All About the Boston Harbor Islands

by Emily Kales, David Kales, Deborah Warren (Illustrator)

Provides information on the Boston Harbor Islands that consist of thirty islands ranging in size from less than one acre to over 200 acres.

Hardcover

Published January 1, 1976

Reviews

[Sheila]

Very interesting history of Boston Harbor islands!

[5]

I picked this up on a trip to what is fast becoming my favorite used bookstore. I’ve been obsessed with the Harbor Islands ever since I learned of their existence. This book was unique: it was a collector’s item for one such as myself, but it promised to relay a perspective from 40 years ago. In the early ‘80s, there was no Big Dig; Deer Island wastewater treatment plant was not renovated; Dukakis hadn’t brought about his so-called Massachusetts Miracle and Boston was still a parochial backwater of a city with a decayed industrial base and the “dirtiest harbor” in the country. It was so interesting to hear the enthusiasm and optimism for what the Harbor Islands offered back then and the potential the authors saw, and how much was already known about the importance of wetlands and the role of the Wampanoag on the Islands. It was refreshing to see phone numbers listed for boat tours and ferries, and- most strikingly- Spectacle Island was still a literal dump complete with smokestack. Now crowned with dirt from the Big Dig highway project and native plants, it is, in my opinion, the jewel of the Harbor. It was shocking to me, however, to see a picture of Spectacle, as well as the lone bio digester at Deer Island, along with recommendations on where to fish.

[Donna]

I like this book so interesting to know about the islands that are right in my backyard