Climate ChangeGreenovateRenew Boston

BATTLE OF NODDLE ISLAND REENACTMENT AND REGATTA

By October 19, 2019 No Comments

This Memorial Day, the Neighborhood of Affordable Housing invites community members to dive into a wild moment in East Boston Revolutionary history, and enjoy a day of environmental stewardship with their friends and neighbors. Stop by the festivities or sign up to volunteer!

On May 30th, NOAH will host the second-annual Battle of Noddle Island Regatta & Re-enactment in East Boston. This free event is open to the public, and festivities will include bike tours, kayak lessons, historical and archaeological presentations, arts and crafts, and more. The event is a celebration of the history, the culture, and the natural resources of East Boston. Its aim is threefold: to mark the importance of the Battle of Chelsea Creek/Noddle Island to East Boston, to engage community members in waterfront programming and environmental stewardship, and to focus on equity in public access to the waterfront.

This event will be a ton of fun and has something for everyone – but before we get into the details, here’s a little background on the Battle of Chelsea Creek/Noddle Island. It’s a wild tale!

In 1775, at the height of the Revolutionary War, Colonial America was on the brink of Independence– but Britain still controlled Boston Harbor. On May 27th of that year, Colonial soldiers came up with a scheme to outsmart the British by cutting their food supply lines. The British had been taking livestock from Noddle’s Island and Hog Island in East Boston (next to present-day Logan Airport) to eat. At low tide, the Colonials noticed, a land bridge connected the islands to the mainland. So when the tide went out, they rounded up the cattle, led them off the island, and burned everything else that remained that would be of use to the British.