Patricia Zifchock Mehrtens

Burrillville (Images of America) Patricia Zifchock Mehrtens

Since the development of photography in the mid-nineteenth century, the camera has come to serve as a powerful and exciting tool in the preservation and

documentation of American history. As time passes by,

photographs from the past remind us of the way things used to be, calling to mind fond memories and amusing stories. This marvelous selection of photographs, which chronicles the history of Burrillville from the 1890s through the 1940s, is the first photographic history of the town and its people ever published. Including images of Burrillville's mills, railroads, lakes, and schools, this fascinating new book brings to life the town's rich heritage. Burrillville, incorporated in 1806, grew and prospered as a result of several prominent mill industries. Saw and grist mills were followed by great producers of cotton and wool--together these industries profoundly affected the community's character for decades to come. Residents of

such villages as Bridgeton, Pascoag, Harrisville, Glendale, Oakland, Mapleville, and Nasonville all worked in the mills, achieving renown for their skilled production of fabric for use in the military uniforms of three wars.