USA > Massachusetts > Suffolk County > Boston > Topographical and historical description of Boston > Part 35
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55
The above are the earliest mentions found made con- cerning Deer Island. The next learned of it is from the
-----
! E
F
1
-- 1
465
DESCRIPTION OF BOSTON.
journal of Governor John Winthrop, under date of Jan- uary 1634-5, in the following words: "In the ende of this monthe, 3 men had their boat froze vp at Bird Iland, as they were cominge from Deare Iland, so as they were compelled to lodge there all night; & in the . morning they came over the Ice to Nodle's Ile, & thence to Molten's Point in Charles towne, & thence over the Ice, by Mr. Hoffe's, to Boston. At the same tyme 6 others were kept a weeke at the Governour's Garden; & in the ende gate with their boat to Mattapan Pointe; for, neer all that tyme, there was no open place betweene the Garden & Boston, neither was there any passage at Charles towne for 2 or 3 dayes, the winde about the N. W. 3 weekes, wth muche snowe & extreme frost." The object of this quotation is three-fold; namely, to give the mention of Deer Island, to show that what is now called Bird Island Shoal was then an island capable of giving hospitality, and lastly to exhibit to the reader the first chronicled account of the earliest known freezing over of Boston Harbor. The harbor was frozen also during the early part of the next month, a fact worthy of being kept in remembrance, as February seems to have been usually the favorite month for this occurrence. The last three times the harbor was frozen over were about the same season of the year, in 1844, 1856 and 1857.
At this time Deer Island appears to have been of no special use to Boston, except for the inhabitants of the town to procure firewood from; for on the twenty-eighth of November, 1636, an order was passed in town meet- ing, as follows: "Also it is agreed yt ye Inhabitants who doe want wood, shall have liberty to gett for their vse, at Deare Island, so as yt they psently take & car- rye away what they doe gett, & whatsoeur they have
59
466
TOPOGRAPHICAL AND HISTORICAL
felled there to be at liberty for others to take away." If good old Elder Leverett had known the mischief that would ensue from this order, it is very questionable · whether he would have penned it in so handsome an Old English letter upon the town records as he did on this occasion; for now it is with great difficulty that trees can be made to grow upon the island on account of the easterly sea winds which are so unpropitious to their cultivation. A few willows and silver-leaf poplars, of quite recent planting, seem only to have found root- hold upon the soil.
At last, on the twenty-ninth of March, 1641, an order was passed by the town authorizing that trespass- ing swine, which should be suffered to roam about the town insufficiently yoked, and goats found without a keeper, should be sentenced to Deer Island for a time. But on the tenth of January, 1641-2, another order was passed by the town, more in accordance with the way of doing things now, in the following words: "It is or- dered that Deare-Iland shall be improved for the main- tenance of a free schoole for the Towne, and such other occasions as ye townsmen for the time being shall think meet, the said schoole being sufficiently provided for." Undoubtedly Mr. Daniel Maud, the successor of Mr. Philemon Pormort, the first master of the Latin School, received the benefit of this vote; but what the "other occasions " were, and whether they were anything like those which now occur annually and occasionally, is entirely unknown. To give an idea of what the income was from the island, it is only necessary to say, that by the records it appears, that before the thirty-first of January, 1641-2, John Ruggle had put up a building upon the island, probably a pound for the swine and
467
DESCRIPTION OF BOSTON.
goats, for which he was to receive the sum of £7 15s. 6d., and that an order was passed in town meeting "that Capt. Gibones (who had undertaken it)," should pay the money to Ruggle, and should let it, when "Capt. Gibones should be repayed." As the town leased the island on the thirtieth of December, 1644, to James Penn and John Oliver for three years, at the rate of seven pounds a year, requiring the lessees to pay Capt. Gibones the money he had paid Mr. Ruggle, it is pre- sumed that the school must have had an income during the time the captain occupied it. At the same time the island was leased to Elder Penn and Mr. Oliver, liberty was granted to the inhabitants of the town to cut wood upon it, provided that they carried it off, or set it on heaps "that it may not be spoyled, nor hinder the feed of cattell."
At the expiration of the last mentioned lease, the island was let to Mr. Edward Bendall for the term of seven years, at fourteen pounds per annum, for the school's use, in provision and clothing, reserving the right for the inhabitants to cut wood for their own use, " nott bringing a draught upon ye island"; and on the twenty-sixth of February, 1648-9, the lease was ex- tended so as to make up twenty-one years, he to leave at the end of his term a supply of wood for the mainte- nance of one family forever, and also what fruit trees he should plant there. It appears also by the town records, that on the twenty-seventh of April, 1655, Mr. Bendall had not paid his rent, as the constable was ordered to distrain for the rent due the town; and a month later Mr. James Bill, a resident of the neighboring Point, was debarred from cutting any more wood, as there only remained enough for a farm.
468
TOPOGRAPHICAL AND HISTORICAL
Subsequent to this, John Shaw got possession of the lease of Deer Island, and assigned it to Sir Thomas Temple, and the town confirmed it to him on the twenty third of February, 1662-3, for the term of thirty-one years, for the same rent, fourteen pounds a year, for the use of the free school, he not to fell any timber save what shall be for building, fencing and firewood, on the island, and at the end of the term he to yield up all the buildings and fencing. On the twenty-eighth of the subsequent September, the town passed a vote allowing Sir Thomas Temple "to cleare the swamp on the said island of all timber trees whatever, and allsoe what other wode is vpon the said island excepting some timber trees," and so, probably, came to an end all the trees which formerly grew upon the island.
Subsequent to the last date, several of the Massachu- setts Indians laid claim to Deer Island and other prop- erty. This claim was met in a conciliatory manner by the townsmen of Boston, who, on the eighteenth of June, 1684, appointed Mr. Simon Lynde, an influential person, to arrange with the Indians and purchase their claim; whereupon, on the nineteenth of March, 1684-5, Charles Josias, alias Wampatuck (grandson of the fa- mous Chickatabot), and three other Indians, executed a quitclaim to the selectmen of the town of the property claimed, including the island, acknowledging that his grandfather had, about fifty-five years previous, sold the property in question to the English planters and set- tlers. In this deed Deer Island is described as lying about two leagues from Boston, between "Pudding Gut and the Broad Sound," and containing one hundred and sixty or two hundred acres of land, more or less. At the same time another Indian, David, son and heir of
469
DESCRIPTION OF BOSTON.
Sagamore George, relinquished the right which he had claimed to Deer Island.
At this time, Mr. Samuel Shrimpton, an extensive landholder, had become possessed of Sir Thomas Tem- ple's lease, and on the twenty-fifth of May, soon after the above described transaction, the town renewed the lease on the former terms, for eighteen years from the first of March, 1693-4, he having paid ££19 to the sa- chem Josiah and the other Indians for ratifying the ancient grant of Chickatabot. Not long after this, in 1689, the intolerant and troublesome Sir Edmund An- dros, who unrightfully held the position of Governor of New England, caused writs to be issued against the tenant, which the town determined to resist; and, finally, the usurper having been seized and imprisoned, and fortunately the revolution occurring in England, the whole matter ceased, and the town and its tenant were left in quiet possession of the island, which the town has continued to hold, without further hindrance, until the present time.
It would be of no special use to continue further the list. of the tenants of Deer Island. It is sufficient that the island was improved in this way until the city took possession of it, in the summer of 1847, for sanitary pur- poses. One more quotation from the early records of the town may, however, be interesting, as it bears so strong a resemblance to what actually took place ex- actly one hundred and thirty years later. On the fif- teenth of May, 1717, at a public meeting of the towns- men, it was " Voted, That the Selectmen be impowered to Lease out a piece of Land on Dere Island not Ex- ceeding one acre, for a term not exceeding ninety -nine years, to be improved for the Erecting an Hospital or
470
TOPOGRAPHICAL AND HISTORICAL
Pest House there for the reception & entertainmt of sick persons coming from beyond the Sea and in order to prevent the spreading of Infection." This was the first attempt at quarantine in Boston harbor, a project which was not consummated until the year 1737, as will be mentioned hereafter in the description of Rainsford Island.
Those conversant with city matters will remember that, as early as the first of December, 1848, a portion of the inmates of the House of Industry at South Bos- ton were removed to the island, that a large brick build- ing was erected at Deer Island previous to 1853, and that the paupers of the city and commonwealth were soon afterwards, previous to the twenty-fifth of Janu- ary, 1854, removed to it, and it then became the House of Industry. A subsequent change in the policy of the State with reference to the maintenance of its paupers, in 1854, relieved the city from a large part of its burden in this respect; and the State poor were taken from the institution, and placed in the various almshouses provi- ded for them by the Commonwealth. On the first of July, 1858, the inmates of the House of Reformation, and also of the Almshouse School connected with it, wet. removed to the island, where they are now cared for under the management of the Board of Directors for Public Institutions. The institutions now on the island are distinguished as the Almshouse, House of Industry and House of Reformation. During the years 1868 and 1869, appropriations were made by the City Council for the erection of a building for a farm house, and another for the pauper girls. These were built in the year 1869, and have remedied a great want that existed in the department of public institutions. An
1
1
471
DESCRIPTION OF BOSTON.
almshouse for the adult poor will undoubtedly soon be erected on a site near the boys' and girls' schools, and then the charitable institutions on the island will be entirely disconnected with the reformatory.
A considerable portion of the easterly shore of this island being much affected by the beating of the waves in storms, a sea-wall has been erected there for its better protection, and that of the harbor, which is much injured by the washings from the bluffs of this and other islands. So great is the wear from the headlands of Deer Island, that an extensive bar has been created by the above-named cause, extending a very considerable distance from its northerly point towards Gut Plain upon Point Shirley, and another, called Fawn Bar, from its eastern head towards the ledge of rocks known as the Graves, in an easterly direction.
Before commencing a description of the islands on the southerly side of the harbor, it will be best to return to the starting point, the end of Long Wharf, and take a new line of departure, so as to get a glance of the other features of the harbor, so necessary for a correct knowledge of its intricacies.
CHAPTER XXXVII.
CHANNELS, UPPER MIDDLE, AND CASTLE ISLAND.
South Battery Point . . . Fort Point and Fort Point Channel . . . Chart by Bon- ner, 1714 . . . Dorchester Old Harbor .. . Dorchester Bay . . . Quincy Bay . .. Other small Bays . . . Glades Channel ... Upper Middle Shoal . . . Castle Island ... Castle Island and its Boundaries . . . Ancient Fortifications . . . Maverick's Fort ... Fort Hill Fort ... Attempt to locate a Fort in the Harbor . .. Moving Fort ... Fort at Castle Island undertaken, 1634 . . . Capt. Johnson's Description of the Fort in 1654 . . . Capt. Richard Davenport . . . Capt. Roger Clap . .. Captains of the Fort ... Affair of Lieut. Morris . .. Castle Island let to Capt. Gibbon in 1643 . . . Arrival of La Tour, 1643, and Fright of the Inhabitants.
LEAVING again the easterly end of Long Wharf, the reader will soon find himself in the stream of the main ship channel; but before starting down the harbor to examine the islands on the southerly side of this chan- nel, it will be well to take some little notice of other matters of interest as they come in due course. If he turn his eyes to the southward, to the neighborhood of Rowe's Wharf, the next just south of India Wharf, he will see what was known in olden times as South Battery, the site of the Old Sconce or South Battery, of- tentimes called Fort Point, in consequence of the ancient fortification which stood upon Fort Hill, just inland of it. Leading from South Bay, which lies between Boston Neck, the Highlands, Dorchester and South Boston, and probably originating from the small brooks which run into this bay, is Fort Point Channel (not Fore Point, nor Foure Points Channel, as it has been frequently mis-
-
1
---
1
473
DESCRIPTION OF BOSTON.
called), which empties into the main ship channel. An excellent manuscript chart of this channel, by John Bonner in 1714, probably used in preparing his famous plan of the town, published by Mr. Price in 1722, is pre- served in the archives of the Massachusetts Historical Society, and an exact copy of it has been printed for the Society's published proceedings. South of South Boston, which was formerly known as Dorchester Point, is Old Harbor, separated by Savin Hill from Dor- chester Bay, still farther south, and the recipient of the waters of Neponset River; and to the southeast of this bay, and separated from it by Squantum, an interesting locality belonging to Quincy, is Quincy Bay, into which Black's Creek and several small streams empty. Far- ther on, east of this bay and Hough's Neck, is Quincy Town River Bay, into which Weymouth Fore River flows, having its origin in Monatoquot River, which in its turn originates from the confluence of Blue Hill and Cochato Rivers. East of these, Weymouth and Black River, Hingham Harbor and Weare River connect with Boston harbor.
The reader is now in a fair condition to proceed down the harbor; therefore, following the main channel, and pursuing a southeasterly course from the starting point, and leaving to the left Bird Island Shoal and Governor's Island, and Glades Channel running be- tween them to Bird Island Passage, and also leaving at the right the Upper Middle Shoal, he will find himself at. Castle Island, about two and one-half miles from the point of departure. In form, this small island is quite irregular, resembling as much as anything a shoulder of pork, with the shank southward. At its north the water is deep, but very shoal at its south on account of
60
474
TOPOGRAPHICAL AND HISTORICAL
the flats. North of it is Governor's Island, on which is Fort Winthrop, less than a mile distant; northwest is the Upper Middle Shoal; northeast, the Lower Middle Shoal; east, President Roads; southeast, Spectacle Isl- and; south, Thompson's Island, on which is the Farm School for boys; and west, South Boston, about two- thirds of a mile in distance. The island contains, by estimation, about eighteen acres; and it has always been retained as the property of Massachusetts, through its Colonial and Provincial periods, until ceded by the Com- monwealth, in the year 1798, to the United States, by an act passed the twenty-fifth of June of that year.
The forefathers, while in England, after they had resolved to move the company to New England, among their earliest considerations took counsel about fortify- ing the place to which they were about to go against hostile encroachments. It therefore appears that at a General Court of the Governor and Company, held at the house of the Deputy Governor, on Thursday, the fifteenth of October, 1629, for the purpose of settling the trade in New England upon transferring the govern- ment thither, after long consideration and debate, it was determined, among other important matters, "that for the charge of ffortyficacons, the Companyes ioynt stock to beare the one halfe, and the planters to defray the other, viz, for ordnance, munition, powder, &c: but for labourers in building fforts, &c, all men to bee em- ployed in an equall pporcon, according to the nombr of men vpon the plantacon, and soe to continue vntil such fitt and necessarie works bee finished."
Very soon after the settlement of Boston, the civil authorities began to consider the same question. Mr. Samuel Maverick protected himself on Noddle's Island
r
1
475
DESCRIPTION OF BOSTON.
as early as the year 1630, by a small breastwork with four guns; and Fort Hill, in Boston, had fortifications built upon it as early as 1632; for on the third of Sep- tember, 1634, Mr. John Samford was chosen cannoneer for the fort at Boston, and an order was passed by the General Court of the Colony, "That for two yeares ser- vice that hee hath already done att the said ffort, & for one yeare more hee shall doe, to be accompted from this day, hee shall have allowed him out of the treasury the some of xxl."
The fortification on the peninsula not being consid- ered sufficient, the question of erecting defences in the harbor was soon mooted; and the first absolute move- ment which led to the establishment of one at Castle Island is thus chronicled by Governor John Winthrop in his valuable journal, under date of the twenty-first of February, 1632-3, in the following words: "The Govern" & 4 of the Assistants, with 3 of the Minist's, & others, about 26 in all, went in 3 boats to view Nantaskott, the winde W., faire weather; but the winde arose at N. W. so strong, & extreme colde, that they were kept there 2 nights, being forced to lodge vpon the ground, in an open cottage vpon a little olde strawe, which they pulled from the thatche. Their victualls allso grew shorte, so as they were forced to eate muskles, yet they were very weary, & came all safe home the 3: daye after, throughe the Lord's spec'lle providence. Vpon view of the place, it was agreed by all, that to build a forte there would be of too great charge, & of little vse; wherevpon the planting of that place was de- ferred." Whether or not the authorities thought best to erect a regular fort is not known, but on the fourth of March, 1633-4, the court voted, " a moveing ffort to
476
TOPOGRAPHICAL AND HISTORICAL
bee builte, 40 ffoote longe & 21 ffoote wide for defence of this colony," and for the purpose £144 and "1100 four-inch plank" were "given and promised." What was accomplished by the last mentioned vote and sub- scription remains unknown, although it appears that a Mr. Stevens was to superintend the work for &10. Whatever was done, it is certain that on the four- teenth of the subsequent May, the Court appointed Mr. Thomas Beecher, Mr. William Pierce and Robert Moulton a committee to treat with Mr. Stevens and Mr. Mayhew about building it; and that is the last that is known of the undertaking.
Not satisfied with the failures above recited, it ap- pears that another party, consisting of very nearly the same persons that went to Nantasket, made another at- tempt on the twenty-ninth of July, 1634, about a year and a half later; for Mr. Winthrop relates as follows: "The Govern" & Council, & diverse of the Minrs, & others, mett at Castle Iland, & there agreed vpon erect- ing 2 platformes & one small fortification to secure them bothe, & for the present furtherance of it they agreed to laye out 5li a man till a rate might be made at the next Gen" Court. The Deputye, Roger Ludlow, was chosen overseer of this worke." This committee did the busi- ness, for, on the third of September following, the Gen- eral Court ordered, "That there should be a plattforme made on the north-east syde of Castle Ileland, & an house built on the topp of the hill to defend the said platt- forme;" and Captains John Underhill, Daniel Patrick, John Mason, William Trask and Nathaniel Turner, and Lieutenants Robert Feakes and Richard Morris were chosen as a committee to fix upon the place for the fort and lay out the work. To show its earnestness in this
--
1
1
477
DESCRIPTION OF BOSTON.
endeavor, the General Court passed a vote on the fourth of March, 1634-5, "That the ffort att Castle Iland, nowe begun, shalbe fully pfected, the ordnance mounted, & eury other thing aboute it ffinished, before any other ffortificacon be further proceeded in."
Captain Edward Johnson, of Woburn, in his "Won- der-Working Providence of Sions Saviour," printed in the year 1654, thus speaks of the fort on Castle Island: -
"There was a castle built on an Island, upon the passage into Massachusetts Bay, wholly built at first by the country in general, but by reason the country af- fords no lime, but what is burnt of oyster shels, it fell to decay in a few years after, which made many of the Towns that lay out of the defence thereof to desert it, although their safety (under God), was much involved in the constant repair and well managing thereof; here- upon the next six Towns take upon them to rebuild it at their proper cost and charges, the rest of the country upon the finishing thereof gave them a small matter toward it; upon this there was a captain ordained, and put in possession thereof by the country, having a yearly stipend allowed him and his souldiers, which he is to keep in a constant readiness upon the Island, being about eight acres of ground. The castle is built on the northeast of the Island, upon a rising hill, very advanta- geous to make many shot at such ships as shall offer to enter the harbor without their good leave and liking; the commander of it is one Captain Davenport, a man approved for his faithfulness, courage, and skill; the master cannoneer is an active engineer; also the castle hath cost about four thousand pounds, yet are not this poor pilgrim people weary of maintaining it in good re-
478
TOPOGRAPHICAL AND HISTORICAL
pair; it is of very good use to awe any insolent persons, that putting confidence in their ships and sails, shall offer any injury to the people, or contemn their gov- ernment, and they have certain signals of alarums which suddenly spread through the whole country."
Captain Roger Clap, who commanded the fort twenty-one years, from 1665 to 1686, gives the follow- ing description of the fort previous to his leaving it :-
"I will inform you that God stirred up his poor ser- vants to use means in their beginning for their preser- vation; though a low and weak people, yet a willing people to lay out their estates for the defence of them- selves and others. They having friends in divers places who thought it best for our safety to build a fort upon the island now called Castle-Island; at first they built a castle with mud-walls, which stood divers years: First Capt. Simkins was commander thereof, and after him, Lieut. Monish [Morris], for a little space. When the mud-walls failed, it was built again with pine trees and earth; and Capt. Davenport was commander. When that decayed, which was within a little time, there was a small castle built with brick walls, and had three rooms in it; a dwelling room below, a lodging room over it, the gun room over that, wherein stood six very good Saker guns, and over it upon the top three lesser guns. All the time of our weakness, God was pleased to give us peace, until the wars with the Dutch in Charles II.'s time. At that time our works were very weak, and in- telligence came to us that Durother [De Ruithier], a Dutch commander of a squadron of ships, was in the West-Indies, and did intend to visit us; whereupon our Battery also was repaired, wherein are seven good guns. But in the very time of this report, in July, 1665, God
1
479
DESCRIPTION OF BOSTON.
was pleased to send a grievous storm of thunder & lightening, which did some hurt at Boston, and struck dead here at the Castle-Island that worthy renowned Captain Richard Davenport; upon which the General Court in Aug. 10th following, appointed another [Roger Clap, himself] Captain in the room of him that was slain. But behold God wrought for us; for al- though Durother intended to come here, yet God by contrary winds kept him out; so he went to Newfound- land, and did great spoil there. And again when danger grew on us by reason of the late wars with Holland, God permitted our Castle at that very time to be burnt down; which was on the 21st day of March 1672-3: But still God was pleased to keep this place in safety; the Lord enlarge our hearts unto thank- fulness."
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.