| Blackstone River |
Article Index for Blackstone |
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Information About ™Blackstone River |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT BLACKSTONE RIVER | |
| american heritage rivers | |
| rivers of worcester county, massachusetts | |
| rivers of providence county, rhode island | |
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HISTORY 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. Blackstone River Watershed – Five-Year Watershed Action Plan, First Draft 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 to the south, was designated an American Heritage River in 1998. COURSE The river is formed in Worcester, Massachusetts by the confluence of the Middle River and Mill Brook. From there, it follows a rough southeast course through Millbury , Sutton , Grafton , Northbridge , Uxbridge , Millville , and Blackstone . It then continues into Rhode Island, where it flows through Woonsocket , Cumberland , Lincoln , Central Falls , and Pawtucket , where the river then reaches its mouth at Pawtucket Falls and the Seekonk River . CROSSINGS Below is a list of all crossings over the Blackstone River. The list starts at the headwaters and goes downstream.
TRIBUTARIES In addition to many unnamed tributaries, the following brooks and rivers feed the Blackstone:
SEE ALSO REFERENCES
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