Slatersville: America's First Mill Village

Our story begins in Belper, England, the birthplace of Samuel Slater, known as the “Father of the American Industrial Revolution” but a traitor to his native land. As Belper artists find ways to creatively rediscover his story, researchers dig up long-lost information on the man they label “Slater the Traitor." In Pawtucket, Samuel establishes a partnership with Moses Brown and William Almy.

When brothers Samuel and John find a location in northern RI to create and control their own village, they transform the landscape by building a new mill, constructing houses, and forcing farmers to conform to Slater's time-punching manufacturing needs. John’s wife Ruth plays a prominent role over the villagers, while the Slaters struggle to control the lives of their rebellious workforce.

Slatersville native Dr. Elisha Bartlett becomes the first mayor of nearby manufacturing city Lowell MA. After politics, Dr. Bartlett becomes one of the world’s most respected doctors of the era. As Samuel, John, and Ruth Slater approach the end of their lives, their excruciating hardships of loss are felt. Their village must adapt to changing times, including immigration of French-Canadians.

After William Smith Slater and John Fox Slater spent decades building their family fortunes in the 2nd generation, the brothers make conscious decisions about the distribution of their wealth for both family and country. Despite controversial means by which they built their estates, they each execute constructive paths for their funds to be spent, the ripple effects of which are still felt today.

John Whipple Slater's excursions on multiple grand tours, big spending, and bad behavior make the national headlines, while his nephew Rufus Waterman III is invited to take over the family business and manage a mounting pile of problems on the home front.