The Pawtuxet Valley, though only a few square miles in central Rhode Island, has a rich and varied history. From the 1790s to the 1960s, the textile industry blossomed, expanded, and gave birth to nationally known brands such as Fruit of the Loom, helping to clothe America. The industry drew thousands of immigrants to the banks of the Pawtuxet River to make new lives for themselves. Yankees, Quebecois, English, Polish, Irish, Italians, Portuguese, Swedes, and many others created communities among the villages clustered up and down the valley.

Pawtuxet Valley is an introduction to the people and places of the valley, from its heyday of industrial power to its suburban evolution in the late twentieth century. Even more, it is a tribute to the many thousands who settled here and their descendants who left a legacy now being rediscovered. In this book, you will visit the Paine House, a Colonial-era tavern in Washington Village; St. Mary's Church, the oldest Roman Catholic church in Rhode Island; the annual St. Patrick's Day parade; and the many factories and mills that helped shape this exciting community.