.jpg)
Hahvahd Magazine put together a nice little piece on the Woonsocket, RI, based French-Canadian errr Museum of Work and Culture. The piece was really well done and defines what the museum really is very early in the article. We absolutely love this. For years this place was off our radar, as the title is somewhat misleading.
We're not really sure why Quebec or French-Canadians were left out of the title. Calling the museum what it is would be such an asset.
This museum is a MUST see for anyone of French-Candian descent or anyone interested in a really impressive immigration story.
"The Museum of Work and Culture tells the story of French-Canadian immigrants who worked in Woonsocket, a bustling Rhode Island hub of industrial mills." - Harvard MagazineThe article digs pretty deep into what you can see at the museum but by far our favorite part of this museum is the 19th-century log cabin. This truly hopping into a "Franco
-American" time machine. If a kid in New England ever asks where we came from the response should be, "Take a trip down to Woonsocket my friend." It's a small part of the museum but it's an exact replica of what life was like at the time of the Quebec diaspora. Imagine twelve little ones in that little space? We can't either.
The museum then mostly focuses on what life was like during the industrial time of the 20th century. A replica of a 1930's triple-decker house, the shop floor of a mill, and a classroom are all highlights.
Don't forget to give a high five to Nap Lajoie on the way out, he's kind of a big deal.
Great article - thanks for posting. I'm surprised that Harvard Magazine didn't note that Alphonse Gaulin Jr., was Harvard Law, class of 1896. I assume he must have been one of the first Franco-American graduates of Harvard Law and was kind of a big deal - Mayor of Woonsocket and Consul General in Paris.