Short answers, pulled from the story.
The river originally bore the name Kittacuck, which means the great tidal river in the language of the Native American people who lived along its banks. This title reflected a time when salmon and lamprey swam in abundance through the waters before European arrival.
William Blackstone, originally spelled Blaxton, arrived in Weymouth, Massachusetts in 1623 and became the first European settler of present-day Boston in 1625. By 1635, he had relocated to Rhode Island and built his home on this waterway, an area that would eventually become Cumberland.
South-central Worcester, Massachusetts marks the point where the Middle River and Mill Brook converge to form the stream. The path continues into Rhode Island, moving past Woonsocket, Cumberland, Lincoln, Central Falls, and Pawtucket until it empties into the Seekonk River just north of Providence at Pawtucket Falls.
August 1955 brought severe flooding that caused extensive damage to Woonsocket, Rhode Island after dam breaks triggered by rainfall from Hurricane Connie and Hurricane Diane. The highest water mark on record for the Blackstone river in Woonsocket reached 28 feet, standing fully 16 feet above flood stage.
A 1990 report from the United States Environmental Protection Agency described the waterway as the most polluted river in the country because of high concentrations of toxic sediments. Early industries discharged dyes from textile mills, heavy metals, and solvents from metal and woodworking operations into the stream since the 18th century.