Mother Brook - Dedham, MA - American Guide Series on Waymarking.com

In Dedham, at an Uno's Restaurant parking lot, is a narrow channel of water that runs by the establishment. The channel is known as Mother Brook. This brook is connected to two major rivers - the Charles River and the Neponset River, and has a history that dates back to 1639.

The American Guide book for Massachusetts has two short statements concerning this brook.

The statemtent referenced, part of the 6 mile tour is:

17. Mother Brook, believed to be the first canal in America, connects the Charles and Neponset Rivers. The narrow channel, long unused now, was dug, according to the tablet, 'before 1640,' to provide water for the mills of the early settlers, and was the basis of the town's industrial growth.

--American Guide Series: Massachusetts - A Guide to Its People and Places, p. 222.

The map can be found on p. 220. The placement of marker 17 is where today's Uno's Restaurant is currently located, at the traffic light. This is a fine place to observe the canal and is easily accessible. However, on the other side of Providence Highway, where there is a pull off just south of the traffic light. You will see a brick building there that is a gatehouse. There, you will see the Charles River outlet, controlled by a bascule (adjustable lever) gate that regulates the flow from the Charles River into the Mother Brook canal. The actual canal was dug 3/4 of a mile to the west branch of the brook in 1639-40. From that point, the brook winds about 2 more miles to the Neponset River in today's Hyde Park section of Boston.

The statements are more or less correct. Today, the canal is considered the oldest canal to be dug between two major watersheds, and possibly the earliest canal dug for the purpose of providing power. A more detailed history can be found on a historical sign located at this waymark: Visit Site

Much has changed since the time the book was written in 1937. By the time the book was written, the brook was no longer used to power mills. Industry still existed, then; however, by then it was in steep decline. Since the book was written, the brook has another use - flood control. In August 1955, Hurricanes Connie and Diane dumped 18-20 inches in the Neponset-Charles River areas, which caused widespread flooding in the Boston metropolitan area. Today, the Department of Conservation and Recreation regulates the flow from the Charles River into Mother Brook to divert water that might have otherwise gone to flood parts of Newton and Boston. The land has changed around this location, as well. In the 1960s, the Dedham Mall was built, and other retail buildings were built later. If there was a marker at this location, as may have been indicated by the book, it has long since been removed.

So, as you travel through the area, pause by the Mother Brook, and imagine when this was a primary source of useful power for mills.

Sources:

Information used that came from the Dedham Historical Society and the Neponset River Watershed Association.

Book: Massachusetts Page Number(s) of Excerpt: 222 and 220 Year Originally Published: 1937

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