Skip to main content

Valley Talks: Chuck Arning on the Irish in the Blackstone Valley

WOONSOCKET, R.I. (Jan. 14, 2019) – Valley Talks, a series of free historical lectures, continues on Sunday, Jan. 27, 1:30pm, at the Museum of Work & Culture.

Former National Park Ranger Chuck Arning will present “Please Tell Me, Why Did The Irish Come All the Way to America to Build Canals?,” exploring the factors that led the Irish to leave their beloved homeland to construct canals on the Blackstone River.

Seating is limited to 75 and is first come, first served.

Arning served for 24 years as a ranger for the National Park Service, spending all of his time in the Blackstone Valley, first in the National Heritage Corridor and then in the Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park. He has produced more than 95 television programs and videos focusing on the history, cultures, preservation, and stewardship issues of the Blackstone Valley. Arning produces, writes, and hosts the award-winning series “Along the Blackstone,” which has aired on the History Channel (1996-1998) and has earned him numerous regional and national awards. Arning has written for the National Association of Interpreters magazine Legacy and the National Park Service’s Cultural Resource Management magazine.


Other Valley Talks will include:

February 10: Baseball enthusiast and vintage ballist Jon Henson on the rise of the beloved game in the 19th century.

February 24: Mount Saint Charles Hockey Coach David Belisle on the history of the school's illustrious program.

March 10: Writer and historical reenactor Paul Bourget on why the battles fought in 1864 were pivotal to the outcome of the American Civil War.

Seasonal Favorites
Loading Family Features Content Widget
Loading Family Features Article