E. Philip Brown Livres

When one thinks of the Merrimack Valley, shoe shops and mills come to mind. For that reason, it was a hotbed for Armenian immigrants following World War I and the genocide that robbed Armenia of half its population, with some 1.5 million victims lost at the hands of the Ottoman Turkish Empire and another million people uprooted from their homes and scattered to a Diaspora. Many of these refugees came to the Merrimack Valley--settling in the cities of Haverhill, Lawrence, and Lowell--to eke out a better life for themselves and their families. Aside from sweatshop labor, they sought work as barbers and mercenaries, business owners and handymen, going to night school for better English standards and keeping their rich heritage and culture intact with their churches and community centers. Despite the discrimination they faced with their "strange" names and lifestyles, the Armenians remained tenacious and resilient, contributing to the overall welfare of their new promised land.

The Merrimack Valley became home to Greeks after the great immigration to the United States in the 19th and 20th centuries. After its independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1832, Greece had inadequate resources for its citizens, which led to much hardship. Many of these refugees came to the Merrimack Valley in search of a better living. They settled in Haverhill, Lawrence, and Lowell, Massachusetts, or Concord, Manchester, and Nashua, New Hampshire, where they secured jobs in factories and mills. Those who were unable to gain employment in the manufacturing industries went into the service sector; others became self-sufficient, building restaurants, shoe shops, and grocery stores. Although they suffered discrimination because of their distinct language and culture, they were not deterred; instead, they remained focused, went about their activities in peace, and contributed immensely to the socioeconomic development of their newfound home.