All stories

15 stops in route order. Everything is readable and playable here, whether or not you're on the trail.

• 1

  You're walking beside the Woonasquatucket River, the…

  Water

  Field verified

  You're walking beside the Woonasquatucket River, the natural feature that made Esmond possible. Long before this was a park, moving water was the reason industry settled here.

  Listen Replay

  Esmond Park mapped coordinate

• 2The arched footbridge gives you one of the best views…
  Water
• 3That little waterfall below the bridge isn't entirely…
  Water
• 4In spring and summer, this little wetland can be one of…
  Water
• 5Once you're across the river, part of the path follows…
  Water
• 6Railroad service reached this village in 1873
  Industry
• 7The railroad followed a chain of mill villages because…
  Water
• 8This place was once known as Esmond Mills Park, a name…
  Industry
• 9Balfour Square
  History
• 10Look for the boulder plaques honoring Esmond Mills…
  Industry
• 11Smithfield expanded and improved the park in 1989 using…
  Water
• 12Another memorial here honors Leo Bouchard, remembered…
  Water
• 13The village itself wasn't always called Esmond
  Industry
• 14The geography explains almost everything here
  Water
• 15And all of this is packed into roughly four acres
  Water