#slater mill

Old Slater Mill, Pawtucket, Rhode Island, 1969.

Slater Mill Pawtucket, Rhode Island

You may have read about this place in your history books in school. In 1793 it became the first water powered cotton mill which through demonstration of it’s efficiency, helped industrialize the nation. It is commonly referred to as “Birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution”. However, this mill has a dark past in that children were put to work in the mill under dangerous work conditions. Some of them got caught in machines such as the mule spinner. They were small so they were made to go into the machine to repair it. Many of them never emerged alive.

The spirits of the dead children are said to haunt the mill to this day, one of them a nine year old boy. The Slater Mill complex is open today as a working museum. When tours have been given, it is said that the voices of young children have been heard screaming when the machines have been turned on for demonstration purposes.

The ghost of Samuel Slater himself has been seen wandering around the mill complex on occasion as well. Or at least his apparition has anyway. An apparition has been spotted throughout the mill walking about the machinery and also strolling along the Blackstone River. Many have spotted the figure through the windows walking around inside and upon entering the building, not a single soul was around. The phantom has been identified through old photos as Samuel Slater, the original owner of the mill.

Happy Statehood Day, State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations!  Here’s to our teensiest state with the lengthiest name!

Stamp details: Top left: Issued on: April 14, 1982 From: Washington, DC; Providence, RI SC #1991

Top right: Issued on: May 29, 1990 From: Pawtucket, RI SC #2348

Middle left: Issued on: April 4, 2002 From: New York, NY SC #3599

Middle middle: Issued on: February 23, 1976 From: Washington, DC SC #1645

Middle right: Issued on: July 4, 1968 From: Pittsburgh, PA SC #1349

Answering a question about David Wilkinson, an early Rhode Island inventor, we bumped into these images of the Slater Mill area in Pawtucket RI. From the top: 1. 1886; 2. 1910; 3. 1910; 4. 1914.

Slater Mill Pawtucket, Rhode Island

You may have read about this place in your history books in school. In 1793 it became the first water powered cotton mill which through demonstration of it’s efficiency, helped industrialize the nation. It is commonly referred to as “Birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution”. However, this mill has a dark past in that children were put to work in the mill under dangerous work conditions. Some of them got caught in machines such as the mule spinner. They were small so they were made to go into the machine to repair it. Many of them never emerged alive.

The spirits of the dead children are said to haunt the mill to this day, one of them a nine year old boy. The Slater Mill complex is open today as a working museum. When tours have been given, it is said that the voices of young children have been heard screaming when the machines have been turned on for demonstration purposes.

The ghost of Samuel Slater himself has been seen wandering around the mill complex on occasion as well. Or at least his apparition has anyway. An apparition has been spotted throughout the mill walking about the machinery and also strolling along the Blackstone River. Many have spotted the figure through the windows walking around inside and upon entering the building, not a single soul was around. The phantom has been identified through old photos as Samuel Slater, the original owner of the mill.

The wheel pit is said to contain a huge amount of electrical energy. Some say that they get a very uneasy feeling when entering the wheel pit. Tingling sensations have been felt by many who enter this area. A young girl was once assaulted by an unseen being, leaving scratches on her face as she fled the building.

May 3 is National Textiles Day.  To say that this topic is outside of my ordinary beat is to put it mildly. But I had a very insightful experience while vacationing with my son last year, kicking around old haunts. Admittedly, it was the farthest thing from an original revelation. It was more like being a fish in an aquarium and suddenly noticing the water for the first time. Or, rather, a fish…

I’ll be giving this special people’s history tour of Slater Mill next Thursday. Get tickets now, space is limited. Tour is followed by performances from Shey Rivera and Muggs Foggarty.