MASSACHUSETTS A walk through America's Industrial Past - Lowell, Massachusetts

Got stuck in traffic on Interstate 495 in Massachusetts today so I got off the freeway and walked through the Industrial City of Lowell, Massachusetts. First thing I saw was "Boston & Maine" Engine 410. Locomotives like this one move countless tons of products all across our growing Nation and trains continue to be the backbone of our freight moving network over 150 years later. 

The immigrant workers built Lowell's canals, rails, locomotives, textile mills and other infrastructure. Legal immigrants who latched onto the "American Dream" and worked themselves to the bone trying to secure a better life for their families. 

This photo from a riverside sign shows some of these hard working men. Many of them no doubt died young. 

Great old rail car on the Canal Walk which is a trail that you can walk around downtown and learn about the industry. 

An interesting note is that while immigrant men, many of them Irish, did the backbreaking work to build the canals that supplied water to the mills, most of the workers in the mills were women. 

Beautiful old church

The church still stands on the bank of the canal. 

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Awesome stone detail in building facade. They do not make buildings like this anymore. 

Old Canal

One of DOZENS of old textile mills that have been preserved in Lowell National Historic Industrial Park

I often wonder what scenes the windows and bricks witnessed. Is it possible to see the echoes of history? who knows. Modern technology is amazing. One day we may be able to look back.................

Awesome architecture preserved in great quantity in this town. 

AWESOME OLD TEXTILE MILL! This is the Boot Cotton Mill

Boott Cotton Mill reflected in Canal

Boott Cotton Mill was a hotbed of activity back in the day. This was only one of dozens of mills that were churning with activity long ago in Lowell. Notice clock tower in the back of picture that rang to notify workers when to arrive to work, return from breaks and leave at the end of the day. 

Clock tower remains today. 

Fascinating to walk the same ground and think about all the activity. 

If only the old bricks and windows could speak and share the stories of what they witnessed

Old ghost tracks

Ghost windows in abandoned mill. 

Stumbled upon this old wrought iron bridge

Always fun to walk across these bridges

Sad shell of the industrial core of our Nation

Amazing engineering went into the construction of this bridge

Left to its devices, nature would reclaim our signatures of civilization in short order. 

God only knows what that liquid is pouring into the Merrimack River

Old Massachusetts Mill is now hipster apartments

Bet that diner was amazing back in the day

Learned about author Jack Kerouac who hailed from Lowell and became an author and explorer. I really like the above quote. Freedom is what it is all about. 

When you read the next picture. Realize that there were HUNDREDS of building just like this one that housed all the Mill Workers. Now, this building is one of the only ones remaining. 

These awesome old electric / gas lamps remain on the streets and provide a beautiful ambiance when they light up on a summer's evening

Interesting metal grating on a back street sidewalk

Always like the old advertisements on the sides of brick buildings

Many streets in Lowell are still old granite cobbles

All buildings are unique. Love these little windows that no doubt provided excellent natural light to the top floor. 

More brick advertisements and a building literally covered with vines