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In the wee hours of May 27, 1775, more than a month after the Battle of Lexington and Concord, about 300 men led by Colonel John Stark descended Winter Hill (Somerville) and crossed over the Mystic River Bridge. Local men joined Stark’s regiment as they marched around Chelsea Creek through Malden and east to ford the Belle Isle Creek at low tide to Hog Island. Stark’s orders were to remove the livestock from Noddles, Hog, and Snake Islands as well as from the Chelsea Shore.
In response the British schooner Diana sailed up Chelsea Creek to cut off the colonists’ escape. Perhaps 400 marines were landed and systematically drove Stark’s men east. The colonists “squatted down in a ditch on the marsh” and engaged in “a hot fire” until the Regulars retreated. Hundreds of cattle, sheep, and horses were brought into the mainland. General Putnam on the Chelsea shore with maybe 1000 men attacked the Diana at the mouth of Chelsea Creek where today stands the McArdle bridge. Supported by two field pieces, the Diana was taken and destroyed.
Salt marsh to be located on East Boston side of Chelsea Creek
Chelsea Creek could be a model for healthy urban coastal ecosystems. Instead it is lined with oil tanks and salt piles. There is no reason why local industry and thriving coastal ecosystems can't co-exist. For more than two decades people of East Boston and the Chelsea Creek Action Group have called for the 7-acre former Hess Oil Terminal lot to be turned into a salt marsh. A Boston Globe editorial called for putting up a factory instead, denying locals their opportunity to have a salt marsh.
East Boston citizens are fed up with oil tanks and over-sized salt piles littering their shore. With a salt marsh, Chelsea Creek will become a healthier ecosystem. Local industry and thriving ecosystem can co-exist. The better the environment is the better the economy will be. And you can assist Chelsea Creek Action Group by writing in support of this salt marsh.
Where once the echo of American field artillery was first heard, today let’s hear the whistle of shorebirds.
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We need your support right now! Through your giving, ORI continues to educate the public and influence politicians to protect our precious rivers and oceans. With your help we:
- Fight to protect Indian River Lagoon dolphins from toxic slime
- Advocate for a strong national ocean endowment to support ocean science and stewardship
- Support Chelsea Creek Action Group's efforts to give East Boston locals their salt marsh
- Mobilize individuals and groups for effective environmental rules and policies
- Help local groups take effective action to protect local ecosystems
- Make sure your voice is heard by elected officials
ORI is fighting to save critical habitats and wildlife. We can win these battles, but we need your support for these vital efforts. Please donate now.
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Clean waterways and oceans are vital to the survival of wildlife and us. Unfortunately, our drinking water, waterways and oceans are suffering from many man-made assaults - plastic pollution, nutrient overloading, harmful chemicals, and mercury.
Learning to become better stewards of our natural resources is a big part of our work. ORI has created to new webpage to learn about four problems and offers ways to address them. The page also introduces ORI’s corporate partners. Here you’ll find green companies like Ecowell and Market America. These companies are committed to cutting down on waste by marketing reusable products such as stainless steel water bottles.
Human usage of plastic products has reached epic proportions, and most of it is ending up in our waterways and oceans. Every hour Americans use 2.5 million plastic bottles, and every week we buy 500 million bottles of water. We generate 10.5 million tons of plastics waste a year, but recycle only 1% to 2% of it.
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Discover how, with the knowledge of Rachel Carson and the courage of Achilles, individuals are making a difference for healthier oceans, rivers, watersheds and skies. Choose from thirty-two podcast episodes of Moir's Environmental Dialogues, Ocean River Shields of Achilles. Also available free on iTunes, search "Moir's".
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Ocean River Institute
12 Eliot Street | Cambridge, MA 02138 | 617.661.6647 |
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