History

The Revolutionary Valley includes the historic Merrimack Valley, a region shaped by the Merrimack River and the communities that have lived along its banks for thousands of years. The Merrimack is one of New England’s great waterways. It has long provided transportation, food, trade routes, and fertile ground for the people who depended on it. For the Pennacook and other Indigenous nations, the river sustained daily life through its abundant salmon, fish, and surrounding forests.

The river’s power also shaped a turning point in American history. In the early 1800s, the 32-foot drop of the Merrimack at Pawtucket Falls inspired a group of Boston investors to establish Lowell, the first large-scale planned textile city in the United States. With its network of canals and mills, Lowell became a national center of industry and innovation, drawing workers, immigrants, and ideas from around the world. By the 1850s, it stood as the country’s largest textile hub and a symbol of the Industrial Revolution.

Today, the legacy of the Merrimack River can still be felt throughout the Revolutionary Valley. Its influence shaped our towns, our culture, and the spirit of resilience and creativity that continues here. The river remains a thread connecting past and present, reminding us of the many communities who built this region and the stories that continue to unfold along its banks.