Lowell in Middlesex County, Massachusetts — The American Northeast (New England)

The Concord River

Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, May 23, 2022

1. The Concord River Marker

Captions: (background on right) Middlesex Woolen Mills Started in 1831, the Middlesex Mills was the only major woolen mill in Lowell. By 1918, it had been shut down and by 1956, it was demolished. The UML Inn and Conference Center now stands in is location.; (upper-right) Concord River's mills and dam; (fish, lower left) Atlantic salmon.

Inscription. The Concord River flows in front of you, rushing to join the Merrimack. These rivers hummed with life long before the industrial clamor of Lowell's mills.
The tribes of the Pennacook Confederacy gathered here every spring to take advantage of fish runs on the Concord and the Merrimack. Besides harvesting fish, the conducted tribal business, such as arranging marriages and concluding trade agreements.

Salmon, shad and alewives were formerly abundant here ... until ... the dam... and factories at Lowell, put an end to their migration hitherward.
Henry David Thoreau, 1849, A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers

Smallpox, war and English settlement devastated the Pennacooks. Many died, while others moved to Canada. By 1725, their lands here were completely taken, and a way of life was gone forever.

Erected by National Park Service.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Indigenous Peoples and Communities • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1849.

Location. 42° 38.653′ N, 71° 18.351′ W. Marker is in Lowell, Massachusetts, in Middlesex County. It is on Kearney Square near Merrimack Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 33 Kearney Square, Lowell MA 01852, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Greater Boston

and in the Merrimack Valley.

It is also in the American Northeast

and in New England.

Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once one of the original Thirteen Colonies.

Other nearby markers.

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At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Human Construction (about 700 feet away, measured in a direct line); Central Street (about 800 feet away); Cherry and Webb Building (approx. 0.2 miles away); Pollard Exchange (approx. 0.2 miles away); Davis Block (approx. 0.2 miles away); Simpson and Rowland Building (approx. 0.2 miles away); Privy to history (approx. 0.2 miles away); Florence Patti Marion (approx. ¼ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Lowell.

Also see . . . Pennacook -- Wikipedia. One of the first Indian tribes to encounter European colonists, the Pennacook were devastated by infectious diseases carried by the newcomers. Suffering high mortality, they were in a weakened state and subject to raids by Mohawk of the Iroquois... (Submitted on November 28, 2024, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.)

The Concord River and marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, May 23, 2022

2. The Concord River and marker

Credits. This page was last revised on November 28, 2024. It was originally submitted on November 28, 2024, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 198 times since then and 17 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 28, 2024, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.