History Repeats Itself

I've come up with two double drownings in Jamaica Pond. In this case, the victims are horses as well as men. Across the colonial and antebellum eras, history did repeat itself, first as tragedy, and then as Darwin Award entry.




New England Weekly Journal August 14, 1727


On Wedneſday last one Robert Sweedland, driving a Cart from this Place to Mr. Stone's Farm at Roxbury, drove down to Jamaica Pond, ſo called, in order to give Drink to the Horſes, and the Horſes being eager for the Water, ran ſwiftly into the ſaid Pond, and there were Drowned, and the poor Man willing to do his utmoſt to ſave the Horſes, was himself likewiſe Drowned.



Essex Gazette July 19, 1839


Sunday morning, a young man named Henry Whalley, was swimming a horse in Jamaica Pond, Roxbury, in presence of nearly twenty persons. The horse was kept in the water a long time, and urged far out from the shore. Becoming exhausted he rolled partly over, and threw off the young man, who not being able so swim, seized the horse so violently about the neck, that it was difficult for the beast to keep his head above water. Finally he gave a plunge and threw the man off, who sunk; after swimming around a few seconds, the horse also sank, and both man and beast were drowned. The bodies of both were recovered in about twenty minutes, but life was extinct. --- Boston Gazette.

Runaway Horses - Boy Hero

Boston Daily Globe February 12, 1899


Little Hero Of Jamaica Plain.

Guy Sherlock, Aged 9, Cool in the Midst of Danger, Guides Runaway Horses to a Place of Safety.


Jamaica Plain has a youthful hero, a boy of 9, who performed a feat yesterday that for dare-devil recklessness surpasses anything ever witnessed in that locality on the part of a child of his tender years.

Guy Sherlock, the little hero, lives with his parents at 58 Brookside av, Jamaica Plain.

Yesterday morning, with the true spirit of an American schoolboy, he was on Washington st, catching stray rides here and there on the various pungs and sleighs passing up and down the street.

A large experience in grabbing onto moving objects had made him expert in that line. The little fellow had enjoyed a number of rides, when about 9 o'clock there was a commotion down the street.

Coming suddenly in view was a horse attached to a store sleigh, madly tearing down the street. There was a scattering of vehicles to save quarters. It seemed as though nothing but a miracle would stop the flying animal before somebody was hurt.

All at once, right in the midst of the confusion, a small body was seen to rush into the street. Before any one could stop the child, little Guy Sherlock was hanging onto the side of the sleigh like a monkey. The passers-by witnessing the act were struck dumb with horror, and held their breath, expecting every moment to see the sleigh smash into something and the child killed. While they looked on in wonder, however, Guy crawled into the front of the sleigh and then to the seat.

Grabbing the left rein he gave it a strong pull, turning the frantic animal just in time to avoid a couple of electrics. By this time they had reached the engine house near School st. The horse was turned into the building and stopped. Sherlock was thrown out but was not badly hurt.

A big crowd gathered and many words of praise of the act of bravery were heard.

Man Killed By Horse Team

Accidents like the one described below were not uncommon in Jamaica Plain. People were stomped by horses, and crushed by the wheels of horse wagons with a sad regularity in the days before automobiles banished horses from the roads. The only thing that makes this accident noteworthy is that it is the last case I have found of someone being killed in an accident involving horses. No doubt there were more later, but I'll let this one stand for now as representing the end of an era.




Boston Daily Globe July 18, 1917


Runaways Hit Milk Wagon, Man Killed

Team Hauling Granite in Crash at Jamaica Plain

William Whitney of Roxbury Dies in Hospital of Injuries


Two horses attached to a wagon, loaded with granite, became unmanageable when the wiffletree snapped as they were passing through Amory st, Jamaica Plain, yesterday afternoon and the team crashed into a milk wagon owned by Alder Bros of Tremont st, Roxbury, causing injuries to William Whitney, living at 72 Station st, Roxbury, which caused his death.

The wagon carrying the granite, which was owned by J.N. Lombard of 47 Chapman st, Roxbury, was driven by Edmund J. Roche, 29, of 38 Green st, Charlestown.

Whitney, who was riding on the seat of the milk wagon, was thrown to the ground and rendered unconscious. He was taken to the City Hospital in the police ambulance from the Jamaica Plain Station and died soon after his arrival. Medical Examiner Leary was notified and the body was removed to the City Hospital Morgue.

Frank A. Metz of 62 Jamaica st, Jamaica Plain, who was driving the milk wagon, was thrown to the street, but escaped injury. Roche was arrested, charged with manslaughter, and later bailed at the Jamaica Plain Police Station.

A Tragic Accident - Fire Truck Kills Girl

We tend to think of traffic accidents as an affliction of the automotive age, but many people were killed by runaway horses, kicked or dragged by horses, or crushed by wagons. Imagine driving a truck that had a mind of its own.

As a side note, they were not shy about describing accidents back in the day.



Boston Daily Globe March 7, 1880


Fatal Accident.

A Little Girl Run Over at Jamaica Plain by a Hook and Ladder Truck.


A lamentable accident occurred at Jamaica Plain last evening, which resulted in the loss of one life and injuries to two others by a city employee. At 6 o'clock an alarm of fire was sounded for Canterbury to a house owned by Patrick Meehan, and the firemen promptly responded. Hook and latter truck No. 10, horses in charge of Michael Cook, was passing at a furious rate along the highway, and when at the corner of Keyes [McBride] and South streets, the driver was turning the team to enter Keyes street when the horse shied, drawing the wagon on the sidewalk, the wheel of the wagon being only eighteen inches from the fence-bounded private land. There were a number of persons on the sidewalk, among others being a ten-year-old girl named Helen Lally, who was in the act of carrying milk for delivery when the wagon struck her, throwing her down, the wheels passing over her body, mangling it and causing death in a few minutes. John Eagan, residing on Call street, and an unknown man, were seriously injured upon the legs. The driver of the truck sped on his way to the call of duty without stopping. Of course there was much excitement at the scene of the accident, and several persons relate instances of hair-breadth escape. The body of the unfortunate victim was taken to her parents' home by undertaker J.D. Fallon and others, and the grief-stricken mother fainted several times at the sight of her little girl's body. Medical examiner Draper viewed the remains and certified the cause of death was a broken spine by reason of passage of wheels over it. Those who witnessed the disaster aver that there was great carelessness on the part of the driver, that he drove wildly, having no proper restraint upon his horses, and that it is a miracle that more people were not injured. On behalf of the driver, it is said that one of the horses is balky, and that he had notified the authorities that the animal was unsafe to use, but the commissioners had taken no notice of the complaint. The fire was of no importance.

Jeff, The Brewer Street Methuselah

Carriage house, Brewer street 2008.


I believe that the stable shown above is the same as stands now. The house is directly opposite the one I grew up in during the 1960s. Mr and Mrs Hayes lived there at the time. Three houses in a row on Brewer street retain their old carriage houses to this day. Brewer street isn't one of the oldest in Jamaica Plain, but it is older than most residential side streets of its kind. I would have added a matching picture from the present, but it looks like they're doing a major rehab on it right now.


Boston Daily Globe April 21, 1907


An Equine Methuselah


According to all obtainable statistics, Jeff Brigham is one of the oldest horses in the world. He lives in the Jamaica Plain district, at No. 5 Brewer st, as a member of the family of Mrs W.E. Brigham. Thirty-seven or 38 years is no great age in a man, but it is twice the average of a horse. The animal that lives to the end of 18 years is considered to have reached a ripe old age and is usually turned out to pasture, sold at auction, or chloroformed, according to the compassion of his owner.

Jeff's owners would as soon think of administering chloroform to one of themselves as putting an end to the good old horse's life.

Jeff has grown old with the family that owns him. He has outlived his master, and now faithfully serves his mistress, whom he conveys wherever she goes, always moving at a comfortable trot with very little indication of age in his movements. He has never been sick a day in his life, but of late years he has required to services of a dentist, not for any lack of teeth, but owing to an over supply. He has had to have his teeth filed down two or three times to prevent their interfering with the mastication of his food.

Eating has always been a very important consideration with Jeff. Three meals a day, as regularly as the clock strikes, have been his never-failing portion. He is comfortably housed in a warm, new stable, built especially for him. He is accustomed to gentle treatment and a certain degree of deference to the dignity of his age.

The boys George and Will, who used to romp on his back when he was a sprightly horse of 10 or 12, have grown to stalwart manhood under his supervision, and they treat him with the respect which is his due.

An automobile is Jeff's particular horror. Born before the time of bicycles, he managed to become reconciled to them in his youth, but these new devices, with their honking and puffing and locomotive speed, are too much for him at his time of life. He is exceedingly fond of music, especially of the martial type, and will march to time and cavort in dance fashion if he happens not to be harnessed.



Richards, L.J. 1899 (copyright © 2000 by Cartography Associates.)
David Rumsey Collection.

Burroughs street runs across the top of the map, and Brewer bisects it from top to bottom. Five Brewer street is the upper Brigham property on this map fragment.

End Of An Era

It must have been quite a change to go from horse-drawn streetcars to electrics. On one hand, you could give a horse a pat, give it a carrot or call it by name, none of which was true for a hidden electric motor. On the other hand, no more horse poop in the streets! I remember hearing someone comment on the radio that people from years ago would never believe that the population of New York could be as big as it is today. How could you feed all the horses necessary? No more horses, no more stables, feed, fittings, or any of the other related industries that had been essential to urban life. Horses still pulled freight and carriages away from rail lines, but the end was near.


Boston Daily Globe August 28, 1890


Egleston Square Line Electrics Supercede Horse Cars Tuesday - Time Tables


Nest Tuesday all the horse cars on the Egleston Square line will be taken off, and electrics substituted. They will run between Tremont House, Egleston sq, and Forest Hills

This will involve a change of route. Residents along the line, instead of taking the cars at Franklin, Summer, or along Washington st, will, after Tuesday, find the cars at the Tremont House, and along Tremont st and Shawmut av.

One of the advantageous rusults of this change will be an all-night car every hour between Egleston Square and the Tremont House, starting at 11:45 p.m. from Egleston Square and leaving the Tremont House at 12:15.

This will establish a half-hourly electric car between the Tremont House and Dudley st.

By the old arrangement there were 160 trips daily between Franklin st and Egleston sq; by the new schedule 272 trips will be run between Tremont House and Egleston sq. The running time to Egleston sq. will be from six to eight minutes quicker. The Forest Hills run will be shortened 24 minutes.

From Forest Hills the first car in the morning will leave at 6:02, the next at 6:22, then every 10 minutes till 8:42, then every 10 minutes till 7:12, then at 7:19, 7:27, and every 15 minutes until 10:27, then 10:57 and 11:12 will be the last car.

From Egleston Square the last trip of the all-night car will be 4:45 but, following that cars will start every 15 minutes until 6 o'clock, and after that hour up to 10:45 at night a car will leave at least every five minutes and part of the time every two or three minutes.

The regular stopping places between Forest Hills and Dudley st will be as follows: Morton, Burnett, Keyes, Greenwood av, Green, Cornwall, Forest Hills, Boylston, School, Walnut pk, Cobden, Dimock, Townsend, Marcella, Valentine, Oakland, Cedar, Circuit, St James, Bartlett, Cliff and Dudley sts. This side of Dudley st the cars will make the same stops as the other electric.