In Wilmington, next to the Route 129 bridge over the Shawsheen River and at the border of Wilmington and Billerica, are the remains of stone structures that extend above and on either side of the river. This structure was the Shawsheen Aqeduct, one of the most visible remains of the Middlesex Canal. On the center pier of the structure is a plaque that declares that this is a National Civil Engineering Landmark, from the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).
This text from the ASCE web site states the following about the canal:
"...the Middlesex Canal provided low-cost and efficient freight transport for almost five decades, helping to establish the canal in the U.S. as a viable means of economic development.
The building of the Middlesex Canal also served as a proving ground for an American practice of civil engineering. Its construction, for example, saw one of the first uses of telescopic leveling devices in America, the first innovations in cement-making, the first experiments in "puddling" canal banks to make them water-tight, and the first use of dump carts to speed excavation. While the canal never turned a profit for its private investors, it nonetheless stimulated economic growth along its path, establishing a foundation for one of America's first major industrial regions."
The Middlesex Canal was built to provide a faster means to transport items between Lowell on the Merrimack River and Boston. The primary superintendent of the work was Col. Loammi Baldwin, Sr. The initial charter was signed by Governor John Hancock, and the canal was built between 1793 and 1803. The first traffic operated on April 22, 1802. The canal originally ran from Middlesex Village in East Chelmsford - later becoming the city of Lowell - to Medford on the Mystic River. Later, the canal was extended to the Miller River in Charlestown later becoming part of the city of Boston, which provided access to the Charles River. The final length was 27 miles long and had a channel 30 ft wide and 3 ft deep, with 20 locks and 8 aqueducts. To transport freight directly to the port, there was another submerged towline - but no horse towpath - that was used to cross the Charles River, then the barge could be pulled directly into Haymarket Square through another canal that used to be in a mill pond. Today's Canal Street runs along the old canal route.
Today, there is evidence here and there of the old Middlesex Canal; however, sometimes you have to know where to look. There are many markers along the way, most of which were installed by the Middlesex Canal Commission, that mark places where the canal was, including evidence of locks, gatehouses, and aqueducts. The section where the waymark and the ASCE plaque is located is the most complete remains of an aqueduct that transported the canal over the Shawsheen River. The canal had to remain level or slope slightly, so hills had to be be brought down and valleys filled. Where this was not possible, expecially to control the flow of water within the canal, aqueducts were built over other water bodies. The stone pillars supported wooden structures that formed a water-tight channel that allowed the barges to cross. The top of the structures have a U-shaped appearance that indicates this channel. If you walk up the enbankment on either side, you can see the structure from the top. The land on either side still shows a depression where the canal used to be.
A location where you can still see a portion of the canal with water is in Woburn. It is located near the intersection of I-95/State Route 128 and State Route 38, at the Kiwannis Park at Alfred Street. In addition to the canal section and monuments, there is the Baldwin Mansion where Loammi Baldwin and family lived, and a statue representing Loammi Baldwin.
While you are in the area, it is well worth a visit to the Middlesex Canal Visitor Center - Museum in North Billerica, situated in the Falkner Mill at 71 Faulkner St. Check the web site link below for specific hours.
Other Sources:
AmericanCanals.org (Middlesex Canal):
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visit link)
Middlesex Canal Museum and Visitor Center:
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visit link)
VerPlanck, Burt. Middlesex Canal Guide and Maps. Middlesex Canal Association: Billerica, MA, 1996.