Whispering willows line the Aberjona River at Winchester. This seemingly quiet river in the northwestern suburbs of Boston has a rich and sometimes troubling history. The Aberjona River means “junction or confluence” in the Natick language. It flows through Reading Woburn and Winchester before emptying into the Mystic Lakes.
For centuries the Aberjona River was a vital resource. Early colonists noted its presence shortly after 1631. It powered mills and sustained life. But industrialization brought a dark chapter. By 1865 twenty-one tanneries and currying shops operated in Woburn. Pollution from these and other industries poisoned the river. The Massachusetts Legislature eventually banned waste discharge into the Aberjona River in 1911.
The river’s legacy is interwoven with the story of Winchester itself. The town’s early growth was linked to improvements in transportation. The Middlesex Canal and later the Boston and Lowell Railroad spurred development. Winchester’s story is also a story of transformation from an agri-industrial town to the affluent residential community it is today.
The Aberjona River’s troubled past is vividly depicted in the book A Civil Action. This best-selling novel recounts how industrial plants dumped toxic chemicals like trichloroethylene into the river. This contamination had devastating effects on the environment and the health of the community. The Industri-plex site along the river became a Superfund site requiring extensive remediation.
Today the Aberjona River at Winchester is a shadow of its former self. Much of its flow is underground. But Judkins Pond and Mill Pond in Winchester center still show the river’s presence. The Aberjona River continues to serve as a reminder of the environmental challenges of industrialization. This is a place of both beauty and a sobering history. It is a place that invites reflection on our responsibility to protect our natural resources. Let’s move on to the next part of our tour.