Revere History
Revere’s first inhabitants were Native Americans who belonged to the
Pawtucket Tribe. They were known as the Rumney Marsh Indians.
In 1630, settlers founded the area as Rumney
Marsh.
Much like today’s vacationers, the Indians would camp next to the
seashore during the warmer months where food was more plentiful. For
entertainment different tribes were challenged to compete in various events and
games of skill held on the sandy beaches.
Rumney Marsh was first discovered by White Men when Captain John Smith
explored the coast of New England in 1614. It was part of the first permanent
settlement in Boston Harbor at Winnesemmit (now known as Chelsea) by Samuel
Maverick in 1624.
On September 25, 1634, Rumney Marsh was annexed to Boston. Winnesemmit
and Pullen Point (which would later become Winthrop) were also annexed to
Boston. The first County Road in North America stretched across Rumney Marsh
from Winnesemmit Ferry to Olde Salem in 1641. Many travelers, attracted by the
fertile soil and lovely crescent beach, returned here to
settle.
In 1739, Rumney Marsh, Winnesemmit and Pullen Point were set off from
Boston and established as the Town of Chelsea. Revere was the largest of the
three settlements, and therefore was selected as the Town Centre.
In 1852, Pullen Point was set off from North Chelsea and established
as the Town of Winthrop. That same year, Chelsea became a city. In 1871, North
Chelsea adopted the name of Revere. In 1915, Revere was incorporated as a
city.
The completion of the Eastern Railroad in 1838, (later to become the
Boston & Maine) and the Boston, Revere Beach and Lynn railroad (the Narrow
Gauge) in 1875 signaled the beginning of rapid population growth for the town
and the development of the Beach as a summer resort. They increased
accessibility of Revere Beach, which became famous as a
resort.
In 1881, a group of prominent Massachusetts men, among them the
ancestors of former United States Senators Leverett Saltonstall and Henry Cabot
Lodge, Jr., formed a company and purchased 200 acres of land in the Point of
Pines. They invested $500,000 in a complete summer resort, hotels, bandstand,
race track, amusements, piers and bath houses. They provided gaslight
illumination through beautiful arches above the walks and driveways, using gas
jets and special globes. Over 2,000 people were present at opening ceremonies
for the four story Pines Hotel that included a 3,000-seat dining room. The Pines
Hotel was considered the largest on the Atlantic
Coast.
At the other end of the beach at the foot of Beachmont Hill was the
Great Ocean Pier, which extended 1,450 feet out of Cherry Island Bar. It was
used as a dance pavilion a café and a large skating rink, all on a grand scale,
with steamer service every half hour to Boston and
Nahant.
On July 12, 1896, Revere Beach was opened as the first public beach in
the nation. Landscape architect Charles Eliot designed Revere Beach as “the
first beach to be set aside and governed by a public body for the enjoyment of
the common people.” An estimated 45,000 people showed up on opening day to see
and enjoy Revere Beach.
In 1906, Revere’s greatest attraction ever, Wonderland Park, opened.
Situated approximately where Wonderland Greyhound Park is today, it was one of
the nation's earliest and most spectacular fantasy amusement parks. It covered
25 acres of land and featured such attractions as a Wild West Show with over 100
cowboys, Indian raids, a circus, and a scenic railway. Its most spectacular
feature was “Fighting the Flames,” a recreation of a great city fire. The park
closed in 1911.
When people reminisce about Revere Beach, it is not the sand, and surf
they remember most. It is the amusements. The Whip, the Ferris Wheel,
Bluebeard’s Palace, the Fun House , Hurley’s Dodgems, the Pit, Himalayan,
Hippodrome, Sandy’s, the Mickey Mouse, the Virginia Reel and many more, provided
hours of enjoyment for residents and visitors alike. Of course, the biggest
attraction was the Cyclone, among the largest roller coasters in the United
States. Opened in 1927, its cars traveled at a speed of 50 miles per hour and
its 100 foot climb to the flagpole guaranteed screaming
passengers.
From the time of Revere’s incorporation as a City in 1915 until the
present, Revere’s growth continued and all its farmlands are now developed.
Rapid growth and residential development occurred after World War II and into
the 1950’s.
In 1954, Hurricane Carol damaged or destroyed many of the amusement
rides on the Beach. In 1972, a Nor’easter struck in February, bringing snow,
rain and winds of hurricane force. At the time, it was the most destructive
storm in the City’s history. Of course, that was before the Great Blizzard of
1978. Coming on the heels of a record breaking storm on January 10, 1978, which
dumped 21 inches of snow, the two-day storm on February 6 and 7, 1978 was the
worst storm in New England history and by far the most devastating to strike
Revere.
During the 1980’s, the beach was the focus of major revitalization
effort by the MDC and the City and was officially reopened in May 1992. It now
has high rise housing units, remanded beach, restored pavilions and a renovated
boulevard. On the weekend of July 19, 1996, Revere commemorated the centennial
of the first opening of Revere Beach with a spectacular, three-day
celebration.
Today, with a population of nearly 43,000 people, Revere is a densely
populated residential community. Its beach is still used by large numbers.
Revere has a long, proud history and is looking forward to a bright, optimistic
future.
(“A Profile of Revere,” 1996 Monograph, Robert J. Haas, Jr.)