Pawtucket

A collection of archival images, Pawtucket brings to life the history of this city, including the people, places, landmarks, and events that shaped it.

Pawtucket is a thriving and proud community with a rich history that spans over one hundred years. This compelling visual history is a valuable contribution to the movement to preserve Pawtucket's heritage. For decades, the Pawtucket Public Library and the Spaulding House Research Library have built up two remarkable archives chronicling the vivid history of Pawtucket from the 1820s to the 1990s. Now, these institutions have published over two hundred of the most fascinating images from their archives, bringing to life over one hundred and seventy years of Pawtucket's history--the people, places, landmarks, and events that have shaped this vibrant city. Accompanied by the authors' lively and authoritative text, these images invite us to journey back into the past and meet legendary Pawtucket characters such as Peter Palagi, aviator Jack McGee, and Fanny the elephant; to experience the bustle of Main Street or Broad Street in the 1870s and 1920s; and to rediscover landmarks such as the Music Hall building and Shartenberg's department store. As we meander through these pages, we see how much has been lost and yet how a sense of community has endured across the decades. It will be a source of education and fascination for young and old, resident and visitor alike.