Worcester County, Massachusetts in the context of Worcester, MA-CT MSA

George Merriam (/ˈmɛriəm/; January 20, 1803 – June 22, 1880) was an American publisher. With his brother Charles, he founded G. and C. Merriam, which eventually became Merriam-Webster, Inc.

The Merriam family were printers, book manufacturers, and booksellers in Worcester County in the latter part of the 18th century. George worked on his father's farm in West Brookfield until he was age 15, then entered his uncle Ebenezer's West Brookfield printing office as an apprentice, and on reaching his majority became a partner. In 1831 he moved to Springfield with his brother Charles, and established in 1832 the publishing house of G. and C. Merriam. Their earliest publications were law books, editions of the Bible, and school books. After the death of Noah Webster, the lexicographer, the Merriams purchased the right of future publication of Webster's Dictionary.

Grafton is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 19,664 at the 2020 census. The town consists of the North Grafton, Grafton, and South Grafton geographic areas, each with a separate ZIP Code. Incorporated in 1735, the town is home to a Nipmuc village known as Hassanamisco Reservation, the Willard House and Clock Museum, Community Harvest Project, and the Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine.

Worcester (/ˈwʊstər/ WUUST-ər, locally [ˈwɪstə] ) is a city in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. The principal city of Central Massachusetts, Worcester is both the second-most populous city in the state, and the 113th most populous city in the United States. Named after Worcester, England, the city had 206,518 people at the 2020 census, also making it the second-most populous city in New England, after Boston. Because it is near the geographic center of Massachusetts, Worcester is known as the "Heart of the Commonwealth"; a heart is the official symbol of the city. Worcester is the historical seat of Worcester County.

Founded in 1722 and incorporated in 1848, Worcester developed as an industrial city in the 19th century due to the Blackstone Canal and railways, which facilitated the import of raw materials and the export of such finished goods as machines, textiles, and wire. The city's population grew, driven by European immigration. After World War II, manufacturing in Worcester waned, and the city declined economically and in terms of population. This trend was reversed in the 1990s, when higher education, medicine, biotechnology, and new immigrants started making their mark. The population has grown by 28% since 1980, reaching its all-time high in the 2020 census, in an example of urban renewal. Since the 1970s, and especially since the construction of Route 146 and interstates 90, 495, 190, 290, and 395, both Worcester and its surrounding towns have become more integrated with Boston's suburbs. The Worcester region now marks the western periphery of the Boston–Worcester–Providence (MA–RI–NH) U.S. census Combined Statistical Area (CSA), or Greater Boston.

Middlesex County is located in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,632,002, making it the most populous county in both Massachusetts and New England and the 20th most populous county in the United States. This makes the county the most populous county on the East Coast outside of New York or Florida. Middlesex County is one of two U.S. counties (along with Santa Clara County, California) to be amongst the top 25 counties with the highest household income and the 25 most populated counties. It is included in the Census Bureau's Boston–Cambridge–Newton, MA–NH Metropolitan Statistical Area. As part of the 2020 United States census, the Commonwealth's mean center of population for that year was geo-centered in Middlesex County, in the town of Natick (this is not to be confused with the geographic center of Massachusetts, which is in Rutland, Worcester County).

On July 11, 1997, Massachusetts abolished the executive government of Middlesex County primarily due to the county's insolvency. Middlesex County continues to exist as a geographic boundary and is used primarily as district jurisdictions within the court system and for other administrative purposes; for example, as an election district. The National Weather Service weather alerts (such as severe thunderstorm warning) continue to localize based on Massachusetts's counties.

Barre (/ˈbæri/ BARR-ee) is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 5,530 at the 2020 census. It contains the census-designated place of the same name.

West Brookfield is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 3,833 at the 2020 census. It contains the census-designated place of the same name. Lucy Stone was born in West Brookfield, and George and Charles Merriam, the publishers of Webster's Dictionary, were raised there.

Hopedale is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. It is located 25 miles southwest of Boston, in eastern Massachusetts. With origins as a Christian utopian community, the town was later home to Draper Corporation, a large loom manufacturer throughout the 20th century until its closure in 1980. Today, Hopedale has become a bedroom community for professionals working in Greater Boston and is home to highly ranked public schools. The population was 6,017 as of the 2020 census. It contains the census-designated place of the same name.

Athol (/ˈæθɒl/, ATH-awl) is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 11,945 at the 2020 census. It contains the census-designated place of the same name.

42°20′N 72°50′W / 42.333°N 72.833°W / 42.333; -72.833

Western Massachusetts, known colloquially as "Western Mass," is a region in Massachusetts, one of the six U.S. states that make up the New England region of the United States. Western Massachusetts has diverse topography; 22 colleges and universities including UMass in Amherst, MA, with approximately 100,000 students; and such institutions as Tanglewood, the Springfield Armory, and Jacob's Pillow.