Damming the Charles River

The construction of Boston’s Charles River Dam was a monumental project that transformed the tidal estuary of the Back Bay into a fresh-water basin, providing a 20th century solution to problems that the city inherited from the 19th, including issues with industrial waste, sanitation, and general public distaste for the acres of mudflats that were exposed at low tide. Temporary floodgates closed on October 20, 1908, which marked the first separation of the waters of Boston Harbor from the Back Bay’s brackish salt marsh. In the lead-up to this moment, earthen dams were constructed on both sides of the river, with a lock allowing boats to pass through the dam on the Boston side and a sluiceway to regulate water levels in the upstream basin on the Cambridge side. A temporary wooden dam was built to close the center of the river, allowing for the construction of a permanent dam made of dirt and rock. Despite facing opposition and challenges, the dam was successfully completed in 1910, resulting in the creation of the Charles River Basin, the Esplanade, and some of Boston’s most iconic sites for outdoor recreation.

Full show notes: http://HUBhistory.com/311/

Support us: http://patreon.com/HUBhistory/

Damming the Charles River

• “A Resume of the Charles River Basin Project,” Harvard Engineering Journal, January 1907
• “Closing the Charles River Dam,” Harvard Engineering Journal, November 1908
• “Some Pile Driving Experiments in Connection with the Construction of the Charles River Dam,” Harvard Engineering Journal, November 1907
• Annual Reports of the Charles River Basin Commission, 1903-1910
• William B. de las Casas. “The Boston Metropolitan Park System.” The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, vol. 35, no. 2, 1910
• News Reports
  • Harvard Crimson, March 27, 1901: Hearing Friday for the Dam Near Craigie Bridge
  • Harvard Crimson, March 15, 1902: Final Dam Hearing
  • Springfield weekly Republican, July 31, 1903: formation of the basin commission
  • Harvard Crimson, November 29, 1904: details of Charles River Dam
  • Harvard Crimson, October 25, 1906: progress of the Charles River Dam
  • Boston Evening Transcript, Jan 17, 1908: building the new L bridge
  • Boston Evening Transcript, Sep 05, 1908: earthen dam nearly complete
  • The Boston Globe, Sep 17, 1908: increase in boating accidents
  • Boston Evening Transcript, Oct 12, 1908: Cambridge asks for an extension
  • Boston Evening Transcript, Oct 16, 1908: sand and gravel company sues
  • The Boston Globe, Oct 20, 1908: front page coverage of the dam closing
  • Boston Evening Transcript, Oct 20, 1908: front page coverage of the dam closing
  • Harvard Crimson, October 21, 1908: Charles River Dam Closed
  • The Boston Globe, Oct 23, 1908: basin slow to fill with fresh water
  • Boston Evening Transcript, Dec 09, 1908: the USS Constitution won’t fit
  • Springfield Weekly Republican, December 02, 1909: stocking fish in the basin
  • The Cambridge Tribune, 9 April 1910: tourin...