It was a ways away, so I decided to go along to see what it was like, and then keep him company with the tire, and stop for some groceries on the way back. What a great store!!!! I totally entertained myself while he talked trains and collected needed new track and equipment for the new layout.
I have never seen so many puzzles in my life, including some that were 9000, and even 18000 pieces!! I messaged my sister Toni, an avid puzzler....is that a word?.....and asked if she was still in to them. She has built 3000 pieces, but was chomping for the 18000! At a cost of $165, however, she passed!
Looking at a map of the area, I realized we were in the area of one of the places I wanted to visit, and when I mentioned it, Clem changed the tire appointment, and we headed for Lowell. An old mill town, now the historic mill district is being rescued and renovated, and the National Park Service has taken over. I can only hope the Park Service survives, and continues their great work, and can expand more in this area and others.
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| View of the Pawtucket as we entered town, shot through the window of car. |
I collected my Park Stamp at the Visitor center, then got directions to hurry to the Boott Cotton Mill to see what we could before closing time. Wish we had more time, but figured we would see what we could.
I explained the stamp in the Passport book to the grand kids while in Salem, but they were totally unimpressed, and uninterested! Guess it would need to be digital for them! haha!
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| National Park Service Headquarters |
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| Boott Cotton Mill |
Hard work, but promised good wages, and freedom on their own time, led people to leave the farms and work in factories, and the change from agricultural to industrial began.
Immigrants soon played a huge role in the progress, with the Irish being the first to settle, and build the canals necessary to run the water to power the machines. Later other nationalities joined.
I found these accounts from actual mill workers very interesting, as well as the fact that this renovation began as recently ago as the 80's
This poor woman's hearing was destroyed in the noisy surroundings, but today, a sign warns even visitors, and we were given ear plugs to wear when we entered the working mill area. 
I clocked in, and we headed in to watch the machines as they turned the thread to cloth.
We saw just one floor in only one building, but this occupied all floors, as the model here shows, in multiple buildings.
The workers staircase, narrow and steep, that they climbed every day. They worked sometimes 14 hours a day, until 1870, when they fought for and won a 10 hour work day. 
Where the female workers lived.
The working conditions were hard, and the bosses drove them, and sometimes beat them, and labor strikes ensued.
The need for raw cotton drove slavery in the south, and the relationship was said by one Senator to be "an unholy union......between the lords of the lash and the lords of the loom. "
The mills soon fell upon hard times, and towns like this fell into poverty and disrepair, and it is nice to see the buildings and history being preserved.
We walked back to our car, passing more nice architecture, including the local High School.
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| stone rectory adjacent to St. Anne's church, whose stained glass was cleaned and repaired |
We had a very good meal, in pleasant surroundings, then headed back, where the pleasant night air lead me to read outdoors in our little screen house until it got dark.
I would like to return to see the trolley museum, and maybe take a boat ride on the canal, but will have to see how the rest of our time goes, and how the weather cooperates!
