.G93 I ■w :| ^.o-n^^ A ^. <{», r/rz^- -^^ .4 0^ <5>, " « o ' ^-^"^ r\ * o -^ o '^ .— V, ■\°^ i?^' J^S ^<^ \\\:^-''< //h o '-0 ,v^ .^>^^X' :v. '^-^ 0^ ° '^ °^ '•■ ■C;, *.,o^ -r^'. V . 'o>^*- ^0 b ^'"%'--' c ° " • -» O V. ^^ ^^ .:< . o_ '(^_ ^0. "-0 *bv" ^o A •0^ »%. . o^ c " • ° • o -; illi <' G I THE GEOGRAPHICAL DEVELOP MENT OF BOSTON l!y F. P.'TJui.i.IVKR, Ph. D. Ih' S/. .\hiri-'s Sr/mti/. Soiillihoro. .\/iiss Reprinted from The Jfiur- ual ot" Geography, Vol. II., No. (t. June, n)03 rriiited for the Kditors by R.\X1). M.NALLY &• COMl'-XXV The JOURNAL of GEOGRAPHY PUBLISHED MOXTHLY, EXCEPT JULY AND AUGUST An Illustrated Magazine DeVoted to the Interests of Teachers of Geography in Elementary. Secondary, and JWormal Schools Successor to the /ourna/ o/ School Geo,g-rap/iy, Vol. V., and the Bulletin of the American Bureau of Geography, Vol. II. EDITORS RICHARD E. DODGE, Professor of Geography, Teaclwrs College, Colinnlna University, New York City. EDWARD M. LEHNERTS Professor of Geography, State Nortnal School, Winona, Minnesota. ASSOCIATE EDITORS CYRUS C. ADAMS Geographical Editor, N. Y. Sun OTIS W. CALDWELL, . Professor of Botany, State Normal School, Charleston, III. JAMES F. CHAMBERLAIN, Prof, of Geography, State Normal School, Los Angeles, Cal. HENRY C. COWLES . . . Associate in Botany, University of Chicago, Chicago, III. WILLIAM M. DAVIS. Professor of Geology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Alass. N. M. FENNEMAN . . . Professor of Geology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colo. J. PAUL GOODE . Instructor in Geography, University of Pennsylvania, Phila., Pa. GEORGE B. HOLLISTER, Hydrographer, U. S. Geological Survey, Washington. D. C. M. S. W. 'i'&VY^K'&Q'i^, Professor of Geography, State Normal School, Ypsilanti,Mich. EMORY R. JOHNSON, Asst.Prof of Transportation and Commerce, Univ. of Penna. EDW. D. JONES, Asst. Prof, of Commerce and Industry, Univ. of Mich., Ann Arbor VERNON L. KELLOGG, Prof of Entomology, Leland Stanford Jr. Univ., Palo Alto, Cal. CHARLES F. KING Master of Dearborn School, Boston, Mass. S. J. Maclean, Asst. Prof, of Economics, Leland Stanford Jr. Univ., Palo Alto, Cal. FOREST RAY MOULTON, Assistant Professor in Astronomy, University of Chicago JACQUES \V. REDWAY Author, Ml. Vernon, N. Y. ELLEN C. SEMPLE Writer in Anthropogeography, Louisville, Ky. FREDERICK STARR, Associate Prof, of Anthropology, Univ. of Chicago, Chicago, III. RALPH S. TPilR.K, Professor of Physical Geography, Cornell University, Ithaca, N. Y. SPENCER TROTTER Professor of Biology, Sivarthmore College, Pa. ROBERT Dec. WARD . . Assistant Professor of Climatology, Harvard University ASSOCIA TE EDITORS FOR GREA T BRITAIN AND CANADA A. J. HERBERTSON, Lecturer in Regional Geography, Oxford University, England JOHN A. DRESSER St. Francis College, Richmond, Quebec TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION $1.50 a Year in Advance Single Copies, 20 Cents Price in all foreign countries in the Universal Postal Union, $1.90 (10 numbers), postpaid On sale with E. McGegan, Outlook Tower, Edinburgh, Scotland Subscriptions and advertisements should be sent to 777^ JOURNAL OF GEOGRAPHY Room 560, 160 Adams Street, Chicago, 111., or Winona, Minn. GEOGRAPHICAL DEVELOPMENT OP" BOSTON 323 THE GEOGRAPHICAL DEVELOPMENT OF BOSTON BV K. P. GULLINKR, PH.D. Of St. Jfark's School, Soulkboi-n, Mass. 1^111'] crooked streets of liostoii aie said to follow the old paths along which the early settlers of the place drove their cows to and from their pasture on the conunon. However true this may be. it is certain that many of the main streets of the old city |)roper mark i:;eofiraphic features, formerly of importance, but now almost entirely forgotten. Atlantic avenue follows closely the original ■J 2 A THE JOURNAL OF GEOGRAPHY June shore line. Washington street preserves in its curves the old road along the narrow neck of land, which was the only connection for a longtime between the mainland and Boston peninsula with its three hills which gave the name Tremont. Causeway street represents the dam to the earliest tidal mill pond, and Beacon street, the "Mill-dam," was built later to hold back the waters of Back Bay at high tide tt) l^e used for power at low tide. The curve of I'ark Square gives the shoreline of this Back Bay, where the fathers and grandfathers of the present genera- tion used to put on their skates to glide over the area now occupied by Trinity Church and the Public Library. In a very marked degree Greater Boston shows its physiographic control in its development. The hills, valleys, islands, marshes, estua- ries, etc., have helped or hindered the settlement and growth of the many village sites which are now included in Metropolitan Boston. Many locations were made before 1650 around Boston bay, (See Map 1.) so that there were a large number of towns around the central "hub " at the foot of the thi'ee mountains which were later to be taken in to form the spokes of the wheel of greater Boston. Some portions of this area are still under distinct political governments, as Cambridge, Brook- line, and Newton, but they no less truly form a part geographically of Metropolitan Boston. The limits of the area of Greater Boston are variously drawn for different purposes. In order to show how the villages have grown together in the past and how they will continue to grow together in the future to form continuously inhabited areas, the ten mile limit from the State House has been adopted for this article; thus the following cities and towns are included: Arlington, Belmont, Boston, Brain- tree, Brookline, Cambridge, Chelsea, Dedham, Everett, Hyde Park, Lexington, Lynn, Maiden, Medford, Melrose, Milton, Nahant, Need- ham, Newton, Quincy, Revere, Saugus, Somerville, Stoneham, Wakefield, Waltham, Watertown, Winchester, Winthrop, Woburn. (See map 5.) Portions of some of these towns are very thinly settled, but they all show growth from the centers toward their neighbors, along railroads or highways, so that the attempt to join is clearly seen. In the above list under Boston are included the following centers which had an in- dependent beginning: Brighton, Charlestown, Dorchester, East Bos- ton, Jamaica Plain, Roxbury, South Boston. In addition it must be remembered that many of the above towns began to grow in several places, and are therefore made up of several village sites. For example Newton includes the following centers of growth; Newton, Newton Gift Author (Person) GEOGRAPHICAL DKVELOPMKNT OF BOSTON ;25 Center, Ncwtoiivillc, West Newton, Newton Hi<2;hlan(ls, Newton Upper Falls, Newton Lower Falls, Anbnrndalc, and Waban. It will readily be seen that one must have intimate knowledge of a lariic number of centers of iirowth of such an area as Greater Boston, in order to give with any degree of accuracy the real growth for periods of fifty years. The writer consequently presents with much hesitancy the results of his study of this region, knowing that on ac- count of his incomplete knowledge of certain areas, many errors and inacc\u"acies have been included. Still the general impressions of growth O" Scale : lo miles = \y^ inches. Map I. Greater Boston, /ojo. and dev(^lo[)ment as given in this series of maps from 1G50 to 1900 are undoubtedly correct, and one can see how the estuaries and marshes have kept areas apart until bridges, filled land, and now elevated roads and tunnels, have connected them. Greater Boston can become a unit only by more complete connection between the isolated portions. If there is interest enough in this scries of maps to make it worth while to prepare a more exact set of maps, showing tiie increase of population for each period of fifty years from 1G")0 to 1900, the writer would be very glad to put the data together if some one from each town would undertake to look u|) the data for that town and record the 326 THE JOURNAL OF GEOGRAPHY June '€Lf-^ -G^ Scale: lo miles = i^ inches. Map 2. Greater Boston, lyoo. same on a series of large scale town maps, for each period of fifty years. This can be done only by some one who has access to the tov/n records and has the knowledge of local buildings. Such a set of maps would be of great interest to each to\\'n, and would be worth recording for future comparison, wdien many of these local units have been swallowed up in the extension of Boston. There are a great many points of interest in the past, present, and future development of Boston, as shown on these maps, only a few of which can be mentioned here. Old Boston was at first very much isolated from the surrounding towns, the only connection by land being the neck on the southwest side, across which all wheeled vehicles had to pass along what is now Washington street. (See maps 1 and 2.) Thus Roxbury and Dorchester were the two centers most closely con- nected with Boston for some two hundred years, and through them had to pass the stage coaches and produce-laden wagons from the towns to the west and south. A wagon to go from Cambridge to Boston had to start westward, and then go southward, and finally eastward through Roxbury across the neck. By 1800, however, two bridges had been built to connect Boston GEOGRAPHICAL DEVELOPMENT OF BOSTON 327 witli the towns to the west and noi'th. one to Cambridge and the other to Charlestown. (See map 3.) At first, comnumications had to be around by the neck or else by boat across the Charles or Mystic estuaries. These bridges brought a great deal of business from the north to the city, and the centers of population. Candjridge, Somerville, and Charlestown increased much more rapidly. By 1850 a second bridge had been built to Cambridge and a second to Charlestown. (See map 4.) The filling in of the Back Bay and the reclamation of the tidal flats along the Charles river has been one of the greatest improvements of the past seventy-five years. ]3y 1850, the mill-dam and two lines of railroad had crossed Back Bay, and considerable filling had been done on both sides of the neck. (See map 4.) Now in place of the nar- row neck is a broad land connection to the south and west, and the city is built almost continuously across this area to Dorchester, Rox- bury, Jamaica Plain, and Brookline. (See map 5.) The tidal flats on the Cambridge side of the Charles have also been filled, and build- ing has conunenced upon them. O^ D '^x J I I L. Scale : lo miles = iV^ inches. Mai* 3. Greatt-r Boston^ iSoo. 328 THE JOURNAL OF GEOGRAPHY June Scale : lo miles = ly^, inches. Map 4. Greater Boston, /Sjo. The growth and extension of the wharf hnes along the Boston, Charlestown, East Boston, and South Boston shore Hnes shows increased facilities for commerce. The plans for improvement around South Boston include the making of a good deal of ne\^■ land and the fornui- tion of a marine park. There are a great many other signs of recent development which will not be mentioned here. There are, however, two great systems of improvements to which reference should be made. One of these is the extensive park and boulevard connections, which CKOdUAl'HKAL DKVKI.Ol'MIvXT Ol' UOSTON 329 will tend to make of the many village sites seen on the earlier maps a well coordinated city. An'article on this subject by Mr. Shurtleff ap- pears in this number of the Journal of Geography. Another very important factor in the unifying of Greater Boston is the work of the Metropolitan Water and Sewerage Board. Many millions of dollars have been spent in recent years to secure a system of water supply of the highest quality and to supply adequate means for carrying off the waste water. The equalization of water conditions for all the former village sites of the Metropolitan area will do a great deal to- ward bringing the separate commmiities together into a Greater Boston. W / Siak- : 111 inik-s = j inches. Map 5. Greatt'f Kostou, iqoo. JOT 27 1905 THE JOURNAL OF GEOGRAPHY RULES OF PUB Lie A TIOX The Journal of Geography is an Illustrated Monthly Magazine devoted to the interests of tcacliers of geography in elementary, in secondary, and in normal schools. It is published the first of eve'rv month, excepting Julj- and August. Price — The subscription price is one and one-half dollars a year, payable in advance. Twentv cents a copv. Postage is Prepaid bv the publishers for all subscriptions in the United State Iiawai- ian Islands, Philijppine Islands, Guam, Porto Rico, Tutuila, Samoa, Car ada, and :\Iexico. For all other countries in the Universal Postal Union add forty 2ents for postage. 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