The Blizzard Of '78 In Perspective

It was 48 years ago this month that Massachusetts (and most of New England) was paralyzed by a monster Nor’easter. Back then, weather forecasting was even more dicey than it is today, so skeptical Bostonians ‘poo-poohed’ the warnings of a major blizzard. When it did hit, hundreds of cars were stranded on Route 128, houses along the shoreline were blown to smithereens, and 100 people died. For a full week, the region came to a standstill. No driving, no work—pretty much no anything. They even had to postpone the Beanpot hockey final—with thousands stranded at The Garden. The whole scene was apocalyptic. 

The only person who seemed in control was Massachusetts Governor Mike Dukakis—who ten years later would run for President. He appeared daily in his command center, wearing his signature cardigan sweater, and delivering updates on everything from the operation of the T (which actually worked) to advising on walking to grocery stores for food. He was a calming force amid the chaos.

Fast forward to today, as another hellacious blizzard slams the Boston area. A few things are different now: better weather forecasting (I know, it’s hard to believe); less skepticism among area residents (also hard to believe); and pro-actively cancelling work and school—keeping people off the roads. We might still have power outages, stranded homeowners and falling trees—but we’re far better prepared than we were in 1978.

And, if all else fails, Mike Dukakis is still around to get us through it.

America's First Flag: The Continental Union

As we rapidly approach the 250th anniversary of our country’s founding, it’s interesting to note that its first flag was not the “Old Glory” we know today. In fact, it was the Continental Union Flag, which still bore the mark of England—not an array of stars—in its field. 

While the flag’s first appearance was at a ship commissioning in Philadelphia in December of 1775, the first time it flew in anger was in Somerville, Massachusetts the very next month. It was during the British siege of Boston that Somerville’s Prospect Hill offered a strategic view of the city and the movements of the Redcoats on land and in the harbor.

After the victorious American battles at Lexington and Concord in April of 1775, weary British troops retreated back to Boston and passed near Prospect Hill. There, a skirmish broke out. A 65-year-old Somerville patriot (James Miller) famously stood his ground against the British—telling his retreating comrades, “I am too old to run”. He was shot thirteen times and died at the base of Prospect Hill. 

And, on January 1, 1776, this new Continental Union Flag flew atop the American citadel on Somerville's Prospect Hill for the first time.