Arkwright, Rhode Island facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Arkwright
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Arkwright Bridge over the Pawtuxet River
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| Country | United States |
| State | Rhode Island |
| Founded by | Remington family |
| Elevation | 164 ft (50 m) |
| GNIS feature ID | 1218346 |
Arkwright is a small village located in the northeastern part of Coventry, Rhode Island. It's right where Coventry meets the towns of Cranston and Scituate. Today, you can easily reach Arkwright using Route 115.
Contents
Discovering Arkwright's History
A Village with Different Names
Back in the 1700s, a family called the Remingtons owned a lot of land here. Because of them, the village was first known as "Remington’s Run." Later, in the early 1800s, it got a new name: "Burlingame Mills." This was after Jabez and James Burlingame, who ran a saw mill and a grist mill in the area.
The Arkwright Mill Story
In April 1809, the Burlingames and some other people sold their land to a new business called the Arkwright Manufacturing Company. This company was owned by several business people, including James DeWolf, Doctor Caleb Fiske, Philip Fiske, and Asher Robbins. They named their company after Richard Arkwright, a famous British inventor who helped develop the modern factory system. He also trained Samuel Slater, who is known for bringing the textile industry to America.
The Arkwright Manufacturing Company built its very first textile mill in 1810. A textile mill is a factory where cloth is made from fibers like cotton. This first mill burned down, but it was rebuilt in 1822. Over the years, more buildings were added to the mill complex. This mill was a big part of starting the textile industry in New England. This industry grew and became very important to the economy of the region.
The mill changed owners several times. In 1883, it was sold and became the Arkwright–Interlaken Company. This new company specialized in making book cloth, which is a strong fabric used for book covers.
Challenges and Changes
In 1922, the textile mills in the area, including Arkwright's, faced a big challenge. There was a large strike called the 1922 New England Textile Strike. Workers temporarily stopped working because of disagreements over their pay and working hours. This caused the mill to shut down for a while.
Arkwright Today
Even after all these years, the original mill building and other related structures are still standing in Arkwright village. What's really special is that the Arkwright mill is the last textile mill still operating in all the villages of Coventry. It's a living piece of history!
