Group Tours

A River Story

"...Have you walked along the banks of the Blackstone River way
And do you know the story of the dreams that she once carried
On down from Worcester Town to the Gansett Bay..."

from a song by Charlie Ball, Blackstone Valley
 

9 am A River's Rebirth
Herons, fish and other creatures are returning to the shores and waters of the river that once turned the colors of the dyes produced in Valley's textile mills. During a riverboat cruise, enjoy a morning coffee and muffin as a historian tells the remarkable comeback story of this American Heritage River whose powerful waterfalls turned the waterwheels of the nation's earliest factories.
9 am Stories in Stone  
Built along segments of the river, it was a liquid highway hand-dug at the height of America's canal building boom. Designed in part by an engineer from the Erie Canal, the 1828 Blackstone Canal's wealthy merchant backers had high hopes for their investment. Officially a financial disaster, the canal nevertheless transformed two New England cities into industrial powerhouses and transformed the Valley's landscape.

Now sections of the prism shaped, rubble stone canal, its towpaths and granite locks are some of the most interesting and beautiful places in the Valley to visit. Your next stop is a state park in Lincoln, RI where the Blackstone River runs parallel to a particularly lovely canal section whose towpath has been turned into a bikepath.
10:30 am History-Making Labors
Meet the Valley's first Irish immigrants through the carefully crafted stone walls that contain the canal's tranquil waters. Among the first immigrants to the Valley, they were a part of the labor force that built the 47-mile trench -- working from dawn to dusk, six days a week. During a brief visit to a new small, free museum housed in a former mill superintendent's cottage on the site, fascinating exhibits and expert guides will bring the Valley's canal era to life for you.
12 pm Village Haven
Lunch is at Village Haven in the picturesque mill village of Forestdale, RI. Village Haven is known for its is chicken family style—a hearty, affordable regional specialty created by Italian immigrants in the 1930s.
1:30 pm An Elegant Industrial Village
Its appearance is deceptive; it looks like a classic New England village, complete with a common lined with lovely, old homes. Slatersville is actually America's first planned industrial village, built between 1803 and 1807. A brief driving tour of the town includes views of early worker housing, a company store and the dam that provided waterpower to the local mills.
2:30 pm From Quebecois Farmhouses to the Mills
For the million or so people who left French Canada to work in the textile mills of the Blackstone Valley adjusting to the daily summons of the factory bell was just one of the many cultural and labor changes they faced. Hear the story of their hopes and dreams during your visit to the Museum of Work and Culture. Explore a 19th century farmhouse, parochial school classroom, parlor of a 1920s New England three-decker apartment house and the shop floor of a textile mill as you step into their everyday world.
4 pm End on a Sweet Note
Enjoy cider and a homemade baked treat at one of the Valley's best orchards. In the fall watch a cider-making demonstration and choose some apples to take home.  

Call Conway Tours to Book 401-658-3400

The Blackstone Valley is located between Worcester, MA, and Providence, RI.


For more information or to book any of these tours, please contact Lilly Kayamba at the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council at (401) 724-2200.

Back to Group Tours Menu

HOME | About Us | About the Valley | Education | Info/Tours | Lodging | Events | Support the Valley | News | Site Directory

Blackstone Valley Visitor Center, On the banks of the Blackstone, 175 Main Street, Pawtucket, Rhode Island  02860 
1-800-454-BVTC (2882)  Local: 401-724-2200 Fax: 401-724-1342 info@tourblackstone.com