Blackstone, river, c.50 mi (80 km) long, rising near Worcester, Mass., and flowing SE to Narragansett Bay at Providence, R.I. The river's clean water was a major factor in the early development of the area's textile industry and the area is an important site in the American Industrial Revolution. The entire river valley comprises the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor, a portion of which is protected as the Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park (see National Parks and Monuments, tablenational parks and monuments, table).
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