Lowell

https://www.nps.gov/lowe/index.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lowell_National_Historical_Park Lowell National Historical Park is located in Lowell, Massachusetts. It comprises a group of different sites in and around the city of Lowell related to the era of textile manufacturing in the city during the Industrial Revolution. Lowell’s water-powered textile mills catapulted the nation – including immigrant families and early female factory workers – into an uncertain new industrial era. Nearly 200 years later, the changes that began here still reverberate in our shifting global economy. Explore Lowell, a living testament to the dynamic human story of the industrial revolution. Paid parking is across the street from the Museum in the Downes Parking Garage (75 John St) From Interstate Route 495 take Exit 89C on to the Lowell Connector From Route 3 take Exit 80A if traveling southbound, Exit 80B if traveling northbound. Take the Lowell Connector to Exit 5B Thorndike St Continue right on to Thorndike Street, which becomes Dutton St Take a turn right at the corner of Dutton and Merrimack St Take the 2nd left onto John St. Parking at the Downes Garage on right. Museum is 1 block down Boott Cotton Mills Museum Don't miss the roar of 85 operating power looms! The Boott Cotton Mills Museum includes a recreated 1920s-era weave room, historical artifacts, interactive exhibits and video programs about the Industrial Revolution and the people of Lowell. Learn more about the city’s role as a cutting-edge developer of technology and hub of economic change in the American Industrial Revolution. From Interstate Route 495 take Exit 89C on to the Lowell Connector From Route 3 take Exit 80A if traveling southbound, Exit 80B if traveling northbound. -Take the Lowell Connector to Exit 5B Thorndike Street. -Continue on Dutton St for 1 mile -Take a right onto Merrimack Street -Take the 2nd Left onto John Street Paid city parking is available at the Downes Parking Garage (75 John St, Lowell, MA 01852). This is 1 block away from the Boott Cotton Mills Museum Lowell National Historical Park Visitor Center Introductory exhibits about Lowell National Historical Park, tour reservations, and information about local lodging and dining. 246 Market Street, Lowell MA 01852. From Interstate Route 495 take Exit 35C on to the Lowell Connector. From Route 3 take Exit 30A if traveling southbound, Exit 30B if traveling northbound. • Take the Lowell Connector to Exit 5B (Thorndike Street) • Continue right on to Thorndike Street, which becomes Dutton Street • At the third traffic light continue straight under the overpass • At the next light turn right. Free parking is available at the Hamilton Canal Innovation District parking garage (350 Dutton St.) Boott Cotton Mills 5 story brick factories with a clocktower surrounding a central courtyard The Boott Cotton Mills is one of the best, most-intact complexes of cotton mills from Lowell's heyday in the 19th century. Tsongas Center Programs Two students weaving on the looms at the education center. The Tsongas Industrial History Center, a partnership of Lowell National Historical Park and UMass Lowell's Graduate School of Education, offers hands-on interactive education workshops for more than 50,000 students each year. Lowell NHP Trolley Streetcar guided through Lowell by motormen with lots of passengers Lowell National Historical Park operates reproduction vintage streetcars throughout the park and downtown Lowell. Climb onboard for a ride or a ranger-guided tour. Boott Mills Weave Room Two young visitors look over the rail at a room full of working looms The working weave room at the Boott Cotton Mills Museum surrounds you with the sights and sounds of a turn-of-the-century working cotton textile factory. Lowell Folk Festival Street scene with lots of tents and crowds listening to Folk Festival music at Boardinghouse Park. The Lowell Folk Festival, Lowell's signature annual event, brings traditional folk performers to 5 stages throughout the city and a huge variety of traditional ethnic foods from all around the world. Lowell, Story of an Industrial City: Seeds of Industry The rise of Lowell in the second quarter of the 19th century prompted flights of rhetoric from poets and politicians. The city was an obligatory stop for Europeans touring the United States. Most visitors were impressed by the sheer scale of mid-19th century Lowell, something best appreciated from across the Merrimack River. Massive five- and six-story brick mills lined the river for nearly a mile, standing out dramatically amid the area's scattered farms. Detail of Lowell Mills from the Sidney and Neff map 1850, public domain Lowell: The Story of an Industrial City Prologue America's self-image is founded in part on the nation's rapid rise to industrial preeminence by World War I. While there is no single birthplace of industry, Lowell's planned textile mill city, in scale, technological innovation, and development of an urban working class, marked the beginning of the industrial transformation of America. View of Pawtucket Falls at Lowell in golden light Lowell, Story of an Industrial City: Products of the Mills Lowell's cotton textiles ranged from pattern weaves to printed cloths. The Merrimack Company specialized in calico prints and pioneered in the development of cloth printing technology. Skilled printers were recruited from England in the early years. The head printer hired by the company in 1825 commanded a salary higher than the treasurer's. Other companies specialized in coarse drillings, sheetings, twilled goods, and shirtings. Sample of calico printed textile from 1878. Public Domain. Lowell, Story of an Industrial City: Rebirth of Lowell By the 1960s Lowell’s glory days were far in the past. The city was hard pressed economically, and promising young people were leaving their hometown. Those who stayed were ambivalent about their history, recalling the hard conditions under which their parents had worked. With little sense of a worthwhile heritage, many were ready to erase the past and start over. President Carter signs the creation of Lowell National Historical Park in 1978. NPS. Lowell, Story of an Industrial City: Mill Power Drives Once a wheel or turbine had harnessed the waters power, the mill engineer had to transfer the power throughout the mill to hundreds of machines. British and early American mills ran a vertical shaft off the main drive shaft, then transferred the power by gears to overhead shafts on each floor. Because it was difficult to get precisely machined gears, American mills were rough and noisy and had to be run at slow speeds. Belt-powered loom. NPS. Lowell, Story of an Industrial City: Lowell's Other Industry Lowell was dominated by the textile mills in its early years. But throughout the 19th century other important industries grew up in the city. Foremost were textile machinery firms established to meet the demands of textile manufacturers throughout New England. The Lowell Machine Shop and the Kitson Machine Company were the largest of these companies, but there were many others. Father John's Medicine. Photo by Joe Mabel CC by SA 3.0. Lowell, Story of an Industrial City: Lowell Machine Shop Lowell's machine shop complex was second in importance only to the textile mills among the city's industries. Incorporated as an independent company in 1845, the Lowell Machine Shop had its origins as the machine shop of the Boston Manufacturing Company in Waltham from 1814 to 1824. The Merrimack Company in Lowell then housed the machine shop, which was taken over by the Proprietors of Locks and Canals in 1825. Lowell National Historical Park Lowell, Story of an Industrial City: Pawtucket and Middlesex Canals Between 1790 and 1860 America underwent a transportation revolution. Canals, turnpikes, and railroads crisscrossed the nation, dramatically improving inland transportation. Eastern Massachusetts was an early participant in this revolution. Evolution, canal system at Lowell, Historic American Engineering Record, Library of Congress. Lowell, Story of an Industrial City: Making Textiles Making textiles: Picking, carding, spinning, warping, and weaving. Spinning Jenny, 1861. Public Domain. 40th Anniversary of Lowell National Historical Park Superintendent Celeste Bernardo of Lowell National Historical Park and Mayor of Lowell, William Samaras cut the 40th Anniversary Cake on June 9, 2018. Cake cutting Lowell, Story of an Industrial City: The Mill Girls As much as the massive brick mills along the Merrimack, "mill girls" were an innovation of the early industrial revolution in New England. Lowell's mill workforce in the antebellum decades consisted largely of young single women from the farming communities of northern New England. Most were between 15 and 25, signing on for short stints that rarely exceeded a year at a time. Portuguese mill girls at Lowell. Collection of Library of Congress. Public Domain. Lowell, Story of an Industrial City: Boardinghouses The rows of long brick boardinghouses adjacent to Lowell's mills distinguished the city from earlier New England mill towns. Lowell's first female workers at the Merrimack Manufacturing Company were put up in wooden boardinghouses. By the mid-1830s, however, firms were adding brick structures near their mills and requiring women without family in the city to live in them. Brick boardinghouses in Lowell. HABS, Library of Congress, Public domain Lowell National Historical Park Receives Discover Trails Grant From The National Park Foundation Lowell, MA - Lowell National Historical Park in partnership with Lowell Community Health Center, Cambodian Mutual Assistance Association, City of Lowell Senior Center, Lowell Middlesex Academy Charter School, and YWCA of Lowell has been selected to receive a 2017 Active Trails grant from the National Park Foundation, the official charity of America’s national parks. Curriculum Connections: Making the Most of National Park Experiences Developing curriculum-based programs is the cornerstone for a solid foundation for park education programs. Providing relevant resource-based experiences for people of all ages will ensure a continuum of opportunities for citizens to support their own learning objectives through the national parks and to find meaning in their national treasures. Offering curriculum-based programs, especially for school age children will help foster stewardship. Carriage roads at Acadia National Park. NPS Photo Branding Lowell exhibit opens Branding Lowell team (L-R), Tony Sampas, Mark Van Der Hyde, Sarah Black Laurel Racine. Branding Lowell team (L-R), Tony Sampas, Mark Van Der Hyde, Sarah Black Laurel Racine. 33rd Lowell Folk Festival Sizzles The 33rd annual Lowell Folk Festival came to town from July 26-28, 2019, and it was hot. Not only was the weather hot, but the performances on the stages were hot as well as the food at the foodways demonstrations area. Considered the nation's longest running free folk festival, The Lowell Folk Festival had something for everyone who came. Couples dance outside Lowell, Story of an Industrial City: Early American Manufacturing The mounting conflict between the colonies and England in the 1760s and 1770s reinforced a growing conviction that Americans should be less dependent on their mother country for manufactures. Spinning bees and bounties encouraged the manufacture of homespun cloth as a substitute for English imports. Slater Mill by Elliot. HAER Photo, Library of Congress Collections Lowell, Story of an Industrial City: Immigrant Communities The failure of mill owners in early Lowell to accommodate the Irish in company housing set a precedent that significantly influenced community life in the city. Immigrant groups resided away from the mills in their own neighborhoods, where old-world cultures came to terms with the demands of American urban-industrial life. By the turn of the century, Lowell was a microcosm of the broader society an uneasy blend of many ethnic groups living in distinct neighborhoods. Cover of the Lowell Handbook Lowell, Story of an Industrial City: Decline and Recovery World War I gave a short-lived boost to Lowell's textile and munitions industries as both profited from large military contracts. As more jobs were created, few could see that the end of Lowell's prosperity was near, or that by 1930 the city's once vital economy would grind to a virtual halt. President Carter signs the creation of Lowell National Historical Park in 1978. NPS Lowell, Story of an Industrial City: Lowell's Canal System The Lowell Canal system evolved steadily from 1821, when the Boston Associates purchased the old Pawtucket transportation canal in East Chelmsford (which later became Lowell). They initially used the Pawtucket as a feeder canal to channel water into new power canals. Just above Swamp Locks, the Merrimack, Western, and Hamilton canals branched off, taking water to the Merrimack, Lowell, Tremont, Suffolk, Lawrence, Hamilton, and Appleton mills. Development of the canal system in Lowell, MA. HAER, Library of Congress, Public Domain. Lowell, Story of an Industrial City: The Industrial Revolution in England British historian Eric Hobsbawm sharply characterized English industrial history: "Whoever says Industrial Revolution says cotton." Rapid industrialization transformed the lives of English men and women after 1750, and changes in cotton textiles were at the heart of this process. Drawing of a Spinning Jenny in 1861. Public Domain. Lowell, Story of an Industrial City: Jack Kerouac In the late 1950s American readers heard an exuberant new voice. Jack Kerouac (1922-1969) wrote a spontaneous, sometimes raw prose that captured the immediacy of experience. Born of French-Canadian parents in the Centralville area of Lowell, Jean-Louis Kerouac grew up immersed in the city's ethnic, working-class culture. Lowell, Story of an Industrial City: The Waltham-Lowell System The success of the early spinning mills of southern New England in the years before 1810 and the uncertainties of shipping led the son of a leading Boston merchant family, Francis Cabot Lowell, to seek a haven for his fortune in manufacturing. Having developed the country's first working power loom, Lowell, with fellow Bostonians Patrick Tracy Jackson and Nathan Appleton, established the Boston Manufacturing Company along the Charles River in Waltham in 1814. Silhouette of Francis Cabot Lowell. NPS. Lowell, Story of an Industrial City: Lowell's Southern Connection When an anti-slavery speaker came to Lowell in 1834, he drew an angry stone-throwing mob. Mill owners and workers depended on Southern cotton, and anyone who threatened the system was unwelcome. Ever since Slater's cotton mill was established in 1790 and the cotton gin invented three years later, Southern cotton and Northern textiles had had a reciprocal relationship. Senator Charles Sumner, Library of Congress Collections. Public Domain Lowell, Story of an Industrial City: Working Conditions By 1900 competitive pressures and technological developments had dramatically changed the working conditions of Lowell millhands. In every department of the mills, fewer workers tended more machinery in 1900 than in 1840. Not only did Lowell operatives tend more machines, but the machinery operated at considerably greater speeds. Militia point their bayonets at strikers in Lawrence, 1912. Public Domain. Lowell, Story of an Industrial City: Water Power In colonial America, waterwheels commonly provided power for sawing timber, fulling cloth, grinding grains, and making iron products. Until the second half of the 19th century, water power was the major mechanical power source in the United States. Transmitting water power Archeology ABCs Coloring Book Archeology paints a colorful picture of the past! Download and print this full coloring book packed with archeological objects from A to Z! Title page for coloring book entitled Archeology ABCs Coloring Book National Park Service Commemoration of the 19th Amendment In commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the passing of the 19th Amendment the National Park Service has developed a number of special programs. This includes online content, exhibits, and special events. The National Park Service’s Cultural Resources Geographic Information Systems (CRGIS) announces the release of a story map that highlights some of these programs and provides information for the public to locate and participate. Opening slide of the 19th Amendment NPS Commemoration Story Map Series: Creative Teaching with Historic Places: Selections from CRM Vol 23 no 8 (2000) These articles are a selection from a special issue of CRM Journal, "Creative Teaching with Historic Places" published in 2000. They provide examples of teaching using historic places both in and out of the classroom, helping students connect with history using the power of place, as well as how to prepare lessons making those connections. Teaching with Historic Places is a program of the National Park Service. Cover of CRM Journal "Creative Teaching with Historic Places" Series: Lowell, Story of an Industrial City America's self-image is founded in part on the nation's rapid rise to industrial preeminence by World War I. While there is no single birthplace of industry, Lowell's planned textile mill city, in scale, technological innovation, and development of an urban working class, marked the beginning of the industrial transformation of America. Cover of the Lowell Handbook Victory at Last? Parades and Pink Slips To recognize the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II, three New England parks hosted the symposium “Victory at Last? Parades and Pink Slips.” How an Insect Became a National Park Service Superhero Through the power of partnerships, the Dragonfly Mercury Project elevated the importance of a commonly found insect. It also showed that citizen science can be a potent research tool. A group of young people surround a man in an NPS uniform holding a net next to a stream Conservation Diaries: Olf Mouyaka, Advocating for Youth Programs, Volunteering, and Urban Parks Meet Olf Mouyaka, a park guide at New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park, who has also worked at Lowell National Historical Park and First State National Historical Park. From a volunteer to a youth program participant to a seasonal and finally a full-time employee, learn more about Olf’s incredible journey to the National Park Service. headshot of person wearing traditional african clothing with distinct patterns 2022 George and Helen Hartzog Awards for Outstanding Volunteer Service The National Park Service is pleased to congratulate the recipients of the 2022 George and Helen Hartzog Awards for Outstanding Volunteer Service. A montage of photos of volunteers working in a national park. Shaping the System Under President Jimmy Carter President Jimmy Carter oversaw one of the largest growths in the National Park System. Explore some of the parks that are part of the legacy of the presidency of Jimmy Carter, who served as the 39th president of the United States from January 20, 1977, to January 20, 1981. Historic photo of Jimmy Carter walking through a crowd at Harpers Ferry Lowell Female Labor Reform Association In January of 1845, the Lowell Female Labor Reform Association (LFLRA) was founded. This organization, which collaborated and fundraised with other local labor groups like the New England Workingmen’s Association and New England Labor Reform League, dedicated itself to advancing the interests of Lowell’s female work force at the state level. Instruments and a scroll. Text reads "Poetry. Written for the Voice of Industry. To the Workingmen." Early Strikes in Lowell Follow the story of two strikes, or "turnouts," that happened while mill girls were the main workforce in Lowell. Why did some succeed, and others fail? Illustration of three people holding symbolic items related to work and justice Series: Women's Activism in Lowell We can trace the origins of women’s civic activism in Lowell to the early 1830s. After leaders within several local corporations voted to lower wages, women in Lowell stood up against the city’s corporate interests. They staged walkouts and later, wrote petitions to fight for better work conditions, including shorter days. But how far could women take a social movement without the right to cast ballots? An illustration of three people holding symbolic items related to work and justice. The 1915 Massachusetts Referendum In 1915 the state of Massachusetts held a referendum on the question of woman suffrage – with a majority vote, all women in the state would be able to vote in state elections. Illustration of a blue bird. On the stomach is written "Votes for women. November 2nd." The 1910 Convention In 1910, the Massachusetts Woman Suffrage Association held their annual convention in the city of Lowell. Learn about how the city's guests and residents spent these two historic days demonstrating and discussing! Historic Building labelled Mechanics Hall The 1910 Suffrage Convention: A Full Timeline An in-depth breakdown of the topics and activities covered by suffragists in 1910 at Lowell's Massachusetts Woman Suffrage Association Convention. A sepia photograph of a woman posing Ladd and Whitney Monument Learn about two of the first casualties of the Civil War and the monument that honors their sacrifice. Community Volunteer Ambassadors The primary duty of the Community Volunteers Ambassadors is to encourage local residents, particularly young people, to volunteer for climate-resilience-related projects in the park. A young woman holds two fingers up in front of a cactus, seemingly doing the same thing Lyddie: Chapter 09 - The Weaving Room When Lyddie arrives in the weave room, she is overcome by the noise and the constant movement of the machines. The noise of the looms is so deafening that she can’t hear a word her new overseer says. One of the older girls, Diana, comes to Lyddie’s rescue and teaches her how to operate the loom, and the two of them become friends. Photograph of a model of a weaving room with an open book outline Lyddie: Chapter 07 - South to Freedom Before Lyddie leaves for the Lowell mills, Triphena gives her a new pair of boots and five dollars to pay for a stagecoach ride. Lyddie soon finds her feet tired and sore and realizes walking all the way to Lowell isn’t possible. She stops at a tavern and works for the tavern owner in exchange for a room until the stagecoach arrives. The Boott Mills and an outline of an open book Lyddie: Chapter 08 - Number 5, Concord Corporation Lyddie wakes up the next day to the life of a mill girl. It is very noisy in the boardinghouse and in Lyddie’s attic room, which she shares with five other girls. A boardinghouse dining room with an outline of an open book Lyddie: Chapter 06 - Ezekial The Black man in Lyddie’s cabin introduces himself as Ezekial. He had been enslaved in the South and is making his way to Canada. Map of underground routes to Canada and an outline of an open book Lyddie: Chapter 19 - Diana Lyddie feels lonely. She tries to distract herself by thinking about work. She learns that the weavers at a nearby mill had signed a pledge in protest of demands that they work four looms each for less pay. Winslow Home drawing of workers with an open book oultine Lyddie: Chapter 18 - Charlie at Last Charlie looks different when he arrives at the boardinghouse. Charlie comes to share the news that he has been taken on as a full apprentice by Mr. Phinney. He tells Lyddie that he is ready to take Rachel back with him. At first, Lyddie doesn’t want to let Rachel go, but she knows she must get her sister out of Lowell. Drawing of a steam railroad with an open book outline Lyddie: Chapter 17 - Doffer Two weeks later, the doctor still won’t allow Lyddie to work. She is left with a lot of time to think, and she wonders why she hasn’t heard from Charlie. Lewis Hine photograph of a young spinner with an open book outline Lyddie: Chapter 16 - Fever Lyddie reluctantly withdraws money from her bank account to pay Mrs. Bedlow for Rachel’s housing. Brigid tells Lyddie that she can’t focus because her mother is very sick. Lyddie takes all the change she has in her pocket and thrusts it at Brigid, telling her to get a doctor. Early 1800's Quilt with an open book outline Lyddie: Chapter 15 - Rachel Uncle Judah and Aunt Clarissa have sent Lyddie’s mother to an asylum because they could no longer care for her. They plan to sell the family farm to pay for her care. Vermont Asylum for the Insane in Brattleboro 1845 and an open book outline Lyddie: Chapter 14 - Ills and Petitions Lyddie soon feels better and returns to work, although she isn’t fully healed. She is determined not to let anything stop her from paying her family's debt. Lowell Hospital from 1850 and an outline of an open book Lyddie: Chapter 13 - Speed Up Lyddie begins to worry about the petition for a ten-hour workday. Shorter days would mean less money. She wishes her friends could understand about the family debt and why she works so hard. A wooden shuttle on a power loom and an oultline of an open book Lyddie: Chapter 12 - I Will Not be a Slave Lyddie quickly becomes one of the mill’s top workers. She is given more looms to tend and is making more money than ever. I cannot be a slave song and an outline of an open book Lyddie: Chapter 11 - The Admirable Choice When Lyddie returns to work, she finds the noise of the looms and the debris in the air doesn’t bother her as much because she is looking forward to hearing more of Oliver Twist in the evening. Lyddie feels that though she hasn’t grown used to mill work, she has at least found a way to escape her work through the story. Title page from Oliver Twist with an open book outline Lyddie: Chapter 10 - Oliver The next day is Lyddie’s first full day as a mill worker. Diana tells her that the two of them will be working three looms together. Within a few minutes, Lyddie is overwhelmed by the noise and the dust in the air. Merrimack Manufacturing Company Label and an outline of an open book Lyddie: Chapter 03 - Cutler's Tavern When she arrives at the tavern, Lyddie stands outside and thinks about the direction her life has taken. Her thoughts are interrupted by the arrival of a stagecoach. Passengers, including a well-dressed white man and woman, exit the coach. Drawings of women's fashion 1848 and an outline of an open book Lyddie: Chapter 05 - Going Home When Mistress Cutler takes a trip to Boston to sell her maple products, Lyddie and the rest of the tavern staff are left with some free time. Triphena, who says she’s in charge in the mistress’ absence, gives Lyddie permission to visit home for the night. Drawing of old fashioned snow shoes with an open book outline Lyddie: Chapter 23 - Vermont, November 1846 With no place else to go, Lyddie heads to her family’s old farm, even though it has been sold. It looks exactly as she remembers it. Although she realizes that someday, Luke could be someone she might love, she has made up her mind to go west first. She wants to go to college and become her own, free woman, as she understands it. Drawing of Oberlin college from early 1800's with an open book outline Lyddie: Chapter 22 - Farewell Lyddie wants to understand why she was fired from the mills, so she purchases a dictionary and looks up “turpitude.” St. Patrick's Church - The Acre Lowell with an open book outline Lyddie: Chapter 21 - Turpitude A man from the agent’s office arrives. He asks Lyddie to follow him to the office. Lyddie is informed that Mr. Marsden has reported her as a troublemaker. 1850s dictionary with an open book outline Lyddie: Chapter 20 - B is for Brigid Many of the girls have left and not come back. This has left some of the looms idle. New girls, mostly young Irish immigrants, get hired. However, there are still unattended looms, and the entire floor is much quieter than it used to be. Lyddie begins teaching Brigid how to read. Spiral stairs at the Boott Cotton Mills museum with an open book outline Lyddie: Chapter 02 - Kindly Friends As Lyddie and Charlie are preparing to leave the farm, they decide to sell their young calf. They hope to eventually save enough money to clear the family’s debt and return home. Lyddie: Voices from the Field - Chapter 01 Black Bear Behavior Black bear behavior Dave Wattles Black Bear & Furbearer Biologist, with open book outline Lyddie: Voices from the Field - Chapter 12 Wage Slavery A number of white, waged workers compared their plight to the much larger number of enslaved workers in ways that the novel illustrates. David Roediger, American Studies at University of Kansas with an open book outline Lyddie: Voices from the Field - Chapter 11 Novels Reading was a very popular pastime during the nineteenth century, and the young women who worked in the mills had many ways to access reading material Bridget M. Marshall, Professor of English, UMass Lowell with an open book outline Lyddie: Voices from the Field - Chapter 15 Mental Illness Having a shuttle hit her head and catching a serious fever is dramatic, but the hardest health challenge Lyddie faces is probably her mother’s mental illness. Nancy Tomes, Distinguished Professor of History, Stony Brook University with open book outline Lyddie: Voices from the Field - Chapter 19 Sarah Bagley Of the four women Diana mentions, Sarah Bagley is the best known to historians. Margot Minardi is Professor of History and Humanities at Reed College with open book outline Lyddie: Voices from the Field - Chapter 20 The Acre Life for the Irish living in the Acre was far different. Dave McKean author of Lowell Irish with an open book outline Lyddie: Voices from the Field - Chapter 18 Quaker Marriage Vermont Quakers in the mid-nineteenth century generally lived harmoniously with their non-Quaker neighbors. Non-Quakers usually regarded Quakers as thrifty, moral, and honest, trustworthy in business and supportive of good causes. But they also saw them as different, following customs that their neighbors found puzzling. Thomas Hamm, Professor of History Earlham College with open book outline Helen Whittier Learn about Helen Augusta Whittier, the only woman to ever own a major textile manufacturing company in the US and avid Women's Rights activist. A middle-aged white woman with short hair posing formally Lyddie: Voices from the Field - Chapter 23 Oberlin Would Lyddie Have Liked Oberlin? Would Oberlin Have Liked Lyddie? At the end of Katharine Paterson’s novel, Lyddie Worthen vows to leave Vermont and get an education at Oberlin College in Ohio. John Frederick Bell, assistant professor, Assumption University with an open book outline Lyddie: Acknowledgements Acknowledgement page for the Lyddie Books to Parks project Lyddie: Voices from the Field - Chapter 23 Ambition What do you think of ambitious people? Do you look up to them as hard workers, or do you worry that they are “up to something”? In general, would you say that ambition is a good or a bad quality for a person to have? Dr. Jason Opal, McGill University with an open book outline Lyddie: Voices from the Field - Chapter 16 Moral Turpitude Moral Turpitude or Female Solidarity? Professor Robert Forrant, UMASS Lowell with an open book outline Lyddie: Voices from the Field - Chapter 07 Why go to Mills Why did young women go to Lowell to work in the factories in the 1800s? Each woman had her own specific reasons for going to Lowell but the underlying reason for many was to get a job and make money. In the 1800s, if a woman needed a job, working in the mills was one of just a few options. Emily Donovan, Supervisory Park Ranger Lowell National Historical Park with open book outline Lyddie: Chapter 01 - The Bear Thirteen-year-old Lyddie Worthen lives on a small farm in Vermont with her mother, younger brother Charlie, and two younger sisters, Rachel and Agnes. Image of a rustic wooden house with an open book outline Lyddie: Voices from the Field - Chapter 09 Free Time Lowell had thousands of workers all on the same mill schedule. The short time between supper and curfew was one of the few times that were available to them to do what they wanted to do. Frank Clark, Park Ranger at Lowell National Historical Park with open book outline Lyddie: Voices from the Field - Chapter 09 Dialect When Lyddie arrives at the boarding house and the mill girls hear her speak, they criticize her language. But many of them also came from rural Vermont or the surrounding region. Julie Roberts, Professor of Linguistics at the University of Vermont with open book outline Lyddie: Voices from the Field - Chapter 08 Food in New England Many scenes in Lyddie involve food and cooking—the bear knocking over a jar of apple butter; Lyddie and Ezekial sharing birch tea; Willie, the servant boy, stealing bread; and the miller’s wife preparing a bubbling stew over an open fire. Would you like to eat like an early nineteenth-century New Englander? Keith Stavely and Kathleen Fitzgerald food history experts with and open book outline Lyddie: Voices from the Field - Chapter 08 Boardinghouse Keepers Local women were recruited for work as boardinghouse keepers in the houses constructed by the corporation for the workers. Often thought of as a kind, matronly figure, the keeper cared for her boardinghouse as she would her own home, thinking of the mill girls as daughters. But she was also a businesswoman, responsible for keeping accurate business records, along with the more traditional duties of cooking and cleaning. Tess Shatzer, Supervisory Park Ranger, Lowell National Historical Park with open book outline Series: Lyddie - Books to Parks The Books to Parks project links widely-recognized works of children’s and young adult literature to the natural, cultural, and historical resources protected by the US government. By connecting young people to parks via literature, Books to Parks encourages youth to develop appreciation for and stewardship of NPS sites. Also, the project encourages critical engagement with literature, providing readers with carefully curated resources that facilitate deep contextualization of texts. Photograph of a model of a factory weave room Lyddie: Voices from the Field - Chapter 03 Homespun Dress Many of the young, working-class women who left their family farms to find jobs in New England’s booming textile industry, arrived in Lowell dressed a lot like Lyddie! Wearing a homespun dress likely wouldn’t have kept someone from getting hired. While they might have been unfashionable, many people associated homespun with the positive traits of New England’s farmers, like independence, a strong work ethic, and respectability. Kassie Baron, specializes in nineteenth century American literature, with an open book outline Lyddie: Voices from the Field - Chapter 02 Farm families Farm families in nineteenth-century New England might choose to hire out or indenture their children if they found themselves in debt. A farm provided a home and a way to grow food and make a living, but it was also hard, physical work that depended on the weather and land quality for success. Megan Birk, Professor of History at University of Texas Rio Grande Valley with an open book outline Lyddie: Voices from the Field - Chapter 06 The Underground Railroad and New England Quakers But what was the “Underground Railroad”? Were there special trains running in tunnels underground? No, there were no trains. The “Underground Railroad” was a network of people who thought slavery was wrong. Dr. Emma Lapsansky-Werner, Professor at Haverford College with open book outline Lyddie: Voices from the Field - Chapter 06 Enslaved People's Agency Enslaved African Americans – either captured by force or born into slavery – fought against slavery through small and big acts of resistance every day. These actions ranged from faking illness to avoid work that enriched their enslavers to breaking tools, practicing traditional beliefs, and running away. These acts of resistance, also called “agency,” allowed enslaved people to express their humanity while being held in a system that denied it. Kristin Gallas, principal, MUSE Consulting with open book outline Lyddie: Voices from the Field - Chapter 05 Reading At the heart of Lyddie’s journey is reading and writing. To Lyddie, education is freedom. She admires, even envies, those who can read. Unlike many girls her age, she was not able to go to school. Words came hard to her. Johann N. Neem is Professor at Western Washington University with open book outline Lyddie: Voices from the Field - Chapter 03 Taverns in the 1840s Today we think of taverns mainly as adult spaces, where people go in the evening to socialize. But in the early nineteenth century, rural taverns were centers of community life. They were places where travelers could find a meal or a bed for the night. They were also hubs in the flow of information. Dr. Marla Miller, Professor of History at UMass Amherst with open book outline Lyddie: Chapter 04 - Frog in the Butter Churn Lyddie is determined to gain the respect of the staff and is able to do so when she becomes friends with Triphena, the cook at Cutler’s Tavern. Girl with a wooden butter churn with an open book outline “Cracking the code” on mercury bioaccumulation Read the abstract and get the link to a published paper on a model to predict mercury risk park waterbodies: Kotalik, C.J. et al. 2025. Ecosystem drivers of freshwater mercury bioaccumulation are context-dependent: insights from continental-scale modeling. Environmental Science & Technology. DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.4c07280 A person stands in a field looking at a bug through a magnifying lens.

Lowell National Historical Park Massachusetts National Park Service U.S. D e p a r t m e n t of t h e I n t e r i o r View of Lowell mills from across the Merrimack River, 1839 Lowell and the Industrial Revolution Lowell was born as a grand experiment that changed how Americans lived and worked. Capitalists tapped the energy of the falls of the Merrimack River to t u r n thousands of textile machines. Young Yankee women and immigrant families came here to t u r n out millions of yards of cloth. From m ro their labors grew America's first industrial city. o o o cc 01 C m o As seen in Alvan Fisher's 1833 painting, the Pawtucket Dam dramatically altered the Merrimack River's flow over the falls. A s t h e Industrial Revolution in t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s intensified in t h e first loom. In 1814, Lowell a n d other investors e r e c t e d a w a t e r - p o w e r e d mill in half of t h e 19th century, t h e y o u n g nation's social a n d e c o n o m i c fabric W a l t h a m , M a s s a c h u s e t t s , w h i c h c a r r i e d out all t h e s t e p s of textile p r o - c h a n g e d dramatically. T h o u g h still primarily agricultural, A m e r i c a w a s d u c t i o n — c a r d i n g , spinning, a n d w e a v i n g . D e s p i t e Lowell's d e a t h in 1 8 1 7 , t r a n s f o r m i n g itself into a nation of u r b a n m a n u f a c t u r i n g c e n t e r s . Enter- t h e venture proved hugely profitable, a n d plans for a larger enterprise led prising m e r c h a n t s a n d capitalists o r g a n i z e d c o r p o r a t i o n s to d e v e l o p t o t h e e s t a b l i s h m e n t of L o w e l l . T h e rapid d e v e l o p m e n t of Lowell's p o w e r a n d control t h e productive f o r c e s of e m e r g i n g industries, w h i l e g r o w i n g c a n a l s , f a c t o r i e s , a n d c o r p o r a t e - o w n e d b o a r d i n g h o u s e s paralleled t h e n u m b e r s of w o r k i n g p e o p l e f o u n d e m p l o y m e n t a s w a g e laborers in f a c - g r o w t h of t h e city's c o m m e r c i a l , religious, a n d civic institutions. tories. C o t t o n textiles, t h e foundation of A m e r i c a ' s Industrial Revolution, f o s t e r e d not only w o r k i n g - c l a s s w a g e labor in t h e mills, but also s u p - While visitors t o Lowell c o m m e n t e d on t h e city's extraordinary g r o w t h , p o r t e d slave labor o n t h e c o t t o n plantations in t h e S o u t h . m a n y w e r e also interested in t h e m o r a l a n d physical w e l l - b e i n g of t h e carefully s u p e r v i s e d , mostly f e m a l e w o r k f o r c e . C o u l d Lowell avoid t h e N o city offers a s d r a m a t i c a v i e w of t h e A m e r i c a n Industrial Revolution horrific social effects of industrial capitalism afflicting Britain's m a n u f a c - a s L o w e l l , M a s s a c h u s e t t s . F o u n d e d by B o s t o n m e r c h a n t s in 1 8 2 1 - 2 2 , turing cities? Lowell's industrialists reassured t h e m , maintaining m o r e - -Q L o w e l l w a s built a s a f a c t o r y city a l o n g t h e M e r r i m a c k River t o t a k e over t h a t t h e enterprise a d v a n c e d t h e n e e d s a n d aspirations of republi- Qi a d v a n t a g e of t h e w a t e r p o w e r potential of the P a w t u c k e t Falls; within c a n society. By 1 8 5 0 , Lowell h a d g r o w n beyond all e x p e c t a t i o n s . T h e city o n e mile, t h e river plunged 3 2 f e e t . Francis C a b o t L o w e l l , for w h o m t h e h a d a population of 3 3 , 0 0 0 , t h e s e c o n d largest in M a s s a c h u s e t t s , a n d its city w a s n a m e d , h a d o b s e r v e d British t e c h n i q u e s for w e a v i n g textiles, t e n mill c o m p l e x e s e m p l o y e d m o r e t h a n 10,000 w o m e n a n d m e n . a n d with t h e aid of m e c h a n i c Paul M o o d y p r o d u c e d a successful p o w e r Working in the Mills Portrait courtesy of Jo Anne Preston The "Mill Girls" We w3tt«sdon show these drivelinglcotton lords... who so arrogantly aspire to lord it Over God's heritage, that our rights cannot be trampled upon with impunity. ft-Amelia Sargent Factory Tract No. 1 October 1845 Most of Lowell's textile workers in the early to mid-1800s were young, single Yankee women. Many hailed from farms or small rural villages, where economic opportunity was often limited to domestic service, family farm work, or poorly paid teaching jobs. Lowell's mills promised much more: monthly cash wages and comfortable room and board in corporation boardinghouses. In addition to economic independence, the growing city offered young women an array of c o m mercial and cultural activities few had ever experienced. The corporations, however, sought to regulate the lives of their workers, exercising paternal control over the social behavior of the w o m e n . Boardinghouse keepers enforced curfews and strict codes of conduct, and the corporations required church at