Blackstone River

The Blackstone River is a river in the U.S. states of Massachusetts and Rhode Island. It flows approximately 80 km (50 mi) and drains a watershed of approximately 1,400 km² (540 sq. mi).

History

Blackstone River Near Mass./R.I. state line

The river is named after William Blaxton who arrived in Weymouth MA in 1623, and became the first settler of present day Boston in 1625. He relocated again, to 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.

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. Other tributaries join the Blackstone along the way, such as the West and Mumford River, at Uxbridge, and The Branch River in North Smithfield.

Crossings

Blackstone River at Ashton, RI (Ashton Viaduct)

Below is a list of all crossings over the Blackstone River. The list starts at the headwaters and goes downstream.

• Worcester
  • Millbury Street
  • Massachusetts State Route 122A/146 (Twice)
• Millbury
  • Southwest Cutoff (U.S. 20)
  • Access Road
  • Interstate 90
  • Main Street
  • Massachusetts State Route 146
  • MA 146 Ramp to Main Street
  • Waters Street
  • Elm Street
  • South Main Street
  • Canal Street (MA 122A)
  • Riverlin Street
  • Blackstone Street
• Sutton
  • Depot Street
• Grafton
  • Pleasant Street
  • Main Street (MA 122A)
  • Depot Street
• Northbridge
  • Sutton Street
  • Elston Avenue
  • Church Street Extension
• Uxbridge
  • East Hartford Avenue
  • Mendon Street (MA 16)
  • Millville Road (MA 122)
• Millville
  • Central Street
• Blackstone
  • Bridge Street
  • St. Paul Street
• Woonsocket
  • Singleton Street
  • River Street
  • Fairmount Street
  • Sayles Street
  • South Main Street (RI 104)
  • Bernon Street
  • Court Street (RI 122)
  • Hamlet Avenue (RI 122/126)
  • Rhode Island State Route 99
• Lincoln
  • Manville Hill Road
  • School Street
  • Interstate 295
  • George Washington Highway (RI 116)
  • Martin Street
  • Lonsdale Avenue (RI 122)
  • John Street (RI 123)
• Central Falls
  • Broad Street (RI 114)
  • Roosevelt Avenue
  • Cross Street
• Pawtucket
  • Exchange Street (RI 15/114 Southbound)

Tributaries

In addition to many unnamed tributaries, the following brooks and rivers feed the Blackstone:

• Worcester Aqueduct
• Dorothy Brook
• Cronin Brook
• Quinsigamond River
• Mumford River
• West River
• Still Corner Brook
• Emerson Brook
• Bacon Brook
• Aldrich Brook
• Ironstone Brook
• Branch River
• Fox Brook
• Cherry Brook
• Mill River
• Peters River
• Crookfall Brook
• West Sneech Brook
• Monastery Brook
• Abbott Run

See also

• List of rivers in Massachusetts
• List of rivers in Rhode Island
• Blackstone Valley
• Seekonk River
• Woonasquatucket River
• Ten Mile River

References

• Maps from the United States Geological Survey