One Square Mile Pawtucket: Inside A Working Textile Mill

by Sofia Rudin March 20, 2019January 16, 2024

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Workers set up a knitting machine. Credit: Sofia Rudin / The Public's Radio

In our One Square Mile series this week, we bring you a collection of audio postcards, snapshots of life in Pawtucket, our featured city. Today, we take you to inside one of the city’s remaining textile mills.

Pawtucket’s claim to fame is Slater Mill, the first industrial mill in the US. The textile industry boomed in the Blackstone Valley, and many mills have closed. Rosalie DaRosa and her three sons, Alex, Mike, and Eric run North East Knitting, one of the few holdout of the textile industry.

From left, Eric, Rosalie, Alex, and Mike DaRosa. Rosalie was one of the founding partners of North East Knitting, after working all her life in textile factories. Now the president, she runs the company with help from her three sons.

North East Knitting manufactures elastic textiles for clothing, medical, military, and safety equipment producers around the world.

Mary Martins and her husband started working for North East Knitting when their previous employer in Taunton went bankrupt. Five members of her family lost their jobs when that company folded. Now she helps run the weaving department at North East Knitting.

North East Knitting expanded into the woven textiles business 2 years ago. The floor expanded from just 4 machines to around 80.

Applications for work at North East Knitting, in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. Many of the company's employees are recent immigrants.

Carlos Oliviera has seen the company grow during his 15 years with North East Knitting.

Carlos Oliviera shows a sample he's preparing for a customer.

North East Knitting manufactures elastic textiles up to 15 inches wide.

Workers in the blocking department prepare products for distribution.

North East Knitting took over this mill building 30 years ago when another textile company closed.

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