Alice Mill continued to flourish at the turn of the century. In addition to employment, the mill was proud to provide other opportunities for its workers such as citizenship classes and a baseball team. However, the mill’s success and strong morale did not prevent it from feeling the effects of the Great Depression. The mill was forced to close in 1932.
The mill's closure was fairly short lived, however. The outbreak of the Second World War and the need for inflatable boats, wading suits, and convoy balloons allowed the mill to reopen. Alice Mill was also home to one of the war’s greatest top secret endeavors: the Ghost Army. Alice produced inflatable tanks and other inflatable weaponry for General Patton’s decoy army. These facetious forces were used to deceive German troops. The operation remained classified for 40 years, with many mill employees never learning the mission in which they had played a crucial part.
<i>Images courtesy of the Woonsocket Historical Society</i>
