Boilers are containers that hold and heat water that is then used for power as steam. A boilermaker is a person who makes or repairs boilers.
A blacksmith is a person who forges and shapes iron with an anvil and hammer.
Questions for Drawings 1 & 2
1. What can you learn about 19th-century mechanics by studying Drawings 1 and 2?
2. What are some of the tools being used by the mechanics in Drawing 2?
3. Why would boilermaking and blacksmithing have been important in the Blackstone River Valley in the 19th century?
* The drawings on this screen have a resolution of 72 dots per inch (dpi), and therefore will print poorly. You can obtain a larger version of Drawing 1 and Drawing 2, but be aware that each file will take as much as 35 seconds to load with a 28.8K modem.