In 1848 Titus Salt became Mayor of Bradford. During this time he campaigned to improve the pollution from mill chimneys by using improved smoke burners that would significantly cut down on the level of sulphur. He received little support from fellow mill owners, in 1850 he decided to move out of Bradford and build his own industrial community near to the river Aire and the Leeds Liverpool canal. He named the site 'Saltaire' after himself.
The mill was built in 1853 and employed approximately 3000 workers. It was one of the most modern in Europe and boasted many features such as improved smoke burners, flues to remove dust and dirt. The factory in full production had 1,200 looms and could produce over 30,000 yards of cloth a day.
Over the next 20 years Titus Salt created over 800 houses for the workers as well as shops, schools and improved health prevision; clean water and bath houses and a hospital. Gas was supplied for lighting and heating. Titus Salt was a keen and active person, he felt as though he did not go far enough in helping poor people. However, he did not see any problem using children in his mills and was against raising the working age to 9.
On 29th December 1876 Sir Titus Salt died, most of his vast fortune had been used up. He was buried in the mausoleum at Saltaire United Reform Church.
The church was built in 1859 and stands opposite the mill as a reminder to the workers of its presence; no pubs or pawn shops were allowed in the village.
The streets in Saltaire are now all named after Titus Salt, his family and friends.
In the 1980's Salts mill was in decline, it was purchased in 1987 by Jonathen Silver who converted it into office, shops and the in 1853 Hockney art galleries. David Hockney was born in Bradford in 1937 and attended Bradford School of Art, he had lived in California for most of his life but still has a fondness for the area and has made drawings and paintings of the locality many times.
Saltaire is now a UNESCO world heritage site.
