In 1931 the Boston-Worcester Turnpike was rebuilt as Route 9, bringing large change to the area. The Westborough section of Route 9 was originally bordered by farms, soon taken over by cabins, restaurants, gas stations, and other businesses. With the advancements in transportation, Westborough's agricultural way of life faded.
Because Back Bay was built on reclaimed land, all buildings are held up by support beams that reach down to the solid ground. During dry seasons, these support beams are in danger of rotting, causing buildings to collapse.
Hocomonco Pond, a once crystal clear water source used by Native Americans in the Westborough area, was declared a Superfund site in 1983. A wood treating and preservation facility operated on the site from 1928 to 1946, contaminated sediments, surface water, and groundwater with creosote, a byproduct of wood combustion consisting mainly of tar.
Collect pond was the primary source of potable water for the settlers in lower manhattan and had been there for thousands of years, until 1785. A tannery was built next to it and caused massive amounts of contamination.
The Back Bay of the Charles River is reclaimed, mainly in order to eliminate the vile stench coming from the pollution of the mudflat. Gravel, sand, and garbage are used to fill in the land, and infrastructure including housing is built.
After the war of 1812 there was a large migration from the countryside to the city and many brought along their rural ways of life, including wild animals.
Commonly thought of as the most advanced highway project in the United States, the Big Dig replaced Boston's deteriorating six-lane elevated central highway (I-93). It did so with an underground highway and two new bridges over the Charles River. It also extended I-90 to Boston's Logan International Airport, and Route 1A. This project created more than 300 acres of open land while reconnecting downtown Boston to the waterfront, and helped clean up emissions due to more efficient traffic flow.
Thomas Dongan, the mayor of Manhattan at the time, signed the Dongan charter in 1686 allowing for additional building out onto the New York Harbour, influencing and increasing international trade.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the store’s disposal practices led to the spread of tetrachloroethene (PCE) “into the indoor air environments of nearby buildings and the groundwater, resulting in a significant threat to human health.” the EPA added the site to the Superfund program’s National Priorities List in 1999.
Great Neck’s Board of Trustees adopted the Great Neck Estates Commission for Conservation of the Environment. The commission was tasked with monitoring the preservation and development of natural lands through studies and surveys as well ensuring there was sufficient public information programs to educate the local community with regard to environmental problems.
The rise of automobiles led to less of a need for railroads and eventually the abandonment in 1928 of the Marlborough Street Railway Line. This led to the improvement of roads across the city and a rising of auto-related facilities such as gas stations and auto-shops throughout Marlborough. These roads still exist today.
The establishment of railroads in the 1850s allowed for Marlborough’s agricultural and shoe-industry products to reach new markets. With easier access to trade, Marlborough's growth during the 19th century was exponential.
After the Queen Anne’s War in 1713, farming in Marlboro began to reach new markets. The settlers grew out of subsistence methods and started using nature to their advantage for economic gains. The most prominent farming activity in Marlborough was focused on apple orchards. Cider and brandy became Marlborough’s largest exported goods throughout the 18th century and sparked the market revolution in Marlborough.
In 1675, the Marlborough meeting house was the subject of an attack from the Indians during the King Phillip War. Though no one was killed, the Indians destroyed much of the infrastructure of the town, as well as burned the crops and killed the livestock of the town inhabitants. The King Phillip War ended a year later in 1676 and although the town was able to recover, the attack on the Marlborough meeting house caused tensions to rise between the Colonists and the Indians from the surrounding areas.
In May of 1656, a group of men from Sudbury, led by John Howe, Edmund Rice, and John Ruddocke went to the Massachusetts General Court to petition for more land. They received a grant of 6 sq. miles of land southwest of Sudbury and named it Whipsufferadge, after the Indian Hill Whipsuffenicke. This land would later go on to be known as Marlborough. The environment of this area would forever be changed.
In 1944 a massive hurricane struck the island causing millions of dollars in damage and killing two individuals. Unsurprisingly, homes near the outwash and on the water were the hardest hit and some were even washed away. As the island rebuilt in the wake of these storms, its layout was altered to better equip it for future disasters. These precautions helped it to combat damage sustained during Hurricane Sandy in 2012.
Beginning in 1835, hundreds of Methodists traveled to Edgartown each summer to repent at “campground meetings;” living originally in nine improvised tents around a speaker’s platform, that was made of driftwood, the Methodists found the island’s surroundings to be uplifting. Held each year, the meetings rapidly gained popularity. The island’s first true tourists, many of the Methodists at first rented houses before becoming property owners. This contingency would go on to build 318 gingerbread house type homes in Oak Bluffs that together were called, “Cottage City.” To support these homes, many of which still exist to this day, shops and restaurants were built and slowly the Oak Bluffs of today was born.
Cleveland E. Dodge buys the factory site for Dodge Fibers, a Teflon/plastics producing company. After this point, the factory site would forevermore be used as a plastics company, which played a major role in the PFOA crisis.
Walter A. Wood Mowing and Reaping Machine Co. was bought. This company employed 2,000 people by 1890 and was developing approximately 90,000 machines. This was one of the most successful companies Hoosick Falls had seen and left a lasting impact on the town.