Worcester 300 trivia contest, part 20: The Port of Worcester

Image | Courtesy of Worcester Historical Museum 1830s view of the Blackstone Canal near today's Kelley Square, looking toward downtown

Write a Comment

WBJ has partnered with the Worcester Historical Museum to run a year-long trivia contest in celebration of the 300th anniversary of Worcester’s founding on June 14, 1722. Readers should email their answer to the question below by Dec. 22 to bkane@wbjournal.com or complete the Google Form below to compete for a special year-end prize package.

The Port of Worcester

The Lady Carrington arrived in Worcester on Oct. 7, 1828, weighing 22.5 tons when empty and measuring 68-feet long and 9.5-feet wide. It was the first canal boat to arrive in Worcester on the newly completed Blackstone Canal, and its appearance marked the beginning of a new era for Worcester. Named after Lorianna Carrington, wife of Edward Carrington, a director of the newly opened canal, the Lady Carrington not only brought passengers but also served as the stage from which Levi Lincoln, Jr., the governor of Massachusetts and prominent figures delivered speeches welcoming the boat. The Port of Worcester was the beginning of Worcester’s contact with the wider world. The canal was in business into the 1840s, but the arrival of the Boston & Worcester Railroad on July 4, 1835, signaled a transition to steam power, both for transportation and to power local industry.

Trivia question: What $160-million public facility opened in Worcester’s Canal District in 2021?

And the answers to last edition’s question: The formal name of the Worcester restaurant frequented by celebrities like Al Pacino and Wayne Newton was El Morocco.

Loading…