1900 Map of Blackstone

About this map

Blackstone River valley industrialization and village growth define this 1886 survey, updated for the dawn of the new century. The landscape is a complex network of mill towns and rail junctions, where the Providence and Worcester R. R. and the New York New Haven and Hartford R. R. converge to move goods through the Blackstone valley. Significant water power sites are visible along the Mumford River and at the confluence in Uxbridge. Beyond the industrial corridors, the terrain transitions into the high ridges of Tasseltop and the unique geological formation at Purgatory Chasm. This map captures the region at the peak of its rail-and-river economy, showing the established hierarchy of manufacturing centers like Whitinsville, Millville, and Northbridge before the twentieth-century shifts in textile production altered the character of these Worcester County communities.