Patrick M. Malone demonstrates how innovative engineering helped
make Lowell, Massachusetts, a potent symbol of American industrial
prowess in the 19th century.
Waterpower spurred the industrialization of the early United
States and was the principal power for textile manufacturing until
well after the Civil War. Industrial cities therefore grew
alongside many of America's major waterways. Ideally located at
Pawtucket Falls on the Merrimack River, Lowell was one such city--a
rural village rapidly transformed into a booming center for textile
production and machine building. Malone explains how engineers
created a complex canal and lock system in Lowell which harnessed
the river and powered mills throughout the city.
James B. Francis, arguably the finest engineer in 19th-century
America, played a key role in the history of Lowell's urban
industrial development. An English immigrant who came to work for
Lowell's Proprietors of Locks and Canals as a young man, Francis
rose to become both the company's chief engineer and its managing
executive. Linking Francis's life and career with the larger story
of waterpower in Lowell, Malone offers the only complete history of
the design, construction, and operation of the Lowell canal
system.
"Waterpower in Lowell" informs broader understanding of urban
industrial development, American scientific engineering, and the
environmental impacts of technology. Its clear and instructional
discussions of hydraulic technology and engineering principles make
it a useful resource for a range of courses, including the history
of technology, urban history, and American business history.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!