East Boston in Suffolk County, Massachusetts — The American Northeast (New England)
View of East Boston, Mass. 1879
Harborwalk Boston
The new street site was developed in the mid-1800s for a variety of water-dependent uses, including a mast-making yard, graving dock, and marine railway. Mackerel was sorted and inspected for export on Miller's Wharf, which was later used as a salt refinery likely to have been associated with a fish packing business.
The wharves were rebuilt with new uses by 1874. However, after the waterfront was destroyed in a fire on the Fourth of July, 1861, the new wharves and piers were used for one of two dyewood mill operations in Boston. At these mills, wood from Central America and the Caribbean was processed and distilled to extract a dark black dye.
By 1900, the site was occupied by fish packing and canning operations. From 1908 to 1915, Boston Cold Storage built a series of buildings and warehouses at the base of the wharves, including a refrigerating plant. However, Boston Cold Storage left the site by 1920, possibly due to a shift in the fishing industry to South Boston after the Fish Pier opened in 1913. Fish packing continued on the wharves until the 1950s, when they began to be occupied by a succession of confectionary
this page online
Source: Sites for Historical Interpretation on East Boston's Waterfront, Nancy Seasholes and The Cecil Group, 2009.
Erected by Harborwalk Boston.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Animals • Industry & Commerce • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical month for this entry is July 1861.
Location. 42° 22.266′ N, 71° 2.7′ W. Marker is in Boston, Massachusetts, in Suffolk County. It is in East Boston. It can be reached from the intersection of New Street and Summer Street, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 6 New St, East Boston MA 02128, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Historic Boston. It is also in the American Northeast, in New England, and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The Atlantic Dye Wood Company
Credits. This page was last revised on February 5, 2023. It was originally submitted on February 5, 2023, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 230 times since then and 28 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on February 5, 2023, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
