The April 3, 2002 Burrillville Dialogue was one of our most intriguing meetings to date. Many thanks to Pat Mehrtens, Town Historian and member of the Burrillville Historical and Preservation Society, for lending the BHPS's restored two-room schoolhouse for the evening. Several attendees recalled their primary school days in the building. Thanks, too, to all who ventured out on a day that featured hail, sunshine, and finally lashing rain in the evening!

We learned a great deal about northwestern Rhode Island and how its numerous mill villages' histories are both individual and intertwined. The evening's participants raised several themes related to the area's numerous waterways. A once dominant factor in propelling the American Industrial Revolution, local rivers are used now principally for recreational purposes. Participants commented that while the rivers are portals to the region's past and future development, they have also impeded creating a cohesive "town" identity. Several speakers noted that, as each village functions pretty much on its own, it is difficult to create an administrative entity that offers a unifying town name or central post office.

Several questions arose: How can villages that have lost their distinctive mills, manufacturers, or farming families not only continue to exist but also maintain their resilient independence? If Burrillville and its 10 or more villages in this part of northwest Rhode Island seek to meld their unique and shared histories and aspirations, how can this happen? One approach suggested is to provide children attending the now-regional schools with more local history programs and overviews on land use and town development. A long-term result might be their desire to contribute their talents to Burrillville and the nearby villages. Another avenue is to re-assert the villages' efforts to attract a mixture of downtown, industrial park, and outdoor recreational businesses. Burrillville, meaning all its environs, is now eligible for a $1000 Fund for Community Engagement grant to pursue these ideas (or others that its project committee may develop) for a public humanities program. We look forward to working together.