A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT

The continuing story of my Mill study. The Blackstone River was an important part of the Industrial revolution in America. It was not only the power source for the many mill along it’s banks, it was the highway on which the goods were transported.The railroads laid their tracks by the banks on the rivers of the world and the blackstone was no exception. In this case it was the Providence & Worcester Railroad Line.

At the Northern end in Rhode Island is Woonsocket, in it’s time one of the largest textile manufacturing cities in the United States. As someone said to me ” the scale of the buildings in Woonsocket are something we are unaccustomed to in Rhode Island.” They seem too big for the state.

Woonsocket reminded me of a small version of Portland, OR, with its many bridges encountered in the most surprising places on occasion. The glory of the cities heyday are evident.

The rivers came first then the railroads and finally the roads for automobiles. Just look at the major cities in the United States, or anywhere for that matter. They all started with as port for ships, the railroads had to service them.