Blackstone Valley
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The Blackstone Valley or Blackstone River Valley is a region of Massachusetts and Rhode Island. It was prominent in the Industrial Revolution.
Blackstone River
The Blackstone River begins in central Massachusetts at the confluence of Middle River and Mill Brook in Worcester and travels through south-central Massachusetts and northern Rhode Island until plunging over Pawtucket Falls into the Seekonk River (an extension of Narragansett Bay) in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. It is approximately 48 miles (77 km) in length, and drains approximately 540 square miles (1,400 km²) of land area in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
The river is named after William Blaxton who arrived in Rhode Island in 1635 and built his home on the river, in what would become Cumberland.
The industrial revolution in the United States started in 1790 when Samuel Slater built Slater Mill at Pawtucket Falls. This was the first textile mill in the United States and was powered by the waters of the Blackstone River. So many mills followed that the Blackstone became known as "America's hardest working river", but industrialization also lead to the river being identified by the end of the 20th century as the primary source of Narragansett Bay pollution.[link]
In August 1955, severe flooding on the Blackstone caused extensive damage to Woonsocket, Rhode Island; where the river is usually 70 feet (21 m) wide it swelled to over 1 mile (1.6 km) wide. Much of this flooding was caused by excessive rain that occurred as a slow moving tropical cyclone moved over the area.
The river, together with the Woonasquatucket River, was designated an American Heritage River in 1998.
Blackstone Canal
The Blackstone Canal was a waterway linking Worcester, Massachusetts to Providence, Rhode Island (and Narragansett Bay) through the Blackstone Valley via a series of locks and canals. Construction began in 1825 and cost $750,000. It opened on October 7, 1828 when the packet boat Lady Carrington arrived in Worcester, the first vessel to make the trip. It closed in 1848, due to competition from the Providence and Worcester Railroad.
The "slack-water" canal intersected the Blackstone River 16 times over its 45-mile course, and ran in the river itself for 10% of its length.
Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor
The John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor is a national park dedicated to mill town history stretching across 24 cities and towns (400,000 acres (1,620 km²) in total) near the river's course in Worcester County, Massachusetts and Providence County, Rhode Island. It is named for the late US Senator from Rhode Island John Chafee.
The National Corridor was designated by an Act of Congress on November 10, 1986 to preserve and interpret for present and future generations the unique and significant value of the Blackstone Valley. It includes cities, towns, villages and almost one million people. The Federal government does not own or manage any of the land or resources in the corridor as it does in the more traditional national parks. Instead the National Park Service, two state governments, dozens of local municipalities, businesses, nonprofit historical and environmental organizations, educational institutions, many private citizens, and a unifying commission all work together in partnerships to protect the Valley's special identity and prepare for its future.
Legislation defining the Corridor and its management is set to expire in 2006 unless renewed.
Visitor centers
- Blackstone Valley Visitor Center, Pawtucket, Rhode Island (operated by the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council)
- Museum of Work and Culture, Woonsocket, Rhode Island (operated by the Rhode Island Historical Society)
- River Bend Farm Visitor Center at Blackstone River and Canal Heritage State Park, Uxbridge, Massachusetts (operated by Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation)
- Broad Meadow Brook Sanctuary, Worcester, Massachusetts (operated by the Massachusetts Audubon Society)