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
, and the Cleveland CavaliersThe Cleveland Cavaliers are a professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They began playing in the National Basketball Association in 1970 as an expansion team...
- Anthony Russo, former NFL wide receiver for the Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
- R. A. Salvatore, fantasy/science-fiction author
- Oskari Tokoi
Antti Oskari Tokoi was a Finnish socialist who served as a leader of the Social Democratic Party of Finland. During the short-lived Revolution of 1918, Tokoi participated as a leading figure in the revolutionary government....
, Finnish-American socialist politician and newspaper editor
- David I. Walsh
David Ignatius Walsh was a United States politician from Massachusetts. As a member of the Democratic Party, he served in the state legislature and then as Lieutenant Governor and then as the 46th Governor . His first term in the U.S...
, Former Governor of Massachusetts and U.S. Senator
External links