The New Student's Reference Work/Oldham

Old′ham, a manufacturing city in Lancashire, England, nine miles from Manchester and 38 from Liverpool. It was a small village in 1760, its growth being due to its nearness to the Lancashire coal-fields and to its cotton manufactures. It has over 300 mills, and uses one fifth of all the cotton imported. It also makes hats, velvets and cords, and has large weaving-machine works, one of which employs 7,000 hands. There are public buildings, including a town hall, lyceum, school of science and arts and public baths and a fine park. Population 140,969.