Pawtucket, RI Summary

Situated next to Providence in northern Rhode Island at the Blackstone River falls, Pawtucket became the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution in the United States in 1793 when Samuel Slater built the country’s first successful waterpowered cotton mill. His success in duplicating British water-powered textile machinery launched the industrialization of the Blackstone River Valley and New England. The yellow clapboard mill building still stands at the 51⁄2-acre Slater Mill Historic Site.

In 1986, Congress recognized the historic importance of the 250,000-acre river valley between Worcester, Massachusetts, and Providence, and designated it the Blackstone River National Heritage Corridor. President Bill Clinton designated the Blackstone a National Heritage River. There are visitor centers related to the corridor in Pawtucket, Providence, and Woonsocket.

The area was settled in 1671. It was named for the Wampanoag chief who led a Native American revolt that largely destroyed the town in 1676. It was sparked by land disputes with the Massachusetts colonies. The town is now an industrial center reached by I-95 producing wire, electronic equipment, and glassware, and has about 72,600 residents.