2003 CANAL HERITAGE DAYS
Boat tours, trolley rides, scavenger hunts, exhibits, and more!
For reservations and information call (978) 970-5000.
www.nps.gov/lowe/canalheritage

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

9:30am - 5:00pm   Lowell: Visions of Industrial America  
    Learn about the people and technologies that transformed Lowell into an early industrial city. Follow the stories of the city’s workers—from the early years of the textile industry to the mills’ closings and the reinvention of the city of Lowell. Regular museum fees apply.  
BOOTT COTTON MILLS MUSEUM, 400 Foot of John Street, Lowell, MA

9:00am - 4:00pm   Textiles in America  
    Visitors are encouraged to take self-guided tours of "Textiles in America" to see water power in action in the 1820s fulling mill and the 1870s woolen mill. Families will enjoy a scavenger hunt through the Textiles in America exhibition. Find the objects pictured to receive a prize! Visit the Textile Learning Center (TLC) for hands-on activities including spinning, weaving, dress-up area, mannequin draping, and a computer - aided design station. Regular museum fees apply.  
AMERICAN TEXTILE HISTORY MUSEUM, 491 Dutton Street, Lowell, MA

2:00pm - 4:00pm   Canal Building and Weaving  

Become a Canal Engineer
Design, build, and operate a canal system just as the Proprietors of Locks and Canals did in Lowell in the early 1800s. All participants will get hands-on canal building experience (no experience required). Be ready to have a great time and maybe get a little wet!

Weaving Cloth
Learn about the different steps used to make cloth by hand as was done on farms throughout New England before the Industrial Revolution. Get a hands-on weaving experience and weave a sampler of different patterns on a four-harness loom.

Tsongas Industrial History Center, BOOTT COTTON MILLS MUSEUM

7:00pm   Keynote Address: The Past, Present, & Future of the Middlesex Canal  
    The American canals of the early 19^th century linked the coastal river cities to the resources of the interior. The Middlesex Canal, running 27 miles from Boston to Lowell was one of the first successful efforts at interregional transportation. Nolan Jones will talk about the history of the canal from the Middlesex Canal Association's point of view and the Middlesex Canal Museum, the web page, the literature and the educational programs. Tom Raphael will discuss the present and the future of the canal and address the Middlesex Canal Commission, its members and the role each plays, its funding and the overall sequence of its programs.
Nolan Jones, President, Middlesex Canal Association
Tom Raphael, Chairman, Middlesex Canal Commission
Stevens Court, AMERICAN TEXTILE HISTORY MUSEUM

9:30am - 5:00pm   Lowell: Visions of Industrial America  
    Learn about the people and technologies that transformed Lowell into an early industrial city. Follow the stories of the city’s workers—from the early years of the textile industry to the mills’ closings and the reinvention of the city of Lowell. Regular museum fees apply.
BOOTT COTTON MILLS MUSEUM, 400 Foot of John Street, Lowell, MA

10:00am - 5:00pm   Textiles in America
    Visitors are encouraged to take self-guided tours of "Textiles in America" to see waterpower in action in the 1820s fulling mill and the 1870s woolen mill. Families will enjoy a scavenger hunt through the Textiles in America exhibition. Find the objects pictured to receive a prize! Visit the Textile Learning Center (TLC) for hands-on activities including spinning, weaving, dress-up area, mannequin draping, and a computer-aided design station. Regular museum fees apply.
AMERICAN TEXTILE HISTORY MUSEUM, 491 Dutton Street, Lowell, MA

12:00 - 4:00pm   Ye Olde Middlesex Canal  
    Learn about the history of the Middlesex Canal, its role in America’s Industrial Revolution, and its impact on the early commercial viability of New England. Explore the lives of some of the influential founders of the canal and prominent industrialists of the 19^th century. The exhibit is filled with maps, drawings, artifacts, and other fascinating reminders of an era and a technology that helped to shape the world we live in today.
MIDDLESEX CANAL MUSEUM-VISITOR CENTER, 71 Faulkner Street, North Billerica, MA

11:00am, 12:00pm, 2:00pm, 3:00pm, & 4:00pm   Pawtucket to the River Tour  
    This 90-minute tour travels by foot, trolley and boat along the Pawtucket Canal to Francis Gate, through Guard Locks and onto the Merrimack River. Discover how the demand for waterpower forever changed the river. Reservations required. Regular fees apply.  
Lowell National Historical Park Rangers
Visitor Center, LOWELL NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK

10:00am - 12:00pm   Meet Colonel Loammi Baldwin, Middlesex Canal Engineer  
    Come out and meet the man who built Massachusetts’ "first Big Dig." Loammi Baldwin is also responsible for developing the Baldwin Apple. Enjoy musical entertainment provided by LA SELECCÍON PERFECTA and take home a Baldwin apple. Spanish language interpretation provided by COALITION FOR A BETTER ACRE.
ECUMENICAL PLAZA in THE ACRE, between St. Patrick’s Cathedral and Holy Trinity Church in Lowell

10:00am - 11:30am   Become a Canal Engineer  
    Design, build, and operate a canal system just as the Proprietors of Locks and Canals did in Lowell in the early 1800s. All participants will get hands-on canal building experience (no experience required). Be ready to have a great time and maybe get a little wet!
Tsongas Industrial History Center, BOOTT COTTON MILLS MUSEUM

12:30pm - 2:00pm   Weaving Cloth  
    Learn about the different steps used to make cloth by hand as was done on farms throughout New England before the Industrial Revolution. Get a hands-on weaving experience and weave a sampler of different patterns on a four-harness loom.
Tsongas Industrial History Center, BOOTT COTTON MILLS MUSEUM

9:00am   Maintenance and Care of Lowell’s Historic Canals  
    Review the major elements of the Lowell’s power canal system and see some examples of work that has been done in repairing canal walls, installing new sectionalizing gates, and rehabilitating lock chambers.
Ted Davis, Chief of Maintenance, Lowell National Historical Park
Boott Events Center, BOOTT COTTON MILLS MUSEUM

10:15am   Canal Restoration in England and the United States  
    Recreational use of Britain’s canals is now the solid foundation for their system which the government is working to expand. In the United States, when freight disappeared from its canals so did their apparent usefulness. When we change the focus from "commercial navigation" to "tourism" the picture changes.
Dave Barber, President, American Canal Society
Boott Events Center, BOOTT COTTON MILLS MUSEUM

11:30am   A La Carte Lunch available at The Gazebo Café  
AMERICAN TEXTILE HISTORY MUSEUM

12:30pm   Milltowns on the Merrimack  
    The Middlesex, Pawtucket, and the other canals along the Merrimack River led the way directly to the industrialization of the river, our nation's first industrial-strength "working river." The canals opened up waterpower sites for development into four of America's largest industrial cities in the first half of the 19th century: Lowell, Manchester, Lawrence, and Nashua. The development of these four textile towns shared many ingredients: raw waterpower, capital as organized by the textile companies, technological advances, sources of labor coming from other places, and the planning of an industrial watershed system.
Mike Wurm, Community Outreach & Volunteer Program Coordinator, Lowell National Historical Park
Stevens Court, AMERICAN TEXTILE HISTORY MUSEUM

2:00pm   Lowell Underground  
    A look at the interesting features that survive from Lowell’s great age of hydropower. This slide presentation explores Lowell’s 5.6 miles of power canals, including penstocks, raceways and turbine pits.
Dave Redding, Chief Ranger, Lowell National Historical Park
Boott Events Center, BOOTT COTTON MILLS MUSEUM

3:15pm   North American Canal and Waterpower Cities  
    An interesting presentation and exploration of other canal and waterpower cities such as Augusta, GA, Paterson, NJ, Chicago, IL, and Montreal, Canada.
Lance Metz, Historian, National Canal Museum
Boott Events Center, BOOTT COTTON MILLS MUSEUM

9:30am - 5:00pm   Lowell: Visions of Industrial America  
    Learn about the people and technologies that transformed Lowell into an early industrial city. Follow the stories of the city’s workers—from the early years of the textile industry to the mills’ closings and the reinvention of the city of Lowell. Regular museum fees apply.  
BOOTT COTTON MILLS MUSEUM, 400 Foot of John Street, Lowell, MA

10:00am - 4:00pm   Ye Olde Middlesex Canal  
    Learn about the history of the Middlesex Canal, its role in America’s Industrial Revolution, and its impact on the early commercial viability of New England. Explore the lives of some of the influential founders of the canal and prominent industrialists of the 19^th century. The exhibit is filled with maps, drawings, artifacts, and other fascinating reminders of an era and a technology that helped to shape the world we live in today.
MIDDLESEX CANAL MUSEUM-VISITOR CENTER, 71 Faulkner Street, North Billerica, MA

10:00am - 5:00pm   Textiles in America  
    Visitors are encouraged to take self-guided tours of “Textiles in America” to see water power in action in the 1820s fulling mill and the 1870s woolen mill. Families will enjoy a scavenger hunt through the Textiles in America exhibition. Find the objects pictured to receive a prize! Visit the Textile Learning Center (TLC) for hands-on activities including spinning, weaving, dress-up area, mannequin draping, and a computer - aided design station. Regular museum fees apply.  
AMERICAN TEXTILE HISTORY MUSEUM, 491 Dutton Street, Lowell, MA

11:00am, 12:00pm, 2:00pm, 3:00pm, & 4:00pm   Pawtucket to the River Tour  
    This 90-minute tour travels by foot, trolley and boat along the Pawtucket Canal to Francis Gate, through Guard Locks and onto the Merrimack River. Discover how the demand for waterpower forever changed the river. Reservations required. Regular fees apply.  
Lowell National Historical Park Rangers  
Visitor Center, LOWELL NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK

10:00am - 4:00pm   Tour of the Middlesex Canal Museum  
    Volunteers will guide interested visitors through the Museum with narration.
MIDDLESEX CANAL MUSEUM-VISITOR CENTER

10:00am - 4:00pm   Free Boat Rides on the Concord River  CANCELLED
    Sign up for afternoon boat rides, weather and water levels permitting.
Concord River Environmental Stream Team  
MEET IN THE MIDDLESEX CANAL MUSEUM-VISITOR CENTER

1:30pm - 3:00pm   Bicycle Ride to Historic Mill Village  
    Ten-mile bicycle ride starts at the Visitor Center. Route follows the newly extended Riverwalk to Pawtucket Falls, and continues upriver to the northern end of the Middlesex Canal. The ride will follow remnants of canal to the Historic Mill Village of North Billerica. The Middlesex Canal Museum visitor Center will be open, and there are a number of interesting sites in the Mill Village.
    The ride officially ends in North Billerica. Riders can return to Lowell by train from the historic North Billerica depot at 4:36. The train allows bicycles, costs $1.75, and takes 7 minutes. This ride is for all abilities and there will be frequent stops for viewing sites. Helmets are mandatory, and be sure to pump up your tires. Bicycles can be rented a the Bikeway Source in Bedford. Call 781-275-7799.
Bill Kuttner, Transportation Planner and Volunteer Tour Guide at several historic sites in Boston (978) 970-5000.
MEET AT LOWELL NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK VISITOR CENTER

1:30pm   Mill Village Narrated Walking Tour  
    Join a walking tour of historical North Billerica Mill Village area. The tour includes sites important to the history of the Middlesex Canal as well as the Talbot and Faulkner Mills and the restored North Billerica Railroad Depot. Approximately 1½ miles (1 hour).
The tour is not suggested for visitors requiring wheelchair access.  
Alec Ingraham, Local Historian
MEET AT MIDDLESEX CANAL MUSEUM-VISITOR CENTER

10:00am and ongoing   Children’s Corner  
    Crafts, word scrambles and mind teasers, coloring contest. Readings from The Cow that Fell Into the Canal and other children’s stories.
MIDDLESEX CANAL MUSEUM-VISITOR CENTER

10:00am   The History of the Middlesex Canal  
    Lecture and slide presentation on the history of the Canal, the Museum, Web Page, literature available and education programs.
Nolan Jones, President, Middlesex Canal Association
Reardon Room, MIDDLESEX CANAL MUSEUM-VISITOR CENTER

10:45am   Canals of the Merrimack River  
    Following completion of the Middlesex Canal, in 1803, attention turned to extending the canal to meet the needs of major customers along the route. The intent, of course, was to extend the water-borne transportation corridor north from the head of the Middlesex Canal, at Middlesex Village (now part of Lowell), well up into New Hampshire. Eventually, 13 canals incorporating 31 locks (later reduced to 27) were constructed along the main course of the Merrimack, and additional canals were built near the mouths of two tributary rivers. American Canal Society Vice-President Bill Gerber will present an overview of his ongoing research into the Canals of the Merrimack River, with emphasis on those that extended the reach of the Middlesex Canal into New Hampshire.
Bill Gerber, Vice President, American Canal Society
MIDDLESEX CANAL MUSEUM-VISITOR CENTER

12:00pm - 1:00pm   Lunch available for a small charge or bring your own picnic lunch.  
MIDDLESEX CANAL MUSEUM-VISITOR CENTER Call (978) 670-2740.

1:00pm   Reading of 200th Anniversary Proclamations 
Reardon Meeting Room

2:30pm   The Present & Future of the Middlesex Canal  
    Mr. Raphael will talk on the future of the Middlesex Canal Commission showing the Canal as it was, relative to today’s conditions and the remnants as shown on the new National Register maps. He will also present the concept plans of the Concord River Mill Pond/Canal Heritage Park and other promising plans of sections to restore.
Tom Raphael, Chairman, Middlesex Canal Commission
Reardon Room, MIDDLESEX CANAL MUSEUM-VISITOR CENTER

3:15pm   The Making of “A Journey Along the Middlesex Canal” 
    Having created the video A Journey Along the Middlesex Canal, Mr. Hagopian will focus the majority of his talk on the behind the scenes research, interviews, and on-site videography required to complete the project and ideas of a future, more sophisticated and longer video including on-camera interviews and the Boston and Merrimac Canals extensions.
Roger Hagopian, Middlesex Canal Association
Reardon Room, MIDDLESEX CANAL MUSEUM-VISITOR CENTER

Monday, October 13

9:30am - 5:00pm   Lowell: Visions of Industrial America  
    Learn about the people and technologies that transformed Lowell into an early industrial city. Follow the stories of the city’s workers—from the early years of the textile industry to the mills’ closings and the reinvention of the city of Lowell. Regular museum fees apply.  
BOOTT COTTON MILLS MUSEUM, 400 Foot of John Street, Lowell, MA

9:00am - 4:00pm   Canals of the Merrimack Car Tour  
Bill Gerber, Vice President, American Canal Society
LOWELL NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK VISITOR CENTER

11:00am, 12:00pm, 2:00pm, 3:00pm, & 4:00pm   Pawtucket to the River Tour  
    This 90-minute tour travels by foot, trolley and boat along the Pawtucket Canal to Francis Gate, through Guard Locks and onto the Merrimack River. Discover how the demand for waterpower forever changed the river. Reservations required. Regular fees apply.  
Lowell National Historical Park Rangers  
Visitor Center, LOWELL NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK