Dear Friends: I have lived in Lowell, MA for 40 years, all of my adult life. It is a small, comfortable city with a population of about 150,000, less than 1 hour north of Boston and very much alive with ethnic diversity. Lowell wasn't just another mill city during the Industrial Revolution. It WAS the industrial revolution. It's system of caring for mill girls, harnessing hydropower, shaping values and reaping financial success was a model amongst other mill cities. Charles Dickens visited Lowell and called it the Venice of America because of the canal system and in comparing the mortality and morbidity to that of London, was truly amazed. It was the beacon that gave so many immigrants their chance at a better life. In the words of Drs. Peter and Mary Blewitt, Professors Emeriti at University of Massachusetts at Lowell, noted researchers and historians: "Cotton Was King". I can't tell you how important the American History Textile Museum is to our city. Unfortunately, it is still a city of immigrants, virtually 2 centuries later, and money is still difficult to find here. I have spent two winters volunteering my time as a lacemaker in the lobby for this museum. At the end of each time, the Director always took time to thank me for my time. I write to you, dear friends, to ask for any suggestions that you might have to keep this museum open and vital. There will, of course, be fundraisers. But you may have had experiences along the way with something of this type. I have compared this museum to those in the UK, as well as others and have always found the UK museums to be more personal with wax figures and tableaus. However, the desire to create a museum that underscores the impersonal and mechanical aura which embodied the textile industry, may also have been its demise. So please, e-mail me personally with any suggestions that you may have as I would like to do whatever I can to help this museum stay open. Thank you for posting this article Lorraine. Linda M. Sheff
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