Armenians of the Merrimack Valley

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.