Field Trip!

We had an awesome field trip to the oldest textile mill in American yesterday, Slater Mill. The kids (and me too!) learned all about how the water power was used to power the machines and help make the cotton, wool, and fabrics!

 First we spent time in the Wilkinson Mill, which was were they made the parts for the textile mill.

 We learned about the how the mill was build along the Pawtucket River since it had powerful energy to power a water wheel.

 Seriously, an amazingly gorgeous day to be there!

We got to go into the water wheel room, it's been in operation (with up keep, etc) since that mill building opened in 1810, to think they put that together without home depot, power tools, or fork lifts is  impressive. 

Then the kids got to work an assembly line and see what it was like to be a child laborer back then. One would turn the power source, one would sand a bobbin, or drill a whole in the bobbin, or sand a tool. They were complaining about how tired they were after two minutes! They also looked adorable in work goggles and gloves!

Then in the other building we learned all about how cotton goes from plant to fiber and all about the machines they used way back when. These spindles were part of a machine that makes something like a shoelace.

Such a fun trip, the kids loved it. I learned so many things. Like, did you know that the expression "sleep tight" comes from the fact that beds had ropes strung across the frame to hold up the "mattress" and with 4 or 5 people the ropes more often than not sagged in the night!

Most importantly, the kids clearly learned so many things, which makes it all worth it!