The Charles: A River Transformed

Images of America: Massachusetts

by William P. Marchione

From the Colonia era through the industrial age and into modern times, the Charles River has been a prominent feature of the New England landscape and has undergone a series of dramatice changes. First the site of important Revolutionary battles, the Charles later became home to myriad commercial interests, including lumberyards, slaughterhouses, arsenals, and businesses. The Charles has long been the location of three prominent universities, but only recently has the river come to serve as a recreational and scenic haven for residents and visitors of Boston, Cambridge, Brookline, Watertown, and Newton. The 1970s landmark Clean Water Act did much to transform this much-used waterway into a lovely and popular spot for walking, jogging, cycling, boating, sailing, rowing, picnicking, swimming, fishing, and even windsurfing.

128 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 1998

Reviews

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you don't live or grew up in or around Boston, then this will probably be like watching paint dry. The exception is those who are intrigued by how natural features (like watercourses) have been used, exploited and changed over the course of American history.

Unlike many other notable resources, the Charles River was both ruined and then restored by human efforts. The author has written a series of books about the local cities and towns in the immediate vicinity of Boston and Cambridge. This is a longer, but complementary book to his others.

The writing is good, precise and filled with facts. I have not found any errors in the facts (as far as I know them) and, by inference, the research that supports them. Fortunately, there are good reference materials about the area preserved over the last 400+ years.

[Bdj · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good reference for those trying to get a feel for the cities along the Charles River in the 1800's and early 1900's. Some excellent pictures, especially of the bridges in and around Boston.

I'll agree with the previous reviewer that the audience is probably limited to those interested in local history or photos of the general time period. For those who do however it's a real gem and worth spending the time to get a better feel for the time and place depicted.