During the early days of the industrial revolution, thousands left their farms for work in Massachusetts's growing cities of industry. Later, immigrants came to work in the great mills. Together, these forces changed indelibly our natural and cultural landscape. This day trip links three Department of Conservation and Recreation facilities through the story of MA’s transition from a farming community to an industrial society. Begin your trip at Great Brook Farm State Park to see an example of the landscape from which mill workers originally came. Examine a display of agricultural history, and then take a walk among the fields and forest. In Lowell, see how the power of the Merrimack River transformed Lowell into an industrial center. Drive along the Merrimack, looking across at the industrial landscape it enabled. Complete your trip at Lawrence Heritage State Park, where waterpower, the planned city, and immigration are illustrated in its engaging museum exhibits.Visit Farm to Factory: the transition from Farming to an Industrial Society by Tim Rayworth, Mass. DCR Environmental Education Coordinator
