In 1821, the capabilities of Pawtucket Falls for maintaining vast
mechanical industries were brought to the attention of a few successful
manufacturers, who readily perceived its advantages and hastened to
purchased the almost worthless stock of the Pawtucket Canal Company. In
November, Nathan Appleton, Patrick Tracy Jackson, Kirk Boott, Warren
Dutton, Paul Moody, and John W. Boott, visited the canal, which they
now controlled, perambulated the ground, and planned for the future.
February 5, 1822, these gentlemen and others were incorporated as the
Merrimack Manufacturing Company, with Warren Dutton as president.
The first business of the new company was to erect a dam across the
Merrimack at Pawtucket Falls, widen and repair Pawtucket Canal, renew
the locks, and open a lateral canal from the main canal to the river,
on the margin of which their mills were to stand. Five hundred men were
employed In digging and blasting, and six thousand pounds of powder were
used. The canal, as reconstructed, is sixty fee wide and eight feet
deep. The first mile of the company was completed and started September
1, 1823. The first treasurer and agent was Kirk Boott, a man of great
influence, who left his mark on the growing village.

[Illustration: SECOND UNIVERSALIST CHURCH, SHATTUCK STREET.]

Paul Moody settled in the village in 1823, and took charge of the
company's machine-shop, which was completed in 1826. Ezra Worthen was
the first superintendent. The founders of the Merrimack Company
contemplated from the first the introduction of calico-printing. In this
they were successful, in 1826, when John D. Prince, from Manchester,
England, took charge of the Merrimack print-works. Mr. Prince was
assisted by the chemist, Dr. Samuel L. Dana; and together they made the
products of the mills famous in all parts of the globe.