Lowell Textile Mills and Mill Town Migration in Massachusetts (1820–1860)

1. Boston Manufacturing Company launches Waltham system

   Jan 1, 1813Labels: Boston Manufacturing, Waltham system, Francis Cabot

   • HBS Library
   • BMC Wikipedia

2. Merrimack Manufacturing begins operations at Pawtucket Falls

   Jan 1, 1823Labels: Merrimack Manufacturing, Pawtucket Falls, Boston Associates

   • Merrimack Mfg
   • Lowell History

3. Merrimack Canal is dug to power early mills

   Jan 1, 1826Labels: Merrimack Canal, canal infrastructure, Lowell mills

   • Merrimack Canal
   • NPS Archives

4. Lowell is incorporated as a town

   Mar 1, 1826Labels: Town of, Francis Cabot

   • UML LibGuides
   • Lowell History

5. Boston & Lowell Railroad chartered to improve transport

   Jan 1, 1830Labels: Boston &, Lowell leaders

   • P T Jackson
   • Lowell History

6. First major Lowell “turn-out” protests wage cuts

   Feb 1, 1834Labels: Lowell turn-out, women workers

   • NPS Strikes
   • Encyclopedia com

7. Boott Mills established as Lowell’s mill complex grows

   Jan 1, 1835Labels: Boott Cotton, Lowell mill

   • NPS Boott THP
   • Boott Mills

8. Lowell receives Massachusetts city charter

   Apr 1, 1836Labels: City of, Massachusetts charter

   • UML LibGuides
   • Lowell History

9. Second “turn-out” challenges rising boarding costs

   Oct 1, 1836Labels: Second turn-out, boardinghouses

   • Lowell Health UML
   • NPS Strikes

10. Lowell Offering begins publication by mill women

    Jan 1, 1840Labels: Lowell Offering, mill women

    • Lowell Offering
    • Gilder Lehrman

11. Lowell Female Labor Reform Association forms

    Jan 1, 1845Labels: Lowell Female, women organizers

    • NPS LFLRA
    • History Matters

12. New England Offering continues mill-worker publishing

    Sep 1, 1847Labels: New England, mill-worker publishing

    • New England Offering
    • Lowell Offering

13. Northern Canal completes expanded Lowell power network

    Jan 1, 1848Labels: Northern Canal, James B

    • NPS Francis
    • NPS Archives

14. Population growth signals mass migration into mill town

    Jan 1, 1850Labels: Lowell population, mass migration

    • UML LibGuides
    • Lowell Hist Soc

15. Mill-town workforce shifts toward larger immigrant presence

    Jan 1, 1860Labels: Immigrant workforce, mill-town labor

    • NPS Archives
    • Lowell History