Imagine thirsty Puritans. They arrived on the shores of Massachusetts in 1630. It was a difficult time. The water in Charlestown was bad. Many settlers got sick. But there was hope.
Right here is Beech Spring. It played a crucial role in Boston’s history. An early settler William Blackstone told them about the spring. It had bountiful fresh water on the Shawmut peninsula. Blackstone had made his home here.
The peninsula was like an island. A thin causeway connected it to the mainland. Seawater and smelly brackish water surrounded it. The spring was fed by rich aquifers. It was a critical resource. The availability of water greatly influenced settlement.
The Puritans moved to the peninsula. This marked the start of modern Boston. But the abundant water supply gradually dwindled. The settlement expanded. Residents had to look outside the city for water. More sophisticated water systems were put in place. The spring was covered up. Later it was even paved over.
Many years later at the start of the 20th century the Bostonian Society installed a plaque here. The plaque reads: “Here was the Great Spring which for more than two centuries gave water to the people of Boston.” The city also put up a plaque on the Winthrop-Carter building. It recognizes the spring’s crucial role. It lured the Puritans to create the settlement. That settlement was a precursor to the modern city.
William Blaxton played a key role. He wrote a letter to Isaac Johnson. Johnson led the Puritan settlement in Charlestown. Blaxton told him about Boston’s excellent natural spring. He invited them to settle on his land. They did this over the course of September 1630.
One of Johnson’s last acts was to name the new settlement “Boston.” He named it after his hometown in Lincolnshire. John Cotton also emigrated to New England from there. The name ultimately comes from St. Botolph. He was the town’s patron saint. Before the renaming the settlement was known as “Shawmut.” Blaxton used this name. The Puritans called it “Trimountaine.”
The Puritans settled around the springs. These springs were on the north side of what is now Beacon Hill. At the time it was called “Trimountaine”. Blaxton negotiated a grant of land for himself. It amounted to around 10% of the peninsula’s total area. But by 1633 the new town’s citizens numbered 4000. Retention of such a large parcel was untenable. Blaxton sold all but six acres back to the Puritans in 1634.
After Johnson’s death Blaxton didn’t get along with the Puritan leaders. In 1635 Blaxton moved about 35 miles south of Boston. He moved to what is today known as the Blackstone River in Cumberland Rhode Island. He was that region’s first European settler.
You can access Spring Lane from Washington or Devonshire streets. It runs parallel to Water Street. Spring Lane appears almost invisible to busy pedestrians. It is off-limits to cars. Look up and find the street sign for Spring Lane. Walk halfway down and look on the wall. During busy tourist seasons the sidewalk in downtown Boston can be crowded. But Spring Lane is often very quiet.
So next time you take a sip of Boston’s tap water remember Beech Spring. It quenched the thirst of the city’s founders. It helped them build a new world.