Did You Know? Fun Facts About Pawtucket, RI

I thought it would be fun to create a new blog series called "Did you know", focused on

interesting historical and fun facts about various cities and towns in Rhode Island. This edition of "Did You Know?" is dedicated to Pawtucket, RI.

Historical Fact #1?

Centuries ago, Pawtucket, (the algonkian word for "At The Falls), was home to a large population of Narragansett and Wampanoag American Indian tribes. The Blackstone River which flows through Pawtucket, was known as the Kittacuck, the algonkian term for "the great tidal river".

Salmon and lamprey would swim upstream from the Providence Harbor and gather near the falls in order to reproduce, and provided a critical food source for the Indian tribes. Today, you may still see several species of fish swim upstream into Downtown Pawtucket, toward the falls at Slater Mill.

Historical Fact #2?

Pawtucket was first settled by Joseph Jenckes. He purchased dozens of acres of land around Pawtucket Falls and built a small saw mill. A few years after Jencks settled in the area, the budding town was destroyed during the King Philip War, which lasted from 1675-1678.

Historical Fact #3?

Eventually, Pawtucket was rebuilt. Other European settlers moved into the area and by 1775, the area was home to various manufacturers who produced muskets, linseed oil, potash, and ship building supplies. Pawtucket also became the birth place of the American Industrial Revolution when the Slater Mill was built in 1793. The Wilkinson Mill followed years later and was built next door to the Slater Mill in 1810.

Both mills played critical roles in the birth and growth of the textile industry. The mills were strategically built next to the falls because the water was the power source for the machines used to mass produce textiles. Today, the Slater and Wilkinson Mills are museums and can be toured by the general public.

Fun Fact #1

Pawtucket was once the home of Narragansett Park, a race track for thoroughbred horse racing. It opened in 1934 and became one of the most successful tracks in the country. Sports celebrities, movie stars, and millionaires such as Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Mickey Rooney, and Milton Berle visited the park to watch the races. The Newhaven Railroad transported countless visitors from Boston to the park and many wealthy people who visited and owned property in Newport also visited the park to watch the famous thoroughbred horses of the day, including Seabiscuit.

The park continued to thrive for a few decades, but eventually, it fell on hard times. Public interest in horse racing declined and the physical condition of the track deteriorated.

Fun Fact #2

On September 2, 1977, the Beach Boys performed a concert at Narragansett Park for an audience of 40,000. This concert holds the record for being the largest concert audience in Rhode Island's history.

Fun Fact #3

On September 4, 1978, Narragansett Park closed. Eventually, the site became the home of Building 19 until 2013, when the company went bankrupt.

In 2020 Pawtucket approved the development of a three story mixed use building with ground mounted solar canopies that will produce 2.5 Megawatts of energy. This development will be next to the old Building 19 structure. To learn more about this project, click here.

Fun Fact #4

Pawtucket is the home of the longest baseball game in history. The game was played at McCoy Stadium between the Pawtucket Red Sox and the Rochester Red Wings at McCoy Stadium.

The game lasted 33 innings and took 8 hours and 25 minutes to play, The game began on April 18 and continued into the early hours of April 19. The game was suspended and was continued on June 23, 1981. The Pawtucket Red Sox won the game 3-2. Future Hall of Famers Wade Boggs and Cal Ripken Jr. both played in the game.

Fun Fact #5

Pawtucket was used as a filming location for the following:

• The tv series Brotherhood had scenes filmed at Ferdie's Key Shop in Pawtucket. The series starred Jason Isaacs.

• American Buffalo (1996) - Had scenes filmed at the old Leroy Theatre on Broad St. before it was torn down. The movie starred Dennis Franz and Dustin Hoffman.

• Mermaids (1990) - Had scenes filmed at Tolman High School. This movie starring Cher, Winona Rider, Christina Ricci and Bob Hoskins.

To read more blogs from the "Did You Know" series, click here. And if you are thinking of buying or selling a home in Pawtucket, Contact Me for a free consultation.