Eric Butler provides an introduction to the series. Watch all Videos 1 through 8.
The canal along the Blackstone River was first suggested in 1796 by John Brown of Providence, Rhode Island. Efforts to construct the canal were thwarted by Boston merchants. Finally in 1823, the Rhode Island and Massachusetts legislatures approved the project and the Blackstone Canal Company was formed in 1825. The canal, 45 miles long from Worcester to Providence, was completed in 1828. It initially prospered, though there were issues of low water levels and winter freezes. In 1835, the railroad from Boston to Worcester was completed and the canal’s use declined. Freight continued to be carried on the canal until 1848.