Market Square

Market Square. . , Canal Passages , The Blackstone Canal opened for business on a sunny day in July, 1828 with thundering artillery salutes and roaring crowds. Stretching 45 miles from Providence to Worcester, the Blackstone Canal was built with the strength and ingenuity of thousands , and backed by dozens of investors. The canal changed the area's landscape and social fabric, brought new retail goods to residents, and transported produce to distant markets. , Work teams , including some of the region's first Irish immigrants built the massive granite locks and canal walls by hand. In 1825, more than a thousand men were at work on the Massachusetts section alone. In the portions of the canal that remain, you can see the precision and artistry of their labor. , The canal was hampered by draught and seasonal ice and flooding, as well as ongoing disputes over water rights with mill owners. By the time the last paying boat passed through Woonsocket in 1848, railroads had made the canal obsolete. , Today, the Blackstone Canal is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It serves as a living monument to the Industrial Revolution , a time when Americans first felt the awesome power of technology to change the way they lived and worked. Clean-up and restoration efforts preserve the canal for future generations. , ( photo captions ) , , The Blackstone Canal passed through farmland and forests along its way from Worcester to Providence. Without any delays, the journey took approximately two days. , Volunteer clean-ups have helped restore the natural beauty surrounding the Blackstone Canal. , Providence merchant John Brown first proposed a canal to Worcester in 1790, but was defeated by Boston merchants who feared that their city would be reduced to a mere fishing village. , , Today - canal barges loaded with cargo have been replaced by canoes and kayaks. , In background-"Lady Carrington."