Boston businessmen were more than a little perturbed in 1828 Twhen the newly built Blackstone Canal gave Worcester merchants direct access to Providence and the sea for transporting freight. At the time, raw materials and finished goods were moved most efficiently via water routes.

But just two decades later, the first train carrying freight and passengers between Providence and Worcester made the Blackstone Canal obsolete, and it was closed. The train had turned a two-day journey into a two-hour trip and didn’t freeze in winter.

Trains were followed by trolleys for local transportation, though trolleys disappeared too with the advent of cars and better roads.

Historian Ken Ethier will talk about early transportation in Worcester County on Saturday, May 20th at 11:00 a.m. at the Samuel Slater Experience in Webster.

The event is free register at Eventbrite.com.

Ethier is the Auburn town historian, board member of the Auburn Historical Museum, member of the Auburn Historical Commission, board member and past president of the Auburn Historical Society, board member of Waters Farm in Sutton, the Straw Hollow Engine & Tractor Club, and a member of the Central Mass Gas & Steam Engine Club. He is also a volunteer at Samuel Slater Experience.

Samuel Slater Experience opened last year to tell the story of Samuel Slater, the beginnings of the American Industrial Revolution, and Slater’s impact on mill towns such as Webster. Described as “Disney-like,” Samuel Slater Experience employs state-of-the-art 4-D digital technology with immersive video and interactive exhibits to recreate two time periods: the early 1800s and the early 1900s.

Samuel Slater Experience is located in the former National Guard Armory at 31 Ray Street, Webster, and open to the public year-round. For more information and tickets visit www.samuelslaterexperience.org.