Boston Harbor Islands history · History of Boston Harbor Islands
All Destinations | Europe | Asia | North America | Africa | South America | Oceania | Hotels
History of Boston Harbor Islands
History of Boston Harbor Islands
The islands have great historical significance in a number of ways. Archeological sites on 21 of the islands have been placed on the National Register of Historic Places and all the islands are considered likely to have significant sites. Evidence indicates that Native American peoples lived on the islands as early as 1000BC and perhaps before they separated from the mainland sometime in the 2000 years previous to that. The highly alkaline shell-fragmented soils which preserve artifacts better than typical New England soils, and the relatively low-intensity use by Euro-Americans, make the islands an archeological treasure.
The islands have undergone many various uses over the years: agriculture, cemetery, fishing colony, fortifications, hospital, hotel or resort, industrial, poorhouse, prison, prisoner-of-war camp, quarantine, sewage treatment, lighthouses, and dumps.
Deer Island has particular significance to Native Americans as a place of imprisonment and interment during King Phillip's War in the 1670s. Contemporary Native Americans return each October to commemorate their ancestors' suffering in this tragic slaughter. Indications are that 1000 or more American Indians were forced onto Deer and other of the islands, often to die of starvation. Later Deer Island also served as a quarantine hospital in 1847 to treat the many sick, impoverished Irish immigrants fleeing the potato famine.
In 1970 the Commonwealth of Massachusetts began acquiring islands for the benefit of the public. In 1985 Boston Harbor was named the most polluted harbor in the nation. After investment of four billion dollars and extensive wastewater treatment efforts by the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, improved water quality contributed to widespread support for establishing a national park area.
The Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area was established by act of Congress in 1996. The Partnership which governs it is made up of thirteen members appointed by the Secretary of the Interior to represent various Federal, State, City of Boston, and non-profit interests. The Partnership subsequently adopted the name "Boston Harbor Islands, a national park area" in response to Native Americans' objections to the term "recreation" being used for an area they consider sacred.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Boston Harbor Islands
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Boston Harbor Islands - updated May 2024
SAVE up to 75% on Last Minute deals! Search for discount Boston Harbor Islands hotels, motels, apartments, hostels, guest accommodations and vacation resorts. Book now and pay at the hotel. Instant email confirmation!
>>> SEARCH FOR DEALS <<<
WHERE TO TRAVEL NEXT IN 2020
Boston Harbor Islands Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.