Commemorative Relief of Noddle's Island

Commemorative Relief of Noddle's Island. Artist: Theodore Cotillo Barbarossa 1906-1992, Cast 1975. , A grant from Boston's Edward Ingersoll Browne Trust Fund made possible the 2012 restoration of the commemorative plaque depicting events at Noddle's Island, the area that eventually became East Boston. The plaque was designed by Theodore Cotillo Barbarossa and installed with Sumner Street Elderly Housing was built in 1975., 1. The Battle of Noddle's Island: On the 27th of May 1775 Colonel Stark led to a detachment of Massachusetts and New Hampshire volunteers to drive off the livestock from Hog and Noddle's Islands (Orient Heights and East Boston), crossing from Chelsea at Ebb tide when the waters in the creek between Chelsea and Hog Island were fordable. The Colonials were fired upon by the British and a heated skirmish followed that culminated in the burning of the HMS Diana and the capture of her cannon by the Colonials after the schooner ran aground near the Winnisimmet (Chelsea) ferry ways. , Source: Gen Wm H. Sumner: History of East Boston, 1858, 2. The Flying Cloud: This Clipper ship set the world's sailing record for the fastest passage between New York and San Francisco 'round Cape Horn in 89 Days 21 Hours. That record was held for over 100 years, from 1854-1989. The clipper ship was built by Donald McKay in East Boston. This extreme clipper ship voyage was made all the more remarkable because its navigator was a woman, Eleanor Creesy, with her husband, ship captain Josiah Perkins Creesy. , Sources: "Sailing Ships: Flying Cloud" The Maritime History Virtual Archives. , Shaw, David W. : Flying Cloud, the True Story… and the Woman Who Guided Her, 2000, 3. Immigration and Diversity: The neighborhood grew rapidly during the age of the large-scale immigration of Canadians in the 1840's and Irish in the 1850's. Russian and Eastern European Jewish immigrants began to arrive in the 1890's, and in the first years of the 20th century the neighborhood had what may have been the largest Jewish community in New England. At the turn of the century, Italian immigrants began to settle in East Boston, becoming the major ethnic group in the neighborhood by 1915. Today East Boston continues this long tradition of diversity. , Source: Boston Landmarks Commission: EastBoston.com, 1994, 4. Spirit of St. Louis: The Spirit of St. Louis is the custom-built, single-engine, single-seat monoplane that was flown solo by Charles Lindbergh on May 20,21, 1927, on the first non-stop flight from New York to Paris, for which Lindbergh won the $25,000 Orteig Prize. Over the next 10 months, Lindbergh flew on promotional tours across the United States and landed in East Boston on July 22, 1927. , Sources: Charles Lindbergh: The Spirit of St. Louis, 1953 , National Air and Space Museum, Milestones of Flight Exhibits: Spirit of St. Louis., 5. Community Development: The influx of immigrants to East Boston between the Civil War and World War I created a need for multi-family housing. Many single family houses were subdivided, and tenements were constructed. Other major physical changes in East Boston were the growth of regional transportation facilities, particularly the tunnels, McClellan Highway and the airport. Previously East Boston had only been accessible via ferry service. The large number of multifamily houses contributed to a sense of neighborhood which continues to this day. , Source: Boston Landmarks Commission: EastBoston.com, 1994 , City of Boston Redevelopment Authority, District of Planning Program, June 1975