History

Data@Museums

Museum of Work and Culture

The Rhode Island Historical Society's Museum of Work and Culture tells the story of the Woonsocket
region's mill workers and how its population has changed since the 19th century.

Photo courtesy of the Museum of Work and Culture.

The Rhode Island Historical Society's Museum of Work & Culture in Woonsocket shares the stories of the men, women, and children who came to find a better life in the region's mill towns during the 19th and 20th centuries. At one time, Woonsocket was 70 percent French and the "most French" city in the United States. The museum tracks the French populations growth—which peaked in 1920—using census data.

Census data also helped the museum develop its "Going to Work" exhibit. That exhibit highlights the more recent immigrant communities that have helped make Woonsocket more diverse.

To learn more about Rhode Island's mill history and its populations, visit the Museum of Work and Culture.