From the Office of Senator Kerry

Monday, July 2, 2001

US Senators John F. Kerry and Edward M. Kennedy announced today that the Senate Appropriations Committee has approved $857,000 in funding for the Lowell National Historical Park to acquire a needed trolley right-of-way easement to accommodate Park visitors. The funds will be included in the Senate Interior Appropriations Bill for the fiscal year starting October 1.

Senator Kerry said, "The Lowell National Historic Park continues to play an important role in Lowell's impressive revival. The trolley has played a crucial role in making the park accessible and this funding will allow for its continued safe operation."

"The Lowell National Historic Park showcases the extraordinary history of America's Industrial Revolution," said Senator Kennedy. "This land acquisition will enable the Park to increase the number of visitors and expand its impressive activities." The history of America's Industrial Revolution is told effectively in Lowell. The Park's guided tours chronicle the transition from farm life to factory life, including the history of immigrants and the labor movement. Boott Cotton Mills Museum with its weave room, the "mill girl" boarding houses, and the Suffolk Mill turbine are all important parts of that history in the area.

Because the Park's interpretive sites are dispersed along the 5.6-mile canal system that passes through the modern city, the availability and maintenance of a visitor transportation system is a high priority for the Park. Currently, the Park leases a trolley track line for its visitor transportation system. The federal funds will be used to acquire a trolley right-of-way easement within the park.