A new century has prompted a return to the river's past. As a millennium project, the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council commissioned the Samuel Slater, a British built canal boat that's the area's new centerpiece for interpreting the heritage, culture, environment, and recreation of the Blackstone River Valley.

Named in honor of the father of the American Industrial Revolution, it's a 40-foot boat that's the only one of its kind plying American waters. It's a reminder of the two decades (1828 - 1848), when canal boats were a common sight on the river and the nearby canal. The Blackstone Canal linked Worcester, Massachusetts, and Providence, Rhode Island, and was used to transport goods and passengers during the early stages of the region's manufacturing growth. By 1848, however, railroads replaced the canal and the old canal is now only accessible in sections by walking paths and the Blackstone Valley Bikeway in Lincoln.

The Samuel Slater arrived at its permanent docking area at the Central Falls Landing in January of 2000 from the C.T. & P. Fox Boat Builders in Cambridgeshire, England. It can seat up to 12 for river tours and can be chartered for up to four as an overnight bed & breakfast.

Central Falls, bordering the suburban town of Cumberland, is a one-square-mile city that's one of the most densely populated and diverse communities in Rhode Island. Visitors will see the Central Falls Landing area slowly evolve from the site of an old braided rug mill into an environmental education center where the public can learn about the ecology of the river.

Despite the urbanization, this section of the Blackstone River is one of the most scenic as it almost immediately opens to the north into a marsh area that's a haven for abundant wildlife.