Located in the eastern part of the state of Massachusetts and a city in Middlesex County, Newton sits along the Charles River and is just west of Boston. The first settlers in the area were recorded in 1630 and was a part of Cambridge until it was incorporated separately. Early milling and forge industries were developed in Newton at the upper and lower falls of the Charles River. Growth in the suburbs was stimulated upon the completion of the Boston and Worcester Railroad in 183 and the eventual establishment of the Charles River Railroad in the mid-19th century. Employment in the city was mostly centered on providing service, including higher education and health care, and trade.