Pawtucket in Providence County, Rhode Island — The American Northeast (New England)
A Family Business
Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park, Slater Mill Historic Site
| | National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior | |
Just six years after building Slater Mill, Samuel Slater's partners, William Almy and Obadiah Brown, bought another mill on their own. They even copied some of Slater's machine designs for their mill.
This annoyed Slater so much that he built a new mill of his own with his in-laws, the Wilkinsons. Together they finished the White Mill in 1799. It was located on the grassy hill you can see across the river.
Despite these differences, the Almy, Brown, and Slater partnership remained intact. Eight years later, they added John Slater to the partnership and built what was then the biggest mill in America. Visit Slatersville, just a few miles to the north, to see the second chapter of Slater's story.
The White Mill burned down in 1824. There are no visual records of what the building looked like. This illustration is an artist's concept based on written descriptions.
Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1799.
Location. 41° 52.639′ N, 71° 22.956′ W.
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Regionally, this marker is in Rhode Island’s Blackstone Valley, in Greater Providence, and on Narragansett Bay. It is also in the American Northeast and in New England. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Harnessing the Power of the Blackstone River (here, next to this marker); Milling Machines (within shouting distance of this marker); The Wilkinson Mill (within shouting distance of this marker); Birthplace of American Manufacturing (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Wilkinson Mill (within shouting distance of this marker);
Other markers no longer nearby. Old Slater Mill (was a few steps from this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it); Waterpower (was a few steps from this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it).
Credits. This page was last revised on June 21, 2020. It was originally submitted on June 21, 2020, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 249 times since then and 11 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on June 21, 2020, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
