Bygone Boston [Paperback]

Earl Brechlin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2003

One in a series of books of old postcard reproductions, this one focuses on how our grandparents and great-grandparents had fun in the outdoors: hiking, canoeing, visiting parts and natural wonders, communing with nature at remote mountain resorts, and roughing it at fishing and hunting camps. In addition to such energetic relaxation, some of these postcards show the serious business of the backcountry: logging camps, early dams, the rail lines that pierced the wilderness. Informative descriptions accompany the antique postcard views, which cover all of New England.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Earl Brechlin is editor of The Mount Desert Islander newspaper and author of several previous books. He lives on Mt. Desert Island in Maine. John Bishop, Earl’s research assistant on this project, is a student at Northeastern University. He lives in Brighton, Massachusetts.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Caption for postcard of Boston Light

"Like so many other points of interest in Boston, Boston Harbor Light was the "first of its kind" in North America. A bill to build the lighthouse was passed in July 1715. A stone tower was built on Little Brewster Island, and the beacon was lit for the first time on September 14, 1716. A tax of a penny per ton on all cargo transiting the harbor paid for its construction. A cannon served for the fog signal. During the Revolution, the lighthouse was burned or destroyed and then repaired several times. It was rebuilt to a height of 75 feet in 1783, and raised to the existing height of 89 feet (show here) in 1859. The second-order Fresnel lens installed at that time is still in use today. On April 16, 1998, Boston Harbor Light was the last in the nation to be automated."

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Down East Books (January 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0892725699
• ISBN-13: 978-0892725694
• Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,981,054 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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