Lawrence was founded by some rich capitalists who found a good point on the Merrimack River to make a massive dam that would channel all the water into two canals they would need to get cleared out. They bought the land from the surrounding towns and people started showing up to work there. Due to the founding of the city being at a time when Irish people were pouring in through Boston Harbor the city gained a population of people who would work for almost nothing. It is of note too that many of the early residents of Lawrence until 1893 lived in places described as “Shantytowns.”

The Company constructed a the largest canal in the world at the time, The Great Stone Dam. And the channels were finally dug parellel to the river and Lawrence was ready to start working.

Due to mills and work opportunities the city of Lawrence by 1850 had grown to have 8,282 residents. The small farming communities surrounding Lawrence had; 2,538 and 6,945 residents.

By 1890 the riverfront was packed with work for people. New immigrants came steadily from a few different Eastern European backgrounds. Lawrence at this point had 44,654 people. It fast outpaced the surrounding communities still only having; 4,814 and 6,142 and 3,742 residents.

By 1920 Lawrence reached its maximum population of 94,270 people. The surrounding communities started creating mill villages with roads leading to Lawrence often times it was Lawrence factory owners buying land there and creating them. At this time period the surrounding communities had 15,189 and 8,268 and 6,265 people.

By 1980 Lawrence was suffering. A highway ring of i-495 and ma-213 had been constructed around the city. Its population was only 63,175. Although the city was still growing in another way. It had been receiving a growing number of Carribbean immigrants at this point as many residents who lived in Lawrence left. The surrounding communities were cheap and affordable for residents of Lawrence in the 60s but a huge wealth gap started arising between Lawrence and what were now becoming its suburbs. They had made massive malls taking commerce out of Lawrence and into the suburbs. The suburbs had 36,701 and 26,370 and 20,129 people.

Lawrence population before the 60s was 99% white and by 2020 it was 12.7% white non-white. Its population has reached 89,143 at this point and if it werent for this new immigration the city would probably look like a ghost town. The surrounding towns had 53,059 and 36,701 and 20,129 residents.