Blackstone Gorge!

Today Mom and I visited the Blackstone Gorge!! It's a hiking trail that runs along a river with waterfalls, but what I didn't realize was how much history involves the Gorge!

The waterfall we stopped at first is called Rolling Dam, it's name came official in 1886. The Rolling Dam is large and backs up a lot of water into a mill pond that was used to power the Blackstone Manufacturing Company in 1904 and currently provides waterpower for hydroelectricity.The river is wide enough for people to use canoes and to go fishing, but we just walked the trails! 

Water in the Blackstone River drops 438 feet in its 46 mile journey from Worcester, MA to Pawtucket  RI and eventually empties into Narragansett Bay in Providence. It runs through urban areas, historic mill villages, past farmland and through forests, inviting paddlers to explore the remnants of its heritage. 

 The construction of the Blackstone Canal was from 1824-1828, it was a lot faster to hale cargo by using the Canal. Today, the elements that turned this quiet valley into an industrial powerhouse are still present. The river, the canal, the mill villages, the agricultural landscape and many of the mills are still here, part of the landscape of the Blackstone River Valley.

           

As we continued along the river we were eager to learn that the River was once one of the hardest working Rivers in American and the birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution!

Its waters powered the Slater Mill in Pawtucket, RI, America's first successful cotton spinning mill. The natural path provided a resource that could be easily harnessed for generating water power beginning in the 17th Century. It amazes me how much history is involved in this place of beauty!!

If only the trees were alive I am sure they could tell us lots and lots of stories about this beautiful state park!! Everything here is so beautiful and there is so much history that even Mom didn't know about!!

The park is such a wonderful place to come and relax but it wasn't until we were home that we looked up the history of the river and we learned so much! There is history in almost everything or anywhere we go. We live in the country but even in the country there is history. Today was such a great day and I can not wait to go back soon now that I  know the history and maybe we can walk farther next time we go!! It's a lot of  hiking but it is so worth it!!

As I headed up from enjoying the beautiful waterfalls I noticed these rock stairs, I wonder what there where once for, now they lead to the falls!!!

 I took one last look at this beautiful place and Can't wait to visit again!! Have you ever visited anywhere where you didn't know was full of history? 

Well, that's all for now, until next time!!!