Slater Mill Pawtucket

“The Old Slater Mill, Pawtucket, R.I., Drawn from Ballow’s Pictorial” and “Cottaes [sic] On Walcott Street, Pawtucket, Drawn from Ballows Pictorial”

The Pawtucket Falls, located on the Blackstone River, played a crucial role in the early industrialization of the area. The falls provided water power for mills, the river gave access to the ocean, allowing for the transportation of raw materials to the mills and for finished goods to be shipped out.  The area was known for its role in early textile manufacturing, with Samuel Slater’s Slater Mill, being built in Pawtucket in 1793, producing cotton goods. Pawtucket Falls is said to be the location where America’s industrial revolution began.