The name of the city, Lancaster, comes from words in Old English and Latin. The word “Lon” makes reference to “river”, while “caster” comes from the old “cæster” in English or “castrum” in Latin, which means “fort”. The word “fort” wasn’t just borrowed for the making of the city’s name, but actually comes from a Roman fort that existed in the area. It is believed that this fort was built in the last part of the 1st century, AD. It was positioned on the same hill where you can see the Lancaster Castle in present days. Several Roman coins found at this site led to these conclusions, also making experts believe that the fort was not inhabited in a continuous manner.
In 1066, after the Norman conquest was completed, Lancaster ended up in the rule of William I. This detail was mentioned in the Domesday Book, in the year 1086, which is also the first written evidence where the name of the city was mentioned. In 1193, it was controlled by King Richard I. And, in the 13th century, the construction of the Lancaster Castle started, which was, later on, continued and expanded by Elizabeth I. As mentioned earlier, this castle stands on the former site of a Roman garrison. But, only in 1937 it officially became a city. Many of the old buildings that can be seen in the center of Lancaster date back to the 19th century, being built in a period when the port in the city was one of the busiest in the country.
In present days, Lancaster is focused mainly on the service industry. Besides the fact that the city manufactures a wide range of goods, such as paper, textiles, chemicals, and livestock, a top-notch technology sector started to emerge as well. Many IT and communications companies chose to invest in Lancaster, which explains the development of this new activity domain. Until 2007, Lancaster was the headquarters for the famous company Reebok. Since 1880, when the Bowerham Barracks were completed, military forces are permanently present in the city.
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