Waltham, Massachusetts

About

Waltham is a city located in the county of Middlesex in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. Its population at the 2010 census was 60,632 and a population density of 1,701 people per km². After 10 years in 2020 city had an estimated population of 62,069 inhabitants.

The city was created 390 years ago in 1633.

Waltham is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, and was an early center for the labor movement as well as a major contributor to the American Industrial Revolution. The city is best known as the birthplace of the watch industry in America.

The name Waltham comes from the Anglo-Saxon "Weald" or "Wealdtam," meaning forest settlement. In 1629, Thomas Hooker led a group of settlers from Newtowne (now Cambridge) to establish an outpost there. Waltham was first settled in 1645 as part of Cambridge.

In 1844, the land now occupied by Wellesley College was purchased by Henry Fowle Durant, who also constructed a factory to manufacture watches on the site. The factory employed many women and immigrants who worked long hours for low wages in poor conditions. In response, local women formed the Lowell Female Labor Reform Association and petitioned for safer working conditions and higher wages. In 1874, they succeeded in persuading the Massachusetts legislature to force Durant to improve conditions in his factories. This was one of the first times that organized labor had been successful at improving working conditions without striking.

The city also home to Brandeis University and Bentley University, so if you're looking for an education that's going to set you up for success in this competitive world, we've got you covered! 

It is also home to several research centers including the Charles River Laboratory for Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence, Bella Vita Wine Cellars (the first commercial winery in New England), the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum and the Sloan School of Management at MIT - all located along Route 128. 

Whether you're looking for a quiet place to settle down or hoping to find your next adventure, Waltham is the place for you.

Quick Facts about Waltham

Waltham MA Central Square image

Geography

Waltham is located at 42°22'35"N 71°14'8"W (42.3764900, -71.2356100).

Waltham map

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People born in Waltham, including Nobel prize winning US physicist Kenneth G. Wilson, linguist and ethnologist and a specialist in the indigenous peoples of California John Peabody Harrington, Canadian politician C. D. Howe, .

List

• Samuel Livermore (American politician (1732-1803)) he was born in 14/05/1732
• Deena Kastor (athletics competitor, long distance runner, and marathoner) she was born in 14/02/1973
• Shawn McEachern (American ice hockey player) he was born in 28/02/1969
• Evelyn Sears (US tennis player) she was born in 09/03/1875
• Mary Watson Whitney (American astronomer) she was born in 11/09/1847
• Clarence Hobart (US tennis player) he was born in 27/06/1870
• Caroll Spinney (American puppeteer (1933-2019)) he was born in 26/12/1933
• Bertram Eugene Warren (American mineralogist) he was born in 28/06/1902
• John Lynch (American businessman and politician) he was born in 25/11/1952
• Nathaniel P. Banks (politician of Massachusetts and general of the Union Army (1816-1894)) he was born in 30/01/1816
• Charles J. Precourt (American astronaut) he was born in 29/06/1955
• James Chirillo (Jazz guitar) he was born in 02/05/1953
• Keith Aucoin (American ice hockey player) he was born in 06/11/1978
• Thomas Joseph Riley (Catholic bishop) he was born in 30/11/1900
• Cynthia Sayer (American musician) she was born in 20/05/1962
• Theodore Lyman (Natural scientist, military staff officer during the American Civil War, and United States Representative from Massachusetts) he was born in 23/08/1833
• Warren Newcombe (special effects artist) he was born in 28/04/1894
• Bob Weston (American musician and audio engineer) he was born in 01/01/1965