Catching the End of an Era at Lowell Mills in Massachusetts

Lowell is one of the finest examples of nineteenth century mill architecture in the United States. We jumped on an old trolley car which passed along the canal zone in town to get to see one of the original textile mills. Upon entering pass the gates, one can’t help at first sight standing in the courtyard being awed by the clock bell tower and size of the brick buildings at the old Boott Cotton Mill. Today the Boott Mill Museum stands as a focus on the industrial revolution, labor, and the rise, fall and rebirth of Lowell.

Entering the 1920s weave room we were able to see the features of the operating power looms as they noisily roared their cogs and gears. Cloth of various yarn designs was being woven at great speed off the looms in bolts.

 
 In the Lowell Mills heydays of 1890-1950, it was young girls ages 15-30 from New England farms who worked in one of the ten operating textile mills along the Merrimack River in Lowell. They lived in boarding houses and worked 12-14 hours days at the mill for a dollar per day.

 By 1960 most of Lowell’s ten textile mills ceased to exist in operation. Most of the empty historic mill space now is being redeveloped for modern use as office space or condominiums. So guess where cloth is being woven today?