James Gorham, family genealogist, stands in the , early 1990s

My son, James Gorham, has been vigorously researching family genealogy for some time now. Today, he told me that he has pretty much nailed down the idea that on my father’s (Irish) side of the family, the first generation to come to America were Bryan and Rosanna Smith, both born sometime in the first decade of the 1800s. They and their descendants were involved in textile production in the nineteenth century in the Blackstone River Valley of Massachusetts.

Like many Irish immigrants, my ancestors helped to build canals and then worked the cotton, woolen mills and rubber mill that were built along the fast-flowing Blackstone River.

This past week, James took a step back in time to our ancestors’ haunts, with a trip to the Blackstone River area. He found the to be most enjoyable, and sent along the following photos.

Model of the Lady Carrington, the first boat to “traverse the Blackstone Canal that connected Providence (RI) with Worcester (MA).”

James knew that I’d be pleased to see a quilt hanging in the River Bend Farm Interpretive Center, so took this photo:

A quilt called “Churn Dash,” or “Monkey Wrench,” among other names.

Nice to see that the museum has textile items. My grandson, Patrick, seems fascinated with all of the exhibits including this wheel. Wheels differ. Some were used to spin wool, and others to spin flax.

Update on 1-22-11: Ruth Matthews from Maryland has identified the wheel shown in this photo as an Ashford wheel. She provides the following link:

Looks like the Blackstone River Heritage Park and River Bend Farm Museum were a great destinations. James’ wife, Rebecca, and the new baby, Hannah, were along for the trip and enjoyed hiking along a park trail there. Thanks to James for the use of these photos. He continues to delve into family history, on both sides of the ocean, and has uncovered hundreds of relatives, including Rebecca’s family. This has resulted in family reunions on both continents. We await further updates on research discoveries!

Patricia Cummings
, a site featuring a few Irish ballads. Check our Song Playlist, linked from the home page of our main website.

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