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Place Name
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Gloucester
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Pronunciation
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GLAWS-tuhr
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Place Status (Type)
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city
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Population
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28,716 (1990)
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Location
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Essex County, Massachusetts (MA), United States, North America
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Latitude
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42°38'N
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Longitude
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70°41'W
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Gloucester
(GLAWS-tuhr), city (
41 sq mi/106 sq km; 1990 pop.
28,716), Essex co., NE Mass., on Cape Ann; settled 1623, inc. as a city
1873; 42°38'N 70°41'W. It is a port of entry at the head of
Gloucester Harbor, which is protected by a breakwater built from
Eastern Point (lighthouse here). The harbor has been used by fishing
ships for over 3 cents., and Gloucester still bases much of its economy
on the fishing, fishing research and development, and fish-processing
industries; mfg. (machinery, electronic equip., apparel). Once an
important shipbuilding center; the 1st schooner is said to have been
built there in 1713. The picturesque old city is also a popular summer
resort. Tourist attractions include the famous bronze Fisherman, a memorial to the thousands of Gloucestermen lost at sea;
whale-watching excursions; Hammond Castle, which houses collections of
medieval art; Cape Ann Historical Mus.; and numerous pre-Revolutionary
houses and art galleries. The city has furnished material for authors
(e.g., Rudyard Kipling in his Captains Courageous) as well as
artists. Includes villages of Bass Rocks, Bay View, Lanesville,
Magnolia, Riverdale, and W. Gloucester.
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