National Park Service Rangers Announce

Popular Thursday Night Walkabout Series

 

Region. The National Park Service Rangers of the John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor are once again offering a series of Thursday Night Walkabouts for the 2007 summer season. Each Thursday evening the rangers or one of their volunteer partners will offer a free program at a location in the Blackstone Valley that has significant natural and historical significance. Participants can explore the history or natural beauty of the site in detail with an expert from the National Heritage Corridor.

 

Some of the new walkabouts offerd this year include: A tour of downtown Pawtucket with the docents from Slater Mill; A visit to the Valentine Whitman Jr. House in Lincoln, RI, and tours of Farnumsville (a village in Grafton) and Mendon in Massachusetts.

 

Another special offering of this season is a tour of Slatersville in North Smithfield that will help celebrate the 200th Anniversary of the opening of the Slatersville Mill.

 

“We really enjoy doing these Walkabouts because it gives us a chance to take people to some of the often overlooked jewels of the Blackstone Valley,” Ranger Kevin Klyberg explained. “Some of these tours are old favorites, but these tours also give us a reason to do some more research and to learn new stories about their pasts so we can share them with others.”

 

All of the programs are free and begin at 6:30 p.m. It is recommended that participants wear sturdy shoes and dress appropriately for the weather. For more information about these programs, please contact the National Heritage Corridor at (401) 762-0440.

 

June 14 Hopedale

From religious commune to factory town, Hopedale has a long and vibrant history.  Beginning with a small group of religious idealist who sought to create a perfect community, Hopedale evolved into the home of the largest manufacturer of looms in America at the Draper Corporation. Come along with a National Park Service Ranger from the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor to explore this town and discover some of these fascinating stories. Please meet the ranger at Hopedale Unitarian Church, Hopedale Street, Hopedale. 

 

June 21 Downtown Pawtucket

Downtown Pawtucket has transformed many times. Starting as the site of an iron forge, it became a center of the textile industry and eventually a bustling urban center. Join docents from the Slater Mill Historic Site and learn about some of the different eras of Pawtucket. This tour begins at the Slater Mill 67 Roosevelt Avenue, Pawtucket, RI.

 

June 28 Whitinsville

While most of the Blackstone Valley was home to textile mills, Whitinsville produced the textile machines that kept the other towns working. Come along with a National Park Service Ranger from the Heritage Corridor to discover Whitinsville’s past and present.  From its beginnings at Fletcher’s iron forge through the cotton mill and on to the massive Whitin Machine Works, Whitinsville has been one of the key industrial centers of the Blackstone Valley. This free program will begin at the Whitin Social Library, Church Street, Whitinsville. 

 

July 12 Woonsocket

Discover the City of Woonsocket with volunteers from the Heritage Corridor.  Learn how the 30-foot Woonsocket Falls was harnessed to power the mills of the city and check out the continuing evolution of Main Street. This free tour begins at Market Square at the intersection of South Main Street and River Streets in Woonsocket.

 

July 19 Roger Williams’ Providence

Join a NPS Ranger for a lively, entertaining and informative look at the history and development of Rhode Island and its Capital City. Roger Williams’ Providence looks at the changing face of this city, from the days of Roger Williams to the present -- a span of more than 360 years! The tour begins at the Roger Williams National Memorial, 282 North Main Street, Providence, RI.  Call 401-521-7266 for more information.

 

July 26 Slatersville

Join a National Park Service Ranger to explore America’s first planned mill village and help celebrate the bicentennial of the opening of the Slatersville Mill. Learn how John Slater came to this site along the Branch River to expand the Textile Empire that his brother Samuel had begun in Pawtucket in 1790. Slatersville is the first planned mill village in America and it is one of the best preserved. Almost all of the elements of the original village, from the mill, to the worker housing, the church and the company stores still remain. Meet in the North Smithfield Public Library parking lot on Main Street in Slatersville. 

 

August 2 Farnumsville

Join a National Park Service Ranger to explore Farnumsville, one of a chain of mill villages along the Blackstone River in south Grafton. Along the way, you will see the century long evolution of this village from Peter Farnum's 1827 mill to a major cotton manufactory.

 

August 9 Millville Lock

Discover the Millville Lock with a National Park Service Volunteer. Hike along the old New York and New England rail trail to visit the best preserved lock along the Blackstone Canal. You will learn a little about the history of Millville, too, and the role of the canal and railroad there. Then continue to the Triad Bridge overlooking the Blackstone River where you will hear about the Grand Trunk Railroad – the rail line that sank with the Titanic. Most of the trail is flat, but please wear sturdy walking shoes.  Meet at the parking lot across from St. John’s Church, Hope St., Millville, MA. 

 

August 16 Valentine Whitman Jr. House, Lincoln

The 1694 Valentine Whitman Jr. House is the second oldest home in Lincoln, RI and the site of the first town meeting of Smithfield, RI. Join one of our National Park Service volunteers to explore this wonderful example of a colonial “stone ender” that has been preserved to give you a sense of what life was like here in the Blackstone Valley in the years following King Phillips War. The Whitman House is located at 1147 Great Road, Lincoln, RI.

 

Wednesday August 22 Harris Pond and Social Village, Woonsocket

Edward Harris built Harris Pond to provide power for his Privilege Mills. In 1955, Hurricane Diane caused the dam here to fail, devastating Social Village below. Explore these two sites with a Heritage Corridor volunteer to learn about their rich history and the rebuilding of Social Village after the flood. Meet at Menard Field on Privilege Street in Woonsocket, RI.

 

August 23 Scull Rock Lock and Blackstone Canal Tour, Uxbridge

Join a National Park Service Ranger to explore this little seen segment of the Blackstone Canal. Highlights of the tour include viewing the remains of the Scull Rock Lock and a “corkscrew” bridge. The trail is rough so please wear sturdy walking shoes. This tour begins from the lot on Rt. 122 in south Uxbridge.

 

August 30 Mendon

Mendon is the second oldest town in Worcester County, incorporated in 1667. Unlike most of the towns in the Blackstone River Valley, Mendon never became a mill village.  Tour Mendon with a National Park Service Ranger to get a sense of this 19th century farming community.

 

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The John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor was designated by Congress in 1986 as the birthplace of America’s industrial revolution. The 24 communities along the 46-mile Blackstone River are located between Worcester, Massachusetts and Providence, Rhode Island. Congress voted to reauthorize the Corridor’s Commission for an additional five years on Friday, September 29, 2006.

 

For more information see www.nps.gov/blac/.