Pawtuxet Valley Villages: Hope to Natick to Washington - Hardcoverby Raymond A. Wolf (Author) Between 1806 and 1821, a dozen mills were built on the Pawtuxet River, shaping the economy of surrounding villages. The mills provided a livelihood for the villagers who settled in the valley and drew immigrants looking for a better life from Canada, Italy, Portugal, Sweden, and other faraway countries. For over 100 years, the mills were a thriving industry until it became more economical to move them to the South where