From the Office of Senator Kerry

Thursday, March 14, 2002

Mr. KERRY. Mr. President, I rise in support of legislation that has been filed today to reauthorize the development fund for the John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor. The bill is sponsored by Senator CHAFEE, and I am proud to be an original cosponsor.

The John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor was established by Congress in 1986 to recognize and preserve the natural, cultural and historic resources of the region. Mr. President, I would like to read a description of the Blackstone River written by the National Park Service. I think it captures its special nature.

“The Blackstone River Valley illustrates a major revolution in America's past: the Age of Industry. The way people lived during this turning point in history can still be seen in the valley's villages, farms, cities and riverways - in a working landscape between Worcester, Massachusetts and Providence, Rhode Island. In 1790, American craftsmen built the first machines that successfully used waterpower to spin cotton. America's first factory, Slater Mill was built on the banks of the Blackstone River. Here, industrial America was born. This revolutionary way of using waterpower spread quickly throughout the valley and New England. It changed nearly everything. Two hundred years later, the story of the American Industrial Revolution can still be seen and told in the Blackstone River Valley. Thousands of structures and whole landscapes show the radical changes in the way people lived and worked. The way people lived before the advent of industry also can be seen on the land, and the choices for the future are visible as well. For good or bad, each generation makes its choices and changes the character of life in the valley. Today, the rural to city landscapes tell the story of this revolution in American history. Native Americans, European colonizers, farmers, craftsmen, industrialists, and continuing waves of immigrants all left the imprint of their work and culture on the land. The farms, hilltop market centers, mill villages, cities, dams, canals, roads, and railroads are physical products of tremendous social and economic power.”

Mr. President, with the assistance of the National Park Service, the Commission has forged collaborative partnerships with a new spirit of ownership among government leaders, private investors and residents for the river resources and communities. The Blackstone has been called "America's hardest working river" because of its industrial legacy. That same description could apply to the people who have dedicated themselves to making the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor a success today. The natural value and historical importance of the Blackstone and the dedication of the people involved is why I am eager to support Senator CHAFEE’s legislation.

Thank you Mr. President.