Mill Towns

Early Mills

As English colonists established settlements along the East Coast in the 17th century, simple grist mills began to appear as basic necessities of survival. The first grist mill in the colonies appeared in 1636 at the Plymouth settlement in Massachusetts, built by John Jenney. The first gun powder mill appeared in 1675, and the first paper mill was founded in 1690 near Philadelphia by William Rittenhouse. Early mills were directly operated by the mill owner, who served as engineer and financier, in a capacity more akin to an artisan or craftsman. Because raw materials were sent directly to England for manufacture during the colonial period, mills for industry were not widespread. Still, local mills served as social and economic centers. Following the American Revolution, mill operations expanded and improved as entrepreneurs and engineers ventured into milling for profit and industry.

New England Textile Mills

The first mechanized cotton mill in New England was founded in 1790 by Samuel Slater in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. The mill drew in much needed labor by employing entire families and providing housing and other community services, such as schools and churches. Shortly thereafter, other entrepreneurial groups of investors and elites established companies to build and manage cotton mills along waterways in New England. The Boston Manufacturing Company built the first modern textile mill in 1814 at Waltham, Massachusetts and, by the 1820s, developed a system of production at its Lowell mill site, known as the Lowell System (named for Francis Lowell, a company founder), that came to characterize the operations of New England textile mills. Young women recruited from local farming communities met the growing demand for labor. At first, the system provided a clean, well-supervised living and working environment; young women stayed onsite in dormitories and engaged in educational activities. However, economic decline and increased regional production led to lower wages and harsher working conditions into the 1830s and 1840s. As female mill workers began to unionize, mill companies turned to alternative labor sources, especially Irish immigrant families.

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