The population of Saint Lawrence City, Kansas, is a diverse mix of natives and immigrants. The city was founded as a mill town in 1848 and has been home to waves of immigrants since then. The late 1800s brought successive waves of Italians, French, and Japanese people. Later, Puerto Ricans and Dominicans began coming to work in the mills. Most recently, immigrants from Vietnam have arrived.
The city is served by State Route 28 and Interstate 495, which make it accessible to most parts of Massachusetts and northern New England. There are also a number of public transportation options in the area, including the Boston and Maine Railroad. The Merrimack Valley Regional Transit Authority also provides bus service to residents and businesses of Saint Lawrence City. Throughout the year, the Lawrence Housing Authority provides affordable public housing to more than 4,000 residents.
The area's industrial growth spurred the development of the town. Its industrial heritage is marked by the Bread and Roses Strike, which took place in 1886. Up until the 1950s, the city had become a major wool processing center. When the wool industry started to decline, Lawrence was left to struggle economically. The population fell from over 80,000 people in 1950 to just over six thousand people by 1980.
Before the arrival of Europeans, native peoples lived along the St. Lawrence River. The St. Lawrence Iroquoians lived in the area and were distinct from the Haudenosaunee tribe. The first European settlement, named Brockville, was settled by William Buell Sr., an ensign from the King's Rangers in New York. The settlement was initially called 'Buell's Bay. Eventually, the name Elizabethtown was assigned to the village, but the residents were not satisfied with it.