Youth & Family News - Putting Water to Work
For thousands of years, humans have put water to work. Amesbury did the same! As of 1825, five dams were built along the Powow River to capture the flow of the water. These dams provided power for waterwheels in Amesbury’s early mills.
Powow River with Dye House and Mill 2 in the background.
There’s a tremendous amount of kinetic energy in flowing water. Some days, looking at the Powow River it’s hard to imagine it as a source of power. But scientists tell us that water moving at a mere 7 miles per hour (that’s a slow bike speed) produces the same force as a violent tornado. Dams work to capture this energy and use it for power. Mill owners built dams to create a reservoir in the hopes of providing a flow of water throughout the year. In times of drought, there was not enough water for the mills to operate and workers would be left to find other ways to make a living. When the water was abundant, it was released by a control gate into a raceway which channeled it to a waterwheel or turbine.
Watermill of Braine-le-Château, Belgium (12th century).
Because early mill buildings used water to generate electricity, factories were usually located on or near a water source. The energy available from the moving water depends on both the volume of the water flow and the change in elevation—also known as the head—from one point to another. The greater the flow and the higher the head, the more the electricity that can be generated. The Powow River drops 90 feet through the center of Amesbury, giving it great potential for generating power.
The Amesbury mills used waterwheels and then later turbines connected to gear works, wooden and metal shafts and leather belts to provide the power needed to drive the machinery. Each floor was filled with machinery creating a density of activity and sounds not seen before. Like other New England towns, the river supported the development of Amesbury’s industrial economy and created a new way of life – working in the mills.
There are a few features still standing that are part of our water-power history. The next time you visit the Upper Millyard, take a look across the first footbridge, toward the parking lot and you will see an axle protruding from the wall along the river bank. This once held a large waterwheel!
Build Your Own Water Wheel
In this activity, you will learn how to Build Your Own Water Wheel using household supplies. Imagine this wheel being connected to gear works, metal shafts and belts to power a mill!