Deer Island (Massachusetts)
Deer Island is a peninsula in
The island's permanent size is 185 acres (0.75 km2), plus an intertidal zone of a further 80 acres (320,000 m2). Two-thirds of the island's area is taken up with the wastewater plant, which treats sewage from 43 nearby cities and towns, and is the second-largest such plant in the United States.[4] The remainder of the island is park land surrounding the treatment plant. The area offers walking, jogging, sightseeing, picnicking and fishing activities.[2][3]
History
1600s
It was once leased to
Over the years, Deer Island has had several different uses. During
During the winter of 1675–76, between 500 and 1,100 American Indians were held on the island, and without adequate food or shelter and because of exposure to harsh winter weather, many died. Some, such as the medicine man, Tantamous, escaped Deer Island only to be recaptured later.
19th-20th century
In the middle of the 19th century, the island was the landing point for thousands of refugees from the
In 1896, the almshouse facility became one of the short-term prisons for Suffolk County. The Deer Island House of Correction existed until 1991, when the prisoners were permanently transferred to the South Bay House of Correction.[16][17] The Deer Island prison is mentioned in Sylvia Plath's poem "Point Shirley" and her novel The Bell Jar.[citation needed]
In his book
The first sewage-treatment plant was constructed on Deer Island in the late 19th century and expanded in the 1960s. The current plant dates from the 1990s.
A lighthouse was erected just offshore from the island in 1890; it was replaced by a modern tower in 1984.[20][21]
Modern recreational uses
Deer Island is a popular recreation destination. A hiking/biking trail encircles the island, which is reachable by car, bus, or sea. A public boat dock is at the southwest corner of the island. Trails also climb escarpments on the island, including the highest one near the water tower. This vantage point offers views of the city, ocean, and
Incidents
In June 2015, the body of an
See also
- Angel Island, California
- Ellis Island
References
- ^ a b "Island Facts: Deer Island". Boston Harbor Island. National Park Service. Retrieved August 11, 2014.
- ^ a b "Islands You Can Visit - Deer Island". Boston Harbor Islands Partnership. Archived from the original on August 26, 2006. Retrieved August 21, 2006.
- ^ a b c "Deer Island Factsheet". Boston Harbor Islands Partnership. Archived from the original on June 29, 2006. Retrieved August 21, 2006.
- ^ Association, Charles River Watershed. "Deer Island | Charles River Watershed Association". www.crwa.org. Archived from the original on 2017-02-02. Retrieved 2017-01-27.
- ^ Temple, Thomas, 1614-1674. Correspondence concerning Nova Scotia: Guide. Archived 2006-09-01 at the Wayback Machine Houghton Library, Harvard College Library
- ^ cf. "The Islands of Boston Harbor", in "Some Events of Boston and Its Neighbors", Chapter 4, printed for the State Street Trust Company, Boston, Massachusetts, 1917.
"Deer Island was so called because deer often swam over from the mainland when chased by the wolves from Boston Neck. It was granted to Boston in 1634, and its use is too well known to require any description. It was leased at one time to Sir Thomas Temple, who was a descendant of Lady Godiva of Coventry fame, a rather curious relation to history for one of our islands to bear. During King Philip's War, Massachusetts confined many Christian Indians in this bleak spot, and John Eliot often visited and comforted them. It is owned by Boston, the State of Massachusetts, and the United States Government."
- ^ Sir Thomas Temple and early New England coinage, from "First New England Coinage", in "Some Events of Boston and Its Neighbors", Chapter 7, printed for the State Street Trust Company, Boston, Massachusetts, 1917.
"It is related that not long after the starting of the mint Charles II in great wrath questioned Sir Thomas Temple, the first agent officially despatched by the General Court to London, as to why this Colony presumed to invade His Majesty's rights by coining money."
- ^ Discussed by N W Alcock in Warwickshire Grazier and London Skinner (OUP, 1981, page 7)
- ^ Biglow, William. History of the Town of Natick from 1650 to 1830. Page 25. [1] Archived 2006-10-15 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ cf. Winsor and Jewett, The Memorial History of Boston Archived November 13, 2006, at the Wayback Machine, 1880, pp.320-1.
"And by another vote, Eliot's colony of Praying Indians at Natick were removed to Deer Island in Boston harbor, with the consent of Mr. Shrimpton who owned it. ... Another colony of friendly Indians and prisoners were afterwards sent to Long Island, in the harbor."
- ^ "General Court Order". Massachusetts Archives Collection Database (1629-1799) (Catalog record). November 1, 1675. Volume 30: Indian, 1603-1705; p. 184A.
- ^ Stevens, Peter (March 2013). "For many famine Irish, Deer Island proved their only glimpse of America". Boston Irish Reporter. Boston Neighborhood News.
- ^ Stevens, Peter (March 2013). "For many famine Irish, Deer Island proved their only glimpse of America". Boston Irish Reporter. Boston Neighborhood News.
- ^ City of Boston Archives and Records Management Division, Patrick T. Collins. Guide to the House of Industry records Archived June 10, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. Accessed 16 January 2010.
- ^ "Great Hunger Memorial unveiled on Deer Island". 26 May 2019.
- ^ City of Boston Archives and Records Management Division, Patrick T. Collins. Guide to the House of Correction records Archived June 10, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. Accessed 16 January 2010.
- ^ "SCSD: Facts About the Suffolk County House of Correction". Archived from the original on 2009-02-12. Retrieved 2010-01-18.
- ^ American Heritage, "The Great Swine Flu Epidemic of 1918", June 1976, p. 82 (n.b. article has no verifiable sources)
- ^ United States Public Health Service, Joseph Goldberger. Experiments Upon Volunteers to Determine the Cause and Mode of Spread of Influenza. Accessed 7 July 2015.
- ^ "Historic Light Station Information and Photography: Massachusetts". United States Coast Guard Historian's Office. Archived from the original on 2017-05-01.
- ^ Rowlett, Russ (2009-09-08). "Lighthouses of the United States: Northern Massachusetts". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
- ^ "Decomposing body found in Boston Harbor near Deer Island". wcvb.com. 8 June 2017. Retrieved 22 April 2018.
Bibliography
- Some Events of Boston and Its Neighbors, printed for the State Street Trust Company, Boston, Massachusetts, 1917.
- "The Islands of Boston Harbor", in Some Events of Boston and Its Neighbors, Chapter 4, printed for the State Street Trust Company, Boston, Massachusetts, 1917.
- Winsor, Justin, Jewett, C.F., The Memorial History of Boston Including Suffolk County, Massachusetts. 1630-1880, 1880. https://web.archive.org/web/20061113122453/http://www.helloboston.com/80_LocalBook.Cfm]
- United States, National Park Service, and Boston Support Office. Boston Harbor Islands: A National Park Area: General Management Plan. Boston, Mass: National Park Service, Northeast Region, Boston Support Office, 2002.
External links
- Deer Island web page, with visitor information.
- Flickr. Photos, Oct. 2009