The tide water section of the Powow River between the bottom of Mill Street and the Merrimack River at Alliance Park was once an important transportation artery connecting Amesbury’s industries with the Merrimack River and, from there, the world. Its banks were also home to shipyards, where wooden vessels were built and launched.

Much of this water-dependent activity, like the tidal section of the river, is now forgotten or hidden. But when ACM Industrial Survey volunteer Tom Murphy decided to investigate how raw materials such as wool and cotton reached the textile factories in downtown Amesbury and how finished products were carried out to markets in the region, he found that this quiet section of the river was once a busy place. His report, The Docks of Amesbury and Salisbury Mills, was recently published on the ACM website.

The report describes shipping and ship-building on that section of the river, and includes maps of landings and wharves at the bottom of Water Street and Mill Street. What we now call the Lower Millyard was filled with buildings and docks where materials were shuttled between land and flat-bottomed workboats for transport in and out of town.

Tom’s research shows that the lower Powow has its own story, one that has rarely been told. The Docks of Amesbury and Salisbury Mills is a step toward restoring the tide water Powow River to its rightful place in Amesbury’s history. Click here to read it.

Tom received help in his research from local historian Steve Klomps, who has produced detailed layouts of waterfront features based on old deeds and other documents.