Back Bay VIII
Back Bay VIII
In 1854, the Boston Water Power Company (BWPC), who had previously
ran the mills, and the State of Massachusetts split the area and began a
massive land-making project. The State and BWPC hired two railroad
companies to carry gravel from Needham, nine miles away, to the Back
Bay. Using steam shovels, 35-car trains were loaded in 10 minutes for
their trips to the Back Bay. Three trains ran on the tracks, each making
25 trips a day. Between 1858 and 1864, the State filled 53 acres of the
Back Bay using this train and steam shovel system. Can you imagine how
much landfill traveled between Needham and the Back Bay in those years?
