Pawtucket, Rhode Island (RI), United States

Facts & Statistics
Place Name	Pawtucket
Place Status (Type)	city
Population	72,644 (1990)
Location	Providence County, Rhode Island (RI), United States, North America
Latitude	41°52'N
Longitude	71°22'W

Pawtucket , city ( 8 sq mi/20.7 sq km; 1990 pop. 72,644), Providence co., NE R.I., on the Blackstone R. at Pawtucket Falls; 41°52'N 71°22'W. Known as “the place by the waterfall” to Native Americans, it was settled by Europeans in 1671. The 4th-largest city in the state, Pawtucket has been a textile center since Samuel Slater built the nation's 1st successful water-powered cotton mill here in 1793. A dam built along the Blackstone R. in 1790 provides the electric power for the city, known as “the cradle of the U.S. textile industry.” Mfg. includes textiles, wire, cable, and textile machinery. The area, deeded to Roger Williams in 1638, was a haven for religious freedom in New England. Pawtucket's 1st settler was an ironworker who est. (1671) a forge at the falls. Metalworks and sawmills sprang up, and after Slater erected his cotton mill on the banks of the river, the textile industry boomed. After World War II, when much textile mfg. moved S, Pawtucket shared the decline of many New England cities and towns. Of principal interest is the 1793 Slater mill, restored in 1995 and now a mus. Many tourist and recreational sites are in the area. Inc. 1885 after the E sect. (which was part of Mass. until 1862) was merged with the W sect. into a single town in R.I.