BLACKSTONE CANAL CURRICULUM WWW.BLACKSTONECANAL.INFO • 401-762-0440 and Transportation Age Worcester’s Population,Economics n i kp cmuiis n n region one in communities kept it business and for bad was transport costly Slow, foot. on or horseback, on boats, small by were goods move or travel to tion was a huge problem. The only ways twists, turns,falls,rapidsanddams. river was impossible because of its many the along canoe a than larger boat a ing Navigat- market. to goods their send to but they still needed River,a more feasible way Blackstone the in source power the of river. route the along pace rapid a at industry developing factories, and mills powered water rushing The power. its control and harness to drop river every nearly at dams built who men terprising en- attracted elevation in drop constant Narragansett Bay. at steep and The river’s Island Rhode Providence, in mouth T In the eighteenth century,eighteenth the In transporta- inexpensive an had owners Mill ocse, ascuet t its to Massachusetts near Worcester, headwaters 46 its from winds miles River Blackstone he ad o h hatad f Massachusetts of heartland the to land Is- Rhode Providence, the of wharves busy link to River Blackstone the using canal a creating of vision his promoting began merchant, infl Providence uential England. miles overland as to ship it all the way to 30 goods of ton a haul to It much as cost another. in those with dealing from ocse-oPoiec Pa. Also, losing about anxious merchants, Boston Plan. Worcester-to-Providence the drive to clout did political the they have not However, cost transportation. high of the and waterpower of lack the by limited eco- was development their nomic since County Worcester of people the by embraced was waterway and buildingitquicker. costs cutting thereby canal, the of tions use the Blackstone River for several sec- could engineers canal, the of route tire en- the for trench separate a digging of instead that proposed He Worcester. at s al a 19, on rw, an Brown, John 1796, as early As h ie o te rpsd 45-mile proposed the of idea The BLACKSTONE CANAL CURRICULUM WWW.BLACKSTONECANAL.INFO • 401-762-0440 the canal plan was postponed for nearly for postponed was plan canal the result, a As efforts. early blocked trade, and Transportation Age(page2) Worcester’s Population,Economics n rvdne n 84 ad a com- was and 1824, in Providence in factured goodsintoWorcester County. manu- their get to potential the saw also They transportation. of form better a for need the saw and River Blackstone the along mills owned them of Several ect. who shippers were the guiding forces of the and canal proj- owners mill Island Rhode the was It River. Blackstone the remarkable the expansion of textile manufacturing along by inspired renewed, thirty years. the fi rstcanal boattoarrivein Worcester onOctober This drawingbyJ.M.Brierlyof theLadyCarrington, 7, 1828,wasthefi rstinaseriespublishedbythe Construction of the canal began began canal the of Construction was canal the in interest 1822 By When Worcester hadanOutlettotheSea Worcester Telegram onJuly26,1942. From thecollectionsof Worcester HistoricalMuseum sltd amn vlae ih popula- a with village small, farming a isolated was Worcester Canal, stone world. wider the to Blackstone passageway their become would the Canal Worcester, of people the For fanfare. much to Worcester of Port the at arrived Carrington, Lady the fi the 1828 7, $750,000. boat, October On canal rst of cost a at 1828, in pleted transport goods from inner regions to to regions inner from to goods but transport expensive, trans- remained Overland portation stone. building coal and chairs, products, agricultural be and to Worcester dairy included canal the of by out shipped Port the to land markets. national inter- to goods manufactured and tural agricul- transporting seaport inland an was now It landlocked. longer no was Worcester regions. other with trading of importance the highlighted canal The Worcester. of town the to prosperity and economic for growth about brought and catalyst development powerful a be a was it artisans. and farmers of community Initially soil. fertile River rich, and Blackstone the trails, Native American established already numerous of was at the cross-roads which location a considered central a was offered it because locale good It towns. coastal overpopulated leaving began people as 1713 in established was Worcester at a of handful immigrants. The settlement only included that 3,000 under just tion ro t te pnn o te Black- the of opening the to Prior vrey f od ta cm over- came that goods of variety A to proved canal the of arrival The BLACKSTONE CANAL CURRICULUM WWW.BLACKSTONECANAL.INFO • 401-762-0440 h cnl gety eue transporta- reduced greatly canal, the via ports distant to on then Worcester, and Transportation Age(page3) Worcester’s Population,Economics tool manufacturing, paper and wire wire and to 1830 in $30,000 from increased paper mills tanneries, manufacturing, mills, tool cotton in goods produced manufactured of value the and town. ing expand- the in families their and selves them- established and wealth economic of surge huge the to success their owed opportu- the people prominent Many prosper. to nity by town the to attracted be to continued ambition and talent cal mechani- with Directory. Men City 1829 the in listed country streets 15 only a with village basically still was town but the 4,173, to percent 33 by increased 1997) Village, Old Sturbridge Commonwealth.” the of Heart the to Artery Canal: Blackstone (Kelleher, The Tom transportation. personal of and it to continued be between a mode preferable place 1821, since Providence in and Worcester been had service coach stage Regular travel. passenger revolutionize not did it although well, as people moved canal The mile. per ton, per cents three only was items most for charged rate actual the time, busy most its during Even waterway. of the use for per mile. It fees and ton, maintained added a toll per fee a customers charged owner. ness busi- the and farmer the both profifor t of margin the increased and costs tion The number of industries increased increased industries of number The had population Worcester’s 1830 By which highway, a was canal The oplig otatr sc a Irish- as such expertise, contractors and compelling skill great demanded and population. work complex was Worcester’s building Canal to diversity MA). Worcester, University, Clark Dissertation, Ph.D. Population. Unpublished Worcester’s and of Composition Character Ethnic in Changes 1940 Rose (Zeller, 1845. in $1,739,730 role in the city’s future, brought 500 500 brought future, city’s the in role project. Yorkthe New to and Boston in arriving agents immigrants recruit to his directed digging, breaking back- the out carry to laborers unskilled of numbers large require would project the realizing Boland, Canal. Erie pleted veteran com- from the nearly workers canal Irish recruit to Boland Tobias born “The fi rstrailroad stationin Worcester waslocated Industrialization had also brought brought also had Industrialization Boland, who was to play a major major a play to was who Boland, building (severaltimesenlarged) wasuseduntil Worcester Railroadcommencedrunning. This on FosterStreetin1835,when theBoston& Courtesy ofWorcester HistoricalMuseum – Dictionaryof Worcester (1893) 1877, whenitwas demolished.” BLACKSTONE CANAL CURRICULUM WWW.BLACKSTONECANAL.INFO • 401-762-0440 rs Ctois o ocse i July, of terminus in northern the begin to Worcester 1826 to Catholics Irish and Transportation Age(page4) Worcester’s Population,Economics Worcester’s industrial transformation. industrial Worcester’s of era the in ushered that waterway the of trace no leaving covered, later were sections remaining and system sewer a into the was portion city’s consolidated 1860s the During Worcester. in visible years. twenty only 17,000—fiin nearly manufactur- increase vefold of population thriving diverse a with a center ing then by was Worcester that canal the to part large in thanks was it Ironically, city. a as rated incorpo- was Worcester year same the 1848, in closed formally was It 1835. in was by sealed the of arrival the railroads fate canal’s The levels. water low and freezing and seasonal rights, over water by mill from owners the outset—lawsuits railroads. built—the being transportation of new mode the on working began labor- stayed these ers of some built, was canal the Once area. the to Catholics Irish of fiinfl the major marking rst ux canal, the The Blackstone Canal is no longer longer no is Canal Blackstone The problems by plagued was canal The 1800: Thomas Jefferson electedPresident. 1792: JohnBrownhasanideaofbuildinga 1790: First American textilemill,usingwater- 1765: PopulationofWorcester: 1,475 1731: Worcester namedthe Shire Town of 1713: PermanentsettlementofWorcester Time line:1713-1848 1848: BlackstoneCanalcloses 1847: Providence&Worcester Railroadopens 1845: PopulationofWorcester: 11,556 1840: PopulationofWorcester: 7,497 1835: Boston&Worcester Railroadopens 1830: Baltimore&OhioRailroadopens,fi rstin 1828: BlackstoneCanalopens 1825: Workers beginbuildingtheBlackstone 1825: ErieCanalopens 1817: Workers beginbuildingtheErieCanal. 1813: NewEnglandcapitalistsfoundtheBoston 1812-1815: War of1812 1810: PopulationofWorcester: 3,650 1803: LouisianaPurchase RI canal, linkingWorcester, MA toProvidence, Pawtucket, RI powered spinningmachines,opensin Worcester County Population ofWorcester: 17,049 Worcester incorporatedasacity Population ofWorcester: 6,624 Population ofWorcester: 4,172 the U.S. Canal. large-scale American factory Manufacturing Companyandbuildthefi rst Population ofWorcester: 2,411