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Mo:o,n IslandISquantum© Frank J. Larkin, 107 Concord Road, Acton, MA 01729 - 2004Revision 2 - 9/15/2005

Introduction and Overview.To fully appreciate Squantum and Moon Island, you must try to visualize this area before it was so called"improved." The causeway to Moon Island from the Squantum area did not exist before the late 1870sand there was no bridge across Western Way to Long Island until 1951. The sand spit from ThompsonIsland to Squaw Rock existed as a fabulous clam bar for thousands of years until the sewerage outflowfrom Moon Island backed up in the local waters. Indians' had been summering here and enjoying thesejuicy mollusks for thousands of years. Europeans are relatively late visitors to this part of the world.Another two bars pointed from Moon Island toward Squantum, following the general path of the newcauseway. Without the causeway, you would have had a clear view from Chappell Rock in Squantum toHough's Neck across Quincy Bay. Looking northwest, you would have had an unobstructed view all theway over to Dorchester Heights in South Boston. The land where UMass Boston and the KennedyMemorial are now located was open water. The Marina Bay area was salt marsh leaving a much widermouth to the Neponset River.In the early years, Moon Island was recorded as having twenty-acres of land that was used for pasture thatwas connected at very low water to Squantum by two sand bars. There was a 100-foot bluff on thenortherly side. The proper approach to this island in the late 1800's was from the Quincy Bay side. Thisisland was called "Mennen's Moon," and has been called "Moon Island" or "Moon Head." It was used •.fd.r pasturage used since the arrival of European settlers in Boston Harbor.

IMoon Island nOW consists of 44.5 acres, and is connected by a two-lane causeway to Squantum inQuincy, As with many of the other islands in Boston Harbor, Moon Island is owned by the City of Bostona~d is no longer available for public use. ' As municipal and federal authorities have taken ownership oft~e Boston Harbor islands over the centuries, their use has never been returned to the public sector, and,whh the lack of funding as an excuse for failure to improve the recreational facilities, the public continuest~ be banned from these gems of Boston Harbor.Squantum Point located at the mouth of the Neponset River held both a sacred and practical attraction fort~e Massadchusuck or Massacllusee Indian branch of the Wompautuck tribes, who annually summeredhere for thousands of years. There presence is attested by oral tradition and ancient artifacts discovered inthis area. A cache of stone blades were discovered on a Squantum beach in 1961. In 1970, the skeletonof an Eskimo-type dog was found below heaps of shells. The dog's remains were carbon-dated to 300AlD. Also, the remains of a few native Indians have been discovered here. The sachem Chickataubut hadhis summer seat at Moswetuset Hummock in the early 1600s.

I*dian legend holds that the god Musquot made Chapel Rocks by dropping rocks from the sky andformed a nearby rock (Squaw Rock) to resemble his wife Squanit. The Indians believed that the goddessSquanit had taught the Indians how to build their wetu (home), as well as how to farm and cook withpottery.

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Chro·n:ol.og,ical History of Squ'antum andMoon Island.1613 - The Indians in this area were struck by agreat pestilence in 1613 that decimated the tribesthroughout New England. It was estimated thatless than five percent of the local Indianssurvived. Chickataubut, the sachem of theMassachusee tribes assembled the remnants ofhis people in the DorchesterlSquantum area.1615 - Captain John Smith, during hisexploratory voyage around Massachusetts Bay,captured twenty-four Indians and took them toSpain where he sold many of them as slaves.Among this group was Tisquanto or Squantowho eventually traveled to England where hereceived some education and capacity with theEnglish language. Squanto was later returned toNew England inl 1620 where he was very helpfulto the new Pilgrim settlers in their earlycommunications and negotiations with the localIndian inhabitants.1620 - Captain Thomas Dermer, who hadtraveled with Captain John Smith in his earlierexploration of New England, returned to thePlymouth area about six months before thearrival of the Pilgrims. He released Squantoback to his home. Dermer was later wounded ina skirmish with Indians while on Martha'sVineyard and he died of his wounds in Virginiashortly afterwards.1621 - In the fall of 1621, the Plymouth leaderssent Mile Standish to Squantum to make a treatywith the Massachusee Indians. He took ninesoldiers and Squanto with him. The party sailedall night from Plymouth and landed at Squantumin the morning. ' The area that they visited wasknown as Moswetuset Hummock where theymet the Massachusee Sachem Obbatinewat. TheEuropeans settlers thought that they persuadedhim to recognize the Puritan authority.Obviously, the sachem didn't have the slightestidea of what it was all about. The Indians had noconcept of ownership of land. While thepompous Puritans just presumed that they nowowned and ruled this area even though they hadjust arrived at Plymouth in the previous yearwhile the Indians had lived here for thousands ofyears. The King of England had given formalcharters to the Puritans that indicated that theyowned the land.Although there are may explanations for thename of Squantum, the more likely case is thatthis area was named after the native guide

Squanto by Miles Standish while on this visit.This is how it would have been indicated on anyearly charts.1624 - Thomas Morton, of Merryrnount,referenced a questionable spring at Squantumwhose waters supposedly caused a deep sleep of48 hours to those who drank 48 ounces, and soon proportionally. Morton also indicated that aKnight of the Holy Sepulcher (KnightsTemplar), Sir Christopher Gardiner, lived justnorth of Squantum at the head of a beautifulcove, possibly around Savin Hill. Gardiner wasdeemed "a person unmeete to inhabit here" byGovernor Winthrop and was deported back toEngland in 1631. Deportation of undesirableswas a common technique used by the Pilgrims toget rid of persona who did not agree with theirreligious morals or who became too much of acompetitor for their business endeavors. If youdidn't follow the religious beliefs of thePuritans, you quickly became an outcast. As anoutcast, you were not able to survive. ThePuritans left their homes in England to avoidreligious persecution and became the greatpersecutor in their new land. In most cases, thePuritans considered the Indians as sub-humanand treated them accordingly.

1626 - The first European proprietor ofSquantum was a Scotsman named Thompson.David Thompson was listed as an early residentof Thompson Island where he established atrading post where imported goods wereexchanged for beaver furs and fish with theIndians. Thompson pastured hogs on this islandin the early years.1632 - The rock at Musquantum Chapel inSquantum was noted as a favored landmark inthe Boston Harbor area as early as 1632. Theledges of the rock formed a remarkable profileof a human face similar to the Old Man of theMountain in New Hampshire.1641 - On June 2, 1641, by order of the GeneralCourt of Elections, Moon Island came under thejurisdiction of the Town of Dorchester alongwith Squantum, a double-headed peninsula atthe mouth ofthe Neponset River.There was an old Indian tale of an Indian squawwho through herself from the cliff in Squantumcausing locals to call the rock, "Squaw Tumble,"hence Squaw-turn. Others feel the area wasnamed after Tisquanto, an Indian who first

..'~ befriended the Pilgrims. The name of the area

has now evolved to be "Squaw Rock" because itresembles the profile of an Indian's face.Rodger Ludlow, the Commander of the fort onCastle Island, was listed as the owner of theSquantum area. He was remembered as "a piousgentleman of good family."Mr. Newberry,. the ancestor of a celebratedgeologist, owned Squantum followed by JohnGlover who established a tannery here and had alarge herd of cattle grazing in this area.1659 - Moon Island was valued at twenty-eightpounds in 1659.1665 - John Howard was the first recordedowner of Moon Island in 1665. Upon his death,the island was sold to Henry Ashhurst.1669 - Chickataubut, the head of theMassachusee Indian in this area, abruptly brokecamp in 1669 and, accompanied with 700warriors, marched across Massachusetts to theHudson River where he led an attack on thestronghold of the Mohawk Indians. The attackdid not succeed causing the MassachuseeIndians to retreat to back to Stockbridge. On theway, the Mohawks ambushed the retreatingMassachusee Indians in the Berkshire Hills anddestroyed nearly the entire command.Chickataubut and 58 of his sagamores werekilled in the raid.The remnants of the Massachusee tribe followedChicataubut's brother, Cutshamequin, who ledthem up the Neponset valley to Ponkapoag onthe western slope of Great Blue Hill where thetribe faded away into history. The broad Indianccmfields in the Sguantum area were quicklyo~cupied by new settlers to this area.1716 - During 1716, the Sguantum area wasbeing considered as a location for a quarantinehospital to receive small pox victims fromvessels entering Boston Harbor. The people ofDorchester, Quincy, Milton, and Braintree madesuch a ruckus that the plan was abandoned andredirected to nearby Spectacle Island. Small poxwas a hot health concern at this time because oft~e many outbreaks of this disease had causedmany deaths. Local inhabitants were very waryof new visitors to the area, especially fromaboard ships. Visitors to areas around Bostonh~d to check in with the local officials in ordert9 even spend the night in the area.

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1776 - British gunboats chased someContinental raiders from Long Island down

IDorchester Bay. One American soldier waskilled on Moon Island and the British gunboats

cannonaded Squantum Rock while the Americanmilitia escaped inland with their booty.

There is reference to a Moon Island Redoubt(fortification) that was authorized in 1776.However, there is no evidence that it had everbeen constructed.1810 - "Squantum Feasts" originated inSquantum sometime before 1810, where, on thebeaches and fields of the Squantum peninsula, tothe east of the bridge over the "Neponsit River,"a Pilgrim Feast of lobsters, clams, oysters,quahogs, fish and chowder was served to peoplefrom all over the State spend the day in socialglee and games. An August 10, 1812advertisement for such a feast read:"Friends of Old Squantum-in country andtown, are notified that the original celebratorsof the Ancient Feast will hold its ambrosia onSaturday, August 22, on the old consecratedspot under the superintendence of theirrespected brother, Walker. All who can bringgood appetites and friendly hearts are invited toattend and partake of the fatness of the sea andsand. The wigwam will he pitched at 10o'clock and struck down at sunset. Clams,fish, etc. at all hours. Chowder at two hourspast meridian. "As part of the Squantum Feast festivities, aYankee women dressed up as an Indian woman,in blankets and moccasins, and "harangue(d)the people in the metaphorical manner of theIndians." A man, dressedas a Sachem, presidedover the feast and spoke in a mock Indiandialect. The attendees ate their chowder withclamshells, and drank from wooden cups as theyimagined the early Indians had done. In 1812,Governor Caleb Strong and Lieutenant GovernorWilliam Phillips spoke to about 600 attendees.The Governor came with a military escort.When Commodore William Bainbridgeattended, he was accompanied by "the beautifulcutter, Washington that was anchored off thepoint" and fired salutes throughout the day,making the festivities seem like the 4th of July.Squantum feasts continued each summer into the1850s

1850 - Boston's first comprehensive publichealth report blames poor sanitary conditions forthe high mortality rates among immigrants. Thereport recommended collecting the sewageinstead of allowing it to drain into the harbor. Atthis time, Boston's sewerage discharged intodrains on the streets from houses and buildings.These drains discharged directly into localstreams, bays, and from docks, polluting the sea,

poisoning the air, and leaving the effluent on theflats at low tide, which flowed back around thetown docks and beaches on the flood tides. Theodors on warm days at low tide were becomingunbearable causing the more affluent citizens todepart; smelly Boston during the summermonths.

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1878 + In 1978, state legislators approved theconstruction of the Boston Main DrainageSystem, which would handle the sewage from18 cities and towns by pumping it to MoonIsland for storage and release on the outgoingtide.The City of Boston began construction of a large7.5-foot diameter brick sewer conduit from OldHarbor Point (Columbia Point) under DorchesterBay to Squantum and out to Moon Island underthe causeway. The shaft is 150 feet below thesurface and a mile and a half in length and took5,000,000 bricks: and 8,000 barrels of cement toconstruct. There is a small brick buildinglocated at the end of the UMASS campus thatfaces Squantuml This was the location of thesewer system's pump house. Initially, this pumphouse was on a long narrow peninsula. The landwhere UMASS is now located was under waterat this time.Leaving the tunnel, the sewage passed throughSquantum Neck and reached Moon Islandthrough another sewer conduit placed under theembankment that was built from Squantum toMoon Island. The sand and gravel needed tocomplete this project was stripped from HalfMoon Island, a crescent-shaped island that waslocated at the mouth of Black's Creek in QuincyBay.Four huge cut-granite storage tanks withcapacity for 50-million gallons were built by theCape Ann Granite Company on Moon Island.These storage reservoirs were used to collect theraw sewage. The huge vats were formed bydigging out the northern section of the drumlin,then, cementing and bricking the excavation ontheir insides. This reservoir was divided intofour compartments, each with four inlets andfour outlets. At one end was the gatehouse. Theoutlets were connected with a power pump and aturbine that was used to open the gates on theoutflow pipes. The 12-foot diameter outflowconduit extended 600-feet into the harbor fromthe northern end of Moon Island.The original operating plan was to collect theraw sewage into the four storage tanks duringthe times of high water and, then, to open thedischarge gates twice each day, two hours after

~~the start of ebb (out-going tide) to allow thesewage to flow into the harbor. This allowedapproximately four hours until slack water. Thetotal outflow time was three to fours per cycle orsix to eight hours per day.The expectation was that the effluent would flowbetween Long and Rainsford Islands, throughthe small gut between Gallops and GeorgesIsland in the Narrows, out through Black RockChannel and Nantasket Roads through theBrewster Island channels to the sea. At best, thearomatic effect on the summer hotels and resortsin the Squantum area was not very positiveduring the hot summer months,Unfortunately, as the population of Boston grewand with the addition of more communities tothe system, the outflow time wasn't long enoughto handle the supply. It became necessary todischarge the untreated sewerage at longer andlonger intervals. When I was a child, the phrase,"Shoveling the s against the tide at MoonIsland" was a common term for expressingfrustration or futility. Outflow during theincoming tides simply distributed the pollutionthroughout the inner harbor beaches such as CityPoint in South Boston and Wollaston Beach inQuincy. As kids, in the 40s, we would swim atCity Point. In those days, with gas rationing, theonly place to swim were beaches on the streetcarlines. I remember that filthy water of BostonHarbor that was full of all kinds of rubbish andother foul things.The low-tide clam-flats and beach on thesouthern shoreline of Moon Island and theThompson Island clam bar was polluted by theeffluent from the sewer overflow.

It is important to note, that the only solution thatplanners and politicians could come up with forthe Boston Harbor pollution problem was tomove the effluent discharge further out intoBoston Harbor. These solutions always cametoo late and, upon installation, were not alwayscapable of handling the inclusion of additionalcities and towns to the already strained system.Most new sewer projects were obsolete by thetime that they were completed. As a simplematter, the pollution continues to this day when,on days of heavy rain, the storm basins overflowthe Boston sewers into the Harbor. The majordischarge point for sewerage has now beenmoved nine miles off shore into MassachusettsBay. The overflow problem continues withwork on shutting the catch basin system offfromthe sewer system in Dorchester. The overflowproblem is South Boston may become a holding

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tunnel stretching back to the old Calf Pasturearea of Dorchester. Being very suspicious, thisholding tunnel will be awful close to the oldsewer .tunnel that still reaches out to the oldMoon Tsland storage tanks. Watch yourselfSquantum, it looks like they have you in somefuture plans for sewer overtlows.1884 - The sewage plant on Moon Island wascompleted at a cost of $6-million dollars. At thetime, this project attracted worldwide attention.The tanks were 900-feet in length and 150 feetin width, they were seventeen-feet deep andabout seven-feet thick at the base. The bottomsof the tanks had gutters made of brick and set inthe concrete to ease the removal of sludge.A coarse granite seawall protected the shorelineof Moon Island from erosion on the northeastside and by riprap on the northwest side.At one' end of Squantum, near Thomson'sIsland, was the Old Squantum House, which wasthen converted to a private home of General B.F. Butler.

The development of the Squantum area into apopular summer resort was obviously stifled bythe Boston sewer development project. The lineof summer cottages already existed in this areaand was described "as a miniature Nahant,deep within the 'recesses of the harbor. "1889 - The Metropolitan Sewerage District(MSD) was formed to build one of the firstregional sewer systems in the United States.The system continued to expand through theearly 1900s. The system provided no treatment.It merely collected the wastewater and effluentand pumped it out into Boston Harbor.1892 - A garbage reclaiming plant wasestablished on Moon Island in 1892.1909 - Claude Grahame- White flew an airplanefrom Squantum to Boston Light in 1909. Hetook Eleanor Sears of Boston up for a ride. Shewas his first women passenger.1910 - Squantum was host to the second Aero-Meet held in the United States in 1910. WilburWright and other famous fliers attended thisevent. President Taft also attended the meet. Thefeatured flyer at this meet, Claude Graham-White offered to take the President for a ride.The 300-pound Taft graciously refused.Claude Grahame- White won the Harvard Cupfor bomb dropping at this meet. This eventpeaked the attention of the military observers atthe meet. He also won the Squantum to BostonLight and back race with a time offorty minutes.After the meet, he flew to Washington, DC

where he landed beside the White House.Eleanor Sears was his first female passenger.

Cromwell Dixon piloted his dirigible (airship) atthe meet contending for a prize for piloting theairship from Squantum to the State House andback. Dixon mistakenly turned back at the domeof the Christian Science Church and lost thecontest.From the 1910s, well into the 1940s, Squantumwas the site of a U.S. Navy air station and ashipyard for the construction of destroyers andsubmarines servicing two World Wars.1912 - The 20-year old garbage reclaimingplant on Moon Island was moved to SpectacleIsland in 1912.1919 - Severe pollution from Moon Islandcaused the closing of many clam beds andbeaches within Boston Harbor. The MDC-Metropolitan District Commission took overcontrol of the sewer system from the MSD.1927 - Dennison Airport was established inSquantum in 1927 in the area now occupied byMarina Bay. Airplanes were coming into vogueduring this time. In 1913, Captain Harry Jonesflew an airplane from the Saugus Race Track,making a landing on the Boston Common ballfield. His made a speed of 45 mph. Theimportance of this flight was it was the firstdelivery of air parcel post in the United States.John F. Fitzgerald, grandfather of lFK, used anairplane to advertise his mayoralty campaign inBoston.1933 - The pollution in Boston Harborworsened to the point that all clams taken in thisarea required purification processing before saleor consumption. Pollutions on the Boston andQuincy beaches also worsened.1939 - A legislative comm ittee finds thatQuincy Bay and Hingham Harbor are"revolting" and "in violation of all public healthrequirements." Boston and Quincy beacheshave been closed due to sewage contaminationsince around 1890. More than 250-milliongallons of raw sewerage was being dumped intoBoston Harbor daily creating many pollutedbeaches throughout the Boston and Quincy area.1940 - In 1940, State planners recommendedthe construction of sewage treatment plants atMoon Island, Deer Island off Winthrop, and NutIsland in Quincy.

1951 - On August 4, 1951, Secretary of Labor,. Maurice J. Tobin, dedicated the two-lane steelbridge from Moon Head to Long Island EastHead.

1959 - The Boston Fire Department constructeda fire-fighting training facility on the northernend of the Moon Island. A concrete buildingwas designed and built to simulate the variousroof designs and window shapes found in theCity of Boston.1960 - The Boston Police Departmentestablished an outdoor pistol range on thesouthern side of Moon Island. This facility wasjointly used by the Boston and Quincy PoliceDepartments.1961 ..:..A cache of stone blades were found on aSquantum beach: These artifacts belonged to theearly Indians who lived in the Squantum area.1967 - The Moon Island sewage facility wasstill operating until 1967, pumping about amillions gallons: of sewage from Squantum andDorchester daily into Boston Harbor. 15-20% ofthe sludge discharged with the outgoing tidesreturned near the harbors shore areas with thenext incoming tide. The result was that all of thebeaches in Boston Harbor and Quincy becameseverely polluted.1968 - With the opening of the Deer IslandSewage Treatment Plant, the discharge of rawsewage from ;Moon Island was put onemergency stand-by status. All sewerage flowfrom Moon Island was diverted to Deer Island.

1970 - The Squantum Naval Air Station inSquantum was abandoned and in ruins by the1970s.

In 1970, the skeleton of an Eskimo-type dog wasfound below heaps of shells in Squantum. Thedog's remains were carbon-dated to 300 AD.Also, the remai-ds of a few native Indians havebeen discovered here. The sachem Chickataubuthad his summer seat at Moswetuset Hummockin the early 1600s.1972 - Federal and state laws mandatedprimary and secondary treatment for allmunicipal sewer systems, effectively taking theoption for lesser treatment away from the states.

1984 - Due to the extensive pollution onQuincy's beaches, the City of Quincy filed alawsuit in the state court against the MDC. TheMassachusetts Water Resources Authority(MWRA) was created to manage the clean up ofBoston Harbor. Judge Troy made a judicialdecision that prohibited the attachment of anynew buildings or homes to the existing sewersystem until a plan was established to solve thesewer overflow problem in Boston Harbor.1985 - The newly created MWRA assumedcontrol of water and sewer systems from the

MDC. Because the level of wastewatertreatment assumed by the MWRA was belowfederal standards, a federal court order mandatedthe construction of a new wastewater treatmentplant for Boston Harbor.

1993 - National Guard bulldozers, with littlepublic notice, began clearing the woods for afiring range that was planned to have lights fornight shooting. Outraged local Squantumresidents feared that that increased shooting onMoon Island would endanger them or evenpassing boaters. The Seaside EnvironmentalAlliance claimed the Boston plan was a ruse,indicating that tills expansion would affect anyplans for use of Moon Island by the public.History has proved them correct because thepublic continues to be banned from Moon Islandand Long Island in 2005.1996 - The Boston Globe reported that MayorTom Menino and MIT engineer Clifford Goudeywere planning a program to use the great tankson Moon Island as a fish farm or temporaryhomes for tuna and lobster. The prices of boththese fish types vary seasonally. The plan wasto collect and store fish in the tanks and sellingthe fish at higher prices when they are out ofseason. The early confidence with this programfaded and the tanks remain empty today.2001 - Squantum Point Park was openedproviding recreational opportunities for birding,fishing, running, walking, canoeing andkayaking, and picnicking.

Recreational Opportunities onMoon Island.Moon Island is still owned by the City of Bostonand it currently not open to the public.

Mosswetusset Hummock (MDC)Wooded area within a salt marsh with awalkway. Scenic overlook, picnic tables, andfree parking. Located on East Squantum Streetfacing Quincy Bay and Wollaston Beach. Thereis an arrow shaped mound. The tribal name ofthe Indians who lived here provided the origin ofthe word Massachusetts. This tribe sold land tothe Pilgrims and the Puritans.

Sguantum Point Park (MDC)Ferry Pier, salt marsh and pebbly beach withpicnic tables and free parking. This is a greatspot for surf fishing for striped bass at the mouthof the Neponset River. Open year-round, dawnto dusk. Visitors can view the Boston skylineacross the harbor and view dozens of species ofwild birds at the park. The park was originally

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part of the Squantum Naval Air Station and theBethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation, whichconstructed destroyers here for the U.S. Navyduring World War II.Directions:MBTA - Take the Red Line (Braintree Branch)to the North Quincy Station. The park isaccessible from the #211 bus route.By car: Take US 1 South to exit 12, Rte 3ASouth. Continue over the Neponset Bridge on toQuincy Shore Drive and bear left on EastSquantum Street. Turn left and take VictoryRoad into the Squantum Point parking lot.

Sguantum MarshSalt marsh for nature study and hiking. Freeparking.

Nickerson Beach (Squaw Rock Park)Rocky outcrop; and sandy beach. On-streetparking.

Orchard BeachA Sandy Beach in Squantum for swimming withfree parking.

MarihaBayLargest marina in Boston Harbor with walkway,boat slips and storage, restaurants, bars, condo's,and fast food shops.

Wildlife on Moon IslandBrown thrashers, songbirds, meadow mice, graysquirrels, skunks, and rats.

Note:Moon Island I Squantum is a work in processand will become part of a book that willencompass over fifty islands within BostonHarbor-some with rich, long histories, many nolonger in existence, and others with brief stories.

You also are part of the Boston Harbor story andI would love to include you in my book. If youhave a story to tell, have old maps and charts ofthe harbor, pictures of places or historicalevents, or know of any event, business,organization, etc that contributed to the historyof this area and should be noted in such a bookas this, please let me know.

E-mail me at FLarkin1@earthlink.net or write meat 107 Concord Road, Acton, MA 01720, or callme at 978-263-3023. I am happy to receive anybit of information that helps tell the maritimehistory of the Squantum and Moon Island area.