Uxbridge is a Massachusetts mill town that made its place in the history of American industry. It sits in the Blackstone Valley, on the upper reaches of the Blackstone River, in the south-central part of the state close to the Rhode Island border. The river fell steeply enough to drive water wheels, and in the early nineteenth century that was all it took: textile mills went up along its banks, a canal was dug to carry goods to Providence, and the valley became one of the first industrial landscapes in the country. Today the whole area is protected as the Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park, which tells the story of those early years with surviving mill buildings, locks and villages.
The road is a quiet one, as a byway should be. Rolling country, small villages, red brick mills, old stone walls and wooded hills come in a mix, and the corners are easy, with the odd tighter bend where the road follows the river. Traffic is light outside the commuting hours, and the surface is mostly decent, though like everywhere in New England it suffers in the spring. A ride along the Blackstone River and the canal towpath, which is open to walkers and cyclists, gives glimpses of locks, old bridges and stretches of calm water. In the fall, the maples and oaks make the whole valley colourful.
Uxbridge itself is a good small town with a century-old town hall, a library and a few places to eat. One of its stories concerns Elizabeth Taft, a widow who, in 1756, is said to have been the first woman to vote in a New England town meeting, taking the place of her late husband on a matter of military funding. The local history is carefully preserved, and the town takes pride in it. A Quaker meeting house from the 1700s and a long granite railway viaduct add to the sense of age.
For practical needs, Uxbridge is large enough to have fuel stations, a supermarket and a handful of cafes and restaurants, and Whitinsville and Millville to the south add a few more services. The nearest big city is Worcester, a half-hour north, though Providence is closer to the south.
Weekdays are quiet. On warm weekends the roads fill with cyclists, so share the lane and give them room.