Pawtucket Map
Pawtucket is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 71,148 at the 2010 census. It is the fourth largest city in the state.
Pawtucket was a major contributor of cotton textiles during the American Industrial Revolution. Slater Mill, built in 1793 by Samuel Slater on the Black River falls in downtown Pawtucket, was the first fully mechanized cotton-spinning mill in America. Slater Mill is known for developing a commercially successful production process not reliant on earlier horse-drawn processes developed in America. He constructed and operated machines for producing yarn. Other manufacturers continued, transforming Pawtucket into a center for textiles, iron working and other products.
The textile business in New England declined during the Great Depression with many manufacturers closing or moving their facilities South where operations and labor were cheaper. But unlike numerous older mill towns in the region, Pawtucket retained much of its industrial base. 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 manufacturer of toys and games, is headquartered in Pawtucket.
Nearby cities include Central Falls, Woonsocket, Harmony, Warwick, Foxborough.