Recently I bought a book dealing with the Boston Harbor Islands. The book described the history of this small group of islands over the last 200 years. It caught my eye since I did some exploring out on the islands as a young boy. The title of the book is “The Boston Harbor Islands” by David Kales. You can see it at Amazon.com at the link …. http://www.amazon.com/Boston-Harbor-Islands-History-Wilderness/dp/1596292903/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1237309384&sr=1-3In the 1800s there were hotels and mansions built on some of the islands for the wealthier Bostonians. Later public parks were established with beaches available by ferry boat. During the civil war, forts were built to protect Boston from enemy ships. Civil War prisoners were also kept on the island. It was more of a summer retreat than a prison where prisoners would walk the island shores and even meet their wives and family during Sunday visits.
Early in the 1900s gambling establishments were built with alcohol and opium dens available. Illegal boxing and prize fights were also a big attraction. Local baseball teams would have Sunday games out on the islands, since the Massachusetts Blue Laws prohibited baseball on Sunday. During World War I and II, war prisoners were kept as well as sick and quarantined immigrants.
When I was in high school in the 1960s, my Uncle Joe would pick me up along with my friend Joey on most Saturday mornings during the summer, for a day exploring the Boston Harbor Islands. Uncle Joe had old green and beige Desoto Sedan with push button drive. On those hot summer days we would drive from where I lived in Chelsea to Hull, MA and meet one of Uncle Joe’s friends Dan who lived in a house on the point near Hull High school. Dan had a small row boat beached near his house and we would row out to his bigger 45 ft. workboat moored off shore.
Dan was a caretaker for the Harbor Islands and worked for the MDC (Metropolitan District Commission). In the 1960’s, the MDC had responsibility to patrol the islands before they were developed and made a State Park. Dan would patrol around most of the islands in his boat and make sure there were no trespassers or vandals. One time we found a few young kids in a power boat trying to take some copper wire from Little Brewster Island.
After making our morning rounds, we would stop at Georges Island and Fort Warren where they had just finished a new dock. The dock was built to allow access to the island after it was declared a State Park. Ferries and small boats would be able to tie up at the dock and visitors could explore the island for a picnic or swimming off the rocky shores. Since we were Dan’s guests, we had free excess to the island and explored the old Fort Warren and all its rooms, halls and dungeons without seeing another person. That was before Uncle Joe told us the story about the Ghost of the Black Widow. After hearing the story, we were sure that the sounds of the wind or the waves were really the whispers of all the ghosts that still haunted the island and protected its secrets.
As I recall the Black Widow story, a civil war solder was imprisoned on the island in the 1800’s. His wife would visit periodically by public boat. Wanting to free her husband, she rowed over at night and met her husband on the beach but was caught by a guard. Accidently, she drew her pistol and aimed at the guard but accidently shot her husband. She was tried and convicted to be hanged on the island. Her last wish was to have a robe and hood made from the black drapes in the fort dining hall. After her hanging, guards and prisoners have sworn that she haunts the island and especially the dungeon hallways where she is seen wearing the black robe.
There are many other stories that are told by park guides if you wish to visit the islands. You can also read many of the books written by Edward Rowe Snow. A list is found at Amazon.com at the link …..
http://www.amazon.com/Edward-Rowe-Snow/e/B001H9R6U0/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_T1_0
You can also take a ferry to the islands. See the link below to learn more …. http://www.bostonislands.com/
On one of our trips to Fort Warren in the 1960’s, Dan wondered if a water pipe in one of the dungeon rooms emptied out at the shore line. He asked Joey and I to go down into the lowest dungeon and yell loud to see if Uncle Joe and he could hear us at the shoreline drainage pipe. Joey said that he could even make a louder sound with an old civil war pistol that he brought to show Dan.
We loaded the pistol with gun powder only, without the bullets, and walked down several flights of stairs to a tunnel that led to the dungeon at the end. The floor was flooded with 6 inches of water and had a wood plank to walk on. I carried a flash light while Joey carried the pistol. When we got to the end of a long tunnel, we saw the hole and pipe.
Joey aimed the pistol into the hole and pressed the trigger. It made the loudest sound I ever heard which bounced and vibrated off the walls. We started to run along the wood plank and get out as fast as possible. Unfortunately, my foot slipped off the wood and I dropped the flash light which went out and was lost in the muddy water. It was now pitch dark and we had to feel our way out along the slimy walls and the long tunnel.
All I could think about was the ghost of the Black Widow chasing me from behind who would grab my ankles any second. Luckily, we reached the opening and ran out and down to the shore to tell Uncle Joe and Dan what happened. Uncle Joe said, “you look like you just saw a ghost” and laughed. He also said that he didn’t hear any sound. Well that was a waste of time but certainly got my heart pumping and a great story to remember.
We had a lot of other great days on the islands but that one was the most memorable. Now that my grand children are old enough, I think a trip to Fort Warren might be our next adventure.
Comments are always welcome. Send email to: markryan82@comcast.net
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