Page 6 Need a hall for your special event? The Schiavo Club, located at 71 Tileston Street, Everett is available for your Birthdays, Anniversaries, Sweet 16 parties and more? For more info, call (857) 249-7882 JOHN MACKEY & ASSOCIATES ~ Attorneys at Law ~ * PERSONAL INJURY * REAL ESTATE * FAMILY LAW * PERSONAL BANKRUPTCY * LANDLORD/TENANT DISPUTES 14 Norwood Street Everett, MA 02149 Phone: (617) 387-4900 Fax: (617) 381-1755 WWW.JMACKEYLAW.COM THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, MAy 17, 2024 ~ The Old Sachem ~ The Slater Mill of Rhode Island By Bill Stewart H ere in Saugus, we have the Pranker Mills on Lily Pond on upper Central Street. I found out about a man named Slater, an immigrant from England who came to America to build his fortune. Slater Mill was the fi rst successful water powered cotton spinning mill in the United States in 1793 and was the fi rst property to be added to the National Register of Historic Places in November 1966. It was just a few months after the start of George Washington’s presidency that Moses Brown was ready to invest in American manufacturing. He wanted to invest in a company that could spin cotton fi ber into cotton, as was done in England. Brown chose a location north of Providence, Rhode Island, and invested in a place right next to PawCelebrating Our 52nd Year Dan - 1972 We Sell Cigars & Accessories! MAJOR BRANDS AT DISCOUNT PRICES! Singles * Tins * Bundles * Boxes * Travel Humidors * Desk Top Humidors * Many Types of Lighters * Ash Trays * Juuls * Vapes * Glass Pipes * Rewards Program * CBD Infused Products * GIFTS UNDER $30 - GIFT CERTIFICATES Don’t Wait! Get What You Smoke NOW! Buy Your Smokes by the Box & SAVE!! Join Our Rewards Program & SAVE Even More! HOURS: OPEN DAILY 7 DAYS A WEEK, 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM Humidor Specials! Starting as LOW as $99. Complete with Accessories R.Y.O. TOBACCO & TUBES ON SALE! Green Label Cigar Sale! Buy 2 Cigars, Get One FREE! A.B.C. CIGAR 170 REVERE ST., REVERE (781) 289-4959 Chris 2024 tucket Falls, which would give him a source of water power, as was done in England. The water power in the area had created a community of tool and machine makers already living there. The falls would produce the power to drive the machines. But Brown had a problem in that he did not have machines that could do the job. The English closely guarded the secrets to creating the machines to do the task. Fortunately, at this time a young man from England who had worked in mills in England came to Providence to seek his fortune. Brown had developed machines that were not successful. In December 1789, Brown hired Samuel Slater, who had worked in mills for the prior seven years, rising from apprentice to overseer of machinery and mill construction. Slater told Brown that he could design and build machines that could brush and spin the cotton locally. Slater worked with the local mechanics. The new machines were completed in December 1790, and for the first time in America, workers could produce thread using water powered machines. Slater had spent some time of his childhood working in a factory. Now for his factory in Pawtucket, he hired young children to learn the procedures for producing cotton. Later he hired full families who worked and lived in mill villages and earned living wages, but lived under the control of their employers. These changes marked a new age of American industry; they would not have to import cotton from England. In 1793 a company was formed to build a new mill replacing the experimental ASKS| FROM PAGE 5 they are for. You must have made your mom very proud last weekend! Please tell me how it went. A: Happily, my mother was so excited. As a Chancellor’s Medal recipient, my family got reserved seating at the ceremony so they had a really good view. All of the medal “The Old Sachem,” Bill Stewart. (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate by Joanie Allbee) mill built by Slater. The new mill was named Slater Mill and had six windows wide and two and one-half stories tall. The building still stands today. During the 1800s Slater Mill was expanded six times and remained a cotton spinning mill until 1895. Slater’s younger brother John worked in cotton mills in England and came to America in 1803 to work beside his brother Samuel. John built a factory along the Branch River, which would provide constant fl ow of water all year long. The Slaters built a community named Slaterville that included houses for the workers, stores, a farm, a church and a school. Today we know of mills built in eastern Massachusetts that also produced cotton using water wheels for power. Brown and Slater created an industry that reduced the price of cotton, because America no longer had to purchase cotton from England, and eventually sold much cotton to Europe. (Editor’s Note: Bill Stewart, who is better known to Saugus Advocate readers as “The Old Sachem,” writes a weekly column – sometimes about sports. He also opines on current or historical events or famous people.) recipients are invited to sit on the stage during the ceremony and get recognized one at a time, so when I stood up, I could see my family waving their arms. As a rep for the department of Higher Ed., I walked in with the Chancellor’s procession and attended the graduate student/ ASKS | SEE PAGE 9
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