Mother Brook:Evolution of Industry Along the Country’s Oldest Power Canal

Mill Talk: Mother Brook: The Evolution of Industry Along the Country’s Oldest Power Canal

presented by Judy Neiswander

Excavated between 1639 and 1641, the Mother Brook canal in Dedham is arguably the oldest power canal in North America. The waterway connects the Charles and the Neponset Rivers by way of an inland spring-fed brook. This created a fall of water that was strong enough to power the town’s first grist mill. Join us at the Charles River Museum for a night with Judy Neiswander who will be discussing industrial uses of the canal and East Dedham’s evolution into a powerhouse of textile production.

Judy Neiswander, Ph.D., is an independent scholar and former Dedham resident. During her time on the town’s Historic District Commission/Historical Commission she oversaw the historic survey of Mother Brook and the mill area of East Dedham, as well as the creation of a National Register District centered on the Mill Pond and surrounding buildings. She is the author of Mother Brook and the Mills of East Dedham, published in September, 2024.

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