Pawtucket, Rhode Island

The name "Pawtucket" comes from the Algonquian word for "river fall."[7]

Panoramic map of Pawtucket and Central Falls (1877)

Pawtucket in 1886 viewed from the steeple of the Pawtucket Congregational Church

The Pawtucket region was said to have been one of the most populous places in New England prior to the arrival of European settlers.[8] American Indians would catch the salmon and smaller fish that gathered at the falls.[8] The first settler here was Joseph Jenckes Jr. who came to the region from Lynn, Massachusetts.[8] He purchased about 60 acres near Pawtucket Falls in 1671,[8] then established a sawmill and forge.[8] The entire town was destroyed during King Philip's War.[8]

Other settlers followed Jenks, and the area became home to manufacturers of muskets, linseed oil, potash, and ships by 1775.[8] Also around this time, Oziel Wilkinson and his family set up an iron forge that made anchors, nails, screws, farm implements, and cannons.[8]

Pawtucket was an early and important center of cotton textiles during the American Industrial Revolution. Samuel Slater built the Slater Mill in 1793 on the Blackstone River falls in downtown Pawtucket, which was the first fully mechanized cotton-spinning mill in the United States.[9] Slater Mill is known for developing a commercially successful production process not reliant on earlier horse-drawn processes developed in the United States. Slater constructed and operated machines for producing yarn. Other manufacturers continued, transforming Pawtucket into a center for textiles, iron working, and other products.

By the 1920s, Pawtucket was a prosperous mill town. The city had a half-dozen movie theaters, two dozen hotels, and an impressive collection of fine commercial and residential architecture.[10] Perhaps the most impressive public building in Pawtucket was the Leroy Theatre, an ornate movie palace that was called "Pawtucket's Million Dollar Theater".[10] Many wealthy mill owners such as Darius Goff built their mansions in the area.[11]

In 1922, it was affected by the 1922 New England Textile Strike, shutting down the mills in the city over an attempted wage cut and hours increase.[12][13]

The textile business in New England declined during the Great Depression, with many manufacturers closing or moving their facilities to the South where operations and labor were cheaper. Later in the 20th century, Pawtucket began to lose some of its architectural heritage to the wrecking ball, including the Leroy Theatre.[10]

Pawtucket retained much of its industrial base, however. Today, goods produced in the city include lace, non-woven and elastic woven materials, jewelry, silverware, metals, and textiles. Hasbro, one of the world's largest manufacturers of toys and games, is headquartered in Pawtucket.[14]

Panoramic map of Pawtucket and Central Falls (1877)

Pawtucket in 1886 viewed from the steeple of the Pawtucket Congregational Church

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 9.0 square miles (23 km²), of which, 8.7 square miles (23 km²) of it is land and 0.3 square miles (0.78 km²) of it (2.89%) is water. Pawtucket lies within three drainage basins. These include the Blackstone River (including the Seekonk River), the Moshassuck River and the Ten Mile River.

As of the census[4] of 2010, there were 71,141 people, 32,055 households, and 18,508 families residing in the city. Pawtucket was the fourth most populous of Rhode Island's 39 cities and towns. The population density was 8,351.2 inhabitants per square mile (3,224.4/km²). There were 32,055 housing units at an average density of 3,642.2 per square mile (1,406.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 50.4% Non-Hispanic white, 18.9% Non-Hispanic African American, 0.60% Native American, 1.6% Non-Hispanic Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, mixed race 3.9%, 4.7% other. About 25% of residents are Latino.

There were 32,055 households, out of which 30.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.7% were married couples living together, 16.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.4% were non-families. Of all households, 32.3% were made up of individuals, and 12.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 3.07.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 24.9% under the age of 18, 9.1% from 18 to 24, 31.3% from 25 to 44, 19.9% from 45 to 64, and 14.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $28,124, and the median income for a family was $40,578. Males had a median income of $31,129 versus $23,391 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,008. About 14.9% of families and 16.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.5% of those under age 18 and 15.2% of those age 65 or over.

According to the 2000 census, 20.6% of Pawtucket residents are French or French-Canadian.[16] Like nearby cities Providence, Fall River, and New Bedford, Pawtucket hosts a significant population from across the former Portuguese Empire (11.6%),[16] including a significant Cape Verdean population.

Pawtucket is also one of the few areas of the United States with a significant Liberian population, mostly refugees from Charles Taylor's regime; Rhode Island has the highest per capita Liberian population in the country.[17] Pawtucket has a high concentration of West Africans.

Hasbro, a Fortune 1000 toy and game making company, is headquartered in Pawtucket.[18]

Many healthcare, retail and insurance companies are headquartered in Pawtucket.[19]

Fox Point Pickles, a pickling company, is headquartered in Pawtucket.

The City of Pawtucket has been supportive of the arts community since 1975. On September 2, 1977, the Beach Boys performed a concert at Narragansett Park attended by 40,000 people, the largest concert audience in Rhode Island history. In 2017, music historians Al Gomes and Connie Watrous of Big Noise were successful in getting the street where the concert stage stood (the corner of 511 Narragansett Park Drive) officially renamed as "Beach Boys Way".[20][21][22]

In January 1999, Herb Weiss, of the Planning Department, was hired to oversee the city's newly created Arts District. Through the support of then Mayor James E. Doyle and Planning Department Michael Cassidy, Weiss brought significant recognition for Pawtucket-Arts oriented development strategy.[23] Mayor Doyle and Weiss hired researcher Ann Galligan, of Northeastern University, to create an arts and cultural plan. Over the years Pawtucket has become known as a center for arts and culture.[24]

Several experimental/indie rock bands have recorded albums at Machines with Magnets, a recording studio and art gallery in Downtown Pawtucket. Bands that have performed or recorded here include Battles, Lightning Bolt, Brown Bird, and Fang Island.

One hub for arts and culture in the city is Lorraine Mills, a repurposed mill building on the eastern side of the city, which houses institutions including Mixed Magic Theatre, Wage House (comedy club), Pawtucket Arts Collaborative, and Crooked Current Brewery.[25][26]

Each September, the city, in conjunction with the Pawtucket Arts Festival Board of Directors, members chosen from the community, produce an annual citywide Arts Festival.

Pawtucket is home to McCoy Stadium, where the Pawtucket Red Sox, the Triple-A Minor League Baseball affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, played from 1970 to 2020. The team was owned by Ben Mondor until his death and was sold by his estate. The longest professional baseball game in history, 33 innings, was played at McCoy Stadium in 1981.[27] Pawtucket has a history of professional baseball dating back to 1892, including the Pawtucket Indians. The PawSox franchise was relocated to Worcester, Massachusetts, to become the Worcester Red Sox beginning with the 2021 season.[28]

In 2024 Rhode Island FC, of the USL Championship, will have its inaugural season.[29] Starting in 2025, the team will play at a soccer-specific stadium along the Seekonk River.[30] The team is headquartered in Pawtucket.[31]

In 1934, the Narragansett Park opened for Thoroughbred horse racing. Until its closure in 1978, the track hosted several important races that drew some of the top horses from around the United States including Hall of Fame members; Seabiscuit, War Admiral and Gun Bow.

• 
  The Portuguese Social Club of Pawtucket marches in the 2021 Bristol Fourth of July Parade
• 
  Pawtucket Armory Center for the Arts (former Pawtucket Armory), with The Sandra Feinstein-Gamm Theatre in annex
• 
  From 1970 to 2020, the Pawtucket Red Sox played at McCoy Stadium

Slater Memorial Park

• Slater Memorial Park has full recreational facilities including tennis courts and picnic areas.
• Daggett Farm
• Water Color Gallery open to the public for viewing
• Daggett House
• Marconi Garden

• Belper, Derbyshire, England, United Kingdom

Belper was where Samuel Slater had been apprenticed to Jedediah Strutt, learning the secrets of Richard Arkwright's Water Frame. He is sometimes known in that area as "Slater the traitor".[35] Belper holds an annual town festival in honor of Pawtucket and Belper being sister towns.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pawtucket, Rhode Island.

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Pawtucket.

• Official website
• Pawtucket, Rhode Island at Curlie