Worcester County, Massachusetts
Worcester is the county town. This county was incorporated in 1731. Population, in 1820, 73,635; 1830, 84,365; 1837, 96,551. It contains a area of 1,500 square miles.
This county crosses the state from New Hampshire on the north, to Connecticut and Rhode Island on the south. It is bounded W. by the counties of Franklin, Hampshire, and Hampden, and E. by Norfolk and Middlesex counties. This is the largest county in the state. Its territory is larger than the state of Rhode Island and its population is greater than that of the state of Delaware. Its surface is rather undulating than hilly. The soil is generally strong, and produces all kinds of grain, grasses, fruits, &c. common to its climate. Its water power is abundant in almost every town, and perhaps in no section of New England are the interests of agriculture, commerce and manufactures more completely blended; nor can there be found better resources for their united support. Its principal rivers are the Blackstone, Quinabaug, Nashua, Ware, Millers, and Mill. There are in this county 54 towns, and 64 inhabitants to a square mile.
In 1837, the value of the manufactures in the county of Worcester was $11,407,790: the number of sheep in the county was 24,901; value of the wool, $37,267.
