Lowell Mills

Written by guest bloggers: Noah & McKenzie

Last week, our class stepped back in time and visited the Lowell Mills. We’ve been learning about the Industrial Revolution, and we were so excited to see what life was really like for the mill girls. What we didn’t expect was how hard it was to be one! When we first arrived, we were greeted by our tour guide, who told us about the history of the mills. It was like stepping into a history book! In the middle of the learning we saw an OWL (which was very cool!)

After that, we went to explore a house the mill girls would live in. Fun fact: the mill girls got to stay in a very nice house, but they would have to pay to live in it. From here we headed into the loom rooms. The sound of the looms was so loud that we could barely hear each other. It made us think about how noisy it must have been for the workers who spent 12-14 hours there every day.

Then came the part we were most excited about weaving! Each of us got a chance to sit at a loom and try weaving fabric, just like the mill girls. It looked easy at first, but we quickly learned it takes a lot of patience and skill.

When we got back to school, we all agreed on one thing: we’re glad to live in a time when kids get to learn and play, not work in factories. But we also have a lot of respect for the mill girls who worked so hard to help their families and pave the way for workers’ rights.

Thank you, Lowell Mills, for teaching us so much, and thank you to the PTO for giving us a day we’ll never forget!