As the birthplace of the industrial revolution, Pawtucket, Rhode Island, was in its glory from the mid- to late-1800s, with industrialists building mansions paid for by textiles, as well as bestowing their largess on the town, donating a library and music hall, among other real estate.

Pawtucket’s much smaller sister city, Central Falls, benefited from industrial growth as well, and according to the 1896 Annual Report of Factory Inspections, the mills in the two towns employed nearly 15,000 workers.

Full Story