1919 Map of Blackstone

About this map

Industrial villages and mill towns dominate this landscape along the Blackstone River corridor, documented here by the Corps of Engineers, U. S. Army just after the First World War. The map traces the dense intersection of manufacturing and transport, where the Mumford River and West River powered early industry in settlements like Whitinsville, Fisherville, and Saundersville. Rail lines including the New York New Haven and Hartford R. R. and the Boston & Albany R. R. crisscross the valley, linking these production hubs to larger markets. Natural landmarks such as the geological formation at Purgatory Chasm contrast with the engineered landscape of the northern reservoirs and the developed riverbanks of Blackstone and Millville near the Rhode Island border.