| Charles River | |
| River | |
 The Longfellow Bridge crossing over the Charles River in the winter. The Longfellow Bridge, also known to locals as the "Salt and Pepper Bridge" or the "Salt and Pepper Shaker Bridge" due to the shape of its central towers carries
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| Length | 80 mi (129 km) |
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The Charles River is a small, relatively short river in Massachusetts, USA, that separates Boston from Cambridge and Charlestown. "Riverine" redirects here For the use of that term in Maritime geography, see there The Commonwealth of Massachusetts ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Cambridge Massachusetts is a City in the Greater Boston area of Massachusetts, United States. Charlestown is a part of the city of Boston, Massachusetts located on a peninsula north of Boston proper It is fed by about 80 brooks and streams and several major aquifers as it flows snakelike for 80 miles (129 km), starting at Echo Lake () in Hopkinton, through 22 cities and towns in eastern Massachusetts before emptying into Boston Harbor. Hopkinton is best known as the starting point of the Boston Marathon, held annually on Patriot's Day in April and as the home of computer storage firm EMC Corporation The Port of Boston is a major Seaport located in Boston Harbor and adjacent to the City of Boston. Its watershed contains 33 lakes and ponds, and 35 communities are entirely or partially part of the Charles River watershed. Despite the river's length and relatively large drainage area (308 square miles; 798 km²), its source is only 26 miles (42 km) from its mouth, and the river drops only 350 feet (107 m) from source to sea. It is the most densely populated river basin in New England. History See also History of New England New England's earliest inhabitants were Algonquian -speaking Native Americans including the
Harvard University, Boston University, Brandeis University, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are all located along the Charles River; at Boston proper it opens out into a broad basin and is lined by parks such as the Charles River Esplanade (in which stands the Hatch Shell, where concerts are given in summer evenings) especially known for its Independence Day celebration. For similarly-named academic institutions see Education in Boston MA. Brandeis University is a private research University with a Liberal arts focus located in Waltham Massachusetts, United States. The Hatch Shell is an outdoor concert venue adjacent to the Charles River Esplanade near downtown Boston. In the United States, Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July (or the Fourth) is a Federal holiday commemorating the adoption The river is well known for its rowing, sculling, and sailing, both recreational and competitive. With regard to Watercraft, rowing is the act of propelling a boat using the motion of Oars in the water Scull redirects here The head bone is spelled " Skull " Sailing is the art of controlling a Sailing vessel. By changing the Rigging, Rudder and dagger or centre board a Sailor manages the force The Head of the Charles Regatta is held annually, in October. The Head of the Charles Regatta, also known as HOCR or HOTC, is a rowing race held on the penultimate complete weekend of October each year on the
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Early history
The river's name, preceding the English version, was once thought to be Quinobequin (meandering), though that attribution has been discredited by, among others, the Harvard University Librarian in 1850. The river was used by Native Americans for local transportation and fishing, and as part of the passage from southeastern Massachusetts to northern New England.
Captain John Smith explored and mapped the coast of New England, naming many features including the Charles River, which he gave a Native American name. Captain Sir John Smith (c January 1580– June 21 1631) Admiral of New England was an English Soldier, Sailor When Smith presented his map to Charles I he suggested that the king should feel free to change any of the "barbarous names" for "English" ones. Charles I, (19 November 1600 &ndash 30 January 1649 was King of England, Scotland and Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution. The king made many such changes, but only four survive today, one of which is the Charles River, which Charles named for himself. [1]
Subsequent European settlers harnessed the river for industrialization, and by 1640 entrepreneurs on the Neponset River had diverted its water to power their mills. The Neponset River is a River in eastern Massachusetts in the United States
Waltham was the site of the first factory in America, built by Francis Cabot Lowell in 1814, and by the 19th century, the Charles River was one of the most industrialized areas in the United States. One of the early centers of the Industrial Revolution in northern America Waltham is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States Francis Cabot Lowell ( April 7, 1775 - August 10, 1817) (Lowell 1899 pg 59 was the American Business man for Year 1814 ( MDCCCXIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Its hydropower soon fueled many mills and factories. Hydropower, hydraulic power or water power is power that is derived from the Force or Energy of moving water which may By the century's end, 20 dams had been built across the river, mostly to generate power for industry. An 1875 government report listed 43 mills along the 9. 5-mile (15 km) tidal estuary from Watertown Dam to Boston Harbor.
In portions of its length, the Charles drops slowly in elevation and has relatively little current. Despite this, early settlers in Dedham, Massachusetts, found a way to use the Charles to power mills. In 1639, the town dug a canal from the Charles to a nearby brook that drained to the Neponset River. The Neponset River is a River in eastern Massachusetts in the United States By this action, a portion of the Charles's flow was diverted, providing enough current for several mills. The new canal and the brook together are now called Mother Brook. Mother Brook is the modern name for a stream that flows from the Charles River in Dedham Massachusetts, to the Neponset River in the Hyde Park The canal is regarded as the first industrial canal in North America. Today it remains in use for flood control.
Design
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Today's Charles River basin between Boston and Cambridge is almost entirely a work of human design. Its design was the work of noted landscape architects Charles Eliot and Arthur Shurcliff, both of whom had apprenticed with Frederick Law Olmsted, and by the architect and landscape architect Guy Lowell. A landscape architect is a person involved in the planning design and sometimes oversight of an exterior landscape or space Charles Eliot ( November 1, 1859 &ndash March 25, 1897) was a leading American Landscape architect, whose career was cut Arthur Asahel Shurcliff (1865 - 1957 was a noted American Landscape architect. Frederick Law Olmsted ( April 25, 1822 &ndash August 28, 1903) was an American landscape designer and father of American Guy Lowell ( August 6 1870 – February 4 1927) American Architect, was the son of Mary Walcott (Goodrich and Edward This designed landscape now includes over 20 parks and natural areas along 19 miles (31 km) of shoreline, from the New Dam at the Charlestown Bridge to the dam near Watertown Square. Charles River Reservation is a Massachusetts State park located in Boston and Cambridge. Charlestown is a part of the city of Boston, Massachusetts located on a peninsula north of Boston proper The Town of Watertown is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States.
Eliot first envisioned today's river design in the 1890s, but major construction began only after his death with the damming of the river's mouth at today's Museum of Science, an effort led in by James Jackson Storrow. The Museum of Science ( MoS) is a Boston Massachusetts landmark located in Science Park a plot of land spanning the Charles River. James Jackson Storrow II (1864&ndash1926 was a Boston -area Investment banker instrumental in forming General Motors and its third president (for just The new dam, completed in 1910, stabilized the water level from Boston to Watertown, eliminating the existing mud flats, and a narrow embankment was built between Leverett Circle and Charlesgate. After Storrow's death, his widow Mrs. James Jackson Storrow donated $1 million toward the creation of a more generously landscaped park along the Esplanade; it was dedicated in 1936 as the Storrow Memorial Embankment. This also enabled the construction of many public docks in the Charles River Basin. In the 1950s a highway (Storrow Drive) was built along the edge of the Esplanade to connect Charles Circle with Soldiers Field Road, and the Esplanade was enlarged on the water side of the new highway. Storrow Drive is a major cross town expressway in Boston Massachusetts, running south and west from Leverett Circle along the Charles River.
Pollution and remediation efforts
As effluent wastes flowed freely into the river from the surrounding city, the Charles River became well known for its high level of pollutants, gaining such notoriety that by 1955, Bernard DeVoto wrote in Harper's Magazine that the Charles was "foul and noisome, polluted by offal and industrious wastes, scummy with oil, unlikely to be mistaken for water. Bernard Augustine DeVoto ( January 11, 1897 - November 13, 1955) was an American Historian and Author who specialized Harper's Magazine (also Harper's) is a monthly general-interest Magazine of literature politics culture finance and the arts " [1] It was not an uncommon sight to see toxins coloring the river pink and orange in spots, fish kills and submerged cars. [2]
Once popular with swimmers, awareness of the river's high pollution levels forced the state to shut down several popular swimming areas, including the Cambridge's Magazine Beach and Gerry Landing public beaches. Until very recently, rowers and sailors who fell into the water were advised to go to the hospital for tetanus shots. [3]
Efforts to clean up the river and restore it to a state where swimming and fishing would be acceptable began as early as the 1960s and the program to clean up the Charles for good took shape in 1965 with the creation of the Charles River Watershed Association. In some cases less is more The purpose of this article is to give an overview vessel is said to be moored when it is fastened to a fixed object such as a Pier, Quay or the seabed or to a floating object such as an anchor buoy Charlestown is a part of the city of Boston, Massachusetts located on a peninsula north of Boston proper The Bunker Hill Monument was built to commemorate the Battle of Bunker Hill. In 1995, the United States Environmental Protection Agency declared a goal of making the river swimmable by 2005. [4] In 1996, then governor William Weld plunged, fully clothed, into the river to prove his commitment to cleaning up the river. William Floyd Weld (born July 31, 1945, in Smithtown New York) was the Republican Governor of Massachusetts from 1991 [5]
A combination of public and private initiatives helped dramatically lower levels of pollutants by focusing on eliminating combined sewage outflow and storm water runoff. A new Charles River Dam was constructed downstream from the Science Museum site to keep salt water out of the basin. The Charles River Dam is a flood control project on the Charles River in Boston Massachusetts, located just downstream of the Leonard P Since Weld's stunt, the river's condition has improved dramatically, although it was not deemed entirely swimmable by 2005. In 1995 the EPA rated the river's quality as a "D" compared to the most recent ranking of a "B+" and most days of the year, the river now meets swimming standards below the Massachusetts Avenue bridge. [6] With the improved water quality, swimming and fishing are progressively re-emerging as about 90% of the length of the river is now considered safe for swimming2. Health risks remain, however, particularly after rainstorms and when walking in certain riverbeds stirs up toxic sediment.
During the period September 2004 to September 2006, the City of Cambridge and the state's Department of Conservation and Recreation introduced vegetation at Magazine Beach just west of the BU Bridge on the Cambridge side of the river. The Department of Conservation and Recreation ( DCR) is a state agency of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Cambridgeport is one of the neighborhoods of Cambridge Massachusetts. The Boston University Bridge, originally the Cottage Farm Bridge, is a Bridge carrying Route 2 over the Charles River connecting Boston This introduced vegetation had significant trouble living there because it was not native to the Charles River. In Ecology, an indigenous Species is an Organism which is native to a given region or Ecosystem. The vegetation installed created a wall preventing the reintroduction of swimming at Magazine Beach.
Running and biking
The Charles River Bike Path runs 23 miles (37 km) along the banks of the Charles, starting at the Museum of Science and passing the campuses of MIT, Harvard and Boston University. The Charles River Bike Path is a Mixed-use path that follows the shores of the Charles River from Boston Massachusetts to Norumbega Park in The path is popular with runners and bikers. Many runners gauge their distance and speed by keeping track of the mileage between the bridges along the route.
In popular culture
- The Charles River is an icon for Boston and is featured in the song "Dirty Water" by The Standells:
- Down by the River. "Dirty Water" is a 12-bar blues song composed by Ed Cobb and first recorded by the California Rock and roll band The The Standells were a 1960's Garage rock band from Los Angeles, California. . .
- Down by the banks of the River Charles
- (Oh, that's what's happenin' baby)
- That's where you'll find me
- Along with lovers, muggers, and thieves.
- (Ahh, but they're cool people)
- Todd Rundgren's song Boat on the Charles from Runt: The Ballad of Todd Rundgren is written from the point of view of someone contemplating suicide in the Charles because of an unrequited love. Todd Harry Rundgren (born June 22, 1948 in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, United States) is an American Musician Runt The Ballad of Todd Rundgren is the second album by American Singer-songwriter / Musician Todd Rundgren, released in 1971
- In William Faulkner's The Sound and the Fury, the tormented Quentin character commits suicide by drowning himself in the Charles. William Faulkner (born William Cuthbert Falkner) ( September 25, 1897 – July 6, 1962) was an American Author The Sound and the Fury is one of the most celebrated novels of the Twentieth century, written by American author William Faulkner, which makes use
- The 2004 film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind featured a prominent scene on the frozen river. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is a 2004 American drama and Romantic comedy by French director Michel
- The 1994 film The River Wild opens with Meryl Streep rowing under the Watertown Bridge (Galen Street, Rt. Year 1994 ( MCMXCIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar) The River Wild is a 1994 American Thriller film directed by Curtis Hanson and starring Meryl Streep, Kevin Bacon Mary Louise "Meryl" Streep (born June 22, 1949) is an award-winning American Actress who has worked in Theatre, 16) proceeding east past the Perkins School for the Blind Chapel tower and on to Boston. Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown Massachusetts is one of the oldest and most prominent schools for the blind in the United States
- In the novel The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath, the protagonist, Esther, briefly considers committing suicide by jumping into the Charles off of a bridge. The Bell Jar is American writer Sylvia Plath 's only novel which was originally published under the Pseudonym "Victoria Lucas" Sylvia Plath (October 27 1932 &ndash February 11 1963 was an American Poet, Novelist and Short story Writer.
- In the short story "El encuentro" (The Meeting) by Jorge Luis Borges a mature Borges sits on the bank of the river Charles and comes faces to face with a younger version of himself. He determines that in the past he must have had the encounter during a dream and dismissed it as fantasy, though later accepting it as real.
 Panorama of the Charles River in May |
 Longfellow Bridge crossing |
 Looking across the river on the Longfellow Bridge, riding the Red Line |
See also
References
- Inventing the Charles River, by Karl Haglund, MIT Press, 2003, in collaboration with the Charles River Conservancy. The Longfellow Bridge, also known to locals as the "Salt and Pepper Bridge" or the "Salt and Pepper Shaker Bridge" due to the shape of its central towers carries The Red Line is a Rapid transit line operated by the MBTA running roughly north-south through Boston Massachusetts into neighboring communities John Wingate Weeks ( April 11, 1860 &ndash July 12, 1926) was an American Politician in the Republican Party This is a list of Bridges and other crossings of the Charles River from its mouth at Boston Harbor upstream to its source at Echo Lake List of Rivers in Massachusetts ( US state) All Massachusetts rivers flow to the Atlantic Ocean.
- Gaining Ground: A History of Landmaking in Boston, by Nancy S. Seasholes, MIT Press, 2003.
- Omeros, by Derek Walcott, Faber and Faber (London), 1990. Derek Alton Walcott (born January 23, 1930) is a West Indies poet playwright writer and visual artist who writes mainly in English. (Repeated references to the Charles river in descriptions of Boston life. )
Notes
- ^ Stewart, George R. [1945] (1967). George Rippey Stewart ( May 31, 1895 – August 22, 1980) was an American Toponymist, a novelist and a professor of English Names on the Land: A Historical Account of Place-Naming in the United States, Sentry edition (3rd), Houghton Mifflin, p. Houghton Mifflin Company is a leading educational Publisher in the United States. 38.
External links
- Map and satellite photo links to the Charles River
- Charles River Watershed Association, includes swimmability maps
- Charles River Conservancy
- "Swimmable by 2005" EPA Effort
- Charles River Swimming Club
- Charles River Museum of Industry
- US Geological Survey data on flow in Charles River at Waltham with links to data for other measurement sites
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