Did the textile mill change workers lives?

In 1821, the Boston Associates purchased land and rights to the Pawtucket Canal located north of the city of Boston, Massachusetts. The Associates built several textile mills and enlarged the Canal for water power. The first mills opened in 1823, and for the next 25 years more mills and a network of power canals were built. By 1848, Lowell was the largest industrial center in America! The mills produced 50,000 miles of cotton cloth each year. The Associates needed a large work force for the busy mills. They decided to run their mills using a work force of young women recruited from New England farms. Lowell was known around the world for this innovative solution. Lowell "Mill Girls" were asked to work in the factories for a few years, then return to the farms or marry. Mill girls filled the city of Lowell, living in boardinghouses managed by the corporations. Mill life meant a hard day's work in which girls followed a strict schedule marked by the ringing of bells. Mill girls were expected to follow the company rules for curfew, church attendance and proper behavior. View the Timetable of the Lowell Mills from 1853 and the Factory Rules of 1848 to see if you could keep up with the mill girls! (click your BACK button to return here)